Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 80 It's a pity he's an orphan (Seeking monthly votes)

Since Zhou Sheng was captured, the prefectural government has been taking frequent actions. Not only did it do its best to handle the aftermath as the prefect had promised, but it also launched a thorough investigation into officials in various prefectures and counties below the prefectural government.

The people of Shawan spread the news far and wide, praising the imperial envoy's swift and decisive actions, saying that when he did act, he was astonishing.

Therefore, the most talked-about topic in the entire Tanzhou Prefecture was which official had been summoned for an audience and which one had been reprimanded.

As a result, the atmosphere at the docks naturally improved. After a few days of cleanup, the shops and merchant ships resumed operations. Through their joint efforts in bringing down the corrupt officials, it seemed that even the merchants and their laborers had become more harmonious.

Qin Zhou moved in that very night after returning from Tanzhou Prefecture.

As for Qin Zhou's accommodation, since they didn't expect him to actually agree to stay, they had to make do with the bedding they had prepared the night before.

The next morning, when the sun was shining, Lu Jia rolled up her sleeves and washed the bedding and curtains, and cleaned the room again.

He Qu and Tang Yu dared not refuse to help, but they really couldn't. They were very conflicted, squatting beside Xiao Huang, who was also willing but powerless.

Butler Qin looked at the account books while basking in the sun, his eyes occasionally glancing at her. "Aren't you tired?"

"I'm tired." Lu Jia gasped for breath and wiped away her sweat. "But it's only when the bedding is dried in the sun that you sleep soundly. You're deficient in qi and blood, so you need to eat and sleep well to nourish your spirit."

Shen Qingzhou pursed her lips: "I've never seen a rich person wash and dry their own clothes."

“My mother has already started looking for someone at the dental clinic. But I think it’s better to be safe than sorry, and the person has to be reliable.”

Lu Jia wanted to find people as soon as possible, but some of them would inevitably have to go to the capital with her to return to the Lu family. If they didn't have certain abilities, they would just be easy targets to kill. So she had to find a few clever, obedient, and loyal people to make use of.

Shen Qingzhou thought that made sense, so he didn't say anything more.

The bedding dried in a day.

Lu Jia also placed a bunch of osmanthus flowers in Shen Qingzhou's room.

As night fell, Shen Qingzhou lay with her face pressed against the quilt, which still smelled of sunshine. Her fingers stroked the half-worn flowers she had embroidered herself on the pillow. She lay quietly in the darkness for a while, then closed her eyes and slept more soundly than ever before.

The next day, after breakfast, Shen Qingzhou said he was going to Tanzhou Prefecture to purchase some things.

Although Lu Jia felt that there was really no need to go to Tanzhou Prefecture to purchase supplies since there were only a few people in the family, he was the steward and it was his duty to do so. Since Lu Jia had no reason to object, he let Tang Yu go with him while he stayed home to sew clothes.

Qiu Niang stared at her for a while, then couldn't help but say, "This Steward Qin is not bad, it's just a pity that his family background is a bit low, otherwise..."

The unfinished words choked her.

A mother will always worry about her children's marriages. With the New Year approaching, her daughter is already sixteen, yet she hasn't mentioned returning to the capital or taking any initiative to arrange a marriage. Won't this delay things?
If it weren't for the fact that her biological father was so powerful that she couldn't make the decision herself, Qiu Niang would have already arranged things for her.

Qin Zhou's character is impeccable, his temperament is impeccable, and his appearance is even more so. Although he is a bit weak, he is so good at fighting that he can't be bad at all.

If only I had a better family background!

Look, Lu Jia even made clothes for him herself. How could this be considered rejection? If she made this decision, it would be easier to deal with her father's accusations in the future.

Unfortunately, he was an orphan...sigh.

"Come on, don't worry about it. I went to great lengths to keep him here. If you bring this up, won't you scare him away?"

How could Lu Jia not understand Qiu Niang's meaning?
But in order to get Qin Zhou to agree to go back to the Lu family with her to take revenge on the scumbags, it's such a waste to treat him like a son-in-law right now!

Qiu Niang gave her a reproachful look, sighed, and remained silent.

Shen Qingzhou led Tang Yu into Tanzhou Prefecture and headed straight for the location of Prince Ji's residence.

Tanzhou was the fiefdom of Zhu Ziyu, the Prince of Ji, who was three generations removed from the emperor. After the emperor ascended the throne, these collateral relatives were not of high status.

Prince Ji was honest and hardworking. He was provided with everything he needed, and the palace allocated funds for the ancestral temple's annual sacrifices. In addition, the imperial clan had their own sacrificial lands. In short, apart from lacking power, he was rich and noble without any worries.

However, in order to obtain more rewards, just like other members of the imperial clan, the Prince Ji's mansion also sent people to the capital every year to ask for rewards.

Shen Qingzhou arrived at a teahouse near the Prince's Mansion, while Tang Yu was ordered to inquire about the current situation of the Prince's Mansion.

The man returned shortly after: "Zhu Peixu, the younger brother of Prince Ji's heir, was granted the title of Prince Yi last year. He usually only knows how to cockfight and dog racing, but recently Prince Ji's heir has arranged for him to take charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingzhou asked him to fetch paper and pen from the teahouse accountant, and then wrote a letter and handed it to him.

The master and servant parted ways outside the teahouse. One went to find Prince Yi, while the other went to the Tanzhou government office, where Guo Yi was also present that day and where Zhou Sheng was being held.

……

With Zhou Sheng's capture, the entire Tanzhou Prefecture was in turmoil. As an important town where the imperial envoy was stationed, Shawan County was even more tense and suffocating during this period.

Magistrate Fang has been summoned by the imperial envoy for several days. In the year since he took office as the magistrate of Shawan County, all the case files and documents have been reviewed.

This young county magistrate was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from the previous year. I heard that his elders also held official positions in the capital. He seemed to disdain committing crimes and colluding with merchants.

Even someone as incorruptible as him was investigated to this extent. What about those with ulterior motives? How will they be investigated?

He Qing was restless and unable to eat or sleep properly; he was never relaxed for a single moment of the day.

His anxiety was not in vain. That evening, someone from the imperial envoy's side issued a notice, ordering him to compile all the case files into a book and submit it to the imperial envoy's office before going on duty the next day.

If there is any concealment or falsification, the perpetrator will be prosecuted directly.

In the dead of night, He Qing, who had just come out of the yamen, dragged his tired legs into the study. After letting out a long sigh in the dark room, he lit the oil lamp with trembling hands.

The county magistrate is rotated every term, but the assistant prefect is often selected from the local area. He Qing served as the assistant prefect in Shawan for no less than ten years. How could he not know the situation between Shawan County and the rice market at the dock?

It was precisely because he knew this that he dared to accept money from the Zhang family. In addition to the Zhang family, he also received annual taxes and tributes from other merchants.

If we investigate like this, won't we find out everything about him?
The imperial envoy has been here for so long, yet no one has ever realized that he possesses such abilities!
So he wasn't just here to make an appearance?

Or are they serious?

Looking at the huge pile of case files and documents in front of him, he slumped into a chair and started pulling at his hair.

Suddenly a night wind blew, and the oil lamp went out with a snap.

He cursed and lit the lamp again.

But the lamp was lit before he could make a move.

He put away the tinderbox with one hand and looked at him through the lamplight: "Lord He, it's been a long time."

(End of this chapter)