Break the situation
Qin Yousi was much calmer than Madam Yuan had expected. She asked Si Xi, "Mrs. Liu must have spread this news on purpose. She doesn't want the Master to take a concubine. Go ask that maid again. Can you find out what the Master is thinking? I've never met any of the Liu family, let alone been out of the house."
Madam Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Oh no! I was foolish! That old woman Jiang must have pushed you in front of Mr. Liu for the reward! I just saw you this morning, and this happened this afternoon. How could it be such a coincidence? I'm going to find this unscrupulous old woman!"
Qin Yousi also guessed so, but she couldn't blame Madam Yuan for finding a matchmaker to arrange the marriage, so she had to remind her in a roundabout way.
Qin Yousi grabbed Madam Yuan and said, "Even if we're right, how can we defeat them alone? Now that we know their intentions, we should calm down and find someone who can speak on our behalf when we negotiate with the Liu family."
Si Xi heard this and said, "If ordinary people encountered such a thing, they would definitely report it to the police, but we are dealing with Mr. Liu, so reporting it to the police is useless."
Qin Yousi asked, "Can the County Magistrate cover up everything with one hand? Is there no one left for him to worry about?"
Wangxian Town belongs to Huai County. Although Huai County is a small place, it is not too far from the capital. How could it be possible for a county magistrate to have such power?
She searched her mind for several cycles before finally finding someone useful. She tentatively asked, "I saw in the county annals that the censor Gao Xi was from Huai County. Has your father ever treated anyone in the Gao family?"
The Yuan family has been practicing medicine, curing illnesses and saving lives, and doing good deeds for so many years, so they should have some good connections.
Sure enough, Madam Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Yes, there was a young man from the Gao family who broke his leg while passing through Wangxian Town. It was your father who healed his leg!"
"Do you know the boy's identity?"
Madam Yuan shook her head: "She was taken away by the Gao family that same day, and her exact identity is unknown."
"But I have a token of appreciation from that young master!" Si Xi immediately dug out a jade pendant from his clothes. "I carried that young master from the ridge of the field to the clinic, and he gave me this as a reward. If I take this to the Gao family, will they recognize it?"
Madam Yuan was overjoyed and said, "Doing good deeds really works!"
Si Xi was a little nervous and asked, "But will the Gao family care about our family's affairs?"
Qin Yousi said firmly, "If it were a private matter, the Gao family would not intervene. However, Gao Xi is the Imperial Censor, exercising supervisory duties. The Huai County Magistrate abused his power for personal gain and allowed the gentry to oppress the people. If he does not intervene, he would be dereliction of duty! This matter will definitely be handled by the Gao family!"
not to mention……
Qin Yousi's gaze fell on the jade pendant. This was no ordinary jade pendant.
Madam Yuan was not familiar with government affairs, but she was pleased to hear her daughter's clear and logical explanation. However, she was puzzled and asked, "How do you know all this, Yao Niang? Is it really useful?"
Qin Yousi withdrew her gaze from the jade pendant and explained, "My daughter has not left the house in recent years. In addition to reading medical books, she also asked Dad to help me find various books to read. This is what is written in the book, so it can't be wrong."
"Okay, then let's go to Gao's house early tomorrow morning!"
In Bailu Terrace in the capital, flowers are in full bloom and the spring scenery is beautiful, but no one dares to go there to enjoy the spring, because the Supervisory Office, which is used to intimidate the court and the public, is set up here.
Inside the White Deer Terrace is the solemn office of the Supervisory Office; below the White Deer Terrace is the terrifying royal prison.
A tall and majestic man dressed in black soft armor and holding a bloody whip walked out of the prison. He was Baili Hongyuan, the notorious governor of Bailutai who was rampant throughout the world.
He casually threw the blood whip into the copper basin, and the clear water in the basin instantly turned into blood, but his slender fingers were not stained with blood.
"Is there something?" Baili Hongyuan glanced coldly at his attendant guarding the prison door with his narrow eyes.
Xin Chen, a personal attendant, came forward, holding a bright yellow handkerchief containing a jade pendant, and respectfully placed it before him. "Sir, the Imperial Censor Gao Xi has sent a jade pendant, claiming it is the personal property of His Highness Prince Yi. Please return it on his behalf."
Baili Hongyuan raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "How did it get into his hands?"
Xin Chen had already found out everything. He said, "Two years ago, Concubine Xian was seriously ill. His Royal Highness Prince Yi was traveling in the rain and fell off his horse in Huai County, injuring his leg. He gave this jade pendant as a reward to a small medicine man who saved him. A few days ago, the medicine man's family took the jade pendant to the Gao family and sued the Huai County magistrate for abuse of power and protecting the gentry who abducted women. Gao Xi took back the jade pendant and took charge of the matter, repaying the family for their help to His Royal Highness."
Baili Hongyuan accepted the jade pendant and placed it in his arms, then asked, "Does this family know the identity of Your Highness?"
At the beginning, Prince Yi entered the capital secretly without any imperial edict and no one was allowed to know.
Xin Chen's heart skipped a beat. He lowered his head and said, "They probably don't know. They just think they rescued a boy from the Gao family. I'll go to Huai County right away to verify this matter again."
Baili Hongyuan nodded and said no more.
In Wangxian Town, Yuan Zhi has returned home with some minor injuries, but fortunately nothing serious has happened.
He looked at his wife and daughter who had been running around for him for days, and said with shame, "My wife, my daughter, thank you for all your hard work. It's because I'm useless that I got caught by that bully, and it's exhausting for you to run around everywhere asking for help."
Seeing her husband's head covered in bruises, Madam Yuan was heartbroken and cried, "What are you talking about, my husband? If I hadn't gone to see that old woman Jiang, there wouldn't have been so much trouble. It's my fault!"
Seeing how guilty they were, Qin Yousi consoled them, "It was someone else who made the mistake, why are you blaming yourselves, Dad and Mom? Aunt Jiang can't even pay back the three thousand taels of silver owed to the Liu family, yet she's trying to use me to pay it off. I've never met anyone so calculating. If anyone really needs to be blamed, it should be me. I caused this trouble."
Yuan Zhi said: "How can you blame Xiao Er? You are right, it is all the fault of the Liu family and Mrs. Jiang!"
The family of three was comforting each other when a voice came from the door: "Where are the Yuan family members? Lord Li is here to visit the patient. Come and greet him quickly."
Yuan Zhi's face darkened immediately. He held his wife and daughter's hands and said, "You stay in the room. I'll go out and deal with it."
Madam Yuan was worried, so Yuan Yaoniang consoled her, "Mother, don't worry. Lord Li wouldn't be so foolish as to oppose us even though he knew the Censor had inquired about this matter. That would only ruin his career."
Madam Yuan said anxiously, "Then why is he here? He can't really be here to visit the patient."
The Huai County Magistrate, who was as fat as a millstone, walked into the Yuan family's house with a shaky step. Without waiting for Yuan Zhi to greet him, he sat down in the middle. After looking Yuan Zhi over, he said with a forced smile, "Doctor Yuan is really amazing. When something happened, he didn't report it to the authorities, but he went straight to the Censor to intervene. I wonder what he is dissatisfied with me, Li?"
Yuan Zhi was a man of integrity. He stood straight, not wanting to flatter or play along. He simply said, "I dare not be dissatisfied with you, my Lord. I am just afraid that you will make things difficult for Lord Li. Now that Lord Gao has asked about this, even if Lord Li handles it impartially, the Liu family cannot blame you."
County Magistrate Li slammed the table and said, "Look at your attitude! You're so arrogant! You're actually trying to arrange my affairs? You think I can't do anything to you?"
Yuan Zhi said frankly: "Yuan is a doctor who practices medicine and is an honest man. He does what is right and what is upright. If Lord Li wants to find a way to deal with me, I am afraid it will be in vain."
County Magistrate Li's heart skipped a beat.
He came today to find out the truth and understand the depth of the relationship between the Yuan family and the Gao family.
Seeing Yuan Zhi's assertiveness, he grew increasingly nervous and quickly changed his tone, saying, "What I'm saying is that there was only a misunderstanding between you and the Liu family. Why should you alarm the censor over such a trivial matter? Wouldn't that make him think I'm incompetent? Doctor Yuan surely doesn't want me to lose my job, does he?"
"Misunderstanding?" Yuan Zhi said coldly, "In Lord Li's eyes, the crime is just a misunderstanding?"
After Gao Xi intervened, the Liu family released the person immediately, but the matter was not over yet and needed to be decided by the county magistrate.
County Magistrate Li quickly said, "I've asked around. Mr. Liu believed Mrs. Jiang's slander and thought your family intended to marry their daughter to him. When he saw you deny it, he thought you were asking for a higher price, which led to the conflict. It was truly a misunderstanding."
Yuan Zhi sneered, "If Lord Li can't make it clear, then I, Yuan, will have to go to the Censorate and file a complaint."
"Doctor Yuan, Yuan Xinglin, don't worry! Mr. Liu has already agreed to compensate your clinic for all losses and to pay you an additional five hundred taels. We're all from the same hometown, so we'll see each other every day. Why make such a fuss?"
"I don't care!"
"You!" County Magistrate Li didn't expect the Yuan family to be so unyielding, and he immediately became angry. "Mr. Liu's crime doesn't deserve the death penalty, so even if you go and beat the drum to report it, it will be the same!"
In the main room, when negotiations failed and the situation was tense, a woman's voice was heard from behind the door of the inner room.
"Don't worry, sir. Father doesn't intend to oppose you, but he's worried about you being implicated by the Liu family. If it were just my family's business, it would be fine, but from what I know, the Liu family runs private gambling houses and lends money at high interest rates. Just Mrs. Jiang's family alone has lost as much as three to five thousand taels of silver, let alone others. If you can't eradicate this cancer, when the higher-ups come to investigate, wouldn't such blatant evidence of guilt be a slap in your face?"
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