Chapter 0270: The County Magistrate Who Incurred Nine Familial Exterminations, the Calm and Alert Fang Xi
Upon seeing Xie Chengze, Fang Xi was momentarily startled, clearly not expecting his sudden visit. After collecting herself, she quickly stepped aside to make way.
Once Xie Chengze entered the courtyard, she cautiously peered around to confirm no one was nearby before swiftly closing the gate.
“Your Highness.” After shutting the gate, Fang Xi immediately moved to kneel in respect.
Xie Chengze reached out to stop her and asked, “Are you aware that Zhu Xiaobiao has returned?”
The woman dressed in plain white robes nodded gently. “After Young Master Zhu returned to Zhuolu County, he came looking for us. The other sisters have already left with him.”
She had been assigned a task by Xie Chengze, so she hadn’t departed, only entrusting her sisters to inform Young Master Zhu that she had found a good match and not to worry.
Xie Chengze nodded and continued questioning, “What kinds of people have been entering and leaving the county government office?”
“Mostly merchants with out-of-town accents,” Fang Xi answered methodically. “That popular incense among the nobility is quite expensive, carries high commercial taxes, and can only be purchased in limited quantities—likely following the salt voucher system. To obtain more, one must befriend the county magistrate.”
“Befriending the county magistrate” meant offering bribes.
“Can that incense be purchased?” Xie Chengze pondered for a moment before asking.
Fang Xi nodded. “There’s no restriction preventing commoners from buying it, but the price is rather steep—20 taels of silver for a small piece.”
Although this was only the price of medium-quality incense… “After the nobility started using it, they became unwilling to use any other incense. Consequently, many incense shops have begun stocking this variety.”
She thought for a moment. “However, it’s primarily sold to the nobility—ordinary commoners can’t afford it.”
Xie Chengze snorted coldly. “It’s just not the right time yet.”
Once the nobility’s wealth has been squeezed dry, it will naturally trickle down to the lower classes. By then, families will be ruined, the military weakened, and the country destroyed…
Xie Chengze’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Last year, he had crossed paths with that Magistrate Zhu. The man was timid and fearful, somewhat slick and greedy, but possessed some education. At least under his governance, Zhuolu County had prospered, unlike the desolate Cangfu County.
Xie Chengze didn’t believe he had the capability to produce poison, let alone administer it to his own only son. Was there someone behind him giving instructions?
And why wasn’t this incident present in the original storyline?
Xie Chengze vaguely recalled that in the original plot, after the Pingcheng earthquake, the Second Prince embezzled the disaster relief funds sent to Zhuolu County. He later encountered Zhu Xiaobiao there, was provoked by him, and in a fit of rage, executed Zhu Xiaobiao in the streets and imposed nine familial exterminations…
Xie Chengze slapped his forehead in realization.
So, the poison maker must be among those nine exterminated families?
The Second Prince’s outburst had inadvertently eradicated the drug trade completely!
After organizing his thoughts, Xie Chengze pulled two silver notes from his sleeve and handed them to Fang Xi. “This is for your efforts. Stop the surveillance from now on—it’s dangerous.”
Fang Xi was momentarily taken aback, then shook her head. “Your Highness needn’t do this. This is what I should be doing.”
“Take it,” Xie Chengze insisted, pressing them into her hand. “I noticed the handwriting on the message was unpracticed—you must have recently learned to write for sending secret letters, right? Women still can’t attend schools nowadays. Where did you learn to write?”
Upon hearing this, Fang Qian couldn’t help but lower her head slightly in embarrassment. Just as Xie Chengze thought she might have been taught by some scholar or tutor with whom she had formed an attachment, she spoke gently with a hint of guilt, “I feel somewhat ashamed to say this, but there was a scholar who developed feelings for me, and I took advantage of him.”
Xie Chengze was momentarily stunned before nodding silently.
Fang Qian stole a glance at Xie Chengze and asked anxiously, “Does Your Highness think I am somewhat unscrupulous?”
Xie Chengze shook his head, “As a beneficiary in this matter, I am in no position to judge. If you feel remorseful, you could compensate him for any losses.”
However, regarding Fang Qian, Xie Chengze thought she was quite remarkable.
To remain alone in Zhuolu County, discreetly surveilling the county office, and choosing to cozy up to scholars to learn reading and writing without leaking any information… She possessed composure, calmness, restraint, and sharp wit—such admirable qualities. Had she been able to attend school from a young age to acquire knowledge, it wasn’t hard to imagine how outstanding she could have become.
But it wasn’t too late.
“I will be taking Zhu Xiaobiao elsewhere on business soon. Do you plan to come with us, or…” Xie Chengze paused, “The Imperial Academy in Jingcheng will soon open its doors. When the time comes, the princesses will all be attending classes. If you wish, I can write you a letter of recommendation to become a study companion to the princess.”
Hearing this, Fang Qian’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Your Highness… are you serious?”
She had heard from that scholar—who had failed the Spring Examination this year but told her all about Jingcheng—that the capital was about to establish the Imperial Academy, where Esteemed Daughters from the city could enroll.
She had been immensely envious.
Since childhood, she had envied her eldest brother’s opportunity to study. To gather tuition for her brother, her parents sold off several younger sisters one after another, finally making a desperate move by selling her to a butcher who had outlived three wives.
When she was covered in bruises from the butcher’s beatings, it was Young Lord Zhu who saved her. At that time, Young Lord Zhu was still very young, just a boy, pointing at her and declaring he would take her back to his residence as a concubine.
So young yet already learning to abduct common women, she had thought she was falling into another den of wolves.
Unexpectedly, Young Lord Zhu secretly brought ointment to treat her wounds, telling her not to worry—he wouldn’t touch her, that he would protect her and many others.
The county magistrate’s wife forbade Young Lord Zhu from studying and certainly wouldn’t provide him with writing materials. When he learned she wanted to learn characters, he bought storybooks and taught her to read character by character. When they came across inappropriate content, he would blush and skip over it.
But Young Lord Zhu didn’t know many characters himself, so while she could recognize some, she couldn’t write.
Though she missed Young Lord Zhu dearly, if given the choice, she would choose to become the princess’s study companion.
When Young Lord Zhu went to serve in the imperial palace in Jingcheng, he wrote letters to the concubines in Zhuolu County informing them of his situation. Fang Qian knew that staying by his side would only hold him back, but if she became the princess’s study companion, she could look after Young Lord Zhu within the palace.
Therefore, she would choose to be the princess’s study companion.
Xie Chengze was pleased with her choice. She was a far-sighted woman—otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to conspire with Jing Ze for six years and successfully infiltrate the Qionglin Banquet.
“Then wait a moment, I’ll write you that letter of recommendation.”
Xie Chengze’s tone became somewhat lighter. He had Fang Qian fetch paper and brush, then with a flourish of his hand, began writing the recommendation letter.
Fang Qian couldn’t help but glance at it.
It only contained a dozen or so words: Fang Qian of Zhuolu County, personally selected by this prince as the princess’s study companion! —Xie Chengze
She subtly gazed at the crooked handwriting, momentarily unsure whether her own calligraphy was uglier or that of the Second Prince’s.
Xie Chengze folded the letter and handed it to Fang Qian, experiencing for the first time how amusing it could be to write recommendation letters for others.
Hehe~
After bidding farewell to Fang Qian, Xie Chengze then took a carriage to the inn, intending to bring Hu Lai to find Zhu Xiaobiao. As the carriage traveled through the streets, it passed by the county office again. Xie Chengze lifted the window curtain and casually glanced outside, just in time to see an ornately decorated carriage stopped at the county office entrance.
Subsequently, a person stepped down from the carriage.
Xie Chengze instinctively raised his eyes to look at the person’s face, and the next moment, his gaze suddenly trembled with shock, as if he had seen a ghost!
This person—how could it be!