Meng Gexing continued, "I heard you want to increase the grain yield per mu in Yuanjiang Prefecture so that my followers will willingly return to the fields. Unfortunately, even Heaven doesn't want to help you. Prefect Shen, don't you think this is ridiculous?"
As he spoke, he actually laughed out loud, a clear laugh tinged with sarcasm. After he finished laughing, he winked at her. "Wasn't it funny?"
Qingchen met his gaze, but remained silent.
The man before her was one of the three leaders of the White Lotus Sect, known as the "Smiling Wolf." She had long heard that he was handsome and elegant, naturally cheerful, and always wore a smile, no matter the occasion. However, beneath that smiling face, he was decisive and ruthless, showing no mercy. He was, however, very loyal to his own people.
The White Lotus Sect had countless followers throughout the country, and Meng Gexing was the youngest among them. He resided in Yunnan and was adept at dealing with officials and conducting business, often achieving his desired benefits. He also possessed a unique style and methods for leading and guiding his followers, which explained the significant increase in the White Lotus Sect's membership in recent years.
Opinions on the White Lotus Sect are divided, but criticism outweighs praise. Under Meng Gexing's leadership, this organization is like wolves: united, persistent, adept at cooperation, and fond of mutual support, often relentlessly pursuing their goals. On the land of Yunnan, they are physically strong, brave, and fierce, with Meng Gexing as their leader.
Seeing that Qingchen remained silent, he raised an eyebrow and began to scrutinize her from head to toe.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on her face. The person before her was quite handsome, with long eyelashes, a slender neck, and a warm, scholarly air about her. Although she was rather thin and had slightly narrow shoulders, her gaze held a deep-seated firmness and unyielding strength, like a small tree standing proudly against the wind in a valley.
So this is what the newly arrived prefect of Yuanjiang looks like. He wouldn't have known she was so young and beautiful until he captured her. Is this the man he'll face in the future?
Meng Gexing thought for a moment, then curled the corners of his mouth into a smile, looking at her with amusement, "Look how thin and weak you are, do you know how the former prefect died? Now that you've come to Yunnan, my territory, aren't you afraid?"
“Yunnan is the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and I am an official of the Ming Dynasty. Why should I be afraid?” she said, glancing at him.
"An official of the Ming Dynasty?" Meng Gexing shook his fan and sneered, "That's right, you are the prefect, you have the authority over us, so why would you be afraid? Oh, I also heard that you have someone backing you up. At such a young age, you've already climbed to the position of the second-highest-ranking official in the cabinet, you're really something."
At this moment, the people around him chimed in, "Boss, I heard that Song Yue is over thirty years old but still unmarried. Do you think he might like men? And this new prefect... could he be his lover?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the White Lotus Cult members present burst into laughter.
Meng Gexing smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on Qingchen, "Prefect Shen, is what he said true? You must have used your looks to win over Grand Secretary Song and that's how you got to the position of prefect at such a young age, right?"
Humiliation, mockery, and enrage—many ideas for dealing with the newly arrived prefect flooded Meng Gexing's mind. For some reason, he found it quite amusing, even feeling a slight surge of excitement and anticipation.
A little over a year ago, Qingchen was still an unknown junior scholar in the Hanlin Academy. Because of opportunities and by seizing them, she climbed the ranks step by step in her official career, and today she is a fourth-rank official. Her promotion was indeed very fast, which has caused quite a bit of discussion. She thinks this is normal and doesn't care much about it.
What she cared about most was that among those who were talking about her, some might, like Meng Gexing, use her to subtly criticize Song Yue. The thought filled her with resentment. She deserved the controversy and the attacks she received, but none of this concerned Song Yue; he shouldn't be affected.
Especially when they no longer have any connection.
Qingchen looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then calmly said, "You can look down on me, but you'll have to wait until you beat me. As for what kind of person my teacher is, that's not for you to comment on. Before you defeat me, you're not worthy to mention his name."
Meng Gexing stared at her lips. Those lips were a faint red, and each word she uttered was soft as she opened and closed her mouth, yet each word sounded so hard when it landed.
"Is that so?" Faced with the words "unworthy," he gave an awkward smile. "The fact that your teachers are so protective of you makes it seem like what they said is true. Exchanging one's body for fame and fortune, aside from being a bit despicable, is not a bad path."
Although he still habitually smiled, Qingchen could see a flicker in his eyes.
The word "unworthy" is a word that can easily give people a psychological suggestion, because everyone has a sense of inferiority in their bones, and even the ruthless and sharp Meng Gexing is no exception.
That's why he started acting like a rogue, and she had no intention of arguing with him. After the disaster, there were still many things waiting for her to handle at the government office; she didn't have time to argue about these things.
"What? Weren't you very talkative? Why are you silent now?"
"What do you want me to say?" Qingchen said calmly. "What the teacher is like, what I am like, is our business and has nothing to do with you. I don't need to explain anything to a stranger."
She always felt that the best way to deal with provocation was to ignore him. No matter how much he banged on the drums and shouted, if she ignored him, he could only shut up awkwardly.
Meng Gexing narrowed his eyes. He felt a mix of emotions, a mixture of displeasure and the thrill of meeting a worthy opponent.
In just a short exchange, he could tell that the person in front of him was no ordinary person and was likely the most difficult prefect he had ever dealt with.
"Lord Shen, do you know that you are now on my turf?" He leaned back in his chair, looking at her with a leisurely air, his wide sleeves hanging down over the armrests.
"So what do you want?" Her eyes remained calm and undisturbed. "You've already seen the joke, what more do you want?"
This question stumped Meng Gexing.
He captured her originally to see what kind of person she was, and to make fun of her for his brothers' amusement. Although he and she were on opposite sides, he didn't actually want to do anything to her. If he dealt with her, the court would just send another prefect, and he would still have to deal with that; he couldn't kill them all.
Rather than spending time getting to know a new person, it's better to keep the one he's been observing for months.
What he didn't expect was that this person was somewhat unexpected.
Meng Gexing frowned slightly, then revealed his signature smile, "I haven't decided yet, Lord Shen, please don't rush me, let me think about it carefully."
After saying that, he turned to his subordinates and said, "Lock her up first... By the way, Yuanjiang Prefecture has a poor harvest, and many people are going hungry. Leave the grain for the brothers to eat, and don't give it to Lord Shen."
As he spoke, he slowly turned to look at her. "Hey, am I right? The poor harvest is your responsibility as the prefect."
Afterwards, Qingchen was locked in a cramped little room. The room was dimly lit and filled with a lot of clutter, all piled up haphazardly and covered with a thick layer of dust.
Qingchen chose a relatively clean spot, sat down on the ground leaning against some clutter, bent his knees, put his arms on them, and buried his head.
She was certain that Meng Gexing wouldn't kill her easily, but she hadn't expected him to lock her up in this small room without offering any conditions. She wasn't nervous or afraid of the current situation, just a little anxious; there were so many things waiting for her to do.
Yunnan is more humid than Beijing. The clutter in this house looks like it's been piled up for a long time, giving off a musty smell that's quite unpleasant.
He sat quietly for two hours. The musty smell made it hard for Qingchen to breathe, and at the same time, hunger swept over him.
Since arriving in Yunnan, she had been busy with affairs, and the recent hailstorm, coupled with her constant worry about the impending famine among the people, had left her feeling utterly exhausted. Unexpectedly, her luck turned so badly that she was captured by Meng Gexing and locked up in this small hut, starving and barely able to breathe properly…
Thinking about it carefully, her life has really been turbulent. She inexplicably time-traveled, inexplicably ended up in Yunnan, inexplicably her rice plants died, and inexplicably found herself locked in this room…
Fate seems to always enjoy playing tricks on her, treating her like a pawn to be placed arbitrarily, letting her drift aimlessly on a path of no return. It lets her meet the people she likes, only to let them pass her by again.
Qingchen raised his head, sighed almost inaudibly, and gave a bitter smile.
The room was quiet; time seemed to settle, shattering into dust.
Shortly afterward, the door was suddenly opened.
Several people were carrying tables and chairs into her room. After the tables and chairs were set up, someone brought in food and drinks, placed them on the table, and then they left.
The steaming food emitted a fragrant aroma that quickly filled the musty-smelling hut. Qingchen looked at the food and wine, somewhat puzzled.
A short while later, Meng Gexing arrived. He was still wearing that loose, plain robe, with a light fur coat and loose belt, and a nonchalant smile on his face. He certainly had a handsome appearance that made girls unable to look away.
"Lord Shen?" Meng Gexing appeared at the door, sat down at the table, and looked at her, saying, "It's time for dinner."
Qingchen didn't answer. He curved his thin lips into a smile, looking at him with bright eyes, "Are you hungry?"
Qingchen remained silent.
He picked up his glass, took a sip of the wine, and then smacked his lips. "Mmm...it's fragrant and mellow, and leaves a lingering aftertaste. It's truly a fine wine."
Qingchen didn't want to look at him anymore, so she buried her head in her chest and closed her eyes to rest. He obviously wasn't going to give her any food, and the way he was acting was probably nothing more than a show of force. She didn't have the energy to respond to his provocations; she needed to conserve her strength so she could get out of this place as soon as possible.
Meng Gexing continued drinking and eating, deliberately making loud chewing noises to attract Qingchen's attention. When he realized she didn't want to pay attention to him, he tore off a chicken leg, stood up, and walked over to her. "Hey, look up at me."
The person in front of him remained motionless.
He nudged her arm with his elbow again. "Don't pretend to be asleep. I know you're hungry and can't sleep."
Qingchen was touched by him and finally couldn't help but look up, "What exactly do you want?"
Seeing that she had finally spoken, he smiled, a hint of amusement in his handsome eyes, "Winner winner, chicken dinner."
As he spoke, he held the chicken leg up to her face, asking her to smell it. "Does it smell good?"
Qingchen frowned slightly.
"Smells good, doesn't it? The chef here is just as good as the one in your prefectural government office." He took back the chicken leg, brought it to his lips, licked his lower lip, and looked at her. "Shall I try it for you?"
Meng Gexing, one of the three mysterious leaders of the White Lotus Sect, is a figure of mixed opinions and is known as the not-so-troublesome Smiling Wolf Number One. Unexpectedly, he is so childish and boring!
"Eat whatever you want," Qingchen glared at him, then lowered her head. "There's no need to do these meaningless things."
He chuckled upon hearing this, "Lord Shen is right. So what do you mean by something meaningful? Why don't you tell me, are you really Song Yue's lover? I'm quite interested in that."
This guy is really...incredibly noisy. Helplessly trapped in this small house, and with him relentlessly pestering her, Qingchen felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness, only wishing he would leave quickly so she could have some peace and quiet.
"Just bear with it." She lowered her head again.
Meng Gexing simply squatted down, suddenly leaned close to her face, and blew a breath on a tuft of hair that was falling across her forehead.
Qingchen suddenly looked up and saw a handsome face very close to hers. She was startled and leaned back desperately. "What are you doing?"
"Looking at you." He tilted his head, staring at her delicate face. "Since you're ignoring me, I guess I'll just have to look at you. You... are quite good-looking, no wonder Song Yue..."
"Get out." Qingchen finally lost her patience.
"What?" he asked, slightly taken aback.
"I told you to get out! You're making so much noise."
He blinked. "...This is my territory."
"Then I'll go." She made a move to get up.
He quickly shielded her with his body and shook his head, "No, no."
Qingchen was on the verge of a breakdown.
"What exactly do you want..."
Before he could finish speaking, a man rushed in from outside the door, saying anxiously, "Boss, something's happened! The prefectural government has arrested your brother! You'd better go see him quickly..."
Meng Gexing's smile vanished instantly, his gaze shifting as if from spring to winter. "Your people?"
Before she could speak, he threw the chicken leg on the table, turned and left, ordering his men to clear away all the food on the table, leaving her not a single grain of rice.
He finally left, which relieved her, but at the same time, worry arose in her heart. He had brought her here, and the people in the government office must have gone to arrest his brother to negotiate with him. Although Meng Gexing was always smiling, his methods were not gentle, and she was worried that a head-on confrontation would end up with both sides suffering losses.
But she was trapped here, with no way out.
Just then, her stomach growled twice, reminding her that she hadn't eaten a single grain of rice all day and was about to collapse.
She couldn't waste her energy like this any longer; she needed to rest for a while, recharge her energy, and then find a chance to escape.
Thinking this, Qingchen leaned against the clutter, closed his eyes, and began to rest.
When she opened her eyes again, the room was pitch black.
Night has fallen.
She got up and knocked on the door, wanting to ask them for some water, but no one paid any attention to her no matter how long she knocked.
Even Meng Gexing, that noisy bird, has stopped coming.
Qingchen was thirsty and hungry, and could feel his body becoming increasingly weak. Facing the endless darkness, he felt a sense of suffocation and helplessness.
I don't know how long she'll be locked up.
As night deepened, Qingchen drifted off to sleep again amidst her tangled thoughts. However, her sleep was restless; she woke up several times in the middle of the night, finally falling into a deep sleep just before dawn, only to wake up again soon after.
Hunger washed over her instantly. She struggled to her feet and knocked on the door again, calling for help, but still no one answered. In desperation, she began rummaging through the clutter in the room, hoping to find even the smallest thing that could feed her.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned; the house contained nothing but tattered clothes and broken furniture.
Just as Qingchen was about to give up, she suddenly noticed something – a bird dropping!
She immediately felt a chill run down her spine. This was a closed room, so how could there be bird droppings?
Thinking of this, she immediately perked up and began moving the clutter in the room one by one to the corner.
After all these things were moved away, she finally discovered that there was a small iron window behind all the clutter!
There's always a way out.
But how can we get out of these iron-barred windows?
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