Chapter 99 Lord Chen deliberately sought trouble
"My lord, I was born a servant of the county government, and I will die a servant of the county government. Please give me another chance. I promise I will never go to the villages without permission again!"
Lord Chen smiled and asked, "So, Lord Du, did you gain anything from your trip to the village this time?"
"I've learned something!" Lord Du quickly recounted the details of the fashion design competition, and at the end praised Zhou Mujiao, "I'm not saying this out of me, but Young Master Chen has truly excellent taste. I don't think you can find another girl in the entire Peach Blossom County as thoughtful and decisive as Miss Zhou. My lord, if you can marry Miss Zhou, with her abilities and talents, she will surely be a great asset to the Chen family in the future!"
"You mean, I am incapable of raising the Chen family's status myself, and I need to rely on a weak woman, and a lowly merchant's daughter at that?"
Registrar Du wished he could slap himself twice. He knew perfectly well that Lord Chen was deliberately trying to cause trouble today, yet he still went out of his way to give him ammunition. He was so stupid!
Lord Chen continued, “However, Miss Zhou is indeed thoughtful and decisive. Jin’er is a reckless fellow, and neither he nor his mother can control him. But with just one word from Miss Zhou, he knows to improve himself. It’s just that this woman is uncouth and a businesswoman. Although our Chen family is not prominent, we have been a family of scholars for generations. It’s a pity.”
While Clerk Du was still pondering how to respond, Lord Chen asked coolly, "Does Lord Du's silence mean he disagrees with my viewpoint?"
After thinking for a moment, Chief Clerk Du boldly said, "Although the sage said, 'Of all professions, only studying is noble,' thus dividing people into different classes, in my opinion, whether they are ordinary farmers or small business owners, as long as they abide by the law, we should treat them all equally."
Nowadays, even merchants' sons can attend school and participate in the imperial examinations. Once they achieve success, their social standing can be completely transformed. Although Miss Zhou is currently engaged in business, I've learned that her younger brother is very intelligent. I've chatted with him briefly and discovered that he's different from ordinary farm boys; he possesses a unique talent. If he receives guidance from a good teacher, he'll certainly pass the provincial examinations, if not become the top scholar. At that time, Miss Zhou's social standing will naturally be no problem. Moreover…”
He glanced at Lord Chen, then hesitated to continue.
Lord Chen hissed, "And what else? Speak!"
Du, the registrar, said with a pot lid on his head, "Besides, sir, you don't object to Miss Chen's recklessness, isn't that because you see potential in Young Master Zhao? Well, Miss Zhou's brother also has potential! Moreover, Miss Zhou is just a merchant's daughter, with a clean background, and she can still keep Young Master Chen in check. Looking at the entire Yuzhou Prefecture, which other young lady can do that? I think you're quite satisfied, sir..."
Lord Chen's face was gloomy, and he seemed to be thinking about something. After a long while, he changed the subject: "What has Zhou Mujiao been up to lately?"
"I'm working with Boss Tang. Her embroidery shop is doing very well, and her milk tea shop is also very popular. I also heard that the Zhao family planted autumn rice, and the harvest was actually quite good. I heard that this kind of autumn rice was suggested by Miss Zhou. I also heard that Peach Blossom Village plans to follow the Zhao family and plant autumn rice next year."
"My lord, if this can be successfully grown and the harvest is good, then you should promote the planting of autumn rice throughout the county. When the grain output of Peach Blossom County increases and the people can pay their taxes normally, that will truly be a great achievement for you, my lord!" Registrar Du said truthfully.
"Hmm, planting autumn rice is a good idea. Anything else?"
"That's all I know for now, nothing more."
"Oh, really?" Lord Chen scoffed. "So, have you forgotten about Peach Blossom Village establishing a village security team, or are you simply not going to mention it?"
Clerk Du felt a chill run down his spine. The men he had taken with him today were his trusted confidants, and he was willing to risk his life to guarantee that they wouldn't report him to Lord Chen. So the only possibility was that Lord Chen had sent people to watch them from the moment they left.
After his scalp tingled, Clerk Du felt his hair stand on end. So when did Lord Chen begin to distrust him?
"If it's so difficult to answer, then there's no need to answer."
Lord Chen waved his hand: "Considering that you are also a veteran of the yamen and have done your best to assist me over the years, I will not pursue the matter too much. The new registrar has arrived, so go and take over the duties."
Just as Clerk Du was about to explain, he thought for a moment and changed his mind. Just then, he caught a glimpse of a pink hem of clothing behind the screen, which was clearly a woman's skirt!
What else didn't he understand? His trip to Peach Blossom Village was a minor matter; the main problem was that the county magistrate's daughter wanted to get him!
Lord Chen can barely be called a good official, but he really doesn't know how to raise children. His son has become a spoiled brat, and his daughter looks gentle and intelligent, but in reality she is petty and willful. After meeting Zhou Mujiao, Young Master Chen will realize his ambition and become an asset to him, but Chen Wan'er... I'm afraid she will only hold Lord Chen back.
Since it was an amicable parting, Clerk Du had nothing more to say. He quickly completed the handover, which took no more than half an hour.
As he was leaving, Miss Chen's maid, Xiao Cui, was smiling at him from the side door. After thinking for a moment, Clerk Du went to talk to Lord Chen a few more times: "I am very grateful for your guidance and care over the years, so I would like to have a few heart-to-heart talk with you."
"Go ahead and speak."
"If Lord Chen truly cares for Miss Chen, it would be best to marry her off as soon as possible. Otherwise... spoiling a child is like killing a child. If a serious mistake is made, not only will Lord Chen suffer, but Young Master Chen will also lose his future."
Lord Chen knew his daughter was willful, but people tend to be protective of their own. He could criticize his daughter, but others couldn't.
Lord Chen's face immediately darkened: "Du—"
"This humble subject misspoke, please forgive me, Your Excellency!"
Clerk Du, oh no, Du Zhusheng, quickly begged for mercy and then hurriedly left.
The two constables came out to see him off. The three of them didn't say much. Du Zhusheng said, "You two do your jobs well. I'm fine. The world is vast. Surely there's a place for me to stay?"
"Hey, Brother Du, why don't you go find Miss Zhou? You lost your job because of her, and she's a kind person, she definitely won't abandon you. If you manage to get on her good side, why don't you take us two with you too? After being in this yamen for so long, we've realized that the yamen isn't all clean water. The clean water is for us errand runners and do the work, while the real officials drink oily meat soup every day!"
Du Zhusheng waved his hand: "Alright, I have my own plan for this. You two just do more and talk less. If I make it big in the future, I will definitely not forget you two!"
The three brothers waved goodbye with tears in their eyes. Du Zhusheng left with his head held high, and when he was alone, he couldn't help but shed tears.
If his spendthrift wife knew he had lost his secure job as a registrar, she would definitely make a scene!
Just as I was thinking this, a shout suddenly came from behind me: "Hey!"
Du Zhusheng took off running!
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