Gu Zhao was on an imperial mission to oversee the procurement of military medical supplies for the northern frontier. However, traveling several thousand li with so much silver was neither practical nor safe—it would slow the journey and invite danger.
Given the vast quantities of medicine needed and the remote location of the frontier, local purchases were not only expensive but also uncertain, especially as the New Year approached. So, after consulting with the Grand Princess, Gu Zhao decided to take a different approach: they would rest for one day in each major city along the route, buy the supplies in batches, and send them ahead to the northern frontier. By the time they arrived, the medicines would already be ready.
The previous night, after helping Zhu Qingyu move boxes, Gu Zhao hadn't rested. Instead, he took the official seal of the Ministry of Revenue, knocked on the door of the Gucheng county office in the middle of the night, and delegated the procurement task to the county magistrate.
According to the Ministry's directives, the expenses for today's medicine purchases would be deducted from this year's tax revenue. When the prefectures and counties submit their tax payments to the Ministry next March, they could present the stamped vouchers from today's purchases to settle the accounts.
When an official from the capital arrives—especially the Vice Minister of Revenue and the emperor’s own cousin—it's a golden opportunity to shine!
Magistrate Tang of Gucheng County was nearing the end of his three-year term and was due to return to the capital the following year for a performance review. He had been worrying about finding a patron when a high-ranking benefactor literally fell from the sky. He was determined to seize this chance.
After Vice Minister Gu left, Magistrate Tang couldn't sleep. He roused the entire county office staff to clean the premises—sweeping, dusting, and redecorating until everything was spotless. He would have repainted the doors if he could. Then he sent constables to summon all major medicine merchants in Gucheng to the county office.
When the merchants had assembled, Magistrate Tang gave a concise and pointed speech:
"The imperial envoy has chosen Gucheng to supply military medicines! This is a tremendous honor and opportunity. Go back, check your inventories, and select the finest-quality herbs according to this list. Deliver everything to the county office by the next day's fifth hour (5-7 a.m.). If you do well, you might secure long-term contracts with the imperial court. But if you fail, if you disappoint the imperial envoy—and by extension the emperor himself—you can imagine the consequences. Weigh that carefully."
All night, while the guests at the Gucheng courier station slept soundly, the county office was bustling with activity. Carts carrying supplies arrived one after another and only stopped at the fifth hour.
By the time Zhu Qingyu and Gu Zhao arrived at the county office, Magistrate Tang had already transformed the scene into something grand and imposing.
In the winter cold, a sleepless but still energetic Magistrate Tang stood at the office entrance with dozens of people—medicine merchants, shop managers, and constables—all waiting to greet Vice Minister Gu.
A carriage appeared at the corner of the street. Recognizing the bear-like, sturdy guard who had been seen the night before, Magistrate Tang hurriedly adjusted his robes and trotted forward to greet them:
"Welcome, Vice Minister Gu!"
The carriage stopped at the county office gate, and Gu Zhao stepped out.
Magistrate Tang was about to offer more flattery when Gu Zhao turned back, lifted the carriage curtain, and said:
"We've arrived. Take your time getting off."
Someone else was inside!
A person worthy of having a high-ranking second-official personally help them down from a carriage? This must be a VIP of VIPs!
Magistrate Tang, brimming with excitement, frantically rehearsed flattering remarks in his head. But what climbed down was a woman dressed in a sixth-rank official's robe.
Gu Zhao helped Zhu Qingyu out and then addressed Magistrate Tang:
"This is Doctor Zhu."
Who was that?
Doctor Zhu? Magistrate Tang had never heard of him.
But being able to make a second-rank official so deferential meant this person must be someone of tremendous influence, with connections reaching the highest echelons.
Magistrate Tang reflected on himself: he had never heard of such a figure. It was because he was stationed in a remote area, too far from the imperial capital, too far from the center of power. He was simply ignorant—that was his own problem, certainly not Doctor Zhu's.
As long as he pretended to know who she was, no one else would be the wiser!
Magistrate Tang bore no guilt whatsoever. With a face full of reverence, he clasped his hands in salute and said:
"Doctor Zhu, I have long admired your reputation! Now that I meet you in person, you truly live up to your fame. Please, come inside!"
As they entered the main gate, the place was bustling like a market.
Gu Zhao had sent people ahead to receive the medicinal herbs, along with the clerks and shopkeepers from various pharmaceutical merchants. Weighing, inspecting, recording, and issuing receipts—hundreds of people and dozens of carts filled the spacious courtyard in front of the county hall to the brim.
Magistrate Tang led the way, ushering Zhu Qingyu and Gu Zhao into the main hall for tea, saying:
"It will still take several hours. If you two lords would please step inside, I have some humble tea prepared. Please don't think less of it."
Zhu Qingyu paused, glanced at the area where the herbs were being received, and said:
"There's no need for tea. Let's first inspect the herbs."
Magistrate Tang looked to Gu Zhao, who smiled and replied:
"Yes, whatever Lord Zhu says."
So today's person in charge was actually Lord Zhu!
Magistrate Tang's smile toward Zhu Qingyu instantly became even more fervent:
"Lord Zhu, your loyalty to the emperor and devotion to your duties put the rest of us to shame. This way, please!"
In the more than four years since Zhu Qingyu had arrived in this world, this was the first time she had encountered such a gaze directed at her, and the first time she had heard such flattery.
Before, whether it was superior officials or passersby on the street, whenever men's eyes lingered on her, it was always a man looking at a woman—gazing, coveting, to varying degrees.
But today, even though she was still herself, when she wore her official robes, men's gazes naturally fell upon her rank, upon the power that her official garb represented.
No wonder everyone craved climbing the ranks—hearing praise, receiving respect. Zhu Qingyu, an ordinary mortal, was no exception.
As Magistrate Tang led her to inspect the herbs, Zhu Qingyu felt her steps were lighter than usual.
They sampled several suppliers. The quality of the medicinal herbs provided by the Gucheng merchants far exceeded Zhu Qingyu's expectations.
When she checked the prices at the accounting station, they turned out to be fair as well.
Gu Zhao had been following behind her the whole time and asked:
"Lord Zhu, what do you think? Can we accept them?"
As soon as Gu Zhao asked this, Magistrate Tang and the gathered merchants around them all stared at Zhu Qingyu with eager eyes, waiting for her verdict. Even the noisy scene fell silent.
Zhu Qingyu set down the account book and said with a smile:
"The ones I've just inspected are quite good."
At the words "quite good," the merchants whose stock she had approved were beaming with joy, almost jumping on the spot. Magistrate Tang beamed too:
"We serve the emperor, so we dare not be negligent. Everything we present to you, Lord, is the finest Gucheng has to offer! Please, Lord, take your time examining the rest as well."
But Magistrate Tang’s smile lasted less than a quarter of an hour before he was immediately contradicted.
Zhu Qingyu inspected another batch. She randomly picked a sack, took out some Panax notoginseng powder, and studied it. The more she looked, the more something seemed off. She asked:
"Which merchant does this belong to?"
A merchant on site answered nervously:
“It is this commoner’s offering... What is the matter, My Lord?”
Zhu Qingyu signaled for him to step forward.
“This is counterfeit notoginseng.”
As she spoke, to prevent the man from denying it, Zhu Qingyu had already prepared to explain and persuade—why it was fake, and how she had determined it.
But the authority didn’t need explanations—only orders.
Magistrate Tang thundered with righteous fury, waving his hand broadly:
“Men! Seize him!”
The yamen runners escorting them immediately dragged the man away.
At the sheer swiftness of the command, Zhu Qingyu—who had never seen her words carry such weight in all her years here—was momentarily stunned. Then she added as a reminder:
“If even those supplying the government dare to commit fraud, it is very necessary to investigate the ones supplying the people as well.”
Magistrate Tang waved his hand again:
“Men! Seal the shop! Confiscate the property!”
