After the servants served tea, Lin Chengyi secretly gave his advisor a wink.
Having followed Lin Chengyi for so many years, Zhang Hongfu knew at a glance what his master meant.
"We are very grateful to you, Master. We would like to know where you are staying so that we can express our gratitude."
Was asking her where she lived done so that they could monitor her?
Nan Zhi laughed and said, "Not at all, it's all because the young master is clever and has nothing to do with my affairs. As for where to stay, a wanderer like me makes the world his home and usually stays in a thatched hut in the suburbs. I can just find a room and stay there for the night."
Zhang Hongfu: "I had heard that the Fourth Taoist Priest was skilled at fortune telling, and now I have witnessed it firsthand. Why don't you tell me, Master, what is sir worried about?"
Nan Zhi smiled and said, "In officialdom, one thing can have far-reaching consequences; how could I possibly predict such things?"
This sentence, though spoken, is almost as if it wasn't said at all.
Everyone knows that being an official is difficult, because "a single hair can affect the whole situation," but to say something like this at this time shows that this person is no ordinary person.
Lin Chengyi continued, "I wonder what your opinion is on the term 'officialdom'?"
Nan Zhi swallowed the tea in her mouth. "Officialdom is like tea. The tea leaves unfurl, but they can only float around in the cup. The key is how much tea the person brewing the tea puts in the cup."
The two nodded to each other, feeling that this person was very knowledgeable.
Zhang Hongfu: "What if there are too many tea leaves and they stick together?"
Nan Zhi certainly knew what he meant. The officialdom was a complex place, and the saltworks incident likely implicated many people.
Lin Chengyi was afraid of offending his superiors.
"You're mistaken, sir. What does the amount of tea leaves put in the person brewing the tea have to do with the tea itself?"
The person who brewed the tea, he meant, Your Majesty.
Lin Chengyi immediately got up from his seat, walked to Nanzhi and bowed.
"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Daoist Master."
Nanzhi waved her hand, "Not at all, not at all. I don't know anything about tea brewing, so please forgive me, sir."
Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, and remaining neither arrogant nor impatient, is how Zhang Hongfu describes this Taoist priest.
Zhang Hongfu: "I wonder what brings you here so suddenly today?"
Nanzhi then said, "This humble Taoist is interested in your salt fields."
"Salt field?" The two looked at each other, seemingly lost in thought.
Nan Zhi: "I see that the people of Da Yang are using coarse salt, but I have a method to refine it into finer salt."
Lin Chengyi suddenly became excited, "You mean fine salt?"
Nanzhi nodded.
The two were shocked, as fine salt had always been a tribute item, and their place had no fine salt at all.
If fine salt can be extracted from all directions, and with the salt mines discovered here, Lingshan County will surely be extraordinary in the future.
But Zhang Hongfu quickly thought of something else: "Sir, the saltworks have been discovered and belong to the government. No one else is allowed to enter."
Lin Chengyi forcibly suppressed his excitement.
"How confident are you, Taoist priest?"
Nanzhi confidently extended her hand, "Perfect."
The system provided the salt-making formula beforehand, and now it comes in handy.
“Alright,” Lin Chengyi took a deep breath, “As long as the Taoist priest is willing, I will handle the rest.”
Nan Zhi nodded. Actually, she really wanted to reveal her true identity, but she was afraid of scaring the two of them.
After spending these days together, Nanzhi could tell that Lin Chengyi was definitely a good official.
Thinking of this, she said, "My lord, I, no, I have something else to ask of you."
Lin Chengyi glanced at Zhang Hongfu, then fixed his gaze on her.
"Why do you say that, Taoist Master?"
Nan Zhi sighed, removed her mustache, and then resumed her normal voice.
"My lord, I am actually Nam Gyi."
"You, you, you."
Lin Chengyi really didn't know how to describe his current feeling; it was as if God had slapped him in the face.
The two men stared wide-eyed, Zhang Hongfu's mouth still agape.
She kindly stepped forward and lifted the advisor's chin.
"Master, there's no need to be so surprised."
After all that fuss, it turns out that the extraordinary and exceptionally intelligent Daoist Master Sifang is actually a girl.
Lin Chengyi drank half a pot of tea before he calmed down.
"You audacious Nanzhi, you have deceived this official! Do you know your crime?"
Nan Zhi laughed it off, "Sir, you're really kicking me while I'm down. That's not fair."
Lin Chengyi chuckled, "You silly girl, I haven't thanked you in person yet since you cured my daughter's illness. Now, come to my residence and thank me all at once."
Nanzhi beamed with joy, "Your Excellency truly deserves to be called the people's parent official; your magnanimity is as vast as mountains and seas."
Lin Chengyi glared at her, realizing he had been completely fooled by this girl from beginning to end.
"The salt you're talking about?"
"Rest assured, sir, I am absolutely certain."
Seeing her confident demeanor, Lin Chengyi knew he had it all figured out.
Zhang Hongfu couldn't help but ask, "What about the fortune-telling you mentioned before?"
Nan Zhi immediately said, "Master, our skills are beyond question. If you encounter any difficult or complicated cases in the future, you can ask me. Of course, the money cannot be less."
"Hey, I didn't know you were such a money-grubber."
Nanzhi retorted, "Master, we fortune tellers see through the secrets of heaven. How can we not charge a fee if we don't live up to the karma we bear?"
This time, Zhang Hongfu didn't say anything.
But he didn't take what Nam Gyi said to heart.
Now that her identity has been exposed, Nan Zhi no longer needs to pretend to be a Taoist priest.
After leaving the county government office, she immediately changed back into women's clothing and went to a restaurant.
As soon as she entered, Nanzhi spotted Xiao Li San'er.
She walked over and asked, "Xiao Li, how's the work going?"
Xiao Li San'er was very excited to see her.
"Big sister, what brings you here?" He clasped his hands tightly together.
Nanzhi: "Come and see our future head manager."
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