uickly stuffed a piece of candy into the old woman's mouth.The old woman glared at her granddaughter with feigned annoyance, but dared not open her mouth, fearing the sweetness would be discovered.The...But those children who have lost their parents, the elderly who have lost their children and grandchildren, or people with disabilities who encountered misfortune on their southward journey, need to go to the relief office.

The imperial court provided funds and grain to ensure they would not die from starvation or freezing...

But now it seems, many of his ideas were good, but by the time they reached down below, they had changed flavor and lost their form.

The relief agency, which should have been a lifesaver, turned into a place of death...

This matter can't be blamed on the Ministry of Revenue. I believe the officials there have a bunch of legitimate reasons, such as an empty treasury and limited grain reserves, etc.

Every single one of them made this emperor, this Heavenly Martial patriarch, even more restless...

Therefore, it is commendable that Li Laoer was willing to take on the responsibility of this arduous task.

To handle a mess like the relief agency, doing well earns no credit, but doing poorly ruins your reputation.

The Li family didn't weigh the pros and cons. They only sent food and medicine to gain a good reputation. Li Laoer really wanted to do something practical, to truly relieve his emperor of worry...

Li Lao'er came out of the palace and returned to Baihuayuan. When he arrived, Mr. Wen and Liu Ziheng were already waiting for him in the house.

As soon as they met, the two people hurriedly pulled him down to sit. Mr. Wen said, "Yusheng, you were really reckless this time!"

Liu Ziheng also nodded in agreement: "That's right, the Relief Bureau is like a bottomless pit. There are so many mouths to feed, all elderly, weak, sick and disabled. It's simply too difficult to satisfy everyone."

"I know you're kind and can't bear to see the hardship at the relief agency, but we can send more money and grain over there. There's really no need to take everything under our control."

Li Lao Er knew they were doing it for his own good and didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled and poured tea for them.

Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng saw his expression, guessing that he already had a plan in mind, so they felt less anxious.

"The emperor isn't in a hurry, but the eunuch is."

Liu Ziheng muttered a soft complaint, which made Li Laoer chuckle. He explained carefully, “Don't worry, I've thought it over carefully before asking the emperor to take over the relief office.”

"Firstly, the Relief Bureau is in dire straits. If no one lends a hand, I fear that by the end of winter, there will be very few people left alive."

"Furthermore, our family has had a string of good fortune these past few years. My mother believes it is all thanks to Fu Niao'er, and she worries that all this good luck might shorten her lifespan. Since these flowers were found by Fu Niao'er, using them now to exchange for supplies and help those in need is also a way for her to accumulate good fortune.

"

Having said that, Li Lao Er took a sip of tea, his eyes showing a hint of determination, and continued, “Most importantly, I want to use the relief agency as a stepping stone to try and get back a real job. Everyone sees our Li family as prosperous – my mother is a first-rank誥命, I am a bōyé, and Fúniuer is a countess. But these are just empty titles; they don't amount to anything in a crisis.”

Otherwise, Fu Niang wouldn't have been mistreated in the palace before. The Empress said to lock Fu Niang up, so she locked her up without any hesitation. It's nothing but looking down on our Li family, thinking that we Li family rely on the Marquis to please the Emperor and only have what we have today. Without the Marquis, Fu Niang has no one to support her!

"I don't want the Li family's children to rely on others for protection. I don't want the Li family to simply exist as a pet flattering the emperor! I want a voice in court, and when anyone wants to harm Funiu or the Li family, they must think twice, hesitate, and tremble with fear!"

"Moreover, my fourth son and the Marquis will frequently be out on expeditions in the future. If anyone harbors jealousy and stirs up trouble at court and in the new capital, framing them, I must also have the power to protect them!"

"In our Li family's business, there's my eldest brother handling commerce, the third brother managing affairs, and the fourth brother achieving fame and fortune. I'm going to climb as fast and high as possible, I want power, I want to be the armor of the Li family!"

Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng didn't expect Li Lao Er to have such a long-term plan. They were stunned for a long time before they came to their senses.

"Yu Sheng, you've really impressed me!" Mr. Wen was so excited that he patted Li Lao Er's shoulder and said, "Originally, I was worried that you would be taken advantage of by the Wang family and kept worrying all the time. Unexpectedly, not only are you holding your own against them now, but you also know how to pave the way for yourself and plan for the future of the Li family."

"That's right!" Liu Ziheng also nodded, his face beaming. "The Relief Agency is a mess; I was afraid you'd get stuck there. But, you analyzed it so well, the Relief Agency has become your stepping stone instead. You might just climb up using it."

Li Lao'er blushed a little at being praised by the two people.

He came from a peasant family and had only ever worked as an accountant for a few days. His life was very simple.

Now that he is the head of the household, entering and leaving the court, managing his affairs, he is always on thin ice, every step must be carefully considered.

Today, for the first time, his speculation was met with affirmation and praise, which filled him with excitement. "I was just daydreaming, and I don't even know if the Emperor will agree," he said.

Liu Zhiheng smiled and said, “The Emperor has a good face. If you just tell him that there are no beggars or refugees in Xindu territory, he will definitely agree.”

"Be careful what you say!" Mr. Wen glanced out the door and said, "Your Majesty, you even dare to arrange this!" After a pause, he frowned and said, "But Yusheng, the Relief Bureau can't be carried by you alone, understand"

Li Laoer nodded and said in a low voice, "Rest assured, sir. I previously raised the matter of allocating grain to the emperor at the palace. The people at the Relief Agency are the people of Tianwu, the subjects of the emperor, not our Li family's. I can sympathize, I can help out, and I can think of ways for them, but I won't take on too much."

"If you can understand this, I'll be truly relieved," Mr. Wen finally laughed and asked, "Where are Zheng Feng and Zheng He Hurry up to Xianke Lai and order some good dishes. Let's have a drink at noon!"

Liu Zhizhen also agreed, so soon Zheng Feng went out. He was back in less than half an hour carrying two large food boxes.

Now that Li Zhensheng has gone to Quanzhou, Xiankele is in charge of the household. Knowing it's from Second Uncle's side requesting wine and food, he doesn't know what auspicious occasion it is, but he does his best to prepare everything himself, even personally cooking.

Grilled fish pieces, burnt meat strips, braised pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cashew spinach and garlic eggplant!

In total, there were four hot dishes and two cold dishes, making six dishes in all. Plus three bowls of fried sauce noodles, the table was almost full.

Li Laoer, Mr. Wen, and Liu Ziheng first ate zhajiang mian to fill their stomachs, then they started drinking.

The three of them were as close as brothers before, and now in the court, they are a well-known group. When they get together, there is naturally much to talk about.

As the sun began to set, the three of them were slightly tipsy. Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng didn't want to go back to the yamen to clock in anymore, so they sent their attendant away to ask for leave.

As a result, before the gates of the palace even opened, the imperial decree arrived.

The one who came to deliver the imperial edict was actually the eunuch supervisor, which surprised both Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng greatly. They quickly followed Li Laoer and knelt down to receive the edict!

Three updates are offered~ Sorry, little cuties, today's update is a bit late. The plot has been considered for a long time, which took some time. I will try my best to be on time in the future!Zheng Feng, Zheng He, Shui Ling and Shui Yun also each had a share.The rest will be kept for later when Li Zhensheng recruits more people.Those who got their hands on the weapons were overjoyed, after...