Chapter 227 More Wronged Than Dou E
The Cao family members were tied up and thrown into the carriage.
Magistrate Shen said, "Don't worry, Madam Sui, I will definitely get this debt back for you."
His gaze fell on Cheng Wanwan, feeling both happy for her and slightly disappointed.
She had refused to marry him when she was just a village woman.
Now that she has become a court lady with an official title, a relationship between them is even more impossible.
He sighed almost imperceptibly, took out the hairpin he hadn't given her before from his sleeve, and said, "This... this is my congratulatory gift to you."
The butterfly on the hairpin is so lifelike, it seems ready to take flight.
Cheng Wanwan had a bit of a headache; she really didn't want to accept the hairpin.
Just then.
Shen Zheng walked over with the imperial gift of writing implements.
He proudly opened the box, exclaiming, "Dad, look! This inkstone is so beautiful! And this brush is even better than the wolf-hair brush..."
Fearing that his son would see his embarrassment at not being able to give a gift, Magistrate Shen immediately hid the hairpin in his sleeve.
He picked up the inkstone; its carving was exquisite, its luster like fine jade. The wolf-hair brush had a sturdy handle and an elegant body, a perfect balance of strength and gentleness…
These were rare treasures he had never seen in all his years as an official; they must have been items reserved for the Emperor's exclusive use.
"Zheng'er, you've really made something of yourself."
Magistrate Shen stroked the imperial gift with both hands, his eyes slightly warm. He wondered if he would ever receive such a reward in his life.
Shen Zheng grinned foolishly: "Dad, take all of these back with you."
Magistrate Shen was incredulous.
This kid actually wants to give the imperial gift to his father?
He used to think that his son was unfilial and that his son had disgraced the Shen family. But now he realized that he had misunderstood Zheng'er.
Zheng'er still cares about him as her father...
"Is Grandmother still worshiping Buddha at the temple? Then Father will send someone to deliver these to the temple." Shen Zheng said, stroking his chin. "Grandmother loves me the most and is always afraid that I will be useless and make Father angry. Now that the Emperor has bestowed upon me the Four Treasures of the Study, Grandmother will be very happy. Father, there is no time to lose, you should go back and find Grandmother right away! By the way, you must tell Grandmother the exact words of the imperial decree praising me, understand?"
Magistrate Shen: "..."
He was too hasty; he actually thought the kid wanted to give him the item.
He waved his hand and said, "Alright, I know everything."
Magistrate Shen reluctantly boarded the carriage.
The Shen family's carriage led the way, followed by the Cao family's carriage, as they left Dahe Village in a grand procession.
The rural rivers and fields rushed past the carriage window. Looking at the scenery outside, Master Yuan said, "If Zhao Chengshi, a mere village woman, can receive such a generous reward, it seems that the lord's reward is even more abundant."
"Stop talking nonsense," Magistrate Shen said calmly. "What I have done is what an official should do, not for the sake of a generous reward from the court."
That being said, he knew in his heart that his performance this year would definitely be among the best, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would be promoted when he went to the capital to report on his work three years later.
If we're lucky, we might get promoted one level this year.
He served as an official in Ping'an County for many years, but his political achievements were mediocre. When people talked about him, they only mentioned that he was honest and incorruptible.
In fact, it seems he never really did anything practical for the people.
Only when it was time to leave did I feel reluctant to part.
Magistrate Shen spoke up, "Master Yuan, think carefully about what we can do for the people during the autumn and winter off-season?"
Master Yuan cupped his hands and said, "Yes, sir. Please give me a few days to draft a plan."
Instead of returning to Ping'an County, Magistrate Shen sent the carriage to Hekou County, heading straight for the county government office.
Magistrate Fu had already heard the news that the messenger from Huzhou had gone to Dahe Village in Ping'an County to deliver the imperial edict. He paced back and forth in the county government hall like an ant on a hot pan, sending someone on horseback to Ping'an County every fifteen minutes. As soon as Magistrate Shen returned to his residence, he would go there immediately. He couldn't rest easy until he found out for himself.
Just then, a yamen runner rushed in: "Sir, Magistrate Shen has arrived."
Magistrate Fu was eager to see Magistrate Shen, but when he heard from his subordinates that Magistrate Shen had come in person, his eagerness subsided by more than half.
He snorted coldly: "He can't wait to show off in front of me, can he? In the past, Hekou Town paid more than three times more taxes than Ping'an County. This is the only time Ping'an County has surpassed Hekou County. What's there to brag about? Forget it, Old Shen has had a tough time these past years. He can finally hold his head high. Let him be proud for once."
Magistrate Fu went out to greet them with his hands behind his back.
As soon as I stepped outside, I saw nearly ten people bound hand and foot and thrown on the ground in front of the county government office.
"Lord Fu, these are all servants of the Cao family. The Cao family is a prominent family in Hekou Town. If members of the Cao family commit crimes, then it is naturally up to you to handle them." Magistrate Shen straightened his official hat and said coldly, "Master Yuan, you tell me, what crimes have they committed?"
Master Yuan stepped forward: "The Cao family servants impersonated government officials to arrest people and injured innocent villagers."
The Cao family was the most prominent merchant family at the Hekou County wharf. Most of the boats on the river belonged to the Cao family, and they accounted for the majority of the annual commercial tax in Hekou County. Therefore, Magistrate Fu gave the Cao family a lot of face.
Upon hearing that the Cao family had committed a crime, Magistrate Fu's first reaction was to help cover it up.
However, before he could finish speaking, Magistrate Shen said, "Does Lord Fu know who the Cao family injured? It was Lady Sui, a ninth-rank official personally appointed by the Emperor. How dare a mere merchant's servant injure a court lady with official rank? If this matter reaches the ears of the Prefect, does Lord Fu know what the consequences will be?"
Master Yuan proclaimed in a loud voice: "The Ninth-Rank Lady Sui is Zhao Chengshi from Dahe Village, Ping'an County. She was honored by His Majesty's decree, which traveled a thousand miles, for her merit in promoting the regeneration of rice. What an extraordinary honor! However, on the day of her investiture, Lady Sui was injured by a treacherous servant of the Cao family. I witnessed it with my own eyes. A long knife sliced across Lady Sui's arm, and blood gushed out like a spring, a horrifying sight. Lady Sui fainted on the spot..."
"Mmm!"
Granny Xu began to sob loudly.
But her mouth was gagged, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She felt utterly wronged, more wronged than Dou E. Zhao Chengshi's arm had only a small cut, a single drop of blood had flowed and the wound had scabbed over, yet Master Yuan described it as so terrifying… Scholars, with their mouths, can truly turn black into white…
When the Cao family servants were brought to court by the county magistrate for questioning, Dahe Village also became lively.
Cheng Wanwan's house and yard were built very large, but now, there was no space to even step in, whether it was the inner room or the outer yard.
The entire village, regardless of age or gender, gathered here to watch the spectacle.
"Good heavens, so this is the imperial edict. I've finally seen something amazing."
"The imperial edict smells so good. Was it scented with spices? Let me smell it."
"Let me touch it first. Wow, it feels like silk, but it's smoother than silk..."
"Everyone! Get out of my way!"
Old Zhao roared with great force, and a group of women and servants hurriedly put down the imperial edict.
"You're all rough and tough, can you afford to pay for it if you damage it?!" Old Man Zhao carefully placed the imperial edict into the lacquer tray, then turned to Cheng Wanwan, who was squeezed in the corner. "Eldest daughter-in-law, this good news should also be shared with the Zhao family patriarch. May I bring the imperial edict into the ancestral hall...?"
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "This imperial decree bestows three thousand acres of land upon Dahe Village. Naturally, it should be invited into the ancestral hall to make our ancestors happy."
The village head and Old Man Zhao, guarding the imperial edict, led a group of old men from the village toward the ancestral hall.
The women who remained continued to admire the imperial gifts.
"This must be a lady's dress. It's so beautiful. I wonder what kind of fabric it's made of. It looks so precious."
"Look at this hat, it's covered in gold, silver, and jade. It's so heavy, doesn't it hurt your neck to wear it?"
“This is not a hat. I heard from the imperial edict that this is called a ‘Ruren Guan’ (孺人冠). Dashan Niang, please put it on and let us see it, so we can broaden our horizons.”
Grandma Zhao coughed and said, "I don't know if these lady's robes and hats will fit. Eldest daughter-in-law, why don't you go in and try them on first? If anything doesn't fit, you should get them altered quickly. In case you need to wear them for official business later, it won't be time to make changes..."
Actually, she wanted to see what the lady's clothes looked like on her.
She had lived for sixty years and had never seen anything like it before, nor had she ever experienced anything like it. She really wanted to... broaden her horizons.
The other villagers nodded in agreement, watching with eager eyes.
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