Prime Minister

Chapter 287, Section 286: [A Gentleman of Integrity]

After receiving news of Zhao Cong's case, Jiang Jizhou, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, finally arrived in Yangzhou, accompanied by officials from the canal transport office and Sang Shichang, the leader of the canal transport gang.

Five hundred elite soldiers from the grain transport garrison guarded the supervisory office so tightly that it was completely blocked from all outside prying eyes.

Jiang Jizhou convened a closed-door meeting with key personnel from the Grand Canal Administration and the Grand Canal Gang. Although not a single word of their discussion was leaked, high-ranking officials like Fan Dongyang and Huang Chong could roughly guess that Governor-General Jiang was furious about Zhao Cong's case and was discussing countermeasures.

In any case, as long as Jiang Jizhou did not want to see the Grand Canal government in turmoil, he had to make concessions in this salt and canal dispute. This internal consultation within the canal transport system was nothing more than determining what concessions to make in the end.

Everyone waited patiently, but Xue Huai didn't pay much attention to the matter.

This morning, he was handling official business at the government office and also held a brief meeting with his subordinates, focusing on summarizing the work done in the first half of the year. He concluded that the initial plans set at the beginning of the year had been successfully completed.

The implementation of the new policy did not encounter many obstacles, and the summer tax collection far exceeded the average level of previous years. In addition, there has been considerable progress on specific matters such as river dredging, flood control projects, water conservancy facilities, and land survey.

In the second half of the year, the government's focus was on collecting autumn grain and deepening the results of the new policies. As before, Xue Huai divided all matters into different areas, with Zhang Shi, Hao Shifang, Kong Li, Wang Gui, and others in charge. Everyone was clear about their responsibilities, and Xue Huai oversaw the overall situation.

In the afternoon, Xue Huai finished reading the semi-annual summary reports of the county magistrates and pointed out many errors and obvious false figures. He was about to go to the Jiangdu County Government Office in the city when Jiang Sheng suddenly walked in and reported something with a slightly strange expression.

After listening, Xue Huai smiled, stood up and said, "Let's go back to the official residence."

He still lives in the Tongzhi official residence west of the prefectural government office. Firstly, he has become accustomed to the environment here, and secondly, the official residence is next to the prefectural government office, making it very convenient to travel between them. Therefore, he has not moved to buy the Xue residence in the Qionghua Temple area.

About a quarter of an hour later, Xue Huai arrived outside the study of the official residence and immediately saw Mo Yun and Su Erniang standing under the corridor.

Upon seeing Xue Huai, a tender feeling welled up in Mo Yun's bright eyes.

Now all the maids and servants in the mansion know that Miss Moyun is their young master's attendant, and they all respect this stewardess very much.

However, Mo Yun never dared to take advantage of Xue Huai's favor, especially since she had not yet truly become Xue Huai's concubine. The closest contact between the two was only when she helped Xue Huai warm his bed.

Su Erniang stood aside, taking in Mo Yun's reaction. She couldn't help but feel curious. This maid was beautiful and had a good figure, yet she was still a virgin. Xue Tongzhi was so cautious and self-disciplined. No wonder His Highness valued him so much.

"I have met Magistrate Xue."

Seeing Xue Huai approach, Su Erniang composed herself and gave a smiling curtsy.

Xue Huai returned the greeting and said, "Greetings, Second Madam."

In terms of rank alone, Su Erniang, as the head of the princess's household, was only a seventh-rank female official, while Xue Huai was a fourth-rank official. The difference between the two was huge. However, Xue Huai was well aware of Su Erniang's position in Jiang Li's heart, so he respected this woman very much.

Su Erniang said somewhat apologetically, "His Highness is in the study. Please come in, Assistant Magistrate."

Xue Huai understood why she looked so abruptly; it was impolite for Jiang Li to visit so suddenly. However, he simply smiled and said, "Alright."

As Xue Huai entered the study, his gaze fell upon the woman behind the large desk.

Today, Jiang Li wore a light, lotus-colored gauze dress with a cross-collar, the collar and sleeves embroidered with sparse, intertwined floral patterns in silver thread. Since she was dressed casually, her hair was not adorned with pearls or jade, but loosely tied up with a white jade hairpin, a few strands of black hair falling down her neck, making her neck appear long and slender like a crane's.

Although she was not adorned with gold or embroidery, her eyes, as cold as jade and with slightly upturned corners, still exuded an air of nobility far beyond that of ordinary people.

The ice chest in the corner of the room emitted a cool breeze, and occasionally water droplets slid down the copper wall, making a soft sound in the silence.

The light filtering through the window frame outlined the contours of Jiang Li's profile. The lines from her jawline to her collarbone flowed smoothly like a meticulous painting. Her shoulders and back, beneath the gauze dress, were as straight as bamboo, showing no sign of languor.

Hearing Xue Huai's footsteps as he entered, Jiang Li put down the dossier in her hand, looked up at the tall, slender young man, and said with a smile, "Long time no see."

Xue Huai glanced at the file beside her; it was the Xinghua County Commerce and Trade Revitalization Charter he had drafted yesterday.

Although it wasn't a real secret, it showed that Jiang Li was different from the others. Shen Qingluan had visited his study many times in the past few months, and Mo Yun would personally sweep and tidy it up every day. They never looked through Xue Huai's documents without permission.

"Your Highness is very well-informed."

Xue Huai didn't dwell on Jiang Li's overly familiar behavior and sat down on the chair by the window.

Jiang Li asked curiously, "What news?"

Xue Huai picked up his teacup and calmly asked, "Why did Your Highness abandon your imperial carriage and retinue to travel incognito to Yangzhou?"

Although he didn't deliberately keep an eye on Jiang Li's every move, he knew that she was putting extra effort into praying for blessings at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, and it wasn't until the middle of this month that she finally finished copying a hundred copies of the Classic of Filial Piety herself.

At this time, the fleet carrying the princess's entourage should still be in the Suzhou area.

"Why did you rush here..."

Jiang Li repeated these words, then gazed into Xue Huai's eyes and said softly, "Of course, it's because a day apart feels like three autumns."

Xue Huai nearly choked on his tea.

Jiang Li observed his reaction and then asked with a hint of resentment, "Isn't that how you feel?" "Your Highness."

Xue Huai put down his teacup, noticed the sly look in Jiang Li's eyes, and said in a serious tone, "Your subject is not."

Jiang Li was clearly not satisfied with this answer, so she pressed on, "Really?"

Meeting her intense gaze, Xue Huai vaguely felt that this noblewoman's mentality was intriguing.

When they reunited a few months ago, he noticed that Jiang Li was slightly different from when she was in the capital. She no longer always maintained her princess status and even tried to get closer to him through teasing and joking. For example, the way she called him "Brother Xue Huai" still makes Xue Huai feel uncomfortable to this day.

As a well-rounded young man who has lived two lives and been tested by time, Xue Huai has always been very self-aware. He does not believe that Jiang Li has taken a liking to him. Upon closer examination of her psychology, he believes that it is mostly due to her desire for control that she has developed since childhood, as well as a slight sense of insecurity that she cannot tell outsiders.

But now Jiang Li seems to be getting more and more into this kind of game, and she obviously doesn't know that many times the origin of emotions stems from entangled ambiguity.

Thinking of this, Xue Huai coughed lightly and asked quite seriously, "What Your Highness just said, were you referring to thinking about me day and night?"

"Uh?"

Jiang Li was stunned for a moment, and her heart was immediately filled with shock. She said hurriedly, "You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

She could still maintain her princess-like dignity, unaware that her fair earlobes had quietly turned red.

Seeing her trying so hard to hide her embarrassment, Xue Huai suppressed a laugh and said with a slightly disappointed expression, "Your Highness, please don't be offended. I misspoke."

"..."

Jiang Li was speechless.

After being advised by Su Erniang, she realized that she needed to change her attitude towards Xue Huai and treat this ally as an equal, rather than as a subordinate that she could control at will. Therefore, she showed no displeasure at the marriage proposal between the Xue and Shen families on the surface, and even showed little concern.

But her impression of Xue Huai was indeed different from others, especially since Xue Huai constantly displayed unique abilities and temperament, coupled with his handsome face that she found increasingly pleasing to the eye, which occasionally stirred ripples in her heart.

Whether that "Brother Xue Huai" was a condescending jest or a hidden stirring in her heart, Jiang Li herself wasn't quite sure, nor did she want to know for sure. Perhaps this way of getting along was the best outcome.

However, Jiang Li overestimated her thick skin. Faced with Xue Huai's sudden counterattack, she almost lost control of her emotions.

She knew that Xue Huai was using his own methods against him, and the best way to deal with it was to remain calm. However, seeing the disappointed look on Xue Huai's face, a sudden impulse welled up in her heart.

In an instant, Jiang Li blurted out, "What if I said yes?"

"what?"

This time it was Xue Huai's turn to be stunned. He vaguely felt that the development of the situation was somewhat beyond his expectations.

Jiang Li forced herself to remain calm and tried to maintain her usual aloof expression, saying with a half-smile, "I said, I feel like I've missed you terribly if I don't see you for a day. I wonder what Lord Xue thinks about that?"

The study fell silent.

Jiang Li still looked elegant, but her right hand, hidden under the table, had quietly clenched into a fist.

Looking at her slightly reddened ears and her eyes that were forcing her to meet his gaze, Xue Huai smiled and said, "It is my honor to have Your Highness's concern and care. Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will strive to advance in my career and live up to our promise."

"Um……"

Jiang Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, she knew it was inappropriate as soon as she said it. Fortunately, Xue Huai did not let the awkward situation happen, otherwise she really would not know how to smooth things over.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, then changed the subject, saying, "The dispute over salt and grain transport has not yet been resolved, and I don't want to take up too much of your energy, so I plan to stay at Shen Garden for a few days. You won't mind, will you?"

"of course not."

Xue Huai calmly replied, "Your Highness is the major owner of Guangtai Company in the capital. It is perfectly acceptable for you to stay at Shen Garden. I will send someone to inform you immediately."

Jiang Li shook her head and said, "No need. The entourage is still in the south, and not many people know that I have come to Yangzhou, so there is no need to go to great lengths to attract attention. I have already asked Yi Zhong to go to Shen Garden to make arrangements. I will stay in Shen Qingluan's East Garden for the time being."

Xue Huai was not worried. Jiang Li knew her limits, and Shen Qingluan was not an innocent little girl. The two should have no problem getting along in a short time.

"correct."

Jiang Li composed herself and slowly said, "I came early this time to tell you about the secrets of Fan Dongyang and Jiang Jizhou, so that you can see the situation clearly in this salt and grain transport dispute."

Xue Huai then sat up straight and listened attentively.

About half an hour later, Jiang Li got up and left, and Xue Huai personally escorted her to the carriage.

As he watched the carriage disappear into the distance, he recalled the scene where Jiang Li almost lost her composure and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

(End of this chapter)