Chapter 47 Are you threatening me, the county magistrate?!
Yan Ning received a reply seven days later.
He returned to the villa from a mountain of official business and took a moment to listen to Chen Jingsheng report on the recent events that had occurred at the mansion.
"I've already sent those ignorant servants away, but what about Miss Wan'er..."
“I will handle that matter. You should give instructions that from now on, if any disrespectful remarks about Lady Liyang are made in this residence again, today will be their fate.”
"yes."
He entered the capital in March and was appointed Governor of Sizhou, taking over military power. Cui Wan accompanied him.
I dare not refuse the gift from the elder.
His cousin from the Cui family represented the attitude of the Cui clan. If he acted too directly and unattractively, it would damage the reputation and harmony of both families. Moreover, he had already made it clear to others that his cousin had no feelings for him and was only doing it to save face for both families. Therefore, he did not refuse.
When his cousin came to the capital, he treated her with courtesy and allowed her to stay in the villa. However, their residences were separate and far apart. He was usually busy with official duties, and the two rarely met or visited each other. Unexpectedly, such a misunderstanding still arose, causing some ignorant people in the mansion to gossip about his relationship with Liyang and discuss his private affairs, treating Wan'er as if she were the mistress of the villa.
He didn't really care about this matter at first, since he was already bothered by the affairs of the court every day, especially the issue of military power in Jiangzuo.
This is a piece of meat in the tiger's mouth, and everyone wants a bite. So, although it seems to have been given to the Yan family, in reality, before this, all the influential families had already placed their people in it, resulting in a very chaotic management, completely lacking in discipline, and unable to obey orders or be mobilized for one's own use. If not handled properly, it will not only provoke conflicts among the families and cause the Yan family to fall, but it will also put his own life in danger.
Only then did he understand why Emperor Xuan of Qi had kept him behind that day and told him that he had prepared a final gift for the aristocratic families.
He said this is the final test a person must give themselves.
“I know Ruilin’er’s personality. After I leave, she will definitely not let it go. If you can accept this gift and handle it well, there will be a chance for things to turn around between you.”
His words have now been proven true...
well.
Emperor Xuan of Qi was a benevolent, wise, and capable ruler, but unfortunately he was too hasty. Otherwise, given time... he might have actually succeeded.
It is a lament, a sigh.
He didn't want to pay attention to it and only wanted to focus on finishing the current matter first. However, while he was racking his brains over it, rumors in the manor were getting stronger and stronger, forcing him to take the matter seriously.
Perhaps he should have another good talk with his cousin from the Cui family.
Or perhaps... he should find an opportunity to have a serious talk with his uncle, the current head of the Cui family.
Yan Ning slumped into the chair, feeling utterly exhausted. He was unwilling to think any further. He waved his hand, signaling Chen Jingsheng to leave, but Chen Jingsheng did not leave immediately. Instead, he stood there, crouching low, and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Miss has received a book... Would you like to read it now, sir?"
He was very tired, but he still wanted to know how the two of them were doing and what they were up to, so he said, "Bring them here."
"yes."
Chen Jingsheng handed over the letter he had taken from the wild geese raised by the Yan family that day.
Yan Jia forced himself to get up from his seat, picked up the small piece of paper in front of him, which was no bigger than an inch in size, and spread it out to read.
The first sheet was filled with dense writing, as if trying to recount all the experiences along the way, and only at the very end did I remember to say hello to him.
Yan Ning smiled and whispered, "This girl, at least she still remembers me to some extent."
He glanced at it briefly, then spread out a second sheet. This one was very simple, with just a few words summarizing everything.
But the signature made his heart tremble slightly. The man, who was clearly exhausted, suddenly seemed to have strength. He sat up straight, picked up the oil lamp next to him, and made the light brighter so that he could see more clearly.
The person examined the words back and forth, and finally burst out laughing when they saw the red signature.
It was Li Yang's handwriting, not so regular, with a hint of cursive script, yet since it became a unified style, the strokes flowed like dragons and snakes, revealing its full potential, just like her, unrestrained by rules and regulations.
The red color above is her usual bedtime lip gloss, "Spring Evening." This lip gloss has color, but it's not too strong. What's amazing is its rich fragrance that lingers for a long time.
Lip balm used before bed is usually colorless and odorless, and even aristocratic families use it, regardless of gender. However, Li Yang dislikes this, as she has always preferred bright and eye-catching things, so she specially commissioned the creation of this "Spring Evening" lip balm.
It is not popular among the common people, and it is rarely seen even among aristocratic families; it is only possessed by her.
She always applies some before going to bed, but since the incident in the capital, she has been preoccupied with the affairs of Emperor Xuan and Empress Zhenyuan and has little time to dress herself up, so she has been seen less often.
The mark was irregular and not a complete lip shape. He guessed it was made by his quirky and mischievous sister before she went to sleep, and not by Li Yang herself. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that it was there.
This shows that the two get along well, have a good relationship, and can even have late-night conversations, which is excellent.
Furthermore, it should be noted that Liyang is no longer as depressed as she was in Jiankang. She has finally begun to regain some of her former demeanor and is willing to dress herself up again, which is a good thing.
Most importantly.
She no longer concealed herself and was willing to reply to his letter. Although the words were few, they were genuinely from her hand.
If people don't shy away from the topic, a new turning point might truly be coming between them.
"My princess!" he murmured, holding the reply to his heart, the surging emotions slowly flowing from his damp palm to the back of the paper.
Now he doesn't dare to ask for too much; just this little bit is enough.
...
Dongwu County.
Li Yunru originally intended to stay in Dongwu for only a few days before leaving, but on the third day, she was caught in a heavy rain and had to stop temporarily to find a place to take shelter from the rain.
She was in the suburbs at the time, and the nearest temple to her was Yunruo Temple.
Therefore, the group hurriedly went over.
On the way, they met a woman with a baby a few months old. Thinking she wanted to pray for the child's well-being, they gave her a ride.
This was nothing, just something I did incidentally.
But when they arrived at the temple, they realized the problem.
The woman entered the temple and began to wail as if she had gone mad. She threw the child in her arms to the ground and pointed at the Buddha statue, crying out angrily, "Aren't you compassionate? Aren't you supposed to save all living beings? How come you raise a bunch of fat, wicked ghosts who only cause suffering to the world!"
The sudden turn of events left them speechless. Before they could react, the monks, who were supposed to be compassionate and benevolent, surrounded them with wooden sticks and threw the woman away.
They stopped them, saying, "Although this woman's behavior was inappropriate, she must have suffered a great injustice. You Buddhists, who claim to be saviors of suffering, how can you not even ask her a question and treat your believers so rudely and meanly!"
The leading monk sneered, saying she was meddling in other people's business. He then plundered their money and drove them all out.
That's not the Buddha!
They are robbers and demons!
Only after people inquired did they realize that this woman hadn't come to pray for blessings at all; she had come to seek justice.
The woman's surname was Zhou. She was a farmer at the foot of a nearby mountain. Her family had a few acres of poor land. Although they were not rich, they could barely make ends meet. Her husband, children, and family were able to survive. However, half a year ago, her family's land was suddenly forcibly allocated to Yunruo Temple on the grounds that it was illegally owned.
If we can still plant crops and make a living, then so be it.
Even such a small wish is difficult to realize.
The temple acquired the land, but then charged them fees for various reasons, each time higher than the last. Her husband refused and was beaten to death. Her child also starved to death in the spring because there was no food to sustain them.
The man lost two of his closest relatives within six months and had no will to live anymore. That's why he took his dead child up the mountain and caused this scene.
After getting to know her, Li Yunru realized that there were many farming families who had experienced similar hardships to Aunt Zhou's family; they were truly a group of suffering people.
This is utterly absurd!
Her father had only been gone for half a year, yet such a tragic thing had happened right under her nose!
We must see this through to the end!
So he went to the county magistrate of Dongwu to demand an explanation, but received no response. The man arrogantly said, "This is an order from above, and I was merely following orders. As for these people's actions, they are not my fault. They were simply too impulsive, which led to the tragedy..."
This is a complete distortion of the truth!
Such a distortion of the truth!
There was not a trace of official conduct, integrity, or benevolence!
When Li Yunru tried to argue again, the other party simply drove them away, refusing to listen to a single word. She was furious and decided that since words were useless, she would settle things with force!
She snatched the stick from the nearby official and knocked his official hat off with one blow!
The county magistrate whose official hat was knocked off was the sixth son of the Zheng family.
The Zheng family was not considered a top-tier family among aristocratic families, not even considered middle-class. However, their eldest daughter married the head of the Cui family as a concubine, and the two became related by marriage, which naturally increased their social standing.
The concubine's brother has been humiliated in this way; isn't that a disgrace to them?
The Cui family of Qinghe refused to accept this humiliation and immediately sent members of the Cui family to demand an explanation. As a result, the group was delayed for many more days and has remained there ever since.
"There must be many misunderstandings involved, County Lady, Sister Asheng, please don't worry. Let me investigate and clarify things, and I will give you an explanation."
Left with no other choice, Li Yunru revealed her identity to Yan Sheng.
Upon seeing that they were from the Yan family, their attitude immediately changed. Their previous arrogance turned into flattery, and they smiled as they served tea to the two of them, promising to investigate.
But Li Yunru didn't buy into this before, and she still doesn't now!
She asked coldly, "When did you start the investigation? When will you give an explanation? In broad daylight, under the clear sky, such a thing happened, and no one is doing anything about it. Is this how your aristocratic family, holding such high positions, handles things?"
In fact, Li Yunru was well aware of the requirements for selecting officials from aristocratic families.
If we judge people solely by their social standing rather than their talent, virtue, and character, we will produce spoiled brats like Chen Erlang in the past and Zheng Jiazi today.
Today she saw it, but in places unseen, there are probably countless more.
Her father had been deeply worried about this in the past and often sighed in the central courtyard, so she had to give an explanation when she caught him in the act today.
He had only intended to appease the two women, but seeing Li Yunru's persistent attitude, he immediately turned cold, slammed his wine cup on the table, and said in a chilling voice, "Madam, some things are not for a young lady to concern herself with. It's better to be pragmatic than to be complacent. Times have changed. Don't hurt yourself for the sake of some unimportant people."
"Are you threatening me, sir?!"
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