Chapter 321 Does that man have a conscience?

Prefect Gao sighed and comforted her, "Madam Yao, you've had so many misfortunes. One wave has barely subsided before another comes. This time, it's coming on strong..."

The public outcry was so great that Yao Qingling's reputation was ruined, and Magistrate Gao was worried about whether her shop could continue to operate.

There are still many migrant workers waiting to find work.

Putting everything else aside, thanks to the cooperation between Prefect Gao and Yao Qingling, he had a relatively good year at the end of last year. He passed the Ministry of Revenue's assessment, and the Censorate did not impeach him.

Prefect Gao hoped Yao Qingling would hold on, and he comforted her: "But if you think about it carefully, the fact that others want to deal with you means you are too capable. Have you seen the vegetable vendors on the roadside being treated like this?"

Yao Qingling forced a smile and wiped her eyes: "Lord Gao, have you found any clues?"

Prefect Gao's face stiffened, and he gave an awkward laugh: "We're still investigating... we're still investigating." He took a sip of tea, but felt that the little tea couldn't quench his thirst, so he simply drank it all in one gulp. He then said, "Madam Yao, it's not that I'm not trying my best, it's just that those people are too well-trained."

"Think about it carefully. Overnight, those paintings were plastered all over the streets and alleys. How many painters would it take to produce so many paintings? How did they manage to do it all?"

"Clearly, this is not something that ordinary merchants can do."

He frowned and glanced at Yao Qingling, then leaned slightly towards her and said in a low voice, "In my opinion, the person who did this might be related to what happened to Madam Yao before; it's a lingering effect."

He was talking incoherently, and his words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Even a fool like Yao Qingling would understand what Magistrate Gao meant.

He meant that powerful figures were retaliating against her, trying to ruin her, making her never dare to show her face again, and even making the Empress treat her as a discarded pawn.

She has offended a group of people, and the revenge she suffers could be taken by one person or by a group of people.

Prefect Gao was a man who valued self-preservation and didn't want to get involved in this mess. He could help her tear down the paintings and stop the indiscriminate posting of pictures, but investigating the person behind it all was something he didn't want to offend, nor dared to offend.

Everyone knows that powerful and influential families are so deeply rooted that even the emperor and empress cannot shake them. Who would be willing to give up their fortune for Yao Qingling, a mere merchant girl?

Yao Qingling smiled calmly, bid farewell to Prefect Gao, thanked him repeatedly, and left the yamen.

On the way back to the Marquis's residence, Taoye muttered, "Prefect Gao is clearly going to be a coward. He's such a smooth talker; he wants Miss to do his bidding and help him boost his political achievements, but he won't protect her. Isn't he just reaping the benefits while sending others to their deaths?"

Qingling slowly folded the handkerchief, her fingernails tracing the creases, while she said leisurely, "Don't say that about Magistrate Gao. The fact that he's willing to have someone keep an eye on it so that it won't be posted randomly is already a favor."

“We’re not related to him at all, just some kind of business relationship…” she curled her lip in a mocking smile, “Do you think Prefect Gao can’t see that there’s something fishy about the numerous household registrations I’ve obtained?”

“Prefect Gao turns a blind eye to us, and he will turn a blind eye to others as well.”

Tao Ye pressed her lips together, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just let out a long sigh.

That was the way Magistrate Gao survived. They shouldn't overestimate themselves and think the whole world should help them out of their predicament.

Only you can save yourself from this predicament.

Back at the Marquis's residence, Yao Qingling went to her room to rest.

When Lou Yue returned, she personally cooked many of Qing Ling's favorite dishes.

That evening, everyone in the Marquis's mansion gathered in the flower hall for dinner to celebrate Qing Ling Kangfu's return.

Yu smiled outwardly, but was inwardly bitter.

What kind of life is this in the capital? It looks glamorous, but nothing ever goes smoothly behind the scenes. I should have taken the children and gone back to Yingzhou with Yao Laosan.

Simple meals are fine, at least I don't have to live in fear like this.

Yao Qingling glanced at Madam You: "Does Aunt have something to say?"

Madam You forced a smile: "Qingling, the moonlight is lovely tonight, shall we go outside and have a chat?"

Tonight's moon is waning, there's no good moonlight at all. It's just that Madam You is uneasy, and she can't keep things to herself, so she can't help but ask Qingling.

Qingling took the wine glass and nodded: "Okay."

She went to the pavilion outside, sipped her wine, and looked down at a pair of wild geese playing in the pond, who seemed to have flown in from nowhere.

After much deliberation, Madam You finally spoke: "Qingling, what's the story behind that painting?"

Yao Qingling asked, "Does Auntie believe I'm the kind of promiscuous woman the rumors say I am?"

Madam You said with a serious expression, "Of course I don't believe it. Your parents died on the battlefield. You are the orphan of heroes, and their blood flows in your veins. How could you do such a thing!"

Qingling felt warm.

If Madam Ma were here, she would definitely use this to blackmail her, lock her up, take the opportunity to seize everything she owned, and then repeatedly berate her for being shameless, bringing shame to the Marquis's mansion, and disgracing the Yao family ancestors.

"If Aunt doesn't believe me, why ask me?"

"I'm just so uneasy!" Madam You pounded her chest. "How can you people in the capital be so carefree? After something like this, the whole household is actually holding a banquet. Of course, it's good that your eyes are healthy, but I... but how can I possibly have the appetite to eat!"

Faced with a table full of fish and meat, in the past, Madam You would have eaten two extra bowls of food, eating until her neck was full.

But tonight, she just couldn't swallow a single bite; her heart felt heavy and painful.

"Qingling, tell me, can this matter be resolved? What will become of our Marquis's mansion in the future?"

Qingling frowned slightly: "If Aunt is worried, then take the children back to Yingzhou. You can come back after things have calmed down."

“If I leave now, what will people think of me? They’ll just think it’s true, that I left because I was angry,” Madam You refused.

But she was conflicted; staying was one thing, not staying was another.

More importantly, Yao Laosan went back to Yingzhou to resign from his post before returning to the capital. But if something happens in the capital, wouldn't his resignation be for nothing? What would he do after returning to the capital?

Qingling sighed, "Aunt, to tell you the truth, that painting was painted for me by Zhan Xingzhuo. I don't know how it got out. Today, I even went to the yamen and slapped him."

Madam You gasped, "You...you hit the former son-in-law of the Duke's mansion? I heard he's a high-ranking official now!"

At this moment, Madam You was neither applauding Qingling nor angry that the painting had been circulated. Instead, she was worried that Yao Qingling had offended Zhan Xingzhuo and that he would take advantage of her misfortune.

Yao Qingling took a sip of wine and smacked her lips: "He's the one who wronged me."

Zhan Xingzhuo had wronged her in too many ways, but this incident made her extremely angry.

However, she also bears some responsibility. She hadn't even looked closely at the painting he returned.

Ultimately, it's because she still believes he will keep his promise...

Yao Qingling lowered her eyes and casually swirled the empty wine glass around: "If he has any conscience, he should clean up this mess."

Madam You frowned. She had lived in Yingzhou for a long time and didn't know much about Zhan Xingzhuo. She only knew that Yao Qingling had had an unhappy few years and that the divorce had caused quite a stir.

"Does he have any conscience?"