Wang Chen quietly returned to Qing'an County.
After the Ping Tian Army had been stationed along Qing'an County's border for three days, it broke camp and marched north to assault the prefectural city in a thunderous campaign. With spies coordinating attacks from within and without, it captured the formidable city in just half a month.
Aside from Qing'an County, Changyi Prefecture had fallen entirely into the hands of the Ping Tian Army.
The ambitious Li Zili reorganized his forces on one hand while cautiously reaching out toward the neighboring prefectures and counties on the other.
The Nanli Dynasty was on the brink of collapse. It was the very hour when heroes contended for the realm!
Yet the storms raging outside had almost no effect on the nearly isolated Qing'an County.
However, the county itself was far from peaceful. One could even say that towering waves had been stirred up.
News that Ye Xiangming and Wang Chen intended to move their entire households to Yunze Prefecture quickly became a "secret" known in every street and alley through the deliberate spread of those with ulterior motives. Even farmers in the countryside had heard of it.
Over the past few years, County Magistrate Ye Xiangming and County Deputy Wang Chen, this father-in-law and son-in-law pair, had undoubtedly become the two most prestigious figures in all of Qing'an County. From the gentry above to the common people below, they had earned universal recognition and respect.
Under their joint governance, the lives of Qing'an County's people had steadily improved.
There were no natural disasters or man-made calamities, no Bandits and Ruffians, and even taxes and corvée labor had been reduced or abolished in many cases. As long as even the lowliest bottom layer outcasts were willing to work hard, they could basically fill their bellies.