As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Wenyuan, who had come with Qingchen, was sweating bullets for her. Although the governor in front of them was said to be an honest official, even honest officials have their difficult aspects, because they are usually very stubborn.
Sure enough, Cheng Yuanzhi, the governor of Yunnan, frowned.
Cheng Yuanzhi had long heard of the person in front of him who had risen so rapidly. He knew that she was Song Yue's student, Xu Silin's classmate, and the Crown Prince's teacher. He also knew that she had offered advice to Emperor Zhu Rui, solving the problems of dike repair and horse racing, and had even made the famous statement "The Ming Dynasty will last forever" in court, a statement that is still hotly debated in the court today.
However, opinions about her varied widely among the court officials. Some thought she was exceptionally intelligent, while others said that she rose rapidly in rank precisely because she was clever and relied on flattery to win the favor of Song Yue and Zhu Rui.
When he first met her, he couldn't tell what kind of person she was.
Cheng Yuanzhi raised his eyes and glanced at Qingchen, saying indifferently, "I did indeed receive the position of Governor of Yunnan thanks to the patronage of Grand Secretary Song. But do you think that just because you are Grand Secretary Song's student, I will give you special treatment?"
Qingchen shook her head. "My lord, that is not the case. I have come to see you today because the situation in Yuanjiang Prefecture under my jurisdiction is critical."
Cheng Yuanzhi scrutinized her. "I've already said, I will not show favoritism before the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Go back to your Yuanjiang Prefecture." With that, he got up and walked towards the back hall, indicating that he did not want to say any more.
"Wait, sir!" Qingchen blocked his path. "You are the Governor of Yunnan, and Yuanjiang Prefecture is under your jurisdiction. You have just arrived in Yunnan. Do you really expect that in less than a year, Yuanjiang's grain yield per mu will drop to the lowest in the country, while the White Lotus sect's will be the highest?"
During his university years, Qingchen minored in psychology. This governor's name was Cheng Yuanzhi; "Yuanzhi" means lofty aspirations. According to modern psychological research, a person's name can have a psychological influence on them. In other words, from the time he was born until now, for over forty years of his life, he had been constantly reminded by his name to achieve lofty ambitions.
He is only in his early forties, and although he has become the governor of a province, he is still confined to a remote corner and has not yet reached the core of power in the capital. He will certainly not be willing to end his career in Yunnan, and as long as he wants to move up, he certainly does not want to see the situation Qingchen described happen.
Cheng Yuanzhi frowned and remained silent for a long time. Although he was not very willing to admit it, this seemingly gentle and refined young man was more intelligent and adept at understanding people's hearts than he had thought.
She touched his heart.
He had been navigating the officialdom for over twenty years. A top scholar in his own right, he had finally risen to the position of a high-ranking official, eager to make his mark in this region. But Yunnan was a remote and chaotic place, making it extremely difficult to govern effectively.
It was rare that the prefect of Yuanjiang was even more anxious than him, which gave him a glimmer of hope for Yunnan's future.
But if she thought she could get things done with just a few words, it would make him, the governor, seem too mediocre. He had to let this young woman know that to gain a foothold in officialdom, mere words weren't enough; one also needed real ability.
What are her skills?
"Lord Shen, is there anything else you would like to say?"
Upon hearing this, Qingchen immediately turned to Xie Wenyuan, took a document from him, and presented it to Cheng Yuanzhi. "Sir, please take a look. This is the case file of Yuan Song. I found witnesses and recorded their statements. These statements prove that Yuan Song did not start the conflict. Since he was beaten, as a hot-blooded man, how could he not fight back to protect himself? Moreover, Yuan Song has already been imprisoned for two years and has paid the price for his mistakes. He has only been kept in prison and ignored because the person he beat was a relative of the former governor."
“Your Excellency the Governor,” Qingchen nodded, “If Your Excellency continues to sit idly by, it might lead others to misunderstand that Your Excellency has a close relationship with the former Governor…”
The former governor had a long history of misdeeds and had accumulated much public resentment, which led to Song Yue's dismissal. Cheng Yuanzhi considered himself an honest official and naturally did not want to have anything to do with him, especially since Qingchen was Song Yue's student who came from the capital and would return sooner or later.
Qingchen's words presented facts and reasoned with him, sounding like a subtle piece of advice, but in fact, they carried a hint of threat. Cheng Yuanzhi could easily see through this; although he was somewhat displeased, he genuinely admired and understood him.
He could tell that the young woman in front of him was genuinely interested in getting things done, and that what she was doing today was a last resort because the situation did not allow for delay.
After all, nobody wants to offend their boss right from the start.
Qingchen looked at Cheng Yuanzhi quietly, her gaze clear and peaceful, revealing a hint of earnestness.
“Alright,” Cheng Yuanzhi finally said.
Qingchen smiled gratefully, straightened his official robes, and bowed, saying, "Thank you, sir."
...
After Yuan Song was released from prison, Qing Chen begged the yamen runners to give him a bowl of rice.
Then she thanked Cheng Yuanzhi again, but after thanking him, she still refused to leave.
"My lord, I have another request."
Cheng Yuanzhi was exhausted from the long journey, and seeing Qingchen lingering there, he frowned again, "What is it?"
"This humble official needs to borrow money," Qingchen said bluntly.
This surprised Xie Wenyuan, who was standing to the side. The prefect had not mentioned this matter to him before he came.
Why on earth would she come to the governor's office to borrow money?
"Borrow money?" Cheng Yuanzhi's pupils dilated slightly.
"Yes. I would like to borrow three hundred taels of silver from Your Excellency," Qingchen said unhurriedly. "I intend to use this one hundred taels of silver to buy some new farm tools and oxen to distribute to the people for cultivating wasteland. I will repay Your Excellency after the autumn harvest."
According to the Ming Dynasty's system, the governor governed all the prefectures. Officially, each prefecture should pay taxes to the governor; privately, subordinates should also pay tribute to their superiors. In other words, no matter how you look at it, it should be Qingchen giving money to Cheng Yuanzhi, but now, she's asking him for money instead.
Where did she get the guts?!
Cheng Yuanzhi remained silent.
The Ming Dynasty's system required each province to be responsible for its own profits and losses; that is, how much silver they could spend depended on how much silver they collected. The government's only source of income was tax revenue, which had to be paid out according to regulations. Only the remaining money was used to cover the daily expenses of the government offices and the salaries of officials. Yunnan Province was not a very wealthy province; maintaining a balance between income and expenditure was already a struggle, let alone having a surplus.
Now that Shen Qingchen had asked for three hundred taels of silver, Cheng Yuanzhi felt as if his heart had been tugged at.
"I have no money," Cheng Yuanzhi said, somewhat displeased.
Yunnan is a remote province, and the taxes collected this spring have not yet been paid. This person actually dared to set his sights on them.
He had barely arrived in Yunnan and hadn't even settled in when she came to borrow so much money from him. The governor's office was already struggling to make ends meet; with her borrowing so much, how could anyone in his office possibly survive?
Qingchen, however, calmly and shamelessly replied, "Sir, you have money. This tax money..."
Of the tax revenue that each province paid to the imperial court, besides the vast majority going into the national treasury, a small portion was actually used to bribe the Ministry of Revenue and Xu Yan. This was an open secret, and this practice had continued for many years. The previous governor of Yunnan had implemented this unspoken rule very thoroughly.
Qingchen had worked in the Ministry of Revenue, so he knew about the shady dealings involved.
"Your Excellency, if we don't bribe the Ministry of Revenue and Grand Secretary Xu, you have a surplus. How could you be short of money?"
Upon hearing Qingchen's words, Cheng Yuanzhi's eyebrows involuntarily rose, thinking to himself that this person was truly obsessed with money, even daring to undermine Xu Yan's relationship!
Unfortunately, Cheng Yuanzhi was just as crazy as she was. He hadn't planned to pay this portion of the filial piety money in the first place!
Before Qingchen arrived, the officials from the governor's office had already reported to Cheng Yuanzhi on the proposed tax payment. He had already instructed that all bribes be waived and the money be kept for the benefit of the people of Yunnan. He just hadn't expected that before he even saw the money, Shen Qingchen had already planned how to spend it.
This left him feeling a little resentful. He hadn't even figured out how to use the money that had been withheld at the risk of being disciplined by his superiors...
"Go to the accounting office and get the money, then hurry up and go! I need to rest." Cheng Yuanzhi, newly arrived at his post, was already overwhelmed by Qingchen's antics.
If she doesn't leave soon, he's afraid he won't be able to hold on.
Qingchen immediately nodded, "Thank you, Lord Cheng. I will definitely return the money after the autumn harvest this year."
...
When Qingchen and Xie Wenyuan returned to the Yuanjiang Prefecture government office, everyone there cheered with joy upon hearing the news.
The newly arrived prefect is indeed extraordinary. While others go to deliver silver to the governor, their Lord Shen returns with the governor's silver!
Before Qingchen had had a chance to rest, she went to find Yuan Song, whom she had brought back.
Yuan Song was deeply grateful to Qing Chen for saving him. Naturally, he spoke frankly and without reservation to this official who was wholeheartedly dedicated to improving the lives of the people and had rescued him from prison.
Qingchen also sought out other skilled farmers to discuss and brainstorm with, and the clerk recorded their observations, compiling them into a book. Qingchen printed many copies of this book and distributed them to various counties. In addition, she sent Yuan Song's men to each county to explain the contents of the book and answer questions from the county officials.
After receiving guidance, each county began to instruct the people. Through this layered training and retraining, it wasn't long before the people of Yuanjiang Prefecture knew this set of farming methods.
The standards for how much fertilizer to apply, how often to water, and how to deal with insect infestations are all established based on years of experience accumulated by Yuan Song and others.
Before this, the people of Yuanjiang Prefecture thought that growing grain was the most common thing, and something they were most familiar with and proficient in. They each followed their own experience, planting in the same way year after year, never knowing that there could be flaws in this work they had done all their lives. Only after being guided did they realize that in many ways, things could actually be done better.
To sum it up with a phrase Xie Wenyuan heard from Qingchen, which he himself didn't quite understand—this is science.
In addition, Qingchen used the money she borrowed from Cheng Yuanzhi to buy farm tools and oxen. Previously, because many people had joined the White Lotus Sect and abandoned their land, much of it had been left uncultivated and abandoned. Qingchen knew very well that land was always the most precious asset, and she couldn't just stand by and watch it lie fallow.
Since the original owner of the land refused to cultivate it, she had to hire other hardworking people to do so. She provided these people with new farm tools and oxen, promising them half of the harvest. Those who wanted to improve their lives through their labor were naturally very happy to oblige.
The weather in Yunnan this year has been quite good, with just the right amount of rain. By June, the rice in Yuanjiang Prefecture had already grown to two feet tall, covering vast fields of lush green rice.
Qingchen often goes to the fields to take a look, and just one look fills her with excitement.
What could be more desirable than these seedlings that symbolize vitality?
Standing alone on the edge of the field, she looked up at the northern sky. The sky was a deep, clear blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds, and the sunlight was bright but not glaring.
She smiled slightly at it.
Let things that shouldn't be longed for remain quietly buried.
For example, love.
When Qingchen returned to the government office that evening, he received two letters at the same time.
It was sent from the capital.
Her heart suddenly started racing.
Two letters; I wonder who sent them.
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