Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Blind Prince

Wanping County, the county government office.

"Your humble servant, Chu Mengfang, greets Your Highness!"

Chu Mengfang, the magistrate of Wanping County, respectfully greeted Zhou Haochen with all the officials, large and small, from the yamen.

Some of the minor officials in the yamen didn't even dare to raise their heads, kneeling on the ground with trembling legs.

To the minor officials of Wanping County, the Thirteenth Prince was a nobleman greater than the heavens. When had they ever seen such a high-ranking personage?

"Rise!"

"Magistrate Chu, I have something to ask you."

Zhou Haochen's tone was calm and unruffled, making it impossible to guess his thoughts.

Chu Mengfang felt a little apprehensive, wondering what the Thirteenth Prince wanted from him.

Entering the study, Zhou Haochen sat down, while Chu Mengfang stood opposite him, his head bowed and eyes lowered.

"Chu Mengfang, do you know about the situation of the Wanping County Almshouse?"

"This official naturally knows about the Almshouse. I don't know what Your Highness specifically wants to ask?"

Hearing Zhou Haochen's words, Chu Mengfang breathed a slight sigh of relief, fortunate that it wasn't about him accepting bribes.

"I heard that the Sanhe Gang wants to forcibly demolish the Almshouse. As the 'father and mother official' of Wanping County, are you just going to allow the Sanhe Gang to run rampant?"

Zhou Haochen rebuked sternly, and the temperature of the surrounding air suddenly dropped.

The stern tone immediately caused cold sweat to break out on Chu Mengfang's forehead.

A bitter look appeared on Chu Mengfang's face, and his tone was quite helpless.

"Your Highness, you don't know, the Sanhe Gang has a great background..."

"I know, they are the money bag of my eldest brother!"

Hearing Zhou Haochen's blatant words, Chu Mengfang smiled awkwardly.

Only someone who was also a prince could tear down the Sanhe Gang's fig leaf so bluntly.

"I donated three thousand taels to the Almshouse. Saving one more person is saving one more."

"Your Highness is benevolent, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"

Chu Mengfang said flatteringly, with a fawning smile on his face.

"Magistrate Chu, don't you have anything to offer?"

"Of course, I have something to offer. This official is willing to donate five hundred taels."

"Five hundred taels?" Zhou Haochen sneered, his face full of disdain. "Magistrate Chu, are you trying to send away a beggar?"

Chu Mengfang smiled bitterly, revealing a troubled expression.

"Your Highness, it's not that this official doesn't want to be generous, but... I'm really short on funds."

"Three years as a clean magistrate yields one hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Do you really think I've been living in the deep palace for too long and don't know anything?"

"How much silver have you embezzled over the years? Do you really want me to investigate everything clearly?"

With a 'pa' sound!

Chu Mengfang knelt down, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, obscuring his eyes.

"This official deserves to die, please punish me, Your Highness."

"There's no need for punishment!"

"Donate one hundred thousand taels to the Almshouse, and this matter will be over."

"Thank you for Your Highness's grace! Thank you for Your Highness's grace!"

Chu Mengfang kowtowed repeatedly, not even daring to bargain.

If a thorough investigation were to be carried out, the pile of excrement on his buttocks wouldn't be able to withstand it at all.

Zhou Haochen naturally knew that Chu Mengfang couldn't withstand an investigation, but most of the officials in the Dayu Dynasty couldn't withstand an investigation.

A real investigation would inevitably lead to a monstrous upheaval.

After taking his leave and leaving the study, Chu Mengfang couldn't help but mutter to himself.

What is the relationship between Madam Shen and the Thirteenth Prince?

Madam Shen has been widowed for many years, but she still has her charms. Could it be...

Does His Highness have a taste for this?

Hiss——

The more Chu Mengfang thought about it, the more alarmed he became, resolving to treat the Almshouse's affairs as top priority.

He didn't believe that the Thirteenth Prince valued the Almshouse out of pure kindness.

It must be to win a beauty's smile!

Chu Mengfang felt that he had already discerned the truth.

Afterwards, Chu Mengfang summoned the shiye and the six offices of the yamen.

"Ahem—This official will donate one hundred thousand taels of silver to the Almshouse!"

As soon as these words came out, the minor officials of the six offices all revealed expressions of astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost.

Had the county magistrate, who was usually like a貔貅 (Pi Xiu, a mythical wild animal that only eats and never excretes), gone mad?

He was actually going to donate silver to the Almshouse!

Had the sun risen from the west?

The minor officials of the six offices looked at each other, the expressions on their faces as wonderful as could be.

"Your Honor, does an Almshouse need so much silver?" a clerk asked.

Chu Mengfang slowly took a sip of fragrant tea, and said lightly.

"This is the order of the Thirteenth Prince. The Thirteenth Prince is watching the affairs of the Almshouse, and absolutely no mistakes can occur."

"Do you all not want to share the burden for this official?"

As soon as Chu Mengfang said this, all the clerks of the six offices understood.

Chu Mengfang wanted them to share the silver.

However, no one dared to refute the order of the Thirteenth Prince.

Some clerks even wanted to contribute money and effort to leave a good impression on the Thirteenth Prince.

"This humble one is willing to donate three thousand taels!"

"I'll donate five thousand taels!"

...

In a short while, Chu Mengfang had squeezed out thirty thousand taels of silver from the clerks of the six offices, and his mood immediately improved a lot.

How could he bear the pain alone?

It still had to be shared with others!

"In addition, the donation to the Almshouse must be carried out in the name of His Highness the Thirteenth Prince." Chu Mengfang instructed, for fear that the people below would not understand.

With the Thirteenth Prince around, this kind of good reputation should of course be left to the Thirteenth Prince. How could he, a mere county magistrate, overstep?

Soon, the news that the Thirteenth Prince had donated one hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver to the Almshouse spread throughout Wanping County, and also reached the ears of the Sanhe Gang.

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"Gang Leader, it's being rumored everywhere that the Thirteenth Prince donated one hundred and thirty thousand taels to the Almshouse."

"One hundred and thirty thousand taels, all that white silver given to the poor, what a sin!"

"Gang Leader, are we still demolishing the Almshouse?"

In the council hall, the members of the Sanhe Gang were discussing.

The Sanhe Gang's leader, Lu Haian, had a solemn expression. Zhou Haochen's move really caught him off guard.

The sound of knuckles tapping on the table kept ringing.

If it were other matters, Lu Haian would definitely give the Thirteenth Prince some face.

However... the key to Emperor Wen's mausoleum is hidden under the Almshouse.

If he didn't flatten the Almshouse, how could he dig three feet into the ground to find the key to Emperor Wen's mausoleum?

At the thought of the treasures in Emperor Wen's mausoleum, Lu Haian's heart was filled with heat, unable to restrain himself.

He was already tired of being a dog!

As long as he obtained the treasures in Emperor Wen's mausoleum, he was confident that he could become a powerhouse in the Upper Three Realms.

Once he reached the Upper Three Realms, he could change from a pawn to a player, completely changing his fate.

Even the Thirteenth Prince could not stop his grand plan.

However, the Thirteenth Prince still had to be given some face.

If he could avoid a head-on confrontation, it would be best.

After pondering for a while, Lu Haian made a decision.

"Prepare a generous gift, I'm going to visit the Thirteenth Prince."

Half an hour later.

Lu Haian brought a generous gift to the yamen to visit Zhou Haochen.

"Lu Haian wants to see me!"

Zhou Haochen was slightly surprised. Although he didn't know what Lu Haian was planning, he still decided to meet him.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"Gang Leader Lu is too polite!"

After Lu Haian got up, he immediately stuffed a ten thousand tael silver note into Qin Qiulan's hand, which could be described as a large sum.

"A small gift, please accept it, Your Highness."

"If Gang Leader Lu has any important business, please speak frankly!" Zhou Haochen said in a calm tone.

The Sanhe Gang sent ten thousand taels of silver as soon as they met, so they must have something to ask for.

Lu Haian didn't hide anything and went straight to the point.

"Your Highness, our Sanhe Gang is optimistic about the land where the Almshouse is located and wants to build shops. The Sanhe Gang is willing to offer five thousand taels to ask the Almshouse to move away, and also ask Your Highness to give the Crown Prince some face."

"I'm curious, the land where the Almshouse is located is remote. Isn't the Sanhe Gang afraid of losing everything by building shops there?"

"This is the Crown Prince's order, how would I know?"

Lu Haian smiled insincerely, pushing the blame to the Crown Prince.

"Hehe! I will naturally give my eldest brother some face."

"As long as the Sanhe Gang can settle the Almshouse properly, I naturally won't object!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

...

Night fell.

In the Almshouse.

"Mother Dean, I heard that His Highness the Thirteenth Prince donated a lot of silver to us?"

"Can we eat meat?"

"Mother Dean, I want to change into new clothes."

The orphans' joyful voices echoed in Madam Shen's ears.

When the news of the Thirteenth Prince's donation reached her ears, she was stunned.

She never expected that the nobleman she had met before was actually the Thirteenth Prince.

"If it's the Thirteenth Prince..."

"Husband, your revenge... perhaps... there is really hope!"

Madam Shen's eyes were firm. After settling the children, she went to the county government office.