"The prince, he said 'don't ask'."
"'Don't ask'?"
Jiang Yushu frowned, thoughtfully saying, "It sounds like the prince should know about my transfer."
"Most likely. Unfortunately, he refused to tell me." Guo Ye sighed regretfully.
Receiving the Crown Prince and the Prince, Jiang Yushu didn't dare to be negligent. She carefully inspected the banquet hall's furnishings and consoled them, saying, "Why are you sighing? The Prince has been very kind to you. If he didn't reveal anything, there must be a reason. Be patient. As usual, the court will probably issue an order soon. Then, whether it's a promotion, a demotion, or a reappointment, Mother will tell you."
"Oh." Guo Ye followed his mother and guessed, "My guess is that your official position has changed! Otherwise, if it was re-elected, why would the prince hide it?"
"Again?"
Jiang Yushu bent down and moved the vase on the table. After a moment, she straightened up, brushed her hair sideways, and sighed, "One three equals three, two three equals six, three three equals nine. Is this going to mean that I'm going to stay in Tuning for the full ten years?"
"It's possible." The young man was full of energy, following his mother's steps like a tail. "Tunin is pretty good. He's familiar with everything, and my mother is well-loved by the people. It saves me the trouble of adapting to a new place."
Jiang Yushu smiled generously and praised, "My dear son, you've learned to comfort people! Well, after all, you've been the magistrate for six or seven years, and I really can't bear to leave Tuning."
"The common people are even more reluctant to see you go, fearing that a new magistrate will bring an end to their good times. A few days ago, while I was strolling through the garden, I overheard County Magistrate Huang and his men discussing the situation. They were all worried about the arrival of a new magistrate who would be difficult to serve. They all said you were fair, kind, and easy to get along with."
"Hahaha, it seems my subordinates don't have a too bad impression of me. Alas, these past few years, I've been so busy that there have been times when I've lost my temper. When I was angry, I slammed the table, glared, yelled and cursed, just like a shrew."
"where?"
The young man's eyes were filled with admiration. He put his hands behind his back and followed her, skipping and hopping. "Mother, you govern wisely. You've ensured the people have ample food and clothing. You're deeply loved by the people and have made remarkable achievements. Everyone will only praise you as a 'heroine' and will never laugh at you for being a 'shrew'."
"Good boy, you are getting better and better at talking. I am very pleased!"
Jiang Yushu carefully inspected the area, then turned and waved, signaling her son to go outside. She warned him, "The Crown Prince, Prince An, and Prefect Ji are all inspecting Tuning at the same time. The yamen will be very busy during this period. You must stay in your study and study hard. You are not allowed to go out without my permission, and you are not allowed to approach the imperial envoy. Remember?"
"Remember." Guo Ye was cheerful and sensible, "I won't cause you any trouble."
"Silly child, mother is just worried about you. I'm afraid that you might accidentally offend the royal family and I'm afraid that I can't protect you." Although Prince An is approachable, as a mother, she has concerns and doesn't want her son to be branded as "clinging to the powerful."
She gently instructed: "The banquet is about to start, I have to be busy, you eat by yourself, go to bed early and get up early, and study hard."
"Yes!" The young man puffed out his chest and obediently left the banquet hall.
Jiang Yushu smiled as she watched her eldest son leave. She clapped her hands and led her subordinates towards the guest room. As she walked, she asked, "Your Highness, are they still drinking tea?"
"yes."
She sternly instructed, "At the welcoming banquet later, and during the imperial envoy's inspection, you must be alert and serve carefully. If anything goes wrong, you will be punished at best, or even lose your head at worst, so don't be careless. Do you understand?"
"I understand." The clerks were well-behaved and respectful, fearing that they would offend the royal family.
The next morning
Unless she was on leave, Jiang Yushu always got up early. Today she got up especially early, quickly washed and dressed, and after finding out that the imperial envoy was still asleep, she asked the kitchen to prepare breakfast while she had some free time, and then hurried to the front hall to take care of some official business.
Half an hour later, the sky brightened.
The servant rushed to report: "Sir, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and his men have already woken up!"
"Okay, got it." She wrote furiously, then put down her pen and stood up, instructing her subordinates: "Regarding the spring plowing, proceed as we just agreed."
"Yes." Several clerks took their respective documents away. She hurried back to the back hall and headed straight for the main hall. On the way, she saw the steward running in breathlessly to report, "Madam, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and his companions stopped by the garden to admire the crops, fruits, and vegetables you have planted."
"Watching?"
Crops, vegetables, fruits and melons are not exotic flowers and plants, so what is there to see?
Jiang Yushu stopped, frowned, and walked towards the garden instead. "I'll go take a look."
Soon, when she arrived in the garden, she heard a burst of laughter in the distance, and looked closely:
In the spring morning light, the weather is clear and warm, and the various crops planted in the Houya Garden are sprouting and green, full of vitality.
Everyone was chatting and laughing, led by the Crown Prince and Prince An, accompanied by the prefect Ji Xuelian, as they circled around a mulberry tree, observing its grafted cuttings.
"Is this... connected?" Prince An flicked the newly sprouted leaves with his fingers, pinched the spike branch that was two fingers thick, and shook it tentatively.
Ji Xuelian replied: "Yes, the grafted ones survived. Local mulberry farmers have to work hard every spring to cultivate mulberry trees."
As the eldest grandson of the emperor, the crown prince was well-versed in poetry and literature, and knew about the "encouragement of farming and sericulture," but he knew nothing about the actual farm work. He frowned slightly, staring at the cut rootstock, and asked in confusion, "Why did you cut the trunk?"
In reality, the old prefect had little knowledge of agriculture and sericulture, having never personally attempted to graft trees. Drawing solely on his memories of past inspections, he struggled to answer. While Ji Xuelian was pondering, an attendant suddenly pointed quietly. He glanced at the attendant and felt a wave of relief. "Here comes Magistrate Jiang!"
"Good morning, everyone."
Jiang Yushu smiled, quickened her pace, and saluted properly. Then, she asked politely, "I wonder if Your Highness and the Prince have adapted to the climate and food in Tuning?"
The prince tilted his head to glance at the female official, "I'm quite used to it."
"We rested for a few days in Xicang, and once we recovered, we found the food at the border to be unique and quite interesting." Prince An patted the mulberry tree and glanced around. "I heard that all these crops are your masterpieces?"
Jiang Yushu replied modestly, "I don't dare call it a 'masterpiece'. It's just some common crops I planted in my free time."
The crown prince wore a golden crown and magnificent clothes, with jade buckles and jade pendants, his elegance was unmatched, unable to conceal the noble demeanor of a crown prince. His eyes were sharp and he smiled as he said, "Although these are common crops, I heard from Prefect Ji that those cultivated by County Magistrate Jiang through his meticulous research often become excellent varieties, resulting in a bumper harvest. County Magistrate Jiang is truly exceptionally intelligent."
"Your Highness is truly too kind. I do not deserve it."
Prince An was cheerful and talkative. "Don't be so modest! Madam Guo is well-known for her agricultural skills. I heard about her when I was transporting grain to the northwest. If you had no special skills, why would the court make such an exception and appoint a female official?"
Jiang Yushu couldn't help but be humble again and solemnly stated: "The court's kindness and trust are deeply engraved in my heart and will never be forgotten. I will fulfill my duties to repay the court!"
"Hmm." The prince nodded, satisfied with the female official's conversation and etiquette.
Ji Xuelian pointed at the rootstock with a pleasant expression and urged, "Come on, tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince why the trunk was cut down."
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment and gave a brief answer: "Grafting trees requires a rootstock as a foundation, and then selecting branches from excellent mulberry trees as scions. The goal is to cultivate more excellent mulberry trees. Therefore, cutting off excess branches will help the scion survive."
"Are these mulberry seedlings?" Prince An was interested in new things.
She nodded and replied, "Yes. Once they grow a bit bigger, they can be used as rootstock for grafting."
"What's covered underneath?" The prince paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his expression of leisurely scrutiny revealing his curiosity.
"Vegetable seedlings." Jiang Yushu bent down and peeled back the densely woven straw mat for the nobles to see. "Rapeseed, celery, beans, and so on. Right now, it's still cold at night in the border areas. We need to protect them to prevent the tender seedlings from freezing to death."
The prince nodded suddenly, watching the female official's skillful movements, and thought to himself: It seems that she does a lot of farm work every day, otherwise her hands and feet would not be so nimble.
She dusted off her hands and said respectfully, "Breakfast is ready."
"Hmm." The prince turned around.
She raised her hand to invite him, "Your Highness, please come this way, Master Ji, please. Prince? Prince?"
"Here I come." Prince An was as comfortable as a spring outing. He picked a piece of tender green mulberry leaf, smelled it, and said with emotion: "Such a big garden, full of crops, vegetables, fruits, but not a single flower or plant? Madam Guo, you really are - as expected, you are devoted to studying crops and vegetables." The prince swallowed his words: she wears no makeup, has a plain face, is obsessed with farming, and hardly lives like a woman.
In her mind: people have limited time and energy in their lifetime, and exotic flowers and plants can only be appreciated, which is far less meaningful than cultivating crops or cash crops. There is no space to plant flowers in the research garden.
Jiang Yushu personally led the way and said, "Your Highness, please be careful of the steps."
So, a large group of followers surrounded the two dignitaries and the prefect. After breakfast and a cup of tea, the prince proposed to inspect the front hall.
The magistrate naturally had no objection and agreed immediately, answering the imperial envoy's questions along the way.
When he reached the front hall, Prince An glanced around and noticed a crowd of people outside the moon-shaped gate. He asked in surprise, "Who are those people? Why are they crowding into the government office?"
Jiang Yushu explained, "They are newly arrived refugees. A year's plan begins in spring, and today happens to be the day the granaries are opened. They are here to collect grain and seeds to use for farming."
"Oh?" The Crown Prince, carrying out the Emperor's orders, was deeply concerned about the resettlement of the refugees. He raised his foot and said, "Let's go and take a look."
"Your Highness!"
The prince narrowed his eyes, "What?"
Jiang Yushu calmed down and said tactfully, "Your Highness is of noble status. Refugees often don't know etiquette. You—"
"That's all right." The prince did not allow any objection and strode towards the refugees with his head held high.
Jiang Yushu had no choice but to follow, urging the yamen runners and others to be vigilant and alert, fearing that the nobles would be hurt in Tu Ning.
A moment later, the Crown Prince and Prince An stood side by side, looking intently at each other:
The refugees were dressed in rags, most of them looked pale and thin. They rushed to the county government office with their families, lined up in long queues, whispered to each other, and looked around eagerly.
At the front, led by two minor officials and assisted by soldiers with swords, they first verified the identities of the refugees, and then issued approval slips to them one by one. The refugees took the approval slips and went to the warehouse to collect grain seeds.
At this time, everyone in the county government knew that the Crown Prince and Prince An had come to visit. When the clerk saw the nobles coming, he hurriedly put down his pen, stood up, and was about to kneel down to pay his respects.
A large number of refugees were at a loss, staring at the strangers curiously.
The prince raised his hand and said gently, "No need to be polite. Go on with your work and don't disturb the people."
"Yes, yes." The clerks were so terrified that they dared not sit down. They stood up, picked up the list, and continued to work.
Prince An looked at it for a moment and asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to collect the grain seeds? Where's the grain?"
Jiang Yushu replied, "The government issued a voucher for a varying amount of grain based on the number of people in each household. The refugees could take it to the warehouse and exchange it for grain seeds."
"What does Tunindo plant?"
"Potatoes," she said patiently. "Potatoes are high-yielding and can be grown twice a year. As long as they are carefully cared for, and barring any disasters or accidents, they won't go hungry during the two-year tax exemption period stipulated by the imperial court."
Prince An slowly turned the jade ring, "I see."
The prince looked serious and suddenly whispered a few words to his followers. His followers took the order and quickly selected a few refugees and brought them to the crown prince.
Jiang Yushu was puzzled, "Your Highness, what are you doing...?"
The prince replied calmly, "I have a few questions for them."
What did you ask? Jiang Yushu was instantly worried. "Yes."
After a while, the refugee was brought in. He was very nervous and didn't recognize the nobles at all. He only recognized the county magistrate. He knelt down, kowtowed, and said respectfully, "Your humble servant greets the magistrate."
The Crown Prince, Prince An, and the prefect are here. Will you kowtow to me?
Jiang Yushu had no time to stop them and subconsciously dodged them. Noticing that the Crown Prince and the others didn't look displeased, she awkwardly ordered, "Get up, get up immediately! Hey, don't be afraid. I called you here because this, this gentleman, wants to ask you a few questions."
Several refugees stood up hesitantly, standing there nervously.
The prince spoke with a smile, and was very kind. He asked kindly, "From all over the land of the nine provinces, from all corners of the world, why did you choose to come to Tuning to reclaim the wasteland?"
Several refugees pushed each other and answered cautiously, "Our hometown was hit by a flood and there's no way to make a living. We heard it's easier to make a living in Tuning, so we came here to try our luck."
"My uncle came here over a year ago and sent someone a message saying this place is nice, so I brought my mother here to seek refuge."
"I, I begged for food along the way, following the refugees, and I ended up in Tunin by accident."
The prince stared intently and asked, "How have you been since you came to Tuning? Where do you live? What do you eat every day?"
The refugees spoke one after another, each gratefully replying, "We're living quite well. The officials didn't chase us away or beat us. They gave us food on the first day and even hired a teacher to teach us how to grow potatoes."
"For now, we live in a village on the outskirts of the city. We live in a wooden house and eat potatoes every day. Once we get our feet on the ground, we'll try to build a house."
"Alas, I'm too busy farming right now. I don't have the time, and I don't have the money. I'll talk about the house later."
…
The prince listened carefully and said amiably, "There's a long time to come. There's no time to rush and settle down." He asked a few more questions and was about to order a reward, but considering the millions of refugees, he was afraid of causing chaos and barely restrained himself, "Alright, you can go now."
"Oh." The refugee smiled apologetically and wanted to kowtow to the county magistrate before leaving.
Jiang Yushu understood and waved her hand to stop him in time: "Don't just stand there, go get the grain seeds!"
"Yes." The refugees breathed a sigh of relief and dared to leave.
Prince An couldn't help but murmur in surprise, asking, "You actually arranged for a teacher to teach the refugees how to farm? Who is he? He's so knowledgeable and talented."
Jiang Yushu smiled and said, "He's not a teacher, but an old farmer hired by the government. The refugees call him 'sir' out of respect. The refugees are new here and don't know anything, so they need to be taught to avoid wasting grain."
"You have considered it very carefully." The prince nodded with satisfaction again.
She bowed her head and said, "It is my duty. I am just doing my duty."
From the next day, the county magistrate had no choice but to lead the imperial envoy and his entourage to inspect textile workshops, grain workshops, mulberry mountain silkworm rooms, the county □□ River, etc. Not only was he busy with official duties, but he also had to take care of food and accommodation, which exhausted him.
In mid-March, the spring rain continued.
"drive!"
Guo Honglei led several personal soldiers, wearing straw raincoats and hats, and rode on the muddy official road in the rain, rushing to Tuning.
That morning, Jiang Yushu was half asleep when she was awakened by a "tick-tock" sound.
She turned over, rubbed her eyes drowsily, and suddenly woke up. She opened the curtain, put on her clothes, ran to the window, pushed open a crack and looked out, overjoyed:
“Hahaha, it’s raining!”
By chance, there was a knock on the door. "Madam?"
"Come in." Jiang Yushu was in a good mood, humming a little tune while buttoning her clothes.
Cuimei smiled, and two maids followed with warm water, asking with concern: "It's raining today, and the rain is quite heavy. Shouldn't we go out?"
Jiang Yushu rolled up her sleeves to wash up and answered happily, "Probably not."
"Great! Madam, you've been busy for a few days. It's time for you to take a break."
"These days while I'm away, I've been so worried I've almost died." She whispered to her confidant, "Official duties aren't a problem, but the trouble is food and lodging. What to eat, what to drink, where to rest? I'm worried every day, afraid of wronging the Crown Prince and the prince, and afraid of accidents."
Cuimei whispered, "I understand. It's better for you to stay in the government office so that you don't have to worry about food, drink and shelter."
Jiang Yushu smiled brightly, "Spring rain is as precious as oil. If it rains, it would be best if it rains for two more days, so that I can rest for a while."
"According to the solar terms, it looks like it will rain for at least ten days or half a month." Cuimei had given birth to two daughters and a son, and had gained a lot of weight, with a double chin visible when she smiled. "I've asked the kitchen to make some porridge and some side dishes to whet your appetite."
"I haven't had much of an appetite lately. I'm craving some light porridge and some side dishes!" She walked out of the room. "Where's Ye'er?"
"The eldest master always goes to bed early and gets up early. He is already waiting for you in the hall."
The master and servants chatted and laughed as they gradually walked away.
This moment · Guest room
With attendants standing by, the Crown Prince and Prince An sat opposite each other and had breakfast.
"We've been in Tuning for nearly half a month, conducting investigations both openly and secretly, and we're almost done." Prince An looked out the window, admiring the spring rain on the border, and asked slowly, "Is it time to read the imperial edict?"
"Uncle Wang is right."
The prince put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and ordered solemnly: "Come, get the imperial edict, and ask Magistrate Jiang to come and receive it."
"yes!"
When the guards were ordered to inform her, Jiang Yushu was handling official business in the front hall. She was stunned and asked, "Imperial edict?"
"Yes." The guard said seriously, "His Highness is waiting. Lord Jiang, please go and receive the order immediately."
"……good."
So, the imperial envoy came to Tuning with an imperial edict? She slapped her forehead and hastily closed the document. "I, I have to go and receive the edict. You guys discuss it first."
The county magistrate and the clerk hurriedly replied: "The imperial edict is urgent, the county magistrate should go immediately!"
Jiang Yushu took a deep breath, confused, and followed the guards to meet the Crown Prince and Prince An.
In the hall, the prefect Ji Xuelian was also present.
She was about to salute, "Your Highness——"
The prince raised his hand to interrupt and gave a look. Ji Xuelian stood up, unfolded the bright yellow imperial edict, and said solemnly: "Jiang Mian, the magistrate of Tuning County, accept the edict."
She was nervous. When she heard "County Magistrate Tuning", she knelt down and was about to receive the order, but suddenly she came to her senses and looked up in confusion, "Jiang, Jiang what?"
"Mian, Jiang Mian." Prince An smiled and said, "When the imperial edict was drafted at the beginning of the year, the emperor saw that you had a name but no courtesy name, so he specially granted you a courtesy name, which means 'diligent' and 'encouragement'."
——According to the rules of the imperial court, girls are not allowed to have courtesy names. It is rare for the elders to be willing to give them a name seriously. Even if they have courtesy names, they are just jokes in private and dare not be publicized.
As a woman, it is a great honor to be given a courtesy name by the emperor.
"Jiang Mian," Ji Xuelian urged, "accept the order."
Jiang Yushu's heart was beating like a drum. She tried her best to remain calm and slowly knelt down, "Yes."
Ji Xuelian cleared his throat and solemnly read: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, decrees: Jiang Mian, Magistrate of Tuning County, has diligently performed his duties, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, diligently reclaimed wasteland and stored grain, and effectively settled refugees. His achievements are outstanding and he is worthy of this important responsibility. It has been deliberated that 'Tuning County' be promoted to 'Ning Prefecture,' and you be promoted to Magistrate of Ning Prefecture. This is decreed."
What?
The court decided to upgrade Tuning County to "Ningzhou"?
At the same time, promote the county magistrate to the prefect?
Jiang Yushu had never dreamed of such a change. She was dumbfounded and completely stunned.
The author has something to say: I added a paragraph at the end, which contains key information. Please check it out.
Our Yushu got promoted!
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It's been quite busy at the end of the year. I wrote until 2am last night and was so sleepy that my eyelids were drooping. Now I'm catching up (》人《；)
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