Empress: Your Majesty, please respect yourself, I don't want to be promoted

After ordering Fang Yu, Lu Chen looked at Li Wei again.

"My fellow villager, are you sure it's someone from the government who went to your village to collect labor?"

Hearing this, Li Wei suddenly felt something unusual.

The impossibly young scribe in front of him seemed to have an instinctively awe-inspiring power about him, which made him subconsciously look away, not daring to look at him.

It was as if he was the real big shot who could decide the fate of everyone present.

Li Wei shook his head, suppressed the urge to worship in his heart, and then said with determination: "To tell you what the adults are saying, I am sure that this is the labor order issued by the government to us. Those who came to our village to announce this order that day , it is the county registrar who comes in person every time the county government collects taxes."

When he thought of the arrogant and domineering appearance of Master Gao before, and of the fellow villagers who he killed like ants with his great power, Li Wei's eyes flashed with resentment, and he couldn't help but remember what happened in the village that day. I told Lu Chen about it.

Lu Chen didn't say a word, and the expression on his face didn't change at all. He just listened to him quietly.

The people who had just escaped death also recalled their tragic experience of being conscripted into hard labor.

Thinking of how difficult the world is, and thinking of all the close relatives and friends who had been oppressed to death, I couldn't help but feel sad, and I hid my face and cried bitterly.

Listening to the extremely sad cries of the people, the original pride and inexplicable joy in the eyes of the Yuzhou guards gradually disappeared without a trace, and then they fell into collective silence.

These people, who are also their fellow villagers, are living in such misery now...

Although his body is so thin, it is so difficult to walk, and he cannot even carry a bundle of firewood, but he has to carry his own food rations and trek to the Tianmen River Dam where the weather is getting worse. Twice the life.

That was hard work that even strong and brave men like them found extremely hard!

Isn't this letting them go to die?

It's simply a disregard for human life!

At this moment, whether it was the top soldiers at the bottom or the officers from hundreds of families, they were inexplicably less resistant to the sudden task of going to the dam area to quell the flood.

Some people even think that it is proper for them, strong soldiers, to do these things.

After all, they are human beings, with flesh and blood, and emotions. They are not yet stone-hearted, but people who can empathize with others.

When Li Wei knelt down and cried again, Lu Chen slowly raised his head.

"The officer knows."

At this moment, a scream suddenly came from behind.

"what!"

Immediately afterwards, with the sound of breaking wind, two figures with fat heads and big ears wearing official uniforms suddenly fell from the air, and finally landed heavily not far from Lu Chen.

At the same time, Fang Yu's figure suddenly appeared next to Lu Chen, coming and going without a trace just like when he left.

"Sir, I am humble enough to live up to my fate!"

Lu Chen glanced at him.

"Thanks a lot."

Fang Yu bowed again and stepped aside.

Li Wei quickly reacted and subconsciously looked at the two wailing figures on the ground. After seeing their faces clearly, his eyes suddenly widened with surprise on his face.

Who else could those two people be if they weren't the official servants who had often bullied them as laborers before and deliberately made them risk their lives to explore the road?

'I actually...really caught them, and so quickly! '

Li Wei raised his head and looked at Lu Chen.

Under the shocked eyes of Li Wei and the other people, Lu Chen slowly rode forward and looked condescendingly at the two cadres with bruises on their noses and swollen faces, and their bodies were covered with mud.

The two men soon noticed the approach of the war horses. They immediately ignored the pain on their bodies and hurriedly got up. Then they knelt down on the ground. They did not bother to see the surrounding situation clearly and directly begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, spare your life. All heroes, spare your life." ! I have 200 taels of silver in my family. I am willing to write a letter to my mother-in-law and ask her to take the silver taels and present it to the king. I will definitely deliver it in three days at most. Please don’t kill me!"

"Me too!"

Obviously, the two of them thought that Lu Chen and others were the kings of a certain cottage, and they wanted to spend money to save their lives and avoid disaster.

Chapter 83 The Truth Comes Out

Lu Chen watched coldly as the two men kowtowed and begged for mercy. After a moment, he slowly spoke.

"Raise your head and look at me."

When they heard the other party calling himself "my officer", the two of them couldn't help but froze for a moment, then suddenly looked up. After seeing Lu Chen sitting on the royal horse wearing an extremely serious official uniform, they breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

As long as they're not bandits, that's fine.

The silver pattern at home was saved.

Everyone is from the imperial court, so it should not be too difficult for them.

However, their joy seemed to be premature.

"I'm asking you guys."

Lu Chen looked at them expressionlessly, "Which government official are you from? And who ordered you to take the laborers to the Tianmen River Dam?"

Hearing this, the two of them couldn't help but be startled, and then subconsciously looked around, and suddenly saw the people they had driven away with whips looking at them with complicated expressions.

Behind those people, there was a large group of soldiers in light armor standing, looking at them with eyes that felt something was wrong.

This situation...why doesn't it feel right?

Clang!

Fu Hua, who had been standing beside Lu Chen, suddenly drew his sword, looked at the two of them coldly, and said coldly:

"If you don't want to die, please reply quickly!"

There was a hint of murderous intent in the voice!

The two of them suddenly trembled, and then one of them said cautiously: "We...we are the official servants of Luan Yu, the magistrate of Ping County. Mr. Luan is loyal to the emperor and the country. Seeing that the floods near Tianmen River are becoming more and more serious, he ordered me to We will go to various parts of the county to recruit young people and take them to the Tianmen River Dam... to quell the floods..."

Hearing this, Lu Chen thought subconsciously for a moment.

After a few breaths, he suddenly narrowed his eyes.

"So, did your magistrate say what arrangements will be made after bringing the person over?"

The two shook their heads.

"No, the county magistrate said, we just need to take the people over and take good care of them."

Hearing this, all the people's eyes suddenly widened with disbelief on their faces.

"Ah…"

Lu Chen smiled coldly.

"What a loyal magistrate of Luan County."

The two raised their heads slightly, and then asked with great anxiety: "Sir, do you know our Lord Luan?"

"do not know."

Lu Chen said calmly: "But we will get to know each other soon."

After hearing his meaningful words, the two couldn't help but look at each other.

Lu Chen asked them some puzzling questions, such as whether someone in the county was buying grain at a high price recently, and whether the county government often had distinguished guests coming to the door.

Under the threat of survival, the two of them naturally told Lu Chen everything they knew about Lu Chen's problems. They told him everything Lu Chen wanted to know like pouring beans, without hiding anything.

After asking the question, Lu Chen suddenly turned his head and looked at Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping not far away with complicated faces.

"Send this governor's order!"

As soon as these words came out, the two officials were dumbfounded.

Governor?

This young man is actually a governor?

The people didn't know what kind of official the governor was, but as officials of the county government, they naturally didn't know.

That is a high-ranking official that can only be held by ministers who have the emperor's trust!

How could such a big shot come to a place like Tianmenjiang where nothing matters?

In a daze, the Yuzhou guards trembled suddenly, and then instinctively stood up straight, with solemn expressions on their faces.

Zhang Shiping and Su Shuangye calmed down their minds and bowed to Lu Chen with their hands in hand, as if they were waiting for orders.

"Order the commanders of the Yuzhou Guard and the Suizhou Guard to immediately lead their troops to the Tianmen River Dam to assist Xiao Shangshu in repairing all flood control works. If there are laborers in the dam area who have been recruited by the county magistrates in various regions regardless of the law and on their own initiative. , then allocate part of the money and food from the baggage and distribute it to the people, so that they can return to their hometowns, and at the same time mobilize soldiers and horses to escort them out of the dam area safely, no mistakes!"

"promise!"

This time, all the soldiers took the order decisively and without hesitation. Even Zhang Shiping, who usually had the most opinions, did not say a word this time.

After hearing the order issued by Lu Chen as the governor, both the people and the two officers were completely stunned.

Li Wei looked at Lu Chen in disbelief and asked bravely: "My lord, what do you mean...the imperial court did not order the conscription of labor at all and asked me to wait to quell the flood. All this was done by the county government on its own?" "

Other people also stared at Lu Chen, their eyes full of hope.

Lu Chen turned around, glanced at him, and nodded slightly under the hopeful gazes of everyone.

"Yes, Your Majesty is well aware that the people's livelihood in Yuzhou is difficult now and must not use the people's power. Therefore, he ordered the Yu and Sui state guards to go to the dam area to control the water. He also ordered me to temporarily take charge of the military and political affairs of the two states to assist Xiao Shangshu in calming down the flood. He has never There has never been a decree levying labor force from the imperial court."

Hearing this, Li Wei and the other people were stunned for a short time, and a look of ecstasy gradually appeared on their withered faces.

The court... had no intention of letting them die.

All of this is the result of those dog officials acting on their own initiative and doing whatever they want!

When the two officials heard Lu Chen's words, they were dumbfounded on the spot, and their fat bodies gradually began to tremble.

At this time, Lu Chen suddenly looked over.

"Can you two please lead the way?"

As he spoke, the corners of his mouth slowly raised, and a smile finally filled his face again.

Gudong.......

The two of them swallowed at the same time, and then asked loudly: "Go...where?"

"Ping County."

Lu Chen said calmly: "I, the Commander-in-Chief, need to learn more about your master Luan's style."