Investigation report on conditions in Nanyang
At both banquets, Zhao Ruxi informed them of their departure time from the capital; while everyone expressed their desire to see them off, the old lady and Lady Zhu also expressed their apologies.
"Gusu and Nanyang Prefecture are not far from the capital, so there's no need for a farewell party. I might be back in a month or two anyway," the old lady said with a smile.
Lady Zhu also echoed with two sentences.
Zhao Ruxi is going to Gusu, so time is tight. These families want to take turns hosting farewell banquets for the Zhao Family, which will probably require the three members of the Zhao Family to attend both lunch and dinner, which will be exhausting.
Grand Princess Shangde and Princess of Zhennan were both straightforward people. Grand Princess Shangde said, "In that case, we won't bother with these formalities. We'll host a welcome banquet for you when you return to the capital from your travels."
Zhao Ruxi was about to leave the capital, Xiao Lingyan was naturally extremely reluctant to part with her.
As a boyfriend, he considers things more than others.
On the night before Zhao Ruxi's departure, he handed Zhao Ruxi a stack of papers. "This is information on officials in Nanyang Prefecture."
"Your senior brother treats you quite well; he chose a good place for you. Nanyang Prefecture is conveniently located between the capital and Gusu, making it easy for you to go back to the capital or to Gusu."
"Prefect Liu Hongyu is an upright and capable official, but he is also quite old, already over sixty years old, and will retire in a couple of years. Such a person is much more tolerant of his subordinates and easier to get along with, after all, he always has to leave a way out for his children and grandchildren and build good relationships; moreover, he is old, so if you become his subordinate, there will be less gossip," Xiao Lingyan said to Zhao Ruxi.
"Nanyang Prefecture originally had two Assistant Prefects, who were in charge of salt, grain, bandit suppression, river defense, coastal defense, river works, water conservancy, as well as military registration and pacification of the people and barbarians. After you go, there will be three, and their power will naturally be divided among them. The Assistant Prefect Li Li is alright, but you have to be wary of Cai Yaozong. He is a villain with a strong desire for power, and he is also a member of the Crown Prince's faction. He is determined to get Liu Hongyu's position, so he will not like you. Even if he doesn't frame you, he will definitely try to ostracize you."
Although Xiao Lingyan was just a designer in modern times, after arriving in ancient times, he received the original owner's memories and, as a prince, his perspective was different, so his thoughts were naturally different. He was already highly intelligent, and after two years of experience, including a trip to the Ministry of Works and the border, he was already very familiar with government affairs.
He was afraid that Zhao Ruxi would be bullied or looked down upon when he took office in Nanyang. As soon as Zhao Ruxi's official position was confirmed, he ordered his men to rush to Nanyang and thoroughly investigate all the officials, big and small, in the government office.
The stack of documents he just gave Zhao Ruxi contained detailed information on the qualifications of various officials, including their place of origin, background, number of family members, assets, and any powerful connections they had. Basically, everything that could be found out had been investigated.
With this information in hand, and given Zhao Ruxi's intelligence, he was confident that Zhao Ruxi wouldn't suffer any losses. This put his mind at ease.
"Chen Kang, the clerk in charge of the clerk's office, is a local tyrant who, though not an official, has connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, but he's still considered loyal. When you get there, you'd better try to build a good relationship with him. Even if you can't, don't offend him, otherwise you'll find it very difficult to get anything done there."
Zhao Ruxi leaned over, kissed him, and gave him a sweet smile, "Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Actually, she went to serve as an official in a local area to test her abilities and see if she could establish herself and achieve something in a short time in an unfamiliar place.
But these people, one by one, were all extremely worried about her. Her master sent her senior brother to be the prefect, and Xiao Lingyan quietly investigated the situation of the officials in Nanyang thoroughly.
She believed that Xiao Lingyan would keep a close eye on her every move from now on, and would clear obstacles and handle all troubles for her when she needed them.
In modern times, she was a strong, independent woman who worked on her own. Now, thinking about it, having someone silently supporting her and sheltering her from the storm is also a kind of happiness.
After explaining the situation at the yamen, Xiao Lingyan became concerned about Zhao Ruxi's safety. "Your skills are still decent; most people can't get close to you. But you still can't handle experts. How about I send two guards to the slave trader, and you buy them back and keep them by your side? Sometimes, when something happens, it's not good for the secret guards to show themselves, and I'm afraid you'll suffer."
The secret guards are Zhao Ruxi's last resort. If she encounters any thugs or hooligans, they will step in to expose her, making others more prepared for future dangers.
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, they will not show themselves unless Zhao Ruxi is in serious danger. So, if something happens that is neither too big nor too small, and Ma Sheng and Lady Luo cannot protect her, then things will really be difficult.
Zhao Ruxi thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."
Ma Sheng and his companions were only slightly better than ordinary people in terms of skill, and they lacked practical combat experience. After all, they had always stayed in the Earl of Suiping's Residence and were used to a life of ease. Even if they practiced diligently every day, without real combat experience and guidance from experts, their skill level would not improve.
The guards sent by Xiao Lingyan were definitely top-tier imperial guards. Their presence openly following her ensured Zhao Ruxi's safety and made it easier to direct them in any situations.
Even after being sent out, Zhao Ruxi still lacked manpower.
If Zhao Ruxi were a man, she would have nothing to fear except for her personal safety. But she is a woman, and some people, unable to defeat her openly, will certainly try to undermine her reputation as a woman.
She went down to take up a post to gain experience and learn about life. She couldn't ruin her reputation and make it more difficult for her to be with Xiao Lingyan, causing worry and distress to the old lady, Lady Zhu, and Kang Shilin.
Therefore, it's still necessary to have a few skilled people around you.
"You must also be careful and take care of yourself. If anything happens, send someone to let me know immediately, especially if you feel unwell, you must let me know." Zhao Ruxi began to earnestly instruct Xiao Lingyan.
She worried that Xiao Lingyan wouldn't take her words to heart, wouldn't care if she had a headache or fever, and didn't want her to go through the trouble of running back and forth.
Zhao Ruxi cupped his face, stared into his eyes, and said, word by word, "Don't forget how the original owner of this body died in the original story; and don't forget I have medicine that can save lives. So if you ever have a headache or fever, you must take it seriously and never be careless; and you must also let me know."
The original plot didn't focus much on Xiao Lingyan, only saying that he died of illness. Although Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan both believed that after Xiao Lingpu died on the battlefield, the Crown Prince or the Third Prince didn't let the original owner go, so they had someone poison him to make him "die of illness," who knows if that's true? Maybe the original owner really did die of illness.