Chapter 250 Advising Wan Ziyan
Dead branches and leaves, white plums and cold fragrance.
Wan Ziyan, dressed in a blue robe, stood under a white plum tree.
His eyes, beneath his delicate features, were dull and lifeless, as if the scenery before him could not stir any life in him.
It stood motionless, like a statue standing there.
The appearance of two figures through the arched doorway brought a glimmer of life to his eyes.
As the person drew closer, a faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth.
He called softly, "Qiqi," his eyes filled with tenderness.
The woman opposite him had cold eyes and remained unmoved by his shouts.
After a moment, the coldness in Wan Qiqi's eyes finally melted into a pool of water, and she called out with a touch of gentleness, "Second Brother."
Chen Yongnian's eyes showed a hint of confusion, not understanding what these two were doing now.
"You said you'd stay here last time, may I stay here today?" Wan Ziyan didn't mention the county government at all, as if the other magistrate knew nothing about it.
Wan Qiqi didn't bring it up, but followed up on his question by saying, "I promised Pingping and An'an I would go back."
“Alright.” Wan Ziyan surprisingly did not insist, and said gently, “The weather is cold, and it will snow in a while. We don’t need money for the time being, so let’s take a good rest for a while.”
Wan Qiqi raised her eyes and stared into Wan Ziyan's eyes, trying to see through what he was thinking.
But those eyes were indifferent, leaving her unable to discern any clues.
Finally, she couldn't help but ask, "Second Brother, why are you unwilling to go to court, and why do you not want me to get involved?"
She believed that if she hadn't been transferred last time, Wan Ziyan wouldn't have participated in the bandit suppression.
The first thing he did upon hearing the news was to ask Chen Yongnian to bring him over and to tell him to stay home.
It is clear that Wan Ziyan is not friendly to the government.
When Master Cao came to him, he would offer suggestions, proving that he was not opposed to these matters.
But why was he unwilling to serve as an official in the imperial court?
Is it simply because Master Wan is critically ill that he needs to stay by his side to take care of him?
Wan Ziyan's eyes trembled, and he turned his face slightly away, as if he was resistant to the question.
After a long silence, he finally replied, "The court is outdated and unwilling to conform."
Wan Qiqi understood what he meant.
Years of famine left countless people destitute.
The imperial court had no policy on this matter and even used force to suppress and drive away the disaster victims.
If the monarch was not utterly incompetent, then the officials in the court must have been deceiving their superiors, embezzling funds, and misappropriating disaster relief grain.
Taxes were never reduced due to famine, and sometimes the amount collected was even higher than in previous years.
No one knows how many people were involved and embezzled the money.
Although Wan Qiqi was not familiar with the policies of this world, she had read many historical books.
Many uprisings and rebellions throughout history that overthrew the rule were caused by the oppression of the court, leaving those people with no other choice but to fight to the death.
On the way, Chen Yongnian explained the reason why Fang Ziming was suspended from his post.
Wan Qiqi was also aware of the situation and wouldn't get involved in troubled waters without good reason.
The struggles between officials are not something that ordinary people like them can decide.
But in the end, it is the ordinary people who suffer.
Wan Qiqi didn't even think Fang Ziming was truly innocent.
The fact that he was able to remain in this position for so many years and tolerate Tang Qiwen's behavior suggests that he must have also been involved in numerous acts of corruption.
But who exactly is targeting Tang Qiwen and setting a trap using Lin Xiaohua's situation?
Seeing that she didn't ask any more questions, Wan Ziyan didn't continue talking about it. He only said, "Qiqi, it's not that simple now. You just focus on doing business. Leave the rest to the court to investigate."
Wan Qiqi nodded, but she could read something in Wan Ziyan's eyes.
"Second brother, do you know who set this up against Magistrate Fang?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Wan Ziyan's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, as if it had never happened.
He smiled faintly, "I am just a scholar, how would I know about the affairs of the government?"
Wan Qiqi nodded again and asked, "Second Brother, when are you willing to pass the imperial examinations and marry Miss Bai?"
She spoke very quickly, catching Wan Ziyan off guard.
He had just explained why he didn't enter the court to serve as an official, and now Wan Qiqi was asking him when he would take the imperial examination. Wasn't that just repeating the same question?
But he paid no attention to the previous questions, completely blinded by the words "marry Miss Bai."
Perhaps I am destined to never be with Bai Lingxuan in this life!
If one's father passes away, according to the regulations of the court, one must observe a three-year mourning period.
Three years later, although he could still take the imperial examination, it was already too late.
Wan Ziyan lowered his eyes, sighed softly, gave a bitter laugh, and asked, "Do you know what Miss Bai's background is?"
"A family with titles and honors?" Wan Qiqi asked, somewhat puzzled.
Could Bai Lingxuan possibly be some kind of princess?
Upon hearing this, Wan Ziyan chuckled twice.
As expected, the younger sister only saw this one floor.
"Aren't you surprised that the government treats her with such respect despite her lack of official title?"
Wan Qiqi nodded.
Back in Yuzhou, she was also curious why the government and Bai Lingxuan had different goals, yet they protected Bai Lingxuan at the first moment when the rioters broke out.
"When the Great Xing Dynasty was founded, there were four meritorious officials who were granted titles, and one of them was the Bai family!"
Wan Ziyan closed his eyes, his expression slightly helpless. "Whether it's ten years or a hundred years, no one from the Bai family has entered the court as an official. Their status remains noble, and this surname is their supreme glory."
Wan Qiqi understood somewhat, but couldn't accept it.
She didn't understand why there was such a large gap in social class.
Is it because of this that two people who love each other can only look at each other and cannot be together?
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