Chapter 33 The money will definitely be there, definitely!
The rain outside gradually stopped.
The people glared angrily.
"Magistrate Zhao, was the material made by the government, by you, or by Assistant Magistrate Su? You must give us an explanation today!"
At this moment, Ying Xiaohu and Fei Jian arrived without anyone noticing.
Ying Xiaohu stood up straight and said firmly, "That's right. It's been three years, and every household in our area is waiting for the imperial court to allocate funds to repair their homes after the disaster, but each time only a small part is repaired."
"What I want to know now is whether the money and grain allocated by the government have actually been used for repairs?"
"Or has the imperial court issued the materials?"
Many people had tears in their eyes:
"Yes, materials and money—which did the government ultimately give to!"
Shouts erupted, followed by a thunderous outburst of angry curses. A thousand voices spoke in unison, shaking the beams and pillars.
Their faces turned bright red, and their fists clenched so tightly they turned white.
Some people pointed at Zhao Zhou and angrily denounced him, while others stomped their feet and cursed.
Even the usually mild-mannered old man was so angry that he glared and his beard bristled. The entire hall was like boiling water, churning with scorching fury.
Zhao Zhou was dumbfounded; it seemed as if all the resentment that everyone had harbored for years had erupted at this moment.
Many people died in the disaster that year, and he used the disaster relief funds, although they were distributed.
Why are these scoundrels still causing trouble after all these years?
"Didn't the money go to everyone after it was allocated? Everyone knows that the government set up soup kitchens," Fan Tong said, his face pale, trying to smooth things over.
The people didn't believe it:
"We want Lord Zhao to speak!"
Zhao Zhou swallowed hard: "The material... wasn't from the government; it was leftover material after the disaster. Perhaps the craftsmen weren't skilled enough back then, which is why that batch of material had flaws. But as everyone knows, materials are scarce in this county, so we try to save wherever we can. Everyone knows that."
"However, I guarantee that no matter whether the materials come from me or Assistant Manager Su, I will have someone supervise the work!"
Su Jingge's brow twitched slightly. Her father was still alive then, how could his skills not be profound?
This is clearly a case of someone dying, leaving no way to verify the truth.
You, Zhao Zhou!
The people then nodded in agreement:
"That's excellent."
Fei Jian raised his voice: "So that means it wasn't Assistant Manager Su who sold off the assets and pocketed the money?"
Zhao Zhou stroked his beard, realizing that it was not the right time to confront the crowd directly.
This person is a flying sword. If that mute general really does leave the monastic life and reports it, and an investigation is launched, then he will be in big trouble!
Although it's not so easy to find out, it's better to be safe than sorry.
"Ah, perhaps Madam Tang has misread it. I will issue the order immediately—"
Then the gavel struck, and he sternly reprimanded his subordinate Fan Tong, as well as County Magistrate Xie Mo and his entourage:
"What's wrong with you? You used scrap materials for such an important task as repairing people's houses. If it weren't for Assistant Manager Su's superb skills in saving those damaged tiles, who knows how many problems would have arisen now!"
Zhao Zhou softened his tone and looked at Su Jingge: "Haha~ Assistant Manager Su, it was because I was busy with my duties and didn't keep a close eye on the people below. You see, thanks to your discerning eyes, I will need you to put in more effort in the future to repair the city."
Turning his head, he adopted a commanding demeanor and coldly warned his servants: "You all must cooperate with Assistant Manager Su as much as possible, understand?"
Fan Tong was unjustly scolded. He pursed his lips and held back, saying, "Yes, sir!"
Xie Mo bowed slightly to Zhao Zhou with a blank expression.
"It turns out that no one knew how to dry the scraps, which led to this blunder."
The people then put out the fire.
"Thank you very much, Assistant Manager Su, for taking care of things."
The crowd cheered in unison, like the flames on a chimney, which quickly merged into a continuous burst of heat, surging upwards.
Zhao Zhou had originally intended to stop her from working and throw her in jail, but who knew she would win the hearts of the people now.
Instead, he lost the support of the people.
He stared at her with a gloomy look, thinking, "I really underestimated you, Su Jingge!"
Su Jingge suppressed her anger as she met those cold eyes.
You actually said the original owner's father wasn't skilled enough? Do you think I'd let you off easy?
She said coldly, "I have another question."
"Fine, fine, ask away." Zhao Zhou was completely out of ideas.
"Now that the imperial court has allocated the funds, I would like to ask Lord Zhao again in front of all the people whether or not funds will be allocated for future repairs!"
You little slut, you dared to remind him to allocate the money in front of everyone!
Zhao Zhou suppressed his murderous intent, maintaining an upright and selfless demeanor: "Assistant Su, you can rest assured, if it is in my hands, I will certainly allocate it."
Su Jingge sneered: "Fine, since Lord Zhao is unwilling to pay, when the inspector comes down, I will just say that Lord Zhao is unwilling to pay and even made fake tiles. We'll investigate then."
Zhao Zhou watched as the woman shamelessly adjusted her cuffs.
He was so angry his heart was pounding; this was a damn threat!
"Hey, Assistant Manager Su, the money will definitely be there, definitely!"
"That's good!" Su Jingge smiled.
"What about the consumption vouchers?" Su Jingge asked.
After two hours, Zhao Zhou was too exhausted to fight anymore. He stroked his beard and said, "I have some doubts about this matter. I will reconsider it another day."
"Court adjourned!"
"Majestic!"
On the way back to the restaurant, while Qingyue and Ying Xiaohu were chatting, Su Jingge asked Feijian, "How come it's so fast? Has it been delivered?"
"I ran into Yan Shu just as I was about to go up the mountain. He had just finished catching fish and was about to ask someone to bring it down to the restaurant. Since we met at the foot of the mountain, I will hand the things over to him personally. Manager Su, don't worry."
Su Jingge nodded: "Thank you for your trouble. You'll be rewarded when you get back."
Fei Jian turned around and glanced at Qing Yue, terrified.
{(°△°;“}!
He hurriedly said, "Oh no, no, no, that's not necessary. After all, I'm eating their food, it's only right and proper."
"But you were really cool just now. I've never seen a woman who can be so elegant in the living room and also manage the kitchen. Look at Zhao Zhou, he was almost out of breath from all the teasing you gave him."
Su Jingge gazed at the distant sky, where the post-rain twilight was spreading over the dark green mountain peaks, reminding her of a line from the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng: "The clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, and the rainbow shone brightly across the sky."
Unfortunately, she had no time to appreciate it.
She frowned slightly: "Zhao Zhou is not as simple as you and I think. Your general has been fighting on the front lines for many years, so he may not know much about things at home. He is colluding with the Chamber of Commerce behind the scenes, and the Chamber of Commerce has controlled the economic lifeline of Yuxiang County for many years."
"Officials have the ability to reduce or exempt taxes and circumvent regulations, and they can also arbitrarily lower the tax rate for merchants."
"Merchants travel all over the country and are well-informed. They can inform officials in advance, such as today, when I mentioned that the inspector would come down to inspect, as well as changes in court policies and impeachments by censors. They can help them avoid political risks."
"These two are in cahoots, and neither of them can easily fall, because you never know if the next leader will be loyal to him. So they are like grasshoppers on the same rope. If you want to get rid of Zhao Zhou, you have to make him see that the Chamber of Commerce is not capable enough. If the two of them suspect each other, then you can reap the benefits."
Upon hearing this, Fei Jian repeatedly praised, "Manager Su, you are truly wise and brave. You can't just have strategy without courage; you have both."
"I only know how to kill enemies on the battlefield when I follow my general. As for manipulating people's hearts and killing with soft knives, my flying sword is inferior. I suppose only my general could be so corrupt as to collude with Manager Su in this matter."
“…” Su Jingge rolled her eyes coldly, “That’s called working together.”
Fei Jian scratched his head awkwardly: "I haven't read enough books..."
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