Chapter 770 A Dream of Youth 302

Xie Ning lowered her eyes. "I was at the West Street teahouse before sunset."

Luo Yueqian's tense heart suddenly relaxed. He knew that Xie Ning remembered him, otherwise she would not have deliberately left a ring to give him a chance.

"yes."

The withered yellow leaves on the ground were crushed by the wheels. Luo Yueqian bowed again before returning to the county office.

The people inside were sighing and lamenting. When they saw Luo Yueqian come in, they hurriedly asked if Xie Ning had left any words. Luo Yueqian simply cupped her hands and said, "Lord Xie looks unhappy. She must be angry about the state of the pharmacy. However, she did not leave any punishment, so there should still be a chance to make amends."

The magistrate kicked the clerk guarding the pharmacy in an annoyed tone. "What are you good for? You're in such an easy job and you're just dozing off. Fine, but didn't I send someone to tell you that some important people are coming to inspect the pharmacy and that you should take some men and get the pharmacy ready?"

The junior official felt wronged, "Brother-in-law..."

Upon meeting the magistrate's chilling gaze, he hurriedly changed his story, "Your Honor, I had not received any news, and the others had all gone out for drinks. How could we have known that an important person would be coming to inspect?"

Upon hearing the clerk say that he hadn't received the message, the magistrate frowned deeply. "Then where is the messenger?"

This really ruined his big plan.

Luo Yueqian sighed, "My lord, I ran into that servant when I came in. He ate too much tofu pudding this morning and had a stomachache on his way to deliver the message. He's at the clinic now."

Even if we have to settle the accounts, we'll have to wait until later.

Then he apologized, saying, "I was just being disrespectful. I meant to explain the difficulties of the county government, but I didn't expect it to backfire. It was my fault."

The magistrate looked at Luo Yueqian, who had acted tactfully, with admiration in his eyes. "It has nothing to do with you. If you hadn't spoken up beforehand, we would all have been in trouble if Lord Xie had investigated thoroughly."

However, Xie Ning's silence before leaving only fueled the unease. The magistrate circled the area twice before hurriedly ordering the account books and such to be put away. He wasn't that foolish; if he had embezzled money, he would have surely prepared false accounts beforehand.

Given Xie Ning's official rank, she had no jurisdiction over other parts of the county government, except for the pharmacy... The magistrate's gaze fell on the low-ranking clerk who had quietly stood up; these people were the perfect scapegoats.

It's better to sacrifice a friend than myself; using these few people to appease Xie Ning's anger is a worthwhile trade.

Seeing everyone busy, Luo Yueqian finished her own work and then went off duty. The clerk next to her was looking at the accounts with a worried expression. He couldn't help but be curious when he saw that Luo Yueqian was leaving so early.

"Registrar Luo, aren't you usually the most diligent? Why did you leave work on time today?" He's usually one of the fastest to get off.

"My elderly mother at home has caught a cold, and I need to go to the pharmacy to get medicine, otherwise it will be too late." Even though there is a pharmacy in the county government office, these officials are going to an outside pharmacy.

The clerk didn't investigate further, just muttered a few words and continued reading the official documents. With the executioner's blade hanging over their heads, they dared not slack off.

No one knows when Lord Xie arrived in Yangqu. They had no news of him at all. The county magistrate had already sent someone to ask for instructions from higher authorities, but they still didn't know what the situation was.

Luo Yueqian's smile vanished the moment he stepped out of the county government office. He said he was going to buy medicine, and he was going to buy medicine, but that didn't stop him from buying a bundle of tea on the way.

Aqi Lan leaned out of the second-floor window, watching the people coming and going below. She had just finished reciting her lessons and was taking a break. Du Mingzhao and the others had already returned to the Xu residence, probably to find General Xu and discuss the day's events.

Xie Ning was merely a physician, and the civil official was only a proofreader. Their scope of authority was limited, and they couldn't do anything to the county magistrate. Therefore, she only issued a warning, leaving the rest to General Xu, who was acting in charge.

"Hey, the streets here are different from those in the capital. In the capital, they're cross streets, but here they're T-shaped. Sir, why do you think that is?"

Before Xie Ning could answer, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

Aqilan quickly sat back down in her original seat.

Xie Ning saw that Luo Yueqian had changed his clothes and knelt down as soon as he entered, saying, "This humble official greets Lord Xie."

He was a junior officer, only a ninth-rank official. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was no such thing as kneeling or bowing; people usually bowed. But he had to admit his guilt first.

Xie Ning didn't wake her, but tapped the table, each tap resonating deep within Luo Yueqian's heart. "You knew all along that I had arrived in Bingzhou, didn't you?"

"Yes." Luo Yueqian did not deny it. If she had not investigated Xie Ning and knew her identity, she would not have been so bold as to step forward and introduce her.

Who told you that?

Very few people knew her identity, and Luo Yueqian was just a minor clerk; he couldn't even reach the people around him.

That means they must have come from Bingzhou, either the soldiers or the Bingzhou military doctor who accompanied them.

After glancing at Luo Yueqian's robes, Xie Ning figured that this man probably didn't get information through money, but rather through affection.