Ying Yiren didn't have much contact with Zhang Beichen. She still had a lot of official duties to be busy with.
"Your Majesty, that Zhang Beichen is just an unknown person. Baiyang County is a place of right and wrong, and he is not from a famous family. If you ask him to govern Baiyang County, he may not be able to support himself." In the meeting hall, a man He said to Ying Yiren respectfully.
His name is Jing Ping. He was previously loyal to Ying Yiren. He was a minister trained by the previous King of Qin to check and balance the old clan. Now he is also a close confidant of Ying Yiren.
In the simulation, Zhang Beichen once took refuge in him and became his disciple.
"It is precisely because Baiyang County is a place of right and wrong that we let him go." Ying Yiren said calmly, "This man has no family background, which is his advantage."
When Jing Ping heard this, he immediately understood and said, "In Baiyang County, the two major clans, the Bai family and the Yang family, are fighting each other. Several county magistrates dare not control them, and there are even people who are colluding with them."
"If your Majesty allows someone without aristocratic family background to govern, the Bai family and the Yang family will naturally not conspire with him. But in this way, the difficulty of his governance will also double!"
"It's precisely because it's difficult that I'm looking for him!" Ying Yiren also wanted to know whether Zhang Beichen had such incredible growth potential as in the simulation.
She already knew that letting Zhang Beichen preside over the reform could strengthen the Qin State. But now her foundation is unstable and Zhang Beichen has no reputation, so it is impossible to promote reforms.
So I first found a difficult dungeon to cultivate Zhang Beichen's abilities and gain his reputation.
Jingping doesn't think highly of Zhang Beichen, but it's not that he underestimates Zhang Beichen. But since Baiyang County was established, two of the three county magistrates have been dismissed, and one even died in office. It is not something that ordinary people can manage!
Ying Yiren also thought of this, and she called the housekeeper Hu Cheng: "Housekeeper Hu, Zhang Beichen is going to take office in Baiyang County. You must protect his life by following him."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hu Cheng said, cupping his fists.
"He actually asked Butler Hu to protect Zhang Beichen. What is his background? Your Majesty thinks so highly of him?" Jing Ping was surprised.
This Hu Cheng used to be the commander of the guards of King Qin! Although he is now old, he is so powerful that ordinary Xiaoxiao and monsters cannot do anything to him.
It is really strange that such a person was sent by Ying Yiren to protect a small county magistrate!
…
Zhang Beichen had obtained an official position, and the first thing he did was to fulfill his promise and treat the previous beggars to a feast.
Zhang Beichen brought porridge, rice, steamed buns and some mutton and invited the beggars to eat. The beggars thanked him profusely.
"Your Majesty, your promise is a thousand pieces of gold!"
"Thank you, sir!"
"I have long seen that your Excellency is not a mortal, and indeed you have been favored by your Majesty!"
Zhang Beichen looked at the beggars devouring food in front of him and asked, "Brother, why have you all fallen to this point?"
Mentioning this, the beggars sighed: "We were originally farmers who owned fields, but during the years of war, some of us had our land occupied by enemy countries. Some of us had to sell our fields to nobles because of poverty, and some of us were injured or injured. ...In short, I don’t have any wealth now, so I can only live one day at a time!”
"Those of us who are strong and skilled may still have the opportunity to be slaves to the noble lord. The rest of us will probably have to wait to die!"
Zhang Beichen could tell by looking at their sallow faces and skinny faces that the Qin State was showing off its crotch. Refugees and beggars like this can be seen everywhere. Because of this, there are many bandits who occupy the mountains and rob their homes.
Internal and external troubles are the current situation of Qin!
However, King Qin Ying Yiren, who had just ascended the throne, had an unstable foundation. Even if he wanted to reform, the people below him would not cooperate.
Zhang Beichen asked again: "Then do you know what the situation is in Baiyang County?"
Mentioning this, one of the beggars said: "Baiyang County? That place is not for people to stay!"
Zhang Beichen handed him some steamed buns and said, "Brother, please tell me in detail."
The beggar said: "The reason why Baiyang County is called Baiyang County is because there are two major clans in the area, the Bai family and the Yang family. The Yang family was originally a powerful local family with many clansmen. Half of the land in the county belongs to them."
"And the Bai family in Baiyang County is a branch of the Bai family, one of the three major clans in the Qin State. They are not weak either. In Baiyang County, you are either a member of these two families, or their slaves or tenants, or else you cannot live at all. Don’t go down!”
"Furthermore, these two families often fight over grabbing fields and water sources, and some people die every time. I heard that a few days ago, the local county magistrate was beaten to death by them! No one from the government dared to take care of it!"
"Yes." Another beggar said, "We beggars dare not go to the boundaries of Baiyang County to beg, otherwise we will be beaten to death by them!"
When Zhang Beichen heard this, it seemed that Ying Yiren had really posed a problem for him!
Regarding Ying Yiren, although he guessed that the other party knew him, he had no way to prove it at the moment. And from another perspective, even in the simulation, Ying Yiren really participated. In modern terms, my relationship with her is that of a gaming netizen!
Games are games, reality is reality. If he wants to gain a foothold in this world and gain the trust of Ying Yi people, he must prove his abilities!
Zhang Beichen asked Hu Cheng on the side, "Housekeeper Hu, can I take these people to Baiyang County?"
Hu Cheng said: "Sir, you have been given an official position by the emperor. In the Qin State, the official title is one and the same. So you are both the county magistrate and the title of 'gongshi', so you can naturally recruit followers and servants."
"I just want to support these people. I'm afraid my husband's salary is not enough."
Generally, nobles have their own land and assets. Zhang Beichen had just arrived and was very poor. It was very difficult to feed a group of people.
Zhang Beichen said: "Then can I borrow it from you? Next year, I will pay you back double!"
Baiyang County is a dangerous place. Zhang Beichen felt that if he went there rashly, he would be beaten to death. These beggars were originally normal farmers and soldiers, and they did not become bandits or robbers despite being in difficult situations, which proves that they are not bad people either.
If you can gather them, you can become your own force.
Hu Cheng thought of Ying Yiren's instructions to help Zhang Beichen as much as possible, and said, "Of course you can."
"Okay!" Zhang Beichen immediately said to the beggars, "Brothers, I have been appointed by the emperor to become the magistrate of Baiyang County. Now we are short of manpower. If you want to come, you can serve as my entourage together. !”
When the beggars heard this, some hesitated and said, "We can't go to Baiyang County."
Some people gritted their teeth and said: "If you don't go, you will die. If you go, there is still a way to live. This gentleman keeps his promise so much, and he must not be deceiving us."
"Sir, I'll go with you! As long as you take care of the food, whether it's farming, blacksmithing, or being a guard, I can do anything!"
"I am coming too!"
"Sir, take me with you!" The beggars knelt down one after another.
Zhang Beichen took a count and found that there were fifteen people here. There were no old, weak, sick or disabled people. They were all middle-aged men and peasant women. Because the old, weak, sick and disabled could not come here, they had already died on the road.
He registered the names of fifteen people, took the luggage Hu Cheng prepared for him, and prepared to go to Baiyang County.
