Chapter 177: What Fine Characters!

Another Imperial Edict!

The people of Yintan City all grew nervous.

Liu Zheng was left between laughter and tears; were Imperial Edicts really so worthless in this day and age?

Zheng Yueru hurriedly helped Liu Zheng tidy his clothes, and they went out to welcome it.

For Yinzhou, once a "land of no governance," where had the common folk ever seen an Imperial Edict? Seeing the grand procession for the proclamation heading toward Yintan City, they all stood by the roadside to watch.

"Liu Dahao, Liu Prefecture Marquis, receive the Edict!"

"Liu Dahao receives the Edict!"

All along the way, the little eunuch kept shouting at the top of his lungs.

The time it took just to enter the city was enough for Liu Zheng and the others to run back to Yinzhou Prefecture. When Liu Zheng returned, he saw that Liu Dahao had already bathed and changed, and was kneeling in Yinzhou Prefecture with the officials of Yinzhou Prefecture, waiting for the Imperial Envoy.

Liu Zheng joined them.

What he was actually preoccupied with in his heart was the matter of the Yinzhou Coin...

After all, this thing was truly a gray-area maneuver; if the imperial court wanted to seize him, it would be very easy. Especially after Qingyang Shuo had warned him, he had been feeling anxious about it.

The one who had come to proclaim the Edict was actually Grand Eunuch Zhou again.

Grand Eunuch Zhou first smiled and nodded at Liu Zheng, then looked at Liu Dahao: "By the grace of the Emperor, the decree says: The Prefecture Marquis Liu Dahao, since entering Yinzhou, has worked diligently, governed with care, and loved the people; tax revenues have increased greatly this year, and his reputation has spread far and wide. I am very pleased. Effective immediately, Liu Dahao is promoted to Inspector of Yinzhou!"

"Furthermore, Yinzhou borders the Xiongnu to the north and has opened the Silk Road to the west, contributing to the nation. Liu Dahao is concurrently appointed as Western Regions Commissioner. Respect this!"

The scene suddenly went silent.

Liu Zheng could not help but raise his head, his face full of surprise.

Liu Dahao also looked completely bewildered.

When everyone heard the content of this Imperial Edict, their first reaction was whether they had misheard!

Western Regions Commissioner?

Why, out of the blue, would such an official rank come about?

Grand Eunuch Zhou said indifferently: "Why not thank the Emperor for his grace?"

Liu Dahao shuddered all over and hurriedly knelt down: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your immense grace!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your immense grace!"

Only then did Grand Eunuch Zhou hand the Imperial Edict to Liu Dahao, saying with a smile: "Prefecture Marquis Liu, congratulations, congratulations!"

Liu Dahao hurriedly nodded and bowed: "Congratulations to you as well, Grand Eunuch Zhou. You must be exhausted from the journey, right? Please, come inside, have some tea, have some tea!"

Grand Eunuch Zhou naturally did not stand on ceremony.

Every time after reading an Imperial Edict, this "having tea" meant that we have already prepared the benefits; you come along, and we shall share in the joy together.

"Prefecture Governor Liu, I trust you have been well."

Grand Eunuch Zhou turned his head and looked at Liu Zheng with a smile.

Liu Zheng also hurriedly said: "Grand Eunuch Zhou, I fear you had not even returned to Jinghua before coming to Yinzhou again. Being so exhausted, you must rest well for a few days."

Surrounded by the crowd, Grand Eunuch Zhou arrived at Yinzhou Prefecture, praising the layout and environment of Yinzhou Prefecture all the way—it had a style quite different from this era—of course, the construction of Yinzhou Prefecture had been completed under Liu Zheng's design and supervision.

Arriving at the reception hall together, Grand Eunuch Zhou had just sat down and hurriedly took a sip of tea before laughing: "It is no wonder they say you father and son are so favored by the Emperor! Even I am filled with envy. I had only just set off a few days ago, and this Imperial Edict was sent. What can a busybody like me do? I can only turn around and rush back to Yinzhou!"

Liu Dahao hurriedly winked and smiled obsequiously: "Grand Eunuch Zhou has worked hard, have some tea, have some tea..."

After a round of flattery.

Grand Eunuch Zhou seemed to say intentionally or unintentionally: "I hear Yinzhou has been very lively these days!"

Liu Zheng took a deep breath and did not mince words: "Grand Eunuch Zhou, this matter is indeed an expedient measure. Yintan City in Yinzhou has a large volume of goods every day. To facilitate the merchants, we introduced the Silver Notes of our Yinzhou Chamber of Commerce. I ask that you please..."

The more Grand Eunuch Zhou heard, the happier he smiled. When it reached a certain point, he interrupted Liu Zheng: "Young Master Liu, such a small matter is not worth mentioning. I know, I know... although that Chen Ping has impeached you time and again, they have all been blocked by my people."

He deliberately looked at Liu Dahao.

Liu Dahao shuddered all over, immediately understanding what this meant. He cursed Chen Ping eight hundred times in his heart, then rolled his eyes and said with great joy: "Dahao has heard that Grand Eunuch Zhou is the number one calligraphy master in Longyan. Today is a great day for Yinzhou; may Dahao be so bold as to ask Grand Eunuch Zhou for a piece of his calligraphy to inscribe for the Yinzhou Bank?"

Once these words were spoken, Liu Zheng and the others were all dumbfounded.

Who said Liu Dahao was ignorant of worldly affairs?

Who said Liu Dahao spent his days just eating and drinking?

With this move of his, who could withstand it?

This Grand Eunuch Zhou was an Imperial Envoy, representing the Emperor as he walked the world. Wouldn't a piece of his calligraphy be equivalent to the Emperor's will?

And...

This word "ask" was exquisite to the extreme.

As long as it is an "ask"...

Then how one asks is up to me. If I ask with sweet words, that is asking, but if I ask with gold and silver treasures, that is also asking...

This was simply making bribery public and legal!

Amazing!

A master?

And...

A calligraphy master?

There was such a thing?

I couldn't tell!

Grand Eunuch Zhou was so flattered by Liu Dahao that his face glowed, and he said with slight hesitation: "This matter..."

Liu Dahao kept heaping praise, saying that if the Yinzhou Bank could be touched by Grand Eunuch Zhou's auspicious energy, it would surely make all those demons and monsters retreat, and the Yinzhou Bank would flourish and enjoy boundless blessings...

This vague talk made Grand Eunuch Zhou so happy that he could not refuse even if he wanted to.

Immediately, someone brought over the Four Treasures of the Study, along with a horizontal sheet of paper.

"Grand Eunuch Zhou, please!"

Liu Dahao was grinding ink on the side.

Grand Eunuch Zhou picked up the brush, coughed once, and said, "Since that is the case, I shall make a fool of myself!"

The crowd cheered one after another.

Even those little eunuchs clapped their hands with all their might, until their hands were turning red.

Liu Zheng and the others also watched carefully.

Grand Eunuch Zhou pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Since it is a bank, it should value commercial profit. I wish this Yinzhou Bank annual growth in revenue, so that it may help the Emperor resolve worries and overcome difficulties!"

"Good!"

The crowd shouted loudly once more.

Then.

One saw this Grand Eunuch Zhou, seemingly having prepared himself, immediately let the brush dance like a dragon or snake.

Under everyone's gaze, he wrote four large characters.

"Get rich every day!"

"Pfft..."

"Ah!"

Liu Zheng was dumbfounded.

He had spoken so grandiosely before, and it all amounted to these four characters? He held back his laughter and looked at the calligraphy again...

The four characters were of uneven size and crooked; if one did not look closely, one would not even know what these four characters were.

A master of calligraphy?

Renowned throughout Longyan?

I really believed your nonsense!

The others also had their mouths twitching as they watched.

Liu Dahao was still the impressive one, taking the lead to applaud immediately: "Good!"

"What a good piece of calligraphy!"

"Like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, a marvelous brush bringing flowers to life!"

"Grand Eunuch Zhou's calligraphy has silkworm-head and swallow-tail strokes, twisting and turning a thousand times!"

"It has already formed a style of its own!"

Bang!

Liu Zheng nearly fell face-first to the ground.