Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 790 Travel and check the situation in various places!

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, but Xiao He felt a chill running up from his tailbone. He raised his sleeve calmly and wiped his forehead casually, but his fingertips touched something cold and slippery - it was not sweat, but the moisture left after the fear evaporated in an instant.

The lining of his official robe on his back had already been soaked with cold sweat during the seemingly calm conversation. The cold silk cloth clung to his skin, bringing waves of uncomfortable chills, reminding him of the danger he had just experienced. His heart was beating violently in his chest, as if it wanted to break free and jump out.

"This is not a question of whether I am willing or not..." Xiao He shouted silently in his heart, and walked towards his carriage with steady steps. His face still showed the calm majesty of a prime minister. Only he knew that every step he took was based on empty fear.

Talking about the succession in front of the king was like dancing on the edge of a knife with your head on your shoulders! No matter how clever his answer was, or how seemingly "not related to the candidate", as long as Gao Yao felt a little unhappy at the time, or had a little suspicion when he thought about it later, every word he said today could become a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any time.

The "succession assessment" strategy seemed to have solved Gao Yao's dilemma, but in fact it also dragged him deeper into the center of the future storm. From then on, his every move could be interpreted differently by the princes and ministers who were eyeing the throne. The risk never disappeared, it was just dormant for the time being.

Xiao He took a deep breath, forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, and solemnly ordered the waiting attendants: "The king has ordered that the team continue to move forward!"

His voice was steady and powerful, without a single ripple. Only the wet clothes clinging to his cold back silently told of the residual power of the silent thunder in the carriage just now.

He sat in his carriage, leaning back on the soft cushions, and then he dared to let a trace of real fatigue creep into his brows. Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger, and today he experienced it firsthand. Even if he trusted Gao Yao, the weight of the word "friend" was enough to make him feel suffocated.

As the king's order was issued, the well-organized army broke camp and set off again. The wheels rumbled, the horses hooves clattered, and dust rose up along the way. Gao Yao's march this time, however, had a completely different atmosphere from the past - a deliberately restrained edge, a pragmatic and extremely low-key attitude.

There was no grand ceremony with flags covering the sky, no noisy ceremony with gongs and gongs clearing the way. Gao Yao's carriage blended into the huge team and was inconspicuous. He strictly ordered the entire army not to enter any city along the way unless necessary. This was not cowardice or frivolity, but a well-thought-out strategy.

The itinerary was arranged to be extremely simple and efficient. The huge army was like a silent dragon, only camping and resting in the wilderness, by the river or in pre-designated open areas. All supplies were no longer temporarily requisitioned or purchased after entering the city, but were delivered to the front city by Gao Yao's trusted officials a few days in advance with a list of needs delivered at full speed. The list listed the exact quantity and delivery location of necessities such as food, fodder, drinking water, and firewood.

Local officials were ordered to transport supplies to a safe area outside the army's scheduled station before a specified time.

This seemingly simple change brought real benefits, which touched the hearts of every official who knew the inside story: Reduce disturbance to the people: The most direct benefit is to minimize the disturbance to the local people. Imagine what it would be like if tens of thousands of troops marched into a county town? The people of the whole city would be mobilized to sweep the streets, hang lanterns and decorations, and prepare food and drink to welcome the king's army.

The county magistrate and the gentry had to lead the people to kneel down and greet the emperor several miles out of the city, which was a cumbersome formality and a waste of money and manpower. This was far from being a simple "leading the army into the city". It meant a complete interruption of the daily life of the entire city and a huge consumption of manpower and material resources. Gaoyao's "passing through the city without entering" allowed the people to live in peace and the city to maintain order.

Huge savings: The savings are real, huge wealth. Once the army enters the city, the local government will face a nightmare reception task: arranging food and lodging for tens of thousands of troops, preparing wine and meat for the army, paying for the labor of the conscripted civilians, repairing the road facilities damaged by the large troops... Adding up all these things, each entry into the city will cost at least hundreds of thousands of money!

This was undoubtedly a heavy burden for the local finances that had just experienced war and were in urgent need of recovery. Gao Yao's move completely wiped out this astronomical "face expenditure".

Of course, governance cannot be done without taking action. Gao Yao was not completely isolated from local affairs. If he needed to know the details of a certain place or received a special report, he would adopt a compromise and efficient method: he would only summon the main responsible officials of the place to come to the camp for questioning.

At the same time, he would send his core staff, led by Xiao He, with a small number of capable followers, to enter the target city in a light-traveled manner. Their mission was not to enjoy hospitality, but to move through the streets and alleys like a shadow, quietly observing the various aspects of people's livelihood, understanding prices and sentiments, and checking the effectiveness of officials in implementing the new policies. This could better touch the real pulse of the local area than the sensational "inspection" caused by a large group of people entering the city.

Gao Yao was well aware of the complexity of local governance and its extreme reliance on "localization". Although he vigorously promoted the new policy and promoted many new officials, a considerable number of officials in local government offices were still former officials, or even former officials who had surrendered. This was not because he was soft-hearted or lacked manpower, but because of reality:

Regional differences: In this era, the gap brought by geographical distance far exceeded the imagination of later generations. The customs, products and customs, tax practices and even dialects of two adjacent counties may be very different. For locals, going out for dozens of miles is considered a "long journey", and most ordinary people have never stepped out of the county in their entire lives. This closedness has shaped an extremely strong sense of regional identity and xenophobia.

The dilemma of "outsiders": Gaoyao's regime was still a "latecomer" to many local people. His policies might be superior, but it was extremely difficult for the villagers who were accustomed to the old order to immediately understand, trust and accept them. This is like some remote villages in later generations, which instinctively resisted all "outsiders" and "new things" and regarded them as threats or heresy. This deep-rooted cognitive limitation cannot be easily broken by a government decree or an airborne honest official.

The role of "local sages" and "old officials" as bridges: At this time, the local gentry and elders who have reputation in the local area, or the old officials of the previous dynasty who are familiar with local anecdotes and understand the people's sentiments, become an indispensable bridge.