If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

Zhou Wu's problem dragged Magistrate Chen from the comfortable remote county back into the treacherous world of officialdom.

Yes, people are inclined to be kind, so they see the good in everything they do. But not everyone in this world is kind.

"What you said makes sense."

It seems that I've been staying in this remote county for too long and have forgotten even the most basic survival skills in officialdom.

The recent performance of Niujia Village and Zhou Wu has left a deep impression on Magistrate Chen. Moreover, Niujia Village's act of taking in a large number of disaster victims has helped him a lot. In addition, he has not yet fulfilled his promise regarding the fishing nets of Niujia Village. Therefore, Magistrate Chen will help Zhou Wu out.

"There is."

The two sat there in silence for a long time. Suddenly, Magistrate Chen seemed to realize something and exclaimed in surprise.

"Does the master have a solution?"

Seeing the other party's beaming face, Zhou Wu knew they must have found a solution.

"That's right. A few days ago, I applied to the court for disaster relief supplies, but I was not granted permission. However, the court did give me authorization for matters other than military matters."

"Authorization? What's the use of that?"

In Zhou Wu's view, if the higher authorities could allocate some supplies, some of the disaster victims could be relocated, which would greatly reduce the pressure on Niujia Village. However, there were no supplies at all, only an incomprehensible authorization. Zhou Wu was puzzled as to what Magistrate Chen was so happy about.

"You may not know the meaning of this authorization."

"Um"

Zhou Wu nodded, indicating that he really didn't know what use it was.

"Did you know that in addition to the army, our Great Dragon can also form local militias in various prefectures and counties under certain special circumstances?"

"The local militia? What does that have to do with the current situation in Niujia Village?"

"Now that the imperial court has given me authorization, the formation of a local militia is also within my authority. I can authorize you to form a local militia, with its base in Niujia Village. This way, when the higher-ups ask about Niujia Village taking in disaster victims, you can say it's for the purpose of forming a local militia, which is equivalent to having an official background."

"Your Excellency is wise, but is there anything wrong with this local militia?"

“Qingyang County is located on the border and is now suffering from famine, which has caused many people to become homeless. The formation of the local militia is both to prevent foreign enemies and to suppress the disaster victims, which is reasonable.”

"That's great, sir. So what are the rules for forming a local militia?"

"Don't worry about that. Although I have the authority, I still need to submit a report and go through the proper procedures. So, you can go back first and wait for my news."

"Yes, then I'll trouble you, sir."

After leaving the county government office, Zhou Wu strolled alone on the main street of the county town. Compared to a month ago, the county town had undergone a complete transformation. The cleanliness and prosperity of the past were gone, replaced by crowds and congestion. The streets were full of beggars, and many people were selling themselves to bury their families.

"Brother, I'm hungry..."

Suddenly, Zhou Wu felt his clothes being tugged. He turned around and saw a dirty little girl looking up at him timidly.

Zhou Wu subconsciously patted his body, but unfortunately, there were no such delicacies as Sachima or Egg Yolk Pie in this era, so Zhou Wu's patting came up empty. The little girl was also very sensible; seeing that she hadn't found anything, she didn't cry or fuss, but just let go of his hand with some disappointment.

Looking at the little girl's empty eyes, Zhou Wu suddenly felt a piercing pain, and he abruptly turned and ran towards the county government office.

"Zhou Wu! Why are you back again?"

Magistrate Chen was puzzled. Why had Zhou Wu, who had just left, returned?

"May I ask, sir, is there any emergency relief available from the county government to the disaster victims in the county seat?"

Faced with Zhou Wu's questioning, Magistrate Chen was slightly annoyed, but soon felt somewhat helpless.

"Emergency relief? How? What can we use to help? The county simply doesn't have enough food to aid the disaster victims. The county government's granaries are part of the national treasury; anyone who dares to touch them will die..."

Magistrate Chen became more and more agitated as he spoke. As the local official, he had the disaster victims wandering around right under his nose every day. He wasn't blind, so how could he not want to help them? But he was just a county magistrate. He had no money, no food, and could only watch helplessly as the disaster victims became homeless and even starved to death on the roadside.

He wanted to confide in someone about his grievances, but who could he turn to?

"I apologize, I was a bit out of line."

After venting his anger, Magistrate Chen realized that he had lost his composure.

"My lord, I was being presumptuous and misunderstood you."

Zhou Wu acted impulsively just now, but now that he has calmed down, he still feels a little regretful and scared. Fortunately, Magistrate Chen is a good person and did not pursue the matter.

"My lord, I have an idea."

"But there's no harm in talking."

Zhou Wu and Magistrate Chen plotted in the house for a long time before finally reaching an agreement.

Zhou Wu is now wealthy and willing to help Qingyang County overcome this difficulty. All credit will go to Magistrate Chen, who will surely receive a reward from the imperial court. All that is needed is to provide Niujia Village and Zhou Wu with the greatest possible protection and support.

This matter did not involve the laws of the Great Dragon and was a win-win situation, so Magistrate Chen readily agreed. However, he felt that Zhou Wu had suffered a great loss in this matter, but he was thinking of making it up to him later.

"My lord, it's settled then."

"Alright, I hope you can keep your word. I will certainly not treat you unfairly when the time comes."

"Don't worry, my lord."

After leaving the county government office, Zhou Wu did not return to Niujia Village immediately but went to the shipyard instead.

Shipyard.

"The presence of Clerk Zhou is an honor to our humble abode."

In stark contrast to last time, after learning of Zhou Wu's identity as a clerk, the shipyard owner was completely obsequious from beginning to end this time.

"How big is your biggest ship?"

Zhou Wu didn't waste any words and directly stated his purpose: he had come to buy ships, and more than one.

He now has a preliminary plan: to build a maritime trading fleet that can not only make money but also purchase cheap grains from the Moon Kingdom. The only problem now is the lack of ships.

"Your Excellency, our largest ship right now is the Fenyong."

"Take me to see it."

"Yes."

When the shipyard owner brought Zhou Wu to the Fenyong, Zhou Wu was extremely disappointed. It was at most a 20-ton vessel, no more. Such a ship would be an absolute behemoth on rivers and lakes, but in the ocean, it probably wouldn't withstand a single wave.

"Aren't there any bigger ones? Like the Bull Demon King, or even bigger?"

"Sir, please don't make fun of me. Who would want such a big ship?"

"I want it to start right now, at your fastest speed. How long can it be finished?"

The Fenyong ship simply did not meet Zhou Wu's minimum requirements, so it was directly excluded.

"My lord, since we already have the blueprints and experience to build the Bull Demon King, and the materials and workers are readily available, I estimate it will be completed in about two months."