The Yamen of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing is called "Santang", but it is actually a "bird market".

Seeing that the Minister was obsessed with playing with birds, Mr. Zhao was really impatient and finally couldn't help but say:

"Birds, that's not how you play."

"Ah? What a shock!" The Minister's beard stood up in fear and he almost fell to the ground.

"You understand?"

"I know a little bit." Mr. Zhao smiled and said, "It's not easy to teach birds to sing. If you want a yellow sparrow to learn to sing like a magpie, you have to go to a magpie forest; if you want a tit to learn to sing like a mountain sparrow, you have to go to a place where there are many mountain sparrows."

"The oil gourd is not that loud." said the Minister.

"Find a large water tank and place the best oil gourd at the bottom of the tank. Hang the bird cage on top of the tank and then cover the tank." Mr. Zhao then shared his experience: "The oil gourd thinks it is dark, so it cries loudly. The yellow bird's throat is raised, and it can then press the mouth of the oil gourd shut."

"Expert!" The Minister gave a thumbs up, then stood up, looked Zhao Shouzheng up and down and said, "Are you the new number one scholar Zhao?"

"I am Zhao Shouzheng, your humble servant, and I am here to pay my respects to the Grand Chancellor." Mr. Zhao quickly took two steps back and saluted respectfully.

"No need to be so polite." The Minister waved his hand, motioning him to follow him out to the second hall.

Under the eaves of the corridor outside the second hall, there was a tea table with the Minister's teapot, tea sets and tea pets on it, and a small red clay charcoal stove next to it.

When Zhao Shouzheng saw it, he sighed inwardly, this is fucking life.

I won’t be an official in Beijing in the future. I will stay in Nanjing.

You can live ten more years!

The Minister of the Court made tea expertly while smiling at Zhao Shouzheng, "I heard yesterday that Zhao the Champion had arrived. I thought he would have to rest for two days before coming."

"How dare I neglect this when I am guilty?" Zhao Shouzheng said in a serious tone, "It was already past noon when I entered the city yesterday. I didn't want to bother you, so I came to report early this morning."

"It's right not to come. Minister Li held a meeting yesterday afternoon, and everyone went out to play." The Minister poured a cup of tea for Zhao Shouzheng and said, "Don't mention the crime in the future. Half of the people in Nanjing were sent here. Big brother, don't laugh at second brother."

"Thank you for your comfort, sir." Zhao Shouzheng hurriedly took the teacup with both hands, feeling relieved.

"Besides, you are a top scholar, being a county magistrate is already unfair to you. And being a county magistrate in a suburb is really a waste of your talent." The Minister patted Mr. Zhao on the shoulder again, full of expectations, and said: "A man of great talent has a heavy responsibility, and a man of a strong horse can run far. Work hard and show your performance, and we will definitely promote you to a higher position!"

Master Zhao was completely relieved after hearing this. It turned out that the Minister personally met with him, just to show his respect for him.

That’s right, I am the top scholar in the imperial examination, and I have won the title with a stamp of approval!

I couldn't help but think to myself, son, you finally made a mistake despite being a wise man. People don't intend to make things difficult for your father, oh my.

"Don't worry, Young Prime Minister. I will do my best to overcome all difficulties and benefit the people." Mr. Zhao had rehearsed his words with Fan Datong before coming here, so his response this time will naturally not be out of tune.

Before a smile appeared on his face, he heard the Minister of the Court say solemnly, "There is a problem in Suzhou right now, and only Zhao Zhuangyuan can solve it."

"Huh?" This line was not right. Mr. Zhao smacked his lips helplessly, feeling that something was not right.

"It's like this." The Minister said slowly, "I just received a letter of mourning from Magistrate Liu of Kunshan the day before yesterday. It turns out that his father suddenly passed away due to illness."

"It's so unfortunate." Zhao Shouzheng sighed.

"According to the regulations, he will soon resign and return home to attend the funeral. Therefore, Kunshan County will be left with an empty seal and the people will be at a loss. It is also the plum rain season, so we cannot be without a head of the household for a day."

Minister Niao glanced at Zhao Shouzheng, who remained calm, and thought that this man was really as unfathomable as the legend said. He was not panicked even at this moment.

"The ministry has discussed it and decided that if a new deputy county magistrate is sent over, Suzhou Prefecture will have to welcome three new county magistrates at once. If half of the seven counties are replaced, it will be very detrimental to the overall flood prevention situation this year."

Seeing that the other party was as unmoved as a mountain, Minister Niao thought that it would only make him laugh if he continued to be mysterious, so he said directly: "So we have already sent a letter to Beijing to ask the current Wu County Magistrate to stay for a while, and Zhao Zhuangyuan will directly act as the Kunshan County Magistrate - this will have the least impact on Suzhou's flood control."

"..." Zhao Shouzheng blinked and revealed a smile that was hard to describe.

Hey, son, I really have to trust you...

Minister Niao thought he sensed a hint of sarcasm in Zhao Shouzheng's smile. He quickly poured him another cup of tea and advised earnestly:

"Don't worry, this is just a need for flood control, it doesn't count. As the saying goes, heroes are revealed in times of crisis. Mr. Zhao is a good piece of steel, so we should use him where he is needed. I hope you can put the overall situation first. After the flood season in September, we will naturally send someone to Kunshan to replace you, and then you can go to Wu County to take up your post."

"..." Zhao Shouzheng didn't say anything.

Oh, are you using silence to mock me for talking nonsense and not bothering to refute me?

Forget it, I won't act any more, it just makes people laugh. Minister Niao sighed secretly and just said it clearly, let it be whatever it is.

"This is a joint decision made by the Nanjing Ministry of Personnel and the Yingtian Governor. Even the chief minister of Beijing would not risk disrupting the overall flood control situation to change a temporary appointment."

Minister Niao then frowned and said in a businesslike tone:

"For a county magistrate, the riverbank is his battlefield. Disobeying orders is desertion. The governor can ask for the king's order and execute first and report later!"

Crack! A bolt of lightning struck, and thunder rumbled overhead.

~~

The back hall of the east courtyard of the Zhao Mansion was where Zhao Hao played hide-and-seek with four pretty maids when he first arrived.

Amid the melodious sound of the piano, Master Zhao leaned back in the recliner, intending to take a nap.

But he was rarely able to fall asleep.

Did I sleep too long yesterday?

Mr. Zhao could only stare at the heavy rain outside the door in a daze. In a trance, he suddenly felt a sense of detachment, not knowing what day it was, and not being himself.

The past life that has long been forgotten is intertwined with scenes of this life before my eyes.

But he still couldn't remember the names of the four young ladies...

"Oh..." Master Zhao couldn't help but lament his poor memory.

Ma Xianglan, who was playing the zither for him, asked softly, "Why are you sighing, young master?"

"It's been a year since we've known each other." Mr. Zhao didn't know how to answer, so he just said something else. "Time flies."

"Yes, time flies." Ma Xianglan nodded. Although it was only two days away from fourteen months, she was still very happy that the young master said so.

"How about we play blind fish?" Zhao Hao suddenly suggested out of the blue.

"Blind fish?" Ma Xianglan was stunned. What does this have to do with anything?

"Forget it, this place is not suitable." Mr. Zhao shook his head first, then curled up his legs on the recliner and said, "Let's go to an open place to play someday."

Ma Xianglan felt that Zhao Hao had suddenly fallen into a strange confusion. The omnipotent and peerless young man who looked down on all heroes in the world seemed to have suddenly become a lonely and helpless innkeeper like her.

Not knowing why this feeling of sympathy came from, Ma Xianglan still got up and walked over, sat next to Zhao Hao, gently stroked his head, and hummed a song to comfort him.

"The waves cannot cross the Hengtang Road, but I can only watch the fragrant dust go away. Who will I spend my golden years with? The moon bridge, the flower garden, the small windows and red doors, only spring knows where it is.

Flying clouds slowly drift over the evening sky, and I write a new heartbreaking poem with my colorful pen. How much leisure time do you have? A field of tobacco, a city full of catkins, and plums turning yellow when it rains..."

"The beauty gave me a piece of brocade, how can I repay her? Sister Xianglan, please don't leave me, okay?"

"Well, I can't drive him away even if I try..." In this season of yellow plums and rainy days, Ma Xianglan felt for the first time the bond between the young master and her.

ps. The third update, please vote for me~~ There are still two more updates to be written, I will post them at noon.