Chapter 261 People from Wanjia are coming

After the snow, the sky cleared, and the trees and branches were covered in jade-like blossoms, creating a picturesque scene.

Many guests came to the Fang residence, ostensibly to celebrate Fang Ziming's reinstatement, but in reality to inquire about the soon-to-be-appointed county magistrate.

Wan Ziyan is well-known in Yunhe County.

The son of Master Wan! It is said that he is an adopted son.

However, since Master Wan had no biological children in his life, Wan Ziyan could naturally be regarded as his biological son.

Although it is common knowledge, few people have actually met Wan Ziyan. They only know that he is cold-hearted, unwilling to get involved in government affairs, and devoted to studying the classics, but does not participate in the imperial examinations.

Many people believe that Wan Ziyan has already become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations), a status that many scholars dream of!

As a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, he was exempt from corvée labor and taxes, qualified to serve as an official, and received a monthly salary.

With these, they had already transformed from commoners into members of the gentry, and no longer needed to worry about their future!

Fang Ziming knew that Wan Ziyan did not want to see these people, so he did not order them to come home and instructed the servants to refuse them all to stay outside the door.

The rumors about Yuzhuang had not yet ended, and the discussions were even intensifying. Fang Ziming had no choice but to send someone to post a notice forbidding any further discussion of the matter.

More than 20 years have passed since the Yuzhuang incident, and Fang Ziming saw it in the scrolls recording the case when he was in office.

Hearing so many people talking about it, Fang Luxue couldn't help but pester Fang Ziming out of curiosity, wanting him to tell her about Yuzhuang.

The rumors involved the imperial court, and Fang Ziming was unwilling to say more.

One careless word could cost you not only your job but also your life.

When Wan Qiqi recalled Lu Tongfu's sudden change in expression when Yuzhuang was mentioned, as if he was hiding something, she couldn't help but become curious. "Lord Fang, I have never heard of Yuzhuang. What kind of place is it?"

Fang Ziming looked up and met Wan Qiqi's gaze. Seeing the curiosity in her eyes, he hesitated.

Finally, he picked up on something he could say: "The scroll records that Yuzhuang was once the richest village in Yunhe County, not only because the village had a sweet spring, but also because the village had a unique way of making money."

Fang Luxue immediately asked, "Is the spring water really as rumored, that drinking it can make you live to be a hundred years old?"

Living to be 100 years old is not difficult in modern times; many elderly people can live to be 80 or 90.

However, in ancient times, due to various factors, the average lifespan was around fifty or sixty years.

Therefore, a grand celebration must be held for the Jiazi birthday.

Wan Qiqi believed that the spring water must contain rich minerals. Drinking that spring water for a long time, along with paying attention to certain aspects of life, would naturally lead to a longer lifespan than the average person.

More than the spring water, she was curious about how to make money.

She asked, "Is it because of your methods of making money that the village has become so wealthy, and that this has attracted the attention of bad people?"

Fang Ziming was taken aback, not expecting Wan Qiqi to ask such a question.

Although the scroll did not clearly record who the young man who went to Yuzhuang was, the imperial court was indeed keeping a close eye on Yuzhuang.

At that time, the government and the country were in turmoil, and foreign enemies were invading. It was a prime time for people to accumulate wealth.

If there is a way to make money and acquire a large amount of wealth, it will surely attract the attention of the imperial court.

Fang Ziming, being an official of the imperial court, could not speak ill of the court in front of the people. So he continued Wan Qiqi's words: "The villain entered the village, lived with the villagers day and night, and integrated into their lives, wanting to find a way to make money. The villagers put aside their grudges against him and taught him everything they knew, but they did not expect to bring back a wild wolf that they could not raise. The villagers were bitten by him."

As he spoke, Chen Yongnian and Wu Gousheng looked over curiously.

Wu Gousheng said indignantly, "How could there be such a person? It's outrageous!"

Wan Qiqi sighed, "Otherwise, how could they be called villains?"

Fang Luxue pressed on, "So, is it true that he killed everyone in the village?"

Fang Ziming glanced at everyone present and saw that they all had curiosity in their eyes and their brows were furrowed.

If this matter continues to develop, it will inevitably attract the attention of the capital.

The matter of Yuzhuang seemed to be a taboo subject for the imperial court.

The area where Yuzhuang was located has long since disappeared, and has become an important mining site for the imperial court.

If he's right, this must be related to the imperial court.

But then, no one could find any trace of the boy anymore, as if he had vanished from the world.

Just then, Wan Ziyan arrived in a hurry.

He was pale and walked briskly, having long since lost his gentlemanly demeanor.

Behind him followed Wan's servant, Alai.

Wan Ziyan stopped in front of Fang Ziming, raised his hand in a salute and said, "Lord Fang, my father is seriously ill, so I must take my leave first."

A strand of dark hair fell across his forehead, making him look somewhat dejected.

Hearing the anxiety in his voice, Fang Ziming said, "Alright, see you at the county office after the New Year!"

As he spoke, he also bowed to Wan Ziyan.

Wan Ziyan didn't say anything more and immediately turned and walked out.

This time, he didn't even glance at Wan Qiqi.

Wan Qiqi immediately signaled to Wu Gousheng to grab Alai.

Ah Lai had only taken half a step when someone grabbed his collar. He uttered two "heys" sounds and was dragged like a puppy to Wan Qiqi.

Wan Qiqi, unusually serious, asked, "What happened to the Wan family?"

Ah Lai tugged at his collar a couple of times but couldn't break free. He could only say, "Master is dying. He might not make it through the night!"

Wan Qiqi felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her face turned pale instantly.

She took a sudden step back, as if her body was resisting the news and trying to escape.

Chen Yongnian reached out and covered the corner of the table to prevent Wan Qiqi from bumping into it.

His eyes also darkened along with Wan Qiqi's expression.

Although he didn't believe at first that Wan Ziyan was Wan Qiqi's brother, after spending time together these past few days, he had already come to regard Wan Ziyan as his own brother.

Now that Master Wan is about to pass away, anyone would feel sad.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!