Chapter 54: The Matter Concluded

Chapter 54: The Aftermath

After learning of Imperial Censor Li's whereabouts, Yu Lanyi couldn't restrain himself and came to find him.

The sound of things being smashed continued from inside the room.

Cheng Wen's face showed restraint, and he felt even more disdain for Zheng Shanci. Knowing full well that he had offended Imperial Censor Li, he still sent his husband here to suffer humiliation.

From inside the room came the voice of Imperial Censor Li, "Young Master Yu, feel free to smash things, but don't harm yourself. I didn't know that Lord Zheng was your husband and ended up offending him. I deserve to be reprimanded. The Cheng family reaped what they sowed, and Lord Zheng is merely carrying out justice. He is a good official. When I return to the capital, I will submit a report to the cabinet praising Lord Zheng for his strict governance and fearlessness in the face of power."

Cheng Wen heard the young master inside snort, "Do you think you're the only one who can write a report? Others can't write to the Emperor?"

"I didn't want to come here and say this, but I was afraid you would spread rumors in the capital. Think about it yourself—do you have any skeletons in your closet? Otherwise, I could write a letter to my father and brother, asking the Ministry of Justice to investigate you. What do you think?"

Yu Lanyi, exhausted from smashing things, sat down on a chair. Imperial Censor Li still didn't dare to sit, standing instead, his face covered in sweat. He wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. How could there be no dirty secrets? They were all hidden, and no one could withstand an investigation. He was already regretting his decisions. Originally, he was on an inspection tour away from the capital, and the governor of Qingzhou had shown him some respect. He was about to return to the capital when he received a letter from Cheng Ru, prompting him to stand up for Cheng Ru. This led to a clash with Zheng Shanci.

Who would have guessed that such a minor official would have a husband who was the son of the Marquis of Changyang, and the famous Yu Lanyi at that? He had been on an inspection tour outside the capital and hadn't received any news from the court, thus inadvertently harming himself.

This Cheng Ru is truly going to be the death of me.

"Young Master Yu, it seems I've offended the wrong person. I didn't know that Lord Zheng was the son-in-law of the Marquis of Changyang. Please, as a nobleman, forgive me." Imperial Censor Li had completely lost his arrogance and was now groveling. A thought suddenly crossed his mind, "I will go and apologize to Zheng Shanci and prepare a generous gift to make amends."

Outside the door, Cheng Wen was in turmoil upon hearing Imperial Censor Li's submissive tone. When he heard the mention of the son-in-law of the Marquis of Changyang, Cheng Wen's fingers dug into his palm. He had never imagined that Zheng Shanci had such a formidable background. Why did he have to come to Xin Feng County of all places? He lowered his head, no longer wondering why Zheng Shanci had sent his husband to see Lord Li. Who wouldn't show respect to the son of a marquis?

Yu Lanyi waved his hand, "Zheng Shanci doesn't accept gifts, and we don't care for your presents. Go and apologize to Zheng Shanci to make him feel better. He's timid, and if he finds out you're going back to the capital to file a report against him, I'm afraid he won't sleep well."

Imperial Censor Li hurriedly agreed, "Alright, I will go and apologize to Zheng Shanci this afternoon."

The door opened, revealing the chaos inside. Yu Lanyi raised an eyebrow lightly, "The items in this post station belong to Xin Feng County. Remember to pay for the damages, Lord Li."

Imperial Censor Li quickly said, "I broke them, I will compensate, I will compensate!"

"Young Master Yu, take care on your way back." Imperial Censor Li followed Yu Lanyi, eagerly seeing him off.

After Yu Lanyi boarded his carriage, Imperial Censor Li's smile faded, replaced by a look of despair. His red official robe no longer shone as brightly as it had the day before, and he looked completely defeated. He went upstairs and instructed the post station staff to replace the smashed teacups, vases, broken tables, and chairs with missing legs.

The postmaster was shocked by the scene.

"Replace these items, and take this silver bar." Imperial Censor Li, disheartened, handed the postmaster a silver bar.

"My lord, this is too generous..." The postmaster's words were cut off as Imperial Censor Li waved his hand, not wanting to hear more, and told him to leave. He was about to find another place to stay when Cheng Wen spoke up.

"Lord Li, my mother sent me to find you."

Only then did Imperial Censor Li turn his attention to Cheng Wen. He looked at Cheng Wen, somewhat puzzled, and couldn't recall who this young man was. Cheng Wen, feeling ashamed, had to reveal his name, "I am Cheng Wen, the second grandson of the Cheng clan."

"Ah..." Imperial Censor Li suddenly remembered, "I recall now. Your grandfather once mentioned you to me. He said you were a bright scholar and hoped you would achieve great success in the imperial examinations, bringing the Cheng clan to greater heights."

Seeing the gloom in Cheng Wen's eyes, Imperial Censor Li realized he had misspoken, "Let's not talk about that. What brings you here?"

"I can no longer take the imperial examinations. I came to ask Lord Li if you could help me find a job, just enough to support my family. I no longer have any other ambitions," Cheng Wen said humbly.

Imperial Censor Li, in his forties, was a close friend of Cheng Ru, a friendship that dated back to when Cheng Ru was a governor. After Cheng Ru stepped down, Imperial Censor Li still had some connections, and he and Cheng Ru continued to correspond, maintaining their relationship. Now that Cheng Ru had become a prisoner and had offended the Marquis of Changyang, Imperial Censor Li didn't want to handle this hot potato.

"You're a good kid, but I don't have any good opportunities for you now. Follow your mother and look carefully. After all, you're an educated person. You could become a tutor or an accountant, which would at least ensure you have enough to eat."

The imperial examinations required not only knowledge of literature but also arithmetic, so someone who could read and do arithmetic shouldn't have trouble finding a way out. Imperial Censor Li was a shrewd man. He thought that Mrs. Cheng wanted him to take Cheng Wen back to the capital and find a good position for him. Alas, that was impossible.

Cheng Wen, feeling ashamed by Imperial Censor Li's words, bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Li. I will take my leave now."

"You may go. You heard it outside—your family's situation is beyond saving. From now on, take care of yourself."

Cheng Wen paused for a moment and responded.

He returned to the inn and met Mrs. Cheng, telling her what Imperial Censor Li had said.

Mrs. Cheng sighed, holding her handkerchief: "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. So be it. As long as you and your elder brother are well, my life will be fine. The three of us will stick together."

Distracted, Cheng Wen told Mrs. Cheng that Zheng Shanci was the son-in-law of the Marquis of Changyang. Mrs. Cheng frowned and said "good" three times in a row.

"No wonder the Xia family switched sides so quickly and decisively. I guess they found out about Lord Zheng's identity," Mrs. Cheng said with a bitter smile. "Forget it, don’t think about these things anymore. You must be tired today, go to sleep."

"If the family hadn't delayed your marriage to Xu Geer, you could have relied on your in-laws by now, instead of having to go with me to seek refuge with my family. My family isn’t exactly a walk in the park either."

Cheng Wen went to sleep at the inn.

...

Zheng Shanci was still busy at the county office, completely unaware that his husband had gone to stand up for him. The Qi and Cheng families had enough gold and silver to repair the roads, and the Gao and Xia families had also voluntarily surrendered. Zheng Shanci had arrested all those involved. Those who could pay the ransom had their families pay to rescue them. Those who couldn’t be saved were given their last meals, and there were no disturbances.

"Lord Zheng, here’s the list of those to be executed at noon three days from now. Please review it," Archivist Zhu handed a piece of paper with names to Zheng Shanci.

Zheng Shanci took a red brush and marked all the names on the list, meaning these people would be executed three days later with no chance of reprieve.

"Lord Zheng, I will take my leave now."

Zheng Shanci nodded.

Archivist Zhu walked out of the county office and handed the paper to his trusted subordinate. He saw Mr. Yun and Madam Yun blocking Yun Geer, saying something, and Mr. Yun raised his hand to slap Yun Geer.

Archivist Zhu grabbed Mr. Yun's hand, "Mr. Yun, this doesn’t look good in public."

"Archivist Zhu, I’m disciplining my own son—this has nothing to do with the county office," Mr. Yun was so angry that he clashed with Archivist Zhu. After saying this, Madam Yun quickly tugged at Mr. Yun's sleeve and smiled apologetically, "Archivist Zhu, please don’t mind. My husband is hot-headed and didn’t mean to disrespect you."

Yun Geer had just come out of the clinic and wanted to go to the Zheng residence to find the County Magistrate's Husband, but as soon as he left the clinic, he was spotted by Mr. Yun and Madam Yun, who wanted to take him back. As a concubine’s son, seeing their demeanor, his heart sank. He remembered a brother from the mansion who had been called by Mr. Yun to serve at a banquet, treated as a plaything, and ended up pregnant. To avoid scandal, the Yun family drove him out in the dead of winter, and he likely died.

He had testified in court against Cheng Ru, and everyone knew he’d lost his chastity. If they took him back, he’d probably hear news of his death from ‘illness’ in a few days. He didn’t want to die.

Yun Geer pleaded with Archivist Zhu, "Archivist Zhu, I want to go find the County Magistrate's Husband, please help me."

Archivist Zhu nodded and led Yun Geer away. Mr. Yun and Madam Yun didn’t dare to say anything.

Yun Geer breathed a sigh of relief, "I haven’t thanked Archivist Zhu for saving my life. Thank you for rescuing me from the river back then, and for saving me again today."

"It’s my duty as an archivist," Archivist Zhu said, bowing his head. "What are your plans for the future?"

"The County Magistrate's Husband has agreed to my request and will give me a travel pass and silver. I will go to a place to live alone. Though it’ll be tough, it’s better than being controlled at home. I dared to testify in court because I didn’t want to stay here anymore."

Archivist Zhu acknowledged.

"Though the country is at peace, there are still bandits causing trouble. Be careful," Archivist Zhu said.

Yun Geer shivered but nodded firmly, "Thank you for the reminder, Archivist Zhu."

When they reached the Zheng residence, Yun Geer was about to thank Archivist Zhu again, but Archivist Zhu said he would accompany him inside. Yun Geer was surprised but nodded.

Yu Lanyi returned from the post station in high spirits. After hearing Yun Geer’s words, he had Jin Yun hand over the prepared items. "Where do you plan to go? If you're going, head north."

Yun Geer took the travel pass and silver with a smile and said, "Alright, thank you, Young Master Yu."

Archivist Zhu couldn’t hold back any longer and clasped his hands, saying, "Why don’t you stay? I’d be willing to marry you. I don’t care about these things. I came here as a refugee, struggling to survive on the road. I don’t care about chastity. If you stay with me, I’ll take good care of you."

Yun Geer was somewhat surprised. His face turned red, but he still shook his head, "Thank you for your kindness, Archivist Zhu. We’ve only met a couple of times. Whatever your intentions may be, I don’t feel the same way. It’s just not meant to be. I hope you find someone you truly love, whether it’s a girl or a boy."

Archivist Zhu clenched his fists tightly. He wanted to say more but hesitated, fumbling for words, and hung his head in silence.

Yu Lanyi observed the scene and thought Archivist Zhu seemed like a decent man, but Yun Geer indeed had no such intentions, so he didn’t persuade him either.

"I’ll have one of my strong servants escort you out."

Yun Geer said gratefully, "Thank you, Young Master."

...

At noon, Zheng Shanci ate in the dining hall and was ready for a nap. Wang Fu came to report, "My Lord, Lord Li has arrived."

Imperial Censor Li came empty-handed. When he saw Zheng Shanci, he looked him over and, impressed by his dignified appearance, praised him as a noble and refined man, supporting Zheng Shanci to prevent him from bowing.

"Lord Zheng, no need for formalities. I’m here to apologize. I acted too hastily in court yesterday, defending Cheng Ru without knowing the full story. You were right in this matter. Please take my words yesterday as if I were speaking out of ignorance. You’re very generous; please forgive my arrogance." Imperial Censor Li's attitude was completely different from yesterday, now humble and submissive.

Wang Fu, listening outside the door, smiled.

Zheng Shanci hurriedly helped Imperial Censor Li up, "Lord Li, what are you talking about? It was my rudeness that offended you. Your words are too kind."

Imperial Censor Li anxiously said, "Not at all, I was blind and didn’t realize you were the esteemed son-in-law of the Marquis’s house..."

Imperial Censor Li was still anxiously saying something, but Zheng Shanci could hardly hear him clearly.

After a while, Imperial Censor Li left the county office.

He rushed to the post station to have his servants pack up his things. He never wanted to come to Xinfeng County again.

At night, Zheng Shanci returned home. Yu Lanyi was lying on the couch reading a storybook, with oranges placed on the small table beside him. He ate the oranges as he read.

Zheng Shanci took off his official robe to wash up. As he undressed, he noticed that Yu Lanyi's pace of flipping the pages slowed, and his gaze occasionally fell on him.

Zheng Shanci pretended not to notice, took his inner clothes, and went to wash.

Yu Lanyi openly watched. They were married; couldn’t he look?

When Zheng Shanci came out, he was still surrounded by a mist of steam, his long hair draped behind him. He went to the bed and said, "I’m tired today and want to sleep early."

Yu Lanyi responded with an "Oh," feeling a bit disappointed. It felt like his husband had suddenly lost his vigor. He placed the storybook he was reading into the bedside cabinet and, seeing the book without a cover there, sighed softly.

What a pity.

He blew out the candle lightly and was about to turn over to sleep on the inner side of the bed when someone grabbed his waist and sat him straight on Zheng Shanci's abs. Zheng Shanci had already loosened his belt, and Yu Lanyi instinctively placed his hands on Zheng Shanci's body, feeling his smooth, cool skin, causing his ears to turn red instantly.

In the darkness, Zheng Shanci tugged at his clothes, his breath becoming hot.

"Thank you, my husband, for standing up for me."