"It's nothing, it's nothing. Can you buy me a steamed bun?"
The tall man was overjoyed and said, "I'll definitely treat you to steamed buns."
She bought three steamed buns, gave three to Awei, and left happily.
Yin Jin'an said to Yang Hanfeng, "Go and investigate this street hustler, Awei."
Yang Hanfeng accepted the order and left.
Yin Jin'an didn't rush to the government office. Instead, she went to a teahouse and asked for a private room, waiting for Yang Hanfeng to come and gather information.
Kuangren Chu and Jiutian ordered some tea and snacks, and the two enjoyed their meal.
Madman Chu Kanjiu, while munching on a steamed bun and drinking a bowl of hot milk mixed with water, said, "Master, do you always eat so poorly? You don't need to be so stingy with His Majesty; His Majesty can support you."
Jiutian said with a grin, "I can't eat or dress too well, otherwise it will be bad for me."
"Will it affect one's Dao heart?"
"No, I'm not destined to be wealthy."
Upon hearing this, Madman Chu suddenly scratched his head excitedly and said, "Why don't you leave His Majesty and we wander the world together? I guarantee we'll be the best in the world!"
Yin Jin'an glanced at him, and Kuangren Chu said defiantly, "Why is Your Majesty glaring at me? My master said that she cannot live a life of luxury. If you feed her well, it will affect her; if you feed her poorly, people will say that you are heartless."
"Let whoever wants to say it, I don't care."
In fact, Yin Jin'an had always wanted to provide Jiu Tian with better food and clothing, but Jiu Tian himself refused, so there was nothing he could do.
As they were talking, Yang Hanfeng had already brought some of the people who knew the street hustler Awei, including shop assistants, vendors, and his neighbors.
Opinions on him are mixed.
A street thug, barely literate, and struggling to make ends meet.
He was very filial. Even if he begged for a steamed bun, he would give it to his mother. He would eat what his mother had left over, and he would make sure his mother ate the rice first, skimming off the thick part so he could drink the thin part.
They are clear about gratitude and resentment; they always remember the kindness shown to them and try every means to repay it. As for revenge, they will use all sorts of underhanded methods.
Slippery, shrewd, and good at handling things.
In short, he is a small, insignificant figure from the bottom of society, a character who is both praised and criticized, and whose actions are both righteous and wicked.
Yin Jin'an said, "Go and summon him to me."
Soon after, Yang Hanfeng summoned Li Ziwei.
Li Ziwei was still a little dazed, and as he walked, he bargained with Yang Hanfeng: "My time is very precious. You called me here because my fields have no one to water them. It's so hot, and all those acres will fail to yield a good harvest! My mother has no one to take care of her. If she gets sick, we'll have to spend money on medicine..."
Yang Hanfeng found him annoying and gave him a silver ingot.
Li Ziwei refused to take it, saying, "The moment I mentioned it, you immediately handed me a silver ingot. You must be meeting someone important. I don't want to meet with officials."
Yang Hanfeng said, "You'd better keep your mouth shut. If you lose your head, this money won't be yours anymore."
Li Ziwei chuckled, his eyes darting around as he followed Yang Hanfeng into the teahouse.
Outside the private room, Yang Hanfeng bowed to the curtain and said, "Master, Li Ziwei has arrived."
Li Ziwei bent down and slightly raised his eyes, seeing two pairs of feet, one big and one small.
The smaller pair were Taoist black and white wide-mouth shoes.
The adults were wearing crimson shoes.
"Your name is Li Ziwei?" a pleasant voice came from inside.
Li Ziwei immediately knelt down and kowtowed several times, shouting, "This humble subject greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"
Yin Jin'an snorted and said, "How did you know it was me?"
Li Ziwei immediately said respectfully, "This humble subject saw Your Majesty's and the princess's shoes."
He's a smart person.
"Li Ziwei, you spend your days wasting your time, haven't you ever thought about making something of yourself?"
"This humble subject has remembered Your Majesty's lesson. I will immediately turn over a new leaf and strive to improve myself."
"Li Ziwei, if Changjin City were handed over to you, would you dare to take charge? Would you be capable of managing it?"
"..." Li Ziwei was stunned for a moment, then immediately became overjoyed and kowtowed several more times.
He said, “Your Majesty, although I have never held such a high position, I have seen how those officials do their jobs.”
This servant has no experience, but this servant remembers one thing: ensure the people are well-fed and clothed and suffer little hardship, and that they are all loyal to Your Majesty.
Yin Jin'an liked this kind of adventurous spirit.
They asked him many more questions, and Li Ziwei answered them all without reservation. He was a complete idiot, with nothing but loyalty.
"Your Majesty, this servant must work as hard as I can, and I must not let Your Majesty regret promoting this servant."
Yin Jin'an said with disdain, "I will bestow upon you a tutor, so that you can serve as an official while learning governance from the tutor."
"Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will definitely dig out every single traitor who colludes with foreign invaders and put them to death! Let the people here be well-fed and clothed, so that they will know how to be grateful for Your Majesty's grace and be loyal to the death."
"I believe in you and am waiting for you. Come to the capital and report your achievements to me."
Li Ziwei kowtowed three times with a resounding thud.
After he left, Gu Bahuang said with some concern, "Your Majesty, Lord Li has no experience in being an official. This is the border, and it is easy for a peasant uprising to break out if we are not careful."
"Don't worry, he's much better than that Zhao Song. Li Ziwei's greatest strength is his loyalty."
He was filial and resourceful, so Yin Jin'an wanted to elevate a scoundrel and gradually transform him into a powerful regional official, creating a grassroots success story.
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