Accompanied by the sound, a boy of about twelve or thirteen ran in.
Probably didn’t expect there to be others besides his own family in the room.
For a mont, his face turned a bit red.
Mrs. Zheng glared at her son and said to Su Jin, "My youngest is reckless, please forgive him."
Then she glared at the boy, "What’s so urgent that you need to find your father?"
The boy was indeed the Second Young Master Zheng.
He slipped around from behind Young Master Zheng to the bedside, whispering, "Dad, I have a question I don’t understand and want to ask you."
"What question?" Old Master Zheng glared.
Second Young Master Zheng just asked directly, "You said recently that new officials light three fires when they take office, so why do Daqi officials use themselves for intimidation when they take office?"
"What do you an use themselves for intimidation?" Old Master Zheng frowned.
"It’s that newly appointed county magistrate, hanging himself in front of the governnt office, the people on the street are saying the new county magistrate sent here is a tough guy, we’re going to have a tough ti."
"...."
As Second Young Master Zheng spoke, he slowly squatted down, feeling out a slingshot from under Old Master Zheng’s bed.
He quickly hid it behind him, saying, "Dad, you take care of your injury, I’m heading out first."
When he turned around, he quickly tucked the slingshot into his chest.
This wasn’t about asking questions; it was about taking the slingshot while Old Master Zheng wasn’t looking.
Old Master Zheng was pondering why the county magistrate would hang himself in front of the governnt office, completely unaware of what his youngest son had just done.
Mrs. Zheng knew, but she couldn’t scold her son in front of outsiders. Watching Second Young Master Zheng leave, she quickly signaled to the maid to keep an eye on him.
However, by the ti the maid gave chase, Second Young Master Zheng was nowhere to be seen.
Inside, after Second Young Master Zheng had just caused a small disturbance, Young Master Zheng continued, "My younger brother was fooling around, what conditions were you just talking about?"
Young Master Zheng was truly curious.
But he was certain it wasn’t about money.
Could the Princess Consort Zhenbei really lack anything that would require the Zheng Family’s help?
Su Jin smiled faintly and said, "My request is related to what Second Young Master just ntioned."
Young Master Zheng, ".....???"
"The court has not been discerning; they sent a foolish official. The situation has already been dealt with, and your father has served as an official. Now the border citizens are restless, the court needs upright individuals like Old Master Zheng to take over the governnt office," Su Jin said.
"I know Old Mrs. Zheng doesn’t want Old Master Zheng to beco an official, but I can guarantee that as long as Old Master Zheng remains honest and dedicated to public service, no one can harm him or the Zheng Family."
With Su Jin’s status as the Princess Consort Zhenbei and Daqi Princess, protecting a minor county magistrate was a piece of cake.
But Young Master Zheng didn’t expect Su Jin to present such a condition to the Zheng Family.
However, this matter couldn’t be decided by Young Master Zheng on behalf of his father.
He looked towards Old Mrs. Zheng.
Old Mrs. Zheng’s brow, full of wrinkles, furrowed into a frown.
If she cared about power, she wouldn’t have allowed her son to resign from office and return ho more than a decade ago.
But Su Jin offered this condition to heal Old Master Zheng’s arm, and without treating the arm, Old Master Zheng would lose half his life.
She understood her son.
Old Mrs. Zheng hesitated endlessly.
She looked at Su Jin, not understanding how a woman could be involved in court affairs...
Thinking of how Young Master Zheng went to the military camp today to seek out the Princess Consort Zhenbei, and that Su Jin also possessed dical skills, wearing clothes that seed simple yet were made of rarely seen, precious fabrics.
Could it be... the woman in front of her was indeed the Princess Consort Zhenbei?!
This suspicion erged, and Old Mrs. Zheng almost couldn’t stand.
Young Master Zheng supported her, saying, "Grandmother, you should let Father beco an official."
Old Mrs. Zheng looked at Old Master Zheng.
Old Master Zheng showed no expression; whether to beco an official or not, he only wished to heal his arm now.
Su Jin also looked at him, as he would be the one taking office ultimately.
"What does Old Master Zheng think?" Su Jin asked.
"Can you really heal my arm?" Old Master Zheng was a bit incredulous.
Su Jin laughed and said, "I’ve healed injuries more severe than yours."
"I agree," Old Master Zheng said.
This outco was within Su Jin’s expectations.
She stood up and said, "Tomorrow, I’ll send the ointnt over. Fortunately, it’s just the arm that’s injured, which won’t affect walking, and in three to five days, you can assu office."
Old Master Zheng, "...."
Young Master Zheng, "...."
"So soon?" Mrs. Zheng said.
"It is indeed urgent, but only if the new county magistrate takes charge of the governnt office soon can more people be spared from having to traverse mountains and villages to Nanliang like Old Master Zheng," Su Jin said.
Although Su Jin could have the governnt office post a notice allowing citizens to leave the city.
But with soone ready to handle the situation, why should she involve herself in so many matters?
Moreover, once the city gates open allowing movent, Su Jin was genuinely worried that these Nanliang citizens would leave never to return.
For the court, having more people is a good thing.
Old Master Zheng possessed high prestige; with him assuming the position of county magistrate and issuing decrees, the citizens, even if not giving face to the Daqi court, would certainly respect Old Master Zheng.
It’s hard to leave one’s ho; without necessity, no one wished to leave.
Old Master Zheng looked at his broken arm and said, "The doctor isn’t only skilled but also selfless. Thus, I’ll assu office in three days."
Mrs. Zheng still wanted to persuade him, but Old Master Zheng stopped her with a look.
Even a woman could advocate for the people this way, how could he not?
After the business was done, Su Jin bid farewell and left.
Young Master Zheng escorted Su Jin and Xie Jingchen out.
Su Jin excused herself to buy dicinal herbs in the street, not entering her ho, and Xie Jingchen didn’t reveal her pretense.
The small courtyard had an apothecary; the usual herbs could be found there.
Young Master Zheng sent them to the doorway of the small courtyard, watching them walk away in amazent.
Young Master Zheng, "...."
He turned and went back to the mansion, Old Mrs. Zheng asked about Su Jin’s identity, "Was that doctor just now...?"
"Grandmother’s guess is correct, it was indeed her," Young Master Zheng replied.
Mrs. Zheng, slow in realization, felt a bit uneasy.
Just then, the maid ca in, and Mrs. Zheng quickly asked, "Where is Second Young Master?"
The maid shook her head, "Second Young Master went to the street, the maid couldn’t catch up with him."
Previously, when Daqi and Nanliang went to war, the Zheng mansion’s gates were closed, and Second Young Master Zheng was confined at ho for two months unable to leave.
After Nanliang sought peace with Daqi, Mrs. Zheng allowed him to go out and play.
Now that Old Master Zheng took charge of the governnt office as the county magistrate, Mrs. Zheng wasn’t worried about her son getting into trouble.
However, Mrs. Zheng forgot Second Young Master Zheng had returned specifically to fetch his slingshot, and at this mont, he was indeed mingling in the crowd watching the county magistrate being hung up.
In different places, customs vary greatly even just ten or a hundred miles apart. The county magistrate had just arrived not long ago when he was hung in front of the governnt office, along with the master.
No one knew it was Su Jin who had hung them there, and so who were eager to curry favor with the county magistrate claid this was a Daqi custom, sparing the county magistrate so face.
Word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and everyone ca to witness Daqi’s exotic custom.
Second Young Master Zheng, mingling in the crowd, said, "I heard that when Daqi’s new officials take office, they not only hang themselves up but also let citizens throw rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at them to remind themselves not to be foolish officials."
Speaking of which, Second Young Master Zheng took out his slingshot and a rotten egg, aiming it at the county magistrate.
With a whoosh, the rotten egg flew towards the county magistrate’s forehead.
If the county magistrate hadn’t been exorbitant, his father wouldn’t have had to traverse mountains and valleys injuring his arm, possibly never healing it in this lifeti.
For such a foolish official, he hit him on the head with an egg flower!
Second Young Master Zheng not only said it but did it, and as there weren’t any governnt officials coming out from the governnt office to catch him, a bunch of people truly believed Daqi had this custom, finding rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves as well.
County Magistrate, "....!!!"
Master, "....!!!"
"Mmm mm...."
The two had cloth stuffed in their mouths and couldn’t speak at all.
Such a good opportunity to pelt the county magistrate, everyone who heard about it ca.
The area in front of the governnt office beca unbearably filthy from the attacks.
After avenging his father, Second Young Master Zheng proudly returned to the mansion to claim credit.
Then—
Old Master Zheng assigned him the task of cleaning up the ss in front of the governnt office.
Second Young Master Zheng, "...."
With a cloth covering his nose, he could hardly shield himself from the waves of stench hitting his face.
Yesterday’s al had already co back up.
Second Young Master Zheng’s eyes were filled with resentnt.
Why didn’t anyone tell him earlier that the county magistrate had already been dismissed, and the new county magistrate was his father?
He had given his soon-to-be-official father a hazing with the locals.
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