Royal Gold Magistrate

This was the first time Emperor Jing had ventured out at night in Taoyuan County.

To light the way, he had even borrowed a lantern from the innkeeper before leaving.

As he walked along the street with the lantern, Emperor Jing was surprised to find that quite a few shops were still open for business.

Especially the street stalls; there were a significant number of people buying things.

The capital had implemented a curfew for nearly ten years, so seeing such a scene was particularly refreshing to Emperor Jing.

However, he didn’t linger for long and quickly made his way to the yamen, as there were important matters to attend to.

When he reached the memorial arch at the entrance of the yamen, two official constables stopped Emperor Jing.

Emperor Jing directly took out the emblem that was previously affixed to the carriage and showed it to the two constables.

The two glanced at each other and said, “Please wait here. We’ll go in and announce your arrival first.”

Before long, Xiao Tao came out from inside, gracefully walking towards Emperor Jing, and said in a crisp voice, “You must be Mr. Li. Please follow me.”

The square in front of the yamen was pitch-black, and the two walked one after the other.

“How should I address you, miss?”

“Just call me Xiao Tao.”

Emperor Jing continued, “I wonder when Magistrate Fang usually retires for the night?”

Xiao Tao chuckled, “Our young master usually goes to bed at this time, but today, I guess he has something on his mind and is still sitting in the courtyard drinking.”

“May I ask what brings you to see our young master, sir?”

“The Jianjiang flood disaster. I heard that Magistrate Fang has a solution, so I’ve come to visit him specifically for this matter.”

“Oh? There’s a flood in Jianjiang? It’s quite rare to have a flood disaster at this time of the year. Perhaps that’s why the young master hasn’t gone to rest yet.”

Hearing Xiao Tao say this, Emperor Jing felt a bit surprised. During the day, Fang Zheng had acted as if he didn’t care, but he didn’t expect him to behave differently in private.

Perhaps this maid had misunderstood.

So he continued to ask, “The Jianjiang flood disaster has already affected hundreds of thousands of people. I once heard Magistrate Fang mention that by using heavenly thunder to strike the mountains and block the river, the flood disaster could be resolved.”

“Could it be that Magistrate Fang can really summon heavenly thunder?”

“Heavenly thunder?”

Xiao Tao suddenly paused in her steps, and the scene of Fang Zheng taking her to observe the development of the asphalt mine using gunpowder a few years ago flashed in her mind.

At that time, she was trembling with fear, and it was only when Fang Zheng hugged her that she calmed down.

Recalling this memory, a smile appeared on the corner of Xiao Tao’s mouth.

“Our young master doesn’t know how to summon heavenly thunder! Those are just stories to fool children. But if the young master really said so, then the flood disaster can definitely be resolved!”

“Oh? Why?” Emperor Jing’s heart was delighted.

“There probably isn’t anything in this world that the young master can’t do.”

Emperor Jing’s heart sank again. These words were just like the flattery his officials said to him in court.

Worthless!

“However… I think the young master probably already knew that Mr. Li would come tonight.”

“Oh?”

“Before you arrived, I saw the young master prepare two cups of wine on the table. I suppose one of them must be for you, sir.”

Emperor Jing’s spirit was shaken! So there was something to discuss! If there was something to discuss, there was hope!

He didn’t expect that Fang Zheng, despite his young age, had the ability to foresee things like a god!

During their conversation, the two had already arrived at the rear courtyard.

Xiao Tao walked into the courtyard first and then informed Emperor Jing to enter directly.

As Emperor Jing entered the courtyard, he immediately saw Fang Zheng sitting at a stone table, raising a wine cup towards the moon, his posture exceptionally flamboyant.

Fang Zheng glanced sideways and, seeing Emperor Jing enter, said in a clear voice, “Old Li, what brings you to see this official so late?”

“Come, come, have a seat first.”

Emperor Jing walked straight over and sat down, “Alright, let me get straight to the point! Does Magistrate Fang really have a way to resolve the Jianjiang flood disaster?”

“If you can successfully resolve this matter, it would be a great contribution to the court! At that time, not to mention silver, even a noble title wouldn’t be out of the question!”

“Hehe, Old Li, I didn’t expect you to be so obsessed with official titles. What’s so good about being an official? This official has so many people under his jurisdiction, it gives me a headache every day. Isn’t it better to be a wealthy man?”

Hearing his lazy words, Emperor Jing couldn’t help but want to punch him a couple of times. What a worthless fellow!

Suppressing his anger, he said, “Li is also a subject of Great Jing. Sharing the worries of the ruler is my duty. Does Magistrate Fang not think the same?”

“Good! Well said!” Fang Zheng slapped the table.

He said in a loud voice, “This official thinks day and night about sharing the worries of the ruler!”

“Old Li, you and I are truly kindred spirits! Since that’s the case, this official will grant you a chance at wealth and honor!”

“Our county has an item called ‘Boundless Merit’! This item may be able to solve the flood disaster, but I can’t guarantee it completely!”

Indeed! He indeed has the ability! Boundless Merit, just hearing the name sounds incredibly miraculous.

Emperor Jing’s heart leaped with excitement, “May I ask what this Boundless Merit is?”

Fang Zheng waved his hand, “You don’t need to worry about that! My Taoyuan County can dispatch twenty people to bring Boundless Merit to Jianjiang for disaster relief. As for whether it succeeds or not, that depends on fate!”

“Carriages and horses are too slow, and Boundless Merit is particularly heavy. It needs to be transported to Jiangling Port near the capital by boat, then taken to Jianjiang by carriage. You can arrange for the escort personnel during this process.”

“In this way, it can reach within seven days, but… these volunteers from my Taoyuan County are risking their lives to help you with disaster relief……”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng rubbed his fingers together.

Emperor Jing understood the hint and said with a domineering tone, “Twenty thousand taels!”

Tsk tsk tsk, you think you can buy explosives with that little money?

“Fifty thousand!”

“Uh… Li doesn’t have that much silver…” Emperor Jing was embarrassed on the spot. He didn’t expect Fang Zheng to ask for such a large sum.

“No problem! My Taoyuan County can provide a loan with an interest of five hundred!”

“But… you better think it through. This is a big gamble. If it fails, you’ll lose everything,” Fang Zheng warned.

Emperor Jing agreed without hesitation.

If the court directly allocated two hundred thousand taels, the money would basically all be used for relief and reconstruction. There definitely wouldn’t be a single tael left, and Jianjiang Prefecture would certainly ask for more money later on.

Now, if he could solve a two-hundred-thousand-tael problem with just fifty thousand taels of silver, it was simply a deal he couldn’t pass up.

Fang Zheng smiled slightly, “I can tell at a glance that you’re someone who does big things. This official is honored to be able to lend a helping hand.”

Then he said solemnly, “You must think this official is trying to swindle you, but to be honest, the value of Boundless Merit is immeasurable. Fifty thousand taels of fine silver is already a bargain.”

“If the flood disaster is fortunately resolved, you must pay attention to disease prevention. After a great flood, there will inevitably be a great epidemic!”

“Burn all the corpses on the spot, and the people should be relocated to dry and well-ventilated places.”

“If you encounter low-lying areas with stagnant water, remember to cover them with quicklime. If someone is infected with a cold, isolate them in time.”

“If an epidemic occurs, you must also isolate the patients and have others cover their mouths and noses with thin cloth to prevent the spread of the disease.”

“You may still have some doubts about what I’m saying, but these are all experiences accumulated over the years in my Taoyuan County. Just do as I say!”

“Oh, and also………”

Seeing Fang Zheng talking on and on, Emperor Jing’s expression gradually softened.

It was obvious that Fang Zheng had already been thinking about this matter for a long time. Such detailed arrangements couldn’t possibly have been made on the spot.

Perhaps even if he hadn’t come, Fang Zheng would have found a way to provide disaster relief!

This fellow indeed had a heart for the country and the people. It seemed that Emperor Jing had deeply misunderstood him before.

“In short, that’s it. Did you remember everything?”

“I remember. Li Long thanks Magistrate Fang on behalf of the people of Jianjiang!”

At this moment, Emperor Jing was in high spirits. He directly took the wine cup that Fang Zheng hadn’t used and said with great enthusiasm, “It seems Magistrate Fang knew early on that Li would come today. I’ll toast Magistrate Fang a cup here!”

With that, he downed it in one gulp!

Hmm? This taste?

Emperor Jing smacked his lips. There was no flavor at all. It seemed to be water.

“Old Li, why are you drinking my mouthwash?”

“…………………..”