Chapter 665 - 667: Well Prepared
Chapter 665: Chapter 667: Well Prepared
Ancient Wen Heng was completely unaware of everything that had happened at the Cen Residence.
Having finally found a moment of free time, he took a walk around the back office of the Inspectorate.
He quickly drew up a list and handed it to Ming Zhong. "Pick out the best of everything on this list. It all needs to be ready before Madam arrives."
Ancient Wen Heng had no intention of keeping furniture that others had used. "As for the old items that were here, put them in the storeroom for now. If anyone needs them later, they can take whatever they want."
The large storerooms were all empty anyway, making them perfect for piling up these things.
"Ming Xiang, over the next few days, I want you to familiarize yourself with Yongchang County as quickly as possible. Submit a daily report to me."
"Ming An, you go out to the nearby villages and towns. See what crops the common people rely on for their livelihood."
Seeing that Ancient Wen Heng was about to assign more tasks, Ming Zhong quickly interjected, "Master, you can’t be left without protection. The other tasks can wait until Guard Jiang and the others arrive."
The few of them were originally assigned to protect Ancient Wen Heng. If everyone was sent away, they would feel uneasy.
Ancient Wen Heng didn’t insist. "I wonder where Madam and her party are now. It will probably be a few more days before they arrive."
"Later, I’ll go ask the Deputy Envoy and the others. They’ve been in this area for so many years, they must know some reliable shops."
He wasn’t one to be inflexible, so he immediately headed for the government office.
Wu Haicong and the others were eager to build a good relationship with the new Mr. Gu. Now that he was asking for something, and it was such a small matter, they naturally agreed without hesitation.
They even guaranteed they would find him the best, most exquisitely crafted furniture.
Ancient Wen Heng wasn’t one to take advantage of others for free. He pulled a thousand-tael silver note from his robes. "I’ve just arrived and don’t know the prices here. Take this for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll give you more later."
Wu Haicong was stunned by his generosity for a moment, then smiled and said, "Around here, the cheapest thing we have is wood."
"Rest assured, Your Excellency. If the shops know you’re the one buying, they wouldn’t dare raise the price. They’ll charge for the craftsmanship at most. You won’t need this much silver."
Ancient Wen Heng pushed the silver note into his hand. "I can’t take advantage of them. Just make sure they get the dimensions and the type of wood right."
"Can you see about contacting them? Have them come over today to confirm the measurements. I’m in a hurry."
Wu Haicong had served here for six consecutive years and knew the area like the back of his hand. He immediately took full responsibility for the task.
Jin Qianqian arrived five days later. Her long procession, with over two hundred people and dozens of carriages, was quite a spectacle for the local residents.
Having rested for several days on the road, they had delayed past the start of his official term. Only then did Jin Qianqian order them to travel at full speed.
By the time they reached Yongchang County, Ancient Wen Heng had already been in his post and handling affairs for about ten days.
Just after they entered the city, Jiang Shiniu asked a constable at the gate for directions to the Inspectorate.
The constable was very enthusiastic. He even handed his duties over to someone else and personally ran ahead to lead the way for them.
Another quick-witted constable ran ahead to deliver the news. By the time Jin Qianqian’s convoy came to a stop, Ancient Wen Heng had already received the message.
This time, he wasn’t as rash as before, remembering to inform the people beside him, "My wife has arrived. I will be taking my leave for the day. I’ll have to trouble you all with the remaining matters."
"Of course, Mr. Gu. Please, don’t let us keep you."
Ancient Wen Heng didn’t stand on ceremony with them and led his men out to greet her.
In the back courtyard of the government office, it was no longer crowded with several families as before. The entire grand, five-courtyard residence now belonged to their family alone.
Jin Qianqian looked at the completely different architecture and matching furniture, curiously touching and examining things with her two children.
The furniture here seemed to place a greater emphasis on carving; even a simple table could have intricate patterns.
"This is just too beautiful," Jin Qianqian said, feeling completely stunned.
"The wood here isn’t valuable, so people focus more on their craftsmanship. These were all just purchased temporarily. If you see something you like better later, we can replace them."
Seeing how much Jin Qianqian liked it, Ancient Wen Heng was filled with joy.
"These are all wonderful." Jin Qianqian thought that if any of these pieces were in a later era, they would be considered works of art.
"And the courtyard is so big," Jin Qianqian said, running into the back garden, which had clearly been meticulously cared for. "Even though it’s winter, the climate here is much warmer. Look, all these flowers and plants are still green."
"Finally, we won’t have to coop ourselves up indoors all winter."
Ancient Wen Heng showed her the courtyards for their two children, then gently but firmly led her to the main courtyard to rest. "It’s not going anywhere. There will be plenty of time to look around slowly later."
"I’ve already sent someone to order a feast from a restaurant. Let’s fill our stomachs first."
He still remembered arriving a few days ago with an empty stomach. It was not a pleasant feeling.
Jin Qianqian smiled. "Have you forgotten how I like to keep a stockpile? I didn’t neglect myself on the journey here."
"How are things on your end? How did the handover go?"
This had been her worry the entire trip. Although she saw he was fine and had already arranged their living quarters, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Ancient Wen Heng briefly explained the events of the past few days. "Things are on the right track now. As for the lost silver taels, we’ll just have to see how the higher-ups decide to handle it."
Jin Qianqian wasn’t so optimistic. "Even if all that money is recovered, it will have to be turned over to the treasury. They won’t leave it for you to use."
Ancient Wen Heng squeezed her hand. "I expected as much. That’s why on the second day, I also submitted a memorial."
"As long as the Holy Emperor wants to give this place a complete makeover, I believe he’ll offer some support."
To put it bluntly, he had already asked for money. How much he would be given now depended on the will of those above.
Jin Qianqian said, "The Holy Emperor doesn’t have the final say on everything at court. By the time they finish their discussions and implement a decision, it will be too late."
Ancient Wen Heng gently patted her back. "There’s no rush for any of this. If we have the silver, I’ll speed things up. If not, I’ll just have to plan things out more slowly."
Jin Qianqian grabbed his misbehaving hand. "It’s a good thing we were vigilant and traveled separately. In the days that followed, there were all sorts of incidents blocking the roads."
"The road only cleared up after the official start date of your term."
"That Liu Xuan is truly audacious, to dare to plot something like this."
"If we hadn’t split up, wouldn’t he have tried to pin all the blame on you?"
Ancient Wen Heng said, "You could say he got what he deserved."
"It’s just that there are still many suspicious points. Unfortunately, I’m not the chief investigating official, nor is my rank high enough. I can’t preside over the case myself. Otherwise, I would really like to understand why someone in his position would need to self-destruct his own career."
Saying this, Ancient Wen Heng couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. As soon as Liu Xuan’s affairs were exposed, he was immediately taken away and imprisoned by Governor Liang.
It wasn’t that they weren’t curious, but not a single piece of news had been leaked from Governor Liang’s side.