Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

"Alright, if everyone's clear, get to work. Don't hesitate to come to me if you need more silver."

After Xie Xian finished speaking, Lian Gui immediately retorted, "We're all busy with work, what are you going to do?"

Xie Xian smiled triumphantly, "Me? Of course, I'm going to the city to befriend wealthy families and build good relationships. I don't mind working a little harder."

"Besides, it's too unsafe here. To prevent eavesdropping, I'll buy a pleasure boat, and we'll gather on the boat from now on."

"Damn it! Why! You're going too far! Just because you have a big head?"

Everyone immediately became agitated. They agreed to let him lead, not to let him enjoy himself!

They would be toiling away doing hard labor while he would be going to brothels and eating lavish meals?

Xie Xian said loudly, "That's right! It's because I have a big head! I'm a Juren! You bunch of illiterates, can you compose poetry? I associate with learned scholars, and there are no uncultured people in my circle!"

"It's a waste for you to go. I can pack up whatever you want to eat, and you can have the leftovers."

Everyone looked at Xie Xian, speechless.

Indeed... although everyone could read, they were essentially illiterate. This was truly suffering from a lack of culture.

Lian Gui stammered, "Old Xie... you... you're a Juren? Then how did you end up in Taoyuan County?"

"Heh, how else would I have gotten here? Of course, the master admired my talent and invited me to Taoyuan County."

Xie Xian was filled with pride.

"Back then, I accidentally met the master when I went to the capital to take the imperial exam, and we had a very pleasant conversation. Later, I promised the master that if I didn't pass the exam, I would definitely go to Taoyuan County to serve him!"

Lian Gui said with a grin, "Later, you failed the exam. It seems you don't have much ability, and the master misjudged you."

"Nonsense!" Xie Xian looked distressed. "I didn't even take the exam that year! I encountered bandits on the way to the capital, and all my travel expenses and writing materials were robbed!"

"To think that Xie Xian spent more than ten years studying diligently, and passing the Jinshi exam would have been more than enough... I didn't expect..."

Xie Xian had a look of extreme heartache, never expecting that his highest pursuit as a scholar would be shattered on that day.

A weak voice suddenly came from the crowd, "Old Xie... I was the one who robbed you back then, sorry about that, it was all a long..."

Xie Xian was stunned for a moment, and then he pounced on him like a madman.

"You son of a b*tch! I'll beat you to death!!"

"Old Xie, Old Xie, calm down, calm down..."

"Stop! Don't fight anymore."

"................"

.........................

Inside Banshan Workshop.

Fang Zheng and Li Yuanzhao were sitting leisurely in the courtyard drinking tea.

Li Yuanzhao sighed from time to time as he looked at the sky.

Fang Zheng was annoyed by the sighing and glanced at him, "Your Highness, can you stop sighing? Negative energy is contagious."

"What is negative energy?"

"How should I put it? You get infected with negative energy when His Majesty punishes you."

"Uh....."

Li Yuanzhao put down his teacup, picked up a piece of dessert and took a big bite, muttering, "Why doesn't what I say to my father work? I don't think the grain prices can be suppressed."

Fang Zheng shrugged.

I've been licking boots for so long, and it's still useless.

"They have more people. Your Highness, don't think about the grain disaster. Cut your coat according to your cloth... oh, it's trousers."

"This is not something that can be completely solved by one person's idea. Just do your best."

Li Yuanzhao looked troubled, "I have a bad feeling. Do you know, I went to greet my father last night and saw a memorial in the imperial study."

"It said that a place called Tonggu in the south was suffering from a grain disaster, and the starving people were fighting for Guanyin clay to eat."

"What is Guanyin clay? Can you eat clay?"

Fang Zheng had just picked up his teacup when his hand trembled, and he put the teacup down again.

He slowly leaned back in his recliner.

"It's just a kind of clay, you can eat it."

Li Yuanzhao looked at Fang Zheng curiously, "Old Fang, have you eaten it? Is it delicious?"

Fang Zheng stared blankly at the sky and said softly, "I've eaten a little."

"It's delicious... like flour, it just sticks to your mouth. Once you start eating, you can't stop."

Li Yuanzhao was greedy, "Where is it? I want to try it..."

Fang Zheng smiled, "The gavel in Taoyuan County is made of Guanyin clay. If Your Highness wants to eat it, I can send you a piece."

Li Yuanzhao also smiled, "Old Fang, do you really think I'm a fool? It must not be delicious!"

"If it was delicious, would people wait until they were starving to eat it?"

"Your Highness is wise, I am ashamed of myself."

Li Yuanzhao thought for a while, grabbed a small handful of soil from the ground, put it in his mouth, and his features instantly twisted together.

"Tui! tui! tui!"

"Tui!, It's all dirt, that's probably what it tastes like! Wouldn't people die from eating this stuff?"

"I don't know what the south is like, wouldn't people be starving to the point of eating people?"

Fang Zheng couldn't help but sigh, he really did meet a good Crown Prince.

"Does Your Highness want to help with disaster relief?"

Li Yuanzhao asked back, "Otherwise? Don't you want to help?"

"Help if we can, give up if we can't. That's what I think. I'm just an ordinary person, and some things are beyond human will."

"What about now?"

"If Your Highness wants to help, then I want to help."

Li Yuanzhao clapped his hands and jumped up from the recliner, "Hey, I knew it. Usually, when you go to court, you either sleep or flatter my father. If you can talk to my father about serious matters twice, you must be restless!"

"Old Fang, you have the most tricks, what can you do?"

Fang Zheng immediately said loudly, "What flattery! I'm just telling the truth. His Majesty is wise, that's known to everyone. To think that I can enter the court...."

Passersby outside the wall stopped when they heard the flattering voice coming from the courtyard.

Li Yuanzhao pulled a long face, "That's enough, Old Fang, it's just the two of us."

Fang Zheng's expression straightened, "I have a way! Record merit on stone!"

Li Yuanzhao's eyes lit up, "Tell me more about it."

"The officials in the capital gather from all over the world. None of those who can be officials in the court are not local bigwigs. It's much easier to directly ask them for grain!"

"But if we just borrow it directly, these people will definitely make all kinds of excuses. So we can collect the amount of grain donated by each family, then rank them and promote it among the people."

"In this way, wouldn't the officials be eager to donate?"

Li Yuanzhao was stunned, "What a bad idea! Won't they unite? I don't believe it's that simple to solve the problem."

Fang Zheng smiled slightly, "Well said!"

"Of course it's not that simple. What I'm going to do is an advanced version. Does Your Highness know? I have two martial arts skills that have allowed me to live to this day and thrive! Once these two skills are used, the heroes will be subdued!"

Li Yuanzhao was completely excited!

He said excitedly, "You actually have peerless martial arts! Quick, show it to me! Could it be even more powerful than Zhang Biao?"

Fang Zheng shook his head, "No, Zhang Biao attacks the body, I attack the spirit."

...........