"Sir, are you looking to buy steamed buns? You're in luck! These are made from freshly milled wheat by the old couple this morning. They smell wonderful, and they're sprinkled with sesame seeds and sugar..."
"Yes, Uncle General, my grandma's pancakes are so delicious..." A little girl of about six or seven years old helped the old man promote the pancakes; she looked lively and adorable.
But Li Danian looked horrified as the girl approached, and he pulled his horse back.
The horse seemed to sense its owner's panic, and warily reared up, warning the little creature in front of it not to come closer.
The girl screamed in fright at the horse and stumbled backward, falling to the ground. Seeing this, the old man rushed forward, picked up his granddaughter, and angrily shouted, "You soldier! If you don't want to buy it, then don't buy it! Why did you scare my granddaughter like that?"
Li Danian stared blankly at the grandfather and granddaughter. Just as the old man was about to carry his granddaughter to the roadside as he had done before, his face suddenly hardened. He spurred his horse and steered it towards the old man and the child!
Although Dragon Horse was puzzled, it sensed its master's determination and charged forward without hesitation with a roar.
This Dragon Horse was a top-tier military horse used exclusively by the imperial court. Its body was like an elephant, and its speed was like thunder. When it really moved, how could an old man or a child dodge it in time?
In an instant, with a scream, it was trampled into mincemeat by the giant hoof!
A perfectly healthy grandfather and grandson died in an extremely gruesome manner.
But Li Danian, the perpetrator, looked visibly shaken.
"Dead?"
"He really died like that?"
Muttering to himself twice, Li Danian dismounted, gently drew his sword, and approached to examine the body closely. The bones and flesh appeared normal, just like those of someone who had been trampled to death.
Could I have been mistaken? Were these grandfather and grandson really just ordinary people?
But...
Li Danian looked around strangely.
The familiar scenery, the familiar roads, the familiar grandfather and grandson, even the familiar sky—it was exactly the same as the three times I had passed by before!
This is the third time. It's like an inescapable vicious cycle. He's certain he's going straight, and he's absolutely certain he didn't turn around at all, so why does he always end up back in this godforsaken place?
Upon seeing these two, grandfather and grandson?
Li Danian took a breath, looked at the little girl who had been trampled to death, and finally a trace of pity flashed in his eyes, but he didn't look at her for long. He immediately mounted his horse again and galloped off towards the familiar front.
Now that the grandfather and grandson are dead, they surely won't return to the same place, right? We can't delay General Yuchi's military report to the court!
As he thought this, Li Danian ran wildly, his attention extremely focused. Looking at the surrounding scenery, he felt increasingly disheartened.
Because he saw that the sun had just risen in the sky.
But clearly... it was almost noon when I left the grandfather and grandson's place...
Once again, the surrounding scenery became increasingly familiar, the road was exactly the same as before, and what was extremely unsettling was the faint mist that constantly enveloped the area!
"Sir, are you looking to buy steamed buns? You're in luck! These are made from freshly milled wheat by the old couple this morning. They smell wonderful, and they're sprinkled with sesame seeds and sugar..."
The grandfather and granddaughter looked at him expectantly from the intersection once again. It was the same old man, the same granddaughter, and the same... familiar aroma of steamed buns.
Li Danian felt like he was going crazy...
--
"But is it Lord Zhou?"
In a teahouse owned by a relative of Ma Erniang on North Street in Liuzhou, a soft, tentative voice sent a shiver down Zhou Haitao's spine as he listened to the household registration statistics. He looked up and his eyes lit up instantly!
What a beautiful woman from the Western Regions!
"Who are you, and what business do you have with me?" Zhou Haitao asked seriously, taking a sip of coarse tea.
The woman smiled slightly and quickly instructed her Human Dao, " Lord Zhou has been working tirelessly for the people of Liuzhou. He's truly worked hard. Come, brew him some good tea." She then sat down opposite Zhou Haitao Lord Zhou the table with a smile, saying, "This is a famous snow cake from Jiangnan. Lord Zhou, would you like to try it?"
"No need," Zhou Haitao declined curtly. "I'm used to drinking coarse tea; I can't appreciate your refined things. Just speak frankly. I'm very busy, so please be brief..."
"Yes, yes..." The woman gestured to the two unpleasant-looking attendants behind her and said with a forced smile, "Sir, your tireless efforts for the people's livelihood are truly admirable. I am Ye Xiaoqian, and I am currently the manager of Huasheng Trading Company. I have come to see you today to inquire about the shops on South Street."
"The head of the household?" Zhou Haitao frowned and looked up. "Oh, I've heard that there's a female head of one of the top ten merchant guilds in Jiangnan. Is that you, sir?"
Damn it, why is a woman this tall?
Zhou Haitao's tone was casual, even disdainful, which made the two women in red behind him look even worse. Their master was treated with great respect even by the provincial governor when he traveled around Jiangnan. What was he, a mere clerk holding Ninth Rank official seal and temporarily serving in Liuzhou, doing with such arrogance?
"I'm sorry to have made you look so imposing, sir." Ye Xiaoqian smiled gently, even pouring tea for Zhou Haitao: "I witnessed your imposing presence at the dock this afternoon, sir; it truly inspired my admiration."
"Routine construction work, what's with the grandeur?" Zhou Haitao's nostrils were flared high, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, clearly showing his insincerity.
"These days, soldiers are so arrogant. I've never seen anyone as upright and righteous as you, sir, who dares to stand up for what's right. In my three years traveling in Jiangnan, this is the first time I've encountered such a person, especially since the other party is General Yuchi Feihong, who massacred cities in the north."
Uh, a massacre?
Zhou Haitao's face twitched. Damn it, that scarred man slaughtered an entire city this morning? Why didn't his Laoda tell him about this ruthless bastard earlier?
But he couldn't afford to lose face in front of a woman at this moment. Zhou Haitao put down his trembling brush and looked at her. "Whether civil or military, we all serve the court and must speak according to its rules and regulations. General Yuchi, no matter how many great achievements you have made, you still have to follow the rules. Isn't that what should be done?"
"Is that so?" The woman smiled brightly. "Then it's against the rules for the prefecture government to acquire the shops and real estate in Liuzhou on its own."
"In times of emergency, expediency is key!" Zhou Haitao said without batting an eye, mimicking Chen Qing's tone, "The government's role is to stabilize people's livelihoods. The market clearly collapsed after that incident in Liuzhou. If the government doesn't intervene, and those with ulterior motives monopolize the real estate market, the consequences will be far-reaching!"
"Oh?"
Ye Xiaoqian was immediately filled with respect. She hadn't expected the new Liuzhou official to have such a far-sighted vision; she truly hadn't anticipated it.
"I have learned a great deal." Ye Xiaoqian poured the other party another cup of tea and then asked softly, "Your Excellencies have a long-term vision, which is truly a blessing for the people of Liuzhou. Now that Liuzhou is beginning to see a return of its economy, would you be willing to let the shops return to the people?"
"Of course..." Zhou Haitao sipped the tea poured by the beautiful woman, looking completely relaxed.
Damn it, finally I feel like a government official.
Working under Chen Qing for a month, he really felt that it was no different from being a waiter and errand boy at his own father's inn. Oh no, it might even be worse, because his father never owed him wages!
If my father knew that all those years of studying would result in this kind of work, I wonder if he would regret spending so much money to send me to the capital to take the imperial examination.
Coming to his senses, Zhou Haitao looked at the other person. "What? Is Proprietor Ye interested in making a move?"
Hurry up and buy it, my salary is finally secured!
"That's certainly the idea..." Ye Xiaoqian smiled and said, "I wonder if you, sir, can make the decision?"
"Of course!" the fat man said, puffing out his chest. "Your Excellency is very busy; I can handle such a small matter!"
Ye Xiaoqian's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing this. She had only come to try her luck, but she hadn't expected to actually run into him. This Xiaopang could actually make the decision!
Upon entering the city, the leaders naturally wanted to consult with the prefect immediately. However, not only was the newly appointed Commander Yuchi seeking out the prefect, but several important figures from the Shen Family were also visiting him. They knew then that they would likely have to wait their turn.
Ye Xiaoqian didn't want to waste this spare time, so she took the opportunity to carefully observe the movements of the prefecture and soon noticed the Xiaopang Zhou Haitao.
This fleshy, ball-shaped fellow was constantly going in and out of the government office, running errands and attracting a lot of attention.
At first, I thought he was just doing odd jobs, but when I inquired, I found out that he was actually the Chief Clerk of the Bureau of Clerks, who had received an official seal. I was stunned for a long time.
Because he definitely looked like a gofer or errand boy; after all, I saw him helping Ma Erniang this morning, a typical servant who did many jobs...
After observing him more closely, it became apparent that this Xiaopang was actually quite involved in many things: registering household registrations, recording dispute cases, dispatching soldiers at the city gates, and weighing cargo at the docks—he was handling all of these tasks...
That's truly an all-rounder!
Since they couldn't see the prefect anytime soon, they decided to try and get some information from him. After all, none of their colleagues had noticed this guy yet, but they had unexpectedly stumbled upon a gem.
"Is your statement true, sir?"
"Would I, an official, speak nonsense?"
"No, no, I just felt that you were so busy with so many things, and I was thinking that perhaps someone else was handling the real estate matters."
Upon hearing this, the fat man's face twitched. " Proprietor Ye wouldn't... think that I'm just a menial servant, would he?"
"Haha, you jest, sir!" Ye Xiaoqian coughed lightly, laughing to cover her embarrassment. She quickly poured herself a cup of tea, then asked about the important matter, "At what price does the government intend to sell its properties?"
"Ten thousand taels!"
"Puff!!"
" Proprietor Ye!!" Zhou Haitao wiped the tea off his face and said angrily, "Please have some self-respect!"
"Sorry, sorry..." Proprietor Ye quickly used a handkerchief to help wipe it.
With a beautiful woman wiping his face with her fragrant handkerchief, the fat man's expression improved slightly. Then, remembering that the tea had been spat out by the woman, his mood improved even more.
"My lord... are you joking?" Ye Xiaoqian asked cautiously while wiping herself, "Ten thousand taels per room?"
This price is much more affordable than I expected! Is the prefect of Liuzhou really that generous?
"What are you thinking?" The fat man looked at the other person as if he were an idiot. "What I mean is, ten thousand taels per inch!"
Ye Xiaoqian: "..."
Please read on, please read on, please read on! The most crucial round has begun, the Mofang is begging for help!