Chapter 12: This Grand Vision Must Be Painted

“What? To see Lord Lu of your family, you have to pay a ten-thousand-coin notification fee first? Why don’t you just go rob it then?” Xiao Cui exclaimed.

Miss Mi also showed a look of dissatisfaction.

She knew that to meet some important figures, one had to pay the gatekeeper a fee. However, Lu Chuan had replaced the gatekeeper with guards, yet the fee not only hadn’t decreased—it had multiplied more than tenfold!

Their Mi family was a wealthy merchant family from Xuzhou. When her elder brother Mi Zhu sought an audience with Tao Qian, they also had to smooth relations with Tao’s gatekeepers in advance, but generally a thousand coins sufficed. So why was it ten thousand coins at Lu Chuan’s place?

Lu Chuan was merely a minor county magistrate; why should his notification fee be ten times that of Tao Qian’s?

But the guards at the gate didn’t share this perspective.

“Ten thousand coins is ten thousand coins, not a single coin less! If you don’t have the money, don’t waste our time here!”

“Who said I don’t have money?” Miss Mi snorted. Who would dare doubt her wealth? It was laughable!

The Mi family was prosperous beyond what these guards could imagine.

Ten thousand coins was a small sum to her, not worth fretting over.

Thinking of the method to make candied hawthorn and the marvelous underfloor heating, Miss Mi felt that paying the ten-thousand-coin notification fee was not unreasonable.

“Here! This jade pendant is worth more than ten thousand coins. Hurry up and notify!” she said, removing the jade pendant from her waist and handing it to Xiao Cui, who passed it to the two guards.

The two guards glanced at each other and nodded slightly.

They had already received prior instructions from Lu Chuan: the ten-thousand-coin notification fee was non-negotiable, but as long as this Young Master Jun produced money or an equivalent item, they could let him through without exchanging bills at the money house.

The Mi family was a super-rich merchant house. Facing a major figure like Tao Qian, they naturally lowered their stance, but before this county magistrate, they had little reason to be humble.

What if, over a trivial matter, this Young Master Jun became angry and changed his mind about meeting him? How would Lu Chuan then coax the Mi family into investing in Lu County?

Without external investment, how long would it take Lu Chuan to build the outer city?

Establishing an outer city wasn’t a trivial matter—it required funds amounting to at least hundreds of millions!

“Alright, follow me,” one guard said, opening a side door and leading Miss Mi and her maid inside.

Miss Mi felt deeply resentful about having to enter through a side door.

Their Mi family was so powerful; if they went to any other county, the magistrates would surely treat them as honored guests. Why was it so humiliating here in Lu County?

Lu Chuan had already received word and prepared tea and snacks in the main hall, waiting for the visitors.

Despite her inner resentment, Miss Mi finally met Lu Chuan.

“So you’re the county magistrate of Lu County?”

She wasn’t ignorant of etiquette, but her displeasure and the Mi family’s vast influence made her dismiss Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan had anticipated this reaction and remained calm.

“What? You look like you have a big problem with me as your county magistrate?”

“Of course I do! Tell me, why do you charge a ten-thousand-coin notification fee?” Miss Mi, raised in luxury and never having experienced war or the harshness of society, spoke her mind plainly.

“A ten-thousand-coin notification fee—what’s the problem with that?”

As he spoke, Lu Chuan carefully observed the person before him.

Red lips, white teeth, skin pale as snow, slender fingers, wide sleeves that could not hide a frail body—she looked delicate.

Looking at her neck, there was no Adam’s apple!

Lu Chuan instantly realized this was no young master but a Miss of the Mi family.

Confirming her identity, Lu Chuan felt a slight relief—so long as it wasn’t Mi Zhu or Mi Fang. The other Mi family members seemed less notable…

Wait!

The Mi family… Lady Mi?

Lu Chuan’s heart tightened as he finally recognized the true identity of the Miss before him.

Lady Mi—the wife of Liu Bei who, at the Battle of Changban, willingly threw herself into a well so Zhao Yun could escape with A Dou!

He should have guessed sooner.

Miss Mi had no idea her identity was seen through by Lu Chuan, and seeing his attitude only made her more displeased.

“Of course there’s a problem! You’re the magistrate of Lu County. If ordinary folk have grievances and want to see you, do they also have to pay ten thousand coins first? Ordinary people don’t have that kind of money! As their magistrate, shouldn’t you care for your people instead of just extorting money through notification fees? Isn’t that a problem?”

Lu Chuan showed a surprised expression. He hadn’t expected the pampered Miss Mi to have concern for the common people.

But that was not a reason for him to cancel the notification fee.

“You’re mistaken. If ordinary people have grievances, they can go to the county office and beat the drum to seek justice, and I will personally handle it. Besides that, I’ve set up different departments in the county office where ordinary people can come for solutions.

“In other words, ordinary people don’t need to come to my residence to meet me; they can see me through normal channels.

“But people like you, coming for special purposes, I charge a notification fee. So what?

“Doesn’t your family’s gatekeeper also accept bribes from visitors?”

“I…” Miss Mi was speechless.

Their Mi family’s gatekeepers also accepted favors.

That was an unspoken rule—if they didn’t charge, anyone could come knocking casually.

The Mi family was so wealthy, thousands sought to connect with them.

If they had to seriously entertain every visitor, they wouldn’t have time for anything else.

The same logic applied to Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan had made Lu County prosperous with booming commerce. After a brief walk around the city, Miss Mi realized the vast commercial potential and imagined how many merchants would want to meet Lu Chuan.

So setting a threshold was reasonable.

What bothered her was that Lu Chuan’s threshold was set too high.

Her family’s gatekeepers only charged a few hundred coins, yet this magistrate charged ten thousand—she felt unfair.

“Our gatekeepers charge too, but you’re a magistrate, different from us. How do I know what you say is true? Maybe you’re just saying it casually, and the people of Lu County never really see you! Hmph!”

“Yeah! Who knows if what you say is true? We can't see for ourselves, so it’s all just talk!” Xiao Cui chimed in, already disliking Lu Chuan.

Lu Chuan shook his head.

“Fine, since Young Master Jun doesn’t believe me, I’ll personally take you to see for yourself! Someone, prepare a carriage!”

Even if Miss Mi hadn’t said it, Lu Chuan needed an excuse to take her on a tour.

If he wanted to attract investment, he had to paint a grand vision for investors.

If he didn’t let Miss Mi witness the prosperity and future potential of Lu County, how could he sell that vision?