Chapter 53 Bandit Movements
The runners of the county government office were wearing official uniforms and carrying swords. They all checked the people going up and down the mountain with serious expressions. When they saw the exile team coming from afar, they were already prepared for the handover and check.
"Stop, the government office is conducting a routine inspection!"
The head of the government office frowned and ordered his men to compare the appearance of the officials, exiles and others one by one. They basically had a portrait in their hands.
"What happened? It looks like a wanted poster. It's for bandits, right? It looks a bit like... Is the imperial court going to take action to wipe out the bandits?"
"Officer, why are you staring at me like that? Look carefully. These eyebrows, these eyes, I don't look at all like the person in the portrait. Don't make any mistake..."
The exiles cooperated with the yamen runners' inspection, but secretly their gossip spirits were burning strongly. After all, they hadn't encountered any checkpoints along the way, so it was obvious that something was wrong!
"Thank you all for your hard work, colleagues. I apologize for any offense I caused earlier. It was all due to my actions. I hope you will forgive me!"
The yamen runners' interrogation had ended, and the head yamen runner bowed to Wang Gang with a hint of guilt on his face.
"It's okay. What happened? Can you tell me? These bandits look familiar to me. I've encountered them before, and they got away with it..."
Wang Gang took a look at the county government checkpoint and saw that it was quite serious. He was afraid that it was not an ordinary matter. In order to save face, he took the initiative to conceal the fact that the officials had been captured by the bandits.
While the chief yamen runners and Wang Gang and others were whispering to each other, the members of the exile team had already scattered nearby to rest, and the tea drinkers' whispered discussions gradually reached their ears.
"Have you heard? Those bandits were so arrogant! They burned down three wealthy families in the city in one night! How much gold and silver must they have taken away? If they were caught, wouldn't they be beheaded immediately?!"
"That's not true! I heard the government was making such a big fuss because Zhang Futai's family had also been affected. I heard that he rushed to the government office early in the morning and was furious, arranging to arrest these criminals and cut them into pieces..."
Cheng Weiyao listened calmly, but secretly wondered, Zhang Futai? Could it be that fat county magistrate...
Wen Liyu, who was looking embarrassed, started praising with a cheerful look on her face.
"Well done! This Zhang Futai isn't a good guy after all. He has shifty eyes and a paunchy appearance. It's clear he's up to no good. He even said a lot of sarcastic things back then, showing he didn't take the Prince Qingping's Mansion seriously. Now he's getting his comeuppance!"
Cheng Weiyao's face turned dark, and she quickly stepped forward, covered Wen Liyu's mouth, and pulled her back.
How could this young lady spill all her secrets? It would be troublesome if the county yamen runners heard it.
"Um... Cheng Weiyao, what are you doing?! Can't I just say a few fair words?"
Wen Liyu was dragged back several steps. Although she looked unhappy, she lowered her voice as Cheng Weiyao had hoped. From the first sight, she disliked the chubby county magistrate. His small eyes set in his face made him look cunning and vulgar, and he would glance at her whenever he had nothing to do...
"Okay, okay, I won't bother you even if you curse his ancestors behind his back, but the people from the government office are still here, and you don't want to get into trouble, do you?"
Cheng Weiyao rubbed her temples helplessly. She certainly knew that Wen Liyu disliked Zhang Futai. After all, Zhang Futai had once expressed through Wang Gang that he hoped Wen Liyu would stay as a concubine... If this old lady knew about this, she would definitely get furious on the spot.
"What are you guys whispering about?! You've had enough tea, right?"
The chief of the yamen runners slapped the table where several tea drinkers who had just been talking were sitting, obviously dissatisfied with the common people's irresponsible comments on officials.
"What a loyal dog..."
Wen Liyu muttered softly, and after receiving a warning look from Cheng Weiyao, she reluctantly shut up.
The other exiles were all relieved after hearing the news. Although they had lost a lot of money, at least they were not burned to death in the mountain stronghold. This was a blessing in disguise.
Cheng Weiyao frowned slightly. It seemed that these bandits had committed crimes and looted treasures, so they all ran away. Setting fire to the stronghold was probably also to eliminate any traces of life, cutting off any clues that the authorities could use to track down the stronghold if they found it one day.
What puzzled her was that, since the bandits had committed so many evil things, why did they spare everyone's lives? They were so cautious and careful, they could have just silenced them...
The officials drank some tea briefly, and soon they called everyone to set off again. They had to cross a ridge, and thanks to the bandits, the exile team's luggage was reduced by half, so their pace naturally increased a lot.
Before long, a vast plain appeared in front of them. The weather was clear, with occasional breezes blowing through the hair by her ears, making Cheng Weiyao feel rare comfort and ease.
The plain is vast and there is no end in sight. You can only vaguely see a river coming from the valley in the distance, flowing along the hillside, and finally converging into a clear stream at your feet.
Although there are tall trees growing on both sides from time to time, at least you can tell at a glance whether there are people or things hidden inside.
Both the official roads and the commercial roads were almost all in deep mountains and forests. Whether it was black bears or ambushes by bandits, it was hard to guard against them, and people had to remain vigilant and nervous all the way.
"Any woman should first learn to establish herself. The only way to establish herself is to be pure and chaste. Purity leads to purity, and chastity leads to honor. When walking, do not look back, and when speaking, do not raise your lips..."
Wen Liyu had been following Cheng Weiyao closely, so she naturally saw everything she said and did, and immediately started to teach her a lesson with a look of disdain on her face.
What she recited were all the female virtues she had learned since childhood. Not swinging skirts when walking and the three obediences and four virtues were all basic requirements, and she believed that she had always implemented them well.
"Looking at your little achievements, isn't it just a smoother road? After all, you are a daughter of an official from a Duke's family, how can you be so ignorant of etiquette and so shallow..."
Cheng Weiyao raised her eyebrows. "Yu Mo Lip" means smiling without showing teeth. The ancients had so many rules.
She glanced at Wen Chengyun, who also looked happy, and started to retort.
"It's useless to tell me this. I'm just like that. If you're really dissatisfied, just ask your husband to divorce me. He, the man by your side, doesn't care about these things, but it's a bit unreasonable for your sister-in-law to keep harping on them, isn't it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
