CHAPTER 125: CHAPTER 125: FAMILY MEMBERS

Lu Xuan was suddenly startled, and for some reason, his mind buzzed: "Why are the three of you out here?"

Aunt Mei lowered her eyes and softly replied, "It wasn’t even the fifth watch yet today, and I was woken up. The Commandery Princess specifically sent someone to fetch Ying’er, Ruohua, and me, so the three of us could stay in Ye County for a few days."

Lu Xuan’s mind buzzed again, and his voice suddenly rose: "Why didn’t you tell me in advance?"

Aunt Mei also looked aggrieved, "Last night, Prince Consort slept in the study, and early this morning when I got the news, I wanted to tell the Prince Consort, but you had already left."

Jiang Shaohua did this on purpose!

He, as the live-in son-in-law, was to go, and Aunt Mei with her two children were also sent, deliberately creating a time gap to catch him off guard and powerless to stop it.

Lu Xuan felt his whole body surge with blood, rage boiling inside him. Yet, he couldn’t erupt in front of everyone.

Yang Zheng glanced at Aunt Mei and her children, then at Lu Junma, whose expression was less than pleasant, and coughed: "Since it’s the Commandery Princess’s decision, let’s all follow orders! It’s getting late, and we should set off."

Lu Xuan took a deep breath, forced a smile, and nodded in agreement.

Lu Xuan never practiced martial arts, but after marrying into the Nanyang Prince Mansion, he learned to ride a horse. Although his horsemanship was average, it was enough for traveling.

Yang Zheng didn’t need to be said; coming from a family background in horse-riding, he looked quite gallant when riding.

Aunt Mei and her two children honestly boarded a carriage and didn’t even lift the curtain along the way.

Qin Hu rode behind them, and riding beside him, surprisingly, was Meng Sanbao.

"I’m getting moldy resting my injuries." Meng Sanbao’s wounds had healed, and riding again felt incredibly freeing. He turned and grinned at Qin Hu: "Do you think if I suddenly go to Ye County, Silver Vermilion will be particularly surprised?"

Qin Hu enviously looked at his good friend: "I don’t know if Silver Vermilion will be surprised. I figure, when Uncle Meng sees you, he should give you a ’surprise’!"

Meng Sanbao laughed and spit to the side.

The group traveled without unnecessary details.

Three days later, they arrived in Ye County. Qin Hu and Meng Sanbao went ahead to report to the county government, only to find it empty.

"The Commandery Princess and Chief Historian Chen went to inspect the grain warehouse. Most people at the county government have also followed along." The personal soldiers guarding the county government said, "You two settle first and wait for the Commandery Princess to return."

Qin Hu and Meng Sanbao exchanged a glance; one went to arrange accommodations, the other returned to lead Yang Zheng and Lu Junma to settle in.

Not repairing the government office is a common practice in officialdom. The Ye County government looked dilapidated, but from the front hall to the back yard, it was like stepping into a different world.

The courtyard was exquisite with winding corridors and lush flowers and trees, very elegant.

Lu Xuan had no mood to appreciate the scenery. The smile on his face, sustained for three days, vanished after he entered the room and closed the door.

Aunt Mei’s heart trembled as she softly coaxed her two children: "Ying’er, you take your sister out to play for a while."

Lu Ying was already good at reading expressions and refused to leave: "I want to stay with Mother."

Lu Ruohua ran to her father, trying to pull on his sleeve. Lu Xuan abruptly pulled back, causing the young and weak Lu Ruohua to stagger a couple of steps, nearly falling, and she immediately started crying in fear.

Aunt Mei’s heart ached; she ignored Lu Xuan’s cold face and hurried forward to pick up her daughter, coaxing for a long time before calming her.

"Ying’er, be good and take your sister out first." Seeing Lu Xuan’s face growing darker, Aunt Mei’s heart tightened further, trembling as she instructed her son.

Lu Ying didn’t want to go, but when he saw his mother’s pleading eyes, he softly agreed and left with his sister.

Once the door was closed, Lu Xuan’s face darkened, and he kicked Aunt Mei’s waist and abdomen.

Aunt Mei fell to the ground in pain, tears welling in her eyes.

Lu Xuan coldly warned, "Shaohua had you three come for a reason. Remember, don’t say anything you shouldn’t. If you tarnish my reputation, I won’t let you off!"

Aunt Mei swallowed her tears and choked out a response.

...

Meanwhile, Jiang Shaohua was inspecting the last Taiping Grain Warehouse in Ye County.

Ye County was the most populous county in Nanyang County, with every household raising silkworms and weaving silk. Less than half of the land was used for farming. As a result, Ye County had to buy large quantities of grain from other counties every year.

Interestingly, out of the four grain shops in Ye County, the Tang Family owned two, making them the largest grain merchants in Nanyang County.

The grain in the Taiping Grain Warehouse was, of course, all purchased from outside.

The County Magistrate of Ye had the surname Cui and was only twenty-six years old. Achieving the position of Magistrate at such a young age was truly rare. Magistrate Cui hailed from the Qinghe Cui Family, a family of great descent, who studied from a young age, passing the provincial exams at twenty-two, and becoming an Advanced Scholar at twenty-three. He was undoubtedly a young talent.

When the Ministry of Personnel was selecting officials, Magistrate Cui had the opportunity to stay in one of the Six Ministries. However, he didn’t want to remain in the Capital City, so he requested an external assignment. With someone in the court supporting him, Magistrate Cui came to the wealthiest Ye County in Nanyang County. In fact, even within the entirety of Da Liang, Ye County ranked among the top ten richest counties.

Jiang Shaohua was very satisfied after personally inspecting the grain warehouse.

Even Chief Clerk Wen couldn’t help but praise: "I have inspected the Taiping Grain Warehouses in Li County, Wan County, and Xi’e County, and none compare to Ye County."

Even the grain in Bowan County’s warehouse was old. Only Ye County’s warehouse had top-quality new grain.

The people of Ye County were wealthy, and the Household Department didn’t lack silver. Young and promising Magistrate Cui, not yet tainted by the corruption of officialdom, was very dedicated to governance and willing to spend silver on grain.

Jiang Shaohua smiled and praised, "Magistrate Cui is truly dedicated to his job."

The young and promising Magistrate Cui, with a dignified appearance, hurriedly bowed and replied, "I thank the Commandery Princess for the praise! Ever since receiving the official documents from the Prince Mansion, I have ordered the workshop to select the site for the new grain warehouse. Materials have been gradually prepared and construction can start in a few days."

Jiang Shaohua casually smiled and asked, "Every household in Ye County raises silkworms; are you afraid there won’t be enough manpower? What does Magistrate Cui plan to do?"

Magistrate Cui boldly answered, "I have no plans to conscript labor. I have ordered my workshop to seek strong men from other counties, offering double wages for those willing to come work in Ye County."

Big spender!

Even Chief Clerk Wen couldn’t help but feel some envy.

Chief Historian Chen stroked his beard with a smile and said, "Since the county government has silver, hiring workers with silver is a good idea. This way, it doesn’t affect the people’s livelihood."

Magistrate Cui was self-satisfied inwardly but remained steady on the outside and respectfully replied.

Jiang Shaohua also smiled.

With such achievements, a bit of pride is inevitable.

"Reporting to the Commandery Princess," Chen Jinyu, having become the housekeeper, automatically took up the role of reporting messages: "The county government sent a message that Yang Shi, Lu Junma, and others have arrived at the county government."

Jiang Shaohua’s eyes flickered slightly, and she calmly said, "I know, the Commandery Princess will return to the county government after inspecting the grain warehouses."