Chapter 22 Acquisition
"Eunuch Yu, let me open the window to let some air in." Yunxi brought in the food and asked with concern, "Are you still sweating? Let me wipe you down first."
The boys who can work as doormen are usually very clever.
Knowing that this eunuch was very important to Sister Su, Yunxi worked even harder and showed no impatience whatsoever.
The young boy dampened a handkerchief with warm water and wiped away the sweat from Yu's body, making him feel much more refreshed.
Yu, the eunuch, breathed a sigh of relief and was helped up. After eating something, he finally had the strength to curse, "Those ignorant fools, all they do is shirk their responsibilities."
The person being cursed was naturally his right-hand men, Eunuch Wang and Eunuch Li.
The journey was arduous, and the two of them took care of Consort Yu for a long time.
Now that someone has taken over, it's natural to take a good rest.
After saying a few words, Yu, the eunuch, breathed softly and looked at Yunxi with a relieved expression.
I arrived in Nanjiang County on the ninth day of the fourth lunar month, and it is now the sixteenth day of the fourth lunar month.
This child has always been the one taking care of me.
Upon learning about his background, Yu, the palace official, couldn't help but feel saddened.
He was also an orphan and was sold by his clan to the palace to work as a eunuch.
If he had met Magistrate Su or an official like Su Qing back then, he probably wouldn't have become a eunuch and remained childless for life.
The thought of having no offspring inevitably brings to mind the idea that his clansmen wanted to adopt his child as their son, which is utterly disgusting.
After all, this is taking advantage of his family's wealth and resources accumulated over many years.
How could I nod?
Presumably, he was bedridden, so it was inevitable that the eunuch Yu would have many worries.
Hearing a little girl calling Yunxi from outside the door, he finally came to his senses.
The little girl outside spoke quietly: "These are some snacks that Sister Su asked me to bring. They're very refreshing. Let's see if Eunuch Yu likes them."
Sister Su?
Su Qing?
Yu, the eunuch, roused himself and had Yunxi fetch fifty coins as a reward for the maid outside. He then said, "Thank you very much, Master Su."
Yu, the palace official, naturally knew the reason why Su Qing was so attentive.
Having spent over twenty years in the palace, he could see through such petty schemes with just a glance.
However, he did not expect that a seventeen-year-old girl could manage the war-torn area so well.
He even managed to cultivate connections within the military, making the Third Prince—no, now the Third Prince—a key figure.
He sent a message through Xue Shoubei, a trusted confidant of the Third Prince, asking him, the military logistics officer, to stay here.
In order to investigate and purchase medicinal herbs in this area.
Fortunately, we stopped in Nanjiang County.
If it weren't for the thoughtful care he received here, it would be questionable whether he would have even made it to the army alive.
Moreover, during the four or five days that Su Qing was recuperating, she only sent people to bring tea, snacks and fruit, and did not deliberately disturb him.
Such patience is rare even in the capital.
Yu Neiguan's eyes flashed with appreciation as Yunxi had already packed the snacks and brought them to him.
"Go and call someone for me." Yu, the eunuch, distributed the snacks to Yunxi and then said, "Call Eunuch Wang and Eunuch Li over."
Yu, the eunuch, cursed again: "You blind fools! I'm sick, but they're not. Can't they do anything?"
What are you doing?
Yun Xi forced down her excitement, and then heard the eunuch say, "Have them inspect the medicinal fields and draft a contract. Then send it to my superior, the military garrison eunuch, and the matter will be settled."
Simply put
It's about collecting medicinal herbs!
Although Yu, the eunuch, was on his sickbed, he had already made the decision!
Thirteen-year-old Yunxi was still a boy, and he couldn't help but cheer out loud: "Great! I'll run there now."
After saying that, he turned back and said, "I'll have the other gatekeepers wait outside. If the eunuch needs anything, he can just call them."
Yunxi ran off to deliver the good news, first going to find Eunuchs Wang and Li, and then immediately informing Steward Su.
Finally, panting heavily, he stood outside the gate of the Yu Neiguan Palace, listening to the discussion inside about collecting medicinal herbs.
Inside the side hall next to the main hall of the yamen.
Su Qing sat in the main seat, with Gu Congsi, Luo Hufang, Gong Bingfang, and Wu Butou sitting next to him in order.
They were discussing official business when they saw Yunxi rush over, whisper a few words in her ear, and then hurriedly leave.
With a genuine smile on his face, Director Su put down the documents in his hand and looked at everyone.
Good things are coming soon.
This can recently be considered a good thing.
There's only one left!
Purchasing medicinal herbs?!
Su Qing nodded.
Although she was already 70-80% confident.
Nanjiang County has only 9,000 mu of medicinal herb fields, which is not a big deal in terms of the overall military procurement.
In addition, the general spoke up, and the government office took good care of him during this period.
It would be strange if the eunuch Yu didn't budge.
However, he hadn't fully recovered from his illness yet, and he had already sent his subordinates to do it, which was truly unexpected.
"Today is April 16th. There are still half a month before the first batch of medicinal herbs mature."
"Once the procurement documents are submitted, we can wait for the garrison official's approval."
As Yu's superior, the garrison eunuch would not make a fuss over such a trivial matter and would generally not object.
In short, the most crucial step is about to be completed.
How could Su Qing not be happy?
Everyone present understood and breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, someone is buying their medicinal herbs from Nanjiang County!
"Actually, the passing ships are also inquiring about our medicinal herbs," Luo Hufang said disdainfully. "They're all waiting for the army to refuse to buy them, so they can lower the price when purchasing them."
Su Qing was aware of this as well.
Their medicinal herbs are grown well in Nanjiang County, which naturally attracts attention.
However, she was indeed prepared.
If the army doesn't want it, then we'll talk to the big merchants who have been there before.
After all, it doesn't matter who we sell to; as long as it allows everyone to live a better life, everything is negotiable.
The two eunuchs, Wang and Li, who had been reprimanded by Eunuch Yu, did not hesitate. After receiving the order, they led their men to inspect the medicinal fields and record the condition of various medicinal herbs.
In their words, "After eating and drinking in Nanjiang County for so long, how could we not do anything?"
From the capital to Nanjiang County in Guangyue Prefecture, it's a distance of one or two thousand li. The journey itself is exhausting, and on top of that, you still have to take care of the sick.
So I came to Nanjiang County and felt quite at home, even being able to eat the same flavors as those in Beijing.
Everyone has seen this effort.
Therefore, before Yu, the palace official, had his subordinates start working, he did so.
His subordinates did not shirk their responsibilities and completed the task as quickly as possible. After affixing Yu's seal, they sent it to the front line.
This also explains their situation here; they will definitely take office before April 25th.
Upon hearing this, Doctor Bai hesitated: "Eunuch Yu's illness is not fully recovered yet. If he travels again, he may suffer from a relapse."
Yu, the palace official, had previously suffered from dysentery, which was related to unclean food and acclimatization issues.
This disease can only be managed through rest and cannot be rushed.
Yu, the eunuch, shook his head: "They've been cared for long enough; we can't delay any longer."
In that case, Su Qing instructed Doctor Bai and Doctor Hao to do their best to treat the patient with the best medicine.
Privately, she prescribed a remarkable remedy for the two of them.
"I have red and white dysentery under my internal organs, body heat, rapid pulse, and yellow and greasy tongue coating."
"Use two to four qian of Scutellaria baicalensis and one and a half to three qian of raw Paeonia lactiflora."
The remaining species, such as the white-headed old man and the Qinpi, will not be discussed in detail.
In short, when this prescription was presented, the two doctors looked at each other in bewilderment: "Master Su, were your ancestors some kind of famous doctors?!"
The prescriptions used to prevent the epidemic last time amazed them.
This time, the treatment was more targeted.
Unless it's a family heirloom, it's absolutely impossible.
Su Qing thought of her maternal grandmother. This wasn't some kind of family heirloom; it was passed down from her maternal grandmother.
Su Qing smiled without saying a word, leaving them to guess, and then added mysteriously, "Don't mention it in front of others."
The two nodded repeatedly and immediately went to get the medicine themselves, insisting on using the best and finest medicine to repay Steward Su.
Of course, before changing the prescription, they first had Yu, the imperial physician, review it. Once he approved it, they would then prepare the medicine.
"This little girl, Su Qing, could definitely become a real female official even if she were placed in the palace," Yu, the eunuch, couldn't help but sigh.
The current Director Su is not the official Su Qing; it's just a temporary position.
Just like her subordinates, they could only act as deputies to their respective departments.
Yunxi nodded repeatedly, then asked curiously, "Your Excellency, if there are female officials in the palace, can Sister Su become a real official, like an official in Nanjiang County?"
After thinking for a while, Yu, the eunuch, shook his head slightly: "I have never seen a precedent of a woman serving as a county magistrate."
In fact, being able to temporarily govern a county was already a sign that the imperial court had no time to spare.
Yun Xi sighed.
He is a native of Nanjiang County and understands the locals' thoughts best.
If someone else were to be the county magistrate, they certainly wouldn't be as good as Sister Su.
Seeing that the clever young man was unusually silent, Yu, the eunuch, comforted him, saying, "Perhaps I am ignorant. I will ask around later if such a situation has occurred. If not in our dynasty, then let's look at the previous dynasty."
Even if there's only one example, it might actually be enough to get an imperial decree.
Let Su Qing be a real official, even if it's just a minor seventh-rank official, that would be good enough.
Hearing Yunxi relay the message with great enthusiasm, Su Qing had a thought, but she chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter if it's just a name without substance, or substance without name."
"Even if there is an opportunity, you have to be able to seize it yourself."
The current situation in Nanjiang County is not yet satisfactory.
Besides, so what if there's no precedent?
Since there's no precedent, wouldn't it be better if she were the first one?
In the following days, Yunxi and the others took even better care of her, and the new prescription was also very good.
By April 21, Yu's illness had mostly improved, and he was able to leave his room and move around.
As long as a person can get out of bed and eat more good food, recovery is not far away.
On April 24th, one day before their departure, Yu, the eunuch, spoke with great energy.
When Su Qing arrived, Yu, the eunuch, was giving Yun Xi a reward. When he saw Liu Xiaomei following Su Qing, he also grabbed a handful of money for her.
He had no descendants and didn't want to associate with his relatives' children, so he became increasingly fond of other people's children.
Su Qing's visit this time is definitely to see them off.
Having known Eunuch Yu for so long, she understood that he was a straightforward and outspoken eunuch, making conversations between them very pleasant.
"The military needs an enormous amount of medicine."
“As long as you grow these medicinal herbs well, it will be easy to purchase them in the future,” said Yu, the eunuch. “Also, I have reported on the matter of your Nanjiang County taking care of the wounded.”
"Keep a record of the losses in money and grain, and approve them all at once later."
Hearing this, Su Qing finally felt relieved. She stood up, cupped her hands, and thanked Eunuch Yu: "Thank you for your high regard. We and the people of Nanjiang County are extremely grateful."
Yu, the eunuch, also smiled. Su Qing was only seventeen, still a child in his eyes. He waved his hand and said, "Sit down. We'll have a lot to deal with in the future, no need to be so polite."
On the morning of April 25th, a gust of wind blew for no apparent reason, followed by a light drizzle. The raindrops weren't large, but they were quite dense.
Yu, the eunuch, and his entourage had already boarded the ship and waved to Su Qing and the others: "Go back quickly and wait for news."
Su Qing ordered some raincoats and umbrellas to be sent over quickly, watching from afar as the boats sailed towards the opposite bank of the river.
Once Yu Nianguan's ship was no longer in sight, another extremely magnificent merchant ship appeared in the distance.
Su Qing paused for a moment, and then Gu Congsi draped a straw raincoat over her body.
Seeing Su Qing looking over, Gu Congsi said, "You haven't answered."
Okay, Su Qing was put on a straw hat to keep out the rain again, and subconsciously looked at the ship again.
Meanwhile, Ye Shanming, who was holding a peephole on the boat, smirked and said, "I actually discovered 'The Story of the Lute'."
Those around me are puzzled. The Story of the Lute?
Isn't this a play about engaged couples?
With a Western telescope, you can even see plays from the Shunchang Kingdom?
That's amazing!
Su Qing was unaware of these words; her mind was preoccupied with only one thought.
They're going to get rich in Nanjiang County!
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
