The rise of the poor

Chapter 2324 The Angel Arrives

Outside Yingtian City, the governors, prefects, and magistrates of Jiangnan, as well as the heads and deputy heads of various local government offices in Yingtian, gathered early in the morning. They formed several small circles according to their rank and status, waiting for the arrival of the imperial envoy.

As everyone awaited the angel, someone suddenly noticed an outrageously large and luxurious carriage approaching on the main road leading out of Yingtian City, and blurted out, "Zhao Wenhua is here!"

Zhao Wenhua's "Shunxin Pavilion" is his calling card. Among the many ostentatious carriages in Jiangnan, only Zhao Wenhua's "Shunxin Pavilion" is so prominent that people know Zhao Wenhua has arrived as soon as they see it.

A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow. At present, Zhao Wenhua is at the height of his power in Jiangnan, with an arrogant and fierce demeanor, and has impeached two successive governors of Jiangnan!

He can impeach and remove even the Governor-General of Jiangnan from office at will. What about the others? Can they withstand his impeachment?!

Therefore, all the officials in Jiangnan were wary of Zhao Wenhua. Even if they disdained his character and despised his style, they dared not show it on their faces. When they saw Zhao Wenhua, they were not only obsequious but also respectful.

Upon seeing Zhao Wenhua's carriage arrive, a group of officials turned around and went forward to greet him. When most of the officials had gone forward, the remaining officials who had been standing still had no choice but to follow suit.

There was no way around it; everyone else had gone to greet them, and those who hadn't moved stood out like cranes among chickens—they were too conspicuous to be missed.

Who can guarantee that Zhao Wenhua won't target you? You know, Zhao Wenhua isn't a magnanimous person. On the contrary, he's petty and holds grudges. If he keeps a record of it and brings it up during an impeachment, that would be too dangerous.

So, whether it was out of genuine feeling or not, everyone turned around and rushed forward to greet Zhao Wenhua.

This scene is just like welcoming an angel; consider it a rehearsal.

We stopped at Shunxin Pavilion.

One hand lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

"We pay our respects to Lord Zhao." The officials dared not be negligent and bowed respectfully.

Good morning, esteemed lords.

The person who came out of the car bowed to the crowd. The crowd noticed that the voice sounded strange, but when they looked up, they saw that it was not Zhao Wenhua, but Hu Zongxian. Well, Hu Zongxian and Zhao Wenhua were inseparable, so it was normal for Hu Zongxian to come out.

"Good morning, Governor Hu." The officials all returned the greeting.

Then, another hand lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

This time, everyone was certain it was Zhao Wenhua, and they all stepped forward again, cupping their hands in greeting, "We pay our respects to Lord Zhao."

"Ahem, greetings to all of you esteemed lords."

Zhu Pingan looked at the group of officials who were all bowing and greeting him, coughed awkwardly, and bowed back to greet them.

Zhu Ping'an?!

The crowd was taken aback by the sound, but when they looked up, they saw Zhu Pingan and were immediately stunned. Hu Zongxian and Zhao Wenhua were inseparable, so it was normal for Hu Zongxian to be at Zhao Wenhua's Shunxin Pavilion. Why was Zhu Pingan also at Zhao Wenhua's Shunxin Pavilion?

Could it be that Zhu Ping'an, like Hu Zongxian, has also joined Zhao Wenhua's faction? Or did he simply travel by carriage?

"Greetings, Lord Zhu." Although surprised, everyone returned the greeting, after all, Zhu Ping'an was the governor of Jiangzhe, a high-ranking official in charge of the region.

After the greetings, everyone saw a hand reach out from inside the carriage, lift the curtain, and exit.

Not again?!

After doing it once or twice, the officials were worried that they might make a mistake again. What if another official got off the carriage? The carriage was so big that it could easily hold ten or more people. So this time, they didn't bow down so quickly. They decided to wait until they could see who was coming out before bowing. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to bow to the wrong person three times in a row.

Soon, the person who got off the carriage looked up, and everyone saw his face and confirmed that it was Zhao Wenhua. So they all bowed and stepped forward to pay their respects, saying, "Greetings, Lord Zhao."

"Hehehe, good morning, everyone." Zhao Wenhua chuckled as he looked at the crowd, raising his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Good morning, Lord Zhao," the officials replied in unison.

One call and a hundred responses; surrounded by admirers.

For a moment, Zhao Wenhua felt as if he were already the Governor-General of Jiangnan, and everyone present was his subordinate.

Time passed slowly, the sun rose higher and higher, and just as everyone was growing impatient, several knights with flags on their backs finally galloped in.

"The angel is ten miles away!" the knight reported loudly as he dismounted.

"The angel is still ten miles away, gentlemen, let's go forward to greet him," Zhao Wenhua said to the group of officials, taking the lead in the event.

The officials naturally agreed, saying that ten miles was not far, and if the angel rode in a carriage, it would only take about twenty minutes, or the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Zhao Wenhua was in the center position, surrounded by Zhu Pingan, Hu Zongxian, and a group of officials, who slowly walked forward to greet him.

The group, dressed in official robes and not being athletes, had only walked a little over a mile when they saw the angels' procession.

Zhu Ping'an had become numb to receiving imperial edicts lately. This was the third time the edict had been delivered to the Governor-General of Jiangnan, so there was nothing new about it anymore. He guessed that almost everyone present felt the same way.

Amidst the welcoming crowd, the angel finally appeared. The leading eunuch was about forty or fifty years old, tall and thin, with a hooked nose, thin lips, narrow eyes, and a wolfish look on his face. He was an old acquaintance, as it was he who had come to announce the decree regarding the rewards and punishments for the Japanese pirates in Shangyu.

Chen Hong!

Unexpectedly, it was he who came to deliver the imperial decree this time.

"Welcome, angel!"

Zhao Wenhua led a group of officials forward to pay their respects with great ceremony. Zhu Ping'an could only follow suit and kneel in obeisance. There was nothing he could do; after all, this eunuch represented the emperor, and this was the damned feudal society.

Chen Hong looked at the group of civil and military officials kneeling at his feet, especially Zhu Ping'an kneeling at the front, and a smile appeared on his lips. He squinted his eyes and enjoyed the feeling, feeling as if he were floating on air. This feeling was truly wonderful.

The last time I felt this way was when I came to Jiangnan to deliver an imperial edict.

After enjoying the moment for a second, Chen Hong instantly changed to a humble expression, bent down and helped Zhao Wenhua, who was at the front, up with one hand, and made a gesture of raising his hand to the crowd with the other, smiling in a effeminate way, "Lord Zhao, gentlemen, please rise quickly. You are all pillars of the court, and I am not worthy of your great courtesy."

"It is only right that Your Excellency shares His Majesty's burdens," everyone replied.

"Hehe, I am just His Majesty's dog. It is my duty to share the burdens of my master," Chen Hong chuckled.

The crowd naturally showered him with compliments.

"Hehe, speaking of which, I really have a connection with you all. As for Lord Zhao, we need not say anything; we see each other all the time in the capital. I am also an acquaintance of you all. Last time, I came here on His Majesty's orders to deliver the decree, and I met with you all then." Chen Hong smiled effeminately at everyone.

"Of course, we feel very warm to see you again, Father-in-law," the officials said, offering their compliments and pleasantries. (End of Chapter)