Chapter 511: Chapter 513: Swaying Left and Right
Hua Shunming acted as if he didnât see the complex undercurrents. "This arrangement will be excellent going forward. It will also be a fine opportunity for the ministers to alleviate the pain of missing their daughters."
The ministers: "..." It was true they missed their daughters, but they didnât want to see them in this manner.
Empress Zhou: "...The Holy Emperor is benevolent."
...
Jin Qianqian hadnât expected County Magistrate Wuâs letter to arrive so quickly.
Just as she had guessed, the whole staged theft incident had indeed been orchestrated by the Tian Family.
Their goal was simply to ruin her reputation. If they had actually succeeded in framing her, rumors would likely have spread all over Shangjing by now that Mrs. Gu, the Prefect, had a peculiar hobbyâa penchant for theft.
One could only imagine what her fate would have been. They might have even managed to take down Ancient Wen Heng in the process.
Ancient Wen Heng patted her head, helping to soothe her anger. "Iâve already written two letters. County Magistrate Wu and Prefect Nan will handle this matter impartially."
Jin Qianqian said, "Iâm just so furious. Their methods are truly despicable. If I hadnât been so vigilant, and if I didnât have my little cheat, weâd be the ones on the back foot right now."
"Donât worry. You wonât be seeing them again." Ancient Wen Heng had no intention of letting this insult slide. Since they had the audacity to provoke him, they must have been prepared to bear the consequences.
Jin Qianqian didnât care what fate awaited them, but her anger had to go somewhere. "Iâve been here for so long and still havenât written to Sister Yang and the others. This gives me the perfect topic to chat with them about."
The Tian Familyâs confidence, their daring to plot against her, relied on nothing more than Xiao Shiyu in the inner courtyard of the Huang Mansion.
âWith a maternal uncle like that,â she thought, âher life in the Huang Mansionâs inner courtyard probably isnât going to be easy.â
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "You absolutely should have a good chat. We wouldnât want a lack of communication to cause us to miss out on so many... interesting stories."
***
Meanwhile, the Tian Family they had been discussing were currently huddled in a small, dilapidated courtyard.
"Can my father still get out?" Tian Mi asked Li Yong, wiping away her tears. Right now, in their entire household, only Li Yong and a few loyal servants remained to protect the mother and daughter.
"Miss, all of our properties here have been seized by men sent from Prefect Nan. Weâve tried everything, but we havenât even been able to see the master," Li Yong said, feeling a major headache coming on. He had already done everything in his power, but now everyone in Le City was going out of their way to avoid them.
The officials and wealthy merchants who used to call the master âbrotherâ wouldnât even grant him a meeting now.
"The audacity of that Prefect Nan! Seizing our assets without a conviction! Iâm going to Shangjing to file a complaint against him." After so many years of living a pampered life, Lady Tian could hardly bear this dilapidated hovel.
Unfortunately, no one in all of Le City dared to take them in. They had only managed to secure this squalid little hut because it was abandoned; they had chased away a few beggar children who were squatting here to claim it as a temporary shelter.
"Thatâs right! Weâll go find my aunt and uncle! My cousin married into the Ministerâs Mansion. I refuse to believe these people wonât be afraid then," Tian Mi declared, standing up. "Mother, letâs leave at once."
"Yes, we just need to find your aunt," Lady Tian said, gripping Tian Miâs hand. She ordered Li Yong, who was standing to the side, "Take some men and prepare a carriage. We leave immediately."
The sooner they found her sister-in-law, the sooner they could get the master out of jail.
Li Yong replied, "Itâs not that Iâm unwilling, but everyone in Le City treats us like the plague. I canât find a carriage anywhere."
Besides, carriages arenât something a merchant family like ours is even permitted to use. We were only able to use one before because we relied on the masterâs brother-in-law and registered it under his name.
Now, weâre just common folk, and his name doesnât carry any weight anymore. How could I possibly find a carriage?
Lady Tian had also thought of this, but she made an immediate decision. "It doesnât matter what it isâan ox-cart, a donkey-cart, anything will do. We must get to Shangjing as soon as possible so we can reclaim everything that belongs to the Tian Family sooner."
The Tian Family did have its own escort agency, but in the current situation, they were no longer in any position to command it.
As for other escort agencies, that was out of the question. The smaller agencies in Le City had long looked down on them, and she wasnât about to go to them now just to be humiliated.
With his orders, Li Yong immediately ran out to find a solution.
The reason these servants had stayed was twofold. First, the Lord Prefect hadnât found their indentures. Second, they were clinging to the hope that if the Ministerâs Mansion intervened, the Tian Family would sooner or later return to its former glory.
And as the ones who had protected their masters through it all, they would naturally become great heroes in the familyâs eyes.
With no one else around, Tian Mi gripped her motherâs hand. "We still havenât sent someone to tell my brother. If we can save the shops in the other counties, then weâll have nothing to fear..."
Lady Tian replied, "Iâve already sent someone to inform him. I just hope thereâs still time..."
"What crime did Father even commit?" To this day, Tian Mi still couldnât understand. Everything had been fine just a moment agoâthey were even hosting banquets for the officials of Le City. How could her father have been arrested so suddenly?
Lady Tian had a vague idea, but she wasnât certain. Besides, now wasnât the time to dwell on it. "How should I know? Regardless, we have to rescue your father first."
After some searching, Li Yong actually managed to find two donkey-carts. They escorted the Tian mother and daughter, hurrying toward Shangjing under the cover of night.
ăBack Office of the Le City Prefectă
"My Lord, should we stop them?" Housekeeper Wu had received the news and immediately returned to report.
Prefect Nan replied, "Leave them be."
"But..." âIf they bring back reinforcements, weâll be the ones at a disadvantage.â
Prefect Nan said, "I want them to go to Shangjing. Otherwise, why would I have left them an escape route?"
You donât actually think I was powerless against those few servants who didnât have indentures, do you?
"This servant was foolish."
"Even while giving face to Ancient Wen Heng, I must still be wary of Minister Huang."
Even though Miss Xiao is merely Minister Huangâs granddaughter-in-law, as the old saying goes, you have to see who the master is before you beat the dog.
I left this path open for them precisely to test the waters.
If Minister Huang intervenes, then I will naturally have to make a choice. Do you understand?
Housekeeper Wu bowed respectfully. "Your Lordship is truly wise."
"As for Ancient Wen Hengâs side, I can just push the matter onto Minister Huang. Iâm sure he will understand my difficult position."
...
***
One day, Ancient Wen Heng visited the first plot of reclaimed wasteland, where they had planted their first batch of crops.
"My Lord, this land has been meticulously cared for, and weâve used plenty of fertilizer. Even though itâs a new field, this year should still bring a bountiful harvest." The old farmer in charge of this plot couldnât suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth.
All this grain meant they wouldnât have to go hungry this year.
"It looks well-tended," Ancient Wen Heng commented. Even if he wasnât an expert in agriculture, he could tell the crops before him were growing vigorously. It seemed all their efforts these past days had not been in vain.