Royal Gold Magistrate

With the newspaper office reorganized, Fang Zheng felt at ease.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he could set out tomorrow morning with Lu Fa, who would bring the reforged imperial sword, and the others he planned to take along.

He wasn’t yet sure about the specific situation in Jianjiang.

He just hoped that the people he had sent ahead wouldn’t cause too much trouble.

However, the court officials, stimulated by the newspaper, had been quite proactive.

The first batch of grain, a scattered collection of less than 20,000 stone, had already begun its journey to Jianjiang.

If they took the land route, the grain might even arrive before Fang Zheng.

That night, Fang Zheng tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He felt he was forgetting something, carefully reviewing in his mind the various events of the recent past.

Everything in the capital had been arranged, and Xiao Tao and the others had been sent back to Taoyuan County without any issues. Moreover, the Crown Prince could help look after things.

The only mystery that remained was the enigmatic King Wu.

Fang Zheng had sent people to investigate his situation, but so far, not a whisper of news had returned.

At present, he couldn’t even contact the spies he had sent out.

Fang Zheng pondered until his head ached, but couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Forget it! He might as well continue writing letters to Luo Ningxin. Perhaps that would yield some results.

But he had already wrung his brain dry… what to do?

He could only resort to copying song lyrics!

With his mind made up, Fang Zheng took out paper and brush, and began to write silently.

“I’ve dried out my silence, regret being so impulsive…”

Finishing the letter, Fang Zheng flicked the paper proudly.

If this doesn’t win you over, what will?!

………………

Early the next morning, Fang Zheng finished washing up and was having breakfast with Xiao Tao and the others.

The household servants had all been dismissed a day earlier.

Fang Zheng had even thoughtfully provided severance pay.

Many of them wept bitterly.

Although Fang Zheng wasn’t always the most considerate, Xiao Tao managed the household affairs well.

It was hard to find a household with treatment as good as the Fang residence.

While the wages were average, the work was light. Unlike other places where masters always looked down on servants with a condescending attitude, treating them as less than human.

Moreover, the food in the mansion was quite good, so no one wanted to leave.

In the end, it took Xiao Tao’s persuasion for everyone to disperse.

Not long after breakfast, Lu Fa led several people into the courtyard.

Upon seeing Fang Zheng, he immediately handed over the reforged sword.

Fang Zheng promptly unsheathed the sword, then couldn’t help but sigh.

Poor! It was far too poor. It would have been better to simply weld the original broken blade.

Although the strength wouldn’t be enough, at least it would look passable.

The reforged sword no longer had that imposing sharpness.

Moreover, the patterns on the blade were completely different.

Seeing his expression, Lu Fa hurriedly explained, “Master, the blacksmith told me that with his skills, this sword could never be the same as before.”

“Moreover, because it was so rushed, the sword hasn’t been fully forged and they didn’t have time to sharpen it. It might be a bit brittle, so it’s best not to use it…”

It seemed the royal craftsmen of the Qian Dynasty far surpassed those of Taoyuan County!

However, this wasn’t entirely unacceptable.

Fang Zheng could only nod, sheathing the sword with disappointment. “Let it be then. It’s just a ceremonial item anyway.”

“We’ll have it properly redone when there’s time.”

Then he turned to Wu Sheng, his face breaking into a smile. “Master Wu, it’s been a while! I hear you’ve been living quite comfortably?”

Wu Sheng swallowed hard, his heart uneasy. He forced a laugh, “Getting by, just getting by. Lord Fang is too kind.”

“May I ask… why Lord Fang has summoned me?”

Wu Sheng had been anxious the whole way, having been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by Lu Fa.

Without explanation, he had been brought to the capital, with Lu Fa refusing to divulge any information.

Even now, he was still in the dark about the situation.

Fang Zheng walked up to him and patted his shoulder.

“Why so formal with the ‘Lord Fang’ business? We’re all Taoyuan County folk now.”

“You won’t even call me ‘Master’!”

“It’s like you don’t consider me one of your own!”

Wu Sheng immediately became flustered, “Oh no, I wouldn’t dare! Greetings, Master!”

Seeing this, Fang Zheng smiled with satisfaction. “Good! Don’t be afraid, it’s nothing serious. This time, I’m planning to take you to Jianjiang.”

“I’ve always admired your talents!”

“There’s nothing special in Jianjiang. You’re good at making plays and running brothels, aren’t you? Your master will be quite lonely there, so I need talented people like you!”

“Once we’re in Jianjiang, come up with some new ideas for me!”

Hearing this, Wu Sheng’s face immediately lit up with delight. He stroked his beard and smiled, “I never imagined… Master, you truly understand me!”

“Wu Sheng can die without regrets now!”

The people around looked at Wu Sheng with disdain.

What a bootlicker!

Wu Sheng then slyly pulled out a strip of cloth from his bosom and presented it to Fang Zheng. “Master, please take a look! This is my latest creation!”

Fang Zheng took the cloth strip and examined it carefully. It was just a loop of fabric, nothing special.

Puzzled, he asked, “This is…?”

Wu Sheng smiled proudly and lowered his voice, “Your humble servant calls this a ‘leg ring’! When worn on a woman’s thigh, it increases her allure tenfold. Master, you don’t know, but at Xueyue Tower now…”

As the whispered conversation reached the ears of the men around, they couldn’t help but wear ambiguous expressions.

Huijue Monk was nearly drooling!

Bai Yi and Xiao Tao spat in disgust, turning away with blushing faces.

Fang Zheng was speechless…

So this is what you came up with at the research institute! You really think you’ve struck gold!

To think that I, a modern man, could be fooled by you!

Fang Zheng looked at Wu Sheng with admiration and said solemnly, “Master Wu, you are truly talented! I am in awe. Having someone like you is a blessing for the great Jing Dynasty!”

“It seems I’ve found the right person!”

Wu Sheng looked proud, “Master, please don’t say that. This is nothing! Your humble servant has many more ideas yet to be verified. In the future, I hope Master will offer his critique!”

Then he sighed, “It was only after coming to Taoyuan County that your humble servant found his true calling… Thinking back on my life before, it was an utter mess!”

“However… your humble servant now has some concerns!”

“Please speak, Master Wu!”

Wu Sheng hesitated, “The things your humble servant creates… I fear they may not be accepted by the outside world.”

Fang Zheng didn’t care at all. Look at how enthusiastically they were received in the capital! Where exactly were they not accepted?

The eyes of all the officials had been seared by your creations, yet no one had come to make trouble over it.

Fang Zheng waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t worry! If we’re going to pursue excitement, then let’s go all the way!”

“I’ve got your back. You can rest easy!”

Wu Sheng bowed respectfully, “Then your humble servant will follow Master’s instructions!”

With that, Wu Sheng stepped back.

Fang Zheng’s gaze moved to another person, and he smiled, “Old Qi, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to come along with me this time!”