The yamen runners followed closely behind Lu Yan.
"Your Majesty...Miss, be careful!"
Qiao'er knew that Lu Yan had discovered them and wanted to pull Chen Qingwan away from here first, but it was too late.
Lu Yan rushed to the entrance of the county government office and saw the two women. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Who are these two people? Why are they eavesdropping in front of the county government office? What is their purpose?
Lu Yan narrowed his eyes.
Seeing that she couldn't avoid it, Chen Qingwan stood calmly in place.
She possessed an extraordinary air about her, clearly different from ordinary people.
Qiao'er took a small step forward, standing protectively in front of Chen Qingwan, staring intently at Lu Yan.
Lu Yan didn't say much, nor did he intend to take down the two men first. Instead, he turned to his trusted constable who had come up beside him and asked him a question.
"I instructed you to investigate the identities of these two women. Have you found out yet?"
Chen Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Lu Yan did not act rashly. When she heard Lu Yan ask the yamen runners beside him, she became calm and composed.
As the emperor was traveling incognito, Chen Qingwan was confident that her identity was perfectly concealed.
Let alone a mere county magistrate, even the governor could not find any flaws in the investigation.
Lu Yan was asking the yamen runners beside him, while glancing at Chen Qingwan and Qiao'er out of the corner of his eye.
If either of these two showed any signs of panic, no matter what the constables found out, he would begin to suspect their identities.
The yamen runner gently shook his head and spoke.
"My lord, the investigation has not yet yielded any results, but based on the current findings, there appears to be nothing amiss."
Hearing the expected answer, Chen Qingwan smiled calmly and took the initiative to speak.
"Actually, I am the daughter of a merchant caravan that came here. Everything I did in this county town was quite unexpected. This county town is different from other small counties in many ways."
"I happened to hear that you, sir, are known as 'Upright Official,' so I became curious and ended up here without realizing it! I also happen to have some business to discuss with you, sir!"
Upon hearing Chen Qingwan's words, Lu Yan showed an expression of sudden realization.
"I see, then I understand!"
"It's better to meet by chance than to invite someone. Since you've come all this way, Miss, please come in and have a cup of tea!"
Lu Yan turned to the side, smiled slightly, and extended his hand in invitation.
"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer!"
Chen Qingwan walked forward with a smile.
Qiao'er was worried, fearing that Lu Yan was playing a trick to lure her into a trap.
Chen Qingwan gave Qiao'er a calm look.
The group entered the main hall, and Lu Yan gave instructions to his subordinates.
"We have distinguished guests! Go brew a pot of fine tea! Bring up some melons, fruits, and dried fruits!"
Soon, the fragrant tea was served.
Chen Qingwan took the initiative to ask.
"I wonder what Lord Lu's views are on doing business?"
Lu Yan smiled calmly.
He might not be able to fully explain how to be an official, but when it comes to doing business, he's an absolute master.
He wanted to make it clear to those who did business with him that if they wanted to make money, they had to work with him.
Lu Yan spoke with a smile.
"In business, it's only sustainable if both parties benefit. I have only one characteristic: I operate with integrity and seek mutual benefit!"
"Don't worry, just tell us what you like here. As long as the price is right, we'll do our best to fulfill your wish!"
When Lu Yan spoke, he didn't sound like a county magistrate at all; he sounded more like a shop owner.
He smiled and introduced the things in the county to the two of them, talking at length about their quality and advantages.
"If you two want to do business in this county, as long as you choose a project and work with me, I guarantee you will make a fortune."
"Rest assured, I will never turn down money, and I will definitely protect your interests as well as my own!"
Chen Qingwan felt a surge of disgust as she listened to Lu Yan's endless stream of business advice and talk about how to make money.
That damned corrupt official, all he cares about is making money. He's obsessed with money and looks like a greedy official!
This corrupt official should be executed as a warning to others, so that other officials will not dare to do the same!
Lu Yan had no idea what Chen Qingwan was thinking; he was just watching her listen and think intently.
Then he continued to speak eloquently about the methods and rules for doing business in the county.
Lu Yan felt a little thirsty. Chen Qingwan frowned, her expression calm, and slowly spoke.
"What Lord Lu has done is illegal, isn't it? Does the court have any tacit approval for it? Or are you not afraid of being punished by the court?"
"Let's be frank. It's true that I want to do business, but I don't want to take these risks. Besides, I've never heard of a county magistrate doing business every day."
Lu Yan chuckled and took a sip of tea before explaining.
“A county magistrate is a parent official. Since he is a parent, he should make sure his children live a good life.”
There's an old saying that goes, "If an official doesn't serve the people, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes." But how does one serve the people?
Lu Yan said something that made Chen Qingwan think, and without waiting for her to give an answer, he continued to share his thoughts.
"Protecting the peace of the region is acting in the best interests of the people; enabling the people to live a good life is acting in the best interests of the people!"
"To get rich, build roads first. I made sure that the people could walk on bluestone roads without spending a penny or exerting any extra effort!"
Lu Yan pointed to the road in front of the county government office and continued:
"I accept merchants from caravans to subsidize the people. Doing business with these people is all to help the people spend less money while still getting the daily necessities they need. This is all to help the people live a good life!"
"When the people are prosperous, the country will be strong. If the people are not well-fed and clothed, how can we talk about a prosperous and strong country? I don't care about empty slogans!"
Lu Yan's two sentences struck a chord with Chen Qingwan, and she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
That makes some sense. Could it be that this guy isn't doing business to make money for himself, but really for the sake of these people?
Chen Qingwan's impression of Lu Yan has improved somewhat, but she still feels that she should wait and see.
Lu Yan continued to elaborate on his so-called principles of national prosperity and strength.
"The county doesn't need to urge people to pay their taxes every year; everyone can afford it. Everyone is making money, so naturally, the taxes are collected more easily and in greater quantities!"
"Our county, adhering to the principle of not causing trouble for the imperial court, is committed to self-development and self-reliance..."
Lu Yan then went on to say a lot of things about doing good business as the greatest ideal.
Chen Qingwan's impression of Lu Yan changed again, and Qiao'er muttered something unconvincingly beside her.
"I think this is just some people being greedy and deliberately making these excuses, but in reality they are still trying to make money for themselves."
Chen Qingwan glared at Qiao'er: "Stop talking nonsense."
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