After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

The lake surface of the Grand Canal has been covered with a thin layer of ice. If you want to fish at this time, you need to gently chisel a hole in it.

Jiang Wenqing, accompanied by his servants, carried fishing rods and fish baskets, and also had a rattan chair specially prepared for him to sit on while fishing.

Just as they were about to leave, a yamen runner came to announce that the son of the Minister of Rites had arrived.

"The son of the Minister of Rites?"

"Yes, sir, that's what the messenger said."

"Alright, we can't neglect the son of a second-rank official."

Jiang Wenqing had his tools moved onto the carriage first, while he quickly changed out of the clothes he had worn when he went fishing and into clothes for entertaining guests.

Jiang Wenqing straightened his clothes and strode towards the front hall, where he saw the "son of the Minister of Rites" already standing.

The only two clerks in the county government office, Clerk Qian and Clerk Xing, took time out of their busy schedules to stand on either side of him and keep him company.

Jiang Wenqing turned his gaze to the young man sitting in the main seat, who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old.

Minister of Rites, Lord Tong, is now over sixty years old. This must be the youngest grandson of the Minister of Rites.

This young man wore a moon-white brocade robe, with a tall and straight figure, a face like jade, and an air of nobility that was subtle yet refined.

Jiang Wenqing: "May I ask what brings you here today, Young Master Tong?"

The young man in the brocade robe was taken aback, but he immediately realized that he was being addressed and said with a smile, "My name is Tong Sheng. I have long admired Lord Jiang's refined tastes, especially his skill in fishing."

I've recently become quite obsessed with fishing, which is why I've taken the liberty of visiting you today to ask for your guidance.

Jiang Wenqing thought to himself that this young master of the Minister's family had rather uncommon hobbies. Besides, who spread the rumor that he was particularly good at fishing?

How could this have reached the residence of the Minister of Rites within the inner city? Strange, truly strange…

Jiang Wenqing invited the guests to sit down again and ordered them to bring out the fragrant tea that he usually couldn't bear to drink. It was a few days ago that his son had someone send it from a faraway tea-producing region, and it was very precious!

Most people wouldn't be willing to take it out.

The young man in brocade took a sip of tea: "Good tea! By the way, Lord Jiang, I've heard that fishing can calm the mind. I've been feeling quite troubled lately because of trivial matters, so I thought I'd try fishing to calm my mind."

Jiang Wenqing nodded slightly: "I see. There are many things to know about fishing, and choosing the right bait is crucial. In winter, fish prefer meaty bait, so you can use earthworms or something similar..."

Jiang Wenqing's mouth was dry from talking, so he picked up the cooled tea and drank it all in one gulp. He looked at the sky and realized it was almost noon.

If we set off now, even if we fish for a shorter time, including the time spent drilling holes, we should still be able to get back before dark.

But since the guests wouldn't leave, he couldn't just kick them out. Sigh, he should have known better than to let the two advisors go so readily.

This young master Tong really knows how to delay other people's important business. He's such a heavy-handed guy. He's taught them everything he could and said everything he could. Why don't you give him some prepared fish bait?

"Thank you for your kind guidance, Lord Jiang. Oh? It's already noon, where is Lord Jiang's son?"

The topic shifted abruptly, and Jiang Wenqing almost didn't react. Why was this person asking about Mingfei? Did they know each other? He'd never heard Mingfei mention it before.

"Oh? Oh, you mean Ming Fei? He doesn't live here."

Jiang Wenqing felt that before clarifying the relationship between this person and his son, it was best not to casually tell others about his son's study abroad trip.

What if they're debt collectors? While the chances are slim, it's still best to be cautious.

Moreover, his son had never mentioned the son of the Minister of Rites in his presence or in his letters.

My son is so rich, he wouldn't default on his debts. He only has a few close friends, and he wouldn't miss mentioning his true friends.

Anyway, this so-called son of a high-ranking official is very suspicious. I'll have to send a message to my father later. Isn't my father working in the Ministry of Revenue?

Just have Dad check if there's anyone named "Tong Sheng" in the Minister of Rites' family. If he's a fraud, he'll have to report it to the Prefect of the Capital immediately! Impersonating an official's relative is a serious crime!

"Oh? Why don't you live in Tongzhou Prefecture? Is it your hometown? Xinghe Prefecture? Or Changshou County?"

Why doesn't Lord Jiang bring his family over? Although this is the outskirts of Beijing, it's still very convenient to get into the city.

"Oh? No, most of my family lives in the inner city. I go back to the inner city during my days off."

Jiang Wenqing increasingly felt that the person in front of him had no sense of boundaries, and it was nothing unusual for him to ask about his hobbies and interests on their first meeting.

But isn't it a bit much to ask where your family lives?

Moreover, the fact that this person can mention "Xinghe Prefecture" and "Changshou County" clearly shows that he has thoroughly investigated his own family!

Even the Minister of Rites himself might not know where this lowly seventh-rank county magistrate's hometown is!

"Oh? So Lord Jiang has a residence in the inner city. I was worrying for nothing. It's just that he can only have a brief reunion with his family once every ten days or so, which is really hard work."

Jiang Wenqing spoke even more carefully: "Oh, to serve the country? Since you've become an official of the Great Zhou, you must be responsible to His Majesty and the people."

It's only a few dozen miles; you get used to it and it doesn't feel far. Besides, I'm already very lucky. My colleagues who serve as officials thousands of miles away have it much harder!

Under the subtle influence of his father and two advisors, Jiang Wenqing had already developed quite a bit of intelligence.

Now, before I speak, I mentally rehearse what I've prepared in my mind, making sure it's completely clear before I utter my prepared remarks.

Zhao Hongsheng choked. The results of Jiang Wenqing's investigation and the Shadow Guard's investigation were quite different. He didn't seem like a simple-minded fool at all.

That's true. Since they were able to pass the imperial examination and become officials through their own abilities, how many of them would be fools?

It's because my subordinates are incompetent; they can't even investigate a single person properly. They're becoming more and more useless!

Sigh, he's used his maternal grandfather's name, so what? He's not afraid that this Lord Jiang will go back to the inner city and inquire whether the Tong family of the Minister of Rites' residence actually has a son named Tong Sheng.

After all, he only said that he was a junior member of the Minister's family, not that he was Minister Tong's grandson or great-grandson.

"Yes, I have troubled Lord Jiang for a long time today. Then I will not take up any more of your time. I will take my leave now!"

"Alright, alright! Um, what I mean is, Mr. Tong, won't you stay for lunch?"

Jiang Wenqing looked embarrassed. How could he have slipped up again? He seemed to have made his joy too obvious...

Zhao Hongsheng raised an eyebrow. Knowing that the other party was only pretending to keep him, he didn't expose him. He could tell that this Lord Jiang Wenqing seemed to have something urgent to attend to.

I'm pretty sure she can only spend a morning with me. Oh well, there's plenty of time in the future, and there will be many more opportunities for us to eat together as a family...

"No need, I'll treat you to a meal sometime to thank you for clearing up my doubts today!"

Xiao Dezi has probably already found out, so there's no need for me to waste my time here.

Xiao Dezi and his master split up into two groups: one went to the county government office to try and extract information from Jiang Wenqing, while the other went to gather information near Jiang's residence in the inner city.

With so many servants in the Jiang family, it's impossible that none of them would know where their young master had gone. At the very least, there are two other Hanlin scholars.

Jiang Wenqing personally escorted the person out of the county government office. After watching the person get into the car and drive away, he quickly returned to the back office to change his clothes and headed straight for the canal.

Xiao Dezi did indeed make some progress, and he hurriedly returned to the palace to report.

"South China Sea? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Master. To ensure the information was reliable, I even disguised myself as a vegetable seller and went to the Li and Xue families to inquire."

The same information came from the servants of both families: the young master Jiang's cousin had once sailed the seas, and the young master Jiang had always longed to explore overseas countries.

Xiao Dezi spoke with absolute certainty, and Zhao Hongsheng believed him.

“Overseas, how could they have gone so far! If they are no longer within the territory of the Great Zhou, it will be difficult to find them.”

“My lord, why are you in such a hurry? The provincial examination is in two years, and Young Master Jiang will definitely come back to take it.”

You won't need to look for it then; you can just wait and see!

Zhao Hongsheng was taken aback. The provincial examination the year after next? Waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump?

No way! By then, the daylilies will be too cold!