Chapter 187 Governor Xu, you and I are partners...

Chapter 187 Governor Xu, you and I are partners...

Du Min and Meng Qing were summoned by Governor Xu to the front office of the governor's mansion. Before entering, Du Min took two quick steps ahead of Meng Qing and pushed the door open first. He had only taken a couple of steps when he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow thrown at him. His mind raced, and he chose to take a step back.

A piece of green jade paperweight fell to the ground with a muffled thud.

Meng Qing looked down. The floor was covered with a thick carpet, and the jade piece hadn't broken. She bent down to pick it up, then looked up to meet the dark-faced governor at the head of the table. His face was full of anger, and his eyes were filled with a sinister, dark light.

“Prefect Xu, what do you mean by this?” Meng Qing asked. “I am a county princess personally appointed by the Emperor, and Chief Secretary Du is an official appointed by the Emperor. What crime have we committed to deserve such humiliation?”

"Stop spouting that nonsense about titles, Lady Meng. I have truly underestimated you." Governor Xu slammed his fist on the table. "I trusted you, which is why I fully supported your fundraising efforts. And what was the result? I contributed manpower, money, and effort, yet you managed to raise less than 30,000 strings of cash. You swindled my money to enhance your own reputation. How dare you!"

"You're the only one who contributed 10,000 strings of cash? Didn't I lose any money?" Meng Qing retorted. "I've been busy all this time, but I haven't raised enough for 30,000 strings of cash. I'm not happy either. Can you blame me? I've only been in Huaizhou for a short time. I have no connections in either the political or business circles. I can't get involved in the donations from officials, and the businessmen ignore me. How am I supposed to exert any effort?"

"You think you can do nothing about merchants ignoring you? The entire county, with its merchants raising over 1,800 strings of cash—that's a joke!" Governor Xu slammed his fist on the table. "What happened to your abilities back in Heqing County?"

"Heqing County raised funds to build water conservancy projects, while Henan County raised money to improve the livelihoods of people in Wen County. That's the difference," Du Min said.

"That's not enough to raise more than 1,800 strings of cash! You didn't put any effort into it at all." Governor Xu was furious. He was extremely aggrieved. He had never felt so aggrieved in his forty-eight years. Sixty thousand strings of cash was not much to him, but it had put him in a dilemma.

His and his father's memorial had already been sent to Chang'an, requesting the establishment of an official paper mill, and it was now irrevocable. Not only could it not be revoked, but at this point, he also had to ensure that the paper mill's ownership remained with Huaizhou. The 60,000 strings of cash he had already spent were gone for good; his approval of the paper mill's construction and his personal donations were already common knowledge throughout the city. If he went back on his word, he would lose face completely in Chang'an. He couldn't even use this as an excuse to ask the court for more money; news of Huaizhou's situation would eventually reach the court, and he would be condemned for raising funds only to ask for more.

"The merchants won't give me face, and I can't force them to donate more money. If someone accuses me of oppressing the people, I'll lose the title I worked so hard to obtain," Meng Qing explained.

"When you came to ask me for money, why weren't you afraid of being scared? How interesting. When you set a trap for me, weren't you afraid that I would ruin your reward?" Governor Xu became increasingly angry at her unscrupulous manner. He was puzzled that this merchant girl not only did not respect him, but was not even afraid of him.

Meng Qing's face turned cold. She said seriously, "If you think my schemes are meant to trap you, then all the previous plans are off. Du Min, you must return all 60,000 strings of cash within five days. I will make up for any money I have spent out of my own pocket. As for the paper mill, if you still want to continue building it, go ask your father-in-law for money. If the free school can be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, then the paper mill can be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel."

Du Min's eyes lit up. "That's right, the Ministry of Personnel must also want a money bag. I'll write a letter to my father-in-law right now."

"Wait!" Governor Xu hurriedly spoke up, "Didn't I say I didn't want it?"

"Didn't you say I was setting a trap for you? Fine, I won't try to trap you anymore?" Meng Qing asked.

"I didn't mention the paper mill; I meant fundraising," Governor Xu explained, secretly calculating that with the Ministry of Rites' example, the Ministry of Personnel would certainly be very willing to take over the paper mill. Once he had a plan in mind, his expression softened considerably.

Meng Qing twitched the corner of his mouth. "If you hadn't mentioned ten years' salary, none of this would have happened. I had all sorts of things to say to get Prefect Cui to donate eight or nine thousand strings of cash, but I didn't get to use them."

Governor Xu choked, unable to refute him.

“Um…Sir, should we return the 60,000 strings of cash to you? Now everyone knows about the paper mill, and it has already made a name for itself. If we don’t speed up the construction of the workshop, I’m worried that merchants will snatch up the business first.” After saying that, Du Min murmured again, “Even if we don’t build an official paper mill, it’s fine. As long as the Empress agrees to allow the land allocated to Wen County to be converted to ramie cultivation, there will be raw materials and a market. Merchants will naturally build paper mills and take over the business, and farmers will still have a way to make a living.”

Governor Xu glared at him.

Meng Qing weighed the paperweight in his hand and asked, "Prefect Xu, do you still think we set a trap for you? This government office has a paper mill. What's wrong with you? You have raw materials and a sales channel. Once it's finished, you'll make a profit. It's a sure-fire business. There are plenty of people willing to spend 60,000 strings of cash."

Now Governor Xu was caught in a bind. He had summoned the two men clearly to reprimand them, but now he was in the wrong instead of in the right. Not only could he not utter any words of reprimand, but he also had to say nice things to persuade them to stay. Thinking about this, he became sullen again.

"I'm paying money and getting no credit for it!" He was at his wit's end.

"Who isn't like that? I put in money and effort but don't get any credit," Meng Qing said self-deprecatingly.

Governor Xu: ...

"Alright, alright, I misunderstood you and thought the wrong thing. I apologize to Lady Meng." Governor Xu lost his temper. "You should know when to stop. Don't push your luck. There aren't many women in my life who can make me bow my head."

Meng Qing felt a chill run down her spine, utterly disgusted by him. She retorted, "What's the difference between men and women right now? Your apology has nothing to do with whether I'm a man or a woman."

Governor Xu didn't understand, so he waved his hand and said, "I'm fine here, you can go."

Meng Qing didn't listen. She lifted her foot and walked into the room. Du Min didn't know her intention, but subconsciously followed her.

"Is there anything else?" Governor Xu asked warily.

Meng Qing stopped a step away from his desk and placed the paperweight on it.

Governor Xu glanced at the paperweight, then looked at her, indicating that she could get lost.

“Five years ago, I was still a peasant woman. I accompanied Du Min to the capital for the imperial examinations, where I met officials from the Ministry of Rites and founded the first Qingniao Paper Craft School in Chang'an. After the Emperor's Fengshan ceremony, I formed a partnership with the current Prime Minister Zheng. The Ministry of Rites provided support for me and the Qingniao Paper Craft School, and I left Chang'an with the school to earn money for the Ministry. At the time, I declared that Prime Minister Zheng and I were partners, and he accepted it. Our partnership was pleasant and mutually beneficial.” Meng Qing looked into Governor Xu's eyes. Today, she wanted him to understand her position. “Today, I want to reiterate this: you and I are partners. I offered my advice to support my brother-in-law's career, which is why I chose to partner with you. Du Min contributed his efforts and gained fame, while you contributed money and gained wealth. Do you agree with this partnership?”

Du Min fell behind Meng Qing and could only see her back, but from Governor Xu's changing gaze, he could vaguely see her face. How majestic she was!

Governor Xu gritted his teeth, feeling very uncomfortable. In his three conversations with Meng Qing, he had been defeated several times.

Meng Qing confronted him in silence. If it weren't for the fact that she wanted Du Min to become the governor of Huai Prefecture and thus have a legitimate reason to use the paper mill's profits to manage the mess in Huai Prefecture, she would never have bothered with this incompetent official.

Governor Xu considered replacing the envoy, but after much deliberation, he decided against it. The paper mill's sales channels were in the hands of Du Min's father-in-law, and without Du Min, the paper mill would likely find it difficult to do business with the charity school.

“I agree,” he replied.

“I am a county princess personally appointed by the female sage. It is not shameful for Governor Xu to cooperate with me.” Meng Qing glanced at the paperweight and then looked up and said, “This paperweight is made of fine jade. It must cost several tens of strings of cash, right? It would be a pity to break it. Governor, please take good care of it.”

Governor Xu's breathing became heavy.

"Farewell." Meng Qing nodded, turned around to look at Du Min, and then walked away.

Du Min hurriedly followed.

As soon as the two figures disappeared, Governor Xu suddenly stood up, grabbed the paperweight, and slammed it down.

The paperweight fell to the ground, and the clear jade piece made a few cracking sounds, revealing many more cracks inside.

Meng Qing paused upon hearing the sound, then left without looking back.

Du Min had been holding it in all the way, but as soon as he left the governor's mansion, he immediately exclaimed, "Second sister-in-law, you were so impressive! You were so impressive today! You even managed to subdue Governor Xu!"

Meng Qing shook her sleeves and smiled smugly, "This is the first time I've felt the confidence that comes with a rise in status."

"My official rank is still too low." Du Min was full of fighting spirit at this moment. One day, he would kill all those who threw things at him.

"Let's go home," Meng Qing said.

“I’ll go back to Wen County tomorrow to oversee the work,” Du Min followed.

“A few days later,” Meng Qing rejected his suggestion. “I’m going to the other three counties in Huaizhou to gather paper craft masters who can leave their hometowns for other places. You’ll come with me and your second brother.”

“Okay.” Du Min immediately changed his mind.

Meng Qing returned to the Changshi Mansion and called Du Li to take a carriage to the Yishu in Hanoi County. This Yishu had eighteen apprentices, all of whom were recruited last year. They were three-year apprentices who were provided with food and lodging but not paid. Now, their paper-making skills were ready to be completed.

The steward gathered the eighteen apprentices together and said, "Your Highness, everyone has arrived."

"Let me introduce myself first. My surname is Meng, and I am the founder of the Qingniao Paper Craft Academy. I used the academy as a ladder to heaven and was bestowed the title of Lady of Wu County by the female sage. You can all call me Lady Meng," Meng Qing said. "Huai Prefecture is close to Luoyang, so the academy was able to expand to Huai Prefecture at the beginning of last year. However, in the prefectures and counties far from Luoyang and Chang'an, the local people are unaware of paper crafts and the Qingniao Paper Craft Academy. In order to promote simple burials and suppress extravagant burials, the imperial court decided this year to appoint the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who have not yet been appointed to official positions to return to their hometowns to build academies. However, due to a lack of manpower, Prime Minister Zheng wrote to me, asking me to hire the apprentices who have already completed their studies to follow the Jinshi from various places back to their hometowns to become teachers."

Upon hearing this, the eighteen apprentices immediately became agitated, each vying to express their unwillingness to go to another town.

“This is the imperial decree, and we cannot disobey it,” Du Li began, playing the villain. “I see that half of the dozen or so people here are not young and have served corvée labor. This is the same as corvée labor; wherever the officials and soldiers send you to serve, you have to go. Not only corvée labor, but I recently read a book and learned about a term called the Fubing system. This term may be unfamiliar to many people, but it is not far removed from us. Further north there is Bingzhou, which is an important gateway for our dynasty to defend against the Turks and Uyghurs. The local men do not serve corvée labor but instead serve in the army. Every year during the off-season for farming, they go to train in the army, and once foreign tribes invade, they immediately rush to the battlefield to fight the enemy. Now the imperial court is transferring you to teach in other places and exempting you from corvée labor. What is there to be unwilling about? We won't make you sweat or bleed, we won't be tired or lose your life, what is there to resist?”

"When will I be able to come back? My mother is seriously ill, and I'm worried I won't be able to be there for her in her final days." A man in his thirties burst into tears on the spot.

“We can make an exception. If you really can’t leave due to family reasons, you don’t have to go,” Meng Qing said. “Eight of the eighteen people will stay, after all, this free school needs to continue operating. You all have a one-and-a-half to two-year work period, right? There will be no wages during this period. When you leave Huaizhou to teach in other places, you can receive fifty guan of wages per year, with all food and lodging provided, and the travel expenses to and from the destination school will also be covered. The work period for going out on business is two years, and you can continue to work at the free school after you return.”

After these words were spoken, the voices of opposition decreased considerably.

Du Li informed them that they must obey the imperial court's orders, and these people accepted the plan to leave their hometown. Meng Qing then promised them a considerable wage and a definite return date, which they readily accepted.

“Lord Meng, I’ll go.” Someone made the choice on the spot.

"I'll go too."

"And me too."

Seeing that two women looked hesitant and wavering, Meng Qing said, “Women can also go to other places. There’s no need to worry about safety issues caused by gender. Once you’re in another place, you’ll have proper accommodations, just like in Hanoi County. I’ll be there when you assign people, and I’ll make the arrangements. Women from the same hometown will go to the same place in groups, in a county or prefecture that’s closer to Huai Prefecture.”

“My lady, Maoya and I will both go,” the girl with two braids said loudly.

Meng Qing looked at the shopkeeper and said, "Shopkeeper Li, write down all the names. Those who have registered don't need to come starting tomorrow. Stay home and spend time with your families. I still have to go to Wuzhi County and Wude County. After I bring people back, you can gather the registered people together again."

"Yes," the shopkeeper replied.

"Once these people leave, you must immediately recruit another batch of apprentices. Those without money can work for three years, while those with money can pay tuition to work for one year. The tuition is fifty strings of cash," Meng Qing instructed.

The shopkeeper agreed again.

Meng Qing's gaze fell on the apprentices. Without exception, they were all covered in patches, clearly indicating that they came from poor families.

"Give each person who registers an extra two strings of cash to help them pack their bags before they leave," Meng Qing instructed again.

The apprentices present couldn't help but smile.

Meng Qing left with Du Li.

The next day, Meng Qing, Du Li, and Du Min took Wang Zhou to Wude County. This trip was proposed by Wang Zhou himself, as he wanted to see other places and experience the local scenery and customs.

While Meng Qing and Du Li were inspecting the paper horse shop and the free school, Du Min took Wang Zhou to the busiest teahouse in the area to secretly investigate the local conditions.

After being away from home for thirteen days, the group returned to Hanoi district, bringing back thirty-five apprentices with them.

Du Min had barely arrived home when Governor Xu sent someone to summon him away.

"These are official documents from the magistrates of Wude County, Wuzhi County, and Xiuwu County. They are all complaining and asking us to support them in the same way we supported Wen County. You can decide how to handle this," Governor Xu said, deliberately making things difficult for Du Min.

Du Min was overjoyed. He was hoping that the magistrates of the three counties would come to him on their own. It would be easier for them to complain about their difficulties than for him to come to them and ask what was wrong.