The silver note was a fifty-tael denomination, the emblem of the Huixing Money House, which was universally accepted throughout the country.

Gu Yundong’s eyes lit up upon seeing it, and Nie Cheng said, “This is a reward from the magistrate for you. Your portrait was so useful; as soon as we took it, we split up to search for him. Unexpectedly, more than one person had seen this man. Just last night, we caught him, along with several of his henchmen.”

Nie Cheng was excited as he recounted this, even though he had been busy for days. “The magistrate said you had performed a great service. You have no idea. Those thieves could have entered the city at any time. If we hadn’t caught them in time, we would have had trouble here too. Take the fifty taels of silver and treat yourself to something nice. Look at you, so pretty, but wearing these clothes…”

He seemed to have become somewhat familiar with her, speaking casually.

Gu Yundong pretended not to hear him, joyfully holding the silver note in her hands. She would have to find a chance to exchange the silver, but since she had space, she wasn’t worried about the weight.

Unexpectedly, Nie Cheng pulled out two silver ingots. “Here’s this for you too. This is the entry fee you paid when you entered the city, and the magistrate said it should be returned to you.”

Gu Yundong was surprised and hurriedly accepted them. “The magistrate is truly a good person. I wish you a safe and peaceful life.”

Nie Cheng looked at his empty palms and shook his head, chuckling. “I didn’t expect you to be a money-grubber. Alright, I’ve given you the money. I should be going now.”

Gu Yundong waved her hand, letting him go.

But as Nie Cheng took a few steps, he suddenly turned back, hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, “There’s something else I need to tell you first.”

Seeing his serious expression, Gu Yundong finally tore her gaze away from the silver note. “What is it?”

“I just came back from the yamen and saw someone who came from the capital. I overheard something vague… about the capital…” his voice grew even lower, almost inaudible, “the emperor has passed away.”

Gu Yundong was stunned. The emperor? That was a term far removed from her.

But she didn’t have any positive feelings toward the emperor. During the disaster in Yongning Prefecture, countless people had died of hunger, and the court had never sent anyone to help. She heard that while the emperor was drinking and having fun in the palace, the concubines were being bestowed one after another. They even came up with excuses to raise taxes. He was truly an incompetent ruler.

If he had passed away, so be it.

Nie Cheng reminded her, “The announcement should be posted all over the city soon. There might be some chaos for a while. Try not to go out randomly, don’t wear red or green, and avoid drinking and revelry. With the emperor’s passing and the new emperor ascending, there will definitely be some changes. Just wait for news.”

“Thank you for the reminder.” Gu Yundong knew he was referring to the disaster relief issue. The former emperor’s inaction and the new emperor’s unknown policy were both concerning. Hopefully, the new emperor wouldn’t be indifferent to human lives.

After Nie Cheng left, indeed, that afternoon, notices were posted at the city gates.

The emperor had passed away, and the nation mourned. The people were to observe a three-month mourning period, during which they were not to wear red or green or engage in weddings, festivities, or entertainment.

Two days later, another notice was posted at the city gates. The new emperor had ascended to the throne, known as Emperor Jinwu. The following year would be named Xing Tai, the first year of his reign.

Whether it was the former emperor’s passing or the new emperor’s ascension, it was all distant from Gu Yundong, and she didn’t pay much attention to it.

But unexpectedly, the new emperor’s first action was aimed at Yongning Prefecture.

The court finally dispatched an envoy to Yongning Prefecture—for disaster relief.