Chapter 459 The Stunning Lu Huan

But she is the backbone of the family, so she can't fall.

Lu Qiniang quickly adjusted her mood. "This is just my worst-case scenario. Don't be afraid. Don't we still know the Emperor? The Duke, Jiang Xuan's family, the Fifth Young Master, and Miss Jiang can all speak for us."

"Mom, I wonder if we can ask Master Lu to intercede for me through Lu Huan." Erya suddenly said.

If it were someone else's home, that would definitely not work. The girl in the backyard would probably not dare to breathe in front of her majestic father.

But the atmosphere in the Lu family is different.

"To be honest," Lu Qiniang said, "Except for Jiang Yi who has the golden medal of immunity from death, I don't want to ask anyone else for help."

Those who can help and want to help will naturally help.

If you don't want to help, you won't get it even if you beg, and you will only hurt yourself.

"That's right." Erya said, "Besides, he doesn't have much friendship with us, so we shouldn't involve him."

Daya suddenly asked, "Now that Yun Ting has returned with you, what about Yongji County? Can we leave it to Jiang Quan?"

"It's okay, Lu Huan is here too." Erya said, "You know she's capable and there won't be any trouble."

My family is in such a mess right now that I can’t take care of everything.

But something did happen in Yongji County.

Those old foxes who had been suppressed by Yun Ting for a long time finally found an opportunity to take revenge.

As the autumn tax collection was nearing its end, the household clerk piled a thick stack of account books and inventory lists on Jiang Quan's desk.

Jiang Quan looked at the densely packed numbers and documents, feeling overwhelmed. He gritted his teeth and flipped through them, but the more he read, the more confused he became.

Several representatives of local gentry jointly requested a meeting, claiming that tax collectors were levying excessive taxes and the accounts were unclear, and asked the county magistrate to uphold justice.

Jiang Quan was so overwhelmed by the noise that he could only bang his head on the table and yell, "What are you arguing about? Wait until the prince comes back!"

As a result, the gentry became even more dissatisfied and threatened to sue.

After Lu Huan learned about this, he volunteered, "Brother Jiang, can you let me see the account books and the complaint?"

Jiang Quan was as if he had been pardoned. He immediately moved all his belongings to the room where Lu Huan was temporarily staying and sent him back.

But those people threatened to come back the next day.

Lu Huan spent an entire night sorting out all the problems and told them to Jiang Quan one by one.

"Brother Jiang, look, first, the number of acres in Jinyang Township doesn't match previous years. It's suspected that newly reclaimed land is being taxed twice... Second, there's controversy over the silver conversion rate for wasteland... Third, there are slight discrepancies between the warehousing list and the collection records..."

Jiang Quan felt dizzy after hearing this and scratched his head. "Ms. Lu, to be honest, I'm blind to all this. Just tell me what to do. You give me the orders and I'll listen!"

He may not be very smart, but he is very good at doing things.

Obey orders and you can win the battle.

Lu Huan was stunned and couldn't quite believe his ears.

Is there any man in this world who would say so openly that he would obey a woman's orders?

"What's wrong?" Jiang Quan was a little confused by her gaze and scratched his head embarrassedly. "If you don't know what to do, then you can only use force. It's okay, don't worry, I'm here!"

He patted the hilt of the knife slung across his waist, his meaning was clear - if he couldn't convince them through reason, he would use force to intimidate them.

Lu Huan couldn't help laughing at his straightforward and somewhat naive "protection" of his shortcomings. A faint arc appeared at the corner of his lips: "A gentleman uses words, not fists. Brother Jiang, wait for me for a moment."

She turned and went into the inner room.

Jiang Quan didn't understand what was going on, so he could only pace anxiously outside the room, listening to the rustling noises inside, his heart in turmoil.

What's Miss Lu trying to do? Is she writing it down because she's worried she won't be able to memorize it? Or is she trying to think of another way?

After about a cup of tea, the door to the inner room creaked open.

Jiang Quan subconsciously looked up and was instantly petrified on the spot, his eyes wide open and his mouth big enough to fit an egg.

The person who walked out of the door was no longer the Miss Lu with elegant temperament and beautiful appearance.

The person in front of him was wearing a fitted green scholar's gown, and his hair was tied up high with a headband of the same color, revealing his smooth and full forehead and slender neck.

The originally delicate facial features were deliberately portrayed to be a little more handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, calm and sharp eyes, and the lip color was a little lighter, making him less delicate and graceful like a girl and more handsome and bookish like a young man.

With an upright posture and calm steps, he really looks like a young scholar who is well-read and has an extraordinary bearing.

"Lu...Lu...Lu..." Jiang Quan's tongue was tied. He pointed at Lu Huan and couldn't utter a complete word for a long time. He was shocked beyond words.

He had never imagined that a woman dressed as a man could be so... so convincing.

That calm demeanor even makes him more like a "government official" who can make decisions!

Jiang Quan said that he is actually more knowledgeable than others, after all, his sister Jiang Yi is a heroic woman.

But he never expected that Lu Huan would undergo such a big transformation.

My eyeballs almost fell to the ground.

Lu Huan was almost amused by his silly look. He suppressed his laughter, cleared his throat, and deliberately lowered his voice. He bowed and said, "Master Jiang, my name is Lu Wen. I am an aide to the Crown Prince's residence. I have come here on the Crown Prince's orders to assist you in handling county affairs. Before leaving, the Crown Prince entrusted all matters concerning Yongji to me, Lu."

Although she lowered her voice deliberately, her pronunciation was clear and her voice was convincing.

Jiang Quan suddenly came back to his senses, looked at Lu Huan's calm eyes, and instantly understood her intention.

The staff member of the Prince’s Mansion, this identity is great!

She can participate in government affairs with justification and avoid the criticism caused by her identity as a woman.

"Ah! Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Jiang Quan reacted quickly, straightening his back immediately. "So it's Mr. Lu. My apologies. The prince is indeed very thoughtful! Come in! The gentry are all waiting in the second hall!"

The two men walked into the second hall of the county government office, one in front and one behind.

The several gentry representatives who were waiting in the hall were already getting impatient. When they saw Jiang Quan come in, followed by an unfamiliar but extraordinary scholar in a blue robe, they all looked puzzled.

Jiang Quan introduced Lu Huan's identity.

Lu Huan's expression was calm, and he nodded slightly. He sat down at the head of the main seat, his eyes swept over the crowd calmly, and he got straight to the point: "Lord Jiang has already conveyed all of your concerns to me. This concerns the collection of the autumn tax and the burden on the people. I dared not neglect it and checked the relevant account books, land deeds, and the detailed collection regulations of previous years overnight."

Her voice was not loud, but it carried an invisible pressure that instantly quieted the originally noisy hall.

"First," Lu Huan looked at the representative of Jinyang Township, his tone steady but unquestionable, "Jinyang Township has reported 320 acres of newly reclaimed wasteland, but there's no record of this in the documents of previous years' wasteland reclamation approvals archived by the county government. According to the Ministry of Revenue Regulations, newly reclaimed wasteland must be reported and approved, and is exempt from taxes for three years. If it's included in the tax collection for cultivated land without reporting, it's double taxation and should be reduced. Where is the clerk in charge of this matter?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a clerk standing in the corner turned pale instantly, sweat broke out on his forehead, and he stammered, not daring to say a word.

When the gentry saw this, they immediately showed indignation on their faces, saying "As expected".

Lu Huan's eyes were as sharp as knives, piercing the clerk directly. "Concealing the truth and double-counting taxes is dereliction of duty! Come, arrest him and await your punishment! The excess taxes levied by Jinyang Township must be immediately reduced and returned!"

The bailiff immediately stepped forward and dragged the limp clerk away.

"Secondly," Lu Huan turned to another representative, "regarding the ratio of wasteland to silver. The complaint alleges that this year's wasteland silver ratio is 20% higher than in previous years. Is there any basis for this?"

Jiang Quan looked at her in a daze.

Just before they sat down, everyone briefly introduced themselves, and she managed to write it all down?

Moreover, she was so graceful, neither hurried nor slow, yet well-organized, lucid and wise that even Yun Ting himself could not match her.

Jiang Quan's eyes were filled with amazement.

He just listened to whatever Lu Huan said afterwards, with only admiration in his heart.

It turns out that powerful women in the world are not all as decisive as my sister. There are also people like Lu Huan who are not conspicuous but are extremely admirable.

Several difficult problems that had troubled the people for many days and almost caused public resentment were solved one by one in less than half an hour thanks to Lu Huan's detailed analysis, reasonable evidence, and combination of kindness and severity.

The right and wrong are clear. Those who should be punished will be punished, those who should be refunded will be refunded, and those who should make up for it will make up for it.

The gentry were deeply convinced and moved to tears. They bowed repeatedly to Lu Huan and Jiang Quan and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lu, for your keen insight! Thank you, Mr. Jiang, for upholding justice!"

After the gentry left with profuse thanks, only Lu Huan and Jiang Quan were left in the second hall.

Lu Huan smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Brother Jiang. Brother Jiang, is there any news from the capital? I wonder how Madam Xiao is doing now..."

Lu Qiniang said that the situation was not good.

On the third day after giving birth, amid the anxiety of the whole family, her "second brother" finally arrived.

——Lu Jin brought people to the door.