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After the rain subsided and the fragrance faded, the crabapple blossoms withered and fell. In the back garden, the red pomegranate flowers and clusters of pale roses had already taken their place.
Once July is over, pure white gardenias bloom in profusion among the trees, and anyone passing through the forest will be covered in their fragrance. Lin Xu's cloak, which she has been working on for a long time, is finally almost finished.
She looked at the soft and delicate fabric in her hand, noting that the cuffs were specially trimmed with dark gold, understated yet dignified.
The enormous cloak was meticulously crafted by her, from selecting the fabric to sewing the lining. It was thanks to the careful guidance of Granny Qin, who was extremely skilled in needlework, that the finished product was achieved.
This was also the first time she had embroidered such a complete garment, and she couldn't help but feel quite emotional.
Looking back, even a simple peony on a delicate embroidered handkerchief would make her frown. Now, she has actually made one, and it looks quite good.
Granny Qin watched her sit by the window, admiring the black cloak over and over for a long time, and couldn't help but smile:
“Miss, your embroidery skills have really improved a lot. This cloak took a lot of your effort. I watched you work day and night to finish it as soon as possible. You even lit several candles at night and refused to put them away. Now it’s finally finished.”
Lin Xu bent down and smoothed out the wrinkles on the cloak one by one.
Autumn arrives earlier in Laining than in Mujing. Although it is still August, it is already a bit cooler in the mornings and evenings.
She carefully stored the cloak in a four-cornered chest of yellow pear wood, intending to burn it with incense for a few more days before giving it to Dou Yanxun.
After having breakfast, she sat in the front hall and listened attentively as Steward Qi explained the various expenses and income of the manor in recent days.
Dou Yanxun now receives an annual salary of 300 shi (a unit of dry measure), plus monthly stipends in silver and silk. With dozens of servants in his household, after deducting daily expenses, he still has a considerable surplus each month.
Compared to the past when the household expenses were entirely controlled by Bai and her stewards, the couple now lives a very comfortable life.
After nearly a month of getting to know each other, Lin Xu saw through Manager Qi's experience and meticulousness, and felt very comfortable entrusting him with managing the family's surplus money.
However, she still manages her own shops and estates, and puts all the money into her private treasury, which has now accumulated to a considerable sum.
Ever since Manager Qi discovered that there were problems with the accounts of the four estates under Lin Xu's name, Lin Xu has kept this matter in mind.
She doesn't like it when her subordinates try to fool her.
Besides, these were all dowry items left to her by her mother, and the people working on the estate were all experienced elders who had worked for the Liang family before.
The thought that these people might have fooled her mother her whole life, and even her maternal grandparents in the past, sent chills down her spine, filling her with resentment.
Seeing that he was gradually having some free time, after thinking it over, Lin Xu decided to go to Qingyang in person to find out what was going on.
Having made this plan, I still need to discuss it with Dou Yanxun.
After getting up in the morning, Lin Xu asked Zhu Ling to do her hair simply. Although it was a bit low-key, since she was staying in the backyard and wouldn't be seeing outsiders, she was too lazy to change. She simply wore a light blue silk jacket and a pale beige long skirt. A translucent jade hairpin was tucked diagonally into her hair, making her look quite fresh and elegant.
She then walked towards the front yard where Dou Yanxun had spent the previous half-day.
Zhu Ling carried a food basket containing mung bean and lily soup that she had ordered the kitchen to prepare early in the morning, along with a dish of diced chicken wrapped in lotus leaves.
The master and servant strolled slowly through the back garden and then gracefully across the lakeside pavilion, surrounded by the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds.
After finally arriving at the hall where Dou Yanxun usually worked, they found the gate tightly closed, and faint sounds of arguing could be heard coming from inside.
Lin Xu stopped in his tracks.
Upon closer listening, the two men's voices were different in pitch, one loud and the other calm, yet they sounded like Dou Yanxun's two advisors.
Now, Dou Yanxun also had guards by his side. Two young men were standing guard in front of the hall. When they saw Lin Xu arrive, they quickly bowed and greeted him.
"May you be well, Madam."
The sounds inside the hall immediately subsided.
Lin Xu didn't want to disturb Dou Yanxun and his advisor's discussion of political affairs. She had seen him usually working, always with a furrowed brow and a very serious expression.
She hesitated in front of the door for a moment, and just as she was thinking, she heard a soft voice coming from inside.
Why isn't Madam coming in yet?
Since Dou Yanxun had spoken, the guards naturally did not dare to stop him. They immediately opened the palace door and respectfully invited Lin Xu in.
When she entered the hall, she found it was indeed very lively. Not only were the two advisors there, but Magistrate Sun was also sitting not far from Dou Yanxun. Even the two staff members who were not usually seen in the county government were sitting at the lower end.
The two advisors' faces were flushed, as if they had just had a quarrel and their anger had not yet subsided.
Upon seeing her arrive, the group was somewhat surprised, but they all quickly stood up and bowed to her.
Traditionally, women and children from the inner courtyard were not allowed to participate in discussions of government affairs in the county government. The group assumed that Lin Xu had come to visit the county magistrate, so they all fell silent and lowered their heads to drink tea.
Lin Xu stepped forward and personally placed the food box she had brought on the table. Dou Yanxun looked up at her, a warm smile on his lips.
"Does Madam have urgent business to attend to?"
Others may not know, but ever since he moved to Laining, Lin Xu has always stayed in the backyard when he was working or discussing political matters, refusing to disturb him.
However, today's timing is rather unfortunate. Lin Xu understood that it was not the right time to bring up the matter of heading to Qingyang, so he smiled slightly and said:
"It's nothing important, I just thought my husband had been working hard these past few days, so I brought him some food. I didn't expect to disturb your meeting with the other officials... I was not thoughtful enough." She then bowed slightly to the people below the hall, and they quickly said they didn't dare.
Lin Xu then continued gently:
"...This mung bean and lily porridge is cooked until soft and sticky, and with the addition of honey, it's perfect for cooling off in the summer. If you have some time, please have some."
Upon hearing this, Dou Yanxun glanced at the food box but did not refuse. Zhu Ling understood and quietly stepped forward to serve him a bowl of porridge.
Dou Yanxun washed his hands, then casually picked up the bowl, took a small sip, and raised his eyebrows in praise, "Indeed refreshing. Thank you, Madam."
Lin Xu lowered his eyes and glanced at the people sitting in the hall without making a sound. For a moment, they all seemed to be looking at each other in bewilderment.
The meeting was abruptly interrupted as Dou Yanxun began drinking by himself, completely disregarding the others. She, standing there, was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stay or leave.
Magistrate Sun took a sip of tea and chuckled:
"Your wife is showing consideration for Lord Dou's hard work these past few days. She is truly virtuous, gentle, and adept at managing the household. If my wife were here, she would be nagging me for ages..."
Almost everyone in Laining knew that Magistrate Sun had been happily married for many years, but he was also notoriously afraid of his wife. Sometimes, when he came home late from work, his wife's nagging could be heard in almost every household in the neighborhood. Thinking of this, the group couldn't help but laugh.
Having finished serving the porridge, Lin Xu planned to leave. She glanced at Zhu Ling, packed up the remaining porridge, and was about to depart when she saw Dou Yanxun finish a bowl of mung bean porridge, casually put down the bowl, and instruct the guards at the door:
"Someone, please give the lady a seat."
Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone who had been smiling instantly froze slightly.
Master Ma had met Lin Xu the day he arrived in Laining. At the time, he thought the magistrate was very kind and respectful to his wife. He had also heard that the magistrate had always been clean since his marriage, with no concubines or maids around. He thought the two were a newlywed couple, as sweet as honey...
But now, in front of them discussing political affairs, the magistrate suddenly asked his wife to stay, and Master Ma's expression couldn't help but become somewhat subtle.
Looking back, the two aides beside him couldn't help but change their expressions slightly, frequently wiping their sweat with their sleeves.
To this day, Da Yu has never heard of any county magistrate's wife discussing political affairs with him... The county magistrate's current actions have truly baffled them.
The group kept their eyes down, not daring to speak first due to Dou Yanxun's status. They had just been arguing fiercely about the recent county-wide household registration investigation, but now they were all silent.
Despite the open-mindedness of Dayu, compared to the conservative customs of the previous dynasty, it was common for women to receive education, and they could even become officials or engage in business, achieving great success in their respective regions.
However, Fang, being an old scholar who prided himself on still possessing some of the virtues of an ancient gentleman, would never dare to discuss political matters in front of a woman from the inner quarters of the house.
Seeing that everyone had stopped laughing, Dou Yanxun remained as carefree as ever, his expression unchanged. Instead, he smiled as the servant beside him brought tea, then casually pointed to the people seated below:
"Please bring some more tea for the gentlemen. It's so hot this summer; are you all thirsty? You haven't spoken for quite a while."
After thinking for a moment, Magistrate Sun hesitated before speaking:
"...Sir, were you just talking about the recent riots and disturbances by the people?"
Lin Xu was incredibly clever. Sitting upright in her armchair, she glanced at the two clerks who visibly relaxed after Magistrate Sun spoke, and immediately understood—
After some deliberation, Magistrate Sun chose the most insignificant matter that they had been discussing all along.
Regardless of how respectful and courteous Magistrate Sun usually was to her, he now secretly agreed with Master Fang and was not willing to discuss political affairs on an equal footing with a woman from the inner quarters. Or perhaps Magistrate Sun was worried that if he brought up complicated matters, Lin Xu would not understand and would be embarrassed instead.
Lin Xu was not annoyed by this. She smiled and took a small sip of the tea that the servant had just served.
She had naturally heard about the mass riots that had broken out among the people long ago.
On their way to Laining that day, while they were having tea at a teahouse, the group of men in black who had broken in and attempted to commit violence had already been detained for some time.
It has now been discovered that these people are the bandits who have been entrenched on a hilltop outside Laining for many years. They have committed countless acts of robbery and occasionally committed murder for hire, their hands stained with the blood of countless innocent people.
Dou Yanxun had just taken office when he encountered such a case, which was practically a free political achievement, so naturally the punishment should be more severe.
Moreover, these people were bribed by the Bai family that day to try and kill her...
Unfortunately, the ringleader was killed in the fierce battle, and the others, who followed the bandit leader, had never seen Fuzhen. So they could only treat the incident as a typical bandit robbery.
Dou Yanxun's desire for their deaths was understandable.
But ever since he sentenced these people to death and transferred all the case files to the prefecture, the once quiet town of Laining has inexplicably seen many incidents of people using this as an excuse to gather and cause trouble.
They said the new magistrate had committed excessive killings and wronged innocent people; even if the bandits were at fault, they should never have lost their lives…
They also said that as a county magistrate, he did not pay attention to the people's livelihood in the county, but instead abused his power and killed people indiscriminately. This was a dereliction of duty and he was unworthy of being a local official.
These people spoke with such certainty, but it sounded utterly absurd. Lin Xu laughed when he first heard about it.
If they were just ordinary, law-abiding citizens, how could they not be overjoyed that the bandits who had been harassing the peace of passersby for years had finally been wiped out? And how could they have unjustly labeled Dou Yanxun with such a accusation?
She knew that some people had been making a fuss about this behind the scenes, but it was too obvious and didn't cause any new trouble.
Moreover, during those days, Dou Yanxun remained calm and composed, seemingly not taking it to heart at all, and the disturbance was quickly quelled.
She didn't think about it any further.
However, since Magistrate Sun had brought up the matter, Lin Xu was happy to chat for a while.
She put down her teacup, which struck the armrest of the armchair with a soft, clear sound. Everyone turned to look at her.
Lin Xu's gentle voice rang out:
"Since Lord Sun has brought this up, even though I have lived in the inner courtyard for a long time, I still remember some things. In fact, the commotion a few days ago was quite strange. At noon, when there were few pedestrians, a large group of people dressed in plain clothes suddenly gathered. Their faces were dirty, and they claimed to be good people suffering from famine and starving. Yet they spoke loudly, raised their arms, and waved their hands, repeatedly expressing their grievances. And the way this group dispersed was even stranger... Before ordinary pedestrians could even hear what they were saying, this group scattered like birds and beasts—"
She paused briefly, glancing at the expressions of everyone seated in the hall.
After a long pause, Lin Xu furrowed her delicate, slender eyebrows, her face showing a serious expression, and even her voice lowered slightly:
"...In my opinion, this is clearly a sign that the feng shui of Laining County is in conflict and that a major disaster is likely to occur soon."
At first, the clerk listened very attentively, but after Lin Xu finished speaking the last sentence, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
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