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

Jiang Mansion, main hall.

After the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict left, Jiang Zhiming sat motionless on the chair.

“I feel like I’m dreaming.”

After saying that, he twisted his thigh hard and grimaced in pain.

"Master, this is a great news!" Madame Jiang was extremely gentle today. "Look, Doctor Li and General Xiao Yu are both close friends of Lord Shen, and you've spent some time with them. Now that the dam Lord Shen is overseeing is finished, it must be General Xiao Yu who spoke well of you, so you can be the inspector!"

Jiang Zhiming listened to her analysis in a daze. After a while, he asked back, "Really? But I always feel like... something is wrong."

Why was this imperial decree of appointment announced only at the last moment?

"What could possibly be wrong?" Madame Jiang stepped forward and rubbed his shoulders. "You returned to the capital to report on your work, but His Majesty and the Ministry of Personnel haven't reappointed you yet. I'm afraid they're remembering your contribution last year by testing the smallpox virus and want to promote you! Think about it, what is a Huihe Dam? A concrete dam! Lord Shen personally supervised its construction! What could go wrong? Your inspection this time is just a formality."

Jiang Zhiming scratched his head dejectedly.

He didn't quite agree with the first half of his wife's sentence, but he agreed with the second half, "just going through the motions."

He knows exactly how much he is worth.

Not to mention whether he knows how to build a dam, he has never even seen the cement, so how can he inspect it?

In his opinion, he only needs to follow the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue. If the Ministry of Works nods, he nods. If the Ministry of Revenue says there is no problem, he also says there is no problem. That's enough!

Can......

"Madam, tell me, why did such a big pie fall into my mouth?"

Mrs. Jiang was furious when she saw his useless behavior, but she still tried to coax him patiently: "Didn't I just tell you that you tried the smallpox test on yourself before and almost lost your life. Isn't it only natural that the court should give you a little sweet treat?"

“But I think that’s what I should do…”

Jiang Zhiming muttered, "When I returned to Beijing to report on my work, I didn't even think about getting promoted to the first rank. I just wanted to live a stable life. This has made me feel uneasy."

Mrs. Jiang was completely unable to coax her. "Then I will send someone to chase the people in the palace and tell them that you can't take this job!"

"Ouch, ouch!" Jiang Zhiming stood up and pulled her to sit down, pouting, "What are you doing? I didn't say I couldn't do it. I'll go! I'll go with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow. Talk less, ask less, and no one can find fault with me."

He couldn't guess why His Majesty allowed him to inspect it.

But since His Majesty dared to let him do the acceptance, it must have shown great trust in the Huihe Project and he never thought that it would not be accepted.

"That's right." Madam Jiang resumed her gentle demeanor and whispered to him, "Our mansion should still interact more with other mansions. Just say that we've been back in Beijing for so long and haven't even sent a letter to the Yongning Earl's Mansion. If we meet General Xiao Yu during the inspection tomorrow, let's see how you explain it."

Jiang Zhiming thought about it and nodded in agreement.

That's true. He and General Xiao Yu already had some connections. This time he returned to Beijing, not to mention trying to curry favor with him, but just to pass on a card, say hello, and say to the other party, "Oh, what a coincidence, you are back in Beijing too?" It was also necessary.

As he thought about it, he became a little excited. Just as he was about to call the servants, the butler came hurriedly.

"Master, someone came to the back door and said he wanted to see you and discuss something with you..."

"Back door?" Mrs. Jiang was displeased and spoke first: "What kind of thief came here to use the back door and even asked to see the owner?"

The butler's face froze, and he took two steps forward, whispering, "The person coming is... Junior Minister of the Imperial Guards, Lu Shenglin, Lord Lu."

"Who?!" Jiang Zhiming and Mrs. Jiang screamed in surprise.

A powerful fourth-rank official in Beijing trying to get a fifth-rank local official's approval through a backdoor?

No one will believe you if you say there is nothing fishy or you are not trying to do anything bad!

Jiang Zhiming trembled as he picked up the teacup, trembled as he drank his tea, and trembled as he asked, "What is he he he he doing here?"

Seeing him trembling annoyingly, Mrs. Jiang snatched the teacup away and asked calmly, "Where is he? Still waiting at the back door?"

The housekeeper's face froze again, and he answered cautiously: "Come in, come in, come in..."

Mrs. Jiang's eyes widened, and she lowered her voice: "Did he really climb over the wall to get in? Where is he now? Tell me all in one breath!!"

"In Shayun Courtyard! He said he's waiting for you there! Please come over and have a chat!"

The housekeeper didn't dare to breathe.

Shayun Courtyard is remote and no one lives there. Only servants come to clean it occasionally. It is the most remote area in the Jiang Mansion.

Mrs. Jiang clutched her handkerchief tightly and turned to look at Jiang Zhiming: "Master, since he quietly entered the house through the back door, he must have something shameful to say to you, you..."

They encountered such a thing as soon as they returned to Beijing. They couldn't afford to offend a fourth-rank official.

Should I go...or should I go?

Jiang Zhiming's eyes widened, not knowing whether he had heard her words or not, and he walked out.

"Just say I've suddenly fallen ill, vomiting black blood, and am bedridden. I can't see you. When I recover, I'll come to visit you in person."

The housekeeper was shocked.

How dare the master offend Shaoqing Lu?

Mrs. Jiang was also slightly startled, and walked forward to walk with him, "Master, why don't you come? If so, we will offend Lu Shaoqing..."

"Those who come with ill intentions are not to be seen."

Jiang Zhiming held down his pounding heart and looked towards the direction of Shayun Courtyard.

"As soon as I received the commission, he quietly sneaked into the mansion. Isn't it clear enough why he came?"

Mrs. Jiang was surprised by his change of expression. When she thought about it carefully, she broke out in a cold sweat on her back.

"He...is coming for Huihe Dam." Steadying her trembling fingers, she changed her words, "He wants to cause trouble for Lord Shen and the Ministry of Works!"

The two of them quietly moved towards the side hall. Jiang Zhiming was surprisingly calm and even began to analyze the situation.

"I just said something was wrong, isn't it right here? Some people have always wanted Lord Shen to get promoted. Now that the river dam is under inspection, how can they sit still?"

Mrs. Jiang nodded in agreement.

He added, "But am I the kind of villain who would secretly trip up Lord Shen under the guise of inspection?"

Mrs. Jiang nodded quickly again.

"No!" Jiang Zhiming held her head and shook his head for her, "Madam, I'm not! Okay, then, let's put it another way. Regardless of whether I'm the kind of villain who's trying to trip you up or not, we have to recognize the situation!"

Mrs. Jiang nodded again under his guidance.

"The situation is that His Majesty wants Lord Shen to be promoted, so he appointed me as the examiner. And I just need to be a puppet, just like you are now, and nod along."

"If I met with Lu Shaoqing today, regardless of whether I agreed to his request or not, if anything unexpected happened during the inspection, he would push me out as the scapegoat. Think about it, on one hand, I'm offending a fourth-rank Shaoqing, and on the other hand, I'm offending His Majesty, the Earl of Yongning, and the future Assistant Director of the Six Ministries, Lord Shen! Do I even need to figure out which is more important?"