This son-in-law is wicked in a good way!

Zhang Ping'an waited in the same spot for a while.

All they saw was the woman running back in a panic with her child.

"What happened? Where is everyone?"

Zhang Ping'an asked in confusion.

"Sir, I went back and told them that you were hiring people to work, paying them and providing meals, but they didn't believe me and said I was a swindler!"

The woman said with a wronged expression.

Zhang Ping'an was stunned for a moment. Could it be that the conditions he set were too high?

"Take me there, and I'll talk to them myself."

"Please follow me, sir!"

The woman led Zhang Ping'an to an abandoned courtyard, where only half of the dilapidated gate remained.

Dozens of refugees had gathered here, all of them emaciated and dressed in rags.

"Zhang Guihua, you liar, how come you brought the officials back?"

The two refugees at the door turned pale with fright when they saw Zhang Ping'an, who was wearing a black bird-patterned robe with a broadsword at his waist. They turned around and ran inside.

Zhang Guihua hurriedly called out, "Li Mazi, this is the gentleman who wants to hire workers..."

But the two people had already run far away and couldn't hear them anymore.

"Go inside, I'll talk to them."

Zhang Ping'an stepped into the courtyard.

The dozens of refugees who were lying or standing in the courtyard hurriedly stood up and looked at Zhang Ping'an with fear on their faces.

Zhang Ping'an saw fear and tension on their faces.

Even in later generations, kind-hearted people would feel uneasy when they saw those who worked for the government, let alone the lower classes of this world.

"Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm here to testify on behalf of Sister Zhang."

"Everything she said is true."

"If anyone is willing to work, they will receive ten coins a day, with two meals provided. After working for two months until the imperial court has controlled the floods, you can take the money and go home."

With Zhang Ping'an's official position, the credibility of the government is naturally exceptional.

Immediately, someone whispered, "Sir, are you telling the truth?"

"Two meals a day, plus ten coins. Such a good deal, people in the capital would be scrambling to do it, how come it's our turn, us disaster victims from out of town?"

Zhang Ping'an looked at the young man who was clearly tall and broad-shouldered, yet thin and bony, and smiled.

"To tell you the truth, this is actually a welfare program specially issued by His Majesty for disaster victims. This job only hires disaster victims, not locals from the capital."

Zhang Ping'an has set up a persona for the Empress... uh, he'll have to ask the Empress for a fee later.

The young man immediately knelt down and kowtowed towards the direction of the palace: "So it was His Majesty who took care of us disaster victims! Long live the Emperor!"

All the disaster victims knelt down and worshipped, chanting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Everyone, get up, work hard, earn money to take home—that's the best way for you to repay His Majesty."

Zhang Ping'an has already begun using PUA (Pick-Up Artist) tactics.

"Don't worry, sir, we will definitely work hard."

"I believe in you." Zhang Ping'an nodded.

"By the way, please tell the other refugees this news. I need a lot of manpower here, and I'll take anyone who comes."

"At this time tomorrow, you will still be here waiting for me. I will come to register your grades."

"Really? That's great! My second uncle's cousin's sister-in-law's sister can also come and work."

Many of these people have relatives and friends scattered in other places, and they make a living by begging.

If they could have a proper job that not only provided meals but also paid them, it would be like having a government job in later generations, something people would fight tooth and nail to get into.

After giving a few more instructions, Zhang Ping'an returned to the yamen.

As soon as he arrived at the yamen gate, he saw a handsome young man in white robes waiting for him with a young page in blue robes.

"Brother Chu!"

Zhang Ping'an immediately greeted him warmly.

"Young Master Zhang." Chu Tian clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"I'm here to inform you that what you requested has been collected."

Zhang Ping'an was overjoyed and excitedly asked, "How many?"

"Three large buckets."

After saying that, he pointed to a horse-drawn carriage not far away.

"Almost every latrine in the capital was searched and ransacked."

"The once mighty General Shenwei has now become the infamous Toilet General."

"Ha ha……"

Zhang Ping'an laughed loudly and hurriedly looked up. The carriage was loaded with three large wooden barrels, each about half a person's height.

"Brother Chu, you're really fast!"

"Alright, I'll start researching that big treasure now."

Chu Tian asked, "Do you need any help?"

Zhang Ping'an shook his head: "No need, wait for my good news."

The matter of gunpowder was of great importance, so Zhang Ping'an decided to find some people he could trust.

"Then I'll head back now."

Chu Tian took his leave.

"Take care, Brother Chu." Zhang Ping'an waved goodbye.

Back in the cell, Wang Qisheng was about to leave when he saw Zhang Ping'an and immediately spoke.

"Ping An, come with me to the prison to interrogate a few sorcerers."

"I'm busy with something, you..." Zhang Ping'an was about to tell him to find someone else when he suddenly came to his senses, appeared next to Lao Wang in a flash, and asked with a suspicious look.

"Who did you just say you were interrogating?"

Old Wang was taken aback, and subconsciously asked, "A few sorcerers? What's wrong?"

方士！

Aren't the alchemists of this world just those charlatans who swindle and deceive, claiming to concoct elixirs of immortality?

Damn, these are the first people to come into contact with chemistry.

I was originally thinking of looking for talent in this field at the academy, but unexpectedly, they came to me directly.

"Go! Start the interrogation right now! I hate these swindlers more than anything in my life!"

Zhang Ping'an pulled up the still-dazed Lao Wang and strode towards the dungeon.

Upon arriving at the prison, they found a cell containing more than a dozen sorcerers dressed in white robes.

These people ranged in age from over forty to just over twenty.

"My lord, I'm innocent!"

"We didn't scam anyone, we're all good people!"

The oldest man in the group gripped the iron bars with both hands and wailed at Zhang Ping'an.

Zhang Ping'an asked Lao Wang in a low voice, "What did they do wrong?"

Old Wang whispered, "Master Wang from the south of the city has been unable to have a son for many years, so he bought a bottle of pills that promise to help him have a son."

"And guess what happened?"

"What's wrong?" Zhang Ping'an asked curiously.

"When he first started eating it, Master Wang was exceptionally vigorous, and his concubines always had rosy cheeks when they went out."

"But a month later, Master Wang's manhood became unable to stand up!"

"This infuriated Master Wang. In a fit of rage, he took them to the county yamen. Since the county yamen couldn't handle the case, they transferred it to us night watchmen."

"If the county government can't handle it, does that mean there are sorcerers among our night watchmen?" Zhang Ping'an asked curiously.

"No, not really. But the Night's Watch has handled all sorts of strange and unusual cases. Cases that can't be solved usually end up being handed over to the Night's Watch."

"The Night Watchmen are awesome!" Zhang Ping'an sneered, though he really wanted to complain.

"My lord, we are innocent! That Master Wang's inability to have sex was due to his depleted health from excessive drinking and womanizing. It has nothing to do with our fertility pills!"

Actually, Zhang Ping'an already understood what was going on in this case without even having to interrogate him.

The biggest reason why Master Wang was impotent was that his body had been depleted by years of drinking and womanizing.

However, these alchemists' elixirs must have contained stimulants or similar ingredients, commonly known as aphrodisiacs.

When Master Wang started eating it, it was like a withered tree coming back to life. But as anyone who has eaten it knows, that stuff actually drains your body.

If you eat it for too long, it will definitely spoil completely.