I traveled back to ancient times, but I was able to lie down and relax.

"What secret? Tell me."

The little girl kept it a secret quite well; I had to pull her aside first. "Sister, Qin Shu whispered to me that Uncle Qin is leaving too, and he's very likely going to the prefectural city as well!"

"Really?" Liu Nanjia was pleasantly surprised. "When did she tell you?"

"Just a few days ago, when I asked her to go out with me. After we went together, I could go see her again."

Think about it too.

Magistrate Qin has been in Changning for several years and has governed the area very well. The average living standard of the people here is much higher than that of the nearby counties.

Furthermore, given his outstanding performance during this year's floods and pandemic, his promotion would have been expected even without the recommendation of Prince Ning.

"That's great!" Liu Nanjia was originally worried that Liu Sirou had just made some friends here, and that she might not feel comfortable if she followed her.

Frequent moves and separation from close friends can have an impact on a person's development.

"Sirou, if we leave, will you miss your time at the academy and your friends there?"

Liu Sirou tilted her head. "I would, but I'd rather be with my older brother and sister."

A warm feeling welled up in Liu Nanjia's heart, and he leaned down and kissed Liu Sirou on the cheek.

He even kissed the little girl until she blushed and buried her face in Liu Nanjia's arms.

Then, she raised her little face and said, "Isn't there Xiao Shu? Sister, you don't need to worry about me. Besides, there's no girls' academy in the prefectural city, so why don't we open one? Changning County didn't have one before, did it?"

Liu Sirou was young and her thinking was simple, but she did indeed enlighten Liu Nanjia.

She subconsciously felt that there would be no academy for Liu Sirou in the prefectural city, but wasn't the girls' academy in Changning County able to open after overcoming numerous obstacles? Why couldn't it be expanded to the prefectural city?

Of course, it will be much more difficult than before, but this goal has been placed in Liu Nanjia's heart.

Magistrate Qin is a reliable person. Since he can talk to his daughter about promotion, he must be at least 90% sure.

Sure enough, just a few days after Liu Yanxi and his page set off, Liu Nanjia received a message from Magistrate Qin:

The newly appointed county magistrate is already on his way; he will leave once he has finished handing over his duties.

When Liu Nanjia arrived, Magistrate Qin was personally tidying up his study.

A county magistrate's term is three years, but he has been here for six years.

I've spent countless days and nights here over the past six years.

Thinking of something, Magistrate Qin closed his eyes wearily, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with gloom.

This is what Liu Nanjia saw when she arrived.

His steps suddenly stopped at the door. He had been promoted; shouldn't he be happy? Why did Magistrate Qin look so sad?

At this moment, Magistrate Qin also noticed Liu Nanjia, composed himself, and beckoned her inside:

"Nan Jia is here, come and sit down."

Liu Nanjia sat down as instructed, somewhat unsure why Magistrate Qin had summoned her.

“I’ve met the next magistrate a few times. He’s a man of action. I’ll speak to him when the time comes, so you don’t need to worry.”

Was this the reason you called me here?

Liu Nanjia was not actually too worried about the new official who was about to take office.

I am now a major taxpayer in Changning County, and I have also provided so many jobs, not to mention the new crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cotton, which have fed countless people in the county.

There's also the imperial plaque bestowed by the emperor; as long as the new magistrate isn't a fool, he'll treat her with utmost respect.

However, Liu Nanjia still sincerely expressed his gratitude for Magistrate Qin's care.

But after the important business was finished, Magistrate Qin remained seated, silent, and showed no intention of seeing his guest off.

Just as Liu Nanjia was hesitating whether to ask, the person opposite her moved.

Magistrate Qin rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh, as if he had finally made up his mind.

"Nan Jia, there's something else I need your help with."

Seeing his serious demeanor, Liu Nanjia couldn't help but sit up straight: "Please speak."

"I'd like to borrow your sister, Liu Sirou, for a few days."

Ga?

Liu Nanjia was confused. The magistrate Qin had just looked as if he were facing a great enemy, which made her think that something big must have happened. Hundreds of thoughts had already flashed through her mind.

How did we suddenly end up in this completely unrelated place?

Meanwhile, Magistrate Qin, having uttered the first sentence, seemed to have found the rest easier and dropped another bombshell:

“I’m planning to divorce Xiaoshu’s mother. But I’m about to take up a new post and will be very busy with official duties, so I won’t have time to take care of Xiaoshu. She and Sirou have always been close, so I would like to ask Sirou to come and keep her company for a while.”

Before Liu Nanjia could even process the shocking news, Magistrate Qin continued, as if his long-suppressed frustrations, having found an outlet, were now pouring out:

"The year I met her, I had just passed the imperial examination..."

Magistrate Qin rarely talked about his family affairs, and this was the first time Liu Nanjia had learned about the story of how he and his wife met.

The magistrate of Qin County was originally named Qin Zhiyuan. Although his family was of ordinary means, his parents had high hopes for him and sent him to school from a young age, which can be seen from his name.

Qin Zhiyuan lived up to expectations and passed the imperial examination at a young age, earning the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

He passed the imperial examination again, a time when he was young and full of vigor.

But fate is unpredictable. Not long after he passed the imperial examination, Old Master Qin suddenly fell seriously ill, and his health collapsed.

At the time, he and his wife Wang Yurou had only known each other for a short time and were not originally planning to get married so quickly. However, due to the health of Old Master Qin, who would have to observe three years of mourning if something happened to him, they hastily arranged the marriage.

Their meeting was quite an interesting story:

On a rainy day, the young scholar encountered his master and servant, who had forgotten to bring rain gear, at his favorite bookstore.

Seeing the girl shivering in the cold wind under the eaves, and then looking at the increasing rain and the darkening sky, Qin Zhiyuan felt compassion and lent her his rain gear.

Subsequently, Qin Zhiyuan often saw this familiar figure in the bookstore.

The Wang family, to which Wang Yurou belongs, had produced several officials in the imperial court and could be considered a prominent family. Compared to Qin Zhiyuan's family background, it was a case of him marrying above his station.

Therefore, Qin Zhiyuan was extremely grateful when the Wang family readily agreed to the marriage proposal.

Although his family's financial situation was average, his parents had a very good relationship, so Qin Zhiyuan's ideal was always to marry a like-minded wife who would keep him company.

And that's exactly what Wang Yurou did at first.

Qin Zhiyuan went to the bookstore not only to read books, but also to earn some money for his father's medical expenses.

While he was busy copying books at the bookstore, Wang Yurou would often quietly keep him company, giving him the illusion of a peaceful and idyllic life, and that's how he fell for her.

However, what he didn't know was that it was all a fabricated illusion.