It was already dark when Yan Qingqing returned home. Yuan Huiniang asked with concern, "Mother, how is Aunt Wu Gang? Has the baby been born yet?"
Although Wang Wugang is young, he is of a high generation. According to seniority, Yuan Huiniang should call Wugang's wife "Auntie".
Yan Qingqing replied with a smile, "Yes, she gave birth. Both mother and child are safe. It's a big, healthy boy, about the same size as our Jinqian when he was little."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Huiniang smiled and said, "That's good, that's good. Giving birth is truly like a woman walking through the gates of hell."
I'll go prepare some tonics and have someone deliver them to Aunt Wu Gang later.
Yan Qingqing nodded without saying anything more, and then went back to her room.
Early the next morning, Yan Qingqing had A'da drive the carriage to the county town.
Everyone in the government office knew Yan Qingqing. As soon as they saw her, they quickly invited her into the county office and sent someone to report to Magistrate Ling.
When Ling Ziyuan heard that Yan Qingqing had arrived, he was stunned for a moment before quickly putting down his official duties to come out and greet her.
He hasn't been to Canghe Village recently because he's about to be transferred away. He has a lot of official business to hand over, so he's been particularly busy lately.
Ling Ziyuan felt quite regretful when he thought about whether he would ever see Yan Qingqing again.
He quickly composed himself and, upon seeing Yan Qingqing, said with a smile, "Your Excellency Ming Zhao's presence is truly an honor to my humble county office."
Over the years, Yan Qingqing has come to know Ling Ziyuan's character very well; sometimes he's unserious, and sometimes he's more serious than anyone else.
So Yan Qingqing didn't care whether his words were sarcastic or not, and said with a smile, "I don't come here unless I have a reason. I've come today to ask Magistrate Ling for help."
Yan Qingqing thought Ling Ziyuan would retort a couple more times, but to her surprise, Magistrate Ling said in a serious tone, "In that case, please come in, Master Mingzhao."
Yan Qingqing was somewhat surprised; why was Ling Ziyuan being so agreeable this time?
After inviting Yan Qingqing to sit down, Ling Ziyuan said directly, "Mingzhao Shuoren, just tell me what you need. If it's within my power, I will definitely do it for you. Even if it's beyond my power, I will find a way."
Yan Qingqing felt a little strange when she heard Ling Ziyuan say that, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
However, considering that he always did this, he simply said, "Canghe Village has grown to a considerable size after these past few years of development."
Moreover, there are industries that can support long-term development.
Several nearby villages also showed a tendency to rely on them.
That's why I came specifically to ask Magistrate Ling for his opinion.
Ling Ziyuan actually knew a little about Yan Qingqing and the others' plans for Canghe Village, so he asked in return, "So what does Ming Zhaoshuo mean?"
Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "What I mean is that these villages can be further developed and merged into a town."
Ling Ziyuan laughed and said, "Ming Zhaoshuo had this plan in mind all along, hadn't he?"
Yan Qingqing didn't hide anything from him and told him about her initial plans.
Ling Ziyuan replied, "It is indeed a good idea. It will benefit the development of the nearby villages and Chengyang County as well."
I'll write a letter to Elder Mei of the Provincial Administration Commission right away; there shouldn't be any major problems."
Although Ling Ziyuan, as the mother and daughter officials of Chengyang County, could make most of the decisions after the village was converted into a town, it still needed to be registered in the prefectural city to be officially recognized.
Yan Qingqing estimated that there wouldn't be much of a problem once they reached the prefectural city.
The two chatted for a while about the future development of Chengyang County, but Yan Qingqing could tell that Ling Ziyuan was obviously distracted, so she didn't say anything more and got up to leave.
After Yan Qingqing left, Butler Ling, seeing Ling Ziyuan's reluctant expression, asked, "Master, why didn't you tell Ming Zhaoshuo that you were about to be transferred back to the capital?"
Magistrate Ling said with annoyance, "What's the point of saying anything? The imperial decree for my transfer will be issued soon. The Emperor doesn't need me to stay here anymore. It will only cause me more trouble."
Besides, someone as carefree as Yan Qingqing might even be celebrating my promotion.
Lingzi's anger flared up at the thought.
Hearing this, Butler Ling curled his lip. Isn't it normal for Ming Zhaoshuo to congratulate him on his promotion? He's never mentioned his little thoughts to Ming Zhaoshuo.
Ling Ziyuan served as the magistrate of Chengyang County for three years, and his achievements were evident to all. In addition, he was commended for his meritorious service in disaster relief, so the emperor directly promoted him to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official.
This speed of promotion is unmatched in the court, except by Yan Qingqing.
However, Ling Ziyuan was not as happy as he had imagined.
Seeing that Ling Ziyuan was unhappy, Steward Ling still tried to comfort him, saying, "In my opinion, Master, there is no need to be sad. Perhaps it won't be long before Ming Zhaoshuo arrives in the capital."
Ling Ziyuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he looked at Butler Ling, asking, "What do you mean by that?"
Butler Ling laughed and said, "Master, the reason why the Emperor promoted you is because you made great contributions in the disaster relief."
But to be honest, if we're really talking about merit, Ming Zhaoshuo should be credited the most.
Ling Ziyuan agreed with Steward Ling's words. Most of the ideas for disaster relief came from Yan Qingqing, and Yan Qingqing actually spent hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to buy grain and fodder, which can be said to have exhausted her family fortune.
Seeing that Ling Ziyuan agreed, Steward Ling continued, "Therefore, the Emperor's reward for Mingzhao Shuoren cannot be less than that for the Master."
Given the Emperor's great favor, it would be inappropriate for Lady Mingzhao not to come to the capital to express her gratitude.
Once this person enters the capital, wouldn't the chances of them staying there be much greater?
Ling Ziyuan was immediately delighted upon hearing this; he was truly blinded by his own involvement. How could he have overlooked such a thing?
After leaving the county government office, Yan Qingqing sneezed several times in a row. Then she rubbed her nose and muttered to herself, "The weather is getting warmer and warmer. Could I possibly catch a cold?"
Looks like I need to exercise more lately.
Yan Qingqing has been somewhat lazy since the Lunar New Year, and her exercise has been sporadic.
A few days later, Ling Ziyuan gave a reply, saying that the Provincial Administration Commission had approved it.
Therefore, Ling Ziyuan specially sent someone to tell Yan Qingqing that the county government was also preparing to officially issue a notice.
Yan Qingqing was very happy to receive the news and asked Li Kaishan to gather the village chiefs of several nearby villages to talk to them about the matter.
The group was overjoyed upon hearing the news. They would soon be residents of the town, their status would rise accordingly, and it would make things much easier for their children and grandchildren to get married in the future.
However, a real problem they face now is that after they are merged into a town, there will be no village chiefs anymore, and they will have to withdraw from the management of the villages.
However, without Yan Qingqing saying this, Village Chief Yang took the initiative to raise the issue, saying, "To be honest, I've had enough of being a village chief. After I retire, could you find me a job as a gatekeeper at the chemical processing plant so I can retire comfortably?"
Yan Qingqing naturally agreed to this small request.
The village chiefs of the other villages had also made preparations long ago. They wanted to merge into Canghe Village to form Canghe Town, and the first town chief would definitely be Li Kaishan.
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