Chapter 653: Evil Officials, Hedong Lion
Daxing County Government Office.
Just after the Shen time (3 p.m.), Wei Shougen quietly arrived at the east wing where the clerks were, and seeing that there was no one around, he ran towards the first office in the east like a flash.
When he got closer and wanted to push the door open, he found it was locked.
Why are you locking the door in broad daylight?!
Wei Shougen cursed inwardly and was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, but suddenly he heard someone inside shouting, "Who? Who's outside?"
"It's me, Yang Dianshi, Wei Shougen!"
Wei Shougen responded in a low voice, and then he heard some rustling noises inside, and he didn't know what they were doing.
After waiting for about half a cup of tea, the door finally opened slightly and a handsome and shy young man walked out.
Seeing Wei Shougen guarding outside the door, the young man lowered his head and called out "Wei Bantou" shyly, then moved aside.
No wonder the door is locked in broad daylight!
The young man was originally a new yamen runner. Because he was born weak, he was often bullied at first. But later he hooked up with Yang Dianshi and punished those who bullied him.
Although as the head of a yamen runner squad, he often took advantage of the power of his superiors, but Wei Shougen really looked down on such people who sold their butts.
He glanced at the young man with disgust, not bothering to talk to him, and just barged into the room and locked the door.
After locking the door, he did not rush to talk to Yang Dianshi, but stuck to the door and listened, until the footsteps of the young man gradually faded away, then he turned around and said in a trembling voice: "Yang Dianshi, disaster, disaster!"
Yang Dianshi stroked his beard and frowned, scolding: "Why are you panicking? Didn't I tell you that you should stay calm at this time?"
"I...I can calm down!"
Wei Shougen hurried over and said in a low voice, "Somehow the news of me taking the goods from Chief Wang got out and was heard by Qiu Yanei. Now he has gone to the county and asked the county magistrate to investigate!"
"What?!"
Yang Dianshi was startled. He stood up and paced back and forth for a few steps, muttering to himself, but no one knew what he was thinking about.
Seeing that he was no longer as confident as usual, Wei Shougen panicked. He could not help but stepped forward and grabbed Yang Dianshi's arm, shaking him desperately: "Sir Yang, you are the one who arranged this mission. Now that disaster is imminent, you must at least think of a way to save the lives of my family!"
"Confused!"
Yang Dianshi tried to shake off his sleeves, but he still couldn't break free, so he just let him do what he wanted and scolded him, "Why are you still caring about your family at this time? If I say so, before they find out about you, get out of the capital and hide for a while!"
In his heart, Wei Shougen had actually long thought that the best strategy was to retreat, but he still held on to a glimmer of hope, so he came to Yang Dianshi to seek advice.
Now hearing him say the same thing, I immediately made up my mind to run away.
So he said decisively: "Then I will go pack up my belongings, and then..."
"Why are you still packing your belongings at this hour?!"
Yang Dianshi stamped his feet in anxiety, grabbed Wei Shougen and whispered something in his ear.
After hearing this, Wei Shougen was half happy and half hesitant, and said hesitantly: "But where is my money..."
"Don't worry, once the storm has passed, you will definitely get some benefits over there!"
"Okay then, I'll leave right away!"
Wei Shougen did not hesitate any longer. He clasped his fists towards Yang Dianshi, turned around, opened the door and left.
Yang Dianshi chased him to the door and watched him leave the east wing. The anxiety on his face gradually subsided.
He turned around and walked leisurely to the desk, poured a full cup of tea, but he did not drink it. Instead, he slowly poured it on the place where Wei Shougen had just stood.
…
It is said that Wei Shougen left the county government office and headed straight for the west city, exhausted. As he was dressed as an official, no one dared to ask him a single question even though he was charging forward recklessly.
But not all the people in this capital city are ordinary people.
Just as he rushed out of an alley, he almost hit a carriage.
The driver was still trying to rein in the horses, but a girl dressed as a maid suddenly appeared from the carriage and started to scold him, "You blind fellow... Eh? Why is it another servant?! Did you make an appointment to make trouble for my girl?!"
Wei Shougen didn't understand where the word "again" came from, and he had no intention of delving into it. He forced himself to hold back and apologize, but the maid wouldn't give in, and kept throwing all kinds of dirty and vegetarian food at him.
Wei Shougen gritted his teeth and simply ran away.
"Hey, hey! Come back! You..."
The maidservant yelled a few times on the cart, and when she saw him running away like the wind, she stamped her feet on the shaft of the cart in anger.
He cursed a few more times and was about to turn around and get into the car when he suddenly saw two sturdy men coming out of the alley they had been in before and rushing up to him like the wind.
"What's going on?"
The maid was suspicious and muttering something when she heard someone in the car ask, "Baochan, what happened outside?"
The maid named Baochan heard the call from inside and hurried back into the carriage shed. She smiled apologetically to the girl with golden hair, "Miss, it's just a few dogs running around and bumping into the carriage frame. It's not worth your concern."
"Since it's not worth my concern, why don't you get on the road?" The woman frowned and scolded, "What will happen if we arrive at the palace after dark?!"
After hearing this, the maid Baochan hurriedly asked the driver to get back on the road.
However, the three carriages in front and behind continued to move along the way, and after half an hour, they finally stopped in front of the gate of Prince Beijing's Mansion.
The maid Baochan hurriedly got off the carriage, without any arrogance on her face. She gracefully stepped forward, bowed to the guard at the gate, and said softly with a faint smile, "Please tell him to tell him that the young lady of the Guihua Xia family wants to see the princess."
It turned out that the person in the car was no one else but Xia Jingui, the young lady of the Xia family who had clashed with the officers from the Dali Temple that day.
Although the guard at the gate had never heard of the Guihua Xia family, he saw that the scene was so grand and not something that ordinary people could have, so he quickly sent one of his men to go in and report.
Soon, a maid came out, calling her "Miss Cousin" all the time. She first led the Xia family's carriage into the palace, and then led the master and servant to the flower hall in the inner courtyard.
After Xia Jingui sat down on the embroidered cushion, the maid smiled again and said, "When our princess heard that Miss Cousin had arrived, she came out to greet her in person, but she was caught up in something. Miss Cousin, please wait for a moment until the princess finishes her housework, and then come over to talk to you."
Xia Jingui smiled and said warmly, "When can't we sisters talk? Of course, we should deal with the business first. Mom, you don't have to wait here. Just go and do your thing."
When the old woman left in a timid manner, she immediately frowned and complained: "What do you mean by handling household chores? I think she doesn't take us poor relatives seriously!"
Then, he gloated, "When she despised us, an orphan and a widow, and tried her best to separate Wei Ruolan and me, I'm afraid she didn't expect that her precious brother would be thrown into death row, right?"
Although Baochan was also a fierce person, she was still a little timid. Every word she said was heart-wrenching. She hurriedly walked around outside, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no one around.
Just as he was hesitating whether to persuade his young lady to speak less, he suddenly heard Xia Jingui ask with a burning gaze: "I heard that the prince has no offspring so far. Do you think it's because my sister can't give birth and is jealous of talented people?"
Although Baochan was not a very smart person, she had been with her since she was a child, so she immediately saw what she was planning. She was not surprised but happy.
He secretly thought that if his young lady could marry into the palace and become a concubine, the Xia family 's current predicament would be solved, and if he could find an opportunity in the future, wouldn't he be able to rise with the tide?
Thinking of this, the master and servant both showed some emotion in their eyes...
