Chapter 25 Recommendation (Slightly revised, read by someone who has already read it...)
Recognizing a father?!
Everyone present was stunned.
Even those outside the door were dumbfounded.
Su Qing had Yunxi and Liu Xiaomei serve her attentively, and that was her plan.
As for their backgrounds, everyone knows them perfectly well.
Yu, the palace official, knew more than many others.
Yu, the eunuch, shed tears. He lost his father when he was young, and his mother struggled to protect him as they fought to survive.
After her mother passed away, life became even more difficult.
I still get teary-eyed when I think about it on ordinary days, let alone now.
Even knowing why Su Qing made this suggestion.
But Yu, the palace official, could not refuse.
Seeing the two children's blank expressions, he knew they were unaware of the matter; it was all Su Qing's idea.
This made him even more tempted.
I am a dying man.
It would be a great blessing to have two good children before you die.
Sustained by ginseng soup and acupuncture, the last thing Yu, the eunuch, did before his death was to have a son and a daughter.
Yunxi kowtowed to Liu Xiaomei and called her "father".
Yu, the eunuch, laughed a few times, then closed his eyes and breathed his last.
He was already terminally ill.
That was a forced death sentence.
He died.
Yu, the eunuch, died just like that.
His death.
This almost completely eliminated any possibility of Su Qing becoming a county magistrate.
That's not all.
Even the trade of medicinal herbs in Nanjiang County will be disrupted.
This matter is entirely under the responsibility of Eunuch Yu.
He died, and the matter was dropped.
All the previous doubts have finally been answered.
Why is the military so slow to come and purchase the medicinal herbs?
Why did the letter sent to Consort Yu receive no reply?
As for the general, it's unclear what his considerations were, perhaps it was because their relationship wasn't close enough?
So you're too lazy to help?
No matter what.
Things have come to this point.
Let's deal with the problems at hand.
The first issue is the availability of local medicinal herbs.
The government had initially been quite confident that the military's acquisition of the military would not encounter any problems.
Therefore, they collected the farmers' medicines in advance and even issued IOUs.
The goods are now piling up and can't be sold off in a short time.
But the people will definitely come to exchange their money for silver.
Su Qing could understand this.
The people were afraid that the government wouldn't have the money to pay, and they were also afraid that if she were replaced by a new magistrate, these IOUs would become worthless.
Ultimately, the people accepted the IOUs entirely because of Su Qing's personal credit.
If someone else were in charge, they would rather let the medicinal herbs rot at home than give them out in advance.
Because of this trust, they were also afraid that the new magistrate might arrive at any time.
Su Qing will definitely pay back the money he owes the people for the medicinal herbs.
If she is destined to leave.
That way, there won't be a bunch of messy debts left behind.
While the funeral arrangements for the eunuch Yu were still underway, Su Qing had already asked Luo Hufang to calculate how much silver was left in the yamen's accounts.
Luo Hufang said, "The land tax collected last August, after deducting expenses for clearing silt, buying medicinal herbs and seeds, salaries, caring for the wounded, and other various expenditures, left a surplus of 13,000 taels of silver."
"But the total amount of the IOUs adds up to 27,000 taels."
"Even if we fill in all the money in the account, we'll still be short 14,000."
Fourteen thousand taels of silver.
How could I borrow so much money all at once?
If she can still be in charge, then perhaps all the major households combined could manage.
But everyone knows that she could be replaced at any time.
Su Qing couldn't help but smile wryly.
Everything has piled up at once.
"I'm worried because I have no money."
Su Qingzheng mustered his spirits and started trying to raise money from all over the place.
A man dressed in fine clothes and wearing a jade belt came directly to their door to deliver silver.
And when they send gifts, they do it in a very generous way.
"Eighteen thousand taels," Ye Shanming said with a smile. "How about it?"
Inside the study of the yamen (government office).
Su Qing and Gu Congsi looked at him at the same time.
Would Ye Shanming really be so kind?
I don't think so.
"condition?"
Ye Shanming smiled and waved his fan: "It's really convenient to talk to smart people."
"The condition is that after you leave the government office, you come and work for my family."
"Ye Shanming?!" Gu Congsi frowned. "What are you talking about?!"
"I meant being a shopkeeper, what did you think?" Ye Shanming continued, "My family owns twenty or thirty shops of various sizes in Guang Le Prefecture, but we've always neglected to manage them."
"I would be at ease if I entrusted it to Steward Su."
That's all for now.
Everyone understands what's going on.
They're just trying to poach Su Qing because she's about to leave.
Luo Hufang and the others nearby cast approving glances at them.
Good, you have a good eye.
This made Su Qing fall silent for a moment.
It must be said that Ye Shanming's proposal was very tempting.
Firstly, if one is destined to leave the government office, then going into business is not a bad option.
It was also enough to support the family and provide shelter for his mother and younger brother.
Secondly, there aren't many people in the entire county who can lend her so much money.
But how do you see this?
Something doesn't seem right.
It feels like I'm selling myself into working for the Ye family to pay off their debts?
As Su Qing hesitated, Gu Congsi seemed about to speak but then stopped.
Ye Shanming bluntly asked, "What? Scholar Gu is unwilling?"
"That's true. If you two get married in the future, she will be an official's wife, and it won't be appropriate for her to show her face in public and do business."
Before Su Qinggu could say anything, Ye Shanming continued, "Therefore, my second condition is that I cannot get married while I am the manager."
"Doing business often requires going out, so as to avoid any changes in her husband's family."
Such things often happen in the Jiangnan region.
Before marriage, everything was fine, but after marriage, those female managers have to take care of their husbands' families one minute and have children the next. It's so annoying!
Ye Shanming laid out the unpleasant truth upfront.
If the medicinal materials hadn't gone wrong, Ye Shanming wouldn't have been this demanding.
But seeing that Su Qing was short of money, this was the best time to bring it up.
Su Qing scoffed, "What a shrewd and calculating young master of the Ye family."
They are too good at taking advantage of the situation.
They made unreasonable demands using seemingly reasonable excuses.
Ye Shanming seemed quite determined to win.
She had calculated that Su Qing had no way out.
Either take his money, make him a manager, and return the money owed to the people.
They either watch as the people's year-long hard work goes down the drain.
Ye Shanming felt that he knew Su Qing too well.
This man was extremely kind to the local people and even to wounded soldiers from outside the area.
In such circumstances, funding for wounded soldiers will not be suspended.
How could she leave the people impoverished and destitute upon her departure?
Su Qing smiled, leaned back in her chair, and said with a smile, "See the guest out."
Seeing guests off?!
Ye Shanming stood up.
What does Su Qing mean?
Did he mistake someone for someone else?!
Ye Shanming's smile deepened as he glanced at Gu Congsi beside him.
They really are a loving couple.
Ye Shanming turned and left.
Facing the gazes of everyone, Su Qing finally spoke, "He has many conditions. If I dare to agree, this will only be the beginning."
This kind of capitalist will definitely squeeze every last drop of value out of her.
Even if you want his money, you can't let him lead you by the nose.
Gu Congsi turned his head, his eyes becoming exceptionally gentle, and simply nodded without speaking.
Su Qing rubbed her temples and said, "Let's continue raising money."
"By the way, spread the word and see if anyone is willing to buy medicinal herbs."
Previously, they held onto the medicinal herbs instead of selling them, waiting for the military to purchase them all at once.
Now that we know the military's acquisition channels are basically blocked, we just need to find another way.
I'm just worried that someone might try to force a lower price.
That's a real headache.
On May 20th, the funeral arrangements for the eunuch were hastily completed.
His subordinates immediately returned to the capital to report.
The death of this eunuch will certainly be investigated by the higher authorities.
How exactly to handle the situation depends on when the new eunuch arrives.
Su Qing no longer cared about any of that.
She just wanted to raise funds as quickly as possible and sell the medicinal herbs at a reasonable price.
Just for one thing.
To reassure the people and ensure their hard work is not in vain.
Su Qing sent out numerous invitations to various households in the county to raise money.
By May 27th, there was still a debt of nine thousand taels.
The wounded soldiers' office, knowing about this, tried its best to save money so as not to put the government in such a difficult position.
Commander Zhou then asked his men, "Did Commander Xue and the others receive the letter I sent to the army?"
"Received. Do you need to send more? We've already sent more than twenty."
Commander Zhou gritted his teeth: "Send it, keep sending it."
“Among the surrounding areas of Guangyue Prefecture, only Nanjiang County was willing to take us in, and they were very attentive in providing us with food and medicine.”
"When a comrade died, the government even allocated silver to buy a coffin for his burial."
"How can we sit idly by and do nothing?"
Inside the Ye family shop, Ye Shanming, unusually restless, heard the shopkeeper say, "Young Master, Manager Su won't be coming."
Ye Shanming looked over directly, his eyes narrowing slightly: "I heard she's selling medicinal herbs."
"Go, buy them at a low price."
The shopkeeper thought to himself, "Normally, the young master isn't the type to go to extremes."
Why are you pressing me so hard now?
Ye Shanming replied, "You don't know, she's the kind of person who will never give up unless she's at her wit's end."
"If we want to recruit her into our Ye family, we'll have to use some extraordinary methods."
"Young master, have you ever fished before?" The shopkeeper, who loved fishing, said, "The tighter the fishing line, the easier it is for the fish to escape."
"Especially stubborn fish, even if their heads are bleeding, they will still try to escape."
"Besides, it seems that we haven't reached the end of our rope yet, Manager Su." The shopkeeper had come to Nanjiang County before the Lunar New Year.
It has been half a year now.
Others may not know this.
He has met many people, yet he understands them clearly.
Su Qing, the head of the department.
They haven't reached the point of desperation.
Moreover, the people around her and the things she has done will not leave her destitute.
The news of the incident at the government office gradually reached the ears of more and more people.
The villagers from the farthest village, Shan'ao, traveled a long distance to come.
However, they didn't come here to owe money.
The village chief, who was rather simple and honest, said, "We've thought about it carefully. If the government can't give us the money, we can give you the medicinal herbs."
“That way, the government won’t owe us any money, and we’ll have something to show for it. We won’t ask for any interest either, knowing the government is in a difficult position.”
They took their own medicinal herbs, so that they would be even.
The transaction was clearly completed.
But he voluntarily gave it up?
It doesn't seem like a good deal at all; the real solution is to wait for Manager Su to pay.
Everyone knows that the person in charge is working hard to raise funds.
The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.
“They don’t want to put Manager Su in a difficult position,” Gu Congsi said slowly. “This way, Manager Su won’t have to go around asking people for money.”
The villagers of Shan'ao Village traveled a long way to come up with this perfect solution.
This incident seemed to serve as a wake-up call for villagers everywhere: "That's right, we can also bring the medicinal herbs back. Although the price we get from selling them ourselves isn't as good as what the government buys them from, at least we can get some money, so Steward Su won't have to worry."
"My family isn't in a hurry, and we're too lazy to exchange the silver. Just leave it there."
“Actually, we can give the medicinal herbs to Manager Su. Even if she stops managing the business in the future, she can still help run the medicinal herb business.”
"That's right."
"These medicinal herbs are for Su Qing himself, not for the Nanjiang County government."
"That's right!"
"Let Steward Su sell them slowly! Anyway, there's no worry about finding a market for the medicinal herbs."
“I agree! In this world, the only people we can truly trust are the Su family, mother and daughter.”
Just when Su Qing was at her wit's end, she heard this news.
Her first reaction was...
Is it fake?
Did the people below force the common people to do something?
But when she went out to secretly inquire, she found that the restaurants and teahouses seemed to be giving her advice.
It's said that three cobblers can outwit one Zhuge Liang.
Now, however, the whole city is helping her come up with ideas.
If you need money urgently, go and retrieve your medicinal herbs; you can decide how much to sell them for.
If you're not in a hurry to use the money, give the medicinal herbs to Manager Su and let her negotiate a good price.
If Steward Su can continue to be in charge, everyone will be happy.
Since she couldn't be in charge, she could trade in medicinal herbs, and everyone trusted her.
Su Qing couldn't help but laugh.
A different emotion flickered in his eyes.
I've been busy and things are urgent lately.
One case after another.
It felt like countless worries were weighing on my mind.
She didn't want the people to suffer losses.
The common people certainly didn't want to make things difficult for her.
She was so highly regarded during her year in Nanjiang County.
This feeling of warmth welling up in your heart.
It seems unusually different.
"Is this the feeling Grandma was talking about?"
My grandmother worked as a barefoot doctor, asking for nothing in return and never accepting money.
But she was happy, always with a smile on her face.
Su Qing tilted her head back, turned and left, just in time to see Ye Shanming.
Ye Shanming was naturally aware of what the people of Nanjiang County were thinking.
This naturally brought him great shock.
Ordinary people.
How could someone be so supportive of an official?
They even helped the officials find ways to reduce her burden.
This was something he had never heard of before in his life.
They are clearly a group of illiterate people.
Why such a sense of righteousness?
Even Gu Congsi didn't understand this point.
But they all knew.
The crisis that was affecting Su Qing has been resolved.
The government office is short of money?!
No shortage!
The people were so eager to donate money to Su Qing!
This seems unreasonable.
That is perfectly normal.
Without Su Qing's efforts over the past year...
Nanjiang County was definitely not like it is now.
The enthusiasm of the local people was beyond everyone's expectations.
The owners of the docked merchant ships, however, are even more perplexing.
One of the boat owners, surnamed Wang, was known for his helpfulness and righteousness. Upon hearing about this, he immediately said, "I will buy 10,000 catties of medicinal herbs."
"With medicinal herbs in such a shortage, it's profitable no matter where they're transported."
"What? Manager Su is in a hurry, so he can lower the price?"
"You heartless bunch, apart from Nanjiang County, where else is a suitable place to settle down?"
"Have you all forgotten how the other dockworkers wouldn't stop until they've skinned you alive?!"
"Believe it or not, spread the word about the unsold medicinal herbs in Nanjiang County."
"Countless people immediately came to buy!"
That's all true.
But if we lower the price, wouldn't we be able to earn more?
Of course, that's not possible now.
The people weren't in a hurry for money, so the government wasn't in a hurry to sell goods.
Su Qing has more room for negotiation, and the price needs to be raised again.
Once word gets out about the medicinal herbs, there will only be more buyers.
At that time, it won't be a matter of buying at a low price.
The question is whether or not you can buy it.
Things have come to this.
Merchants who were originally waiting to buy goods at low prices looked at each other.
What are you waiting for!
Rob it!
This world.
There's never a shortage of buyers for medicinal herbs!
Almost overnight.
The price of medicinal herbs in Nanjiang County is rising steadily.
Regardless of the farmers who took the medicinal herbs.
The farmers who had entrusted their medicinal herbs to the farmers were all dumbfounded.
What happened?
Didn't no one buy anything the past few days?
Now you've suddenly changed your tune?!
Su Qing, who was busy negotiating the deal, along with Gu Congsi, Ye Shanming, and others, understood.
This turning point.
But it is the energy of the people.
Their trust in Su Qing turned the tide in one fell swoop.
After this incident, many people are now taking a more serious look at ordinary people.
In many people's eyes, they are so ordinary and commonplace, as if they were a dime a dozen.
But when they become individual, vibrant people, the power they unleash is something no one can stop.
Even a powerful and wealthy businessman like Ye Shanming was defeated by them.
He wanted to use this opportunity to force Su Qing to work for him.
The people inadvertently created the situation that led to Su Qing's rescue.
"The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important," Gu Congsi said softly.
Su Qing, however, didn't have as many thoughts as the two of them.
The people trust her so much, she can't let them suffer losses.
While I am still in charge of the local area, I should hurry up and sell medicinal herbs so that the people can make money.
After all this trouble...
By the end of May, more than half of the 400,000 jin of medicinal herbs in the warehouse had already been sold.
Is the government short of money right now?!
No shortage!
Not only did they have enough, Su Qing also kindly bought pigs and sheep and delivered them to the wounded soldiers.
The wounded who arrived recently are all seriously injured; they need to eat something good to recover!
Let's all have fun together!
Commander Zhou came specifically to express his gratitude; his eyes were red and his face was filled with guilt.
Su Qing replied, "I know you sent many letters to the army."
"Commander Xue also said that the battle at the front is intense and the general has no time to attend to it."
"Yes, that's why there are so many wounded recently." Commander Zhou sighed deeply.
But he had another thing on his mind.
"Has the imperial court really issued an order to send a new county magistrate?"
Not only the local people, but also passing merchant ships were worried.
Even Commander Zhou and the wounded were worried.
Su Qing is gone.
Will things get better in Nanjiang County?
Everyone had doubts.
But Su Qing was a woman and had no official rank.
It has always been illegitimate and lacking legitimacy.
If she weren't so capable, there would definitely be a lot of people opposing her.
Putting aside everything else, even her third uncle...?
I heard that Uncle Su is getting restless and is already shouting that he wants to curry favor with the new magistrate.
Moreover, although he, the clerk, submitted his resignation, it hasn't been approved by his superiors yet.
Before the new magistrate even arrived, some scoundrels were already causing trouble.
I'm afraid that when that time really comes, this place will be finished.
Zhou Qianhu thought to himself.
The imperial court is far too conservative and outdated.
They don't care about ability, they only care about gender.
When something really happens, who cares about gender?
Moreover, since the emperor was in poor health in the capital, the empress dowager was in charge of affairs.
Su Qing patted Zhou Qianhu on the shoulder and comforted him, "Don't worry, I won't give up."
Whether for her sake or for the sake of the local people.
She will never give up.
Have we reached a dead end?
It's still early.
Su Qing was waiting for someone.
To be precise, she was waiting for someone who had a grudge against her.
That was Yu's colleague.
That is, the person who will soon succeed Yu, the palace attendant.
May 30th.
It was exactly fourteen days after the death of the eunuch Yu.
Su Qing took Yunxi and Liu Xiaomei to the grave to pay respects to their godfather.
After the incense, candles, and paper money were laid out, they heard someone riding a horse approaching.
The eunuch, who jumped off the horse, had extremely red eyes and stared at Su Qing with disdain.
Only when they saw Yunxi and Liu Xiaomei dressed in mourning clothes did their expressions soften.
Although the person in charge here has his own schemes.
However, it also fulfilled the wish of his friend, Consort Yu.
Those palace servants who had a good relationship with Eunuch Yu all knew that he wanted a son and a daughter.
What a pity.
They were eunuchs.
It is absolutely impossible.
He heard about it from the two eunuchs, Wang and Li. Both children were carefully cared for before and after Eunuch Yu's passing.
That's good.
Back at the yamen.
Many people only realized later that Su, the head steward, had hurriedly arranged for Yunxi Liu to recognize him as her godfather before Yu, the eunuch, passed away.
If it weren't for these two children...
Qi, who will succeed Yu, will inevitably kill many people.
This is no child.
It's clearly a lifesaver.
What surprised everyone even more was...
The situation was so urgent at the time.
Su, the person in charge, still made preparations.
Upon realizing this, everyone had the same thought.
Such a person is not suited to be in charge of local affairs.
The imperial court is blind to its true nature!
No, not even the person in charge is suitable.
He should be the local magistrate!
I dreamt of Su becoming a county magistrate tonight!
In the yamen hall, Eunuch Qi looked unwell and inquired about the events surrounding Eunuch Yu's death.
Su Qing recounted the circumstances of Yu Neiguan's first visit and the second visit.
And what medicine you took at the time, the dregs from the second dose of medicine—say what needs to be said, and present what needs to be presented.
The eunuch nodded: "I will take all of these with me."
Did the eunuch die in office, or did he die shortly after arriving?
There are so many things going on behind the scenes, we don't know.
As a member of the clique, Qi's inner circle must be thoroughly investigated.
Fortunately, after some questioning, the eunuch Qi dispelled the doubts of the Nanjiang County officials.
She is a smart and cautious woman in charge.
She was no less capable than the scheming ladies in the palace.
After finishing the business, Su Qing gave the two children a meaningful look.
Yunxi and her younger sister knelt down and kowtowed to Qi, saying, "Yu Yunxi and Liu Xiaomei kowtow to Uncle Qi."
Yu Yunxi?!
Yunxi hurriedly handed over her newly revised identity certificate.
The three large characters "Yu Yunxi" were prominently displayed above.
However, the father's line was left blank, probably because he didn't want to make the decision on his own.
But you can change your surname.
That would be excellent.
"Great! Old Yu has an heir!"
Qi Neiguan didn't mind Liu Xiaomei's surname; she was going to get married anyway, so it didn't matter.
He responded to the two men calling him Uncle Qi again, and took out two jade pendants, one for each of them.
As for other things, we'll talk about them later.
Qi, the eunuch, is now going to the other side of the river to check on Lao Yu and see what happened there.
Su Qing replied, "The journey must be tiring for Eunuch Qi and the other eunuchs."
"It's not too late to set off after we have a hot meal. We're very close to Beijiang County, so it won't delay us."
The clerk, Xiaofei, reported: "Master Su, Mei Niang has already prepared the meal."
Having said that, the eunuch nodded his thanks.
Su Qing and Gu Congsi naturally accompanied them.
After they had almost finished eating, Su Qing said, "Eunuch Qi, I have another request."
"I just wanted to ask if the court has considered the selection of a new magistrate for Nanjiang County, and whether it will be approved."
"It's not a big deal," Qi, the eunuch, replied casually. "Not yet. Your place is so nice, so many people want to come."
The political situation in the court was complex and divided into factions.
Everyone wants to come over.
Su Qing immediately said, "That means that the decision to use Nanjiang County as a logistics transit point has been made."
Otherwise, they wouldn't say this place is good.
After all, no matter how good it is, it's still just a county.
Unless it is upgraded to a logistics transit point.
All supplies destined for the front lines pass through this area.
That would be different.
Qi, the eunuch, favored intelligent people and was willing to say more upon hearing this. He nodded and said, "Yes, it has been decided by the General himself."
This general is really causing her trouble.
It didn't help with the purchase of medicinal herbs, but instead made Nanjiang County a hot commodity.
How annoying.
"Oh, by the way, the general also said that he wants you to be the magistrate of Nanjiang County."
What? !
Su Qinggu was shocked.
They were unaware of this matter.
"It's normal that you don't know. The general is the third prince. He is cautious in his actions and won't speak carelessly if things don't go well."
"Therefore, you are one of the candidates for the position of county magistrate of Nanjiang County."
Su Qing and Gu Congsi exchanged a glance and immediately said, "In your opinion, what are my chances of winning?"
The eunuch Qi spoke bluntly: "Less than one-tenth."
"Although the General is His Majesty's own brother, he is too far away to exert his influence. Moreover, he is recommended by officials in the capital, so his chances of winning are much greater."
My mind was racing with thoughts during this meal.
Although I heard that the chances of winning are less than 10%.
Su Qing still refused to give up. After dismissing everyone else and leaving only Eunuch Qi with her, Su Qing asked, "Eunuch Qi, are any of your people among those candidates?"
Or, to put it another way, are there any members of the Qi Neiguan and Yu Neiguan faction?
The eunuch's expression turned slightly cold: "This is not something you can know."
"The logistics department in the army is a lucrative position, which is why I, the eunuch, have repeatedly suffered misfortunes."
"But anyway, you still came."
"In that case, the other court officials will certainly not allow anyone from your side to serve as the magistrate of Nanjiang County again."
With Qi Neiguan in charge of logistics, his political enemies are bound to be very unhappy.
Another official from Qi arrives so close by.
Isn't this their one-man show?
Don't say that your political enemies won't allow it.
The Emperor and Empress Dowager would not allow it.
For balance.
The new magistrate of Nanjiang County must be someone that Qi Neiguan dislikes.
He realized he was right.
Su Qing continued, "Lord Qi, if I, Su Qing, were the magistrate of Nanjiang County..."
"I may not be an aid to you, but I will not be an obstacle to you either."
"You should know my character."
Qi, the eunuch, stopped in his tracks and stared intently at Su Qing.
It has to be said.
Su Qing's words really touched him.
Su Qing is right. The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and those upright officials will definitely not allow their people to serve as officials here again.
The person who comes will definitely be extremely annoying.
He was in charge of logistics, but his transit point was his political enemy.
Without even thinking about it, you can tell how much trouble this will cause.
Let's switch to Su Qing.
That's not bad.
She is familiar with the area, loved by the locals, and handles government affairs well.
Not to mention, she has no connection with the capital and may have no choice but to rely on them.
How do you see it?
Su Qing is the most suitable candidate.
Su Qing smiled: "Eunuch Qi, what are my chances of winning now?"
"Fifty percent," the eunuch Qi said slowly. "The news will come down before July."
"If it succeeds, Magistrate Su, you must not forget how you got here."
"I will never forget."
Qi, the eunuch, and his entourage left Nanjiang County and crossed the river to the other side.
Su Qing was left to gaze at the river from afar.
Tomorrow is the first day of the sixth lunar month.
The next month will determine whether she will become the magistrate of Nanjiang County.
But she had no connection whatsoever with the capital.
It seems that all we can do is wait.
It's alright, Qi Neiguan and the others are probably even more anxious than she is.
And then there's that general who never replies.
Could you please submit another letter?
And you do good deeds anonymously, right?
so good?
Thinking that she had secretly complained about him before, she quickly shut up and gave the wounded soldiers some eggs to eat.
Everyone should take good care of themselves; consider it her way of repaying her.
After seeing off Eunuch Qi, Su Qing was in a great mood, and the emperor was pleased.
The issue of medicinal herbs has been resolved.
My life has been saved.
He might even become a county magistrate; how could he not be in a good mood?
Su Qing smiled broadly, and Gu Congsi was pleased to see her like this, and was inclined to bring up the engagement again.
But Su Qing was staring ahead.
Ye Shanming, who usually acts like a peacock, is unusually aloof at this moment, pretending not to see the two people on the dock.
"What? Going home?" Su Qing wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.
"You want me to be your manager? Eighteen thousand taels isn't enough." Su Qing took Ye Shanming's fan, examined it, and said, "What do you say, Young Master Ye?"
Ye Shanming was no longer in a hurry and said with his arms crossed, "Alright then, my family has over a thousand shops in Jiangnan, I'll make them all for you."
"It's not enough to just be a manager; you have to be an internal manager."
The manager of the Qianjia Shop is none other than Young Madam Ye.
Gu Congsi grabbed Su Qing's wrist and took a step forward.
Ye Shanming smiled and tilted his head to look at Su Qing: "So, are you tempted?"
Su Qing rolled her eyes, but said, "You want to go home? Don't go yet, take your gifts with you."
Gift.
Gu Congsi finally couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is the gift?"
Su Qing and Ye Shanming both laughed.
What else could it be?
Uncle Su.
Su Qing said, "I don't care how you brought him here. Just take him away, and we'll let bygones be bygones."
Upon hearing this, Ye Shanming became serious.
He forced Su Qing to become the manager, so he'll let bygones be bygones.
Su Qing returned the fan to him: "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. We still need to do business in the future."
What a clever woman.
Ye Shanming was overjoyed and immediately said, "It's still early, I'll take the gift later."
Su Qing added, "Just tie up one of them. Leave the other two."
Ye Shanming agreed, and then handed the fan to Su Qing: "Take it and play with it. If you need money, sell it to the Ye family manager."
This left her no room to refuse, so she turned and walked away.
Why not take advantage of a free lunch?
Su Qing tucked the fan away and met Gu Congsi's gaze.
Gu Congsi said, "You only kidnapped your third uncle, but your third aunt doesn't seem to treat you well either."
"We kidnapped Uncle San because he was useless, while Aunt San at least could do laundry and cook."
That's what he said, but seeing Aunt Su's bruised face and her limping gait, how could Gu Congsi not know the reason?
They actually kidnapped the entire family of three and dumped them somewhere unknown.
The mother and son were doomed to die, and were beaten to death by Uncle Su.
Su Qing is an extremely soft-hearted person.
Although she doesn't admit it.
Just like now, she went to Yunxi and Aunt Zhu in person to explain.
The incident happened suddenly, and there were many things to deal with.
She didn't have time to explain that she had recognized a eunuch as her godfather.
However, based on their instinctive trust, everyone did whatever Su Qing said without uttering a single extra word.
Gu Congsi followed silently, saying that Yunxi was easy to talk to.
His life was saved by Sister Su, so he's just being recognized as her godfather; he can simply offer her sacrifices during festivals and holidays.
Besides, he also got a jade pendant.
Su Qing rubbed Yunxi's head: "After this period, your sister Su will pay for you to study at the county school."
"Your identity will be of great use in the future, so you can't be illiterate."
Yunxi nodded repeatedly.
When they arrived at Aunt Zhu's place, the situation became a bit more complicated, with Mei Niang also accompanying her.
Actually, when Eunuch Yu was gone, Eunuch Qi came instead.
Aunt Zhu probably knew why she needed to find a godfather.
This is to save them all.
But doing so seems to be letting Lao Liu down.
If he knew this in the afterlife, I wonder what he would think; this was his only blood relative.
Fortunately, she didn't change her surname, otherwise Aunt Zhu wouldn't have been able to tolerate it either.
Unexpectedly, Su Qing said, "Aunt Zhu, if changing my younger sister Liu Lülan's surname can save you and your daughter from being separated, is it worth it?"
What? !
Thinking of her own family and her husband's family, Aunt Zhu immediately asked, "Qingqing, what do you mean?"
Su Qing was very patient with Aunt Zhu and the others, and explained carefully: "The Zhu family and the Liu family each have their own plans, and the result is that you and your daughter are separated."
“My previous letters only provided temporary relief, not long-term results.”
“If I were not in charge here, they would come to pick me up immediately.”
At that time, Zhu Niangzi and Xiaomei may never see each other again in this lifetime.
If that's the case.
It would be better to let Lady Zhu die.
"Now things are much better, my little sister has a godfather in the capital."
"Although his godfather is no longer around, he has many powerful friends and colleagues. Take Qi, for example. If my sister calls him Uncle Qi, that's all she has to rely on."
"If the Zhu or Liu families come again, just tell them to gather all the eunuchs."
Do they dare?!
Of course I wouldn't dare.
The Zhu family, when considering remarrying their daughter Zhu Niangzi, should carefully consider the power of the eunuchs.
The Liu family? That little sister is no longer a member of the Liu family.
Moreover, Qi Neiguan would not stand by and watch his brother's goddaughter without a mother to care for her.
Madam Zhu understood and immediately kowtowed, saying, "Don't even mention changing my sister's surname, I'll accept even a change of her given name."
Even if Old Liu were underground, he wouldn't object!
They loved their only daughter the most.
As long as my younger sister is doing well, the two of them are fine with anything.
Mei Niang wiped away her tears, hugged Zhu Niangzi, and cried and laughed at the same time: "Now it's all right, I don't have to worry about you leaving, and I don't have to worry about you being separated."
"I'll go get paper and pen to write a letter and quickly inform the Zhu and Liu families of this matter so they can stop worrying about it," Gu Congsi said.
After Gu Congsi left.
Mei Niang's eyes lit up, and Zhu Niangzi asked curiously, "Everyone says that Scholar Gu wants to get engaged, is that true?"
ah?
Is it appropriate to say such things at a time like this?
Su Qing looked at Mei Niang's expectant gaze and was speechless for a moment.
Mei Niang said happily, "Back when your father and I were in the same situation, we got married after your father passed the imperial examination."
"Although Scholar Gu is a bit quiet, he is a person of excellent character, and your father is satisfied with him."
"I'll be happy as long as you can make a decision."
Seeing Mei Niang's expectant face, Su Qing couldn't bring herself to refuse.
What should she say?
They said the Gu family was different from the Su family.
The Su family won't back out of the engagement, but the Gu family's situation is uncertain.
After all, if they wanted to get engaged, the other party's parents would have already come to their door; why keep delaying?
Moreover, it's almost June now, and there are only two months left until the autumn imperial examinations.
Su Qing didn't mind this.
But I was a little afraid that Mei Niang would be sad.
“Then we’ll use the gold-plated noodles your father bought as your dowry.” Before Mei Niang could finish speaking, Gu Congsi stopped in his tracks.
Su Qing subconsciously looked over and saw that the handsome scholar Gu was staring at her with bright eyes.
Mei Niang and Zhu Niangzi laughed again, chatted about trivial matters, and quickly wrote a letter, leaving Su Qing and Gu Congsi to spend time together.
"I'll go on official business first," Su Qing said. "The trouble is finally resolved."
"But we still need to plant new drugs in the second half of the year."
With that, Su Qing quickly left.
We need to find an opportunity to explain.
Why not wait until Scholar Gu finishes his exams? After all, the autumn imperial examinations are just around the corner, and bringing it up now might not be good for him.
After all, that look in his eyes just now.
Su Qing shook her head, "Let's get busy."
Wait until the resistance from home becomes apparent.
Hopefully, Scholar Gu will back down when faced with difficulties.
Medicinal herbs are still being sold in front of the government office.
Just as everyone guessed.
After the news spread, the medicinal herbs sold out quickly, and some people even sent letters asking the Nanjiang County government to reserve them.
The price offered is, of course, unbeatable.
Su Qing found these relaxed days rare.
All the previous troubles have been resolved!
That evening.
Su Qinggu met with Ye Shanming again.
Ye Shanming brought several skilled men with him, and they followed Su Qing to a dilapidated restaurant.
In the corner, a man was completely drunk; it was Su Qing's third uncle.
Since he wrote his resignation and was severely punished, he has long been unable to hold his head high in Nanjiang County.
They would either drink alcohol or scold Su Qing for disrespecting her elders.
They also said that she was too ruthless and that she only relied on Aunt Su San to earn money for drinking.
Upon learning that a new magistrate was to be appointed in Nanjiang County, he even threatened to take revenge on her.
It's a pity, the opportunity is gone now.
Ye Shanming's men quickly tied up Uncle Su and took him directly to the ship that was about to leave the shore.
Su Qing looked at it and remained silent for a moment: "We need to recruit more people to patrol the area regularly."
Ye Shanming quickly said, "It's only because you and Scholar Gu were with us that no patrolling officers questioned me. I'm a law-abiding citizen."
After saying that, Ye Shanming said, "Where do you take him? It's up to you."
"The farther the better." Su Qing thought for a moment, "Lingnan, perhaps."
"No, it's on Haikou Island."
"Can your boat only go as far as the island?"
On an island more than 8,000 miles away?
Ye Shanming felt a pang of sympathy, thinking of his methods. Fortunately, Su Qing didn't mind: "We'll be there. My family has businesses on the island. We'll have someone keep an eye on things."
Su Qing nodded and watched Ye Shanming leave.
Ye Shanming turned his head and saw her standing with her fiancé, which was an eyesore no matter how he looked at them.
But the servant beside him just grinned and said, "The story of the pipa isn't over yet."
Ye Shanming didn't give him a friendly look: "Bring the peephole over here."
The servant quickly went to fetch it.
Ye Shanming disembarked from the boat again, handed the exquisitely crafted Western-style mirror to Su Qing, and said earnestly, "This is my apology."
“Even if you want to be the manager of the Ye family business, you shouldn’t be forcing me like this.”
After Su Qing accepted the offer, Ye Shanming waved his hand and said, "But if you want to be the manager, you must come to me."
"All twenty-seven shops in Guangyue Prefecture will obey your orders."
Su Qing played with it for a moment, then smiled and said, "When I'm desperate, I'll definitely come to you."
Wait for the ship to leave.
Su Qing was still looking through the Western telescope, but unfortunately it was too dark to see very far.
"Go to the wounded soldiers' ward."
"Send this to the General through Commander Zhou."
Even if merchants can buy these things, the army must also have them.
But that doesn't stop her from doing a favor.
Gu Congsi hesitated, wanting to say that it was inappropriate to accept gifts from other men.
Now shut up.
It turns out it had another purpose.
Sure enough, when Commander Zhou saw the Western telescope, he exclaimed with delight, "This is a good thing; only the soldiers on the front lines have it."
"Everyone's scrambling to get it."
"But none of them are as exquisite as this; it would be perfect for the General."
"I'm glad you like it, sir." Su Qing glanced at the wounded soldiers' quarters and asked, "Is there anything else missing here?"
The wounded soldiers passing by greeted Steward Su and Scholar Gu repeatedly, saying, "We lack nothing, we just eat and sleep all day long!"
Su Qing chuckled and said, "It's like this when you're recovering from an injury."
Su Qing wrote another letter and entrusted Zhou Qianhu to deliver it to the general.
By the time these tasks were finished, it was already late at night.
She and Gu Congsi leisurely returned to the yamen to rest.
Meanwhile, on the fast horse heading to the capital, there were two letters.
One of the letters was written by Qi Neiguan himself, instructing his men to support Su Qing as the magistrate of the area.
There was another letter, written by a general who had just returned from the battlefield to his own brother, who was also the emperor.
He persisted and recommended Su Qing as the magistrate of Nanjiang County.
She is indispensable.
Su Qing's chances of becoming the local magistrate have gradually increased from 10% to 100%.
Shunchang Kingdom is about to have its first female county magistrate.
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