Guan heard this and was very pleased. The elegant words and emotions were first expressed on the other side of the courtyard, which normally would have cost three or four hundred taels of silver, but now it's being sold cheaply to Yang Jianxiu. Firstly, it's to repay his kindness, secondly, there's also the intention of forming a good relationship. Since Yang Jianxiu didn't decline and was willing to take advantage of this opportunity, it seemed he also had the intention of making friends, which naturally made Guan very happy.

  The culinary skills of the Gu and Zhao families were not bad, and with careful preparation, the dishes at noon were very rich. Yang Jianxiu and his son were entertained by Ye Yiqi in the hall, where they opened a table and ate for an hour before leaving.

  Ye Zhuo had already been sent back to her room and was lying down, and Zheng Shi had brought her lunch. After she finished eating and the bowl and chopsticks were cleaned up, and there was no one else in the room, Qiu Yue asked Ye Zhuo with a puzzled expression: "Miss, what's going on today..."

  Ye Zhuo's plan, Qiu Yue only knew a little about it, but she still looked confused and didn't know what kind of trick her own daughter was playing. She deliberately let the people from the second house appear in front of Yang Jianxiu to reveal their family's ugliness, but she didn't say anything to him. What is the intention behind the girl's actions?

  Ye Zhuo leaned his body against the headboard, let out a soft sigh, and waved his hand: "Just watch, because we are not relatives or friends, nor do we have any interests entangled, I can only put out the contradictions and difficulties at home. Mr. Yang knows about the Gong family's affairs, and with today's scene, if he has the heart and ability, he will naturally help us. But if he is heartless, then we can only think of another way."

  In this world, if you want to deal with some people, unless you have profound martial arts skills and can behead them in the middle of the night, you can only rely on power. However, power is not something that you can easily obtain through hard work. If Ye Zhuo were a man, he might still be able to take the imperial examination and instantly elevate the status of the Ye family's main house. But she just happens to be a woman, and in this world, a woman can only change her status through marriage. And she, all her life, has only wanted to rely on herself. So now that she's encountered difficulties, she can only think of ways to borrow power.

  Qiu Yue heard this and remained silent. The young lady had no solution, and as a small servant girl, she had even less of an idea. She stretched out her hand and touched Ye Zhuo's ankle, saying sorrowfully: "Miss, since it's just an act, why did you have to really sprain your foot? Couldn't you just pretend?"

  Ye Zhuo raised an eyebrow: "If I were pretending, could I deceive Mr. Yang? He may not be a great doctor, but his medical skills are not just for show. However, rest assured that I only twisted it slightly and didn't hurt any tendons or bones, so I'll be fine after resting for a day or two." Then he said, "Bring me my engraving knife and stone, I want to practice carving."

  Qiu Yue knew it was useless to persuade her.

  "Is Old Man Ye at home?" A voice could be heard calling out from outside the courtyard.

  The master and servant exchanged a glance, and Autumn Moon hastily went out the door.

  After a while, she came back and said to Ye Zhuo: "Two jade carvers have come. They say they want to work at the Jade Carving Workshop."

  "Oh." Ye Zhuo nodded.

  There were jade carvers who took the initiative to come to her, which was not unexpected. The news of that day spread quickly. In addition to the exquisite designs at the opening of Yu Zuan Fang, it was clear that she had a talent for design. Even if she didn't carve jade herself in the future and only did design work, the prospects for Yu Zuan Fang would still be promising. Now that Yu Zuan Fang was short-handed, someone with brains wouldn't let this opportunity slip away. It's worth noting that coming at this time versus when business is booming makes a big difference in the boss's eyes - it's better to add flowers to brocade than to send charcoal in snowy weather.

  "Autumn moon. You go out and take a look, whether it's Wei or Tang waiting outside. If there is news from the Gong or Tao families, bring them to the small kitchen hall." Yezhu ordered.

  "Yes." Autumn Moon responded and left. Not long after, she brought Tang Shun Gui to the small kitchen, then went back to the room and helped Ye Zhuo out. Ye Zhuo and Tang Shun Gui talked for a while in the small kitchen before Tang Shun Gui put away the silver and left.

  The next morning, Yang Jianxiu arrived as scheduled and went to handle the house transfer procedures with Ye Yuqi. He sat in the hall for a while, and then Qiu Yue came to call Ye Zhuo: "Miss, Old Master wants you to go to the hall, Mr. Yang has something to say."

  Ye Zhuo had been feeling restless since he heard that Yang Jianxu was coming. When he heard Ye Yuqi's invitation, he was overjoyed and hastily got out of bed, put on his shoes and rushed outside.

  "Ah, miss, your foot." Qiuyue hastily caught up and supported her.

  "Hey, I forgot." Ye Zhuo stuck out her tongue.

  Qiu Yue gave her a displeased glance and supported her as they went to the main hall.

  After entering the hall, they exchanged greetings. Ye Yiqi then said: "Zhuo'er, yesterday Yang Xianggong returned and helped us investigate the situation of the Gong family. I called you over to listen."

  "Thank you, Uncle Yang, for your concern about our family." Ye Zhuo stood up and bowed respectfully to Yang Jianxiu.

  "Miss Ye, please don't be polite." Yang Jianxiu pretended to support her and let Ye Zhuo sit down before sitting down himself. "The other day, Miss Ye asked about Gong Shuban's affairs, but I wasn't very clear at the time, so I just replied that Gong Shuban seemed to like gambling on stones. Since this matter is quite important for the Ye family, I had someone investigate further after returning home. According to their report, Gong Shuban's reputation isn't too bad; he usually handles property transfers properly, doesn't ask for excessive bribes, and rarely makes things difficult for people. He also works diligently, so the county officials are relatively satisfied with him. However, two years ago, Gong Shuban went to Nanyun City with friends to gamble on stones and saw a friend buy an original stone for 200 taels of silver, which turned out to be worth 4,000 taels of silver after being cut open. He became obsessed with gambling on stones and has lost a lot of money over the past two years."

  Here is the translation:

  He picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and continued: "As for the situation in their backyard, I suppose Uncle Ye and Miss Ye also know. His wife died in childbirth when she gave birth to your eldest sister who married into the Ye family. Since your eldest sister had an older brother, and her stepmother came from a humble background and didn't dare to discipline them too much, it led to your eldest sister having a somewhat spoiled personality. That young master is also useless, only waiting for Gong Shuban to pass on his position to him." He looked up at Ye Zhuo and said: "That's all I know about the situation. However, if in the future Gong Shuban gives you trouble, just come find me. Although I'm no longer in the government office, I still have some connections, and I think Gong Shuban will spare your family out of respect for me."

  Ye Zhuo listened, and her gaze at Yang Jianxiu was somewhat profound. After a moment of contemplation, she spoke up: "Uncle Yang, I wonder how this Gong Shuban became the head of this book office? Was it passed down from his ancestors or did he obtain an official rank through examination and get appointed by the county magistrate?"

  Yang Jianxiu's smile slightly subsided, and he looked at Ye Zhuo deeply, saying: "This Gong Shuban's uncle, it turned out that he was the county magistrate of our county. Before his retirement, he recommended Gong Shuban to the county government. At first, he was just a clerk, but later he worked diligently and became a bookkeeper."

  Ye Zhuo stared at him straight and asked: "I heard that Gong Shuban has a close relationship with County Magistrate Yan, and is even related to Tao Shanlong of the Academy. And as for why Director Yuan cannot make decisions in the county government, it has a lot to do with these people. I wonder if this news is true?"

  Yang Jianxu was shocked, his gaze at Ye Zhuo was full of astonishment. After a while, he shifted his gaze to Ye Yuke, but saw that Ye Yuke's eyes were filled with confusion, and then he cast his gaze back at Ye Zhuo, his eyes completely different from before.

  In the county government, officials appointed by the Ministry of Personnel and the Emperor were the Magistrate, County Lieutenant, Chief Clerk, and Registrar; under them were six sections for daily administration: Official, Household, Rites, Military, Punishment, and Works, each with a chief clerk known as "Cuan Dian", "Shu Li", "Shu Ban", "Shu Yi", and "Xi Li"; there were also subordinate officials such as instructors and inspectors.

  In the officialdom system, no matter what level, interest groups will form a political group. Nanshan County has only a small county government, but it also has different factions: Yuan Chaolin is the county magistrate sent by the upper level, and he has been in office for only three months. Although he holds high power, he has empty hands and cannot shake some interest groups in the county; while opposing him is Yan Qingchun, who has been the county lieutenant for four years. The six houses with the most benefits and power are all his people, including Gong Zhimin, a bookkeeper. Tao Yujin, the mountain master of the academy, is not in the official circle, but because the academy had produced some talents before, the current minister of the Ministry of Rites was from Nanshan Academy, so Tao Yujin's words also carry weight in the county and are one of the main pillars of Yan Qingchun's stable position.

  But these things are not something that an ordinary person can know. For example, Ye Yuke, the old master of the Ye family, has lived in Nanshan Town for over 50 years, but due to his social status, a Gong Shuban is already an unattainable existence for him, let alone knowing about the factional struggles within the county government.

  How did this fifteen-year-old little girl from the Ye family know about it?

  Yang Jianxiu was surprised in his heart, but he still managed to keep a straight face and nodded: "Yes."

  Ye Zhuo seemed to ignore Yang Jianxiu's inquiring gaze, and with a slight smile, asked again: "Uncle Yang, now that you're back this time, don't you have any plans? Our Nanshan Town may only be a county town, not as bustling as Yun City, but it's also a rich place with jade mines. Getting an official position in the county government is better than just sitting around and eating away your wealth. Do you think what I'm saying is right or wrong, Uncle Yang?"

  As soon as this was said, Yang Jianxiu, who had been a minor official for over a decade and had already developed a deep understanding of the city's politics, still looked astonished, but his gaze at Ye Zhuo was no longer one of surprise, but shock.

  It took him a long time to calm down, and he looked at Ye Zhuo with a hint of a smile: "I wonder what kind of job Miss Ye thinks I'm suitable for?"

  Yue Zhu pursed her lips and smiled, saying: "Zhu'er is just a commoner's daughter, still young and ignorant. If I were to give Uncle Yang any advice, that would be truly presumptuous."

  "Yes, yes, she's just a young girl, what does she know? As for Mr. Yang's affairs, how can we intervene?" Ye Yuqi smiled and nodded in agreement, then curiously asked: "Is Mr. Yang really going to seek office at the county yamen?" Apparently, he hadn't understood the riddle that Ye Zhuo and Yang Jianxiu had exchanged.