Zhu Lan had relatively more freedom within the Governor's Office. As long as she did not leave the premises or enter Ling Hua's study— which was off-limits— she could wander anywhere and chat with anyone. The servants in the Governor's Office were not bound by strict rules, and if she wanted to chat, there was always someone willing to stop their work and indulge her.
Therefore, if Zhu Lan wanted to know what rumors were circulating outside, the people in the Governor's Office would tell her everything as long as Ling Hua had not explicitly forbidden them to do so.
She naturally also learned that Headman Cheng and Headman Zhu had arrived for the Grain Transport Service but had not brought the compensation of two million taels of silver. Ling Hua ordered the Capital Commandant's soldiers to detain them, and they did not even enter Caojun's city gates.
