A young and beautiful woman, crying and wanting to see my husband?
Jiang Yushu frowned instantly, feeling a surge of displeasure involuntarily. She asked curiously, "Who is she? What does she want from Hong Lei?"
Cuimei shook her head. "According to the maid, the woman is crying terribly and speaking incoherently, repeatedly asking to see the Second Master." She volunteered, whispering, "How about I go out and take a look?"
"Strange, really strange!" Jiang Yushu was puzzled. "A young and beautiful woman showed up in public and asked to see Hong Lei by name?"
"That's right, it's so strange." Cuimei couldn't help but think about it. "So, I don't have time to find out more, so I'm telling you right away."
Jiang Yushu lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and softly ordered, "Tell your Second Master immediately and have him handle it."
"ah?"
"This, this..." Cuimei was stunned and hesitated to speak.
Jiang Yushu took a deep breath, "She's not here to see me!"
"Oh, okay." Cuimei stopped daydreaming and quickly sent the servant to the back court to report.
In the hall
Huang Yichun sat by the charcoal brazier, warming himself by the fire, and asked with concern, "Sir, what happened? Is everything okay?"
Jiang Yushu's expression remained calm as she returned to her seat. "It's alright," she said, perking up. "Let's get back to the case! The plaintiff refused to accept the compensation Li Qifan offered a few days ago, is that right?"
"Yes," Huang Yichun exclaimed in admiration. "The defendant's family was wealthy and offered a generous ransom, but the plaintiff refused to accept it, and the situation remained deadlocked. Finally, a few days later, the plaintiff presented his family tree to the government, insisting that the two families were cousins and begging the government to uphold justice and severely punish the rapist."
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment and advised, "There are many case files, and this one is the most difficult. How about this? Li Qifan is in prison. If he dares to escape a second time, he will undoubtedly be sentenced to death. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so put the case aside for now. We can make a long-term plan after the New Year and hand it in before the government deadline. Also, don't forget Hong Lei's invitation. He and Doctor Guan are waiting to discuss academic matters with you."
"I, I'm so sorry." Huang Yichun held up his teacup and said hesitantly, "It's New Year's Eve, and I'm an outsider. It's not appropriate for me to—"
Jiang Yushu smiled generously and interrupted, "Well, what's the harm? We meet because of destiny, and it's more lively with more people. If you break your promise, Honglei and Doctor Guan will be very disappointed."
"I dare not, I dare not break my promise. I will be there tomorrow!" Huang Yichun agreed happily. He had originally been assigned to work with his family of four, but out of concern for their safety, he decided to arrange for his wife and children to return home. He was very unhappy about spending the New Year alone.
More than a quarter of an hour later, Cuimei came back, with a smile on her face.
Jiang Yushu appeared calm as she discussed official business, but in reality, she was worried about the "young, beautiful, crying woman" and asked hurriedly, "What are you laughing at? Is the matter resolved?"
Cuimei shook her head and said with a smile: "Second Master is helpless, please go and help me quickly, Madam."
Jiang Yushu was surprised and curious. "If he can't do anything, I might not be able to do anything either."
"Oh, you need to lend a hand." Cuimei whispered in his ear, "Second Master is about to lose his temper."
Jiang Yushu could no longer sit still. She stood up and said to her subordinates, "You go back first. Let me think about it. I'll gather everyone together after the New Year to brainstorm and discuss the verdict."
"Okay." Huang Yichun saw that the magistrate was eager to deal with personal matters, so he said tactfully, "Your humble servant will take his leave."
Soon Side Hall
Jiang Yushu was worried, and hurriedly stepped into the doorway, looking carefully:
Several personal guards watched. Guo Honglei sat at the head of the table, his face stern and his brows furrowed as he examined the couple kneeling on the ground.
Mei Tianfu knelt down, hugged Guo Honglei's legs, tears and snot streaming down his face, wailing, and yelling, "I won't leave! Please, sir, please don't chase me away. Even if there's a general amnesty, I won't leave Tuningwei!"
His wife, a beautiful young woman with disheveled hair and tears streaming down her face, also knelt, hugged her husband's legs, and pleaded bitterly, "Tianfu, please, come home! Ever since you were exiled, our whole family has been terrified, and I've often cried. Thank God, we've finally had amnesty. Why, why don't you come home?"
"Tsk, what do women know?" Mei Tianfu glanced at his wife, hugged Guo Honglei's legs tightly, and said proudly: "During that attack, I was almost beheaded by the enemy. Fortunately, you rescued me in time, otherwise, I would have died long ago, understand? So I can't leave! I'm used to it and don't find life in the barracks hard. I want to follow you, my brothers, and swear to follow you until death!"
Mei's wife was anxious and angry, blurting out: "You don't know any martial arts at all, and your riding skills are average. You can't protect yourself. You have to rely on Lord Guo to save your life. Or don't 'follow' him? Don't cause trouble for the captain."
As soon as these words were spoken, the guards watching could no longer hold back their laughter and the whole room burst into “Hahahaha~” laughter.
Mei Tianfu was embarrassed, his face flushed red, and he cursed angrily, "You stinky bitch, who allowed you to disturb the adults? If you keep talking nonsense, get out of here and go back to Qinzhou immediately. You don't serve my parents well, but only make things difficult for me!"
"I came here to pick you up on the orders of my parents-in-law."
Mei Tianfu was extremely impatient. "You are a woman, showing up in public and bringing up your family affairs in front of the adults. It's embarrassing!"
Mei's wife was the daughter of a wealthy businessman. She was fierce and stubborn, full of grievances. She shrilly asked, "Isn't it you who forced me to do this? You were pardoned, but you didn't want to go home. You made the elders sick. Not only did you quarrel with me like a madman, you even wanted to drive me away. Do you have any conscience?" She hugged her husband's legs, fell to the ground in tears, and begged with her face raised:
"Master Guo! Please do me a favor and don't let Tianfu stay. He has been spoiled since he was a child and won't be able to learn martial arts even if he spends eight or ten years. Without martial arts, he won't be able to protect you—"
"Shut up!" Mei Tianfu was furious. He raised his hand to threaten, as if to slap someone. "If you don't shut up, I'll beat you up!"
Guo Honglei shouted in a deep voice: "Enough!"
When Jiang Yushu saw Mei Tianfu raising his hand, she immediately stopped him: "Stop! What can't be discussed? Don't use force."
"Madam?" Mei Tianfu turned his head, withdrew his hands in anger, and sighed awkwardly, "Alas, this tigress of mine really needs to be punished. She can make me dizzy with anger."
Guo Honglei gave a look, and several guards suppressed their laughter. They hurriedly helped Mei Tianfu up again and urged him, "Hey, your wife, you help yourself."
"Brother, calm down. It's really inappropriate to make so much noise."
"My wife is here. Stop arguing and get up."
Guo Honglei pointed to the seat next to him, motioning for his wife to sit down, and asked in a low voice, "Does County Magistrate Huang have anything important to say?"
"It's still about the pardon. There's no rush. Let's discuss it after New Year's Eve." Jiang Yushu sat down. "What's going on with you?"
"Tianfu decided to join the army, but his family opposed it. He and his wife argued, and his wife insisted that I make the decision and 'expel' Tianfu from Tuningwei."
At this point, Jiang Yushu was completely relieved and asked generously, "How can I help you?"
Guo Honglei could barely stand it any longer. "Tell her to be quiet! She's crying and yelling, it's giving me a headache."
Jiang Yushu nodded and just glanced at Mei's wife, who immediately fell to her knees and begged with no manners:
"Madam Guo, uh, Magistrate, please help me," Mei's wife complained. "Tianfu is so heartless! I braved the blizzard and drove hundreds of miles to pick him up, but he refused to come home. Lately, he's either ignored me, argued with me, or told me to 'get out.' Oh my God, this life is unbearable!"
Mei Tianfu's face turned pale. "I have my own plans. I'll definitely find a way to convince my parents! You're a shrew. You're always nagging me. If I say a few words to you, you start crying and throwing a tantrum. Your voice is even louder than mine. And today you even dared to come to the county government office and cause trouble, making me lose face... Do you really think I dare not divorce you?"
"Divorce me now if you dare," Mei's wife said fearlessly, "and then I'll see how you'll explain it to my parents!"
"You--" Mei Tianfu was not afraid of his wife, but he was afraid of his father-in-law and brother-in-law, so he just stared at them helplessly.
Guo Honglei is brave and good at fighting, but he is not good at dealing with quarrels between husband and wife. He has no expression on his face and just drinks tea slowly.
But Jiang Yushu was a county magistrate, and she had seen a lot of murders, neighborhood disputes, and family disputes. She remained calm and shouted, "That's enough!"
"You like to quarrel, so go home and quarrel as much as you want. When you decide to report it to the authorities, come back to the government office."
“No, no, no!”
"I, we don't want to report to the police." Mei Tianfu and his wife shut up awkwardly, looked at each other, blamed each other, didn't give each other a good look, and turned their faces away at the same time.
Jiang Yushu said seriously, "The emperor's grace is immense, and a general amnesty is a great boon to prisoners. For example, exiles with minor crimes are directly pardoned, while those with serious crimes are required to pay a sum of money to atone for their sins. Mei Tianfu, which category do you belong to?"
"He accidentally killed someone while drunk, a serious crime. After his family made inquiries, they gave him enough silver and told me to bring him to Tuning to redeem Tianfu." Mei's wife choked up and reported sadly, "As soon as I arrived at Tuning, I immediately paid the silver and redeemed him, but he refused to go home."
Mei Tianfu puffed out his chest and said in a resounding voice, "What do you know? I will continue to follow our captain and guard the border!"
Jiang Yushu nodded in appreciation, then turned her head and whispered with a smile, "Captain Guo, you are a good instructor."
Guo Honglei's expression softened. He put down his teacup and solemnly instructed, "It's rare that you have the determination and courage to fight the enemy and defend your country. Whether to go or stay is entirely up to you. As long as you don't make any mistakes, no one will kick you out of the barracks. However, you've been away from home for two or three years. Your elders are ill. If you have the opportunity to visit them, how can you not go home? Go back quickly, take care of your elders, and show your filial piety."
"Listen, listen, Lord Guo has given orders, you should obey him." Mei's wife was overjoyed.
Jiang Yushu chimed in, suggesting, "A responsible man should be both loyal and filial. Go back and tell your elders about your thoughts. No matter what, at least give your parents an explanation."
"That's right!" Mei's wife's eyes were red and swollen. "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. You stayed here stubbornly and we didn't go home. I don't know how worried my parents must be."
"Hmph, it's all your fault. We quarrel all day long, which makes me upset and delays me." Mei Tianfu said stubbornly, but he showed a look of regret.
Mei's wife wiped her tears and wanted to refute, but in the end she bit her lip and sobbed in frustration.
Guo Honglei stood up and ordered without hesitation, "You've been insulting each other, and you all need to reflect on this! From now on, discuss things calmly. Arguing is useless and only hurts relationships."
"Yes, yes." Mei Tianfu bowed and nodded like crazy, then asked nervously, "My tigress is unruly and disrespectful, making a fool of herself. Are you, are you not angry?"
Guo Honglei replied calmly: "It won't happen again."
"Thank you very much, thank you for your tolerance!" Mei Tianfu pushed his wife, and the two apologized and said goodbye, walking away one after the other with their heads hung.
at night
"Oh, that's so rare!"
Jiang Yushu was filled with emotion. She hugged her husband's arm and praised him, "You are really amazing. You can actually train a cowardly dandy into a loyal warrior. I admire you!"
Guo Honglei frankly stated, "If it weren't for Tianfu's willingness to join the army, I would have ordered him to be expelled from the beginning. I simply didn't have the patience to listen to him and his wife quarreling."
"Do you think Mei Tianfu will come back after returning to Qinzhou?"
"It's hard to say." Guo Honglei said calmly, "Although he is determined, it's hard to disobey his parents' orders."
Jiang Yushu nodded. "I guess he'll be detained when he gets back. Alas, he doesn't know martial arts or military strategy. Frankly speaking, if I were his wife, I would also dissuade him."
"That's all." Guo Honglei smiled. "I'm already very pleased that he's gotten over his dandy habits."
After New Year’s Eve, the Lantern Festival was over in a blink of an eye, and the officials began their busy work for the new year.
At the end of February, the wind and snow had not stopped.
The plaintiff and the defendant were locked in a dispute over whether a cousin who lived thousands of miles away was actually a cousin. The government mediated, deliberating several times, but the court had no specific regulations, making a verdict difficult.
At the beginning of the year, Jiang Yushu was overwhelmed by the numerous official duties. Mei Tianfu led a large group of servants and returned to Tuning in a grand manner. After entering the city gate, he went straight to the county government office.
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