Chapter 680 A busybody
"My lord, I was born a commoner, and it is thanks to Lord Fang's favor that I have achieved what I have today!"
When Master Cao looked up again, his eyes were already red.
His raised hand trembled slightly. "I have followed Lord Fang for many years. Although we have disagreements, I have seen all the contributions you have made to Yunhe County. He is by no means a corrupt and wrongly convicted person!"
Wan Qiqi was unaware of what Master Cao had done, but she quickly understood why Master Cao had acted so recklessly.
Fang Ziming may have indeed done some bad things, but his efforts to promote the development of Yunhe County and his concern for the well-being of the people are genuine.
Having accompanied Fang Ziming for many years, Master Cao naturally understood Fang Ziming's character.
That's why Master Cao said those words today, wanting to protect Fang Ziming.
At the same time, Master Cao should have known Xie Xing's character and knew that they were not on the same page, which is why he took this opportunity to resign.
To put it bluntly, Fang Ziming is no longer the county magistrate, and Master Cao doesn't want to continue working either!
Wan Qiqi suddenly became certain of what she had said.
Fang Ziming was not a good father, but he was a good official!
In the main hall, Cao Shiye's unexpected incident seemed to have brought the interrogation to a standstill!
Erpang's words didn't mention Fang Ziming, and Master Cao resigned to speak on Fang Ziming's behalf, leaving people unsure how to determine the truth.
"My lord, although Zhao Yi's case is unrelated to Lord Fang, you still have other cases to investigate, so we cannot let it go like this!" Xie Xing reminded him.
Seeing that Zhang Xiao was hesitant, he feared that this man would ruin his plans.
It's true that Wan Qiqi managed to clear her name completely from Fang Ziming, but without evidence, it's impossible to determine the truth.
But he really hadn't expected Master Cao to do this.
He assumed that Master Cao was not Fang Ziming's man, but Wan Ziyan's man, and would not speak up for others casually.
Unexpectedly, Master Cao was also a man of great talent!
However, to be a secretary, one must have some skills!
Master Cao glanced at Xie Xing, his eyes filled with indifference.
He disdained associating with people like Xie Xing and would rather cut off his own path to officialdom.
Although the advisor was only a staff member, he enjoyed endless glory, no less than the three court officials.
But he was tired of the infighting in officialdom and did not want to get involved in any more trouble.
At that moment, he suddenly understood why Wan Ziyan had been unwilling to enter the court.
The interrogation was originally intended to sentence Fang Ziming to death, but it was disrupted by Wan Qiqi and Master Cao.
Zhang Xiaoye was also having a headache from the investigation. He said, "Zhao Yi's death was a plot to frame Fang Ziming for embezzlement and was wrongly convicted. This is a serious matter. I have decided to wait for further investigation before discussing it again!"
He slammed his gavel and said, "Wan Qiqi is not involved in this matter and may leave. The truth of Erpang's words needs to be investigated, so he will be imprisoned. As for Cao Yuan, you disregarded the government's judgment but offered advice for the construction of Yunhe County, so I will grant your wish and restore you to your commoner status! Court adjourned!"
Cao Yuan is Cao Shiye's real name!
Then, the bailiffs struck the ground with their long sticks and shouted "Court adjourned," thus ending the interrogation.
Erpang was taken away by the yamen runners, but he didn't seem too flustered.
Zhang Xiao glanced at Wan Qiqi and left the Mingtang.
Xie Xing followed behind her and also turned around to look at Wan Qiqi, seemingly somewhat displeased.
After leaving with his men, Wan Qiqi collapsed to the ground, remaining there for a long time.
Cao Yuan stood up from the ground, turned around to look at Wan Qiqi who was sitting on the ground, walked over and reached out his hand, asking, "Were you frightened?"
Wan Qiqi shook her head and pointed to her knees, "They're numb from kneeling!"
Cao Yuan paused for a moment, then laughed, "You can't even handle that? And this is considered a short time!"
Wan Qiqi pouted, grabbed Cao Yuan's arm and stood up, "I don't understand, what's the point of kneeling like that?"
"Respect for elders and the proper order of things are required by etiquette!" Cao Yuan did not pursue Wan Qiqi's breach of etiquette, as he already knew that Wan Qiqi was like this.
Although Wan Qiqi stood up, she still bent down to rub her knees.
She looked up at Cao Yuan and asked, "From now on, you will no longer be a clerk. Do you have somewhere to go? My Jingjing Academy is short of a teacher. I wonder if we can ask Mr. Cao for help?"
"We'll discuss this matter later; the immediate issue remains unresolved!" Cao Yuan said, glancing back at the person sitting in the main hall.
In the past, Fang Ziming would sit there while he copied the text or stood and assisted him.
In the future, I'm afraid it will never be possible again!
"Mr. Cao, everything has its own destiny. Now that you've made your choice, there's no need to hesitate any longer!"
Wan Qiqi stood up, stretched her limbs, and only took two steps after confirming that she was alright.
"Let's go! I want to try something new at Xinglong Restaurant today!" Cao Yuan smiled faintly and looked at Wan Qiqi.
"I'd like to, but at this hour, there might only be scraps left!"
Wan Qiqi stood at the entrance of the main hall, watching the afterglow of the setting sun, and pursed her lips.
"It's alright, just have a bite!" Cao Yuan said.
The two walked out of the county government office together and then walked to Xinglong Restaurant together.
Wan Qiqi's safe return brought a sigh of relief to the guys.
Zhu Chengye was also somewhat surprised.
This seems to have happened earlier than he expected.
Upon seeing Cao Yuan, he hurried over and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Master Cao!"
Cao Yuan waved his hand, "From now on, I am no longer Master Cao. Boss Zhu, just call me Cao Yuan!"
Zhu Chengye looked at Wan Qiqi with a puzzled expression.
"Mr. Cao has resigned and is now just an ordinary citizen like us."
As Wan Qiqi spoke, she waved to the waiter not far away, "Go to the second floor and prepare the 'Bamboo' private room. Have Lei Zi cook four or five dishes, and also pick out two servings of tea and snacks to send over!"
"Okay!" the waiter replied and went to do it right away.
Upon hearing this, Master Cao replied, "No need for such trouble, just do whatever you like!"
“Although Mr. Cao is no longer the advisor, he is still Yongnian’s teacher. One should treat one’s teacher differently!” Wan Qiqi smiled.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
