A Good Country Wife
Chapter 467 - 461_1

Chapter 467: 461_1

"This humble commoner has seen the Magistrate, it has been some days since we last met, I wonder if these days have been smooth for the Magistrate?" Lord Wei gave Ceng Lu a bow and said with a smile, his heart actually devoid of any awe towards the Magistrate, but rather considering the relationship merely one of utility. Compared to the previous Magistrate, Mr. Chen, this Magistrate Ceng was nothing but a fool and a debauchee, sinking daily into eating, drinking, and merriment. Yet such a person was easy to manipulate; with silver and women to sweeten him up, he would do anything asked of him.

"Thanks to your blessing, Old Wei, I’ve been quite well. Those two twin beauties you sent last time were indeed delightful, very skilled in serving people, truly a great pleasure without end, excellent indeed." Ceng Lu said with a look of satisfaction about the twin beauties sent by Lord Wei. Lately, he had spent the majority of his time in the room of the twin sisters, even frequently summoning them during the daytime. It just so happened that the twin sisters had been feeling unwell these past few days, which is why they were not present at the moment.

"If it pleases you, it is this humble commoner’s good fortune to be of service to you. I had been initially concerned that the sisters might not serve you well due to the short time spent in training them, but it seems there is no need to worry now."

"What business brings you here today?" Ceng Lu knew that a visit from Lord Wei could not be ignored, and said bluntly,

"The Magistrate is wise, indeed, ..." Lord Wei roughly laid out his plan. "Rest assured, Magistrate, that Zhao Erhu’s assets are not insignificant. After the matter is dealt with, this humble commoner will not monopolize the benefits; your share will certainly not be lacking."

Ceng Lu had not paid much attention until he heard Erhu’s name, which sounded somewhat familiar. He repeated it silently a couple of times, then suddenly it dawned on him, "No, you can’t touch this family."

Lord Wei hadn’t expected the Magistrate’s ready agreement to suddenly be withdrawn, and his heart sank. For the matter concerning Zhao Erhu, he had given the Magistrate no small bribe. If he could not recoup his investment, that would be a great loss, and what was more crucial, he could not swallow his pride. Zhao Erhu and his wife were overly arrogant, showing him no respect at all; he had to teach them a lesson.

Although Lord Wei was somewhat anxious, he still managed to keep his composure. Judging by the Magistrate’s manner of speaking, there seemed to be a reason behind his refusal. "Magistrate, why is this? Could it be that there is some relationship between you and this family?"

"Nonsense, what status do I have? How could I have any relation with a pair of peasants? However, this family has been declared untouchable by an order from above. According to the news from the Capital City, not only are this couple protected by the Jiang Family, but the peasant woman also enjoys good relations with Princess Yongle and Commandery Princess Roujia, who are favored by the Emperor. We must not offend them lightly, otherwise, even my cousin at the palace won’t let me off easy." The Magistrate didn’t hide the situation and disclosed the reason behind it.

Lord Wei was somewhat stunned upon hearing this; he had not expected Zhao Erhu and his wife to be so influential. One trip to the Capital City and they had not only gained the support of the Jiang Family but also made connections with a princess and commandery princess.

Having spent time in the Capital City himself, he knew full well the power of the Jiang Family. Offending them was like an ant challenging a giant, and thus even in his wildest acts in Xin’an City, he dared not infringe upon the Jiang’s interests. As for people like Princess Yongle and Commandery Princess Roujia, they were untouchable entities to him, figures he could only look up to. He had only heard of their exploits from storytellers in the teahouse. Commandery Princess Roujia might be one thing, but Princess Yongle was the Emperor’s own sister.

"How could this be? Are you sure your information is correct, Magistrate? They’re just a pair of peasants; how could they possibly ingratiate themselves with the Jiang Family, a princess, and a commandery princess? Their status is beyond the reach of a mere peasant woman; it’s utterly inconceivable. Could there have been a mistake in the person?" Lord Wei was obviously struggling to accept the truth.

Ceng Lu, seeing Wei Xingye daring to doubt his words, grew displeased, and the smile vanished from his face. "How dare you! Do you think I am like you, so muddled that I can’t even get such a matter straight?"

Seeing that the Magistrate was displeased, and realizing his own lapse, Wei Xingye hurriedly begged forgiveness, "Please, Magistrate, calm your anger. It was the humble commoner who was presumptuous. The matter just seemed too fantastical, and I found it hard to believe at the moment. I hope the Magistrate will overlook the transgression of a humble man and not hold it against me."

"Hmph! I don’t care what you think, but let me be clear, if you dare provoke that couple, I won’t come to your aid when you face the consequences. My cousin wrote to me that even the fourth princess in the palace has been punished by the Emperor for offending that peasant woman. What status does the fourth princess have? Even if she is not favored, she is still a princess. This shows how strong the backing behind that peasant woman is. Considering what you said earlier about your grievances with that couple, be careful, and don’t go offending them deeply. I will not be able to save you then."

Although Ceng Lu was greedy and pleasure-loving, he was also someone who least liked trouble. With no ambitions, he simply wanted to quietly collect wealth and beautiful women in Xin’an City, then return to the Capital City after his three-year tenure was complete. He had no intention of provoking people like Zhao Erhu and his wife, nor would he allow Wei Xingye to do so, lest it bring unnecessary trouble upon him.

"Thank you for the guidance, Magistrate. I dare not oppose Zhao Erhu and his wife anymore. Rest assured."

After accompanying the Magistrate a while longer, Wei Xingye left and exited the doors of the Government Office. No longer needing to conceal his feelings, his face was truly unsightly. Without a word, he stepped into his carriage, coming with high hopes only to leave in dismay. He had been certain of acquiring the secret recipe and assets in the hands of Zhao Erhu and his wife, intending to give a stern lesson to the insolent couple who had defied him time and again. He had not expected to end up like this, struggling to accept the reality. As for the gifts he had sent to the Magistrate, even if the affair was not successful, getting them back was out of the question. Otherwise, it would be tantamount to offending the Magistrate, an undeniable loss.

Zhao Lingxiang had been eagerly anticipating joining Wei Xingye and the officers in settling scores with Zhao Erhu and his wife. Seeing his grave expression, she sensed trouble and said apprehensively, "My Lord, what’s wrong? Could it be that the matter wasn’t successful and the Magistrate refused to help? That can’t be; isn’t the Magistrate always at your disposal?"

Under normal circumstances, Zhao Lingxiang would not dare to approach Wei Xingye for fear of being caught up in his bad mood. However, the matter concerning Zhao Erhu and his wife made her too anxious to wait, urging her hastily, worried that she might not get the chance to take revenge on them after all the humiliation she had endured.

"Shut up! It’s all your fine doing. How can you and Zhao Erhu be siblings? If you were on good terms, then wouldn’t Erhu be of use to me? Instead, you’ve made things into this mess!"

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