My lord, spare his life!

The prefecture is not much different from before.

As soon as Zhang Yang jumped off Zhang Dami's back, the tiger sniffed her all over, glancing left and right behind her every now and then, as if searching for something. Zhang Yang pressed its big head and gently twisted its ear: "Dami, what are you looking for?"

"A new friend?"

"Have any chickens or ducks fallen behind?"

"Are they still looking for Big Meow?"

Zhang Yang asked three questions in one breath.

Judging from Guan Si's smug, almost gossipy gaze, she hadn't guessed any of Zhang Yang's three questions correctly. This displeasure displeased Zhang Dami, who threateningly bit Zhang Yang's wrist with its teeth, glancing sideways at her reaction with its tiger eyes, making soft, whimpering noises. It didn't hurt at all; Zhang Yang's health bar didn't drop a single drop.

Subtly, Zhang Yang realized that Zhang Dami's actions were a form of coquetry.

She ruffled Zhang Da Mi's fluffy head with her other hand, and tugged at its rounded ears: "Missed me? Want a present?"

Zhang Dami's tail tip swept across, but the force was still not strong.

Zhang Yang pulled out a fresh piece of meat and quickly stuffed it into Zhang Dami's mouth. Zhang Dami resisted at first, then chewed and chewed. After swallowing a large piece of meat, Zhang Dami sniffed Zhang Yang's scent, repeatedly confirming what was on him before turning around and entering the prefectural government office.

"What exactly does it mean?"

"Confirm whether you brought back any new fairies this time you went out." Guan Si didn't translate, but Wang Qi was unusually kind for once.

Zhang Yang: "...???"

She reflected for a few moments, and it seemed to be true.

Zhang Yang asked, puzzled, "Wouldn't it be better to bring it a playmate?"

Wang Qi asked, "What kind of playmates could a star beast have?"

There is a natural competition among star beasts. Apart from those that have been tamed, wild star beasts generally do not easily venture into the territory of other star beasts. Food resources in a territory are limited, and once the density of star beasts increases, there will not be enough food.

"I think Da Gu, Da Mi, and Da Miao are getting along really well."

Wang Qi: "..."

Wasn't it that damn bird bullying the two cats?

Just then, a large, dazzling leopard excitedly dashed over. Zhang Da Miao's excitement was palpable even to those who didn't understand the language of the Star Beasts. Wang Qi didn't say anything, but a sense of pride welled up inside him—this beast wasn't entirely ungrateful.

The next second, Zhang Damiao slid smoothly over Zhang Dami, who was trying to pounce on it, and then came to a steady stop at Zhang Yang's feet, rubbing its fluffy head against her feet. Its slender and muscular body was almost twisted into a pretzel.

Wang Qi: "..."

His expression turned ferocious for a moment, then he became enraged.

He kicked the spineless leopard away in a huff.

"What a disgraceful piece of trash!"

Zhang Damiao seemed not to have reacted at all, taking the kick head-on and rolling more than a circle around. A small, timid, pitiful whimper escaped her throat, her head lowered, her eyes peeking timidly upwards. What a pitiful sight!

Zhang Yang: "Oh dear—"

Zhang Damiao, in a high-pitched voice, whimpered, "Mmm~"

Wang Qi: "..."

"Pfft—" Guan Si, who had remained aloof and silent, broke his composure, his mocking laugh seeming to say—a disgraceful star beast, and an even more disgraceful former owner. Wang Qi was enraged, his killing intent surging. Zhang Damiao's fur stood on end, and he hurriedly got up.

Zhang Damiao was so frightened that she fled in panic.

Zhang Dami was so angry that her tail almost stood up, and she chased after it to bite it.

At some point, Zhang Dagu folded its wings and stood beside Zhang Yang. Watching the leopard and tiger playing, with a bird accompanying him, Zhang Yang couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction: "With someone as steady and reliable as Dagu, and as lively and innocent as Dami and Damiao, my life is complete."

Zhang Dagu made a gurgling sound in his throat.

Yes, yes, that's exactly it.

Zhang Yang fed it some fragrant birdseed.

Officials from the prefecture who had received advance notice were already busy cleaning and preparing for the welcome feast. Just then, Du Guan arrived from outside.

She couldn't suppress her smile after the great victory in Chesi County.

"Congratulations, my lord! Congratulations, my lord!"

"Where's Uncle Yan? Has the 'Descending Stars' returned again?"

"It's not time for the attack yet. I saw Shuyan inspecting the newly built salt fields this morning; he should be back soon." Du Guan immediately noticed the unfamiliar face among the crowd. "Presumably, this is the Mr. He mentioned in the lord's letter?"

"Yes, that is He Zhi."

He Zhi cupped his hands in greeting: "He Zhi, courtesy name Feiye."

Du Guan returned the greeting: "Du Guan, courtesy name Yuan Yi, is currently the Assistant Magistrate of Tianyue County. My lord sent word in advance that Lord He wants to compile the Dou Laws, but the county government does not yet have a complete set of Dou Law codes. It will take some time to transfer the incomplete parts from elsewhere. I wonder if this will delay Lord He?"

"No rush."

He didn't feel that Du Guan was deliberately making things difficult for him.

Let alone Tianyue County, even Chesi County couldn't find a complete and original set of Tianshi Laws in the short term. Firstly, the frequent changes in power led to the frequent abuse and alteration of the laws, resulting in a large amount of alteration and loss of the original texts. Secondly, the records were kept on bamboo slips, which are extremely easy to damage and require regular maintenance and replenishment by specialists.

Finding the original version that hasn't been heavily modified is not easy.

Du Guan then arranged for He Zhi to stay in a certain type of house.

"Xiuying didn't come back this time either?"

"Let Xiuying stabilize the situation in Chesi County." There always needs to be someone to keep an eye on the new company so that any operational problems can be addressed immediately. Thinking of this, Zhang Yang said, "However, business trips are exhausting, and there are still many things to handle in Chesi County. It will be tough on Xiuying. Her monthly salary this month can be increased by one more person."

He Zhi's eyelids twitched upon hearing this.

The human skin needed for the Painted Skin Ghost is extremely bloody.

He was released too late, and the time was too short, so he was unaware of Xiao Sui's highly profitable human skin business. He thought that the human skin Zhang Yang mentioned was obtained through traditional methods of cutting and mutilating.

"If this person had an ordinary appearance, she'd probably make a scene." Du Guan secretly tried to secure some extra benefits for his friend, and bluntly said to He Zhi's shocked eyes, "After all, she's someone who loves beauty more than anything, and ordinary looks wouldn't catch her eye."

He Zhi: "..."

Is this something that can be said in public?

He secretly observed the subordinate official who came to deliver the document out of the corner of his eye.

The subordinate official was young, with a youthful air still lingering in her eyes, and she carried the scrolls weighing over ten pounds steadily. Hearing Zhang Yangdu's conversation, her face remained completely expressionless, as if she were quite accustomed to the topic. He Zhi couldn't help but feel a momentary unease.

He lowered his head and savored the slightly sweet aftertaste of the tea.

Zhang Yang's voice entered my ears.

"It can't be an ordinary appearance, of course. Let me think—I'll show her the art book later and see which face she likes."

Zhang Yang felt it was best to use Xiao Sui's character model as the base and just change the makeup style. It was true that Xiao Sui liked pretty faces, but she was also narcissistic. No matter how fancy or beautiful other character creations were, Xiao Sui still preferred her own base.

Isn't this a kind of devotion?

Du Guan: "Then I will thank the lord on behalf of Xiu Ying."

Zhang Yang then asked, "What's the deal with the salt fields?"

Du Guandao said, "Some time ago, several county magistrates submitted their reports as usual. One of them, while dealing with accumulated old issues in the county, discovered a salt field that had been abandoned for forty or fifty years. Shuyan then went to inspect the salt field to see if it could be reopened..."

Well salt production is indeed lower than that of other types of salt.

However, if that saltworks could be reopened, even with low annual production, it would be enough to achieve self-sufficiency. Locally produced well salt could be produced at negligible transportation costs, and if there was any surplus, it could provide an additional stable source of income.

"Salt fields? Are there records of how much these salt fields produced?"

Du Guan said regretfully, "This part of the record is gone."

Zhang Yang: "Why were the salt fields abandoned?"

Zhang Yang knew the common sense that people need salt to have energy. As a necessity, this commodity had no shortage of sales and market demand; a salt field with stable production could generate considerable revenue each year. Judging from Du Guan's words, this salt field was probably not large in scale, and its output was likely just average; otherwise, it wouldn't have been abandoned and forgotten for forty or fifty years.

Du Guandao: "There are many reasons for this."

The natural barrier of the Dongfan Mountains turned Tianyue County into a remote rural area with no strategic value and extremely limited output.

It had been granted as fiefdoms to certain members of the Dou Kingdom's royal family on several occasions. The salt fields were limited in scale, and while profitable for ordinary people, they were a liability for these royal family members—assets they'd rather let rot than sell. Then, some events occurred, and the small salt fields were abandoned and forgotten. Local magistrates and prefects changed frequently, and reactivating them was costly, potentially impossible within their term, and the lack of proper documentation… If it weren't for the magistrate's desperate attempt to improve his performance, they might never have even considered it. The Dou Kingdom's royal family looked down on it, but that didn't mean Zhang Yang's makeshift team looked down on it.

Zhang Yang said, "It's a good thing to increase the number of positions."

As Tianyue County gradually stabilized and various policies were implemented, the refugees who had fled there naturally tried to contact their lost relatives. As a result, the population continued to grow steadily.

These newcomers also need to make a living.

They can't all just go into farming.

If the saltworks reopen, it will also be a new direction for employment.

Zhang Yang said, "...The fact that a salt well can be built here indicates the presence of underground salt rock deposits or brine. It's unlikely that this salt field will completely deplete these resources. Once operational, could the salt field be expanded to develop new salt wells?"

Du Guan: "Drilling new salt wells is not cheap."

Human resources are not a major problem.

"So what if the cost is high? We're not short of money."

Du Guan found the lord's words very pleasing to the ear.

No official starts out intending to embezzle; everyone wants to achieve something, even if it doesn't mean going down in history. But being an official is like being a steward; you can't make ends meet with just brains and skills without a stable income. As long as the money is right, many policies can be implemented on a trial basis; if one doesn't work, you can simply try another approach.

From this perspective, the head of the household is very responsible, and it's reassuring to have such a person manage the household.

No need to worry about money.

Du Guan inquired about the situation in Chesi County, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart. Tianyue County was indeed Zhang Yang's base of operations, but it was poor, sparsely populated, and inherently underdeveloped. In contrast, Chesi County was militarily strong and resource-rich.

The Tianyue area is still too resource-intensive.

She also subtly worried that the lord's focus might shift.

At present, it seems that it is too early to worry.

Zhang Yang said, "I adopted a goddaughter."

When asked about the situation in Chesi County, Zhang Yang gave a vague answer, but when he talked about being a foster mother and grandmother, he began to speak at length.

Du Guan was astonished: "Adopted daughter?"

The image of her friend Xiao Sui's complaints subconsciously surfaced in her mind.

The trend has still reached even the most remote and impoverished areas.

The official who came to deliver the third batch of letters also looked up. Zhang Yang noticed her gaze and asked, "Jiuge, would you like to come too?"

Shi Xu's lips twitched.

Du Guan intervened, saying, "Even if Jiu Ge were to acknowledge a godfather, it would be Shu Yan. Why would our lord come out to steal his peaches?"

Fan You took care of all of Shi Xu's studies.

Every time Fan You was so angry with Zhang Yang that he was practically fuming, he only managed to regain some of his energy thanks to the studious and diligent Shi Xu. If Zhang Yang were to adopt Shi Xu as his goddaughter as well, Fan You would truly feel like he was spitting blood.

Du Guan then asked, "Who is the lord's adopted daughter?"

"Lu Yuan, Lu Bafeng, Yuan Yi knows her."

Du Guan: "..."

Of course she knows Lu Yuan.

They also learned how old Lu Yuan was.

The lord actually forced her to become his goddaughter?

"General Lü actually agreed?"

Zhang Yang sighed and poured out his heart: "What do you mean she actually agreed? She took the initiative to do this, so I couldn't just refuse, could I? After all, refusing in front of so many people would damage her reputation. I was forced into this situation."

Guan Si: "..."

Wang Qi: "..."

Even though Wang Qi wasn't very well-educated, he knew that the scene at the time was definitely not what the mountain spirit said, that Lu Yuan had forced him.

It was clearly the mountain spirit who put Lu Yuan in an awkward position.

Since they were completely unaware of this, they naturally believed Zhang Yang based on preconceived notions.

"Is this really true?"

Zhang Yang said, "Yes, but I think that since she has joined my ranks, she is like my child, so whether or not we have a godparent relationship doesn't really matter."

So I decided not to argue with Lu Yuan about that bit of coercion.

Just then, familiar footsteps came from outside the hall.

Fan You, who had inspected the salt fields, has returned.

Besides Fan You, Guan Zong and Guan Si's left and right deputies also returned. The two deputies stiffened at the sight of Guan Si. Guan Si glared at them and said coldly, "What, instead of planting trees along the official road, you've gone to dig wells at the salt fields?"

These words were not only spoken to his deputy, but also to Guan Zong.

Guan Zong was too lazy to pay attention to him. Guan Si left the Hundred Ghost Guards to him as soon as he left the house, and didn't care about them at all. So what kind of work did he do with the Hundred Ghost Guards? Guan Si, the hands-off manager, had no say in it.

Guan Zong skipped over him: "Has someone become the lord's godfather?"

"yes."

Fan You first checked Zhang Yang to see if she was missing any limbs, then looked at her mental state. Even though he knew the deed was done, he still asked, "Why is my lord also adopting those messy customs from outside?"

In this era, godparents were not worshipped arbitrarily.

Especially since the lord is still young.

If Lu Yuan were to refuse to be disciplined one day and betray Zhang Yang, she could take over all of Zhang Yang's political capital.

"I can't refuse Bafeng in public and embarrass her."

Now it was Guan Zong's turn to widen his eyes.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Yang felt a sliver of wicked amusement arise in his heart.

"Speaking of which, I am Bafeng's adoptive mother, and you are Bafeng's adoptive brother, so—how is our generation calculated?"

Guan Zong: "..."

Guan Si sneered.

Zhang Yang was reminded and turned to look at him.

"Hey Egg Bro, you're also a member of the Guan clan."

Guan Si: "..."

??(?_?)

Sigh, just looking at the trending topics, life is so unpredictable.

It's less than nine years older than the shiitake mushroom...