Chapter 43 Important Matters

The procurement of grain by the Guangyue Prefecture proceeded very smoothly.

Ye Shanming also transferred grain from other places and earned a lot of money from it.

The only thing that gave Su Qing a headache was that Instructor Gu was transferred by the Education Commissioner to the official school as an instructor.

When Wei Lisi presented the transfer documents to Su Qing for review, Su Qing felt somewhat helpless.

She basically didn't care much about the transfers of lower-ranking officials.

Moreover, since instructors were directly under the jurisdiction of the education commissioner, such transfers were generally not blocked.

Putting everything else aside, it does seem strange to stop them like this all of a sudden.

Thinking of Gu Congsi's situation in Jinling, Su Qing signed his name and affixed his official seal.

To be honest, she really needed to have a talk with Professor Gu and his wife.

Su Qing asked Zhu Shuli and Yunxi to help find a suitable house so that Instructor Gu and his wife would have a place to live.

Mei Niang, who would normally be very concerned about this matter, has chosen to avoid suspicion.

After all, the fact that the two had broken off their engagement was not kept from Mei Niang.

However, the transfer of the educational commissioner to the prefectural city is most likely related to the prefectural school's budget.

If she can't get through to them, then she'll go to her future in-laws?

Su Qing ignored him and continued with his official duties.

The most important thing now is the right to manufacture weapons.

Logically speaking, the person she should contact most right now is Gu Congsi.

But now his/her status seems a bit awkward?

That's what she thought, but Su Qing didn't stop. She handled things officially, writing a letter about Guangyuefu's desire for the weapon-making rights and sending it to Gu Congsi.

You can tell by his active participation in local duty-free shopping.

Gu Congsi himself was also concerned about this place.

He also corresponded with Qi Neiguan, asking for his thoughts.

The remaining task is to find the Hua family again.

Last time, Hua Jingming didn't want to talk much, and Old Man Hua didn't come back either.

Since that's the case, we should stick to the original plan and go find the eldest son and second daughter of the Hua family.

The rivalry between these two was well-known in Guangyuefu.

The two became even more evenly matched after the second young lady married the local commander.

The eldest son manages the land and property of the two counties near Guangyue Prefecture, particularly the Zuo County.

Guangyou County was naturally the domain of the Second Miss.

The two seemed to have a deep-seated, irreconcilable conflict.

But Old Man Hua was quite pleased with the outcome.

After all, the competition between these two only brings benefits to the Hua family.

Su Qing smiled and sent out invitations to the two of them to have dinner at the yamen.

The back residence of the prefectural government office is definitely more spacious than that of the county government office.

The reception hall for guests is particularly special.

Now in September, it's the perfect time to appreciate the osmanthus blossoms, and the three main rooms inside are just right for entertaining guests.

The eldest son of the Hua family, Hua Chengzai, and the second daughter, Hua Youling, arrived as promised.

The two men received the invitation from Prefect Su almost simultaneously, and neither of them was puzzled.

It is only natural for officials to cultivate good relations with local families.

If their father didn't go to Nanjing, then he should have been the one invited.

Inviting the two of them now would be appropriate.

The first time they heard Su Qing's name was related to their younger brother.

The third younger sister, Hua Jingming, has a good relationship with her fiancé, Gu Congsi.

At that time, Gu Congsi was favored by the former head of the clerk's office, who wanted to recruit him as his son-in-law.

I never expected that he would be so devoted to his fiancée.

However, no one expected that Gu Congsi would be so highly regarded by the Emperor.

What they never expected was that their insignificant fiancée would become the prefect of this prefecture.

Originally, I thought it was just an ordinary dinner party, but after we sat down, Su Qing took the initiative to mention, "The garrison in Yisong County sent a message saying that everything is fine there, and the people of Guangle Prefecture don't need to worry."

Don't worry?

That means you should be worried.

The Hua family was naturally aware of the situation over there.

He also understood that Jinling was short of money and would not allocate funds to the garrison in Guangyue Prefecture; everything depended on the female prefect in front of him.

Could it be that she had dinner with the Hua family for this reason?

Whether it's the imperial court or local officials, they only know how to take money out of their pockets.

Do they usually pay less land tax and commercial tax than them?

Hua Youling, the second young lady of the Hua family, looked grim.

Seeing her expression, Hua Chengzai, the eldest son of the Hua family, prepared to speak.

Just give them a little something to get rid of them.

Everyone is praising Prefect Su for his great abilities, and he doesn't mind giving him some benefits.

Hua Cheng looked at Su Qing and saw her smiling face. She couldn't help but sit up straight and said, "Prefect Su, you've worked hard. The whole of Guang Le Prefecture relies on you to do their jobs, and the army is also counting on you."

"If you need me, I will do my best."

Hua Youling wore a cold expression, wanting to see how Su Qing would respond.

She said, "There really is a need."

Hua Youling frowned, and then heard Su Qing continue, "I heard that Master Hua is still in Jinling and hasn't returned yet. There's a job at the government office that I'd like to ask Master Hua for help with."

What kind of job is it?

Didn't we ask them for money?

Su Qing got straight to the point: "The army needs a batch of armor for its troops, but most of the armor on the market now is supplied to the outskirts of Beijing."

"Even if we could buy it, the price would be extremely high, which Guangyuefu cannot afford."

"Therefore, I discussed with the army and concluded that it would be best to build it ourselves."

"However, armor is a special thing. If nothing unexpected happens, we will choose one of the two counties, the left and right, to make it."

Upon hearing this, both members of the Hua family looked over.

What are we building?

armor?

They also need to build more in the left and right counties.

Wouldn't that be handing the money over to the Hua family?

wrong.

It was delivered to one of them.

Su Qing made her stance clear: she wanted to see them compete.

However, there is still one problem.

Hua Youling cupped her hands in greeting: "Has Jinling agreed to this matter?"

Armor is not as sensitive as other weapons.

However, it still requires the emperor's approval.

Su Qing did not hide anything: "I just submitted the memorial and asked a few people to speak on my behalf. It all depends on the Emperor's decision."

"Knowing that Master Hua is also in Jinling, I asked him to put in a good word for me."

"I just don't know where Master Hua lives, so it's not appropriate to send him a letter."

Hua Chengzai immediately replied, "That's easy."

"I just don't know who Prefect Hua asked to speak on his behalf. As for the tax payment, it should be relatively easy to handle."

"But the authority to forge armor is even more difficult to obtain."

Hua Youling thought to herself that the garrison in Yisong County lacked not only armor but also weapons.

If possible, it would be better to directly acquire the rights to forge weapons.

Of course, this is more difficult.

Judging from their expressions, Su Qing knew they were already interested.

But you still have to put on a show.

Hua Chengzai, in particular, was determined to take on the task of armor manufacturing, and seemed quite confident of success.

My younger brother, Hua Jingming, has a good relationship with Su Qing's fiancé; perhaps we can use that to plead on his behalf.

Hua Youling thought about it even more deeply.

Can armor, bows and arrows, and weapons all be manufactured in Guangyuefu?

She said directly, "Since you want the armor forging rights anyway, why not ask for the weapon forging rights first? If that doesn't work, we can settle for something else."

Su Qing then looked at the second young lady of the Hua family.

She was able to manage a significant portion of her family's assets despite being married, which speaks volumes about her abilities.

Su Qing nodded slightly: "That's what I think too. If it can be done, it will be extremely good for Guangyuefu, the government office, the Hua family, and the army."

We ate a meal.

Su Qing and the Hua family have reached a tacit understanding.

When Hua Jingming arrived, his face turned green.

Su Qing really kept his word and actually asked his older brother and sister to fight for the casting rights.

Indeed, whoever wins this case will change the Hua family and their status within the Hua family.

Moreover, Su Qing was clearly aware of the conflict between the two, yet she deliberately made them compete.

But Su Qing's words left Hua Jingming speechless.

“If I don’t say anything, will they stop arguing?” Su Qing shrugged. “Your father is happy about this, so why worry about it?”

As she spoke, Su Qing thanked Hua Jingming for the satin he had given her earlier: "My brother quite liked it, but it was too expensive. If I have a suitable gift later, I will give you a gift in return."

Hua Jingming naturally didn't care about these things. He just sat and watched Su Qing handle her official business. Then he noticed that the calligraphy brush she usually used was mediocre, and he had the idea of ​​giving her a few better brushes.

In his letter, Gu Congsi also asked him to take good care of Su Qing.

But he probably doesn't know that the two have already broken off their engagement?

Forget it, I'll still take care of her.

After all, it was a friend's request.

Then buy good pens, good ink, and good paper and send them over.

It wasn't because I couldn't stand it that I bought it.

After Hua Jingming left, these items were sent to Su Qing's study.

Helpless, Su Qing had the person return to their place.

If it weren't for official business, I really wouldn't want to owe Gu Congsi any more favors.

So there are some things that still need to be taken care of in your spare time.

Su Qing asked the clerk, "Has Instructor Gu arrived in the prefectural city today?"

Instructor Gu has been promoted to Instructor Gu.

Actually, if you disregard his previous relationship with Su Qing, he should have been promoted.

Last year it was the provincial examination, this year it's the children's examination.

His students all achieved good grades; given his teaching ability, they should all be qualified to teach in the prefectural city.

However, the academic administrator specifically transferred him here.

Everyone understood what it meant.

Seeing that Prefect Su had taken the initiative to visit him, the Education Commissioner couldn't help but nod in approval after hearing the news.

Now, it's time to approve the budget for the prefectural school.

Unfortunately, Zhu Shuli was waiting outside, leaving the Gu family couple and Su Qing inside in an extremely awkward situation.

Madam Gu first thanked Su Qing for helping them find accommodation in advance.

Su Qing nodded and asked directly, "Didn't you send the annulment letter to Gu Congsi?"

Upon hearing this, the two looked at each other in bewilderment.

The letter of annulment for April has already been written.

It's mid-September now, and it still hasn't been sent out.

The inside story is hard to tell.

Seeing their hesitation, Su Qing said, "It's best to make this clear beforehand."

“When he was an official in Nanjing, he also needed local support.”

“I also need someone to speak to the Emperor.”

"If the relationship is clear, then everything is easy to talk about."

If the engagement hadn't been called off, their relationship would have been quite different.

Even if the engagement is called off, it's still a business partnership, which is the best outcome.

What I fear most is this kind of ambiguity; it makes everyone uncomfortable.

She wanted to ask Gu Congsi for a favor, but didn't know how to bring it up.

I can't just say, "You know our engagement has been called off, but I still need your help with something."

That's so awkward!

Instructor Gu gritted his teeth: "Prefect Su, rest assured, I will definitely tell him. I will inform him before October."

Su Qing glanced at them again, nodded, and left.

After Su Qing left, the Gu couple sighed.

It's not that they don't want to talk about it.

After learning of their son's whereabouts, they wanted to write a letter to inform him.

Knowing what Cong Si was thinking, the two tested him twice, essentially saying that since they were far apart and both of them were of marriageable age, it would be best to break off the engagement.

But in his letter, Ke Cong Si expressed great anger and told them to stop interfering in the matter.

After that letter, neither of them dared to send the annulment letter.

I'm afraid it will just be torn up if I send it over.

So it's been delayed again and again, until now.

Su Qing was naturally unaware of these matters, but for her, what's past is past.

Instead of wasting time, why not take a look at how the grain warehouses built in various places are doing?

During the off-season for farming, people everywhere were repairing river embankments and building warehouses.

Ye Shanming ran back and forth several times.

What he didn't expect was that Su Qing wanted to stockpile even more grain than he had anticipated.

Especially in Nanjiang County, it is not advisable to sell grain this year, and many hidden warehouses have been built, the locations of which are only known to her confidants.

Although other regions did not produce as much grain as Nanjiang County, they still had a considerable amount.

Naturally, this led to a decrease in local grain prices.

But this also left many places with little cash.

Ye Shanming was unaware of Su Qing's thoughts, but he still ordered his branch to stockpile grain as well.

Working under Su Qing should mostly be fine.

The entire Guangyue Prefecture was in Su Qing's hands. He spent the first month rectifying the officials and the second month supervising the hoarding of grain.

Before the third month was even over, grain prices in various regions finally stabilized.

Many old cases have been reopened for retrial, giving many people a way out.

This is already extremely good for the local people.

They don't ask for great wealth or status; they just want a peaceful and comfortable life.

While dealing with wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice in various counties, Su Qing waited for news from Jinling.

Her memorial to the emperor had already caused a great uproar in Jinling.

The Emperor read the memorial again and again, and couldn't help but say to Gu Congsi, "My dear minister, although your fiancée's memorial is written in a straightforward manner, it has won my heart."

Gu Congsi's expression was complicated.

He never expected that Qingqing would write a memorial and submit it herself.

Even more unexpectedly, she could write with such passion and fervor even in plain language.

The main point is the meaning of this article.

This perfectly suits the Emperor's wishes.

Let alone the emperor.

Empress Dowager, princes and nobles, and even local gentry and wealthy merchants.

They were all encouraged by Su Qing's memorial.

In her memorial, she wrote that the fall of the outskirts of the capital and the continued presence of the rebels in Gaoqing Prefecture were due to the actions of treacherous officials.

To eliminate the rebels, Shunchang Kingdom must make an effort from top to bottom.

They, from the Guangyuefu, deeply grateful for the Emperor's favor, wished to do their utmost to help the General recapture the capital as soon as possible, so that the Emperor could return to the capital.

In short...

Their Guangyue Prefecture will do everything in its power to help the Emperor return to the capital; these are Prefect Su's heartfelt words.

However, their Guangyuefu (a music bureau) is weak and has no way to deal with the situation for the time being.

From this point on, they began to persuade them to forge weapons.

It was said that it could be delivered to the outskirts of Beijing and to the garrison in Yisong County.

Only in this way can the Emperor return to the capital as soon as possible and restore the prestige of Shunchang Kingdom.

Return to Beijing.

This is what the Emperor, Empress Dowager, and others desire most.

This is something that the local aristocratic families have always dreamed of achieving.

The former naturally felt that this place was not good, and that it was not as comfortable as the capital.

The latter found these princes and nobles utterly tiresome, eating and drinking their food, and having so many other demands.

To put it bluntly, as a local tyrant, why would he want a real emperor to come?

Su Qing wanted the rights to forge weapons, but he didn't mention the garrison in Yisong County or that it was for defense against the rebels in Gaoqing Prefecture.

He only said he wanted to help the general stockpile weapons so that he could recapture the capital as soon as possible.

These words struck a chord with all of them.

No wonder the Emperor looked at it again and again, and even said, "If my brother knew what Su Qing was thinking, he would be very happy."

He has petitioned many times for weapons and armor.

However, local authorities are not proactive and are clearly delaying the construction period.

It would be good to have a capable minister like Su Qing to handle affairs.

However, the right to manufacture these weapons is too sensitive.

Can it be given away?

At this point, it was necessary for Gu Congsi, Qi Neiguan's men, Master Hua, and even the local tycoons to work together.

What was originally an extremely difficult task seemed to become less difficult in Su Qing's hands?

Was she just lucky, or did she secretly put in a lot of effort?

In either case.

In late September, the Emperor ordered that Vice Minister Feng of the Ministry of War and Hanlin Academician Gu Congsi go to Guangyuefu together.

Let's examine the situation at Guangyuefu to see if it's appropriate to relinquish the casting rights.

It's really just to see if the officials here are loyal enough.

As long as they are loyal enough, then hurry up and build weapons and send them to the outskirts of Beijing.

The general who had set up camp near the outskirts of Beijing was also helpless.

Although he and Su Qing had long lost contact, she found it extremely convenient to use him.

When his subordinate reported, Yan Zhengzhou raised his eyelids slightly: "Don't worry about it, let her use it."

"Contact the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and tell him that Su Qing can be trusted."

"The other person is her fiancé, and he will cooperate."

At that moment, Su Qing of Guangyue Prefecture heard that the two ministers sent by the Emperor had arrived and immediately said with a smile, "Alright, we can start making preparations now."

The fact that Gu Congsi was sent here indicates that it's just a formality.

In that case, it's only a matter of time before the arsenal of Guangyuefu is established.

When they heard that Gu Congsi was going back to Guangyuefu, the happiest people were none other than the Gu family.

And they've both thought it through.

There's no time like the present.

Let's make things clear this time about announcing the engagement.

Writing a letter is never as good as talking face to face.

Hua Jingming, who was also paying close attention at this moment, felt inexplicably nervous.

He dared not imagine how Gu Congsi would react if he found out.

Looking at the various items that had been returned to me, I felt quite annoyed.

These people are still troubled by this kind of thing.

Su Qing has already selected a site in the suburbs of Guang Le Fu.

No matter how turbulent the world is.

Having both food and weapons is the right thing to do!

Everything else is fine!