This order was relayed by a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist, so the Yongfeng County Magistrate received the order on the same day.
This left him a bit bewildered.
He had suddenly become the overseer of four counties, and even had a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist following his orders.
Although he hadn’t been promoted, his power had indeed increased significantly.
As for legitimacy, though unsure why, the fact that King Yong Nian had taken over Shuzhou had already been approved by the royal family.
But as a minor official, he focused only on results; King Yong Nian indeed had the authority to appoint or dismiss officials like him in Shuzhou.
"Master Yi, from now on, I, Ma Cheng, will serve as your protector."
Yi An was the name of the County Magistrate.
Meeting such a respectful Seventh-Grade Martial Artist, Yi An was somewhat unaccustomed to it; a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist held a much higher status than himself.
Ma Cheng was aware of the thoughts of the County Magistrate but remained respectful, as it was King Yong Nian’s command; unless he planned to break away from King Yong Nian, he must comply.
Yi An collected his thoughts.
Then he quickly organized his staff and disseminated the information.
With the endorsement of King Yong Nian, plus the assistance of a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist, managing four counties wouldn’t be an issue.
"Advisor, prepare to reopen the Yongfeng County Office and begin to handle the affairs."
Yi An had no intention of moving the county office to a wealthier jurisdiction.
He had already figured out why King Yong Nian had suddenly paid attention to the three counties and had put him in charge.
It was no guess that it was because of the Grandmaster; probably, the fact that he had met the Grandmaster had also become known.
For this reason, he couldn’t leave here.
He still had to wait for that Grandmaster to return for the ore!
However, controlling four counties and having more manpower at his disposal should make collecting ore more convenient, right?
Since King Yong Nian valued it so much, he needed to hold on tight to this support!
The officials in charge of the three counties had also received the news that someone would take over, and they were relieved to hear it was the Yongfeng County Magistrate.
Yongfeng County Magistrate Yi An had a reputation for wisdom and had managed Yongfeng County very efficiently; being governed by such a person wasn’t a bad thing.
It didn’t take long for the three counties to receive their first order.
It was to collect various ores, but, of course, force wouldn’t be used; the county office would purchase them at market price.
Next was to return the grains that Cheng Jiang had stolen, and in addition, considering the hardship of the three counties, grain tax would be waived for three years, and further discussions would follow after that.
Initially, Yi An wasn’t qualified to manage the grain levy, but King Yong Nian had granted him high authority to interfere.
So, he established this rule.
He had heard that the Grandmaster had ordered the grains to be returned, although he wasn’t sure why, so he established this policy right away.
No levy on grain for three years, and then to be discussed later.
The Seventh-Grade Martial Artist didn’t say anything, fully cooperative.
The purpose of King Yong Nian in sending them here was obviously significant.
The role of the officials was quite evident; once officials took control, Yongfeng, Yongan, Dishui, and Lushui counties recovered quickly, even busier than before.
Of course, this resurgence couldn’t happen without the protection over the three counties by the mysterious Grandmaster, attracting more and more wealthy individuals and families to move there.
Ordinary people, even if they wanted to leave, didn’t have such strong resolve.
Because once they left their original places, it truly meant starting everything from scratch.
So, unless there was a life-threatening danger, they generally wouldn’t leave.
Wang Sheng learned about these developments half a month later.
Because the same Medicine Gatherer had returned to Qingshan Village, and the village head had adeptly sent Li Xingpeng to gather information.
Only then did Wang Sheng realize the significant changes he had instigated through his previous actions.
"Strong indeed can change many things!"
He was well aware that without his formidable strength, he couldn’t have had such immense influence.
But it shocked him that King Yong Nian had intervened in the matters of the three counties.
He remembered he still had a grievance with King Yong Nian—the matter of the martial plague.
Although he had solved this issue a long time ago, had his abilities not been particularly special, he might have died from the martial plague.
He would eventually confront King Yong Nian.
However, when he inadvertently mentioned this to Yue, she gave a different response.
"The martial plague wasn’t orchestrated by King Yong Nian; it was by King Jiang He."
"King Jiang He, why would he deplete his own strength?"
He knew that the martial plague primarily affected King Jiang He’s people; King Yong Nian’s followers were hardly affected.
"Because King Jiang He, Zhou Yuanqing, knew from the start that he couldn’t win; these were just to retaliate against King Yong Nian."
Yue remembered the Valley Master’s words.
"King Yong Nian has withdrawn from the contest."
Although she didn’t know why the Valley Master was so sure,
The Valley Master knew much more than they did; there had to be a reason for such a statement.
As for what she told Wang Sheng, it was based on the Valley Master’s words and her deduction.
But one thing was certain, the martial plague wasn’t concocted by King Yong Nian.
"Actually, many forces know who really caused the martial plague, but no one will say it; it can only be and must be blamed on King Yong Nian."
Wang Sheng instantly understood.
Ordinary people and Martial Artists didn’t know the truth, so they suspected King Yong Nian, the most likely suspect, because from an external viewpoint, the martial plague helped King Yong Nian secure his victory.