Longqi Prefecture was not a prefecture with a lot of resources, but the wealth it possessed was obviously not less than any other prefecture. Longqi Prefecture, which had enjoyed a hundred years of peace, became the most popular place for merchants, which also brought them huge wealth.
I've seen the majestic palace and the majestic City Lord's Mansion of Melia, but I've never seen such a magnificent hall. Who would have thought that there would be such a magnificent building within the city walls that could only be described as dilapidated?
When I entered this meeting hall, I was immediately attracted by it. I didn't have time to carefully admire the exquisite decorations before I was escorted to the main seat by everyone.
When I sat on the throne and smiled as I scanned the people on both sides of the throne, I realized that this unadorned meeting hall would completely belong to me. I couldn't help but sigh in my heart.
Under my command, they all sat down in their seats. Only Jing quietly stood behind me in the entire hall. Although those old men were shocked by her beauty, they naturally didn't dare to be too impudent because of my face. Each and every one of them looked straight ahead, but when they had the chance, they couldn't help but take a glance at her, which made me secretly laugh.
Now, it was time to get to the main topic. They didn't dare to neglect a lord like me who could affect their fates. Even if some of them secretly looked down on me, they all had respectful expressions on their faces in the hall.
The 20 to 30 people who controlled the lifeline of Longqi Prefecture began their self-introductions. They did not expect the management system of a small Longqi Prefecture to be so complicated.
From their introductions, I noticed that a few of them had several positions, especially that guy called Ximen Rui who had six positions. Not only was he the major general of the 1st Garrison Division of Longqi Prefecture, he was also the general manager of Longqi Prefecture's business. There were also some other positions that I didn't want to go into detail. In short, that guy had an important influence on all aspects of the military and government.
I seemed to be politely listening to everyone's speech, but from time to time, I would yawn twice. I believed that those people who had been in the officialdom for so many years would not be unaware of the meaning. Therefore, the more I spoke, the more concise I became. In the end, I simply reported my name and then my position.
Finally, the boring introduction ended. As the local tyrant here, I naturally had to give a summary. I didn't have the time to waste on them and didn't raise any requests or goals.
I simply revealed my purpose for coming here. I heard that there were many interesting places here and wanted to come and have some fun.
After we finished our business, the atmosphere in the hall became more relaxed. I suddenly became more energetic.
When I talked about the local customs of Dragonsaddle Prefecture, those guys seemed to have understood something and began to talk about it like they were telling a story. What I was most interested in was the legend of the Ancient Path of Life. After all, that was the main purpose of my visit. They quickly learned about my preferences and provided me with a lot of information. They also wished me a happy trip.
In the end, Ximen Rui, who held six positions, invited me to the most famous restaurant in the city, Tianlai Pavilion, for a banquet on behalf of his subordinates. When I heard that there was delicious food, I didn't want to give up on this good opportunity and gladly agreed.
In the end, my first meeting with them ended in a good atmosphere.
At dusk, I led my ten followers to the Heavenly Arrival Pavilion. This restaurant was located in the center of Dragon City's most bustling street, and there was an endless stream of guests passing by.
Today, the road leading to the Heavenly Arrival Pavilion was filled with fully armed guards. It seemed that they had indeed put in a lot of effort to ensure my safety. However, in my opinion, these guards could only be put on display to scare ordinary people. If I really encountered an expert, they would only cause trouble.
Just as I was surprised by today's fanfare, a group of officials who had been waiting for a long time welcomed me in.
When I walked into the hall, I finally understood why so many guards had been dispatched today. The long mahogany table in the hall was filled with all kinds of rare treasures, and they emitted all kinds of strange lights.
Even someone like me who frequently entered and exited the Imperial Palace couldn't help but be stunned. I had never seen such a scene in my entire life.
"I was wondering why it was so lively here today. It turns out that there's a treasure exhibition. I really didn't come here in vain to see so many wonderful things!”
I said to the people behind me, unable to guess their reason for doing so.
"Are you satisfied with these little things?”The tax officer who seemed to be called Peter tried to curry favor with me.
To be honest, I didn't have much knowledge about jewelry and antiques, but from the light they emitted, even an outsider like me could tell that these things were definitely worth a lot.
"Top-grade, they can all be considered top-grade. I think that such goods are rare even in the Imperial Palace. I don't know how you all collected it, but you must have spent a lot of money!”
"It's nothing. It's not worth much. As long as you like it, we subordinates will feel honored.”
From their tone, it seemed like they were prepared to give these things to me. So many things, such precious treasures, were all for me?
I couldn't believe my own thoughts. I carefully probed,
"Are these things prepared for me to admire? It's just that I don't know much about these things, so I really can't tell the good from the bad! Haha…"
"Where, where. Who doesn't know that you're knowledgeable and are the top student of the Tailong Royal Academy of Magic and Martial Arts? Now, the lights are dim, so it's not suitable to appreciate these little things in detail. Of course, we'll ask the adults to bring them back and study them when we have time in the future.”
Those guys hurriedly replied.
I had too many accidents tonight. I didn't expect them to have the guts to bribe me in public. If this happened in the Imperial Capital, their heads would not be left on their shoulders for a few days. However, they seemed to be used to it here. Could it be that the sky is high and the emperor is far away?
"That's not very good. These things are really too expensive. I'm really embarrassed to accept them. Otherwise, if the higher-ups find out, you and I will probably be in trouble. I can only thank everyone for their kindness.”
As I said this, my eyes never left the things on the table.
"Milord, don't be so polite. What is Milord's status? He was the lord of Longqi Prefecture. Didn't everything in Longqi Prefecture belong to him? Taking things from his own house, probably no one could control it!”
Those guys naturally knew that although I said so, they were unwilling to give up the fat meat in their hands.
After a round of rejection, I finally accepted these gifts that seemed to belong to me. Although I wasn't greedy, I wouldn't be polite if someone gave me money. Moreover, I had a wonderful use for this money!
Of course, these gift-givers wouldn't know that I'm here to collect money to deal with them.
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