"Don't worry, now that you've built a grain station in Xichang Prefecture, the imperial court is watching. Even if the Qin family were in decline now, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble at this critical juncture."
With his reassurance, Fang Qing felt much more at ease.
As they were talking, Zhao Fen also came over.
He jogged over, and despite his age, his forehead was covered in sweat the whole way.
When he got close enough, Fang Qing noticed the dark circles under his eyes and his tired expression.
"Have we arrived yet?" he asked.
Fang Qing had heard about the connection between Lord Zhao and the Qin family, and thought that if something happened to the Qin family, Lord Zhao's younger brother would definitely be implicated. She figured that Lord Zhao had been worried about his brother's situation these days.
"We just received word that it's almost done."
As soon as Fang Qing finished speaking, a gasp came from the crowd.
"They're here!"
"Quick, set off the firecrackers!"
"Beat the gongs and drums!"
The city gate suddenly became lively.
As they approached, Fang Qing recognized the person escorting the seeds as Zhang Xiaoyi.
Zhang Xiaoyi dismounted, and Fang Qing exchanged a few pleasantries with him before leading the way toward the grain station.
With the help of ordinary people, 100,000 jin of grain were stored in the grain station in less than a day.
Fang Qing invited Zhang Xiaoyi to dinner that day, but unexpectedly, the Eighth Prince and Lord Zhao also showed up, so Fang Qing didn't have time to say anything to Zhang Xiaoyi.
After the dinner party ended that evening, Fang Qing walked out of the restaurant to see the Eighth Prince off.
The Eighth Prince glanced at the group behind Fang Qing, then walked a few steps away from her alone.
"I will be returning to the capital tomorrow to report on my work."
Fang Qing was taken aback.
"Then we will respectfully see Your Highness off."
The Eighth Prince felt helpless looking at her distant attitude.
"I don't think we should be this distant with each other."
Fang Qing had a smile on her face.
"Your Highness is joking."
Fang Qing wasn't oblivious; she realized that Mian'er's consistently different attitude towards her compared to others made her think a lot.
Back then, she had only done a small favor in Majiazhai, so there was really no need to take her seriously.
The Eighth Prince stared at her for a moment.
He didn't say much, because he knew her feelings.
"The imperial examination in the capital should be starting soon. Come to the capital after you've finished dealing with things in Xichang Prefecture. It'll give me a chance to repay the debt of saving my life back then, won't it?"
Fang Qing nodded.
Naturally, once things are on track in Xichang Prefecture, she will go to the capital to take a look.
"Then I'm leaving. You should go back soon too."
"good."
The Eighth Prince boarded the carriage and left.
Zhao Fen drank quite a bit today; he was unsteady on his feet when he came out.
"Lord Zhao, are you alright?"
Zhao Fen shook his head.
"Fang Qing, I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Xichang Prefecture."
"Lord Zhao, you flatter me. This is what I should do. You are the real role model for officials in the world today."
Zhao Fen paused for a moment, then shook his head.
"I can't do it. I'm already this old and I haven't done anything for the country."
His ambition to enter officialdom was gradually worn down by reality.
“You can’t say that, sir. You’ve done things that many people can’t, and you’ve maintained your original aspirations even in the face of power. I think you’re the best official in the world.”
Zhao Fen's cheeks were flushed, whether from drinking or from feeling embarrassed after hearing Fang Qing's words, it was hard to tell.
“I know my own weight, Miss Fang really doesn’t need to…”
"In ancient times, Jiang Ziya was still capable of using his skills at the age of seventy. Your brilliance is obscured, but one day you will surely achieve something like Jiang Shang."
Zhao Fen was stunned for a moment.
He never expected that he held such a significant place in Fang Qing's eyes.
"You silly girl, when did you learn to use such flattering words?"
"I dare not say that; every word comes from the bottom of my heart."
Just kidding, he's someone the system has identified.
Zhao Fen murmured "Jiang Shang's actions" twice, then burst into laughter.
His eyes were exceptionally bright, and he was full of fighting spirit.
"Alright, then I'll take your good wishes!"
Zhao Fen was sent away, and the rest were all their own people. Fang Qing and Zhang Xiaoyi talked as they walked towards the grain station inn.
The previous inn was converted into a grain depot, and Fang Qing now lives in an inn on another street.
After catching up with Zhang Xiaoyi, they returned to the inn and sat for a while before going back to their rooms to sleep.
Fang Qing had been away from home for two months, and her biggest worry was Fang Daniu and Zhao Shi. This time, she asked Zhang Xiaoyi to bring her a lot of clothes and other necessities.
The next day, the Eighth Prince left Xichang Prefecture. Fang Qing was busy selling seeds and did not see him off, but she did receive a letter from the Eighth Prince.
The letter contained only a farewell note and a token.
In the letter, the Eighth Prince said that this was the Crown Prince's token, and that she could use it to freely mobilize the officials in Xichang Prefecture without anyone making things difficult for her.
Fang Qing carefully put the token away.
After that, Fang Qing led people to promote the seeds outside the city.
Meanwhile, in the capital, the Qin family's affairs have stirred up several waves.
When the Qin family father and son were sent to the capital and imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison, the Imperial Concubine summoned Gao Wancheng to the palace. Because Gao Ren had failed to help the Qin family father and son in Xichang Prefecture, she gave Gao Wancheng a hard time.
Gao Wancheng couldn't contain his emotions when he left the palace.
When the high-ranking prime minister walked out of the palace gate, the guards breathed a sigh of relief.
The court has been unstable these past few days, and every official leaving the palace is in a bad mood. They have to be careful, otherwise they might offend some important person if they are not careful.
After Gao Wancheng returned to his residence, he had Gao Ren summoned to the mansion.
Gao Ren entered the study, where Gao Wancheng was offering incense in front of the Buddha statue.
"Godfather".
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