Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Xiao Ye stepped forward and gestured to Geng Zhi behind him.

Geng Zhi took two steps forward, placed his palms on the wall, and concentrated on sensing it for a moment.

Then he raised his fist and tapped lightly on the top of the pine brick.

A muffled "click" sounded.

A slightly recessed area, about two feet square, on the wall reveals a narrow slit.

It's just big enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

Gu Mingli and Xiao Ye exchanged a glance.

This hidden door was clearly not for ordinary servants to use.

Geng Zhi went ahead to scout the way, and after confirming that no one was inside, he made a hand gesture to the outside.

Xiao Ye squeezed in sideways, with Gu Mingli close behind.

Inside the hidden door is a secret storage room.

Inside were hundreds of sealed wine jars.

The strong smell of chemical agents permeated the entire sealed room, even without opening the wine jars.

Gu Mingli's expression turned serious.

"The method of making this thing is far beyond the production capabilities of ordinary people today."

"Either the Cui family obtained a formula left over from the previous dynasty from somewhere, or they have someone knowledgeable guiding them behind the scenes."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ye turned his head slightly and glanced at him.

"There is another possibility. It could be inventory left over from the previous dynasty."

"I've heard that the secret manuals from the previous dynasty have never been found, but some have been left behind in various workshops."

Gu Mingli nodded without offering any further explanation.

This is not a good place to have a discussion; they need to come up with disaster relief solutions as soon as possible to reassure the people.

The disaster is just beginning, and the locusts have not yet grown into large numbers of flying adults.

Although the harvest is clearly poor, the people are still able to survive and there is no widespread starvation.

Everything is too late.

Xiao Ye gave instructions to Geng Zhi.

"Have someone keep an eye on this place, and we'll deal with it all at once later."

"yes!"

The group retreated through the hidden door along the same route.

It was past noon when we returned to the main street of Anyang County.

The sun was scorching hot, making people dizzy.

Gu Mingli and Xiao Ye were walking down the street when they encountered a group of people.

Leading the way were two black horse-drawn carriages, with no markings on them.

He was followed by a dozen or so mounted guards.

The group sped in from the west of the city, their manner arrogant.

The people on the road quickly scurried away, hiding against the walls and not daring to utter a sound.

The carriage turned into the direction of the Cui family manor.

Gu Mingli pulled Xiao Ye back into the shadows of a tea stall on the side of the street.

The two pretended to sit down and bought two cups of herbal tea from the table.

An old man driving a donkey cart was resting in the tea stall.

He spat as he saw the group of people pass by.

"Here we go again. He comes every three to five days."

Gu Mingli chimed in, following the lead of the conversation.

"Sir, whose motorcade is that? They've got quite a entourage."

The old man glanced at them and, seeing that they were unfamiliar faces from out of town, didn't have much of a guard up.

"Who else could it be? A big shot in the prefecture, of course."

"Every time they come here, it's never good news. This time, I heard that a high-ranking official is coming down to inspect, so I'm getting anxious."

The answer is obvious.

When the emperor suddenly made a personal inspection tour of Jizhou, Jia Zhengjing panicked.

He needed to confront the Cui family face-to-face to discuss how to deceive them.

Xiao Ye put down his teacup, stood up, and patted the dust off his robes.

"Let's go see Zhao Pucheng, the magistrate of Anyang County."

The Anyang County Government Office is located at the end of a narrow alley in the city.

Compared to the grandeur of the state government office, this place was as shabby as a private school.

The stone lions at the entrance were covered in dust, and the vermilion lacquer on the gate was peeling off in patches.

Fortunately, the people in the government office did not slack off.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the constable immediately stepped forward and sternly inquired:

"Halt! This is the county government office, a place of great importance. Who are you looking for?"

Geng Zhi stepped forward, took out a plaque from his sleeve, and waved it in front of the yamen runner.

It's an imperial token!

The constable's previously languid body suddenly tensed, his pupils dilated, and his lips trembled slightly.

"M-M-M-Sir!! Please...please come in!!"

The back hall of the county government office.

County Magistrate Zhao Pucheng was hunched over his desk, writing something.

There was a pile of documents half a foot high on the desk. I looked up when I heard footsteps.

The moment he saw the person approaching, the pen in his hand fell straight onto the paper, splashing a large blob of ink.

He stood up abruptly, staring incredulously at the people who had entered the hall.

The person in front was wearing an inconspicuous black narrow-sleeved robe, without even a single extra accessory.

But just by casually standing in the hall, the emperor's domineering aura, which looks down on the world and holds the power of life and death, can make people feel suffocated.

According to the rumors I heard on the street today, a very important person has arrived in the capital...

Zhao Pucheng's eyes welled up with tears, his knees buckled, and he slammed heavily onto the hard bluestone floor with a thud.

"Your humble servant, Zhao Pucheng, Magistrate of Anyang... kowtows to Your Majesty!! Long live the Emperor!!

"stand up."

Xiao Ye strode past Zhao Pucheng.

He picked up the document on the table and glanced at it.

These are all traditional methods for disaster relief and locust control.

"Today there are no emperors or ministers, only passing merchants who have come to inquire about some matters from Magistrate Zhao."

Zhao Pucheng was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

"Oh dear! This humble official... no, I've been confused! Honorable sir, please take a seat!"

He stood up, suppressing his excitement, and invited the two to sit down. Geng Zhi stood behind the emperor.

Xiao Ye sat down and asked the question directly.

"Are you researching methods to control locusts?"

"yes!"

When official business was mentioned, Zhao Pucheng's expression instantly became extremely serious.

"You can't hide it from the powerful. Now, outside Anyang City, the common people are filled with fear because of that nonsense about 'a calamity descending from heaven, an ominous place'."

"Every day, hundreds or even thousands of people block the entrance to the government office, crying and demanding to know the truth of the matter, asking if the imperial court is only concerned with recruiting nobles to come to the capital to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football), and doesn't care about their lives or deaths?"

At this point, Zhao Pucheng gritted his teeth, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"These rumors were all spread by the Cui family!"

"In my humble opinion, this so-called locust plague is utterly bizarre!"

"Why is it that insects are infesting the common people's fields, while just across the ditch, in the fertile fields of the neighboring nobles and powerful families, not even a single grasshopper can be found?!"

Xiao Ye and Gu Mingli exchanged a glance.

Gu Mingli pressed further, "Now that Lord Zhao has seen through the situation, has he found a way to break the deadlock?"

Zhao Pucheng sighed bitterly.

His once straight back instantly hunched over, and he shook his head helplessly.

Gu Mingli looked around the back room.

There were more than a dozen sacks of things piled up in the corner, with "relief" signs attached to them.

He walked over, lifted the bag, and peeked inside; it contained brown rice.

"Magistrate Zhao, did you raise this money yourself?"

Zhao Pucheng gave a wry smile.

"Please forgive my poor performance, sir. I am utterly useless; I have already squandered my entire salary for this year, and even my old wife has pawned her dowry jewelry."

"These few bags were borrowed from a few enlightened merchants in the city, after I swallowed my pride and begged them. But... there are too many disaster victims who can't afford food anymore. It's just a drop in the ocean. At most, it can only last for three days."

Xiao Ye's gaze swept over Zhao Pucheng's gaunt face and the worn-out cuffs.

"I heard you submitted four memorials."

Zhao Pucheng stiffened for a moment, then quickly lowered his eyes and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"This humble official...this humble official suspects that none of those memorials have reached the Emperor's presence...that is why this humble official has dared to submit this memorial repeatedly!"

Xiao Ye hummed in agreement and said calmly:

"Your memorial was intercepted by Chen Liangping, the Right Councilor of the Ministry of Justice."

A protégé of the powerful Cui family!

"This humble official understands..."

Zhao Pucheng clenched his fists in his sleeves, his brows furrowed, revealing a hint of anger.

"My memorial blocked the Cui family's path to seizing land and profiting from the families of the deceased!!"

"After the disaster is over, I will certainly impeach the Cui family severely, listing all their misdeeds!"

Children can be taught.

Xiao Ye stopped there and changed the subject.

"How many counties were truly affected by the disaster?"

Zhao Pucheng cupped his hands in greeting and answered without hesitation.

"There are signs of locusts emerging in all three northern states. It's just that the situation is worse in Anyang."

"Moreover, grain prices have risen sharply recently. People are being forced to sell their land to hoard grain, and some, having nothing left to sell, have signed indentures with the Cui family."

"If this continues, it might trigger a popular uprising."

Xiao Ye scrutinized Magistrate Zhao with a serious expression.

"Zhao Pucheng, if the imperial court has methods for disaster relief and locust control, could you contact other affected counties to stabilize the people?"

Zhao Pucheng shuddered, and his eyes instantly reddened.

The next moment, he knelt down again, his forehead pressed to the ground, and solemnly replied:

"As long as the imperial court officially intervenes to provide disaster relief, I can reassure the people and stop them from believing the rumors!"

"Alright. Then wait for my news. For the next two days, do nothing, just like usual. If anyone asks, just say you don't know anyone from above has come."