They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 420 Captivity
Magistrate Lu was overjoyed.

"Yes, yes, that's wonderful! Thank you, Madam Shanci!"

"I dare not accept such praise. It was quite a coincidence. Otherwise, I would never have been able to produce so much."

Master Qin then smiled and said, "Our Qin family has also kept a lot of grain. My lord, I am willing to donate 10,000 catties of rice, 10,000 catties of peanuts, soybeans, mung beans and other miscellaneous grains and beans."

"Very well! On behalf of the people, I thank Lord Qin."

The others had nothing more to say; things had come to this point, and they had to make a statement.

"Sir, our family doesn't have much land, and our harvest isn't much either. We'd like to donate two thousand catties of rice and one thousand catties of miscellaneous grains."

"Sir, even if our family grits our teeth, we can still come up with this much. Let's donate this much as well."

"I am ashamed to say that I am no match for you all. I will donate 1,000 catties of rice."

"I, a commoner, will also donate 1,000 jin and another 500 jin of miscellaneous grains."

"."

Magistrate Lu breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and nodded repeatedly in praise, and instructed his clerk, Shao, to write it down.

After a quick glance at the donation data from various families, it was found that the total amount of grain and miscellaneous grains exceeded 100,000 jin (50,000 kg), which was stored for emergency porridge distribution and should last until the autumn harvest without any problems.

The premise is that no large number of refugees migrate here.

This is something beyond our control at the moment, and Magistrate Lu can only take it one step at a time.

The donation has come to an end.

Xu Zhichun returned to the village and made arrangements to cover up the matter of the approximately 30,000 jin of old grain, waiting for the government to send people to collect it.

Zeng family.

Although the Zeng family was declining, even a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Moreover, Master Zeng was embarrassed to donate less than other families of similar means. Firstly, it would be too embarrassing, and secondly, he was afraid that people would say the Zeng family was failing. So he gritted his teeth and donated three thousand catties of rice and two thousand catties of miscellaneous grains.

In the past, such a large donation wouldn't have been much, but for the Zeng family today, it's quite a sum.

Madam Zeng was heartbroken. Having overheard a few words somewhere, she sneered at home, "What does that Xu woman mean? She's putting on a show of wealth while dragging others down with her, trying to impress everyone! If it weren't for her love of the limelight, our family wouldn't have suffered such a huge loss. Giving away so much grain for nothing, what kind of nonsense is this?"

The eldest son's wife pretended not to hear, preoccupied with how to support her large family after the grain was donated. Everything else was fine, but she couldn't let anyone go hungry.

The grain was donated by my father; what does it have to do with Madam Xu?

Does Father not know the current state of the Zeng family? Even if Father doesn't know, surely outsiders can guess? He insists on donating so much; who can he blame?

He accused others of putting on a show of wealth when he himself was the one who was more likely to do so.
Things are different now. People would inevitably spread rumors to Xu Zhichun. Xu Zhichun learned about Madam Zeng's words within a few days, but she didn't care. She heard that Madam Zeng no longer even had any power in managing the household and had become increasingly hysterical, resorting to vicious and sharp curses, not only against outsiders but also against her own family.

Would Xu Zhichun really hold a grudge against her?
They thought it was no big deal, but to their surprise, Madam Zeng soon sent her daughter-in-law to personally deliver an invitation to Xu Zhichun, inviting her to visit and subtly expressing her apologies.

Xu Zhichun did not want to have any connection with the Zeng family and had politely declined. However, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zeng family spoke earnestly and said that people were feeling uneasy and the atmosphere was gloomy. She suggested that the family invite many ladies and young women from various families to get together and liven things up.

Even if it were just for some time to get together and relax, Madam Xu would still appreciate it.

Xu Zhichun had a good impression of Mrs. Zeng, and besides, he might be able to find out some information through this opportunity.

Snakes have their own way, rats have their own way, and everyone has their own connections and channels. In times like these, having more information is never a bad thing.

Xu Zhichun smiled and nodded in agreement.

Xu Zhichun never imagined that Madam Zeng would go to such lengths—using her daughter-in-law, lying, and going through all this trouble—all for the sake of capturing Xu Zhichun.
Xu Zhichun and Qin Qing, who had been knocked unconscious, were tied up and gagged. They were disguised as cargo, loaded into a mule cart, and would soon be sent out of the city.

Alongside the caravan of two mule carts, besides seven or eight male servants dressed as young servants, there was another person whom Xu Zhichun would definitely recognize if he were still conscious: Zeng Mingzhu's maid, Cuiyue.

When Zeng Mingzhu secretly escaped from the manor, she took Cuiyue with her. Zeng Mingzhu followed the merchant ship all the way to Xiangzhou Prefecture, where, by chance and through a series of unexpected events, she became the favorite concubine of the prefect of Xiangzhou Prefecture.

If it were the original Zeng Mingzhu, even if she were to become a concubine for an official's family, she would certainly not have agreed due to her pride and arrogance. Even when she ran away from her family's estate in a fit of pique with her maid, she was still a pampered and proud young lady.

But how easy is it for the master and servant to travel? Twice they narrowly escaped being trampled and humiliated, which terrified Zeng Mingzhu and shattered her spirit.

The fact that Prefect Feng of Xiangzhou Prefecture took a liking to her was already something she couldn't have asked for. Zeng Mingzhu willingly became Prefect Feng's concubine and flattered him in every way.

Xiangzhou Prefecture was the fiefdom of Prince Yuchang, and Prefect Feng was a trusted and capable confidant of Prince Yuchang.

When Prince Yuchang rebelled, Prefect Feng naturally responded.

While Yu Changwang's core forces were busy heading north to fight the imperial court and attempting to capture the capital and seize the emperor, his rear base naturally needed to be kept as solid as possible.

Prefect Feng's Xiangzhou Prefecture cannot afford to fall.

Although the prefectural capitals of Xijiang Province and Xiangzhou Prefecture are far apart, they are adjacent. Prefect Feng wanted to send someone to secretly infiltrate Xijiang Province for two reasons: first, to secretly investigate the situation there so that he could respond promptly if anything changed; second, if everything went smoothly for the Prince at the front, he could also make great strides in the rear and mobilize some troops to take over Xijiang Province as well. With people planted in advance, they could then coordinate an attack from within and without.

But since the start of the war, how could Prefect Yang of Xijiang Province not make any preparations? Officials throughout Xijiang Prefecture were on tenterhooks, most afraid that Yu Changwang's men might suddenly turn around and try to take them over. Therefore, strict precautions were one thing, and strict investigation of outsiders was another, especially those from Yu Changwang's territory, not a single one could be let go.

Although the two prefectures are adjacent, their accents are quite different, making it difficult for people from Xiangzhou Prefecture to blend in.

Servants in Xijiang Prefecture are easy to buy, but those in charge are hard to find.

None of the capable subordinates under Prefect Feng were from Xijiang Prefecture. At this moment, Zeng Mingzhu stepped forward and offered to share the burden for the prefect. Prefect Feng's eyes lit up.

Excellent!