Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

After returning to the Shen Mansion, everyone gathered together with burning eyes.

Xiao Yuan hurriedly brought a basin and asked everyone to wash their hands.

"You have to wash your hands, this is called a ritual!"

He was the first to wash his hands, and after washing, he found a handkerchief to wipe his hands for the first time.

After making sure there was no water stain on his hands, he took out his brocade box and asked nervously, "Can I see it first?"

Fang Ziyan yawned and nodded with his eyes unable to open: "Then I'll be second!"

Xiao Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his hands, closed his eyes, turned to Shen Zheng, and bowed three times devoutly.

"......" Shen Zheng moved aside and said helplessly: "Why don't you just bow to the brocade box, just as if you were bowing to His Majesty."

Xiao Yuan opened his eyes, and the orange candlelight danced in his eyes.

"Sir, thank you for showing me the world. Actually, I know there's probably no place for me at today's farewell banquet. If you hadn't brought me along, I would never have been able to step through that door on my own, let alone sit at the same table with Your Majesty. For me, today truly feels like a beautiful dream."

In other words, among the tens of thousands of officials of all ranks in the Great Zhou Dynasty, how many had ever set foot in the Imperial Garden? And how many could even speak to His Majesty?

He knew very well that he was where he is today not because of his ability or talent, but because he was born in a good place.

"Don't underestimate yourself." Shen Zheng chuckled, looking at the brocade box on the table and said, "You're the pillar of the Tongan constables. Hurry and open it. Everyone is waiting."

Under the heated gazes of the crowd, Xiao Yuan stretched out his finger and pressed the gilded copper buckle on the brocade box.

His breathing quickened, and he exerted force with his fingers. With a "click", the lid of the brocade box opened, revealing the objects inside.

On the top layer of the box was a four-inch square piece of Chengxintang paper with a red seal of "Collection of the Imperial Study" on the corner of the paper.

This is the paper used by the emperor, and it is also the tribute paper that many officials covet. Today, it was awarded to them by the emperor.

Xiao Yuan subconsciously looked at his fingers.

Um......

Although it has been washed, it still seems a little dirty.

He didn't dare to touch the paper and asked Shen Zheng: "Sir, my hands are dirty, can you help me take it out..."

Shen Zheng flatly refused: "My hands are dirtier than yours."

Xiao Yuan knew that Shen Zheng was telling him that he was worthy of touching the imperial paper.

Feeling nervous, he carefully stretched out his hands and picked up the piece of paper.

He didn't know if it was because his palms were too hot, but he always felt that the imperial paper in his hands was frighteningly cold, as if he was touching a stone table.

After wiping the table clean with the corner of his sleeve, he slowly put down the imperial paper.

"Wow—" Fang Ziyan, who was standing by, looked inside the box and asked curiously, "What's that little jar? Is it... the elixir that His Majesty gave us?"

Shen Zheng tilted her head slightly to examine it, then smiled and said, "It looks like an incense jar."

"Incense pot?" Xiao Yuan held up the pot with both hands, then used the candle to decipher the small characters on the pot: "Dragon...saliva? Sir, is this the 'saliva' as in 'covetous'?"

Shen Zheng leaned over to take a look and nodded, "Ambergris Royal Incense. I heard that the fragrance of this incense is clear, mellow and long-lasting, like the fragrance of orchids, and you won't get tired of it even after smelling it for a long time. It can also calm the mind and harmonize the body and mind."

Xiao Yuan's wrist trembled slightly, and he subconsciously asked, "Then, then how much does this incense cost?"

"Sell?" Shen Zheng thought for a moment and estimated, "This is the imperial incense, very rare in the world. Even if someone wants to buy it, it might be out of stock."

After that, she looked at the can carefully again.

If what's in this jar is real ambergris - "sperm whale intestinal secretions"... then it would be priceless and hard to find in the world.

Xiao Yuan held his heart, which was beating faster and faster, and carefully put the incense jar back.

"This jar of incense..." He was about to say he was keeping it as a family heirloom, but then changed his mind: "I want to take it back and have Shuang'er open it and give it to her. I've been away from home for a while, so she must be worried a lot more than before. This is just the right thing to give her to calm her mind."

Shen Zheng smiled and nodded.

Cui Jinyin continued, "Brother Yuan, remember to give the jewelry I exchanged for you to Sister Shuang as well. Don't forget to go."

Xiao Yuan suddenly felt like he had been caught taking bribes, and quickly turned to look at Shen Zheng: "Sir, I..."

"If Jinyin wants to give it to you, just accept it." Looking at the smug Cui Jinyin, Shen Zheng smiled and said, "If you don't accept it, she will be uneasy. After all, she is so poor now that she only has gold and silver left."

Cui Jinyin touched the golden hairpin on her head and said with a smile, "Who made me called Cui Jinyin? I'm going to Tongan County this time, and I'm also planning... Never mind, I won't say anymore. There seems to be something else below, shall we continue to look?"

The fewer people who knew about her plan to "bribe" the people of Tongan County, the better.

Otherwise, if the "stolen goods" were confiscated, her plan would be in vain.

"There are two more!" She leaned forward, obscuring much of the candlelight, and asked with a hollow look, "Money, a purse? What is His Majesty giving us purses for?"

Looking at the bulging moon-white coin purse embroidered with gold satin, Shen Zheng said, "Open it and take a look?"

Besides, there are silver and money in it.

Xiao Yuan opened the bag, and several heads leaned in to take a look: "?"

"Golden barley?" Cui Jinyin rubbed her eyes. "Your Majesty's rewards, when did they become so... boring?"

To put it bluntly, it's just - vulgar.

"What's not new about this?" Xiao Yuan quickly tightened the bag, tears welling in his eyes: "Gold and silver are the most practical rewards..."

He was reluctant to use imperial paper, imperial incense, and the like.

But "Yu Jin" is different.

With this "Imperial Gold", he felt more confident.

Just taking it out and looking at it every day makes him feel at ease.

What did that sentence say?

As long as there is food in the jar, there is no need to worry! This is how the people live their lives!

Cui Jinyin scratched her head, feeling like something was wrong.

"Hum--lulu--"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind the crowd. Xiao Yuan was startled and protected his money bag, shouting, "Whose cow broke in!"

Another thought.

That’s not right. Where did the cow come from in Zhenliuyuan?

Turning around, I saw that the silver hair from the corner of Fang Ziyan's mouth had fallen to the ground.

"......"

Shen Zheng yawned and held her eyelids open as she said, "I'm a little sleepy. Let's go after we finish watching the last thing."

Several heads gathered together and saw the last object in the box clearly.

It was a wooden waist badge with intricate patterns carved around the edge. There were only three words on the badge - "Yi" and "Tong'an".

"Tong'an... Yi?" Xiao Yuan picked up the badge and touched it gently. "Is it Yi or Tong'an? My Lord, what does His Majesty mean by granting this badge?"

Not to mention Xiao Yuan, even Shen Zheng saw this badge for the first time.

She pondered for a while but couldn't come up with a conclusion, so she said, "Put it away for now. I'll ask the uncle tomorrow. If he doesn't know either, I'll ask His Majesty."

I was opening the box for a reward, but ended up finding a riddle.