I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 327 Until Death
The worse the salt from the salt warehouse tastes, the easier it is to replace her fine salt.

No one is born a masochist who would refuse good salt and only want to eat bad salt.

Tang Zhao took the salt block from Gu Ci, threw it back into the sack, and left the salt warehouse.

Yang Qianchong snorted angrily at the salt depot official, flicked his sleeves, and strode after him.

"We're doomed. With Manager Yang's vengeful nature, he definitely won't let us off the hook."

One of them gritted his teeth and said, "Now that things have come to this, there's only one way!"

The three of them looked at each other and nodded in unison.

On the way back to the office, Yang Qian kept observing Tang Zhao's expression, but Tang Zhao remained smiling, just as he had been when they first met, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Yang Qian's heart sank. Tang Wenyue's behavior showed how cunning she was. Their plan might not be able to frighten her.

"Lord Yang, Lord Yang!"

Yang Qian snapped out of his reverie. "What business does Your Excellency have with me?"

"We have arrived at my office," Tang Zhao said. "Lord Yang has accompanied me for quite some time today, which must have taken up a lot of official business. I will not take up any more of your time."

Yang Qian replied politely, "This is my duty, how can it be considered a delay? It is my honor to serve by your side, sir."

Tang Zhao exclaimed, "Having a subordinate like Lord Yang, who works so hard without complaint, is truly my good fortune!"

Yang Qian was about to feign modesty when Tang Zhao said, "In that case, Lord Yang, immediately summon the other officials so we can discuss how to reform the salt administration!"

Yang Qian: . . . . .

Yang Qian looked up at the blazing sun overhead and asked uncertainly, "Now?"

"Time waits for no one!" Tang Zhao said passionately. "Millions of people in Jiangnan are still desperately waiting for salt. How can we, as their officials, let them continue to wait in anguish?"

With this serious accusation leveled against him, Yang Qian had no choice but to go down and call for help.

After Yang Qian left, Gu Ci looked at Tang Zhao and said, "These officials of the Salt Transport Commission are far too audacious."

A mere seventh-rank official in a salt depot dared to utter such treasonous words in the Salt Transport Commissioner's office, threatening the official position of a third-rank official in the imperial court. This demonstrates the extent of his arrogance.

Tang Zhao wasn't particularly angry. What's the point of going to work if you don't chat with your boss or scold your colleagues?
Furthermore, "they assumed I would be busy checking the accounts immediately and wouldn't have time to spare."

As the highest governing body for the production, transportation, and collection of salt taxes in the Jiangnan region, the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office had an enormous number of accounts. Once you were in the accounting office, you wouldn't be able to get out for at least ten days or half a month.

Most importantly, Tang Zhao believed that the officials of the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office had already made the accounts flawless, leaving no room for doubt.

"The primary task now is to ensure that the people of Jiangnan can have access to reasonably priced, high-quality fine salt as soon as possible. As for past grievances, those are not within my scope of work."

Gu Ci's eyes flickered. In the past, Zhao Zhao could not tolerate even a grain of sand in her eyes. Anyone who dared to falsify accounts and deceive superiors would surely pay a heavy price.

But now she says it's not within her job scope.

What exactly caused Zhao Zhao to change so much?
Tang Zhao lowered his head and drank his tea, not daring to look Gu Ci in the eye.

There was silence in the room.

Fortunately, Yang Qian returned quickly with a group of officials. Tang Zhao cleared his throat and said, "I invited you all here to discuss the reform of the salt administration."

The officials all tensed up and listened attentively.

"I have decided to build salt fields in Rudong County, Xiangshui County, Binhai County and Ganyu County."

"My lord," Yang Qian hurriedly said, "as far as I know, none of these four counties have salt mines."

“It will be available soon,” Tang Zhao continued. “Now, you should immediately issue a recruitment order to hire people to go to the four counties to produce salt.”

The officials exchanged glances, thinking that the newly arrived salt commissioner had gone mad.

How can salt be made without salt mines?
But no matter how they tried to persuade him, Tang Zhao always had a "just listen to me" expression, and they were completely at their wits' end.

Since Tang Zhao is courting death, they shouldn't blame them for fanning the flames. Yang Qian and the others withdrew. Such a trivial matter as the recruitment order didn't require them to write it themselves; they could simply instruct their subordinates to handle it.

"May I ask, sir, how much are you paid?"

Yang Qian rolled his eyes. "One hundred coins a day."

The clerk's eyes widened; a hundred coins a day—he was tempted to take the job.

"The Commander loves the people like his own children, how could he mistreat the people of Jiangnan? Not only does he provide 100 coins a day, but he also provides three meals a day."

How many people do you want to hire?

Yang Qian said, "Let's start with 50,000 people."

The minor official felt sympathy. Although the Salt Transport Commissioner's office was large, it didn't have much public funds. If the wages of these 50,000 people couldn't be paid, the commander would be in big trouble.

But the power struggles among the officials were beyond the control of a lowly clerk like him. The clerk silently accepted the order and went down to write the notice.

That evening, Tang Zhao stayed overnight in the office to show his respect for official business.

Of course, the real reason was that the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office was too far from the post station, and the time to go to the office was too early, so Tang Zhao really couldn't get up.

Gu Ci stayed overnight in the outer room.

In the middle of the night, rustling footsteps could be heard outside the door.

Gu Ci opened his eyes, rolled out of bed, and walked to the window. A moment later, Chao Hui asked in a low voice from outside the window, "Master, did you see the salt warehouse official during the day? I have already tied him up."

"May I ask what brings you here?"

"They said they wanted to see an adult."

"Bring the person in."

"Yes!" Chaohui and Chaoyi carried three people tied up like rice dumplings into the house.

Gu Ci left the cabinet and woke the person who was sleeping, saying, "The person you've been waiting for has arrived."

"Why are you so late?" Tang Zhao said unhappily. "I was already asleep waiting."

Gu Ci helped Tang Zhao get dressed. "Yang Qian and the others didn't dare go home when they saw you staying at the yamen. They stayed until Hai Shi (9-11 PM) before turning off the lights."

Tang Zhao got out of bed and was about to bend down to put on her shoes when Gu Ci squatted down, picked up the boots, and put them on Tang Zhao's feet.

Tang Zhao felt a little embarrassed, as no one had ever helped her put on her shoes since she could remember. "I can do it myself."

Gu Ci grabbed Tang Zhao's leg, which was trying to pull back, and said, "My lord, you have worked hard all day. It is only right that your subordinates share the burden of such trivial matters."

The candlelight made Gu Ci's handsome face look even more striking.

Tang Zhao smacked his lips, suddenly feeling a little guilty.

Gu Ci looked up. "What's wrong?"

Tang Zhao asked, as if possessed, "Gu Ci, if I were to disappear one day, would you marry someone else?"

Why isn't he here?

"Suppose! For example, I disappeared, or even... well," before the word "die" could be uttered, Gu Ci covered her mouth.

Tang Zhao looked at Gu Ci with her big, bright eyes.

"I only recognize you as my wife," Gu Ci said, enunciating each word clearly. "If you are gone, I will come looking for you."

"I will search for you no matter where you are, from the highest heavens to the deepest hells."

Tang Zhao raised her hand and took Gu Ci's hand away. Her lips moved for a long time before she finally uttered a sound, "What if we can't find it?"

Gu Ci was silent for a moment, then said, "Then I will wait for you until I die."