Chapter 134: How Much Salary Was Issued?

On the warm afternoon of the summer wind, Cao Cao Jingsong finally revisited the fear of being dominated by a fierce bandit, and even his proud chest collapsed.

It seems that the pride in the chest and the money bag are connected; one side leaks and the other side can't be saved.

And on the afternoon of the second day, Ji You received another letter sent from down the mountain, so he hurried down the mountain, and after turning around, came to the courtyard at the end of Chunhua Lane, the residence of the Kuang scholar.

Actually, Ji You had been here once the day after returning to the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan from Spirit Sword Mountain.

However, at that time, Kuang Cheng was not there, and the door was locked.

Going to the Immortal Supervision Bureau to inquire, he learned that he had been transferred to the Reception Division of the Immortal Supervision Bureau after his departure, and was responsible for handling the trade between the demon race and the human race.

At this time, the Kuang scholar had just returned to the capital, a bit dusty, and was sweeping the courtyard with a broom, looking in a good mood.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, the scholar turned his head to look outside the door, and saw Ji You.

"Brother Ji, long time no see."

Ji You raised the corner of his mouth: "I heard you were promoted; how much salary did you get?"

Kuang Cheng's mouth twitched, then he put down the broom: "Ate yet? I haven't eaten yet; why don't we talk while eating?"

Ji You couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "Good."

Afterward, the two left this small courtyard, found a noodle shop nearby and sat down, ordered two bowls of plain noodles, and ordered some wine and meat.

At this time, Kuang Cheng took out some silver from his arms and handed it over, placing it in front of him: "This is half of my last month."

"So much? It seems your monthly salary has indeed risen."

"The monthly salary is still the same; the reason it was issued more is actually related to the demon race entering the Nine Provinces for trade."

Kuang Cheng opened his mouth while peeling garlic: "The spirit stones transported by the demon race from the Snow Region are of higher quality than those in the several large mines in Yunzhou and Zhongzhou, and are extremely popular with cultivation practitioners. This channel is handled by Great Xia, which can be considered as taking back a part of the ownership of the spirit mines from the aristocratic families of the Nine Provinces."

Ji You raised his eyes: "No wonder the prices of Yunzhou stones and Zhongzhou stones have been falling these past few days."

"That's right, and this matter is beneficial to the common people."

"Oh?"

Kuang Cheng handed the garlic clove to him: "The demon race transported spirit stones from the Snow Region, but what they exchanged for was not the silver money of my human race, but rice, vegetables, fruits, salt, and various handmade products."

Ji You chewed the vegetable leaves in his mouth, and then knew why this matter was beneficial to the common people.

The Snow Plains is a place of bitter cold, and very few crops can grow, so what they want are these agricultural products.

Great Xia suppressed the price of spirit stones in the hands of aristocratic families through trade with the demon race, and also earned silver from the cultivation practitioners of the Azure Cloud World.

These silver taels, after deducting profits, were used to purchase agricultural products from the common people, which would further raise the prices of these things, so that the people could be a bit more prosperous.

Ji You ate a mouthful of noodles: "It seems that the Emperor in the palace didn't just say it casually when he said he wanted to establish a new policy."

"That's right, my colleagues in the Immortal Supervision Bureau and I are all working hard. However... just like this, it still cannot change the current pattern, because even if the spirit stones are controlled, it is not painful or itchy for those Immortal Sects and aristocratic families that scrape taxes every year. Moreover, the demon race is not easy to get along with."

"Is it 'non-my-race, its heart must be different' again?"

Kuang Cheng nodded: "His Majesty opened the pass and allowed the demon race to enter the Nine Provinces for trade. This move is very risky. I have heard rumors everywhere on my way out, saying that the demon race wants to seize the human race's luck and return to the Nine Provinces, and the barbarian race in the north seems to have the same purpose."

Ji You chewed a garlic clove and glanced at him.

Kuang Cheng's position and identity determined his current view of things.

To them, ordinary people, although the world is often bullied by Immortal Sects and aristocratic families, it is always better than being enslaved by other races.

No one wants to return to the ancient times, return to the days of being enslaved, bullied, skinned, and dismantled by other races.

However, the rumors of troubled times are still just rumors until now.

Although the demon race and barbarian race are both restless, and the Seven Great Immortal Sects and Nine Provinces' aristocratic families are also a bit restless, after the Qiling incident, it seems that no greater chaos has appeared.

The clues about infants found from Qingwa before also seemed to have sunk into the sea like mud, without any news.

Whether those infants disappeared into the world with the Zheng family ancestor, he did not know.

Because with Ji You's current identity as an outer courtyard disciple, he could not come into contact with more useful information.

It was just that what made him particularly concerned was the weak whisper he heard when he crossed over to this world.

He believed there were troubled times, but in what way the chaos would arise, and who was making the chaos, was still a fog.

What Ji You can do now is only to improve his strength and enter the inner courtyard.

And Kuang Cheng is the same, working hard in the maze toward a good direction.

This is probably because he can truly do some practical things for this world, instead of being the scholar who could only mourn spring and autumn before.

"Brother Ji, you still have to quickly become the Abbot of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan."

"You always have a blind confidence in me."

"This is not blind; it's that when Brother Ji becomes the Abbot of the Heavenly Tian Shuyuan and marries the daughter of the Pill Sect, the right to speak will be much greater, at least making the common people live a better life."

Ji You glanced at him: "What do you think if I marry another future Abbot of Spirit Sword Mountain?"

Kuang Cheng's lifted noodles hung in the air: "That would naturally be even better. I said before that what conquers the world is not necessarily a long sword, but also a good body."

"Eat your noodles, you scholar who is worried all day long."

Afterward, the two ate noodles while talking about Yuyang County.

After the silver notes were sent back last time, Chen Chen Fuzi started building a school in the county, intending to teach the children of Yuyang County to know books and etiquette.

In addition, the war in the north has been constant this year, and the folks seem a bit uneasy.

And there was some drought this year, and the harvest

However, there is good news amidst the bad news: the Fengxian Manor, which had originally wanted to capture Qiu Ru to refine medicine, has moved away from Yuyang County, leaving behind only a large, deserted mansion.

Hearing this news, Ji You felt quite surprised: "Moved away?"

"They say they moved away, but no one saw them go. You know, the commoners in the county dare not approach that place; they usually walk around it, fearing they might offend the immortals."

Ji You gripped his chopsticks in his hand: "Then why say they moved away?"

Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng also stopped eating: "It was Old Geng, the hunter who lives at the foot of the mountain. When he went up the mountain to hunt, he discovered there was no one inside. Later, several older children gathered their courage to look around the vicinity and confirmed that there was no one left."

"And no one saw how they left?"

"I don't think so. But I heard the things in the mansion are still there. They left as if they had evaporated into thin air. Earlier, people in the county were discussing whether the Fengxian Manor had offended some larger cultivation family, which is why they left so quietly."

Ji You held his chopsticks, feeling it was somewhat bizarre.

However, the Azure Cloud world is so vast that anything is possible. The Ji family was the same back then; in one night, the people were gone and the house was empty.

The two finished their noodles and then followed the alley back to that secluded residence.

But as they walked close, they saw a graceful figure standing around the residence. Upon seeing Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng and Ji You arrive, she panicked and immediately walked away.

But after walking a few steps, the figure couldn't help but stop, and after hesitating for a long while, she looked back.

"Xiang... Young Master Xiang."

"So it is Miss Wei, long time no see."

Wei Rui lowered her head and spoke in a soft, warbling voice: "I heard people say you returned to the capital, so... so I thought I'd stop by to see."

Since the end of the Qiling incident, the Central Province has been relatively stable. The refugees who had gathered under the city gates have all left, so Wei Rui no longer needs to distribute porridge.

Later, Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng was transferred away from Shengjing, and he hadn't seen her for several months.

"Although I, Xiang, am merely a weak scholar, I have received much care from my colleagues at the Immortal Inspection Bureau along the way. This trip was smooth; thank you for your concern, Miss."

"I... that... um, in any case, it is good that you are safe, Young Master."

Ji You reached out and pushed open the courtyard gate: "Miss Wei, I invite you in on behalf of Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng to have a cup of tea."

Wei Rui glanced at Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng, and after a moment of silence, she spoke: "Alright."

"Forget it, Brother Ji. I just returned to the capital, there is no tea at home, and I haven't had time to go to the water shop; there is no water left in the water vat at home."

Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng suddenly said this to Ji You, his expression quite frank.

Ji You turned to look at Wei Rui and saw her slightly stunned after hearing this. She raised her head and glanced at Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng: "Is that so... then, then I won't disturb you. May you be safe, Young Master."

Ji You watched Wei Rui leave and looked at Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng: "She was clearly here specifically to see you, why did you drive her away?"

"I am in the Immortal Inspection Bureau and cannot have too much association with the Wei family. Moreover, Miss Wei and I are merely casual acquaintances. For a man living alone to invite an unmarried woman into his home is not in accordance with etiquette, and it would also damage her reputation."

"Then there is no need to find such a lame excuse; you should have just told her the truth."

Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng looked at his right hand: "In the tax corruption case of Wei Li that I am investigating, every page I see is written with the words 'man-eating', so it is very difficult to conduct myself."

Ji You turned to look at him: "But if a woman is married, she is no longer considered a member of the Wei family."

"Ji... Brother Ji, what nonsense are you spouting."

"I bet you have even thought of the child's name."

Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng held his breath, his face flushing red: "Brother Ji, you are simply talking nonsense!"

Ji You narrowed his eyes: "Don't pretend, I have thought about it too."

"I have not!"

"It's no use even if you have, you've already driven her away."

Hearing this, Xiang Xiang Kuangcheng's emotions suddenly began to sink, and he pursed his lips without saying a word.

However, just at this moment, a sound of footsteps suddenly came from the alley again.

The two looked up and saw Wei Rui, who had just said goodbye, walking back, looking somewhat at a loss.

In her hand, she carried a paper package with a tea label stuck to the outside, and behind her followed a water-carrying servant.

The servant asked if this was the house, and after seeing Wei Rui nod, he pushed the door and walked in. Soon, they heard the sound of water splashing into the vat.

"I... I bought some tea."

After the sound of water stopped, Wei Rui finally gathered the courage to speak.

Almost everyone in Shengjing knows that the granddaughter of the treacherous minister Wei Li has a gentle and sensible personality; she does not contend for things and rarely speaks.

But at this very moment, she displayed an unexpected stubbornness.

Ji You looked at the two who were staring at each other without saying a word and thought to himself, well, I've become redundant.

"Brother Xiang, I'll go first. You two... drink slowly."

"Hey, Brother Ji!"

"Don't be polite, after all, I don't want to participate in your discussion about naming children; I still have names to pick for my own."

"?"

(End of chapter)