"The Tuning Guards suffered a defeat", "The soldiers of the Tuning Guards rebelled", "Tuning is in chaos again" ... the bad news spread like wildfire, as if it had wings, spreading throughout the northwest, adding fuel to the fire, and spreading rumors, becoming more and more outrageous, and it was difficult to stop it for a while.
When the news reached Xicang, everyone in the Heqinguo mansion heard about it.
Night ยท Back Court
After taking a shower, Jiang Yushu went into the study as usual to get busy.
In early summer, she was wearing a princess-colored nightgown, with her hair tucked behind her ears and half loose, and she took time out of her busy schedule to open and read the letter.
Cuimei was in a daze. She approached the candlestick and absent-mindedly picked up the wick. As a result, wax dripped onto the back of her hand accidentally, burning her with a hissing sound.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yushu looked up at the sound and warned, "Be careful, you're going to give birth soon. Go get some rest and don't stay up with me."
Cuimei came back to her senses and wiped off the wax with a handkerchief. She was worried and missed her husband. She shook her head and said, "I am not sleepy, but I can't fall asleep even if I lie down. I just want to make tea for you, my lady."
"Just ask Xiaoshuang or Xiaoxia to make tea. We don't need three people."
"They are in the kitchen, making some of their signature desserts for you to enjoy."
Jiang Yushu read ten lines at a glance, then opened another one and said without looking up, "You guys enjoy it, I'm not hungry."
"Madam, you've become noticeably thinner over the past two weeks. Even County Magistrate Huang, who's so reserved and reserved, couldn't help but ask about your health today." Cuimei was worried and advised, "Eat less each meal. At least have an extra meal at night. Take care of yourself."
For the past two weeks, Jiang Yushu has been unable to sleep or eat, exhausted and rapidly losing weight. She bowed her head, silently reading the letter. The tip of her nose, chin, neck, wrist bones, and finger bones...are noticeably thinner. She calmly said, "It's almost June. I've been suffering from the summer heat, and my appetite has decreased, so I've lost a little weight. Don't be alarmed."
"But the snacks will be ready soon, all of your favorites."
Jiang Yushu put the letter she had read on her right hand, glanced at her confidant, and compromised: "Okay, let's try it."
"Why!"
Cuimei forced a smile and asked while grinding ink, "Do you need a reply?"
Jiang Yushu nodded, spread out the paper neatly, put a paperweight on it, and picked up the pen to dip it in ink. "Relatives and friends write to express their concern and regards. It would be rude not to reply."
"I've been receiving letters every day lately. Who are the three letters today?"
Jiang Yushu looked calm as she buried her head in writing, "Old Madam, Azhe, and Uncle Mu."
"Oh, General Mu has written again?" Cuimei exclaimed in admiration, "General Mu is such a kind man, he really cares about the Second Master!"
Jiang Yushu was always grateful. "Uncle is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. He cares about the friendship between him and the Marquis and has done a great favor to the Guo family. Back then, when the old lady and her family were farming in Changping, they were able to benefit from the care of the Mu family."
"The old lady and the third master have written again to inquire about it?" Cuimei frowned, her eyes reddened with worry. "Alas, even if they ask us, we don't know."
Jiang Yushu was in a heavy mood. "I've sent people to inquire about the news every day, but there's still no reliable news. I can't contact Changxing either, so I can only continue to comfort my family." She paused and rubbed her temples. "Also, Azhe said in his letter this time that Hongxuan missed the exam."
"ah?"
Cuimei was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but get angry. She muttered, "Actually, I guessed it a long time ago! The Fourth Master ignored his family's objections and eloped with the courtesan to Qinzhou. He was so absorbed in coaxing women that he had no energy left to study. Even if he took the exam, he probably wouldn't pass."
After carefully considering her words, Jiang Yushu bent over her desk and swiftly wrote a reply to her family friend and elder, setting it aside to let the ink dry. Then, she laid out a new sheet of paper, picked up her pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote back to her mother-in-law. She wearily said, "I've been incredibly busy lately, and I'm not able to spare much time. I can only offer a few words of advice. If Mother-in-law were here, she'd discipline Fourth Brother. Besides, while I'm your sister-in-law, I'm still just your sister-in-law. If I'm too strict, Mother-in-law might be upset."
"It's best to let the Second Master come forward. It's only natural for an elder brother to teach his younger brother a lesson!"
"That's right." Jiang Yushu understood deeply, "Brothers are like brothers. Broken bones are connected with tendons. Honglei can punish his brother, but if I do, my mother-in-law will probably stop me."
Cuimei sat at the desk in a daze, her belly protruding. "Oh, forget it. I'll just do as Madam wishes and try to persuade the Fourth Master. Whether he listens or not, whether he changes or not, is not something I can influence."
Jiang Yushu nodded, said no more, and wrote quickly.
"Ahem," Cuimei said, feeling irritated and frustrated, "I've heard the servants gossiping in their spare time. Most of them say that the Fourth Master has a personality like the Crown Prince, having loved to play since childhood and having a strong desire to play. When the Crown Prince was alive, he often took me out to banquets and tours of famous places in and around the capital. Alas, I didn't expect that, just after he revived the family business, the Fourth Master would return to his old ways, return to - what was it?"
Jiang Yushu remained calm and said, "You're back to your old ways. Cui'er, don't say such things in public. After all, the Fourth Brother is Honglei's biological brother."
"I understand. I never participate in such idle chats. I just told you casually." Cuimei thought about it silently and asked softly, "Isn't the Madam curious?"
"What are you curious about?"
Cuimei was blunt, counting on her fingers. "Drinking wine, listening to songs, redeeming the courtesan, settling and supporting the courtesan, going to Qinzhou, etc., which one of these doesn't cost money? How could the Fourth Master have so much money? The old lady really, really loves her youngest son! I'm going to say something that deserves a slap in the face. Even if the mansion has mountains of gold and silver, it can't withstand willful squandering. Besides, the Guo Mansion is no longer a marquisate. Its financial resources are far less than before, and it can't afford to squander money."
In a blink of an eye, Jiang Yushu finished writing another reply letter and blew on the ink. "Oh, I know what's going on about this."
"Then, do you have any solution?"
Jiang Yushu's eyes were covered in dark circles, and she looked haggard. She shook her head and replied, "Silly girl, household affairs and household accounts cannot be calculated too carefully. It's enough to get by on the whole. Otherwise, it will definitely hurt the relationship. I know the situation and I have my salary. As for the future of the farm, I leave it to the old lady to decide. She can spend it however she wants. As long as she is willing to take care of her grandchildren and honor her mother-in-law during the holidays, I will be happy to show my filial piety to her."
Cuimei sighed sadly, "If it were a petty daughter-in-law, there would be a quarrel between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sooner or later! The Crown Prince's wife is dead, and you and the Third Madam are so generous, so the family is-"
At this time, the maids Xiaoshuang and Xiaoxia knocked lightly on the half-open door, "Madam?"
"Come in."
The sweet aroma of the cakes filled the air, and Cuimei sniffed it and said, "What a nice smell."
The two maids did not push the door open, but instead announced, "County Magistrate Huang wishes to see you."
Jiang Yushu perked up, pushed a few letters aside, and motioned Cuimei to fold and seal them. "Please ask him to come in!"
"yes."
After a while, Zou Gui led Huang Yichun into the study.
Jiang Yushu said gently, "Sit down."
"Thank you, sir." Huang Yichun was wearing casual clothes that were neither new nor old. As soon as he sat down, the maid served him hot tea.
Jiang Yushu cheered up and greeted with a smile: "Try the girls' specialties."
"Thank you, sir." Huang Yichun was no longer as reserved as he had been at first since they were familiar with each other. He picked up the cake and tasted it. "Not bad, it tastes very good."
"Try more if you like."
After chatting for a cup of tea, the doors and windows were closed and several people began to talk in private.
Jiang Yushu took a few sips of strong tea to refresh herself, then asked directly, "Did you find anything new during today's interrogation?"
Huang Yichun's fury was instantly apparent. "Although there's nothing new to discover, two criminals have confessed everything! Among them, the local thug nicknamed 'Six-Fingered King' admitted to being instructed by Wen Xi to act on his behalf and hire Old Deng to commit the crime. Old Deng had been following Teacher Jing for days and, while he was fishing, pushed him into the river, causing him to drown."
"The evidence is irrefutable," Jiang Yushu resolutely decided. "After more than half a year of covert investigation, we can finally close the net!"
Huang Yichun frowned fearfully and warned, "Wen Xi and Li Qigong have committed numerous crimes, including corruption and bribery. They deserve the death penalty. However, they are locals, local bullies who have been operating for over a decade. They have considerable influence and many informants, and they each maintain a group of retainers. If we try to arrest them, they will most likely resist, or even become desperate and harm innocent people."
"Yes, a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, so we have to be on guard." Zou Gui and Luo Chen stood side by side and looked at each other. "That kind of person is cruel and ruthless. If pushed into a corner, I'm afraid he'd dare to do anything."
"Alas, the common people whispered, 'Lijiabao is permanent, but the county magistrate is ever-changing.' I heard that there were one or two county magistrates who were weak and powerful, seemingly powerful, but in reality, they were almost powerless. They played dumb and tried every possible means to protect themselves and get transferred away from Tuning."
Cuimei couldn't help but feel scared and said timidly, "The Li and Wen families have quite a few thugs combined. What if the criminals go all out and kill us too? That would be such an unjust death."
"The original plan was to ask General Song to send troops to assist, but right now, the army is busy and cannot spare troops to help the government. Otherwise, let's take a long-term view?" The county magistrate and the county magistrate's husband were both from outside the area, and the county magistrate's husband had an accident, so there was a lack of military force... Huang Yichun thought about it over and over again, hesitant.
Jiang Yushu remained calm and composed, showing no sign of flinching. She was determined to punish the Chief Clerk and the Dianshi. She calmly said, "This is a matter of great importance, so we must take a long-term approach. Don't be afraid. I've thought it through. I'll hold off for now. When Prefect Ji inspects Tuning, I'll take the opportunity to borrow the government guards and severely punish the evil officials who murdered the imperial officials. We'll quickly eradicate this local bully and restore peace to the people."
"oh?"
Huang Yichun was stunned for a moment, and reminded hesitantly: "This method should be feasible. However, when the time comes, the credit will be..." He stopped and left it at that.
Jiang Yushu understood, and in her anxiety she had no time to think about making a contribution. She smiled faintly, "It doesn't matter who gets the credit. I just want to close the case as soon as possible to avoid any more trouble."
"I admire your magnanimity, sir!" Huang Yichun bowed respectfully.
At the same time, the post
The father-in-law and son-in-law traveled for several days and stayed at an inn at night.
After taking a shower, Pei Wenfeng went downstairs for a walk, taking a stroll and asking for news. Then he went upstairs and was about to open the door of his room when he was called away by his father-in-law.
"You've been working hard all day, why haven't you rested yet?"
Ji Xuelian said with a pleasant expression, "Sit down."
Pei Wenfeng sat down and asked with concern, "Has your back pain gotten better after taking the medicine?"
"Much better." Ji Xuelian leaned back in his recliner, put down his book, and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm old and useless. I've been traveling for a few days and my back and waist are sore."
Pei Wenfeng smiled and said, "The road is bumpy, and I've been sitting all day, so my back feels uncomfortable."
"Just bear with it. We'll be in Tuning in two or three days." Ji Xuelian asked sternly, "Have you heard any news? What's the latest battle situation?"
Pei Wenfeng sighed immediately, then replied seriously, "It's been widely rumored outside, but I believe I understand my cousin's husband. I believe Guo and Honglei will never commit the serious mistake of treason!"
Ji Xuelian frowned and twirled his beard, sighing helplessly, "Let's wait until we get to Tuning and slowly inquire about everything. Yongzhou has only been peaceful for a few years, I hope there won't be another war, otherwise the local authorities will have worked in vain."
Pei Wenfeng was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Now, I wonder how worried Yushu is."
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