When Fang Qian saw Xie Chengze, she was slightly surprised, obviously not expecting his sudden visit. After she came to her senses, she quickly made way.

After Xie Chengze entered the yard, she carefully looked around to make sure there was no one nearby, then quickly closed the door.

"Your Highness." After closing the door, Fang Qian immediately knelt down to salute.

Xie Chengze stretched out his hand to stop him and asked, "Do you know that Zhu Xiaobiao has returned?"

The woman in white nodded gently, "Master Zhu will come to look for us after he returns to Zhuolu County. The other sisters have already left with Master Zhu."

She was given a task by Xie Chengze, so she did not leave. She only asked her sisters to tell Lord Xiao Zhu that she had found a lover and not to worry.

Xie Chengze nodded and continued to ask, "Who are the people who go in and out of the county government office?"

"Most of them are vendors, speaking with foreign accents." Fang Qian answered one by one, "The incense popular among the nobles is expensive, and the commercial tax is also high. You can only buy it in fixed quantities, roughly the route of salt tickets. If you want to get more, you can only make friends with the county magistrate."

To be on good terms with the county magistrate means to bribe him.

"Is it possible to buy that incense?" Xie Chengze asked after thinking for a while.

Fang Qian nodded, "There is no restriction on the common people buying it, but the price is a bit high, 20 taels of silver for a small piece."

Although it was only the price of a medium-quality incense, but... "After the nobles used it, they were unwilling to use other incense, so many incense shops started to sell this kind of incense."

She thought about it and said, "It is only sold to the rich. Ordinary people cannot afford it."

Xie Chengze snorted, "It's not the right time yet."

Once the money of the nobles is squeezed dry, it will naturally start to flow to the lower classes, and by then, families will be destroyed, the army will be weak, and the country will be destroyed...

Xie Chengze's eyes narrowed dangerously.

I met the County Magistrate Zhu last year. He was timid and cowardly. Although he was a bit slick and greedy, he had some culture. At least under his management, Zhuolu County was prosperous, not as dilapidated as Cangfu County.

Xie Chengze didn't think he had the ability to make poison, and he even poisoned his only son. So was there someone behind him advising him?

Why didn't this happen in the original book?

Xie Chengze vaguely recalled that in the original novel, after the Pingcheng earthquake, the Second Prince transported the relief funds to Zhuolu County and took them for himself. Later, he met Zhu Xiaobiao in Zhuolu County and was teased by him. In a rage, he beheaded Zhu Xiaobiao in the street and implicated all nine clans...

Xie Chengze slapped his head.

It seems that the person who made the poison is among these nine clans?

Once the Second Prince got angry, he carried out the drug ban to the end!

After sorting out his thoughts, Xie Chengze took out two silver bills from his sleeve and handed them to Fang Qian, "These are your hard work fees. Don't follow me anymore. It's dangerous."

Fang Qian was slightly startled, then shook her head, "Your Highness, there is no need to do this. This is what I should do."

"Take it." Xie Chengze forced it into her hand. "I see the handwriting on the letter is unfamiliar. You must have learned it recently to write secret letters. Nowadays, girls are not allowed to go to school. Where did you learn to write?"

Hearing this, Fang Qian could not help but lower her head in embarrassment. Just when Xie Chengze thought that she had fallen in love with a scholar or teacher, and that someone was teaching her, she spoke softly and a little guilty, "I am a little ashamed to say that there was a scholar who fell in love with me, and I took advantage of him."

Xie Chengze was stunned for a moment, then nodded silently.

Fang Qian secretly glanced at Xie Chengze and said anxiously, "Your Highness, do you think that my daughter is a bit unscrupulous?"

Xie Chengze shook his head. "As a vested interest holder, it is not easy for me to comment on this matter. If you feel guilty, you can compensate the other party for some of their losses."

However, as for Fang Qian, Xie Chengze felt that this woman was quite amazing.

She was able to stay in Zhuolu County alone, keeping an eye on the county government office without making a sound, and in order not to leak any information, she chose to make friends with students and learn to read and write... She was calm, cool, restrained, and smart. If she could absorb knowledge in school from an early age, it is not difficult to imagine how outstanding she could become.

But it’s not too late.

"I am going to take Zhu Xiaobiao to work somewhere else. Do you plan to come with us, or..." Xie Chengze paused, "The Imperial Academy in the capital will be open soon, and the princesses will all go to school. If you want, I can write you a letter of recommendation and let you become a companion to the princess."

Hearing this, Fang Qian's eyes widened suddenly.

"Your Highness...are you serious?"

She heard from the student that he failed the imperial examination this spring, but he told her everything about the capital and told her that the Imperial Academy would be opened in the capital soon and all the noble ladies in the capital would be able to enroll.

She was very envious.

Since she was a child, she envied her eldest brother for being able to study. In order to raise money for her brother, her parents sold her sisters again and again. Finally, they took a gamble and sold her to a butcher who had been married three times.

When she was beaten all over by the butcher, it was Lord Xiao Zhu who saved her. Lord Xiao Zhu was still very young at that time, looking like a teenager. He pointed at her and shouted that he wanted to take her back to the mansion to be a concubine.

At such a young age, he had already learned how to abduct women. She thought she would fall into another wolf's den.

Unexpectedly, Master Xiao Zhu secretly brought ointment to apply on her and told her not to worry, that he would not touch her, and that he would protect her and more people.

The lady of the county magistrate's office did not allow little Zhu to study, nor would she prepare the four treasures of the study for him. When he learned that she wanted to learn calligraphy, he bought some storybooks and taught her to read word by word. When she came across inappropriate content, he would blush and skip over it.

But Miss Xiao Zhu didn't know many words, so she knew a few words but couldn't write.

Although she missed Master Xiao Zhu very much, if she had to choose, she would like to choose him as the princess's study companion.

When Master Xiao Zhu went to the imperial palace in Beijing to take up his post, he wrote a letter to the concubines in Zhuolu County, informing them of the current situation. Fang Qian knew that if she didn't want to be a drag on Master Xiao Zhu, it would be useless to stay with him, but if she became a companion to the princess, she would be able to take care of Master Xiao Zhu in the palace.

So, she wanted to choose a princess as her study companion.

Xie Chengze was very satisfied with her choice. She was a far-sighted woman, otherwise she would not have been able to conspire with Jing Ze for six years and successfully sneak into the Qionglin Banquet.

"Then wait a minute. I will write you a letter of recommendation."

Xie Chengze's tone became lighter. He asked Fang Qian to find paper and pen, then he waved his hand and began to write the recommendation letter.

Fang Qian couldn't help but take a glance.

There were only a dozen words written on it: Fang Qian from Zhuolu County, the princess's companion carefully selected by this king! - Xie Chengze

She looked at the crooked handwriting delicately, and for a moment she didn't know whether her handwriting was uglier or the Second Prince's.

Xie Chengze folded the letter paper and handed it to Fang Qian. It was the first time he realized how interesting it was to write a recommendation letter for someone.

Hehe ~

After saying goodbye to Fang Qian, Xie Chengze took a carriage to the inn, preparing to take Hu Lai to find Zhu Xiaobiao. When the carriage was driving on the street, it passed by the county government office. Xie Chengze lifted the curtain and glanced casually, and happened to see a gorgeously decorated carriage parked in front of the county government office.

Then, a person got out of the carriage.

Xie Chengze subconsciously raised his eyes to look at the man's face. The next moment, his eyes suddenly trembled, as if he had seen a ghost!

This person - how could it be!