Chapter 24

A bowl of thin porridge, a steamed bun, and a few pickled vegetables—this was the dinner the people of Luanan Prefecture received from the government's soup kitchen.

These items were neither tasty nor necessarily filling, but at least they could eat, so most of the people were already quite content.

When it was Zhao Junchen's turn to receive the porridge, the official in charge of distributing the food even gave him an extra steamed bun. This time, Zhao Junchen did not refuse. Instead, when he left the soup kitchen, he gave the two buns to the old man's two grandchildren. Before the old man could refuse, Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Let the children eat a bit more. They are growing, and I'm not hungry. A bowl of porridge is enough for me."

With that, he did not wait for the old man to speak and left.

After finishing the porridge in front of the people, Zhao Junchen, accompanied by Liu Chang'an and others, returned to his temporary residence in Luanan Prefecture. Xu Qingyan had been waiting there for a long time.

Xu Qingyan was a lively person who disliked hard work and was too lazy to join Zhao Junchen in his "face-saving project." So Zhao Junchen left him in the city to avoid causing trouble.

Xu Qingyan was idle in the main room. When he saw Zhao Junchen return, he quickly stood up to greet him, saying, "Young Master, you must have had a hard day."

Zhao Junchen smiled and shook his head, saying, "Indeed, unlike you, who idles around all day. I'm starting to envy you."

Xu Qingyan pouted and said, "Young Master, I think you're just putting on a show. A few days should be enough. How can you keep going every day? You are so precious, and if you get too tired, what will we do?"

Zhao Junchen rubbed his shoulders and said, "Just a few more days. The locust disaster is almost over, and the distribution of relief supplies is progressing steadily. In a few days, we can go back."

Xu Qingyan nodded and said nothing more. He then brought out a plate of food from the inner room and placed it in front of Zhao Junchen, smiling, "Young Master, I bought you some beef tongue. Try it and see how it is."

Zhao Junchen nodded and did not refuse, starting to eat.

Since Zhao Junchen had been "sharing the hardships" with the people of Luanan Prefecture, Xu Qingyan had been finding meat for him every day. Zhao Junchen, who loved meat, and knowing that Xu Qingyan was doing this for his own good and that no one else knew, had been enjoying a special meal every day when he returned.

Zhao Junchen believed that not only he, but also Liu Chang'an and others, were probably enjoying similar special meals, perhaps even more luxurious.

This was also why Zhao Junchen gave away the steamed buns, knowing that he would not go hungry. Steamed buns were fine for an occasional reminder of hardship, but eating them all the time was something his stomach could not handle.

This might seem hypocritical, but the so-called "sharing the hardships" between the upper and lower classes was often just for show.

In Zhao Junchen's view, the basis of "sharing the hardships" was equality. If there were better conditions available, but one chose to share the hardships with the common people, Zhao Junchen admitted he could not persist for long.

As Zhao Junchen was enjoying the beef tongue, a servant reported from outside, "Sir, Guo Linxiang is here to see you."

Zhao Junchen was slightly taken aback, not knowing why Guo Linxiang had come, but he said, "Let him wait a moment. I'll see him right away."

He wiped the oil from his mouth with a handkerchief, glanced at the beef tongue he had only taken a few bites of, and walked to the guest hall.

...

When Zhao Junchen arrived at the guest hall, Guo Linxiang was waiting, with a brocade box by his side, its contents unknown.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Guo. Please forgive me."

Upon entering the room, Zhao Junchen bowed to Guo Linxiang.

"Sir, you are too kind."

As Guo Linxiang was about to kneel, Zhao Junchen held him up, saying, "You say I am too kind, but I think you are the one being too formal. We have known each other for a while, and I do not consider you an outsider. There is no need for such formalities."

After they both sat down, Zhao Junchen asked, "Mr. Guo, what brings you here so late?"

Guo Linxiang smiled and replied, "I should not have come so late, but these past few days, you have been busy with the locust disaster, working tirelessly. I did not know where to find you, and with so many people around, it was not convenient. So I had to come at this time."

As he spoke, Guo Linxiang opened the brocade box, revealing a book. He then handed the book to Zhao Junchen, saying, "Please take a look, sir."

Zhao Junchen took the book and saw the title "Record of the Locust Extermination in Luanan Prefecture" on the cover.

Opening it, he found that it indeed recorded everything that had happened during the locust extermination in Luanan Prefecture, with a focus on the debate between Zhao Junchen and Zhang Qicheng during the sacrifice to heaven, and Zhao Junchen's efforts in working alongside the people to exterminate the locusts. The book greatly praised Zhao Junchen's actions, aiming to clear his name as a "corrupt official."

After a quick read, Zhao Junchen waved the book and looked up at Guo Linxiang, asking, "Mr. Guo, what is the meaning of this?"

Guo Linxiang smiled and said, "Please do not misunderstand, sir. This is the collective effort of the Shanxi merchants. We have all seen your love for the people and your dedication to the country. We are deeply moved by your actions, but we are also frustrated and angry that the common people misunderstand you. After discussing it, we decided to record your actions in Luanan Prefecture in this book and publish it to clear your name!"

A glint of joy flashed in Zhao Junchen's eyes. He felt that Guo Linxiang's actions aligned with his own intentions. He could imagine that when this book was published, his reputation, which was currently in tatters, might change to a mix of praise and criticism.

To Zhao Junchen, this book was more valuable than the ten thousand silver notes the Shanxi merchants had previously given him.

Although he thought this, Zhao Junchen still looked hesitant and said, "I understand your intentions, Mr. Guo, but isn't this too obvious?"

Guo Linxiang shook his head and said, "Sir, you may not know, but the common people not only have a bias against you, but also against many high-ranking officials in the court. Many radical people believe that our Great Ming is controlled by corrupt officials, but the reality is quite the opposite. The publication of this book is to show the world the truth, not just to clear your name, but to clear the names of all officials in the Great Ming."

Zhao Junchen's actions and intentions in Luanan Prefecture over the past few days had not escaped Guo Linxiang's notice. He understood that Zhao Junchen was trying to improve his reputation among the people. Guo Linxiang admired this, believing that a government official, whether corrupt or clean, who did not care about their reputation was an incompetent official. Only with a good reputation could one stand firm in the political arena.

Because of this, Guo Linxiang valued Zhao Junchen even more. He saw Zhao Junchen's "ambition" in his actions, and the Shanxi merchant group, including Guo Linxiang, had changed their attitude towards Zhao Junchen from "collaborator" to "important and long-term collaborator."

The Shanxi merchant group had always focused on cultivating their own representatives in the central government, even promoting some to the position of Chief Cabinet Minister. However, with Emperor Chongzhen's reforms, the merchants' influence in the government had weakened, and although they still had many representatives, their influence was not as strong.

The appearance of Zhao Junchen, in the eyes of Guo Linxiang and the Shanxi merchant group, might be a chance to change this situation!

Therefore, the Shanxi merchant group was preparing to publish the "Record of the Locust Extermination in Luanan Prefecture" to support Zhao Junchen, both to further strengthen their relationship and to help Zhao Junchen gain more influence and power in the future.

On the other side, after hearing Guo Linxiang's words, Zhao Junchen nodded, about to say something, when another servant rushed in and reported, "Sir, an envoy from the capital has arrived!"

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