Ever since the thief broke into a house last night, everyone in the county has been terrified and on edge. Whether walking on the street or standing at the door, if they notice anything amiss, they immediately report it to the authorities.
For the first time since taking office, Magistrate Yang was so busy that he was overwhelmed and didn't even have time to go door-to-door.
When the news reached Lu Mingche's ears, he was so angry that he smashed his teacup to pieces. "Useless trash! A bunch of useless trash! Not only did they pick the wrong person, but they were also mistaken for thieves and sent to the yamen!"
He stared at his men with a dark expression. "Who has the ability to capture all five of them at once?"
Jiang Zhu: "Reporting to Master, you've seen that person before; she's the woman who caused a scene at Jade Terrace House not long ago."
Lu Mingche remembered that woman. She was young and had two children. She had turned Jade Terrace House upside down with her brute strength alone. It was no loss for the five of them to fall into her hands.
"Leave a group behind to continue the search."
The letter was sent from Qingzhou Prefecture, so Lu Chi must be hiding Qingzhou Prefecture. I just don't know which nook or cranny he's hiding in.
"Tell them to be smart. If they send someone to the yamen again, they won't come back alive to see me."
"Yes, Master."
Jiang Zhu groaned inwardly. Qingzhou Prefecture governed eight counties, and each county had at least twenty villages under its jurisdiction. This was no different from finding a needle in a haystack.
With the situation in Willow and Poplar County escalating so much, Lu Chi has probably already disappeared.
Just as Jiang Zhu was about to leave, a report came from outside, "Lord Lu, the tribute has been loaded onto the carts, and we can depart at any time."
Lu Mingche stood up, and before leaving, he instructed Jiang Zhu, "Send word back to the capital as soon as you have any news."
"Yes, Master."
Anzhi Hall.
Lu Chi was slacking off because of his injury, not only refusing to do any work but also making Meng Anci take care of him. "Hey brat, what's so interesting about the book? Go get me a cup of tea."
Meng Anci turned to a page in the book and continued reading, "Thirsty."
"Ouch... it seems my wound has reopened. Go quickly and find Anzhi to come and take a look at it."
He cries out in pain eight hundred times a day. He's a child, not an idiot. Meng Anci looked at him speechlessly, "How can you be so weak? You can't even dodge a knife."
Lu Chi perked up at the mention of dodging knives, pulling the little guy to his side. "Tell your master, how come you react so quickly? Is it a natural talent?"
Meng Anci, remembering the suffering he had endured, held back his tears. "Want to learn? Catch Xiaoli for half an hour every night."
Lu Chi's smile froze on his face. The wildcat always gave him the cold shoulder. He was so desperate that he tried to catch it. Lu Chi lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) staring at the roof beams.
Do you think they'll come back?
Meng Anci, "It shouldn't happen. A home invasion robbery and assault would become public knowledge throughout the county. Even if they were stupid, they would know to lay low for a while."
Lu Chi breathed a sigh of relief. "Your aunt taught you all of this."
Meng Anci the book and gave him a deep look. "Relying on comprehension..." Just like him, he went to the prefectural city and realized the importance of power.
They even had a long-term goal: to control the emperor and use him to command the feudal lords.
Forget it, he wouldn't understand anyway. My aunt said Lu Chi is slow-witted, so we should be more understanding.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The county town was quiet, and the group of assassins seemed to have vanished without a trace.
That day, Meng Anci a day off. As soon as he opened the door, he saw his aunt and sister standing barefoot in the soil, sunbathing.
My aunt hasn't gone crazy in a long time; I actually miss her.
He took off his shoes and socks and stood on the other side of the Jin Shanyao, closing his eyes and raising his face to face the sun.
The warm sunshine felt nice on her face. Qing He was about to ask what they were doing when Qing Yang pulled her into the kitchen.
Ah... the smell of spring, the smell that Jin Shanyao loves. She misses her tree pit, left all alone in this other world, wondering which sapling has taken it over.
I long to return to the forest, to live a life where every moment I open my eyes is a day of cultivation.
The warm sun shines on my body, and I feel every hair on my body stretching out.
" Anzhi, Anci, I want to buy a mountain."
Upon hearing this, the two little ones snapped their eyes open. "Buy a mountain?" Why would their aunt want to buy a mountain out of the blue?
Jin Shanyao opened her eyes and looked down at the two little cubs. They were so small that they looked as if a gust of wind could blow them over.
" Lu Chi's story touched me deeply," she said, sitting cross-legged directly in the mud and embracing the two cubs.
"There's a line in the book that says money and power are inseparable. Without mountains of gold and silver as your foundation, you're just a stepping stone for others in the arena of power. That's why I want to buy a mountain."
Jin Shanyao had been thinking a lot during this time. With Lu Chi's family background, he could have easily wielded great power, yet he was still framed by his enemies and hunted down by them.
If Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci offend powerful figures, how will they protect themselves? Can they rely on their limited intelligence to single-handedly break through the encirclement?
No, when the strength is unequal, a clever mind can only prolong your life, not make you live forever. She cannot allow her to fail in repaying her debt of gratitude.
How can I make myself stronger???
The only way to make money is to buy mountains. Besides food and clothing, the most important thing for humans is to see a doctor and take medicine. As long as she controls the lifeline of medicinal materials in the Sheng Dynasty, she will have a steady stream of money coming in.
Planting medicinal herbs was a piece of cake for her, hahaha... The little man in the Jin Shanyao shook his head, hands on his hips, laughing wildly, "Tremble, Xiaobao."
You will be the stepping stones on my road to success... Wahahaha... That's all.
Jin Shanyao squinted her eyes slightly. Even if Meng Anci the imperial examinations smoothly, it would still take her ten years. As long as she made good use of this time...
This will allow the two children to stand more steadily and walk further.
Meng Anzhi: "Buying the mountain must cost a lot of money. I have about fifty taels on hand."
Meng Anci, "I have twenty taels of silver. I'll give it to my aunt right now." He was about to get up when Jin Shanyao stopped him, saying, "Keep your money for yourselves."
I still have some medicinal herbs left from the last sale. I'll go to the county government office later to inquire about the relevant matters. If I can buy them, that would be great; if not, I'll just take them all.
The two little ones nodded, and the matter was decided. Jin Shanyao became more lively. She got up, stretched, and planned to stand for another half an hour.
She really didn't want to leave the soil, but fate had other plans.
Half an hour later, Jin Shanyao appeared at the county government office, accompanied by Meng Anzhi.
The back hall of the county government office.
Magistrate Yang pushed a book of land deeds in front of Jin Shanyao, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.
"Miss Jin, I understand what you mean. However, White Head Mountain is the lifeblood of Willow and Poplar County and cannot be sold to a private individual. As for the other privately owned mountains, none of them are currently willing to make a move."
Jin Shanyao never expected that his grand ambitions would be thwarted at the very first step.
"Not even a mountain?"
Magistrate Yang, "These mountains are all owned by people who do timber business; they depend entirely on these mountains for their livelihood. Who do you think would agree to lease them to you?"
Jin Shanyao flipped through the land deeds, noticing a page with only mountain names but no owner listed. "What's the meaning of these mountains?" she asked.
Magistrate Yang craned his neck to look, "These are barren mountains, neglected because they are poor and remote."
We've known each other for a while, I can't let you down. These godforsaken places are a waste of your money; buying them would be a complete waste of your money.
Upon hearing that it was a mountain no one wanted, Jin Shanyao immediately chose one closer to her home.
How much for this mountain?
Magistrate Yang was shocked. "Aren't you going to go and see for yourself? It's truly barren."
"I don't need to look anymore. As long as it's a mountain, I can plant it," Jin Shanyao, raising an eyebrow. "I'm an expert at farming."
Magistrate Yang resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even if it were a deity descending from the mountains, it would be a load of rubbish. He had already said all he could. Since she insisted on buying, he would sell to her.
Magistrate Yang patted his belly. " Willow and Poplar County isn't a good place either. It's sparsely populated and the people are poor. Give me eight hundred taels. Oh, and by the way, the barren mountains are exempt from taxes for five years."
So cheap????
While Jin Shanyao was still in a daze, Magistrate Yang summoned the registrar to draft the contract and handed it to her. Jin Shanyao and found no problems, then asked Meng Anzhi to sign and affix her seal.
Upon seeing this, Magistrate Yang quickly pressed down on the land deed, saying, "Miss Jin, even if this mountain is barren, it's still worth eight hundred taels. You..." His implication was that putting the barren mountain in a child's name was frivolous.
Jin Shanyao and said, "It's alright, they belong to her and her brother anyway."
Magistrate Yang looked at him like he was a fool.
Meng Anzhi already owns a shop, and this time she wanted to put her aunt's or Anci's name on the deed, but both refused.
Meng Anci, with his big head, thought things through. He was afraid that one day he might make a mistake and end up having his family's property confiscated. If that happened, all of his aunt's hard work would be for nothing.
It's safer to keep it under my sister's name.