After seeing Magistrate Ling off, Yan Qingqing was in a good mood. She then instructed A'da to quickly pack up the potatoes and sweet potatoes in the storeroom and give them to Eunuch Xiang and the others to take away.
Yan Qingqing also needed to find an opportunity to talk to the villagers about potatoes and sweet potatoes. She had finally lived up to everyone's trust in her, and this time she had helped them make a small profit.
But Yan Qingqing didn't know that before she even told the villagers, the villagers of Canghe Village had already started to get excited.
The reason was simple: their village produced a fifth-rank official and an eighth-rank agricultural official.
Li Kaishan was still lying in bed groaning when Jiao came in and said, "Old man, stop pretending. Madam Shen has already left."
"Let's go! Let's hurry and go to Mingzhao's house to offer our congratulations."
Upon hearing this, Li Kaishan was completely bewildered. What did "Mingzhao Renzhang" mean? He couldn't understand it at all.
Seeing his blank look, Jiao slapped her thigh and said, "Oh dear, I forgot to tell you these past two days while you've been lying in bed. Just now, someone from the palace came and Qingqing was appointed as a fifth-rank official, and given the title 'Mingzhao.' We don't know what it means, but we've heard that these two titles are very auspicious."
And Xiang Ping, that lad, has really made something of himself; the Emperor appointed him an eighth-rank agricultural official. Their family has finally risen to prominence.”
Li Kaishan only heard that Yan Qingqing had been appointed as a fifth-rank official; he didn't hear anything else.
After Jiao finished speaking, she noticed that Li Kaishan's eyes were somewhat vacant and was immediately frightened. She quickly tugged at him and asked, "Old man, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"
Li Kaishan snapped out of his daze, pinched himself hard, and grinned as he asked, "What you just said is true? Qingqing really was appointed as a fifth-rank official?"
Jiao nodded and said, "This news came from Ah Da's mouth, how could it be false?"
Upon hearing this, Li Kaishan jumped up from the bed and said while putting on his shoes, "What comes from Ah Da's mouth must be true."
"It's truly a blessing from our ancestors that my Li family in Canghe Village is still alive today."
Seeing Li Kaishan's excited state, Jiao was afraid he would faint from excessive joy, so she poured cold water on him, saying, "Look how happy you are. It's not like you've become a high-ranking official. Is it really necessary to be so excited?"
Li Kaishan said, "How could it not be? Even if Qingqing doesn't have the surname Li, she's still listed in our Li family genealogy."
And then there's Xiang Ping, that kid, he's a true descendant of the Li family.
However, I also know that his position as an eighth-rank official was largely due to his mother's good fortune.
No matter what, that was his luck.
"Come on, take some things with you, let's go congratulate Qingqing."
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiao nodded, but then struggled with what gift to bring.
What kind of gift could be worthy of Mingzhao's status?
Li Kaishan, having been Jiao's husband for a lifetime, naturally understood her concerns.
He reminded her, "Qingqing isn't someone who cares about formalities; just bring whatever you have at home."
"Oh, right, isn't Xiangping's wife pregnant? Just bring a jar of the freshly pickled cucumbers."
Upon hearing this, Jiao's eyes lit up, and she quickly went to make preparations.
Just as Xiao Mochen finished training on the hill behind Canghe Village, Lin You came over to report, "Your Highness, the Emperor has bestowed honors upon the Lady."
Xiao Mochen said "Oh" and asked, "What grade was it given?"
Lin Youdao: "A fifth-rank official."
Xiao Mochen snorted coldly and said, "You're becoming more and more petty. I wonder if you're getting old and really becoming senile. My aunt cultivated such a high-yield crop, solving the people's food and clothing problems. Her contribution is lasting, yet she was only given a fifth-rank official title."
If you ask me, I'd say I should at least give him a third-rank position; all that effort I put in was for nothing.
Lin You heard Xiao Mochen complaining about the emperor and wished he were deaf. But he still had to defend the emperor, saying, "Actually, the emperor isn't stingy. He even gave the lady the title 'Mingzhao' and also gave Young Master Li an eighth-rank agricultural official position."
Xiao Mochen's expression softened upon hearing this, but he then sighed and said, "Forget it, Auntie won't be leaving Chengyang County for the time being. With this title, Auntie should be able to do whatever she wants in Chengyang County."
Ultimately, it's because my strength is insufficient. Send a message to Huo Li, ordering him to secretly train a group of shadow guards for me, to the same standard used to train bodyguards for my aunt's household.
Lin You was startled upon hearing this and quickly lowered his head to ask, "How many people does Master need?"
Xiao Mochen said resentfully, "At least three hundred people!"
Lin You's heart was already in turmoil. Even the emperor's personal guards numbered less than three hundred, because once trained, each of them could take on a hundred men.
With so many shadow guards trained by Xiao Mochen, there's probably enough to start a rebellion.
Xiao Mochen glanced at Lin You and said indifferently, "Remember your identities and recognize who your master is."
If I am well, your well-being is not guaranteed. But if I am not well, your well-being is certain!
Upon hearing this, Lin You knelt down with a thud and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I swear to serve you to the death!"
Xiao Mochen looked at the top of his head but didn't say anything. Lin You, kneeling on the ground, felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.
It was only then that Lin You realized that Xiao Mochen's aura had become so overwhelming without her noticing.
Actually, it didn't take very long, maybe just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but Lin You felt like it had been a long time before Xiao Mochen finally said, "Get up!"
Lin You finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that his job was becoming increasingly difficult.
Yan Qingqing was also very busy, as the emperor's rewards were numerous and needed to be counted and put into storage.
Li Xin's mother had just fallen into the water and was somewhat frightened, so Yan Qingqing had to take care of her herself.
It took a lot of work to finally finish counting and putting everything into storage.
Ah Da waited until Yan Qingqing finished her work before asking, "Madam, what should we do with the young mistress's brother?"
Yan Qingqing slapped her forehead, realizing she had completely forgotten about that bastard, who had almost ruined Xinniang's reputation.
She had already let him off last time out of respect for Yuan Huiniang, but he acted as if he were made of clay.
Yan Qingqing's face darkened as she said, "Send him to the authorities!"
She would absolutely not allow such a parasite that harms her daughter to exist.
Ah Da hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where is the young mistress?"
Without even thinking, Yan Qingqing replied, "I'll talk to her later."
"Also, I have a feeling that Yuan Huicong has been acting strangely lately. Have someone investigate him thoroughly."
Upon hearing this, Ah Da quickly agreed and then went to take care of the matter.
Yan Qingqing had originally planned to visit Yuan Huiniang, but then the gatekeeper came to report that Li Kaishan had arrived.
Yan Qingqing knew they had come to congratulate her, so she quickly had someone invite them to the front hall.
When Yan Qingqing arrived, she found that there were quite a few people there, mostly respected elders in the village. As soon as they saw Yan Qingqing, they all knelt down and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Excellency Mingzhao!"
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