Anqing Prefecture
Zhu Lu Academy.
Scholars from all counties come here to study more advanced knowledge. The teachers here are all carefully selected, and some are even successful candidates in the imperial examinations who are unwilling to serve as officials in the court and are content to be teachers.
Wu Qingyun, Wu Changjun, and Liu Yunfei all came from a small place, so they were assigned to the same house.
Of course, this definitely involved Liu Yunfei, the wealthy young master, spending money to bribe officials.
Among the young talents, Wu Qingyun, who achieved the top three honors in the imperial examinations, caused a sensation, but as time went by, this sensation gradually faded away.
Temporary achievements mean nothing; the real test of skill is in the autumn examinations held every three years!
Unlike Wu Qingyun and Wu Changjun, who worked hard all day long and studied diligently in the academy's study, Liu Yunfei was more easygoing and never put in much effort.
In his words, he only managed to pass the imperial examination at the last minute, and was not as good as his two younger brothers. So he relied on them and asked them to give him some practice questions so he could cram and pass the exam.
Oh, I forgot to mention, haha, his father got promoted!
A few days ago, my whole family moved to Anqing Prefecture and will soon be staying in the residence of the prefect!
He and his newlywed wife were even closer than before after their separation. He pestered his husband to give him a leave of absence so he could go home and spend some quality time together!
"Qingyun, Changjun, your brother is going home to see his wife. Why don't you come to my house for dinner tomorrow?"
Liu Yunfei jogged back to their house, hooking his arm around one of them with his other arm, looking like two buddies.
Qingyun had not yet received a letter from home, nor did he know that his mother had been granted the title of County Lady, let alone that Magistrate Liu had now been promoted to Prefect.
Therefore, upon hearing Liu Yunfei say this, he assumed that the other party was going back to Taohua County, and frowned slightly, showing some hesitation.
Wu Changjun slapped the hand off his shoulder and reminded him earnestly:
“Brother Liu, the academy’s final exams are coming up soon. It’s not appropriate for us to go back to Peach Blossom County at this crucial moment.”
"Who said I wanted to go back to Peach Blossom County?"
Liu Yunfei said triumphantly, and then announced some good news—
His father got promoted!
"Hmm? Why has Lord Liu been promoted several ranks in such a short time?"
Wu Qingyun was extremely surprised. This Lord Liu hadn't been promoted in many years, so how could he suddenly...?
"You don't know this, but this time it was all thanks to your mother who offered the national policy, and then my father submitted the policy to the Emperor, and the Emperor..."
Liu Yunfei explained, "To be honest, it's all thanks to Aunt Jiang!"
He was right to have his father befriend Aunt Jiang, even if they couldn't become family, he could still benefit from it.
He was clinging to Qingyun's coattails, hoping that if Qingyun rose to prominence in the future, he could benefit from his brother's success!
“My mother…”
That really gave him a huge shock!
His mother is so powerful that even he, as her son, has to look up to her!
"So, Aunt Jiang is now a county magistrate?"
Wu Changjun was envious. He and Qingyun hadn't even passed the imperial examinations or obtained official positions yet, but Aunt Jiang had already surpassed them. It was truly something to envy!
"Yes, you haven't received your letters yet, have you? Perhaps it's because of the cold weather that the messengers are a bit slow. But everything I've said is true. My father is hosting a banquet for you tomorrow, and you mustn't refuse to come."
Liu Yunfei guessed that the reason he received the news so quickly was because his father had been promoted and received different treatment. He had a special government messenger to deliver the message, which was different from the usual way.
"Very well, I shall comply."
Wu Qingyun agreed. Befriending Prefect Liu was not a bad thing either way; it might even help his and Changjun's careers in the future!
"I'll listen to Qingyun."
Wu Changjun is good at studying, but not at socializing.
Therefore, his mother and grandparents taught him to learn from Qingyun and to listen to Qingyun's advice.
Yes, listen to Qingyun, you can't go wrong.
The two families are very close; his older sister is Qingyun's sister-in-law, so she wouldn't harm him!
Indeed, Qingyun acted accordingly. Whether during the three years of his studies or in the decades to come, he consistently showed Wu Changjun exceptional favor in official circles…
So much so that those unaware of their relationship began to speculate behind their backs, suggesting a homosexual relationship. Ultimately, the emperor bestowed a marriage upon one of them, quelling the rumors...
Prefectural Government —
Liu Shisheng, formerly known as Magistrate Liu and now Prefect Liu, secretly arrived in Anqing Prefecture three days ago.
He knew very well that Anqing Prefecture was now in the hands of Prefect Lin.
The two had no prior interaction, so there was no question of them being enemies. The other party was his superior, and at most, he would make things difficult for him in official matters.
However, in secret, the other party used their official position to accept bribes, collude with businessmen, frame loyal officials, and hire murderers!
The eighteen "bandits" in the yamen prison originally confessed to being from the Chunyu family of Jinling Prefecture, but through his meticulous investigation and secret search, he discovered that Prefect Lin also played a role in it!
In the past, because his official rank was low, he dared not risk his life to confront the enemy head-on.
Now that he has been promoted several ranks, he is now directly above Prefect Lin!
Both for the public good and for his own sake, he should remove the cancerous tumor that is Prefect Lin for the benefit of the people!
"My lord, I have found out that Prefect Lin recently entertained distinguished guests from Nanjing at a restaurant..."
"Alright, continue the investigation. Report back immediately if there is any movement."
"Yes, sir!"
......
Two tigers cannot share one mountain. Now, let's see how he manages to snatch the tiger's teeth!
At this moment, in the backyard of Prefect Lin's residence, orioles and swallows, green willows and red willows were vying for beauty.
Prefect Lin was a womanizer who collected hundreds of beauties during his decades in office.
You could say he was the local tyrant of Anqing Prefecture!
Of course, a concubine is the same as a plaything, but a wife is different.
Lady Lin was a half-sister of the Empress's maternal clan. Although she was a concubine's daughter, her status was still extremely noble.
However, this lady preferred quiet and loved to worship Buddha, so her room was as smoky and chaotic as a temple, which is why she was not favored.
In addition, he only had one daughter, who married early, so Prefect Lin rarely visited his wife's house.
Of his other concubines, his favorite was Peng Jiaojiao, the legitimate daughter of a wealthy merchant, who was delicate, fragrant, and extremely charming.
Unfortunately, she couldn't have a son. She gave birth to a daughter, but her belly was covered in stretch marks, which made her lose interest.
Later, at a banquet, he got drunk and took advantage of a young and beautiful girl, and lo and behold, she gave birth to a son!
The Lin family has an heir!
"This humble servant greets Your Excellency."
Perhaps because she had just taken a bath, Aunt Wu had a pleasant fragrance that made Magistrate Lin, who had been busy all day, feel exceptionally comfortable.
So he reached out and helped the other person up, asking with concern:
"Gui Niang, is Bao'er asleep?"
"Reporting to Master, Bao'er has fallen asleep, and the wet nurse is looking after him."
Aunt Wu blushed slightly, revealing just the right amount of cleavage...
"You'll have to serve me tonight, won't you?"
Prefect Lin was a lecherous man, and seeing this scene, he couldn't help but have some thoughts.
Just as Aunt Wu was about to respond, a servant's anxious voice came from outside—
"It's terrible, sir! This servant has something important to report!"
......
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