Chapter 209 Mountains high and seas deep, gratitude akin to being reborn…
At midnight, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.
"I told you to be gentle..." His body trembled, and he accused me with a sob in his voice, "Do you really think I'm some kind of indestructible field?"
He felt extremely wronged. "They treated you specially because they saw you were working hard on business trips. How could you treat them like objects?"
Zhang Ting humbly accepted the criticism, saying, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. I was wrong." But inwardly she disagreed. How could she be blamed? It was all because Zong Suyi was so easily offended. She lowered her eyes, wrung out a clean cloth from the copper basin, and came over to help him wipe his face.
Zong Suyi slapped her hand away, her eyes brimming with tears and a fierce look. "You're just trying to fool me again!" She accidentally hit him too hard, leaving Zhang Ting's hand red. His pupils contracted sharply, and he turned his head away guiltily, his neck stiff.
Zhang Ting glanced at the back of his hand, then at the person hiding in bed, and thought to himself: The person looks so thin and frail, where does all that strength come from?
Zhang Ting absolutely refused to admit her jealousy. Heaven was truly unfair; she had practiced martial arts for years without interruption, yet she couldn't compare to the lazybones in bed. It's one thing to be born with such talent, but this lazybones only knows how to lie there and enjoy himself; he complains of being tired at the slightest movement. It's a complete waste of his potential!
If she had that talent, she wouldn't have needed to study so hard. She could have just swept through the entire army with her meteor hammer. Why would she have needed to scheme against others and lose so much hair?
She felt extremely resentful and decided to go over and give the man surnamed Zong a good beating.
Zong Suyi cautiously peeked out from under the covers, revealing two round pupils. When he saw his wife approaching aggressively, his pupils dilated in shock, and he quickly shrank back under the covers to hide.
From under the covers came his muffled pleas for mercy, his voice high-pitched and coquettish: "I didn't mean to use so much force, it wasn't intentional."
Zhang Ting scoffed, her heart as hard as iron. Accidentally? How could she not use it if she hadn't been careful?
She dragged the bedding over, as if she were carrying out a solemn mission, her face stern and her hand moving with the force of wind.
At first, it howled a couple of times from under the covers, but then it changed its tone, whimpering and sobbing, and even sticking its buttocks out to lean against her hand, seemingly resisting but actually welcoming, and even urging her to apply more pressure.
Damn it! This is outrageous!
Zhang Ting felt her dignity had been deeply violated. She gritted her teeth and pulled her hand back. He'd actually enjoyed hitting her, and all he thought of as protecting her dignity was nothing more than a childish game?
She closed her eyes, her heart heavy with grief, unable to bear the memory. It was a disgrace to her refinement!
Having not heard any movement from his wife for a long time, Zong Suyi suddenly threw back the covers. The collar of her inner garment was not open, revealing her fair collarbone, on which faint red marks were visible.
His eyes widened, and he said with dissatisfaction, "Are you still going to play or not? Are you impotent or something?" He pouted and rolled his eyes at her, his contempt evident.
Zhang Ting was so angry her hands trembled, and her hair almost stood on end. How dare this lazy bum provoke her?
She laughed in anger, her eyes filled with the menacing glint of a wild beast locking onto its prey.
Zong Suyi tried to escape, but it was too late. He fell into the hands of the hunters and was tortured repeatedly. He cried and begged for mercy, but to no avail. He suffered utterly and finally lay exhausted on the bed like a broken rag doll.
With a satisfied look in her eyes, Zhang Ting gently wiped the dirt off his body, retied his clothes, covered him with the blanket again, and patted him solemnly, "Behave yourself from now on."
As soon as she approached, Zong Suyi's body trembled involuntarily, clearly having been tormented enough and now reflexively fearful.
Zhang Ting was even happier to see this. If he didn't teach this little brat a lesson, he really would dare to open a dye shop.
This is the price to pay for daring to provoke a strong woman.
As dawn broke outside, Zhang Ting, having stayed up all night, looked radiant from head to toe, every single hair on her head gleaming with energy.
After washing up in the washroom, she hurriedly changed into her official robes, fastened her belt in front of the mirror, straightened the wrinkles in her clothes, combed her hair into a simple bun, and then put on her official robes. She was ready to go.
Zong Suyi usually did these chores for her, but wasn't he tired today? Zhang Ting took pity on him and allowed him to rest for a day.
The room was completely silent. Zhang Ting raised an eyebrow and turned around, her clothes rustling softly. Was Zong Suyi asleep again?
She hurried to the small bed where the two of them slept, her steps extremely light.
Peeking inside from behind the hanging curtains, one sees a person wrapped in blankets staring blankly at the ceiling, seemingly still in a daze.
Zhang Ting was startled. Had she been driven mad by her?
"My lord, my lord." She reached out and pushed him.
Zong Suyi shrugged, not even glancing at her, and turned his back to her.
Zhang Ting breathed a sigh of relief, almost thinking she had caused a major disaster.
She didn't know what to say. "My lord, you should rest well." She pulled up the covers and tucked him in. After serving the children, she had to serve the elders, and now she was tucking him in—she was truly tired of it all day.
As soon as he turned around, his sleeve was grabbed by a slight force.
She turned around, puzzled: "Xiaoyi?"
Zong Suyi lay weakly in the mattress, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with a seductive charm. She looked up timidly and rebuked, "You can't do this anymore. I almost thought I was going to die just now..." After saying that, she bit her red lips and turned away again.
ah?
When Zhang Ting realized how outrageous those words were, she felt her face burning. Thinking back to that time, her long-dormant sense of shame began to jump up again.
She stammered, "I...I understand..." She stiffly turned around, almost tripping over her own feet. Despite being an old married couple for so many years, she was more flustered than when they were newlyweds.
She stumbled and walked halfway, then turned back and squatted by the bedside, pursing her lips and instructing, "Xiaoyi, you should rest well. There's some ointment in the drawer next to you. You can apply it if you're in pain."
Zong Suyi was wrapped in the blankets, with only her big eyes showing. She blinked and said, "Mmm."
Zhang Ting had just stood up when she squatted down again, looking at him solemnly: "I'll come back to see you as soon as my shift ends."
His lips, hidden beneath the blankets, subtly curved into a smile. Forcing himself to stay upright, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her neck. "I'll wait for you." He planted a deep kiss on her cheek, his eyes sparkling like stars, his gaze fixed intently on her image.
Zhang Ting hugged him. Zong Suyi was thin and frail, lying alone on the large couch, looking extremely pitiful and heartbreaking. It was truly too late, and she reluctantly parted from Zong Suyi.
She wasn't usually the type to be sentimental, but she truly felt the deep, inseparable bond that comes with love.
As she walked toward the government office, she was in a bright and cheerful mood.
"Greetings, Your Excellency. What joyous occasion do you have today? You are so delighted." Tang Tongzhi stepped behind his superior. Although the Prefect was kind and gentle to his subordinates and treated talented people with respect, he was also a calm and reserved person who rarely showed his true emotions in front of others. What kind of great joyous occasion could make her so happy?
Zhang Ting smiled at her, his words perfectly tactful: "I am gratified that our government is well-governed and our trade is prosperous."
"The fact that our prefecture was able to quickly complete its integration and reach a higher level is entirely due to your hard work, sir." Tang Tongzhi was full of admiration. The prefect truly lived up to her reputation as a virtuous woman. Day and night, in her official office and at home, she devoted herself wholeheartedly to the affairs of Yingzhou Prefecture, without a single private life. Alas, she had dedicated her entire life to Yingzhou Prefecture.
Tang Tongzhi couldn't help but wipe his eyes. How could he possibly be worthy of being her subordinate?
"Lord Tang, let's hurry. All the officials from the Six Ministries should be here by now." Zhang Ting looked at the straight path ahead, bathed in bright sunlight, and suddenly thought of the scene when she first arrived in this other world many years ago.
That day, a fierce wind raged, and she saw that ray of light while lying weakly in bed.
Almost ten years have passed, but it feels like a century has gone by.
Over the years, she had devoted herself to fame and fortune. Looking back on her life, she had risen from humble beginnings, struggling to afford food, to a position of great power and influence. Passing through the small pond in the corner corridor, the faint smile on her lips was reflected in the water, shimmering in the dappled sunlight. Zhang Ting paused for a moment, belatedly realizing that she seemed truly different.
Zhang Ting withdrew her gaze, her face darkening. For her own sake and for her family's, she needed to establish a firm foothold within the anti-government forces. But the problem was, how could someone who had joined halfway through quickly gain unanimous acceptance from both superiors and subordinates?
She took her seat with composure. In the vast council hall, the officials below her stepped forward to greet her, their words extremely respectful.
"Gentlemen, please excuse the formalities. I have gathered you all here today to remeasure the land in my prefecture and clarify the total population." Her tone was ordinary, but what she said was a bombshell.
His words shocked everyone present. Almost instantly, the officials below turned pale, and some almost fell off their seats.
Zhang Ting lowered her eyes, admiring the silver pheasant with its chest outstretched and wings outstretched, its embroidery exquisite and captivating.
"My lord... why do you say that... weren't the fields and population of this prefecture only reported this year?" The person who asked the question was Prefect Han, the third-in-command of this prefecture. Zhang Ting lifted his eyelids and glanced at her, his face panicked and his eyes filled with suppressed deep fear.
Zhang Ting slowly took out a letter from his sleeve and said, "Someone has reported to me that officials and merchants in this prefecture are colluding to seize fertile land and claim it for themselves. This is the content of her report." He turned to Zheng Er and said, "Send this down for all the officials to read."
After reading the letter of accusation, the clerk of the Household Department wiped his sweat but remained calm and composed: "Sir, this person is clearly fabricating lies. The aforementioned evidence is completely nonexistent. Our government is clean and honest. We have worked diligently in our positions for so many years. How could we do such a disloyal thing?"
"I implore you, sir, to find the person who made the false accusation!"
"I implore you, sir, to find the person who made the false accusation!"
The momentum was overwhelming, and the officials below formed a united front, using their power to force her to suppress the matter.
Zhang Ting never fought a battle unprepared. He took out another letter from his sleeve, but this time he didn't show it to everyone. "This is the list that person sent along with the evidence of their crimes." He glanced around the hall. "Many high-ranking officials are on the list."
The officials below the hall became even more anxious, but their attitude became even more forceful. They told Zhang Ting not to be swayed by one-sided opinions and fall for the villain's scheme, and that they must find the mastermind behind the crime.
Zhang Ting slowly stood up. "Please don't blame me for being ruthless," he said, dropping an even bigger bombshell. "That person also said that he had already presented two letters to the Emperor. I had no choice but to accept it."
She ignored the terrified officials and walked straight outside, turning back suddenly as she reached the gate.
The terrified crowd grasped at her like a last straw, gazing at her hopefully: "My lady..."
Zhang Ting seemed to have a soft heart and sighed helplessly, "Three days from now, at nightfall, I will place a box here. If any official has indeed coveted something that he should not have, he should write his name on it at that time and return the land deed, the people, and all the wealth he has accumulated over the years. I will then pretend that this matter never happened."
"If they remain obstinate, alas..." He glanced around at everyone, "Gentlemen, you should take heed of this."
She walked away without looking back, her official robes shimmering with tiny golden light in the sunlight, yet appearing immense and majestic to everyone, like towering trees firmly sheltering them beneath.
Someone cried, "The adults always think of us... even our own mothers wouldn't do this." They comforted them and offered advice, their kindness and affection were like a second birth.
People in the crowd nodded in agreement, and faint sobs could be heard.
Despite the vastness of the mountains and the depths of the sea, being able to follow adults is the greatest blessing of their lives!
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