In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

Once Gu Zhao left home, he would stay away for ten days or half a month at a time, and he didn't even come back for the New Year.

Last New Year's Eve, he rushed off to fight, and she could only wish him a safe journey from afar, for a fleeting moment when the fireworks were in full bloom.

On New Year's Eve this year, Gu Zhao was at war again, and she didn't even get to see him.

I wonder if the two of them will be able to spend the next New Year's Eve together, since they should be married by now and the bandits have been mostly wiped out.

During the Spring Festival, when people visit relatives and friends, Zhu Qingyu stayed at the Zhang family's house for a few days before moving back to the clinic.

That day, Zhu Qingyu was writing a book in the front yard when Madam Zhuang came to visit with gifts.

Mrs. Zhuang has been very happy lately; her eyes light up when you talk to her.

"Thanks to Lord Gu, who killed so many salt smugglers and even captured a general who was involved with bandits. I finally had a good New Year. You don't know, this month has been unusually peaceful, nothing has happened at all, I'm almost not used to it."

Lord Zhuang was ordered to come to Jiangsu to implement new salt administration policies, abolishing the salt permit system and replacing it with a ticket system. This offended too many people and led to several assassination attempts.

Previously, only a few specific salt merchants were qualified to trade salt. If a merchant wanted to obtain a salt permit from the salt administration department, he had to send bribes from top to bottom, and then add all the bribes to the price of salt, causing the price of official salt to rise all the way up. This gave rise to the demand for private salt.

Once the policy of abolishing salt permits and replacing them with official tickets was implemented, Lord Zhuang requested the Emperor's decree to first eliminate the salt administration department. From the transport commissioner to the salt inspector, all of them were transferred back to the capital, and all departments that accepted bribes were abolished.

The second step was to abolish the large salt merchants. Under the new policy, everyone could buy salt tickets from the government, and anyone holding a salt ticket could sell salt. The eight major merchants in Yangzhou lost their monopoly advantage. Except for those who went ashore and entered officialdom, such as the Zhang family, or those who had already realized the need to withdraw quickly, such as the Xue family, the others basically perished in this salt administration reform.

The third step was to eliminate the private salt dealers. Under the new policy, the person in charge of salt tickets was Lord Zhuang. Lord Zhuang did not accept bribes when he was in the Office of Transmission, and he would not accept them when he came to Jiangning. Small merchants who bought salt tickets did not need to pay any additional bribes. Apart from the cost of paying taxes on the salt tickets, they only had the cost of buying salt from the salt fields and transportation. The cost was naturally transparent, and everyone could sell salt. Fair competition led to a sharp drop in the price of official salt, and naturally no one bought private salt.

Everyone came to buy government-issued salt, and the sales of salt coupons soared. The salt tax that the emperor had been worried about was finally collected.

The idea of ​​abolishing the ceremonial permits and changing the tickets was proposed by Gu Zhao, but only someone like Lord Zhuang could actually make it happen.

To ensure that the policy of abolishing the ceremonial seal and changing the ticket is not just a flash in the pan, in addition to relying on Lord Zhuang, it also needs the guarantee of military force.

Only when those wicked people are terrified and dare not harbor any more evil intentions can this policy be sustained in the long run.

Zhu Qingyu echoed Madam Zhuang's words and smiled:

"When the kitchen came to hand in the accounts a few days ago, I discovered that the price of government salt has now reached twenty coins per catty. The money saved will allow the people to have a good New Year. This is all thanks to Lord Zhuang."

In social interactions, mutual flattery is essential. As soon as Zhu Qingyu finished praising Lord Zhuang, Madam Zhuang immediately returned the compliment:

"If we're talking about saving money, your Hui Medical Clinic is truly excellent. A consultation only costs twenty coins, and the medicine is also cheap. That's how you save a lot of money."

With extra money in hand, we can have a good New Year.

Gu Zhao, who had been working tirelessly to earn a few coins for everyone, did not return to Jiangning until the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.

It was also late at night when Gu Zhao, shivering with cold, went to Zhu Qingyu's bed.

Having not seen him for so long, Zhu Qingyu missed him even more than she had imagined. This time, before Lord Gu even had a chance to use any tricks, he was already being drawn into a gentle and intoxicating state by the proactive Lord Zhu.

Zhu Qingyu learned from her mistake and was worried that he would run away early again this time, so she forced herself to wake up before dawn and quickly got dressed.

Gu Zhao, still half asleep, hugged her and pulled her into the blankets:

"Sleep a little longer, where are you going?"

Zhu Qingyu casually picked up a wooden hairpin and tied her hair up:

"Today is the Lantern Festival. I'll ask them to cook a bowl of glutinous rice balls. Let's eat a bowl of glutinous rice balls together, and that will be like celebrating the New Year. You can leave after you've finished eating."

Gu Zhao was a little confused:

"Are you trying to kick me out?"

Zhu Qingyu was also bewildered:

"You don't need to go out anymore?"

Gu Zhao pulled her inside and hugged her:

"I've already killed everyone who needed to be killed, I'm not going out. It's already the fifteenth of the month, what if I miss our wedding if I go out now? Even if the King of Heaven himself calls me, I won't go out!"

Since he didn't have to go out to fight, Zhu Qingyu was less worried. She nestled in his arms and discussed with him:

"We've known each other for so long, but we've never actually spent the Lunar New Year together. Let's try to celebrate it together next year."

Hearing the tenderness in her voice, Gu Zhao nuzzled her hair with his chin.

"Okay, let's celebrate the New Year together next year. How do you celebrate where you are?"

According to Zhu Qingyu's previous custom, the whole family would watch the Spring Festival Gala together and then set off fireworks, but there was no Spring Festival Gala to watch here, so she said:

"We eat together, set off fireworks, and so on. It's just a normal life, being together is enough."

Having dinner and setting off fireworks together for the New Year is just an ordinary wish. Next year we'll be married again, we'll be family, how could we not achieve it?

Gu Zhao readily agreed:

"Okay, next New Year's Day we'll definitely spend it together, have dinner and watch fireworks together."

Gu Zhao said he wouldn't go out this time, and he didn't. Every day, like clocking in, the two of them would have breakfast together and then go out separately, one to see patients and the other to do his duty.

In the evening, when Gu Zhao finished his shift, he returned on time to have dinner with Zhu Qingyu. Before going to bed, they would read some light reading together and enjoy some mundane pleasures.

They lived their ordinary days like an old married couple.

On the day before the third day of the third lunar month, the wedding was to take place the next day. Gu Zhao obediently returned to the governor's mansion, and Zhang Shenze came to pick up Zhu Qingyu and take her back to the Zhang family. Tomorrow, Zhu Qingyu would be married off from the Zhang family.

On the wedding day, the bride was the most tired, having to get up before dawn to get ready. Therefore, Zhu Qingyu went to bed early, sleeping until almost four in the morning, just as it was time to get up and get ready. Suddenly, Granny Tian from the clinic came to the Zhang family's house, knocking loudly on the door. She was led to the inner courtyard, where she spoke through the door:

"Madam Zhu, a constable from the government office was seriously injured by a thief while arresting him. Su Mulin and Lan are unable to handle the situation."

Zhu Qingyu casually picked up a wooden hairpin, tied her hair up, and pushed open the door, saying:

"Walk!"

Because the two families are getting married today, Granny Qin is staying in the outer room with them.

With the time for makeup and dressing fast approaching, and the bride about to run out, even the professional nanny Qin was at a loss and hurriedly chased after her, saying:

"My lady, the time is almost here! What about your clothes?"

Someone answered from afar:

"Take him to the clinic!"