After returning to the clan, the First Elder summoned several other elders to discuss who should take the County Lieutenant's post.
The First Elder had decided to secure the position only after careful consideration.
The County Lieutenant commanded all the county's troops and handled vital duties such as maintaining public order and collecting taxes.
The Li Family had quietly become Baihe County's foremost clan, but it still had no official standing. If it could secure the County Lieutenant's post, it would truly hold sway over both the underworld and the authorities.
After some discussion, they ultimately chose the First Elder's grandson, Li Xingcong, for the position.
It wasn't that the First Elder was playing favorites. Li Xingcong had a special status: he was not only the First Elder's grandson, but also the Zheng Family's son-in-law. With both identities behind him, his position as County Lieutenant would be as steady as a mountain.
With Li Xinge's approval, the Li Family sent people to the County Prefecture to smooth the way.
The Li Family had been around for more than two hundred years and had built up some connections at the County Prefecture. They weren't especially influential, but their word still carried weight.
The next day.
News spread through the county office.
County Lieutenant Song Tianyang had colluded with his clerk, Song Tao, to deceive his superiors and conceal the truth while engaging in widespread corruption. After his crimes came to light, he had died by suicide out of guilt.
Soon afterward, Gu Zhitíng, the County Magistrate, submitted a recommendation for Li Xingcong, a promising young talent from Baihe County's distinguished Green Maple Li Clan, to become the new County Lieutenant. After the County Prefecture had "carefully considered" the matter, Li Xingcong took up his post.
From then on, the Li Family