Chapter 758: The New Governor Takes Office
The newly appointed Shaanxi Governor, Lian Guoshi, had arrived!
He came with a large retinue, his spirits high as he prepared to assume his post.
On his journey, Lian Guoshi had repeatedly cautioned himself: when writing memorials to the emperor, he must be scrupulously honest and never deceive His Majesty.
His predecessor, Governor Wang Shunxing, had been dismissed precisely because he'd written outlandish, unreliable nonsense in his memorials—things about massive iron tracks and giant iron carriages capable of transporting a thousand people at once. It was utterly preposterous.
Lian Guoshi had no desire to follow in Wang Shunxing's footsteps. He resolved that every word he wrote would be accurate and truthful, leaving no room for deception.
“Master, I can see the walls of Xi'an City ahead!” his attendant exclaimed excitedly. “We've been traveling for days from the capital, and we're finally here.”
Lian Guoshi sighed. “Indeed, it hasn't been easy.”
Lian Guoshi had entered Shaanxi via Tongguan Pass, a route commonly taken by imperial officials. This path had fortuitously allowed him to completely bypass Gao Family Village's territory.
Thus, he had yet to experience the baptism of Gao Family Village's bewildering new inventions.
This startled Lian Guoshi, who quickly leaned out to look. Sure enough, not far to their right, a peculiar "railway" appeared. Wooden sleepers lay beneath two iron tracks. He tapped them with his hand—they were indeed iron. The tracks stretched from the northeast, extending all the way to the eastern outskirts of Xi'an City.
Lian Guoshi gasped in shock. “Good heavens! Could this... could this be the 'big iron tracks' that former Governor Wang Shunxing wrote about in his memorial?”
The thought sent a jolt of alarm through him: *Could it be that Wang Shunxing hadn't been deceiving the emperor after all?*
Next to the tracks stood a sign, emblazoned with characters that read: “The railway is dangerous, please do not approach. ” ("Railway Danger, Please Do Not Approach. ")
The attendant pointed at the sign, chuckling. “Master, look, there's even a sign warning of danger. What's so dangerous about a pile of wood and a few iron blocks? They just want to scare people.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than he felt the tracks vibrate. Something seemed to be approaching along them. Pressing his ear close, he could faintly hear a rhythmic "chug-chug" sound.
Lian Guoshi was no fool; he reacted instantly. “The big iron carriage is coming! Everyone, get away from those tracks!”
Many of his attendants were already on the tracks, touching them curiously. Hearing his command, they scrambled off, retreating to the side.
The "chug-chug" grew louder, closer, until a terrifying, colossal iron vehicle rushed past. Its speed wasn't particularly fast, slower than a galloping horse, but its sheer size was immense!
Its massive, unparalleled body carried an irresistible, terrifying momentum. As it rumbled past Lian Guoshi and his entourage, the gust of wind and oppressive weight it generated sent his attendants scrambling backward in disarray, terrified of being swept under the gargantuan machine.
Lian Guoshi's face turned ashen. He stared, wide-eyed and dumbfounded, as the iron vehicle chugged past, unable to snap out of his stupor for a long moment.
It wasn't until an attendant shook him a few times that he finally stirred. “My goodness! That big iron vehicle is truly formidable!”
His attendants buzzed with chatter, discussing the fearsome contraption.
But in Lian Guoshi's mind, the immediate thought was "writing a memorial." Such a magnificent thing absolutely *had* to be reported to the emperor.
Yet, as the thought surfaced, a line of text flashed in his mind: "Wang Shunxing spoke wild nonsense, deceived the emperor, and was immediately dismissed."
*How did I become governor?*
*Because Wang Shunxing wrote a memorial telling the emperor there was a giant iron carriage in Xi'an, and then he was gone.*
At this realization, Lian Guoshi's heart sank with a thud. *This memorial must not be written!*
No, no, that won't do. I must write it. I have already made up my mind never to deceive His Majesty. Every word in my memorial must be true.
*But what if speaking the truth leads to my dismissal?*
Lian Guoshi slumped to the ground, in a posture of utter defeat.
“Master, what's wrong? Master?”
His attendants hastily helped him up.
Lian Guoshi gasped for breath, his heart gripped by a painful struggle!
He was the descendant of a founding meritorious minister, a loyal servant of the Great Ming Dynasty, but... but...
But he truly did not want to be dismissed!
The Lian family had produced eight generations of distinguished officials. If his generation were to end with dismissal and punishment, it would bring utter disgrace upon his ancestors. How could he face them in the afterlife?
Lian Guoshi gritted his teeth. “Follow these tracks forward. This official intends to see what exactly this contraption is all about.”
And so, the procession, their legs weary, trudged onward along the railway.
Before long, they arrived at the Xi'an Train Station.
The giant iron vehicle that had just passed them was now stopped in the station, and common folk were disembarking from each carriage. Lian Guoshi's glance estimated that at least a thousand people had been packed into that one train.
Wang Shunxing's memorial, it turned out, hadn't contained a single false word!
But it was useless. The truth was simply too unbelievable. The emperor, confined to his palace in the capital, would never credit such a thing existing in the world. Even Lian Guoshi, seeing it with his own eyes, still found it hard to believe.
As he mused, a group of people emerged from the station and walked along the tracks toward Lian Guoshi. The man leading them wore splendid robes, and his face struck Lian Guoshi as vaguely familiar.
*That distinctive imperial jawline, so much like the Imperial Ancestor's!*
*Royal bloodline?*
Lian Guoshi's mind sharpened, and he instantly understood: *Zhu Cunji, the Prince of Qin's heir! It must be him.*
In Xi'an, who else but Zhu Cunji could be a man of such lavish attire, surrounded by so many guards, and possessing that characteristic imperial face?
Sure enough, before he could offer a greeting, the man with the distinctive imperial jawline hailed him first. “Well, judging by your retinue, you must be the new Governor, Lian Guoshi?”
Lian Guoshi's spirits lifted. “And you are, sir?”
The man chuckled. “This heir is Zhu Cunji.”
Lian Guoshi immediately performed a deep bow. “Your humble subordinate pays his respects to Your Highness, the Heir Apparent.”
Zhu Cunji waved a dismissive hand. “Alright, alright, don't pretend to be so deferential. How many of you civil officials truly respect this prince? Hmph! You say 'humble subordinate,' but in your hearts, you feel yourselves superior, don't you?”
Lian Guoshi was speechless.
Zhu Cunji scoffed. “Let me tell you, this prince is no useless idler. I am currently engaged in a momentous endeavor.”
Lian Guoshi looked confused.
Ignoring Lian Guoshi, Zhu Cunji crouched down, running his hand over the wooden sleepers and iron tracks. He addressed his subordinates: “These sleepers should be easy to make, yes?”
His subordinate nodded. “Our carpenters can certainly make them.”
Zhu Cunji pointed to the tracks. “And these iron rails?”
The subordinate replied, “If we forge them one hammer blow at a time, yes, we can do it! But to cast them directly from molten iron, like Mr. Li's people do, that we cannot manage.”
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