Chapter 262
Officer Wu was indeed a rough man. He pushed aside the minor official and strode into the study. "Lord Zhu, I'm here on behalf of someone."
After saying this, without waiting for Magistrate Zhu to speak, Officer Wu turned and left in a hurry. He was so fast that Magistrate Zhu was stunned. His aide, He Xuezhi, who was about to pour water, stood frozen with the teapot in his hand.
"This man?" Normally, Magistrate Zhu would have been angry. No matter how poor Xiangwu County was, he was still a seventh-rank magistrate appointed by the imperial court. However, Officer Wu had come and gone too quickly. Magistrate Zhu frowned as he looked at the paper in his hand. As he unfolded it, his ruddy face instantly changed color.
"My Lord, is something amiss?" He Xuezhi quickly put down the teapot. Magistrate Zhu had been a magistrate for so many years that he was usually carefree and plump. What had Officer Wu delivered to make him change his expression?
"Outrageous!" He slammed his palm on the desk, so angry that Magistrate Zhu gasped for breath.
Seeing that Magistrate Zhu did not object, He Xuezhi took the paper from the desk and looked at it. To his surprise, it was a lawsuit. After reading the contents of the lawsuit, He Xuezhi finally understood why Magistrate Zhu was so angry.
The lawsuit accused Zhang Yiyi of deceiving Magistrate Zhu by impersonating the Marquis of Zhenbian's mansion. It also stated that Constable Luo and other gatekeeping constables had accepted money from the Marquis's mansion and, without waiting for Magistrate Zhu to hold court, had directly taken constables to arrest people, disregarding the Great Qing's laws.
He Xuezhi was also a scholar and had helped Magistrate Zhu handle many official documents over the years. Upon reading the lawsuit, he knew it was written by a skilled lawyer. It did not mention any fault of Magistrate Zhu, nor did it express any difficulty for the Marquis of Zhenbian's mansion. It only focused on Zhang Yiyi and Constable Luo, attacking them fiercely.
"It must be that old man Qiu Zongxi's doing!" Magistrate Zhu angrily slammed the table again. There were only a few scholars in Xiangwu County. Only a great scholar like Qiu Zongxi could write such incisive words.
He Xuezhi's heart skipped a beat. In Xiangwu County, Magistrate Zhu was the absolute authority. However, the reputation of "Old Man Who Fishes Alone" was such that even the prefect sent gifts every year.
"My Lord, please calm your anger." He Xuezhi turned and poured Magistrate Zhu a cup of tea. Seeing that his anger had subsided a little, he continued to persuade him, "This matter was handed down by the Marquis's mansion. No matter how great Qiu Zongxi is, the Marquis's mansion still has the final say in Weizhou."
The Marquis of Zhenbian was a second-rank official with military power! His wife was a princess from the royal family, and the Marquis's heir had royal blood flowing in his veins. No matter how renowned Qiu Zongxi was, when faced with the Marquis of Zhenbian's mansion, he could not escape the Marquis's grasp.
Magistrate Zhu's eyes widened, and he slammed the teacup he had just picked up back onto the table. He scolded impatiently, "When gods fight, mortals suffer! The Marquis doesn't need to fear that old man Qiu Zongxi, but to appease his anger, I will be the one to suffer!"
Although he had been in this barren land of Xiangwu County for nearly ten years, Magistrate Zhu was not without his wits. Whether it was the Marquis of Zhenbian's mansion or that old scoundrel Qiu Zongxi, he could not afford to offend either of them. He was caught in the middle, suffering and being put in a difficult position. What worried him more was that the Marquis's mansion might sacrifice him in the end. Could he then go to the underworld to complain to the King of Hell?
"My Lord is wise, it was my oversight." He Xuezhi, who had been scolded, cupped his hands and apologized. He then said a few more flattering words. Looking at the smug Magistrate Zhu, who thought himself clever, a hint of disdain flashed in He Xuezhi's eyes. Did he not understand this principle? But fortune favors the bold. If his Lord wanted to protect himself, he would end up offending both sides. It would be better to defect to the Marquis's mansion and seize the opportunity to suppress Qiu Zongxi. In the future, his Lord would be able to do whatever he wanted in Xiangwu County without being constrained.
"My Lord, Constable Luo requests an audience." The voice of the minor official sounded again from outside the study.
Constable Luo's horse was not as fast as a military horse. Therefore, after Officer Wu and his men left Xiangwu County, he hurried back to the county yamen. He did not even bother to rest before rushing over.
"Quickly let him in!" Magistrate Zhu roared. Officer Wu had come and gone in a hurry, and Magistrate Zhu had no idea what had happened in Stone Village.
Hmph! Seeing Constable Luo with a bruised and swollen face and limping, Magistrate Zhu and He Xuezhi were both startled.
The folk customs in Xiangwu County were fierce, especially in the dilapidated villages below. A village was either all of one surname or related by kinship. Even when dealing with constables from the yamen, those wicked commoners were not afraid. They would draw their knives and attack. In one word, it was a fight.
This was also why Magistrate Zhu had not dared to engage in corruption and lawbreaking over the years. The villagers were simply too fierce. A village could mobilize hundreds of strong men, and the women could wield hoes and carrying poles with great vigor. The yamen could only concede defeat if they couldn't win.
However, in such situations, it was usually the yamen that accepted bribes and tried to harm ordinary people, thus provoking "official oppression leading to rebellion." But Constable Luo had gone to Stone Village to arrest an outsider, not a villager, and yet he had been beaten so badly that his parents could barely recognize him.
"My Lord..." Constable Luo saw that Magistrate Zhu's face was not angry, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was not in vain that he had punched himself in the face on the way back.
Constable Luo quickly and detailedly recounted the events, emphasizing the ferocity of He Sheng and He Nuan, and then vehemently complained about Officer Wu. If he had left earlier, Constable Luo and his men would not have returned empty-handed.
"You're saying that girl poisoned Officer Wu, so he fled with his subordinates?" Magistrate Zhu glanced at the lawsuit placed by his hand. Did Officer Wu abandon his post? His life was in danger.
However, it made sense. Merchants' families were not short of money, and it was normal to buy some poison with a large sum of money for self-defense.
Magistrate Zhu then looked at the bruised and swollen Constable Luo. If he looked any longer, he would probably have nightmares at night. "Then this matter is difficult to handle."
Constable Luo lowered his head and said nothing. Of course, that girl was not someone to be trifled with. Poisoning her was as easy as feeding her sugar pills. Her skilled movements suggested that she had poisoned many maids and servants at home.
As for the male and female attendants, damn it, Constable Luo moved his body slightly and felt pain in his abdomen and back. All his bones felt like they had been disassembled. What did it matter if they were merchants? Merchants had money and could afford guards. He shouldn't have run this errand. He didn't get any oil or water and was almost beaten to death.
Magistrate Zhu was now regretting it to the point that his intestines had turned green. He had originally wanted to curry favor with the Marquis's mansion to get promoted, but he had kicked an iron plate. Officer Wu had fled, and the county yamen could not bear it either.
"My Lord, why not write a letter and send someone to deliver it? Also, send the folded lawsuit. My Lord has done his best, and the Marquis's mansion should know of my Lord's contributions." He Xuezhi reminded him. Since it was a thankless task, it was better to push it off completely. If the Marquis's mansion wanted to deal with that little girl, they should send their own people.
"You said it. I'll write the letter immediately. Fetch me the brush and ink!" Magistrate Zhu stood up abruptly. He absolutely did not want to get involved in this troublesome matter. If he were accidentally fed a poison pill, Magistrate Zhu felt his legs go weak at the thought.
...
South Gate Courtyard.
After failing twice in Stone Village, Zhang Yiyi knew that she would not be able to leave Xiangwu County for a while. However, she disliked the simple county inn and finally had Lian'er find this courtyard, which belonged to the largest merchant family in Xiangwu County, the Dong family.
Upon hearing that a distinguished guest wanted to stay, the Dong family immediately sent people to clean it and left two servants to attend to them. If the distinguished guest needed anything, they just had to say the word, and the Dong family would prepare and deliver it immediately.
After bathing, Zhang Yiyi applied face cream in front of the mirror. Looking at her still beautiful and charming face in the bronze mirror, Zhang Yiyi's gloomy mood of the past few days finally eased.
"Madam, Young Master Xu has not spent much time with you over the years, so it is understandable that there is some estrangement," Lian'er said while drying Zhang Yiyi's hair, offering words of comfort.
Madam now had a noble status, but she had no children to rely on. As long as the Marquis was alive, it was fine. However, given the Marquis's age, if he were to pass away in the future, Madam would still have thirty to forty years to live. The Marquis's mansion would definitely not be reliable, and in the end, she would have to rely on Young Master Xu.
"You don't understand. He is of the Yang family. He is stubborn to the bone. Even his own mother is useless." Fiddling with the golden thread and eight-treasure hairpin on the dressing table, Zhang Yiyi couldn't help but recall her marriage to Yang Shoucheng.
She was a庶女 (daughter of a concubine) from the prefect's mansion. If she had married an ordinary scholar or merchant, it would have been a low marriage. However, if she wanted to marry into an official family, she could only marry a庶子 (son of a concubine). At first glance, this marriage seemed good, but Zhang Yiyi, who was intelligent and calculating since childhood, knew that once a庶子 was separated from the family, he would be worse off than a merchant family.
Of course, she could have become a second wife or a stepmother, but she could have married at most an official below the fourth rank, and their age might have been older than her father's. Moreover, if they were honest officials with little dowry, her life would have been meager after marriage.
If they were corrupt officials who coveted her beauty and youth, beauty fades with age. Zhang Yiyi saw clearly that, just like in the prefect's rear chambers, several young and beautiful maids were brought in every year, who were merely his father's playthings.
Therefore, Zhang Yiyi finally chose Yang Shoucheng, the young general of the Marquis's mansion. He was mighty and tall, and the Yang family had a rule of not taking concubines. The general's wife had died early, and she would only have a father-in-law above her, who was a military officer. With no mother-in-law to torment her and no sister-in-law to cause trouble, on the day of her wedding, Zhang Yiyi's face was full of smiles under the red bridal veil. She could already imagine the glory and wealth that awaited her.
But who knew that the general was only good in name and was so poor that he was almost eating dirt! Zhang Yiyi knew that Yang Shoucheng cared about her. That silent man did indeed like her, but beyond emotions, he had his bottom line and principles.
Therefore, the salary of the general's mansion, apart from ensuring the daily meals, was used to subsidize the soldiers. Zhang Yiyi had cried and made a fuss, and had also tried to persuade him gently and tenderly, but for Yang Shoucheng, principles were principles, imprinted in his bones like a brand. Zhang Yiyi had used all her tricks, but to no avail.
Suddenly coming back to her senses, Zhang Yiyi looked at her still young face in the bronze mirror again. She had not made a mistake. If she had stayed in the general's mansion, she would have been like those vulgar village women in Stone Village, and her face would have become old and withered long ago.
"Madam." The little maid called out softly from outside the door.
Lian'er put down the comb and walked over, opening the door. "What is it?"
"Sister Lian, the yamen just sent two letters." The little maid quickly raised her hands and handed over the two letters. "The doorman said that the messenger dropped the letters and left."
Frowning, Lian'er took the letters and returned to the room. "Madam, they are from Magistrate Zhu. Perhaps the matter has been settled."
A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Yiyi finished reading the letters and laughed angrily. "No wonder he has been in this barren land of Xiangwu County for nearly ten years and cannot even deal with a young girl. It's simply laughable!"
"The matter was not settled?" Lian'er asked in surprise.
Ignoring Lian'er, Zhang Yiyi pondered with a frown. Magistrate Zhu's letters were full of complaints and helplessness, clearly indicating that he was giving up. Although her status was noble, she could not personally lead constables to Stone Village to arrest people.
However, Zhang Yiyi also knew that this matter could not be handled openly by the Marquis's mansion. The Marquis had said that there were people in the court who wanted to target the Marquis's mansion, and the Marquis's side could not afford any mistakes. Otherwise, if they were caught, it would only cause more trouble.
"Go and make a cup of ginseng tea and bring it here." She asked Lian'er to leave, and Zhang Yiyi paced back and forth in the room with her hair down.
The Marquis had previously revealed that there were two purposes for this trip: first, to take Xu'er away. He was the third generation of the Yang family, and no matter how ruthless Old General Yang and Yang Shoucheng were, they could not ignore Xu'er. With Xu'er in hand, they would not be afraid of the Yang family not handing over their connections in the army. At that time, with military power in the hands of the Marquis's mansion, they would be invincible.
Second, it was to have Yang Shoucheng write a letter stating that when she went to the Marquis's mansion, the Yang family had entrusted her, who was pregnant, to the Marquis's care. In this way, the imperial censors in the court could not attack the Marquis for private morality.
However, Zhang Yiyi had been there twice and had returned empty-handed. She had originally planned to find a legitimate crime to imprison that little girl, but unfortunately, Magistrate Zhu could not even handle such a small matter.
After nightfall, a figure silently appeared in Zhang Yiyi's bedroom. In the dim candlelight, the person knelt on one knee, showing respect. "Madam, the Marquis has sent his subordinate to await your command."
Zhang Yiyi was wearing a coat, and the room was not cold with the charcoal fire burning. At this moment, she asked softly, "Can you place a letter in the Yang family's house without them noticing?" If she couldn't even sneak into the house, let alone deliver the letter, it would be impossible. Old General Yang had retired from the battlefield and was extremely vigilant.
It was impossible to sneak into the house, let alone deliver the letter, after seeing the letters and lawsuit sent by Magistrate Zhu. Zhang Yiyi began to think about how to deal with this matter. Since the county yamen was unreliable, she had to find another way, and these letters gave Zhang Yiyi a hint.
The figure kneeling on one knee pondered for a moment, then replied, "Reporting to Madam, both father and son of the Yang family are masters. If I approach the courtyard, I will be detected." If she couldn't even sneak into the house, let alone deliver the letter, it would be impossible. Old General Yang had retired from the battlefield and was extremely vigilant.
If she couldn't even sneak into the house, let alone deliver the letter, it would be impossible. Old General Yang had retired from the battlefield and was extremely vigilant.