Chapter 63: The Second Report

  Seeking a patron...

  On the other hand, if Wu Qi could bear to part with his daughter Wu Xue Mei, he would have established a relationship with Shao Ke Huan, and even by extension, had a familial connection with the Marquis of Broken Army and even the current Emperor himself. Although his future career path couldn't be said to be smooth sailing, there was still great hope that before retirement, he could rise to become the head of a first or second rank official in a provincial government.

  Just doing so has a suspicion of selling daughters for glory, Wu Qi doesn't know how to open his mouth. He can only look at his daughter and ask: "Mei'er, what do you think?"

  Wu Xuemei understood the pros and cons better than Wu Qi, she knew the risks of refusing Shao Chuanjie and Jiang Shan, with almost no hesitation, she put on a happy face.

  Worried that Wu Qi would misunderstand, Wu Xue Mei spoke bluntly. She said: "Father, the third young master is knowledgeable and elegant, he's a good match for me, I'm willing to form a Qin Jin relationship with him."

  Wu Qi nodded, accompanied by a smile, and said to Jiang Xue: "Since Mei'er doesn't object, I, as her father, will take charge and agree to marry Mei'er off to the Third Young Master as his wife."

  Jiang Shan burst out laughing and said: "Magistrate Wu, you've arranged for your daughter to marry the Third Master, that's perfect. From now on, you father and daughter can just wait for a life of happiness."

  Wu Qi smiled and said: "However, I have a small request. My daughter is going to get married properly, with all the necessary procedures."

  Jiang Shan said, "This is easy to say, I'll send someone to tell Shao Laoxiong about it later and have him invite a matchmaker to propose, and have the three young masters and the noble lady's eight characters checked to ask for auspiciousness."

  Wu Xue Mei showed a shy expression, she timidly stole a glance at the third young master and said: "This daughter takes her leave."

  The third young master gazed longingly at Wu Xue Mei's slender figure disappearing from view, his soul seemingly captivated by the charming glance she had given him.

  Just then, a yamen runner rushed over and stopped outside the Flower-Appreciation Pavilion. He bowed to County Magistrate Wu Qi and said, "Your Honor, someone wants to see you."

  "Get out of here! Can't you see I'm entertaining honored guests? Whoever it is, don't let them in today. Tell them to leave." Wu Qi scolded with a stern face.

  The official didn't dare stay for long and hastily slunk away.

  Jiang Shan stood up and stood behind the Third Prince, coughing slightly to remind him: "Third Prince, please take a seat."

  The Third Master sat back down at the banquet table with a dispirited look, and Jiang Xue patted his shoulder, saying: "Third Master, didn't His Excellency have some matters that he wanted you to consult with Magistrate Wu about?"

  "Oh?" The Third Master's expression was still somewhat dazed, and for a moment, he didn't react.

  Jiang Shan secretly shook her head. The Third Master was fine in every way, but whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he couldn't move on. He coughed and said, "I'll ask instead. Magistrate Wu, some time ago, Shao sent you a handwritten letter asking you to secretly monitor the principal of San Shan Academy, Zhou Wei. Is this true?"

  Wu Qi was shocked in his heart, Shao Ke Han wrote him a letter, doing it very secretly, how did Jiang Shan know. With doubts in his mind, he said without stopping: "There is indeed such a thing."

  "Now that we're family, I can let you in on some things. It wasn't Shao who asked you to keep an eye on Zhou Wei, but rather Master Hou. He wants me to ask you if you've noticed anything unusual about Zhou Wei."

  Wu Qi was shocked in his heart, he didn't expect Zhou Wei to actually disturb the Broken Army Marquis. On the surface, he didn't show any expression and said: "Zhou Wei has been recuperating at home since he closed down the Sanshan Academy, almost never leaving the house or taking a step outside. I have visited him several times under the pretext of seeking his advice on governance. From my observation, Zhou Wei should be genuinely ill, not pretending."

  Jiang Xuan furrowed his brow, and asked again: "In the letter you wrote to Shao Lao Di, didn't you say that Zhou Wei had given a set of Tai Zu Zidian to one of his students, but then Liang You took it back? Where is that set of Tai Zu Zidian now?"

  "Wu Qi hastily said: 'Since Mei'er took the Taizu Zidian away, I have kept it locked in the silver warehouse, with a dedicated person guarding it. I haven't even touched it.'"

  Jiang Shan showed a satisfied expression, and he said: "You immediately have someone bring out that set of Taizu's dictionary, hand it over to me. I will arrange for someone to send it to the capital, and deliver it into the hands of Hou Ye."

  Wu Qi did not dare ask more questions and hastily ordered Zhu Bo to take people to the silver storehouse to retrieve the Taizu Zidian.

  At the same time, the official who had gone in to report came out again. Having been reprimanded, he naturally wouldn't give Li Wenjun and Sun Baicao a good face. With a stern expression, he ordered Li Wenjun to leave.

  Sun Baicao turned around and glanced at Li Wenjun, meaning that if he wanted to leave, then just leave, and come back tomorrow to ask for an audience.

  Li Wenjun didn't want to run another trip tomorrow, his time was precious, and he didn't have the time to go back and forth. He flipped his hand, and there were five taels of silver in it, which he casually threw into the yamen runner's hands. "Go and report again for me, say that the great thief Wang Yonggui has been captured, I've brought his head."

  With a "clink", the silver that had just been handed to the yamen runner fell to the ground. He stared at Li Wenjun in shock, his mouth agape, and asked: "Y...y...what did you say?"

  Li Wenjun said calmly: "I brought Wang Yonggui's head, why don't you go and report it?"

  Wang Yonggui was a huge mountain weighing on the heads of all the yamen runners in Sanshan County. When they suddenly heard that Wang Yonggui had died, their reaction was as if they had heard a fairy tale, and they stood there stupidly.

  Li Wenjun shook his head and took out another five-tael silver ingot, tossing it to another gatekeeper, saying: "You go and announce my arrival for me."

  That official happily accepted the silver and turned around, running quickly towards the back garden.

  The sound of footsteps from the yamen startled Wu Qi.

  Jiang Xuan furrowed her brow, saying discontentedly: "Magistrate Wu, how do you manage your subordinates? Can't even have a drink in peace. Being disturbed three times already, how can we speak privately?"

  Wu Qi's face turned iron-green, he stood up and walked out of the flower pavilion. Without waiting for the yamen runner to speak, he slapped him with a loud smack. His eyes blazing with anger, he rebuked: "You blind fool! How did I instruct you just now? No one is allowed to see me! What are you doing here again? Are your ears deaf?"

  The yamen runner covered his face, he really wanted to turn around and leave, but remembered the silver given by Li Wenjun, so he plucked up the courage and said: "Master, it's not that I don't understand the rules, but something big has really happened."

  "What's the big deal? Our San Shan County is a small place, what big deal can happen here? Is the sky falling or has your wife run off with some wild man?" Wu Qi lost all his refinement and spoke viciously, not looking like a county magistrate at all.

  The yamen runner said, "The sky hasn't fallen, and my wife hasn't run off with someone. Master, it was Wang Yonggui who was killed. Someone came from outside the gate, claiming to have killed Wang Yonggui, and even brought his head. I thought this matter was too big, so I hurried over to report to you, Master."

  Wu Qi took a deep breath in reverse, he grabbed the collar of the official's robe and asked: "What did you say? Wang Yonggui was killed?"