Qizhou, today is the second day after the emperor and his party entered Qizhou.

Qizhou has thirty counties under its jurisdiction, and the emperor is preparing to start an investigation from Ninggu County, the front.

Li Ke followed the emperor. He asked the governor of Qizhou Ma Zhiyuan to go back according to the emperor's wishes, so he did not have to welcome the emperor here.

But Li Ke felt that this was probably useless.

As a minister, when the emperor arrives, how could he pretend to be nothing?

"Li Ke, what is the origin of Ninggu County?" The emperor looked at Ninggu County in front and asked Li Ke.

The clean and tidy streets, rows of buildings, and the people standing on both sides with a smile on their faces made the emperor feel very uncomfortable.

It’s not that the emperor has any dissatisfaction with the people here, but that the marks of these people in front of him are really too artificial.

"Father, my son is probably the governor of Qizhou, Ma Zhiyuan, who issued an order to the county magistrates to organize people to welcome his father." Li Ke said with a smile.

He said that no official can really ignore the emperor's arrival.

Even if the emperor is here to investigate the situation.

At least, they have to do a good job in this superficial situation.

The emperor frowned. He knew that from the time he entered Qizhou, all his whereabouts had completely fallen into the hands of Qizhou officials.

It is completely impossible for him to investigate the real situation in Qizhou.

Just like now, Qizhou officials have long hidden all their sins behind this laughter and joy.

"My Governor of Qizhou, Ma Zhiyuan, brought his colleagues from Ninggu County and the county yard to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor." A shout came from afar.

The emperor sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and looked ahead from afar.

Then he saw fifty steps ahead, a group of people bowed respectfully to him.

The headed governor of Qizhou, Ma Zhiyuan, is an old man.

"Li Ke, let's get out of the car." The emperor's voice sounded.

Li Ke lifted the curtain of the car and helped the emperor get off the carriage.

The emperor slowly came to Qizhou Governor Ma Zhiyuan and other officials.

Ma Zhiyuan quickly shouted to the emperor again: "Greetings to Your Majesty."

"Meet Your Majesty." A group of Ninggu County officials shouted loudly.

The people who greeted the emperor along the street also shouted in unison.

The momentum is trembling, but only they know whether they are willing or forced to do so.

"Full, you all have worked hard!" The emperor waved his hand and signaled everyone to get up.

Ma Zhiyuan, the governor of Qizhou, quickly walked to the emperor and extended his hand to invite him: "Your Majesty, I have specially prepared a reception banquet for Your Majesty in the city, and I would like to ask Your Majesty to come."

The emperor looked at Ma Zhiyuan. This was his first time meeting Ma Zhiyuan, the governor of Qizhou.

Although he was the governor of a state, Ma Zhiyuan was not appointed by the emperor, but by the late Supreme Emperor Li Yuan appointed him in Qizhou.

Over the years, Ma Zhiyuan's position in Qizhou has not moved.

I don’t usually go to Chang’an, but I only go to the Ministry of Personnel during my annual report.

The emperor would not say that he must see him.

So, this was the first time the emperor met Ma Zhiyuan.

"Thank you for your hard work in Ma Aiqing, where is the magistrate of Ninggu County?" The emperor nodded and looked at the Ninggu County officials behind Ma Zhiyuan.

A man quickly ran over from the crowd and bowed to the emperor with a smile on his face, "My magistrate of Ninggu County Chen Qu, pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor."

"Chen Qu, I think you, the people of Ninggu County, are dressed well. In the past two years, your living standards should have improved a lot." The emperor glanced at the magistrate of Ninggu County and looked at the people on both sides to welcome the people.

Chen Qu's expression was a little stunned, and subconsciously glanced at the Qizhou Governor Ma Zhiyuan beside him.

"Report to Your Majesty, Ninggu County is Shangxian in Qizhou. The people here are rich, so they are dressed well."

"It's getting late, Your Majesty should go to the reception banquet first." Ma Zhiyuan said with a smile.

It’s strange that the person who answered the emperor’s question was not Ninggu County Magistrate Chen Qu, but Ma Zhiyuan, the governor of Qizhou.

The emperor smiled and said, "It seems that you, the governor of Qizhou, are you more clear about the situation here than Chen Qu, the magistrate of Ninggu County."

"very nice."

How could Ma Zhiyuan not hear what the emperor said?

A smile was filled with his face and he replied: "As the governor of Qizhou, I should set an example and be clearer about the situation of each county."

The emperor nodded and did not ask again. Ma Zhiyuan walked ahead and led the way with the emperor.

Li Ke followed him and never said a word.

Everyone knew that everything in front of them was just a scene performed by Ma Zhiyuan and other Qizhou officials with the emperor.

...

When I walked into Ninggu County, I saw no one on the street.

"Today I learned that Your Majesty was coming to Ninggu County, because I was worried that there were too many people in the crowd who wanted to pay homage to Your Majesty's grace and were afraid that they would be too impulsive, so I dared to let them all stay at home." Ninggu County Magistrate Chen Quyu

The emperor explained.

The magistrate of Ninggu County is also a guy who is extremely good at observing his expressions.

Otherwise, the emperor wouldn't have explained so quickly if he just looked at both sides of the street.

"How is the harvest of the people of Ninggu County this year?"

“How much tax is paid?”

"Can the people of Ninggu County participate in the Qizhou riot?" The emperor walked in front and asked Chen Qu, the magistrate of Ninggu County.

Chen Qu followed the emperor and heard the emperor's words, a hint of nervousness flashed in his eyes.

But the emperor did not see it.

He heard Chen Qudao, the magistrate of Ninggu County: "Report to Your Majesty, the people of Ninggu County have a bumper harvest this year. The grain harvested by each family is enough for them to eat and drink in a year. There are still many people who have surplus grains that can be taken out to exchange for money with the government.

”

"If you pay taxes, you will also pay taxes in full."

"As for the Qizhou riot, some people in Ninggu County were deceived and participated in it."

"But your Majesty don't worry, I have already dealt with all the participants."

"The riots, I will never let them go."

Chen Qu responded very perfectly, at least the emperor could not find any reason for a while.

"Since the tax is paid in full, why did the Secretariat report that Qizhou has not paid much taxes this year?"

"Among all the prefectures and counties in the Tang Dynasty, they were ranked last." Li Ke suddenly asked.

However, he was stunned by Ninggu County Magistrate Chen Qu.

"His Royal Highness of Shu is unknown. The Tang Dynasty's laws stipulate that taxes in prefectures can be used to make up for the majeure losses suffered by prefectures in the past."

"Like other counties in Qizhou, Ninggu County has put a lot of taxes on dealing with the sequelae of the riot."

"Therefore, there are very few taxes paid."

"But next year, we will definitely be able to pay the full tax." Qizhou Governor Ma Zhiyuan quickly took over the conversation.

There are indeed such regulations in the laws and regulations of the Tang Dynasty.

But Chen Qu, the magistrate of Ninggu County, did not say anything, but the person who spoke was Ma Zhiyuan, the governor of Qizhou.

This inevitably makes people doubt the authenticity of it.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the most famous restaurant in Ninggu County is Ninggu Restaurant in front of you."
Chapter completed!