One hundred and sixty-five
Shortly after returning from Fu Wei, Qian Muliao moved his family back to Yuzhang.
At the farewell banquet, he was in high spirits and drank a few more glasses. Thinking about the four years of frustration that had finally turned around, although he didn't cry bitterly, he was drunk enough to be unconscious. He hugged Fu Wei and wiped his tears, telling him about the difficulties of the past few years.
Yu County is remote and barbaric, the yamen runners are lax, and the gentry do not take the adults seriously.
He also spent a lot of effort to deal with the yamen runners and the local gentry before he gradually made these people obedient and trust in him.
His eyes were red with emotion as he said, "In the four years since I came to Yu County, I have never truly admired anyone, but!"
"Mr. Fu, Young Master Fu, you are someone I admire from the bottom of my heart. You are only in your twenties, but your talent, intelligence, and heart are far beyond your years. Sometimes I feel ashamed of myself."
It is very difficult to accept that you are not as good as a young man who is almost a generation younger than you, not to mention that Qian Muliao himself is a proud person.
Maybe only when you are drunk can you say what is in your heart.
It was late at night and most of the wine was drunk.
The two brothers of the Fu family said goodbye to everyone and got on the carriage to go home.
The moonlight was cold and the carriage arrived at the alley. Fu Zhen helped Fu Wei down from the carriage.
Since Fu Zhen learned that the misfortunes in his family were caused by the Huo family, and that the Huo family father and son regarded Erlang as a thorn in their side and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible, he remained vigilant at all times and almost did not drink a drop of alcohol at the farewell banquet.
He had been restless recently and left his house unlocked. Fu Zhen supported the drunk Fu Wei and knocked on the door.
Yu Ying had been waiting, writing medical notes in the study. When she heard the noise outside, she quickly got up, lit a lantern and went to open the door.
As soon as I opened the door, I smelled a strong smell of alcohol. Seeing Fu Zhen supporting Fu Wei, I knew he had drunk a lot of alcohol.
Fu Zhen was very strong and he easily helped Fu Wei into the yard without Yu Ying's help.
Yu Ying quickly closed the door, bolted it, and turned around to catch up with the two brothers.
Fu Zhen helped Fu Wei into the house, and Wen Xing brought hot water over: "Go wash up."
After thanking her brother and sister-in-law, Yu Ying asked them to go back and rest.
After closing the door, she made a cup of strong tea and turned to give it to Fu Wei who was sitting up on the bed.
She walked to the bedside, fed him tea, and said, "Are you addicted to acting? You act so reluctantly."
Even without going there, Yu Ying knew how flawless Fu Wei's superficial efforts were.
Fu Wei drank a cup of strong tea, sobering up a bit. He smiled helplessly and said, "I'm not acting in front of you."
Yu Ying took away the empty cup and asked him if he wanted more. After seeing him shake his head, she jokingly said, "You wouldn't dare. If you act, I can tell with my sharp eyes."
"Fire eyes and golden pupils?"
"Where can I find such a mythological book? In it, there's a monkey who cultivates into a demon. A deity recruits him to heaven to be a horse-raising fairy. Furious, he starts a riot and steals all the elixirs from the alchemist. He's caught and forced to refine the elixir in the furnace for forty-nine days. Instead of turning into ash, he develops eyes that can distinguish demons, gods, and humans. Fiery eyes can be understood as the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, good and evil."
Yu Ying briefly gave him a brief introduction to Journey to the West, which is well known to everyone from the elderly in their eighties to children as young as eight.
Fu Wei felt a little dizzy, but it did not affect his ability to understand.
After listening carefully to Yu Ying's words, he pondered for a moment and said, "I feel like this story isn't over yet. It feels more like the beginning, making people want to listen to it more."
Yu Ying put down the cup, turned around, took the handkerchief and put it in the basin. She picked it up, wrung it dry, and turned back to wipe his face: "It is indeed the beginning. There is still some content before it. You are very busy now. I think you don't have time to listen..." She turned around and washed the handkerchief again, and said again: "Hands."
Fu Wei obediently raised his pair of slender and strong hands.
Yu Ying wiped his hands carefully and continued, "It will take about half a month to get to Yuzhang. I'll tell you more about it on the way there. It will also help to relieve your boredom."
Fu Weiqian yawned, and Yu Ying smelled the alcohol and frowned.
The drunk Fu Wei did look a bit more handsome, but even a banished immortal couldn't stand the stench of alcohol.
Seeing that he was still awake, she couldn't stand it any longer: "Go rinse your mouth, change your clothes and go to sleep."
Fu Wei looked up at her, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a little aggrieved: "You never looked down on me when I couldn't walk with my legs injured. Why do you look down on me now that we're married?"
Yu Ying: ...
When I think about it carefully, I feel that this sentence sounds familiar.
Isn’t it just the difference between those stinky men before and after marriage?
Fu Wei was really drunk and started complaining and accusing others.
Yu Ying glanced at him and said, "Don't make trouble. I know you are awake."
Upon hearing this, Fu Wei couldn't help but chuckle softly and stood up with the help of the bed. Yu Ying reached out to support him and assisted him in rinsing his mouth and changing his clothes.
After it was done, the drunkenness had worn off a little.
Before going to bed, he asked, "How are the preparations for the clinic and the medical school going?"
Yu Ying said, "The young lady from the Ji family will definitely stay in Yu County. I'm afraid there will be a conflict with the eldest sister-in-law of the Yu family, so I plan to give her a 20% profit and let her take charge of all matters on the first floor. The second floor will be managed by the eldest sister-in-law of the Yu family. After all, the eldest sister-in-law of the Yu family comes from a noble family, so she should be able to speak politely."
Fu Wei nodded, his voice fading away: "The girl from the Ji family is only about thirteen years old, but her grandfather is the director of the Ji family medical clinic. If she takes charge, the Ji family will also help out. Only then can Yongxi Hall in Yu County prosper in the long run."
Once she leaves, several medical clinics may not be willing to do the Yu family a favor.
Yu Ying nodded: "Although the little girl is young, she is more capable of handling things on her own than my sister-in-law."
Due to the different educational environment, the girl from the Ji family grew up in a family of doctors. She is confident and does not hesitate. It is only a matter of time for her to grow up.
The eldest sister-in-law needs someone to take charge, so it would be a bit difficult to let her take charge.
"Since the Yu family's brother and sister-in-law were allowed to take over Yongxi Hall, I was thinking whether we should have brought them over earlier. The eldest brother of the Yu family went out to travel when Yu Liuniang was about ten years old and didn't return until a year before the family was confiscated. The brother and sister were not very close before, so it would actually be okay for him to come. What do you think?"
Yu Ying said a lot but didn't hear any response from Fu Wei. She looked up curiously and saw that his eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow.
Since coming back, Fu Wei has been going out early and coming back late every day. He is busy with work and he was drunk today. How could he not be tired?
Yu Ying had no choice but to pull the quilt up a little and sleep closer to him.
Forget it, let’s discuss it tomorrow.
*
Qian Muliao left Yu County, and Yu County was temporarily managed by Fu Wei until the new county magistrate took office.
If it was someone with less experience, no one in the yamen would be convinced, but this person was Fu Wei, so they were convinced wholeheartedly.
But after Qian's staff left, some people felt listless and lost their spirits.
Most of these people have been to Yuzhang.
The yamen runners who had been to Yuzhang had seen a wider world and were no longer willing to stay in this small Yu County.
But if I don’t stay in Yu County, can I still go to Yuzhang?
But how could they have the guts to ask to go to Yuzhang together?
In terms of ability, they are far inferior to those in Yuzhang Zhou Mansion.
Fu Wei came out of the study and heard someone mention Yu Zhang's insights. He sighed and said nothing.
The weather has improved and the herbs can be harvested. Fu Wei needs to go and take a look, and then talk to the village chief to have the herbs delivered directly to the yamen.
He named eleven people to accompany him.
After checking the herbs in several places, it was already noon, so we found a place near the river to rest.
After eating the dry food, Fu Wei suddenly stood up and said to them, "I have something to discuss with you."
When everyone saw him stand up, they all stood up as well. Someone said, "Mr. Fu, please feel free to tell us what you want to say. We will do our best to help you."
As soon as the words came out, everyone echoed them.
Before they went to Yuzhang, they believed in Mr. Fu, and after they went to Yuzhang, they admired him even more from the bottom of their hearts.
Fu Wei said, "It's not a big deal. I'll send a letter to ask for your permission after I return. After I hand over the task to the new magistrate, if you are willing, you can return to Yuzhang with me and recruit new yamen runners according to the people you agree on."
The yamen runners who had previously gone to Yuzhang with County Magistrate Zhou were almost all quite capable. Most of them were brought up by County Magistrate Zhou himself, and the people were all on his side. Although their skills weren't particularly good, they were still more reliable than bringing in new people from Yuzhang.
Therefore, Fu Wei naturally had to take these people to Yuzhang.
He personally brought him to Yuzhang, and Ming was grateful and never forgot him, and from then on he became his close confidant.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Fu Wei in disbelief. They wanted to go but hesitated: "Yuzhang is over a thousand miles away from home. It may be difficult for us to see our family again in the future."
"Yes, I also heard that the war has already started in the north. I don't know when the people of Lingnan will be attacked. It's still a thousand miles away, and I still feel uneasy."
Fu Wei smiled and said, "That's not difficult. If you're the only son in your family, then you can bring your parents, wife, and children along. I'll ask you for the money to settle down. As for the travel expenses... I'll pay for them myself, two taels of silver per person."
There were eleven people in total, including those who returned with them and a few people from Yuzhang who still needed to be taken away.
Someone was tempted and said, "Yuzhang has the Zhou family and a large army stationed there. It's safer than staying in Yu County... I'm willing to follow you to Yuzhang!"
These words touched everyone's heart.
If Cangwu is attacked and Governor Shen is unreliable, who else can protect them?
The Yuzhang Zhou family is very powerful and is the overlord of one side. Every soldier in their family is different from the lazy soldiers in Lingnan. They are all strong and vigorous, and one of them can fight against five of them. If there is a war, they will be very reliable!
In just a moment, everyone decided to move their families to Yuzhang.
*
In the blink of an eye, a month has passed, and Prefect Shen is still firmly seated in Cangwu City.
It is possible that there was trouble in the north and the new emperor had no time to take care of it, or it is possible that the people who came were all dealt with quietly.
Yu Ying prefers the latter.
Since Prefect Shen had formed an alliance with Mu Yunshan, it was tantamount to a rebellion, so all the iron ore he mined was naturally secretly transported to Mu Yunshan.
Fu Wei collected the medicinal materials and asked someone to transport them to another place, but actually he sent them to Yuzhang.
Not long after the medicinal materials were sent out, a new official took office.
The new official was unwilling to be the magistrate of this remote and poor place, and he did not smile at all when he arrived. However, he did not dare to treat Fu Wei lightly, and could even be said to be a bit of a bootlicker.
If he works for the Zhou family in Yuzhang, he might become an even higher official than him in the future. How could he dare to show off his power?
The new official is not yet an obstacle.
*
Yu Ying went to see the leader of Muyun Village for a follow-up visit. Fu Weiyin's one-month period was up, so they went together again this time.
Yu Ying went for a follow-up consultation as usual, and then asked the two of them to talk alone.
The leader of Muyun Village said nothing and handed him a few pieces of paper: "Take a look."
Fu Wei lowered his eyes and looked at the papers, and was surprised.
Could it be possible that he really found someone?
It doesn’t matter if we can’t find it, but it would be the best if we can find it. This would be the most powerful evidence that would make the leader of Muyun Village believe that Prince Zhou is not upright and narrow-minded.
Fu Wei picked up the paper and opened it. He knew what it was at a glance.
This is a confession, and it is the confession of Captain Wu.
It clearly states who bribed him and how he framed General Zhou.
He was bribed and threatened by the uncle of the mistress of the Zhou Mansion to take 5,000 taels to go to Zhoukou for disaster relief, but he only hinted that it was General Zhou's order.
He knew that Zhou's wife's family, Chen's uncle, would not let him live, so he framed them while waiting for an opportunity to escape.
Finally, he embezzled two thousand taels and fled to Lingnan, where he became an ordinary farmer.
Of the two thousand taels that year, about three hundred taels were spent on medical treatment for his father, wife and children.
"He hasn't betrayed the eldest son of the Zhou family, but he can't escape the responsibility." The leader of Muyun Village frowned, thinking to himself that how could the leader of Zhou, who was such a hero, have such a short-sighted and narrow-minded son?
After Fu Wei read the confession, he looked up and asked, "Where is the person?"
"Let him go." The leader of Muyun Village responded.
Fu Wei raised his eyebrows and asked, "Did the village chief let him go?"
"Back then, the Chen family threatened the lives of my father and his wife. Now, my father is unconscious, and my wife and young son are frail and dependent on medicine. If we capture him, none of them will survive."
Fu Wei suddenly smiled: "People in Lingnan all know that the bandits of Muyun Mountain are vicious and murderous, but they didn't know that the leader of the village has such a kind heart."
The head of Muyun Village glared at him coldly: "You are so sarcastic."
Fu Wei smiled but said nothing.
"Wu was wrong, but he didn't fall into this dilemma, so he didn't know the pain."
"It's difficult to choose between loyalty and righteousness. Choosing either side is right, but also wrong. God's retribution for him has fallen on him and his family. There will never be a happy and fulfilling life in this life. This is also a punishment."
"Until you are deeply trapped in a dilemma, you don't know the pain." Fu Wei repeated these words in a low voice without making any further comments.
But the leader of Muyun Village could see that Fu Wei would not ask about the man surnamed Wu anymore.
After a while, he said, "Wait a minute, I'll be back soon."
Having said that, he stood up and walked out.
Yu Ying watched as the leader of Muyun Village walked out of the house, and then he took a box down from the carriage.
She took a look and then looked away, no longer curious.
The leader of Muyun Village brought back a box and placed it in front of Fu Wei's table with a deep voice.
He opened it and found silver bars inside.
"I left him two hundred taels. The remaining fifteen hundred taels are all inside, along with the official seal of the Yuzhang Zhou family. I'll present this with a confession to the Zhou family patriarch, saying that Captain Wu committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
Fu Wei looked up at him and said, "What if the Zhou family leader doesn't believe it and instead suspects that it was really Master Zhou Yi who hid the military pay?"
"Do you think the patriarchs of those great families are all blind and deaf?" As soon as he said that, he remembered that the Zhou family patriarch had been blind once, so he changed his tone and said, "The Zhou family patriarch was blind once, and if he goes blind again, he should not be the patriarch."
Such a tone shows respect, but not much. It seems that he has a close relationship with the head of the Zhou family.
In fact, Fu Wei knew clearly that after Captain Wu was captured and confessed his past, the leader of Muyun Village would send someone back to inform the leader of Zhou Family. That was why he was sure that the leader of Zhou Family would not suspect anything.
Fu Wei accepted the confession and said, "Whether to present this confession and the reward to Sect Leader Zhou is not something I can decide on my own."
The leader of Muyun Village said, "The matter is settled, I will leave now."
Fu Wei stood up and bowed: "See you later."
The leader of Muyun Village glanced at him and said, "I still need your wife to treat my head disease. Maybe I will find Yuzhang soon."
Fu Wei smiled and said, "Then I will respectfully await the arrival of the Lord of Muyun Village."
Half polite, half serious.
The leader of Muyun Village knew his current status and did not take Fu Wei's welcome seriously.
After sending off the leader of Mu Yun Village, Fu Wei touched the confession on his chest, then glanced at the silver on the table, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
This is a pleasant surprise.
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