diskusbooks Chapter 133 Drive away
Chapter 133 Drive away
Zisu's house was separated from the county government office by only a small alley.
Leaving the capital and coming here with her son, Ying's feelings were extremely complicated. Her marriage to her husband had long been a sham; for the past three years, he hadn't spent a night in her courtyard.
In the Marquis of Zhongxin's mansion in the capital, she, as the legal wife, received no love from her husband and lived a life worse than that of a concubine. The servants were used to bullying the weak and flattering the strong, and because she was very weak and soft-hearted, even the servants dared to bully her, the dignified Lady of the Marquis.
Later, her eldest son returned from the Northeast, and the concubines and sycophants finally quieted down a bit. However, her husband still wouldn't visit her room, and she continued to live a miserable life of widowhood.
This time, her eldest son was going to take her out of the Marquis's mansion, and without much thought, she followed him. However, if her eldest son hadn't also been taking her daughter and grandchildren with him, she wouldn't have been able to bring herself to leave. Especially when she learned that her husband's condition for her leaving the mansion was that she take a sixth concubine, even the last vestige of hesitation in her heart vanished!
Her husband was not worth her even the slightest bit of affection.
The Fang family had an ancestral rule that a man could only take a concubine if he had no son by the age of thirty. Although the husband's first five concubines were all taken when he was thirty-one, and they still hadn't given birth to a son, taking five concubines in a row seemed excessive.
Now that her husband has several sons, taking a concubine would violate ancestral precepts. If her son Fang Heng disagrees and makes a scene in the clan, her husband will be in deep trouble. Otherwise, her husband probably won't agree to let her leave the Marquis's mansion; he doesn't care for her and absolutely won't allow her to embarrass him.
Since that's the case, why should she be sad and upset? Whether her husband has one concubine or six, it doesn't really matter to her. Of course, she'll still feel a little sad. Back then, it was her husband who took a liking to her and went to her parents to ask for her hand in marriage. After she got Qiong'er, he simply stopped going into her room and went to his concubines' rooms every day.
Standing in the clean and elegant courtyard, Ying's complex emotions were finally mixed with a touch of surprise. This two-courtyard house was much, much better than she had imagined.
The structure is excellent, with plenty of flowers, trees, and even fruit trees. It's kept very clean and tidy, almost spotless, and the kitchen is fully equipped. Even the kitchen appliances are readily available; you just need to move your bedding and clothes into the house and you can move in without any worries.
Seeing his mother so happy, Fang Heng said to her, "Mother, this is Princess Yulin's property. She rented this house to us for only ten taels of silver a month. The bedroom and kitchen utensils in the house were also specially provided for us by the servants from Wuliping."
"Oh, I see. When you see the princess in the future, you must thank her properly!" Upon hearing this, Madam Ying was overjoyed.
Princess Shangguan Zisu of Yulin had heard her daughter mention this girl frequently lately. She greatly admired and liked this strong and decisive girl.
“Yes, Mother,” Fang Heng replied respectfully.
Fang Qiong: "Brother, how far is Wuliping from here?"
Fang Heng: "If we take a carriage, an hour will be enough!"
Fang Qiong: "Wow, it's so close! That's great! When Sister Zisu goes to live in Wuliping in the future, I can go and visit her!"
Ying said to her son, "Speaking of which, Princess Yulin saved your life. I should have gone to the General's Mansion to thank her in person." Last time, when her son and daughter went to the General's Mansion, she was not feeling well and did not go with them.
Fang Heng: "Mother, don't feel guilty. There will always be opportunities."
Madam Ying said, "Now that I'm here, the opportunity to go to the General's Mansion to express my gratitude is very rare." Having come here, she might not set foot in the capital for a year or two.
Fang Heng: "The princess's hometown is in Wuliping, which is not far from here. The princess often goes to Wuliping for a short stay. When she goes to Wuliping, my mother and sister can visit her. She has also built a house in Wuliping specifically for entertaining guests."
Ying: "Oh, I see. When she goes to Wuliping, you must tell your mother!"
Fang Heng: "I understand, I will definitely tell Mother."
Upon assuming office, Fang Heng's first action was to reorganize the yamen runners, eliminating all those who committed wrongdoing. A few days earlier, he had come to Zhangshu County incognito to investigate and had a general idea of which yamen runners were good and which could not be kept.
The yamen runners are the magistrate's vital force in carrying out his work. If they are incompetent or even hinder him, his duties as magistrate will be very difficult to achieve. As for other personnel, he will gradually eliminate them, clearing away all obstacles.
The people in the county government office were dumbfounded.
While others make a splash with their new broom sweeping clean, he went all out and lit a huge bonfire, cleaning everything up completely. Not only did he leave no crooked people behind, but he also quickly replenished his ranks with over a dozen useful men, all of whom he brought with him.
On his first day in office, he tried three cases in a row, clearing the names of the victims. With just these two moves, he intimidated everyone in the county government. The honest became even more honest; those who were not so honest and wanted to cause trouble suddenly became well-behaved.
northwest.
Prince Duan stayed in Xiaoxi Village for a month. One day, he received an urgent letter. The Fifth Miss Song had been brought into the Prince's residence and became his nominal concubine. Furthermore, this Fifth Miss Song had already discovered his whereabouts and was planning to pursue him to the Northwest.
"Outrageous! You shameless wretch, how could I let you have your way?!"
After reading the secret letter, Prince Duan was furious. He immediately packed his belongings, took ten personal guards, and left Xiaoxi Village overnight to travel around the country.
The evening after Prince Duan left Xiaoxi Village, Miss Song Wu arrived at Xiaoxi Village with a group of maids, servants, and guards.
The guards beside Miss Song grabbed a passing man and demanded aggressively, "Where did Prince Duan go? Speak now, or you'll lose your head!"
Zhao San gave him a cold look: "Why would the prince tell anyone where he went?"
The guard shouted sternly, "You lowly commoner, do you not want your head? Confess now!"
Zhao San glared at him without fear: "I haven't committed any crime, I have nothing to explain!" He turned around, broke free from the guard, and then threw the guard over his shoulder.
The guards, maids, and servants immediately surrounded them: "How dare you! Don't you want to die? We are all servants of the Prince Duan's mansion. Even when beating a dog, we have to consider its owner!"
Zhao San remained calm and blew the whistle hanging around his neck. Every person in Xiaoxi Village had one of these whistles. If they encountered a pack of wolves or an invading enemy, blowing the whistle would bring everyone in the village to their aid immediately.
At this moment, everyone who had been working at Stone Fortress and in the fields returned. Hearing Zhao San's urgent whistle, all the able-bodied men grabbed their weapons and rushed over. There were at least eighty, if not a hundred, of those who arrived.
In just a short while, the situation took a dramatic turn, and the people who were surrounded were now Miss Song and her subordinates.
Zhao San sneered, "Those living here are all veterans who fought their way up in the Northwest battlefield. Do you think you can intimidate us like this? How would we commoners know where Prince Duan went? And you dare to threaten us like this?! If you know what's good for you, leave now, or don't blame us for being impolite!"
Li Cai sneered, "You shameless people dare to commit evil deeds under the banner of Prince Duan! Prince Duan is our marshal. He is so kind and upright. How could you crooked people dare to tarnish his name?!"
"That's right! Prince Duan is such a good person, how could he have such servants? The guards around Prince Duan are all humble, polite, upright and kind!"
The people of Xiaoxi Village echoed this sentiment.
Zhao San: "Drive all these wicked swindlers out of Xiaoxi Village!"
"Yes, kick them out!" the crowd shouted.
The crowd was agitated, and Miss Song was terrified. She hurriedly led her men away, scrambling and stumbling.
The whereabouts of Prince Duan could not be found. After wandering in the northwest for several days, she had no choice but to take her people back to the capital.
At this very moment, Prince Duan is traveling leisurely and carefree in the Jiangnan region. If it weren't for his concern for Zisu, he could be said to be completely content and forget about returning home.
Miss Song returned to Prince Duan's mansion in a dejected manner.
When Consort Qin heard that she had returned, she came out to greet her with great hope, but even craning her neck, she couldn't see her son. Her gaze suddenly turned sharp, and she sternly rebuked Consort Song: "You've come back alone? Where is the Prince? Where is my son?!"
Consort Song: "I don't know either. He left when I arrived in the Northwest."
Consort Qin: "Bah! What daughter-in-law? You're nothing but a lowly concubine, how dare you call yourself a daughter-in-law?! Guards, slap her across the face! Give her ten good slaps!"
Consort Song was shocked: "Your Highness, it was you who told me to call myself your daughter-in-law!"
Consort Qin shouted at the stunned old woman, "What are you all standing there for? Start hitting her now!"
"Yes, Your Highness." Immediately, two burly old women pounced on her, one grabbing Consort Song and the other swinging her right hand to start hitting her.