Chapter 1457: Investigation Results

The investigation team conducted a ten-day probe in Shanxian County, examining the reasons for the shutdown of multiple quarries and the resettlement of quarry workers by the county government; after obtaining their findings, the team returned to Yulin City to submit their report to the municipal party committee and government.

After returning to Yulin City, the investigation team submitted their report to relevant leaders of the municipal party committee and government; the report's findings were relatively objective and fair, accurately reconstructing the truth of the entire incident.

The investigation team concluded that the Shanxian County Party Committee and County Government engaged in no irregularities during the quarry shutdowns; all shut-down quarries had engaged in illegal mining, and the county authorities had issued them notices ordering rectification within a deadline, but the quarry operators ignored these orders, continued mining during the rectification period, and clashed violently with nearby villagers, causing severe negative repercussions.

Therefore, the Shanxian County Party Committee and County Government's decision to shut down the quarries was lawful and justified.

Moreover, during the shutdown process, the Shanxian County Party Committee and County Government properly resettled the quarry workers, arranging suitable new jobs for them—a fact the investigation team confirmed through extensive interviews with affected parties and collected testimonies.

Regarding the sit-in protest at the city government gate that day, the investigation team conducted numerous interviews with the participants; their findings confirmed that these individuals had indeed been paid by suspect Li Ping to stage the sit-in, and Li Ping had been instructed by Zuo Yuanzhi, the owner of a certain quarry.

Thus, this incident can be classified as an organized, premeditated criminal act aimed at pressuring government authorities, not caused by any irregularities by the Shanxian County Party Committee or County Government.

The investigation results were submitted to relevant leaders of the municipal party committee and government; leaders such as Ren Guisheng still persisted, insisting that the incident had severely damaged the city government's image and that disciplinary action against those responsible was necessary to restore its reputation.

Finally, Shi Deyou made the decision to issue a verbal reprimand to the leadership of the Shanxian County Party Committee and County Government—not directed at Xue Xingyuan or Ling Anguo personally, but at the entire leadership team; Ren Guisheng had merely wanted an excuse to save face, so he accepted this outcome.

The incident was thus quietly dropped.

Fu Weiping and his filming crew spent about a month shooting in Shanxian County, visiting every township; the county's scenic beauty captivated him, especially the landscapes of Physician Mountain, Bagua Mountain, and Yinlong Mountain, where he devoted the most effort—each location received two or three days of filming due to their stunning scenery and abundance of historical sites.

Shanxian County not only boasts excellent natural scenery and numerous historical sites, but also abundant cultural landmarks; the ancient residences in each township left Fu Weiping ecstatic—he had never seen such dwellings in modern society.

In many economically developed regions, after becoming wealthy, people tore down old houses to build new ones; though the new houses appeared more imposing, they lost the ancient charm of the originals.

Because Shanxian County's economy was underdeveloped and relatively isolated, most of these old houses remained intact; some even dated back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, radiating timeless antiquity with high aesthetic, cultural, and historical value.

Due to Shanxian's mountainous terrain, abundance of stone, and dense forests, its old houses were primarily built of blue stone and timber, supplemented with blue bricks and tiles, making them extremely sturdy and resistant to centuries of weathering—many still remain in excellent condition today.

Particularly noteworthy is the Wang Family Mansion beneath Bagua Mountain, the finest among these ancient dwellings; according to legend, it was built by descendants of a prominent Wang family from the Three Kingdoms and Jin periods, who migrated southward during the Eastern Jin's relocation, and later, in the late Ming dynasty, another branch fled the Qing cavalry and settled in Shanxian County to construct this grand residence.

The mansion spans three courtyards, covers seven to eight mu of land, contains about one hundred fifty rooms, and features dozens of courtyards; all rooms interconnect, allowing one to wander indoors without needing a hat in sunshine or an umbrella in rain—a remarkable architectural achievement.

The Wang family passed down literary traditions through generations, producing numerous talents; even today, many officials in Shanxian County descend from the Wang Family Mansion, such as Wang Yuweng, a member of the County Party Standing Committee, and Wang Chongfa, Party Secretary of Dashixiang Township.

Fu Weiping gave special attention to filming these ancient dwellings, especially the Wang Family Mansion, where he spent two full days; in his view, this mansion was a treasure of Ming and Qing architecture.

Remarkably, due to Shanxian's limited external contact and simple folkways, these ancient dwellings suffered little damage during turbulent periods and remain exceptionally well-preserved; because of economic underdevelopment, the area underwent no major development, so over eighty percent of the ancient dwellings still survive today.

In short, in Fu Weiping's view, every corner of Shanxian was a scenic wonder; he shot vast amounts of footage, yet, as Su Xinghui had said, he found every clip exquisitely beautiful and could not bring himself to cut any—truly a blissful dilemma.

Fu Weiping decided to tell his station's leadership upon returning that he wished to extend the runtime of this landscape documentary, even splitting it into multiple episodes, to present these breathtaking scenes to the public.

Fu Weiping reluctantly concluded filming in Shanxian County; the night before his departure, Xue Xingyuan and Ling Anguo hosted a farewell banquet for the crew at the County Party Guesthouse, with Su Xinghui also in attendance.

Over dinner, Fu Weiping excitedly told Su Xinghui: "Little Su, you said I'd struggle when editing—unsure what to keep and what to cut. I thought you were exaggerating, but after all these days of shooting, you were absolutely right—Shanxian's scenery is simply too beautiful; I've shot hours of footage, and I truly don't know what to cut."

Su Xinghui smiled: "Director Fu, didn't I tell you? Since you can't decide what to cut, don't cut anything—keep it all. I'm certain you'll turn this into a masterpiece."

Fu Weiping nodded: "That's exactly my thought—I'll tell the station leadership when I return and ask them to let me keep all the footage; if needed, I'll split it into more episodes."

Su Xinghui nodded: "I believe your station's leadership, after seeing such brilliant footage, will certainly approve your request."

In truth, Su Xinghui was certain the station's leadership would 100% approve Fu Weiping's request—after all, this landscape documentary was commissioned at Yu Ruizhi's invitation; what was Yu Ruizhi's status? He was a direct descendant of the Yu family; who would pass up a chance to cultivate such a connection?

It was merely a landscape documentary, and one shot by Fu Weiping—a masterpiece at that; what was a few extra episodes? Such a low-cost, high-reward favor was one anyone would gladly extend.

Fu Weiping said: "I hope so."