Jiang Zhou was stunned by the sudden arrival of the imperial envoy.

As an honest person mainly involved in business; he wondered why the imperial envoy would seek him out when he had nothing to do with official matters.

After a moment of bewilderment, he recalled recent events and had a sudden realization – could it be that the cement matter has been concluded?

Without much time to ponder, he hastily packed up, changed his clothes, and headed to the government office.

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Upon his arrival, Master Liu was already present. His expression appeared complex, but after a brief moment, he composed himself and introduced, “This is the imperial envoy, Zhuo Bang.”

Before Jiang Zhou could speak, Zhuo Bang approached him and said, “Long time no see, little brother.”

Covered in dust and dirt, with disheveled hair, Zhuo Bang’s appearance differed significantly from when Jiang Zhou first met him – a time when he was meticulous about his image, even down to clean shoes. Now, his shoes appeared hastily donned, as if taken off and put back on in a hurry, not having time to be properly arranged.

Observing Zhuo Bang, Jiang Zhou inferred that the cement matter was resolved, prompting him to adopt a courteous attitude and salute, “Sir.”

Zhuo Bang touched his beard and sighed lightly, “I obtained that bag of cement from you. I rushed back without pause. It rained heavily on the road, and I nearly lost the bag of cement. Luckily, the nature was on my side.”

“Why such haste, sir?” Jiang Zhou inquired with a smile.

“This is a significant endeavor for the welfare of the people and the nation. Naturally, it cannot be delayed.”

Master Liu, witnessing the familiar interaction between the two, was momentarily bewildered and inquired after a while, “So, Master Zhuo and Jiang Zhou are old acquaintances?”

Zhuo Bang nodded, “Indeed. I came for this matter as well.”

From his sleeve, Zhuo Bang produced a stack of bright yellow silk cloth, saying, “Jiang Zhou, accept the imperial decree.”

Perplexed, Jiang Zhou blinked – how did one accept it? Was it akin to what time travelers have seen on TV?

Fortunately, with Liu Chengfeng present, Jiang Zhou followed his lead and knelt on the ground with his hands spread out.

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The imperial edict was lengthy, and after a thorough reading, Jiang Zhou grasped its essence. It conveyed the emperor’s pleasure at his cement production and a decision to reward him. While Jiang Zhou could continue cement production independently, a condition was imposed: when the court required cement, he must prioritize supplying it – with compensation provided by the court.

For instance, even though they possessed a bag of cement, they couldn’t manufacture it due to a lack of the specific recipe. Nevertheless, the emperor deemed it a valuable contribution and desired to use a portion of it immediately.

Zhuo Bang quietly shared with him, “It is said that the prince is getting married and plans to rebuild the East Palace. The building won’t use cement, but the emperor intends to pave the road leading to the wedding with it.”

This decision was, in part, a display to the court. The recently acquired technology was more of a showcase of the emperor’s affection for the prince, but Zhuo Bang sensed that Jiang Zhou might not fully grasp this, so he refrained from elaborating.

Jiang Zhou, being a commoner, cared little for the intrigues among the higher-ups. His concerns revolved around having enough to eat, a good life for Xiao Yi and Wen Yan, and whether he could prosper.

Thus, his focus remained on the impending reward.

Gold, silver, silk, and satin – it suited him perfectly. With dreams of opening a hotpot restaurant, he needed money at the moment.

The reward seemed tailor-made for Jiang Zhou, bringing tears to his eyes!

Zhuo Bang touched his beard and kindly smiled, “The emperor initially considered sending some East China Sea pearls, but I declined on your behalf. I assumed you wouldn’t fancy such items. This should be more valuable to you, right?”

Jiang Zhou bowed and expressed gratitude, “Thank you very much, sir.”

Zhuo Bang squinted and remarked, “No need for thanks. I have a son a few years younger than you. He spends his days idly playing around. If he could learn just a bit from you, I wouldn’t have to worry.”

Mentioning his son, Zhuo Bang sighed deeply. Originally carefree, the boy had recently become a homebody, refusing to study.

At this moment, when he gazed at Jiang Zhou, his expression exuded kindness, as if he were looking at a proud junior, “There’s another piece of news. I’ve been promoted to the state supervisor. If anything happens to you in the future, feel free to come to me.”

Having executed his tasks proficiently, Zhuo Bang successfully ascended a rank by donating cement. Proud of his promotion and newfound fortune, he naturally regarded Jiang Zhou, the junior who assisted him, with great favor.

Before arriving, he had someone investigate Jiang Zhou’s affairs, and aware of the grievances with the Liu family, he deliberately mentioned this in front of Liu Chengfeng as a subtle warning.

Jiang Zhou welcomed the idea of having a supervisor watching over him, expressing his gratitude, “Thank you, sir.”

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Returning happily with a bag of rewards, he encountered an acquaintance on the way. In the small town, it was easy for news to spread. Seeing his substantial bag, curiosity arose, “Jiang Da, what’s going on?”

Jiang Zhou smiled, “It’s not a big deal. You might find out tomorrow. The imperial envoy came to announce the imperial edict, saying it’s a reward for cement.”

“Cement?”

Jiang Zhou had recently constructed a house, creating quite a stir. Many locals were aware of this. As people gathered around, the news of an imperial edict created a sense of awe among the townsfolk, who had rarely encountered anything beyond the ordinary in their lives.

Jiang Zhou didn’t intend to show off, but upon reflection, he realized this was the ideal way to promote cement. With the imperial edict as a foundation, who would hesitate to buy it?

Having accepted the imperial decree, he became a living endorsement. Whether it was for Jiangjia Restaurant or Lujiang Hot Pot Restaurant, this publicity would undoubtedly boost their popularity.

When questioned about the news, Jiang Zhou willingly shared it, secretly hoping it would spread far and wide.