Chapter 488 Bad News
Neither Wen Zhiming nor Meng Lingge expected that the wife of the prefect of the Northern Frontier was actually Yue Jiaoluo, who had made a bet with Meng Lingge more than three years ago.
At that time, the two agreed that if Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge grew to dislike each other and became an unpleasant couple after three years, Meng Lingge would resign from her position as Empress. If their feelings remained the same, Yue Jiaoluo would repent and return all the money that Yue Jiaoman had paid for her over the years.
The three-year period was approaching at the beginning of the year, but Yue Jiaoluo still hadn't come to the capital to keep the appointment. Meng Lingge thought that she knew she had lost the bet and was too ashamed to keep the appointment. She didn't know whether she was silently fulfilling her promise or still taking pleasure in breaking up other people's relationships.
As a result, this charming and alluring young woman married Xie Guanzhi, who was twice her age, and became the wife of the prefect.
Yue Jiaoluo swayed her hips as she walked in front of the crowd, covering her mouth and laughing.
"I am an old friend of the King and Queen of the Northern Frontier. They are very approachable and kind to their subordinates. How could they hold my slight oversight against me?"
Three years had passed, and she was even more stunningly beautiful. She had lost some of her girlish liveliness but gained more of the charm of a mature woman. Her smile with her head down was captivating.
Xie Guanzhi was about to scold her, but seeing her like this, he immediately burst into laughter.
"It's wonderful that Madam and the King and Queen of the Northern Frontier are old friends. What a coincidence! Hahaha..."
He tried his best to liven up the atmosphere, but apart from the couple, no one else in the room showed the slightest bit of a smile.
Looking at Yue Jiaoluo's accessories, Wen Zhiming realized that they were probably purchased with funds donated by the capital to the Northern Frontier for disaster relief in previous years. Seeing the mockery in Yue Jiaoluo's eyes, he felt very disgusted.
He said without any politeness.
"My queen and I are merely acquaintances of the prefect's wife, far from being friends. I have come from afar, and the prefect's wife doesn't even know basic etiquette, yet she calls me a friend. Those who know will understand that you are ignorant of manners, but those who don't might think that you have done something heinous, which is why you are so eager to claim kinship with me, hoping that I will protect you?"
Anyone could tell from those words that Wen Zhiming was angry.
Xie Guanzhi was already feeling guilty, and upon hearing this, he no longer cared about his beautiful wife and slapped Yue Jiaoluo across the face.
"Who do you think you are, daring to call yourself the Prince's friend? Quickly pay your respects to the Empress Dowager, the Prince and Princess, and the Princess. If you displease the Prince again, I will divorce you, you stupid woman."
Yue Jiaoluo's face was slightly swollen, and she looked aggrieved. She bit her lower lip and glanced at Xie Guanzhi with a mournful expression. In the end, she still choked up softly and bowed to Wen Zhiming and the others.
Seeing that Wen Zhiming was no longer angry, Xie Guanzhi pushed Yue Jiaoluo aside and gave instructions.
"Go to the front hall and prepare tea and snacks. I will help the prince put away his luggage and we will arrive shortly."
Yue Jiaoluo bowed her head in agreement, then turned around and clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves, her eyes blazing with hatred.
The courtyard is lush with greenery and full of life.
There were more than a dozen rooms, all of which had been cleaned up. The quilts, dressing table, and chairs were all new, which should be the new items Xie Guanzhi had mentioned earlier.
After placing everyone's belongings in their proper places and assigning them their rooms, Xie Guanzhi respectfully greeted them.
"The Prince and Princess only brought two maids and two guards with them, and the Empress Dowager and the Princess each have only one person serving them. I do have a few capable people in my household. How about we transfer them all to this courtyard for the Prince's use?"
Wen Zhiming said, "I came to the Northern Frontier with a mission. Now that everything is still unfinished, how can I indulge in pleasure? You have already arranged the food, lodging, and transportation in the mansion, and these few people are more than enough to take care of me."
Xie Guanzhi was firmly and firmly rejected by Wen Zhiming, and dared not say another word.
The Northern Frontier King was extremely suspicious. If he persisted, the King might think that he was trying to plant spies around him.
Although that was his original idea.
Now that Wen Zhiming has refused, we have no choice but to find another way.
Everyone was very satisfied with the room. Empress Dowager Dong and Wen Woyu lay down on the comfortable bed and didn't want to leave.
In order to save time for the last two days, they rested in the carriage. Now that they were in bed, all they wanted to do was have a good night's sleep.
Wen Zhiming knew that the old man and the young man were indeed tired, so he simply let them rest for a while and would send someone to invite them for lunch.
He and Meng Lingge followed Xie Guanzhi to the front yard.
The tea prepared on the table in the front yard is bitter green tea from northern Xinjiang, and the snacks are also made from common fruits and sweets from northern Xinjiang.
Apart from the gold and silver jewelry on Yue Jiaoluo's body, the prefect's mansion did not seem to have any major problems.
After being beaten, Yue Jiaoluo became much more obedient, standing respectfully to the side. Since Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge did not ask her any questions, she dared not utter a sound.
Xie Guanzhi sat at the lower end of the table, extremely attentive, immediately refilling tea when the cup was empty. His smile had become somewhat stiff, perhaps from smiling for too long.
"Would Your Highness like to review the accounts from the Northern Frontier in recent years? Knowing that Your Highness was coming, I compiled the accounts from the past few years, which are available for Your Highness to review at any time."
Wen Zhiming shook his head and said, "Let's wait a few days. I'll find some time to meet with the Prince of Lanyu Kingdom in the next couple of days to discuss trade. We'll see what happens when I have time in a few days."
The bills are already prepared, so they must have been processed; there's nothing wrong with them now. He'll secretly investigate the situation in various places over the next few days, making it easier to verify later.
Xie Guanzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was confident that the bill was flawless, he still felt a little uneasy when he met Wen Zhiming's gaze.
When Wen Zhiming was on a military campaign in the northern frontier, he had already heard of this man's reputation. He had been looking forward to this great man leaving, but unexpectedly, only three years had passed, and Wen Zhiming had abandoned the capital city and insisted on coming to his poor and remote northern frontier.
When he received the news, he was utterly shocked and devastated.
If it were any other official who came, in this place that he had governed for more than a decade, no matter what abilities the person had, he would still make sure that the person never returned, like a dragon trapped in shallow waters.
But this King of the Northern Frontier is different. He has been an emperor for several years. Although he has now resigned from the throne, he still enjoys the emperor's deep trust and is given the same privileges as the emperor.
He also possesses unparalleled martial arts skills, making him difficult for ordinary people to get close to. He is hard to defeat whether approached openly or secretly.
After much deliberation, Xie Guanzhi decided to keep Wen Zhiming calm for now and wait for him to arrive before looking for an opportunity.
He went to great lengths to prevent Wen Zhiming from causing him trouble.
In the past ten days or so, he not only settled all the accounts of his previous embezzlement, but also took out a portion of his own savings and, together with donations from the people, raised a considerable sum to give to Lin Suo for the expansion of the military camp.
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