Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

At noon that day, the weather was particularly good, the temperature was neither high nor low, and there were just the right number of clouds dotted across the blue sky.

It is a rare beautiful scenery.

Bafang placed lunch on the stone table in the front yamen and asked Meng Changqing to eat outside.

The two of them sat opposite each other, feeling unusually relaxed.

I was only halfway through lunch when I saw Qi Renli running towards me. Before he could even stand still, he asked, "Sir, what do you think happened to Hong Deyu in Dazhou?"

Meng Changqing casually answered while holding the chopsticks: "Dead?"

Qi Renli was surprised, "How did you know?"

Bafang also quickly turned his gaze from Qi Renli to Meng Changqing.

"He's really dead." Meng Changqing put down her chopsticks. Although she had expected that Hong Deyu would not live long, she was still touched when she heard the news of his death.

But she is a thoughtful person and will not easily reveal her true thoughts in front of Qi Renli.

She poured a cup of tea for Qi Renli and asked Bafang to bring a pair of bowls and chopsticks. "Sit down and eat while we talk."

Qi Renli picked up the teacup and drank the tea in it in one gulp before sitting down. "I heard the news from Zheng Lin. It is said that Hong Deyu was imprisoned and committed suicide out of fear of punishment before the verdict was made."

"Do you believe this?" he asked Meng Changqing. At this time, Bafang just placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of him. "Thank you very much."

"I don't believe it." Meng Changqing picked up some food for him, "But this kind of secretly taking people's lives is not uncommon in any dynasty. Brother Qi doesn't need to be too surprised."

"How can I not be surprised?" Qi Renli just picked up the chopsticks but put them down again, and said to Meng Changqing seriously: "Although Hong Deyu is a merchant, he has a rich family property and has had many contacts with the government in the past. His status is higher than that of ordinary people.

The prefect of Dazhou didn't care about anything and didn't even make a judgment. He just attacked Hong Deyu in prison. He totally disregards the law!"

Meng Changqing quietly moved the plate in front of him and said, "Don't get excited. It's not worth getting sick from this."

"Sir, when you heard about this, aren't you angry at all?" Qi Renli asked Meng Changqing.

That expression clearly said: We are on the same side, and you have to be angry with me.

"Of course I'm angry." Meng Changqing agreed with him, "He broke the law in broad daylight, betting that no one can do anything to him as the head of a state."

"Are we just going to let him get away with it like this?" Qi Renli asked angrily.

"No, things will turn into the opposite when they reach the extreme. He has become so rampant that naturally someone will deal with him." Meng Changqing said, "God will punish him. No one can escape."

Qi Renli had never expected that his Lord Meng would talk about retribution from Heaven. "Sir, how long do we have to wait for retribution from Heaven? Can't we write to the court and ask it to conduct a thorough investigation?"

Meng Changqing laughed twice and explained, "As a county magistrate, I cannot file a petition to the court unless it is extremely urgent. Otherwise, I will file a petition to the court, and my career will end there."

"Although I can't go beyond my level, I can get through Lord Wei."

"If that's the case, I've already done it." Meng Changqing said, "I've given my letter of apology to the prefect, who will report it to the higher authorities, and the court will naturally know what happened in Dazhou.

But how the court will deal with Wen Zhifu is hard to say." "Your Excellency is thoughtful and far superior to me." Qi Renli looked at Meng Changqing with admiration, "I believe the court will handle it impartially and thoroughly investigate the officials in Dazhou."

"Thinking about those things is too far-fetched. Let's just take care of the affairs of Beishan County." Meng Changqing thought: It would be better to guess how Wen Ruxu would deal with her.

Wen Ruxu used such means to deal with Hong Deyu, so there was no way he would let her go. What was written in the memorial submitted by Dazhou to the court? What would be waiting for her next?
But no matter what it was, Meng Changqing didn't feel any fear at all.

Meng Changqing asked about sericulture again, "How was your trip up the mountain with Master Xu? Is this county suitable for raising tussah silkworms?"

"Mr. Xu said there is a suitable place on the mountain, but we need to plant oak trees first." Qi Renli said, "I want the county government to try it out for a season to see what the benefits are, and then consider whether to popularize it to the people.

Firstly, due to the Hong family’s affairs, the price of tussah silk is unstable, and it would be too risky to enter the market rashly. It would be better to wait for a season or two.

Secondly, the people from the new village had just arrived and were busy with spring ploughing and building houses. They had no time to do other business, and the government's stall was too big, which distracted them.

And for the sake of safety, even if we decide to make it universal, before that, I would like to select a few families first, and let the government and those families share the risk, and let them try it again, just like you said, as a pilot project."

Meng Changqing said: "You have thought it through very well. I fully support sharing the risks during the pilot."

Meng Changqing would never hold back when it came to the way of making money that Qi Renli had found.

After that day, the two of them continued to be busy with their own things. Although they both worked in the government office, they might not run into each other all day long. But as long as they worked together, they could feel that they were close to each other.

On the 15th day of March, a eunuch from the palace came to the royal family's mansion in the capital.

Butler Shu Bo quickly sent someone to inform Zong Shouqing.

"Eunuch." Zong Shouqing was very polite to the visitor and carefully asked about his purpose.

"Your Majesty is concerned about the old tutor's condition and sent me to visit him. If his condition has not improved, you should call the imperial physician to treat him in time." The eunuchs knew the emperor's mind best and dared not show any disrespect to the people the emperor valued.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It's a great honor for you to come all the way here." Zong Shouqing personally led the way and explained, "My father just caught a cold, which should be cured in a few days, but he refused to take medicine, and the illness has been delayed. It looks a little serious in the past two days."

The eunuch listened all the way, and when he entered Zong Ruwen's recuperation room, he comforted him and advised him together with Zong Shouqing, "You still have to take the medicine, otherwise how can the disease be cured?"

Zong Ru was so confused by the illness that he had no idea who was next to him. He thought it was his family members bothering him again, so he forced himself to cheer up and shouted, "You are so nagging! I'll sell you!"

"This..." The eunuch turned around and looked at Zong Shouqing.

Zong Shouqing quickly apologized, "My father was not in good spirits, so I guess he didn't recognize you. Please forgive me for offending you, sir."

"It's okay, but looking at the old master's condition... we should call the imperial physician as soon as possible. Even if he refuses to take medicine, a couple of injections will provide some relief."

"Thank you, father-in-law."

The eunuch hurried back to the palace to report the situation, and soon the imperial physician came to see the patient.

After all, he was an imperial physician, and his medical skills were not comparable to those of ordinary doctors. After a few injections, Zong Ruwen soon became much more sober, and vaguely remembered that he seemed to have cursed someone.

After calling his son over to ask, he found out that someone from the palace had come. "Your Majesty probably wants to see me for something, not just to check on my condition." (End of this chapter)