Xiuyun
In the study room at the back of the Minghua County Magistrate's office, the strong smell of alcohol was suffocating.
The table in front of Zhou Wenyuan was littered with cups and plates, and a pot of top-quality jade ice tea was almost empty.
Since the imperial edict was issued, although he was still the nominal highest official of Minghua County, the atmosphere of the entire county magistrate's office had quietly changed.
The officials still looked respectful and performed the ceremony meticulously, but Zhou Wenyuan knew that they were all laughing at him in secret.
"You are such an incompetent person that you can't even defeat a princess."
"The villain succeeds..."
"If it weren't for Your Majesty, hum..."
These bitches! What do they know? They only look down on him.
He took a big gulp of the spicy wine, trying to suppress the humiliation in his heart, but it only caused his stomach to churn.
"Master, it's late, it's time to rest." A female voice sounded at the door with cautious concern.
It was his first wife, Li.
Several years in Lingnan, plagued by poverty and fear, had long since worn away her former gentleness and grace, and her temples had turned gray.
Zhou Wenyuan raised his head drunkenly and his eyes fell on Li's face.
This face was once pretty and charming. It accompanied him through his hard studies, helped him pass the imperial examinations, and also accompanied him as he fell into the abyss of Lingnan.
But at this moment, distorted by alcohol, all he saw was haggard and old, just like him, useless and pitiful.
"Rest?" Zhou Wenyuan sneered, his voice unclear. "Why rest? How many people are waiting outside to see me make a fool of myself? How can I, a county governor who climbed up with the help of Your Majesty, fall even harder?"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and suddenly slammed the table. "Even you think I'm incompetent, right? You think I'm not as good as Shen Qingyan, who relied on women to get to the top? You think I'm not worthy of this third-rank official robe?"
Li was frightened by his sudden rage and took a step back, shaking her head hurriedly: "Master, I'm not. I'm just worried about your health..."
"Worried?" Zhou Wenyuan stood up, his body swaying, pointing at Li, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
"You look so unlucky. You were like this in Lingnan, and now that I'm the county magistrate, you're still like this. Are you laughing at me in your heart? Laughing at my incompetence as a county magistrate?"
"Master! I..."
"Get out! Get out and don't get in my way here!" Zhou Wenyuan grabbed an empty wine glass and smashed it hard on the ground, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Li trembled all over, not daring to say anything more. She covered her face and hurriedly retreated.
The study returned to dead silence. He slumped back into his chair, looking at the mess on the floor. He touched his brand new third-rank official robe with a peacock patch. He knew that this robe and the position of county governor were not earned by his real talent and knowledge, but were a knife used by His Majesty to deal with Princess Mingzhu.
He couldn't imagine what would happen to him if the knife became blunt or even hurt the person holding it.
He was scared. He stood up and staggered to open the door. He wanted to escape, but he didn't know where to go. He ignored the servants' screams behind him and plunged into the night.
At night, when the lights come on in Mingzhou City, it is many times more prosperous than Lingnan.
The faint sounds of stringed instruments drifted out from the tavern and singing hall, making him look even more lonely. He was drunk and saw double everything. Unknowingly, he walked to a relatively quiet alley in the west of the city.
Faint sobbing could be heard.
Zhou Wenyuan looked with drunken eyes and saw a thin figure curled up in the corner. In front of him was a tattered straw mat, on which seemed to be a human figure.
A simple wooden sign had four crooked words written on it: "Selling myself to bury my father."
A girl of no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a coarse mourning dress that had been washed white, with a small white flower pinned in her hair, was lying beside a straw mat and weeping softly.
The dim light of the lantern reflected on her pale little face, with traces of tears and tears in her eyes, which made me feel pity for her.
This scene reminded him of when he was in Lingnan, struggling to survive like a wild dog, with no one paying attention to him. At that time, he wished someone could give him a hand.
He walked over with unsteady steps, took out a silver ingot from his sleeve pocket, and without even looking at it, threw it in front of the girl and said vaguely, "Take it, bury your father, and go home."
The girl raised her tearful eyes and looked at him, forgetting to cry for a moment, which made her even more lovable.
Zhou Wenyuan waved his hand and continued to walk forward unsteadily without waiting for her to thank him. He did not have any other thoughts in mind. His actions at that moment were a kind of venting of seeking a sense of existence in those who were even lower than him.
A few days later.
Zhou Wenyuan walked out of the back door of the county magistrate's office, feeling exhausted. Just as he turned around the corridor, a slender figure timidly blocked his way.
It was the girl who sold herself to bury her father that night. She had changed into a clean, plain dress, still simple, but washed to a white hue, and her hair was neatly combed.
She knelt before Zhou Wenyuan with a thud and kowtowed deeply: "Sir, I, Xiuyun, thank you for giving me a new life. My father has been properly buried with the money you gave me."
"I am now alone and have nowhere to go. I have no way to repay your kindness, sir. I am willing to serve you as a slave for the rest of my life to repay your kindness."
There was a slight tremor in her voice, and one could tell she was timid and needed support.
Zhou Wenyuan was stunned. He didn't expect her to come. Looking at the girl in front of him with lowered brows and pleasing appearance, he hesitated for a moment. He had no intention of taking a concubine. Although his wife was old, she was always sincere to him.
The young girl Xiuyun raised her head, her clear eyes filled with tears as she looked up at him. In her eyes were undisguised gratitude and dependence, as well as an admiration that was almost devout.
This kind of look was something that had long since disappeared from Li's eyes, from the eyes of those seemingly respectful officials, and even from deep in his own heart.
"I heard that you passed the imperial examination at a young age and won the championship. After going through hardships, you finally ascended to a high position. I really admire you. I really admire you and hope you can help me." The girl said timidly again.
"Admire me?" Zhou Wenyuan repeated subconsciously.
"Yes!" Xiuyun nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushed with shyness.
"That night, you were like a god descending from heaven, saving Xiuyun from her desperate situation. You are the county governor, yet you are willing to take pity on an orphan like me. You are a true justice. Xiuyun only wishes to follow you in this life, to repay you in every possible way!"
The real judge?
These few words seemed to have magical power, smoothing out Zhou Wenyuan's broken heart.
In the eyes of this girl, he is not the useless sword that relies on the charity of His Majesty, nor the fool that is fooled by the princess, but the real God who is high above and can dominate her destiny!
"Get up." Zhou Wenyuan's voice softened unconsciously, even with a hint of gentleness that he himself did not notice.
"Since you have nowhere to go, I have a quiet little courtyard in the west of the city where you can stay for the time being."
The quiet courtyard in the west of the city has a new owner.
As Xiuyun said, she regarded him as her god.
She served him carefully and spoke softly. She believed whatever Zhou Wenyuan said, and whatever Zhou Wenyuan did was right in her eyes.
She would listen with admiration to him as he talked about the glory of having his name on the imperial examination, would pour him wine and serve him food, would massage his forehead when he was tired, and would speak his favorite words in her young and soft voice.
Zhou Wenyuan was addicted.
Indulge in the warmth based on the absolute power gap.
Initially, he was still thinking about handling some urgent official business, trying to reverse the situation and continue fighting with Ning Lingyi.
But as he spent more and more time in Xiuyun's gentle embrace, the care that County Magistrate Wang Tongzhi showed him grew.
Instead of trying to persuade him, Wang Tongzhi catered to his wishes.
He took the initiative to take over the tedious daily affairs of the county and handled them in an orderly manner, only picking out some unimportant documents for Zhou Wenyuan to review and sign.
At the same time, he would send various rare treasures and nourishing supplements every now and then in the name of sympathizing with the master's hard work, and even hinted that he could help take care of Miss Xiuyun.
"Your Excellency is the governor of the county and you have worked hard. I will take care of the trivial matters. Your Excellency is in the prime of life and you should take a break and enjoy the joy of life." Wang Tongzhi was like a frog in boiling water.
When Zhou Wenyuan heard these pleasant words, the tense string in his heart completely relaxed.
Yes, he was the prefect, a third-rank official. Why should he personally handle everything? Wang Tongzhi was reliable, so he could just leave it to him. As for Ning Lingyi and Shen Qingyan? Of course he hated them, but now, that hatred seemed distant and vague, far less tangible than the wine and beautiful women before him.
He waved his hand and pushed more affairs to Wang Tongzhi, while he indulged himself in Xiuyun's tenderness with peace of mind, and even forgot about his first wife Li at home.
Revenge? It no longer seemed so urgent, at least not at the moment.
*
In the east of Mingzhou City, in Chengxin Garden, the night deepens.
The candlelight burned quietly within the gauze canopy, illuminating Ning Lingyi's calm profile. Opposite her sat a middle-aged man in casual clothes. It was none other than County Magistrate Wang Tongzhi.
He was respectful, yet had the calm sophistication of a seasoned official.
"Your Highness," Wang Tongzhi picked up the teacup, gently blew away the foam, and reported calmly, "Ever since I gave Xiuyun to Lord Zhou, Lord Zhou's mind has been no longer on government affairs. He often stays in the courtyard west of the city, enjoying fine wine and beautiful women."
Ning Lingyi's fingertips tapped lightly on the rosewood tabletop, making a barely audible sound. "Suddenly ascending to a high position, suddenly finding a soulmate. Lord Zhou is indeed no exception."
"Ultimately, Minghua County still relies on capable officials like Lord Wang to maintain stability. Lord Zhou is truly unworthy of his position and is ill-equipped for this task."
Wang Tongzhi put down his teacup, a modest smile on his face. "Your Highness, you are too kind. I am only fulfilling my duty and sharing your worries."
He changed the subject, his gaze darkening a little, and his voice lowered a bit, "It's just that Your Highness, now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and the world is beginning to settle, people throughout the world are inevitably a little unsettled and doubtful. Your Highness, the prince who carries the blood of the previous emperor, lives in Mingzhou. Although this humble official is dull, he understands the significance of this matter."
He raised his eyes, looked directly at Ning Lingyi, and said meaningfully: "What happened in the county today is just a minor disturbance. I think the best strategy is to wait and see how things develop."
He will not side with Zhou Wenyuan for the time being, nor will he easily surrender to Ning Lingyi.
A glimmer of understanding flashed across Ning Lingyi's eyes. This Wang Tongzhi was indeed a clever and cunning man.
She smiled faintly and picked up the teacup: "Lord Wang is very insightful, and I understand. If you can help Mingzhou in the future, I and my nephew will repay you in the future."
Wang Tongzhi immediately stood up and bowed deeply, his manner extremely humble. "Your Highness, I am sorry to trouble you. This is my duty, and I will do my best. If my words today have offended you, I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
After seeing off Wang Tongzhi, silence returned to the study.
Shen Qingyan turned around behind the screen, a trace of doubt between his brows: "Your Highness, this person's words are smooth and his mind is hard to predict. Can you trust him?"
Ning Lingyi smiled, "Trustworthy? He's just an opportunist who changes his stance according to the situation. He came here today just to take advantage of my influence, to go along with the situation, to curry favor, to open up a way out."
She continued, "Just look, if my brother, the Emperor, secures his throne, with just one decree, this Lord Wang will immediately sell out today's words, along with you and me, as tokens of his advancement."
Shen Qingyan's heart trembled: "Your Highness, please understand. This person is too dangerous."
"Dangerous? But not necessarily unusable."
She ran her fingertips across the spot where Wang Tongzhi had just sat, as if weighing a chess piece.
"As long as he is greedy for power and position, as long as Zhou Wenyuan is still above him, his current dedication is just a temporary weapon for us."
Shen Qingyan looked at Ning Lingyi's calm profile. This game of chess was full of twists and turns. Princess Mingzhu was just like the emperor, and she had her own methods in employing people and making guesses.
Fortunately, he chose a smart master.
Outside the window, the night is getting darker and the dew is heavier. The night in Minghua County seems calm, but the undercurrent never stops.
No one knows where the future lies, but everyone is a chess piece on the chessboard.
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