Chapter 142 Tu Shi was paraded in shackles for three days
The prefect nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Master Lu, there's more to come."
"However, those who are loyal and righteous must be rewarded! Those who are capable and wealthy merchants must be supported!"
"I hereby announce—"
"From this day forward, all official textiles used by the Jizhou government, including but not limited to official robes, flags, ceremonial regalia, and silks for rewards, shall be purchased from Lu Ji Embroidery Shop with priority!"
"This is not a matter of personal favor, but a matter of public duty! Madam Lu, are you willing to take on this important task and serve the government?"
This is no longer a simple reward, but a long-term, stable, and profitable official order and a supreme endorsement of credibility!
Lu Zhaoruo bowed deeply: "This humble woman thanks Your Excellency for your trust! Lu Ji will do her utmost to live up to the expectations of the government and the people!"
Manager Zhou listened from the side, his face ashen and his hands and feet ice-cold.
Before she could even meet the Emperor, she was already doomed. It wasn't just Lu's Embroidery Shop that was falling into ruin; Zhou's Embroidery Workshop would soon follow suit.
Today, the entire vast city of Jizhou is under Lu Ji's control.
Lin Yingyu, Madam Tu, and Gu Yun could still hear the words, "The embroidered pavilion is dilapidated; it's better to transfer it."
The prefect glanced around, then seemed to notice Manager Zhou and the others as if he had just seen them. His brows furrowed slightly: "Hmm? Manager Zhou, Madam Lin, what are you doing here?"
He naturally recognized Manager Zhou; this man had often tried to curry favor with the government by sending gifts and attempting to curry favor with them.
He also knew Lin Yingyu; some time ago, it was he who personally released this mistress from prison.
Shopkeeper Zhou was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud, cold sweat pouring down his face: "Reply, sir... I... I was just passing by..."
Lin Yingyu's face turned deathly pale, and she kept her head down.
She knew perfectly well that if it weren't for the strong pressure from that "noble person" in the capital, would this prefect in front of her have been willing to release her, a prisoner in a serious case that he had personally sentenced?
At this moment, he must be extremely angry.
To be forced to overturn the original verdict as the dignified official in charge of a prefecture is tantamount to damaging one's own authority and losing all face!
Now that I've bumped into him, why would he give me a friendly look?
The prefect was shrewd and experienced. His gaze swept coldly over Manager Zhou, Lin Yingyu, and the others, then swept over Xiao Yeming's icy profile. He saw right through them and immediately let out a cold laugh: "Since you're just passing by, leave quickly! Don't disturb General Xiao and Master Lu's peace and quiet!"
This is a blatant and merciless expulsion!
Manager Zhou, Lin Yingyu, and the others felt their faces burning with shame and indignation.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll be going right away! I'll be going right away!"
Manager Zhou scrambled to his feet and fled in a disheveled state with his four employees.
Lin Yingyu gritted her teeth inwardly and left with the help of her maid.
After walking a few steps, she suddenly turned around, her gaze fixed on Lu Zhaoruo, a sinister sneer curling at the corner of her lips.
Let's wait and see... Once we reach the capital, we'll see who will suffer that "retribution"!
Seeing Lin Yingyu and Zhou Dongjia being driven away, Tu Shi straightened her back a bit, thinking that she was Lu Zhaoruo's mother after all.
She thought to herself, "No matter what, I still hold the title of her legal mother! Even if she hates me to the core, she still has to consider the reputation of her father and brother, and wouldn't dare to really do anything to me!"
"She's always been gentle and easy to manipulate... If I lower myself and coax her a little, I'm not afraid she'll change her mind and come back to me."
"When she receives an imperial title and becomes a noblewoman... then I will be the mother of a noblewoman! What a glorious thing that would be!"
Just as she was thinking animatedly—
Lu Zhaoruo's icy voice suddenly rang out: "Tu family, why haven't you left yet?"
Upon hearing this, Tu's face instantly turned purple, and she was extremely embarrassed!
She actually referred to herself as 'Tu Shi'?
Xiao Yeming's cold gaze swept over, and the prefect frowned, while the surrounding people all turned to look at her!
Tu forced herself to remain calm, straightened her back, and turned to Xiao Yeming and the prefect, forcing a smile: "General Xiao, Prefect, you are wise... I am Zhaoruo's mother..."
She was hoping that these two important figures would say something polite on her behalf, preserving her dignity as a "mother".
Who knew—
Before anyone could speak, Lu Zhaoruo frowned and raised her voice, her words filled with disgust: "Tu Shi, now you know how to bring up your 'mother' status?"
"But just now, wasn't it you who led this distant cousin, Gu Yun, to insist that I become his second wife?"
Her gaze suddenly shifted to Gu Yun, who looked as if he wanted to disappear into the ground, and she continued, "This cousin Gu Yun is over thirty years old, has five sons, and has been married twice."
“Tu kept saying that I was not good enough for my cousin. My cousin was kind and considerate of our family ties. In addition, you and my aunt begged him so much that his parents reluctantly agreed!”
Gu Yun almost buried his head in his chest.
To Tu's utter surprise, Lu Zhaoruo revealed every single one of her harsh and malicious words in broad daylight!
She smiled ingratiatingly, "A-Ning, it was Mother's fault just now. Let's talk about this when we get home..."
Lu Zhaoruo ignored her and pressed on: "Didn't Mother call me a 'discarded woman'? Didn't she call me 'unfilial and unvirtuous'? 'Disgraced as a woman'? Didn't she even say that I wouldn't be wanted even if I offered myself to her?"
"Weren't you criticizing me for opening a brothel as 'showing my face in public,' 'selling smiles,' and 'shameless'?"
She paused slightly, her gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Tu's heart: "Didn't you call me 'a lowly merchant' who 'looked superior after only a few days as the owner,' and say that anyone willing to remarry me is 'a blessing from my ancestors'?"
Didn't you sternly reprimand me for being ungrateful?
Tu was flustered and dared not look up at Lu Zhaoruo.
Finally, Lu Zhaoruo gave a bitter, astringent smile and said softly, "They even called me... 'a worthless slut that nobody wants'."
Lu Zhaoruo added, "Aren't all of these words coming from your mouth?"
Upon hearing this, the people pointed at Tu and angrily denounced her:
"You vile woman! You're unworthy of being a mother!"
"You old hag! How dare you call yourself a mother! Bah!"
"How could someone as kind-hearted as Master Lu end up with a mother as heartless and rotten as you!"
"Get out of Jizhou! Don't you dare tarnish the Lu family's reputation any further!"
In the crowd, Lu Bohong never expected that his mother would say so many vicious things!
After listening to Lu Zhaoruo's accusations, the prefect coldly swept his gaze over the trembling Tu Shi and Gu Yun, and said: "Tu Shi, as the biological mother of Lu Dongjia, instead of protecting her, you forced her to accept such an unsuitable marriage with another man when she was in dire straits, and even uttered vicious words and humiliated her to the extreme. You are truly unkind and unjust!"
"Gu Yun, you have yet to achieve fame and fortune, and your family is struggling financially, yet you dare to try to climb the social ladder. You are completely unaware of the vast difference between your own circumstances and those of Master Lu. You truly lack self-awareness!"
He saw that the two men were so terrified that they collapsed to their knees and kowtowed repeatedly.
The prefect said no more, only waving his sleeve at the yamen runners, "Take these two men to the entrance of the prefectural yamen and display them in cangues for three days!"
"Let all the people of the city see what happens when they betray morality and harass the good!"
"From now on, anyone who dares to approach Lu's Embroidery Shop even half a step will be punished even more severely!"
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