Prefect Xiong reached out to take the teacup and said, "I am not on the side of that girl. I have neither prohibited other companies from continuing to make Xuan paper for painting, nor have I stipulated that only Chen Ji can make and sell this Xuan paper. I am doing my job according to the rules and laws. Don't accuse me of that."
Zhou turned around and put the teacup on the square table: This stubborn old man doesn't deserve tea served personally.
Prefect Xiong smiled, his beard curled up in a very relaxed manner, "Hey! Don't disbelieve me, I never get involved in the disputes between merchants. I have my own considerations for today's facts."
Zhou waited for him to finish emptying the basket.
Prefect Xiong drank a sip of the warm monk fruit tea and said, "The chief eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs came to Xuancheng Prefecture at the beginning of the month. He was traveling in plain clothes. I only got the news later."
The Ministry of Internal Affairs was responsible for searching for tributes for the palace. They did not normally travel out, and would only leave the capital and search for treasures in disguise on major events such as the birthday of a saint or empress, the ascension of a new emperor, or the birth of a legitimate son.
Zhou frowned, "The Saint's birthday is in August, which has long passed... The Saint's eldest son is already twelve years old..."
Prefect Xiong waved his hand, interrupting Zhou's thoughts, "The situation in the capital is unpredictable and changeable. I can't figure it out in the officialdom, so you don't have to guess it either - we only want to know that the eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs came to Xuancheng Prefecture to look for tribute."
Zhou glanced at Magistrate Xiong without saying anything, knowing that he was slowly sorting out his thoughts while speaking.
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs came to Xuancheng Prefecture, mostly for Xuan paper. In the past few years, we didn't compete for Yanteng paper and Goguryeo tribute paper, and we didn't send a single piece of paper to the emperor. The emperor doesn't remember you, so naturally he won't remember you when it comes to allocating funds, setting up official schools, setting up medical clinics, and dividing counties. If we can have a paper shop that sends tribute this year, I, Xiong Ding, will have done my duty to Xuancheng Prefecture."
Magistrate Xiong sighed.
This is what I really think.
Zhou gently touched her husband's black and white mottled hair.
"Hengji is in a power transition, with the old and the young fighting for power; Baiji..."
Speaking of Bai Ji, Magistrate Xiong felt upset.
A good family has to treat their daughter as a commodity.
What's the point of sending a sixteen-year-old girl to a sixty-year-old man?
His reputation was ruined, the girl was ruined, and he couldn't help no matter how busy he was. He had been the prefect of the fourth rank for most of his life. He was just a small Shuntianfu official. When he was in a good mood, he would show some respect to him. When he was in a bad mood, he would say hello? Who are you?
He is afraid of nothing!
And you have the guts and nerve to dance in front of him!
Prefect Xiong said in a deep voice, "There is only Chenji! And at this time, He Xianjin came out to unify Chenji, and he also launched this intimidating-looking carved silk-clipped rice paper - even if it is for tribute, I must help her maintain the quality of this rice paper!"
Zhou nodded in understanding.
If the quality of this drawing paper is really lowered by the Bai family, what is the point of it being a tribute! ?
The road to paying tribute is completely cut off!
Zhou smiled, the lines on her face were very kind, "Save these words for later and repeat them to You Niang."
Zhou smiled and said, "When the girl heard that Bai Ji was coming to visit, she immediately came to me in a hurry to ask about it. She was very anxious, and she was afraid that you would not support Manager He."
Prefect Xiong also laughed and turned to the old man and said, "...Go and send something to Shopkeeper He in the name of You Niang."
Zhou frowned and said angrily, "You old man, you have to bring the officialdom's tricks into the boudoir - you have already made up your mind to protect the Chen family, and you have to let Manager He accept Youniang's favor!"
Sending things to the Chen family in You Niang's name made it seem to outsiders that Prefect Xiong turned a blind eye to the matter because You Niang had begged for mercy.
I have to make Xianjin owe Youniang a favor.
Prefect Xiong laughed happily, "One thing, two favors, it's a waste not to make money, and being on good terms with Shopkeeper He will be good for Yo Niang - that girl has more than just this much potential."
Zhou also laughed, "No matter how promising he is, he can only become an imperial merchant. If you keep an eye on Cui Heng, he might even be able to earn a royal title for You Niang. These two girls are friends, and if we talk about helping each other, it is naturally our You Niang who helps Manager He."
uncertain.
Magistrate Xiong shook his head in his heart.
He had been in the officialdom for decades, and his intuition told him that something was going on, but he didn't know: for example, why was the original appointment of the magistrate of Jing County withdrawn and replaced by Cui Heng? How did the higher-ups know about Cui Heng? For another example, why was the prefect of Anyang Prefecture next door suddenly purged? How did the higher-ups know about the collusion between officials and bandits?
He is not qualified to know these things.
But somehow, he always felt that something was not simple.
Zhou was still muttering, "If Manager He was a legitimate member of the Chen family, even if she was just the concubine daughter of the third son of the Chen family, I would be willing to marry her for our second son because of her talent... But her father is unknown... Her mother is said to have fled from Qingzhou to our Xuancheng Prefecture to escape famine. When asked about her husband, she said he was dead, and she never mentioned her surname or name..."
That year, there was a flood in Qingzhou. Many breadwinners died in the flood, leaving behind orphans and widows to struggle for a living.
In her opinion, Manager He's mother was most likely a runaway concubine from some wealthy family. She took advantage of the chaos in her master's family and escaped with her daughter. After the situation was settled, she was afraid of being sent back, so she refused to reveal where she came from.
Who would dare to want someone with such a background?
No matter how outstanding, smart, and capable Shopkeeper He is, and no matter how much she likes him, she would not dare to ask for his hand in marriage for her son.
Zhou sighed, "What a pity."
Prefect Xiong glanced at Zhou and joked, "For an aunt of your age, the highest compliment you can give to a young girl is to marry her home as your daughter-in-law, right?"
Zhou was not happy, "What do you mean by our age! What do you mean by auntie!"
Prefect Xiong patted his wife on the back, helped her calm down, and said with a smile, "Don't think about it! Even if you are willing to ask for her hand in marriage, she may not be willing to marry you! When she was in Jing County, Chen Laosan registered her as a daughter to Shopkeeper He. It doesn't matter if she never gets married. When she gets old, her coffin will be sent to the Chen family. There are many people willing to take care of her and see her to the end of her life."
Zhou thought about it and felt that this was a good way to go, better than marrying those men who didn't do what they wanted, so she nodded and said, "Her father really loves her."
Magistrate Xiong stroked his beard.
Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run.
Although Chen Laosan is a mediocre person, he always does everything for Manager He. His deep love for his daughter is really touching.
A million times better than the Bai family.
Thinking of the Bai family, Magistrate Xiong turned to the old man beside him and continued to make arrangements, "Oh, by the way, send a ruler to the Zhen family and tell them to teach their son well."
After a pause, he continued, "Next month, the tickets for the southern section of Longchuan River will also be issued. Let Zhen You go and apply for it. Make the paperwork look good."
The old man took note of it and left.
Give a slap in the face and give a sweet date. The slap was light, but the sweet date was bigger than a frog.
Zhen Youqian suddenly found his position: being a good thug for Prefect Xiong is better than anything else.
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