Transmigrated into a female county magistrate during a famine, leading her country to prosperity

Chapter 1151 Temporary Leave of Absence Badge

The next day at 9:00 AM, Shen Zheng appeared precisely at the back gate of the government office.

Hua Duo asked, puzzled, "Master, why did you choose to go through the back door?"

Shen Zheng shushed him, then realized she wasn't a thief. Leaning against the wall, she said, "It's best not to make a scene when patrolling the streets. Hua Duo, go out and buy me a veiled hat. I'll wait for you here."

Hua Duo was even more puzzled, but he still obediently opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, a fragrant breeze wafted in.

Hua Duo looked at the person at the door with slight surprise: "Madam Yu?"

The three words clearly reached Shen Zheng's ears, and her back stiffened. She immediately stepped back behind the wall.

"Stop hiding." Zhuang Zhiyun's confident voice rang out: "I knew you were going to run."

After saying that, she took the box and went inside, where she met the embarrassed Shen Zheng's gaze.

Helpless, Shen Zheng retreated while saying, "Auntie, this is really inappropriate, I don't want those."

Zhuang Zhiyun seemed not to have heard a word she said. She gently grasped her wrist and led her towards the front courtyard, saying, "To your uncle and me, this is not just a house and a few shops, but a home and a sense of security we want to give you. Zheng'er, think about it. If you were to buy a new residence in the city, it would take some time. If you were to renovate it, it would be troublesome and exhausting. You would even have to get to know your neighbors again. But if we change the Yu residence to the Shen residence, it will save you a lot of trouble. Please don't refuse this small token of our appreciation."

"A small... token of my appreciation?" Shen Zheng thought about the size of the Yu residence, which was by no means small.

Shen Zheng was pulled through the cave entrance by Zhuang Zhiyun. Just as they were about to enter the front courtyard, Zhuang Zhiyun immediately let go of her hand and even took a half-step behind her.

Officials passing by greeted them warmly: "Lord Shen, Madam Yu."

Shen Zheng nodded and deliberately slowed her pace to walk alongside Zhuang Zhiyun.

Looking at Zhuang Zhiyun's determined profile, Shen Zheng guessed that she wouldn't give up until she had completely sold the house today.

After thinking it over, Shen Zheng took the initiative and said, "Auntie, I'll pay for both the house and the shop. Let's go to the study and discuss the price first?"

"It's all written in the contract, so you can rest assured." Zhuang Zhiyun was completely unyielding.

Shen Zheng also understood the other meaning in her words—this time, the transfer of the house was a formal sales contract, the kind that requires paying deed tax to the government.

While Shen Zheng was still pondering, Zhuang Zhiyun had already stepped over the threshold of the house.

"Madam Yu?!" A surprised voice came from the household registration office: "Why have you come in person? Does Lord Yu have any instructions for me?"

“I’ve already seen the deed.” Immediately afterward, there was the sound of a small box being placed on the table. Zhuang Zhiyun continued, “Lord Shen bought a house and three shops from my Yu family. The house deed and the transaction deed are inside. Please take a look. If there are no problems, please help us complete the transfer.”

"Alright, alright, please wait a moment..." the clerk said, then paused, stunned.

He suspected that he had heard wrongly.

Who bought whose house and shop?!

Before he could even react, Shen Zheng was already standing in front of the desk.

"This humble servant greets Lord Shen!" The clerk stumbled and fell several steps before reaching Shen Zheng, his head almost burying itself in his thighs. "This humble servant has failed in his duty, unaware that Your Excellency intended to perform an incision. Please forgive me, Your Excellency!"

He figured that the adults must have sent someone to inform him beforehand before handling property transfers.

But today, all his colleagues in the Revenue Department were out, leaving him alone. He was also craving something sweet, so he went outside the yamen and bought some food...

In that case, the messenger must have been missed, which is why Lord Shen came in person.

The more he thought about it, the more regretful he became, and he didn't have the courage to straighten his back or lift his eyelids.

Shen Zheng stared at the back of his head, puzzled: "I have performed an circumcision with Madam Yu, how could you have known in advance?"

The clerk was taken aback, slowly raised his head, and cautiously asked, "You didn't...?"

Shen Zheng understood.

That old bastard must have been slacking off this morning.

"Did everyone else go out with Lord Xu?" Shen Zheng asked, looking around the room.

"Yes, yes..." The clerk wiped his hands in his sleeve and replied with his head bowed, "After the morning roll call, Lord Xu took them out, presumably... to re-evaluate the market value of Huai Mansion's lands and shops, in order to handle them later..."

"And what about you?" Shen Zheng pulled out a chair and sat down next to Zhuang Zhiyun, asking with a light laugh, "What did you do this morning?"

The clerk broke out in a cold sweat and, with a "plop," knelt down in front of Shen Zheng in a "Daiyu-style kneeling posture."

"My lord, please forgive me! I was craving something this morning... so I left my room for a couple of quarters to buy some food, and missed the messenger. I deserve to die!"

Craving something sweet?

Shen Zheng secretly admired the official's honesty.

If it were her, she would say she had a stomachache and ran to the toilet.

"Get up first." Shen Zheng watched him slowly rise before continuing, "Now is a critical moment in dealing with Huai Gongwang's property. Colleagues are watching, and the people are watching. There is no room for carelessness. Today you left your post to buy food, so I will punish you... Make six 'Temporary Absence from Post' signs. They should be big and conspicuous. One for the Household Department, and the other five for the other departments."

"Temporary...absence badge?" The clerk was taken aback.

Shen Zheng nodded: "If you encounter someone on duty again and need to leave for important matters, hang this sign outside the house and indicate the time of their return, so that the people don't make a wasted trip and wait in vain."

The officials were surprised to find that Shen Zheng was still thinking about the people at this moment.

After a moment of surprise, he immediately replied, "Your subordinate obeys! After making the sign, I will personally hand it to the other five officials and relay your words to them: the people will not be kept waiting! Also, your subordinate will no longer leave without permission to buy food..."

Shen Zheng nodded, gesturing for him to sit down.

The moment his bottom touched the chair, Zhuang Zhiyun pushed the contracts over.

Under Zhuang Zhiyun's urging gaze, he carefully picked it up and began to read it word by word.

Fifteen minutes later, the contract, after being altered, was in Shen Zheng's hands.

Watching Zhuang Zhiyun's departing figure, Shen Zheng began to think about how to return the favor.

The Yu family's love and care for her will always be profound, but she doesn't want to be a junior who only takes.

......

One day later, at 3:45 AM.

Several horse-drawn carriages and several prison carts departed from the government office, passed through the bustling city, and headed towards the city gate.

The people along the way were stunned when they saw this. As they chased after the caravan, they discussed, "Is Lord Yu setting off today? How come we haven't heard a word about it?"

"It must be because he escorted the corrupt official!" Someone was panting after running a few steps, but still subconsciously picked up his leg to chase after him. "If Lord Yu hadn't escorted the corrupt official back to the capital, he would have told us in advance when he was leaving. It's all Huai Gongwang's fault... If it weren't for him, how could we have missed Lord Yu's last moments?"

"Pah! What 'last farewell'? What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning!"

"No...that's not what I meant! Hey—wait for me, I can't run anymore!"

The people chased after the convoy all the way, and the number of people behind it kept increasing.

As the sunlight embraced Liuyang Prefecture, the convoy slowly passed through the city gate.