A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Governor Liu assumed she was being polite or deliberately declining, so he enthusiastically grabbed two heavy gold ingots and stuffed them into her hands, saying:

“Your Majesty, this little bit of money is nothing, really… What you have done for the people of the Central Plains is far more valuable than this. We are not giving it to you as a bribe, but simply as compensation, it is only right and proper. Of course, if you would be willing to take better care of the Central Plains in the future, that would be even better…”

You spoke so fluently; it seems you've heard it quite a few times before.

Wutong touched the two gold ingots, kissed them goodbye in her heart, threw them back into the box, slammed the lid shut, and shouted to the door, "Someone, take Governor Liu and the box back to his residence."

Governor Liu was taken aback that she actually refused, and her attitude was so firm, leaving no room for persuasion. In his haste, he disregarded etiquette and grabbed her arm, saying, "Your Majesty, please reconsider? We haven't asked you to do anything, have we? This is truly just a small token of our appreciation..."

With that much money, you could buy a whole town, not just a token of appreciation.

Wutong still remembers that when they captured Pingzhou, the treasury of the Great Western Dynasty was already very empty. He thought it was because of the endless wars and the resulting poverty. Now it seems that Duan Yanxi only managed the officials in Pingzhou. As for the officials in other states, they had long been acting arrogantly behind his back.

She clicked her tongue twice, silently noting Governor Liu's name in her mind, intending to replace him when she found a more suitable person in the future. Ignoring his pleas, she had the guards drag him away along with his trunk.

The study quieted down. She shook her head, dismissing the gold ingot that kept swirling in her mind, and sat down to continue working.

After a short while, the guard knocked on the door again and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Meng Yuan from our Eastern Qi has arrived."

Wutong listlessly lifted her eyelids and asked through the door, "What did he bring?"

"I can't see it clearly, but it looks like a golden Guanyin statue, as tall as a real person."

"..."

After Lord Meng Yuan entered, Wu Tong chatted with him for a few minutes and found that his purpose was no different from what she had expected. She then had him and the exquisite golden Guanyin statue carried out together.

The fact that Guanyin is made of gold is outrageous and disgraceful to Buddhism. If I saw this, I would be furious.

Wutong returned to her desk to work, and half an hour later, someone from southern Xinjiang arrived.

Throughout the day, dozens of people arrived one after another, with guards carrying increasingly larger boxes behind them.

The underlying meaning was roughly the same: they hoped Wutong would take good care of them.

Wutong didn't accept any of them; she gave them all away. Just as she decided to stop receiving guests, another official from the Central Plains arrived. According to the guards, he came empty-handed.

She thought someone who was finally going to get down to business had arrived, so she let him in. But as soon as she closed the door, the man pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket, worth over ten thousand taels, and asked her to take care of the Central Plains.

Wutong's face darkened. He ordered his men to carry him out and sternly instructed the gatekeeper, "No one is to be allowed in today. If anyone asks, just say I'm slightly unwell and can't see any guests for three days."

The gatekeeper exclaimed in surprise, "But someone already went in just now..."

Someone else? Wutong returned to the study with a headache, pointing to the door as if to tell him to leave, but upon closer inspection, she saw that it was Adan who had come in.

"General... oh no, Marshal." Wutong slapped his forehead and said, "Look at my brain, they've confused me with all that noise."

Adan had already heard about the countless people who came to "bring gifts" today, and chuckled, "Your Majesty really shouldn't have accepted them. The whole world is yours now, what more could you possibly want?"

"Just reach out and take it. If you really can't, I'll get it for you. Why bother giving them face?"

"That's not why I didn't answer."

"Oh?"

"Forget it, let's not talk about them. Why did you come?"

Wutong sat down in the chair, across from him by a desk.

Adan rubbed his hands together, his face flushed, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his rugged face. He smiled and said, "I have come to thank Your Majesty. Back in Dongqi, I only had tens of thousands of soldiers under my command. Now Your Majesty has entrusted me with the military forces of Dongqi and the Central Plains and appointed me as Grand Marshal. I am deeply grateful for your kindness."

Wutong said, "It's alright, you deserve it."

Ever since she met Adan, she had been quietly observing him. After spending so much time together, she had a very good impression of Adan; he was a rational, capable, and loyal person.

This loyalty wasn't directed towards her, but towards the people and the soldiers. As the saying goes, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it; an official must consider the people's needs to fulfill his duties and hold office for a long time.

Adan scratched his head: "But I still have one question."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Your Majesty, I now have nearly 300,000 troops at my disposal. How can you be so sure that I will not use these troops to rebel?"

Subordinates who wield significant power have always been a huge threat to their leaders, and in the later stages, it's basically a matter of life or death.

As a newly appointed official, Adan did not want to see the future path ahead at a glance.

Wutong smiled and said, "I can't be sure."

"you……"

"But even if you rebel, whose rebellion are you rebelling against? Mine, or the entire population of Dongqi?"

Adan suddenly realized what she meant.

Wutong stood up, slowly walked to the window, looked at the osmanthus tree outside that had begun to form flower buds, and said: "Not everyone in this world is only concerned with their own selfish interests. There are always people who care about the people and the world. I am not that kind of person. For so many years, my only wish has been to live an ordinary life, to have three full meals a day. But I hope you can become that kind of person."

As she spoke, she turned around, and sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on her well-defined face, while a faint floral fragrance filled the air.

"Power and money are ultimately nothing but emptiness. If one insists on pursuing them, the final result will inevitably be like Duan Yanxi, who brought disaster upon himself. Since we have been entrusted with such a great responsibility and are sitting in such high positions, why not use our abilities to do some real good deeds and benefit the common people?"

Adan stared at her, mouth agape. After a long while, he swallowed, a look of admiration appearing in his worldly-wise eyes.

"To be honest, in all my years as a general, this is the first time I've known that a woman can be more righteous than many men... Your Majesty, if you were to become emperor, you would surely be remembered for all time."

Wutong shook her head: "I don't have the ability, nor do I have the intention."

Seeing that she didn't seem to enjoy discussing this topic, Adan changed the subject and asked, "By the way, how is the King of Southern Xinjiang these days? If he wakes up, he might be able to lend you a hand."

Wutong thought of Duan Fufeng, who was in a coma, and sighed softly in the sunlight.

"There's still no sign of him waking up, the doctors all say..."

She was speaking when a guard rushed in and knocked on the door, saying to her, "Your Majesty, someone outside the palace requests an audience."

1 = Lao Qu said