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

Back at the county office, Clerk Zhang spread out the land register and began to check it page by page.

He had to verify the location, area, original owner, and current status of each plot of land one by one, and then transcribe it into the transaction documents.

This job is extremely tedious.

The seven local registers alone cover more than sixty plots of land along the river in Qingshui County.

The clerk's hands were trembling as he wrote. When ink dripped onto the contract paper, he quickly wiped it with his sleeve, leaving a black mark. He then hurriedly changed to a new sheet of paper and rewrote it.

Gu Mingyue sat to the side, with a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge, unhurried and calm.

Zhou Peiyuan personally helped flip through the booklet, muttering to himself.

"This land belongs to the Liu family. Their whole family moved to Lingzhou, and the land deed is still in the government archives..."

"This area used to be a rice shop. The shopfront collapsed, but the foundation is still there. The owner ran away with a mountain of debt..."

"This is the site of an old market. It used to be very lively on market days, but now... sigh, the grass is taller than a person."

Gu Mingyue listened while making notes in her ledger.

She knew the price of every piece of land in her mind.

The price of wasteland after the floods has fallen to 20-30% of that in normal years.

In a normal year, a plot of land near the river would cost at least five taels of silver per mu, but now it can be acquired for one and a half taels.

The old shopfronts are a bit more expensive, but still only three or four ounces.

Land is cheaper; large tracts of farmland destroyed by floods are being sold for several hundred cents per acre, which some people find too expensive.

Of course, those who think it's too expensive are also right.

After all, before the dike was built, these lands were indeed a money-losing proposition.

Who knows if it will be washed away again next year when the flood comes?

Therefore, she bought in large quantities during this period, and every penny she spent was a bargain.

Yi Wu watched from the side, motionless.

They performed the task of "keeping an eye on people" very well.

Listening to their conversation, I silently memorized it.

The young lady spent money like water, buying up large tracts of barren land to fill her empty and lonely life confined to her chambers.

The land in Qingshui County was cleared up just past noon.

Sixty-three plots of land, totaling 1,800 mu.

Zhou Peiyuan quickly calculated and gave a total number.

"Miss Gu, the total amount for Qingshui County is 14,500 taels."

"Let's round it down. Fifteen thousand taels, deal."

Zhou Peiyuan and Zhang Shuli both gasped in shock.

"Ah...this...this...how can this be done?"

Gu Mingyue didn't bother with formalities.

"If you feel it's not appropriate, please take good care of Pujitang's business in the future."

"Oh, of course!"

Zhou Peiyuan quickly gave Zhang the clerk a meaningful look.

With trembling hands, Clerk Zhang wrote the amount on the contract and stamped it with the county government's official seal at the end.

Gu Mingyue took out a stack of silver notes from her sleeve, counted out 15,000 taels, and pushed them over.

When Zhou Peiyuan received the silver note, his fingers trembled even more than Zhang Shuli's.

He picked it up and examined it carefully against the light twice, then turned it over to look at the watermark and hidden marks on the back.

After confirming that everything was correct, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He stood up, straightened his clothes and hat properly, and then bowed respectfully to Gu Mingyue.

"Master, on behalf of the people of Qingshui County, I thank you."

After signing the agreement with Qingshui County, Gu Mingyue didn't rest.

The cattle and horses are genuine!

She looked at Zhou Peiyuan.

"Lord Zhou, are you familiar with the situation in Baihe County and Liuqiao County?"

Zhou Peiyuan shook his head.

"Both of these counties are adjacent to ours. I can write a letter to them asking them to cooperate with the employer."

"No need to revise the book." Gu Mingyue stood up and put away the account book. "I'll go directly there."

"Alright, take care, boss."

Zhou Peiyuan politely saw the person out the door, then stood at the yamen gate watching the carriage disappear into the distance, sighing for a long time.

This girl's boldness and righteousness are so much like her mentor, Gu Xiang!

As soon as Gu Mingyue sat in the carriage, she immediately asked Taozhi to prepare pen and ink.

She wanted to write a letter to her father to confirm Zhou Peiyuan's identity.

If this person really is her cheapskate father's protégé, then her projects in Qinghe County will proceed more smoothly later on.

……

Next stop, Baihe County.

It was not far from Qingshui County, about twenty li away, and the carriage took less than half an hour to travel.

The magistrate of Baihe County was named Fang Yingwu. He was in his early thirties, fair-skinned, and his official robes were much neater than Zhou Peiyuan's.

After Gu Mingyue entered the county government office and stated her purpose, Fang Yingwu's reaction was completely different from Zhou Peiyuan's.

He wasn't overjoyed; instead, he sat up straight, his brow furrowed, and began questioning her as if he were interrogating her.

"Miss, what is your intention in buying so much wasteland?"

"Build a commercial street."

"A commercial street?" Fang Yingwu frowned even more. "These areas are all in the flood diversion zone, and they get flooded every year. Miss, you've poured money in, what if there's another flood next year..."

"I don't need adults to worry about me," Gu Mingyue interrupted him.

"The imperial court has dispatched an inspector to oversee the flood control efforts, and the project has already begun. My only question is whether this wasteland in your county is for sale?"

Fang Yingwu looked up at her, his expression one of disbelief.

"The supervisor? Is that... the son of the Right Chancellor?"

Gu Mingyue nodded.

Fang Yingwu remained silent for a while, then unconsciously tapped his fingers on the desk a few times.

What's the real story behind the large, unidentified buyer who snapped up thousands of acres of wasteland in one go?

If a dispute arises in the future and he gets blamed, then he'll really be out of a job as county magistrate.

"Madam, if I may be so bold, this transaction involves a considerable sum, and Baihe County needs to follow the formal land transfer procedures. It will take several days."

Gu Mingyue glanced at him twice while holding her teacup.

He wasn't pressured, nor did he show any dissatisfaction.

"Can."

Gu Mingyue stood up and nodded slightly to him.

"I will wait for you for three days. If you do not reply after three days, I will choose another option."

Fang Yingwu did not respond.

As we walked out of the Baihe County Government Office, Taozhi came up to us and started muttering to herself.

"Miss, why is this Magistrate Fang so slow and indecisive? He's trying to solve their county's problems, and he's still putting on airs like a high-ranking official."

Gu Mingyue did not respond.

She had seen many officials whose minds were focused on their official careers rather than the people's livelihood.

Few can hold an official position for long.

"Let's go to Liuqiao County first."

Gu Mingyue boarded the carriage. "We'll talk about Baihe County tomorrow."

Liuqiao County was the hardest hit of the three counties.

The county magistrate's surname was Wang, and he was an old man who was about to retire and return to his hometown.

Upon hearing that someone had come to buy the land, the old man slapped his thigh and laughed for a long time. Without saying a word, he ordered people to bring out the entire land register for Gu Mingyue to choose from.

Gu Mingyue spent an afternoon looking at all the riverside plots in Liuqiao County.

The riverside wasteland in Liuqiao County has the most land, and the lowest prices.

When they returned to the county government office in the evening to sign the contract, the total price for Liuqiao County was five thousand taels.

Adding the 15,000 taels from Qingshui County, the total for the two counties is 20,000 taels.

The numbers on the system panel jumped.

[Remaining mission time: 16 days]

[Task Balance: 63000 taels of silver]