jdhmnovel Chapter 481 The Imperial Guards Take the High-Speed Rail for the First Time to Deliver the Emperor
Chapter 481 The Imperial Guards Take the High-Speed Rail for the First Time to Deliver the Emperor
That's Anju, more than 3,000 kilometers away! Even if you travel day and night, it would take more than a month to get there. How could you possibly go and return on the same day?
The task assigned to him by the Emperor was to go to the county government office after arriving in Yongle County and summon the magistrate of Yongle County, Kong Wenfeng, to the capital for an audience...
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao's cerebellum shrank again. Listen to this, could this be the Emperor's ramblings when he was still half asleep?
In the past, if the emperor wanted to summon local officials, it would have to go through several complicated procedures, from the Grand Secretariat to the Ministry of Personnel, and then down through the post stations...
Today, His Majesty actually ordered him to bring Magistrate Kong here immediately, without delay.
Chen Xiao naturally dared not express the slightest doubt, nor did he dare to disobey the imperial decree in the slightest.
But this task left him sweating profusely, his mind constantly reciting the Emperor's instructions, yet he had absolutely no idea how to complete it.
Moreover, the Emperor had given him an advance of five taels of silver, saying it was for the cost of buying high-speed rail tickets...
He secretly glanced at the emperor's face in front of the palace, who was already dressed in imperial robes and seemed to be preparing to go to the morning court.
Seeing that the emperor was as serious as ever, showing no sign of joking, he had no choice but to accept the decree and slowly withdrew.
And so, carrying this inexplicable imperial decree, Chen Xiao embarked on his bizarre one-day tour, which was as aimless and clueless as a headless fly.
Fortunately, after leaving the palace, Chen Xiao asked around and learned that there was a high-speed rail station that had just "appeared" not far away.
This gave him a sudden realization; it seemed that what the Emperor said was indeed true, and he was now saved!
Soon, he found the entrance to the high-speed rail station [Beijing Station], which was surrounded by a large crowd of people who were discussing it enthusiastically.
What happened next... was as magical as a dream, but at least it had a real basis.
With the help of the enthusiastic staff, Chen Xiao finally got a clear understanding of the high-speed rail situation. It turned out that it was indeed possible to take the high-speed rail directly to Yongle County in Anzhou!
Upon further inquiry about the travel time, it turned out that the one-way trip really did only take about half a day.
If that's the case, wouldn't I be able to bring Lord Kong back to the capital today?!
With this understanding, Chen Xiao finally felt a great weight lifted from his heart.
He then experienced countless extraordinary high-speed rail journeys, and finally, around noon, he was transported by this magical high-speed rail to what is said to be the [Anju Wonderland Station] terminus.
Even though it was hard to believe, Chen Xiao didn't dare to delay and got off the high-speed train immediately.
Guided by the staff, he quickly returned to the ground through the exit.
Upon exiting, one is greeted by a scene of countless tourists queuing up at the "Fairyland".
Chen Xiao looked around incredulously at this place that was completely unexpected to him, and suddenly realized that all these earth-shattering changes originated from here!
But he wasn't here to visit the "fairyland" for sightseeing; he was here to find the county government office.
When it came to asking for directions, Chen Xiao remained calm and unhurried.
Seeing that there were still people outside the gate dressed in the same clothes as the staff at the high-speed rail station, he quickly went up to ask for directions to the local county government office.
To my surprise, the enthusiastic shop assistant told me that there were shared bicycles available for rent at the entrance.
Moreover, there are no longer any restrictions on renting shared bicycles and scooters, so tourists from other places can borrow them for transportation at any time.
To Chen Xiao's surprise, even though he wasn't a customer, the clerk he asked enthusiastically and patiently guided him through the rental of the shared bicycle.
Such meticulous service is truly touching and moving!
So, after verbally describing his destination—the Yongle County Government Office—Chen Xiao experienced for the first time the wonder of being “led” by a horse.
This horse was so magical that it moved swiftly without needing to be ridden. In the blink of an eye, Chen Xiao found himself at the entrance of the government office.
He was dressed in the formal uniform of the Imperial Guard today. As soon as he stood at the entrance of the county government office, the guards noticed something unusual about him and quickly stepped forward to ask him questions.
Upon learning that this person had rushed from the capital palace early in the morning to deliver an imperial decree, the yamen runner was so shocked that he hurriedly ran inside to invite Lord Kong, who was busy handling official business in the yamen.
At that time, Kong Wenfeng was engrossed in approving matters related to a new batch of homeless children found in a neighboring county.
This was because Miss Bai had solemnly entrusted him with the task of coordinating the matter, and earnestly told him that all children who met the criteria for admission to the welfare home should be admitted.
A couple of days ago, two more floors were added to the dormitory at the welfare home. According to Miss Bai, the number of floors they want to build depends entirely on how many people they can accommodate...
With the gradual opening of the underground high-speed rail, Kong Wenfeng had considered whether he should personally go to the capital to truthfully report the situation of the local "fairyland" to the imperial court.
The documents he had submitted earlier seemed to have sunk without a trace, and there had been no response for a long time. It was likely that even following the usual procedures, they might not have reached the palace...
He always felt that this "fairyland" was changing and developing explosively every day, and the chain reaction it caused was becoming increasingly widespread.
He was filled with anxiety, fearing that the entire nation might know about the "Fairyland" while the Emperor and the court remained completely unaware.
When the emperor comes to punish him, wouldn't he, as the local magistrate, be unable to escape blame?
These past few days, he's been keeping a close eye on the various changes in the [Fairyland], while also eagerly awaiting any news from Prefect Qin...
I often find myself in a state of confusion, wanting to do something but not knowing where to start, which makes me quite anxious.
Especially this morning, when his subordinate, who had just been sent to investigate the situation in [Fairyland], rushed back to report that the high-speed rail had actually started to connect directly to Beijing, Kong Wenfeng was both surprised, delighted and worried.
He did have the urge to take the high-speed rail directly to the capital to see the emperor, but he was afraid that such a move would be too rash and cause unnecessary trouble.
Amidst this agonizing emotional turmoil, it was unexpected that the Emperor would receive the news first.
When his subordinate rushed over to report, Kong Wenfeng was so excited that he almost dropped the teapot he was holding.
Unexpectedly, truly unexpectedly, the speed at which news spreads within the palace is astounding. This underground high-speed rail has only been open for half a day, and the people sent by the Emperor have already arrived…
"Lord Chen has come from afar, and I am truly ashamed that I have failed to greet you properly."
Your humble servant kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's boundless grace!
"I am honored by His Majesty's summons. I hope Lord Chen will rest here for a while. I will immediately hand over county affairs and prepare the necessary documents, and then accompany you to the capital."
Kong Wenfeng hurried to the main hall and respectfully greeted Guard Chen, who had come to convey the Emperor's edict. He sincerely asked Chen to rest and wait in the hall for a while.
He then hurriedly instructed someone to bring over fruits and snacks purchased from [Fairyland], as a small token of hospitality, to let Chen Xiao, who had traveled a long way, enjoy them.
Kong Wenfeng himself hurriedly returned to prepare for his upcoming trip to the capital to meet the emperor...