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Chapter 805: Extra Stories (Part )
In some places in Daliang, there is a custom of arranging marriages for children. The marriage is arranged as soon as the child is born. Before the child can walk or talk, he or she has a fiancé or fiancée. The children often see each other and get to know each other. This is much better than a blind marriage.

Chen Jinyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she heard this: "Mom, please don't say such things. The emperor asked Kang Ge'er to enter the palace to be his study companion. He didn't want him to be a child husband."

"They are almost the same." Yao's mind was working quickly at this time, and she laughed softly, "Kang Ge'er is more than a year younger than Princess Bao'er, so their ages are suitable. They are childhood sweethearts and grew up together. This is a natural thing."

It is impossible to say that Chen Jinyu has never thought about this. As a mother, how can she not make plans for her son? However, the child is too young, and it is better not to think about things that are not even a shadow of the matter.

"In short, don't say these words again." Chen Jinyu said solemnly: "The emperor has been kind to me, but I cannot lose the respect of a subject for the emperor. Mother should not speak about what is going on in the palace without permission. This is a taboo."

"If the news reaches the capital and reaches the emperor's ears, what will the emperor think? How will grandfather, as the prime minister of Daliang, deal with it?"

"Our Chen family is different now than before. In the past, in Nanyang County, my father was the county magistrate, and my mother could only interact with the women in Bowang County. Now my father is in a high position, and my mother is the wife of the governor. Everything we say and do is watched by others, so we have to be extra cautious."

Yao replied awkwardly.

Chen Jinyu said: "We will take up our posts tomorrow."

The mother and daughter quarreled when they met, and when they parted, they were reluctant to leave. Yao held her daughter's hand and sighed: "Now that you are gone, I don't know when I will see you again."

Chen Jinyu smiled and said, "I'm going to take up my post in Runan County, which is only a few days away from Yuzhou Prefecture. When I have official business in the future, I will have to come to Yuzhou Prefecture. If mother misses me, it's okay to stay in Runan County for a while."

Yao was delighted and said, "I will go to Runan County when you are settled."

Chen Jinyu thought to herself, I really shouldn’t have said that.

The couple bid farewell to Governor Chen and went to Runan County to take up their posts together.

Chen Jinyu was appointed as the governor of Runan County, and Ma Yaozong was the chief historian of Runan County.

It was the first time in the officialdom of Daliang that a husband and wife served as officials together, and the wife's official position was higher than her husband.

The officials of Runan County secretly laughed at Ma Changshi, a man with weak authority, but they were particularly warm and polite when they met him.

After all, Ma Changshi is also an old man around the emperor, and he is quite favored by the emperor. The Ma family started out by raising horses, and they are still raising horses for the Nanyang guards! Although he is not ranked first in the merit of following the emperor, he must be among the top three.

Ma Yaozong has been smooth and clever since he was young, and he has become even more smooth in the past few years working in the Ministry of Personnel. At the welcoming banquet, he toasted and chatted with his colleagues and subordinates without putting on airs.

Chen Jinyu was different. As a minister of the emperor, she had to be extremely cautious in her words and deeds, and could not let others criticize and ridicule her for any omissions.

Fortunately, she was used to such scenes and was not afraid at all. In the past, she dealt with important officials of the six ministries and the Empress Dowager Li in the harem. The highest official in front of her was only from the fifth rank. In terms of official position, she was a county governor. In terms of backers, no one was as strong as her.

When she left Beijing to take up her post, the emperor specially sent a team of imperial guards to escort her. Now, these 100 imperial guards naturally stayed to serve as her personal guards. At this time, several tall and strong imperial guards stood behind her with knives. If anyone looked disrespectful, the long knife in his hand would be drawn.

Who would dare to disrespect such power?

Who can be dissatisfied?

Naturally, no one dared to point fingers at the female county magistrate, and everyone was extremely respectful to her.

A county magistrate stood up to toast, but County Magistrate Chen did not move. He smiled and said, "I never drink alcohol, so today I will use water instead of wine. County Magistrate Huo, please don't be offended."

County Magistrate Huo dared not be surprised, he smiled and drank it all in one gulp. After the banquet, Chen County Magistrate Ma Changshi took him away. All the officials of Runan County breathed a sigh of relief, not daring to say a word, and hurriedly dispersed.

"Prefect Chen is truly majestic today."

In the bedroom, Ma Yaozong reached out to help his wife change her clothes. His movements were very skillful, and it was obvious that he had done this many times in his daily life.

Chen Jinyu smiled sweetly and leaned into her husband's chest: "A new official must be more dignified when taking office. I'll trouble Ma Changshi to win people's hearts."

The couple, one is the county magistrate and the other is the chief secretary, one is strict and the other is gentle, one has the red face and the other has the white face, they are perfect.

There was no need to discuss this. The two of them already had a tacit understanding.

Ma Yaozong hugged his wife's slender waist and said with a low laugh, "I will obey the county governor in everything."

Chen Jinyu smiled and glanced at her husband. There was no need to elaborate on the joys of the boudoir for a young couple.

After taking office, the first thing Chen Junshou did was to rectify the administration of Runan County and inspect the county towns.

As expected of a confidant who had followed the emperor for many years, the governor of Chen County had learned the emperor's iron-blooded methods to the fullest. While patrolling, he beheaded and killed people on the spot, dismissed those who should be dismissed, and confiscated the property of those who should be confiscated without mercy.

The officialdom of Runan County was shaken for half a year. Two heads were lost, three official hats were removed, and three wealthy families that were causing trouble to the area were confiscated. After this purge, the officials of Runan County were as honest as quails. The aristocratic families of Runan County were even more trembling with fear, and each one was more active than the other in paying the land tax.

The governor of Chen County was still not satisfied and made his suggestion in a private letter to the emperor.

"…Corruption in the officialdom has long been endemic. Killing the biggest rat can deter corruption for a while. Once supervision is not in place, it will come back again."

"The imperial court should establish relevant laws to eliminate corruption and laziness at the root."

Half a month later, the emperor's reply arrived.

"I have wanted to do this since I ascended the throne. Before, the throne was not stable and people's hearts were not settled, so it was inconvenient to start. Today, we can start now."

"I have discussed this matter with Prime Minister Chen and Vice Minister Wang. Let's start from the capital, from the Ministry of Personnel, and re-establish the style of officialdom and governance."

"There are many officials in Daliang, assigned to various places. It is not easy to implement this matter. Don't be too impatient, just proceed step by step."

“Although the road is long, we will reach our destination.”

Although the road is long, we will reach our destination.

The governor of Chen County read the emperor's reply over and over again, silently savoring the ambition contained in it, and felt his heart surging and unable to calm down.

She had been in Runan County for more than half a year, and with the support of the emperor and her grandfather and father, she made drastic changes to the officialdom of Runan County. But this was far from winning the hearts of her subordinates. Governing a county was not easy, and it was even more difficult for the emperor to govern the vast territory of Daliang.

Civil service reform is no small matter. It affects the entire body, so it is never too cautious.

……