But sometimes, giving up some benefits can bring greater gains, such as a good reputation or popular support.
This is better for Chu Guan's resume.
As she prepared to leave, Chu Guan stopped her, saying, "Why are you leaving again so soon after Pan Jiu's arrival?"
Ye Panjiu asked him, "I'm going to check out my older brother's horse farm. You seem to be free, want to come along?"
Chu Guan immediately stood up. "How could I not be busy? I've already encountered two cases since I arrived, and they're incredibly simple. Ever since Zhou Xinran, the local tyrant of Qingshui County, died, who would dare to commit crimes in Qingshui County?"
Ye Panjiu mounted her horse, somewhat pleased, "That's how it should be."
Constables patrol the streets of Qingshui County every day. Chu Guan's guards are all very fierce. Chu Guan also has connections, so he can ignore anyone from above except His Majesty.
Chu Guan was not the kind of official who was only focused on political achievements and did not like to cause trouble for the people.
As a result, the lives of the people in Qingshui County became much better.
Xiang Ziping watched the group leave with envy. He knew Ye Panjiu disliked him, so he didn't dare to go up to them.
Ye Panjiu gave Chu Guan several ideas that contradicted his own, but each time they proved that she was right.
These few ideas were so insightful that even Lord Chu wrote a letter praising the young master.
He was too calculating, only focused on his own gains and losses, and couldn't compare to a woman like Ye Panjiu.
Ye Panjiu didn't know where the horse farm was; Chu Guan led the way.
Upon arrival, Chu Guan said, "This horse farm may be small, but it has performed extraordinary feats."
Ye Panjiu became interested. "What kind of extraordinary skill?"
"This horse farm was owned by a merchant who loved horses and raised them to be very good. A few years ago, when Daliang was fighting, Brother Su accidentally discovered this horse farm. Upon hearing this, the merchant offered all the horses to him without saying a word."
Brother Su used these warhorses to launch a night raid and destroy the enemy's supplies, which led to his victory in the battle. Afterwards, Brother Su claimed all the credit for the victory as belonging to his soldiers and the merchant.
Chu Guan spoke with eyes full of admiration, praising Brother Su's military prowess and unpredictable troop deployment.
Most importantly, he himself was extremely skilled in martial arts, having been a martial arts champion. He always charged to the front, and his soldiers were always full of energy.
If Brother Su hadn't so quickly relinquished his military power after the battle, the soldiers might not have praised him so highly.
He's not greedy for power at all.
Ye Panjiu raised an eyebrow. "Then how did this horse farm end up in your brother Su's hands?"
Chu Guan sighed, "After that merchant was appointed an official, he gathered his family's wealth and left Qingshui County to take up his post. He tried to sell this horse farm, but the powerful families suppressed it, and no one dared to buy it."
In the end, it was Brother Su who pooled his money to buy the horse farm. He had a high salary, and he basically used it all for these kinds of things.
Ye Panjiu thought of Su Yan raising the money and almost laughed, "How did he manage to raise it?"
Chu Guan scratched his head. "After the morning court session, Brother Su displayed his calligraphy. His Majesty bought the first piece, and then everyone else started scrambling for it."
Ye Panjiu smiled brightly; this was indeed something Su Yan would do.
The group entered the horse farm and saw Ye Daniu feeding hay to the horses, making trip after trip.
But there was no one else in sight.
Ye Panjiu frowned, "Big Brother!"
Upon seeing the group, Ye Daniu smiled and said, "Come on, do you want to ride horses?"
Ye Panjiu had seen these horses; they weren't very strong, but they were definitely not thin either. They were clean and tidy, clearly indicating that they had been well cared for.
There are also two horses kept in separate troughs, and their troughs are larger than those of the other horses.
"Brother, why are you the only one working? Where is everyone else?"
Ye Daniu laughed and said, "I can manage on my own right now, so they've gone to rest."
Ye Panjiu frowned even more deeply, "Is it like this all the time?"
Ye Daniu waved his hand, "It's alright, they work hard feeding the horses at night too."
Ye Panjiu didn't say anything more.
Ye Daniu introduced the horses to the three of them, saying, "These two are Akhal-Teke horses, a tribute from the Western Regions. Su Yan specially requested two of them and brought them to the horse farm. Would you like to ride them?"
He valued these two horses more than his own eyes, using them specifically for breeding and feeding them only the best ones every day.
Chu Guan became interested. "Sister Pan Jiu, how about you have a competition with me?"
Ye Panjiu shook her head, "I only know how to ride horses, it's nothing compared to how you've been riding horses since elementary school."
Chu Guan looked somewhat smug, then turned to Heng Tong and asked, "Heng Tong, are you going to compete with me?"
Heng Tong scoffed, "That depends on what the young master is betting."
He's not attractive to her at all; she wouldn't want to compare herself to this greenhorn.
Chu Guan was stumped. "I can't think of anything. Why don't you tell me what you want to bet on?"
Heng Tong narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down. "I see that the knife at your waist is quite nice. If I win, I'll take it."
Although the sword was in its sheath, one could still sense the murderous aura emanating from it; it was a sword with a rich history.
"No, no, this is a knife that my father gave me himself."
Heng Tong was too lazy to pay him any attention.
Chu Guan sighed, climbed onto the white Akhal-Teke horse, and started running around the horse farm.
Ye Daniu, seeing this with envy, jumped onto the black horse and ran off.
The two of them ended up comparing themselves for no apparent reason.
Ye Panjiu watched and realized that her elder brother was consistently able to surpass Chu Guan by a little.
It's a pity my older brother isn't interested in martial arts; otherwise, with a little effort, he might have become a minor general.
Chu Guan gritted his teeth and chased desperately, but he was just a horse's length away from catching up.
After running three laps, Ye Daniu felt sorry for the horse and slowly rode back to the stable, holding the reins.
"When did you become so skilled at horseback riding, brother?" Ye Panjiu asked with a smile.
Ye Daniu scratched his head, "I'm at the horse farm all day, and it's not good to keep the horses in the stable all the time, so I ride them around every day."
Ye Panjiu agreed, "If you want a strong horse, you have to run it more."
After chatting for a while, it was time for dinner, and Chu Guan was called to the Ye family's house for dinner.
The Ye family had met Chu Guan many times, including the prime minister and the prefect, so they were not particularly reserved with him and the atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable.
Chu Guan ate voraciously until he was quite full, and kept rubbing his stomach with his hand.
Ye Taohua, however, perked up a bit. "Lord Chu, I heard you're a martial arts expert. Shall we have a match?"
She started learning martial arts late, but she succeeded because of her hard work, regardless of the cold or heat.
Chu Guan waved his hand, "No, no, I'll compete with you again next time, I'm too full."
Ye Panjiu listened, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Ye Taohua pouted, "Then remember, I'll come find you next time."
Chu Guan clasped his right fist and supported his left fist, then bowed to her, saying, "It is my honor to have the chance to spar with the Great Heroine Peach Blossom!"
The Ye family couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Ye Taohua was very satisfied with the title "Peach Blossom Hero".
Chu Guan chatted idly at the Ye family's house for a while before reluctantly returning to the county government office.
His father, Chu Li, also rose through the ranks from a commoner to a high-ranking military officer. Like the Ye family, he didn't care much about complicated rules. At the dinner table, his daughter-in-law didn't have to set any rules, there was no requirement to speak while eating, and women weren't allowed to sit at the table. He had a comfortable feeling that everyone was equal.
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