The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 911 - 889: Undercurrents

Chapter 911: Chapter 889: Undercurrents

Manbao lay on his back, saying, "We’re hardly through yet. This time the teacher was really angry."

After carrying Manbao back home, Zhou SiLang washed his hands and ate his dinner before applying ointment to the little hands. This was a medicine she had tried making herself before, but because it was a practice attempt, Doctor Ji had disdained it as not good enough, so he had given it to Manbao to take home.

But she also never had the chance to use it until now; she opened a jar and divided it into three portions, with some left over.

Just as the medicine was applied, a servant from the Bai Family came over with a packet of medicine, "The young master sent this for you, saying it’s herbs for soaking feet. There are plenty in the family storeroom, so he sent some over to Miss Man."

Ms. Qian received it, and after asking Manbao, she began preparing the foot-soak.

Although standing for five hours a day was exhausting, one could build up strength in the legs after doing it for a while; after seven or eight days of agony, the three of them gradually got better, hunching or stretching their necks in the yard as they recited loudly from their books.

Mr. Zhuang sat in front of the window, listening to them while reading his own book, feeling like he was enjoying the peaceful years.

Here in Qili Village, times were peaceful, but there was a dark tide surging on the outside. Not only the initiators, County Magistrate Yang and County Magistrate Tang, but even the Prince of Yizhou felt an inexplicable atmosphere.

News from the capital arrived that the Emperor planned to dispatch censors to inspect Jiannan, especially Yizhou, because the tax exemption period set by the court was due to end this year, and the Emperor wanted to know whether the disaster-stricken people of Yizhou had settled down.

Of course, the court was still in discussion and nothing was decided yet.

But based on what the Prince of Yizhou knew of the Emperor, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance it would happen.

The political situation in the capital was changing daily, unpredictable as the weather, and no one knew what might occur next. The Prince of Yizhou was not keen on having outsiders enter his domain.

At this time, the Prince of Yizhou was unaware that a group of people were already quietly making their way toward Yizhou, while the Emperor was repeatedly scrutinizing the ledgers, registers, and deeds submitted to him. There were two versions of the accounts: one original and one organized.

After examining them for a long time, the Emperor closed them and asked, "I forgot to ask Courtier Tang yesterday, who organized these ledgers? The handwriting, though still immature, already shows some character. Hmm, three people, one less proficient, but the other two are quite exceptional. Courtier Tang, you have recruited quite a few capable people in Yizhou City."

How would Lord Tang know who organized these ledgers?

After thinking for a moment, he said, "The ledgers were sent by the County Magistrate of Luojiang County; they should be people under County Magistrate Yang."

"Oh? Zhangbo, then." The Emperor, when Luojiang County was mentioned, thought of the three children, but felt that Yang Heshu would not be so unreliable as to drag the three children into trouble, and thus laughed, "They write well, the ledgers are also well organized, making them easy to understand. They are talents that can be shaped."

The Emperor mentioned it only briefly, then turned to ask, "Have you found the person who wrote letters to Bai Qi?"

Lord Tang shook his head, "It’s going to be very difficult to find someone from twelve years ago."

The Emperor lightly tapped on the table, saying, "A person who could record so many secrets must have been someone very close and trusted by Five. As long as he’s still alive, he won’t be hard to find."

The Emperor sat up slightly and said, "I want to know, what step Five has taken by now or if he has already... backed off."

Lord Tang lowered his eyes in acknowledgement, pausing before asking, "Your Majesty, if the Prince, after many years, has given up because nothing was achieved, how would you deal with him?"

The Emperor looked displeased at Lord Tang.

Without changing his expression, Lord Tang continued, "Your Majesty, I have another list here, presented by the County Magistrate of Huayang County."

Lord Tang bowed and submitted it.

The Emperor took it, unfolded it, and saw that it was full of names with each person’s position listed beside them. Listed first was Bai Qi.

"Your Majesty, twelve years ago, there were fifty-eight people known to have died because of this affair, of which twenty-six people had names and surnames; the rest had only their heads, with no names known, and who knows how many more people have died because of this affair in places we don’t know." Lord Tang lifted his robe and knelt down, "Please vindicate these people, Your Majesty, and proclaim it to the clear heavens and earth."

The Emperor clenched the list in his hand and after a while, said, "Courtier Tang, you have joined the Censorate, but your temperament is still the same as when you were in the Ministry of Justice."

Lord Tang bowed his head.

The Emperor spread out the list, carefully folded it, and placed it amidst the registers, saying, "I understand. Bai Qi, He Ziyun, Zhou Yin, and others were all loyal and righteous. I will not forget them."

Pause a moment before asking, "Courtier Tang, who do you think should be appointed to inspect Jiannan?"

After some thought, Lord Tang said, "Your Majesty, the inspector does not necessarily have to be a censor. Four years ago, during the flood disaster in Yizhou, Lord Wei visited once, didn’t he? Why not have him go again? Firstly, he has seen the disaster-affected Yizhou and knows the difference from before and after; secondly, in the case of Bai Qizhi, until properly calculated, it was Lord Wei who first discovered it. He has quick wits, steadiness, and competence; his going would be most fitting."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor burst into hearty laughter, saying, "Then do you know who he recommended to me early this morning?"

Lord Tang lowered his eyes, saying, "I do not know."

"It’s you, hahaha..." The Emperor laughed heartily, "He said you’ve always been meticulous, a master of solving cases, and your son has been a county magistrate in Yizhou City for three years. You going would be the perfect inside-outside collaboration."

"Your Majesty, precisely because my son has served as the county magistrate in Huayang, I must avoid even the appearance of bias; otherwise, if court officials follow suit in the future..."

After pondering for a moment and feeling there was reason in his words, the Emperor nodded slightly, "Then let Courtier Wei go. By all means, let him travel through Longzhou downward, to look for the descendants of Bai Qi. This case needs a lead to proceed."

Lord Tang bowed his head in agreement, the corners of his mouth slightly curling upward.

What neither sovereign nor minister knew was that among the pile of evidence on the table, the descendants of Bai Qi had contributed, but Wei Zhi was aware; he had been exchanging letters with Old Madam Liu all along.

At the time, when the three children had just found the evidence and ran to County Magistrate Yang, Old Madam Liu had sent a letter to Wei Zhi, so he knew that Zhou Yin’s evidence lost in the mountains had been found.

Before the pile of evidence had even reached the capital, he already knew from Old Madam Liu that it contained evidence of the Prince of Yizhou raising troops and secretly operating iron mines, but he was not privy to more specific details since Daji had only sent back such a message.

Fearing punishment, Bai Shan and Manbao both pretended to be turtles, not returning home or writing letters. Old Madam Liu also didn’t want to leak too much, so she turned a blind eye, indulging them.

The next day, Lord Wei was officially appointed in the early court, and the Emperor had a conversation with him, "I’ve already sent people to Yizhou, but I need you to go for me to see if the Prince of Yizhou still harbors rebellion. If so, bring Bai Qi’s descendants to the capital; the Emperor has use for them."

Lord Wei hesitated before saying, "Your Majesty, perhaps the County Magistrate of Luojiang County did not speak out in order to protect those two children. In truth, these pieces of evidence were found in the mountains by their descendants."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.