Fan Zehao tossed a golden token to the guard: "Show this to the prefect. He'll know who I am!"
The guard, seeing he didn't look like trouble, took the gold plaque and glanced at it. He saw "Town King" etched in small characters on the upper right, and a large "Fan" in the center. Even without much worldly experience, the guard knew this was the Town King's token.
The current Town King was none other than His Majesty!
Furthermore, the Emperor and Empress had left the palace for a discreet tour. Coupled with the unremarkable appearance of the person before him, the guard dared not be careless.
He stumbled into the yamen and found the prefect enjoying himself in the back hall. He didn't dare to hesitate, ignoring any potential awkwardness. With a thud, he prostrated himself on the ground.
"You scoundrel! Can't you see I'm busy?" Jin Xiaobing hastily pushed him away, tying the buttons of his robe and berating the intruder with a flushed face.
The person on the ground trembled as he raised his hands, not daring to look up, let alone at the woman on the bed whose clothes were half undone.
Trembling, he raised his hands above his head, holding a shining gold plaque: "Sir, please look."
Only then did Jin Xiaobing notice the item in his hand. He glared down at the man and took the token. Upon close inspection, his face turned ashen.
He staggered off the bed, grabbed the man's shoulders, and shook him: "Where are they? Where are they?"
The guard pointed outside the yamen. "Outside the yamen, a man and a woman."
Jin Xiaobing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they hadn't come in and seen his shameful act. Otherwise... he couldn't bear to think of the consequences. He put on his boots and rushed to the yamen gate, tidying his clothes as he went.
Halfway there, he reconsidered. He hadn't met the Emperor or Empress before. What if it was a fake?
Jin Xiaobing turned back and asked the pursuing guard, "Did they come alone, or with a group?"
"A man, a woman, and a horse. The man and woman were holding hands, like a couple. No one else was seen."
This made Jin Xiaobing even more suspicious. If the Emperor and Empress were traveling, they would surely be accompanied by many guards. Why only two people?
Could they be the Emperor's attendants?
His mind churning with possibilities, he didn't slow his pace, hurrying towards the yamen gate.
Upon entering the front hall, Jin Xiaobing saw a very ordinary couple standing below, looking around at the things in the yamen. When their eyes met, the couple stopped their investigation.
Jin Xiaobing, holding the token, walked over hesitantly: "Whose token is this? And who are you?"
"Have everyone leave!" Fan Zehao said coldly.
Jin Xiaobing collected himself and waved his sleeve at the guards in the front hall. They filed out, leaving only the three of them in the vast hall.
"Now that everyone is gone, can you tell me?"
Seeing that he was somewhat sensible, Fan Zehao disguised his identity: "I am the commander of the Imperial Guard. I was traveling and discovered that the development here is not as good as in other places, so I stopped to investigate the cause."
Upon hearing that it wasn't the Emperor, Jin Xiaobing's heart relaxed. The fine sweat on his forehead slowly trickled down his temples.
It was good that it wasn't the Emperor. A commander was still a high-ranking official, holding the Imperial Guard was not to be underestimated.
As for the desolation of Lu'an Prefecture, he had his own hardships to speak of. Anyone who knew would spill their woes.
"Commander of the Imperial Guard, please listen. The land in Lu'an Prefecture can grow nothing. Even King Xian has brought in many farming experts, but there has been no improvement. All sorts of methods have been tried, but the land simply won't yield."
The land not yielding crops meant people couldn't stay, leading to economic depression. Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi didn't blame Jin Xiaobing.
Salty soil was not man-made, but as the parent official of the people, he had failed to plan a good path for their development, which was a dereliction of duty.
"Prefect Jin, you don't need to say more. We have investigated the cause of the matter. Now the Emperor and Empress have a solution to the land issue. You just need to cooperate with me!"
When Jin Xiaobing heard the man's words, his heart brightened. According to him, Lu'an Prefecture was saved!
He nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, I will cooperate fully, sir!"
With the prefect's cooperation, the remaining matters were easily resolved.
Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi spent over an hour at the prefect's yamen, explaining the entire situation. After receiving Jin Xiaobing's confirmation, they left.
Two days later, they returned to Qingshan Village.
Upon entering the village, young and old were gathered in the fields, watching Fan Xudong lead everyone in plowing.
Those who weren't hired as laborers stood by, pointing and muttering envious, malicious words, wishing them ill fortune.
Two days later, the county magistrate arrived at Qingshan Village. He first went to the fields and watched dozens of people working. With his hands behind his back, he listened to the village chief's explanation of the situation.
The county magistrate waved his hand, interrupting Qiao Chuan's words: "Take me to the family who rented the land. We'll discuss the rest later!"
Qiao Chuan bowed and nodded, leading the way. He was puzzled. The town mayor hadn't paid much attention to their land rental matters, so why was the county magistrate so concerned!
From his tone, he would have more to discuss with him after visiting Madam Fan's family!
What could it be?
Qiao Chuan entered the courtyard and saw the couple playing with their children. He smiled and greeted them.
"Young Master Fan, Madam Fan, are you both home? You have guests!" Qiao Chuan said humbly.
The two people before him were his patrons, and the county magistrate was his superior. He couldn't afford to offend either of them.
With a smile, he introduced them.
"This is the Magistrate of Dongluo County, Tang Songbai!"
Fan Zehao sat on a small stool in the courtyard, turning his body to glance at the magistrate. He was stout and burly, his physique comparable to Xie Kun's from years ago.
He was surprised that in a place so poor that people could barely afford pants, this man could still be so plump and robust. It was truly remarkable.
Seeing that Fan Zehao had no intention of getting up, Qiao Chuan's face twitched awkwardly. He turned to introduce Fan Zehao's family to the magistrate.
"Magistrate, this is Young Master Fan. The one beside him is his wife, everyone calls her Madam Fan. Oh, and there's also Young Master Fan Er, but he's in the fields and not home!"
Qiao Chuan was smiling so much that his face began to twitch. Even so, he didn't forget to wink at Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi, signaling them to stand up to greet the magistrate.
The couple seemed not to notice the village chief's gesture and remained seated on their stools, doing as they pleased.
Fan Zehao waved at them, signaling them to come over: "The village chief and the magistrate are here. If you have something to say, sit down and talk!"
Tang Songbai walked over and sat down, a hint of caution and nervousness on his face. His eyes were filled with confusion as he looked at the man. He didn't resemble an Imperial Guard commander at all.
However, the prefect had already sent someone to inquire with King Xian. He believed they would soon confirm whether this Young Master Fan was indeed from the capital.
"I am Tang Songbai. I was ordered by the prefect to cooperate with Master Fan. People have already been sent to investigate, and I have now been ordered to see what assistance is needed here!"
Master Fan?
Qiao Chuan felt his brain short-circuit. Wasn't Young Master Fan a wealthy household? How did he become a master?