Chapter 106: The Wife is Well-Educated and Sensible

"Because the village chief said he wants to seek justice from you." "Me?" Wang Pangzi simply couldn't believe his ears. "Seek justice from me?" Is that old man tired of living?

"That's right, aren't you the husband of Zhu Xiuer?" He Lingchuan smiled. "The village chief said to go find him after you return."

Wang Pangzi absolutely refused to leave the room at this moment, but he wasn't stupid; he immediately sensed a problem and glanced sideways at Zhu Xiuer: "You tell me, what is going on?"

In fact, this approach already violated Lu Han's instructions. The latter's original words were: keep the villagers from having much contact or conversation with the soldiers, to avoid giving the game away.

But right now, he felt that if he said one more word to He Lingchuan, he might lose control.

Wang Pangzi turned his back to He Lingchuan and gave Zhu Xiuer a warning look.

Zhu Xiuer was expressionless: "The Lake God is a spirit turtle, said to be at least over three hundred years old. County Magistrate Village holds a small sacrifice every three months and a large one every year. The spirit turtle only allows villagers to enter the lake to fish once a week, and they must not use fine-mesh nets, but it protects the humans' safety in the water and ensures a bountiful catch. By the way, the spirit turtle is also skilled at divination; in the past, when villagers went to the Water Spirit Shrine to draw lots, it was very accurate."

"In the past?" He Lingchuan became interested and temporarily digressed. "Then what happened later?"

"Too many villagers came to draw lots and ask questions, and some even traveled from a hundred miles away, disturbing the Water Spirit's cultivation," Zhu Xiuer replied. "The Water Spirit expressed its dissatisfaction to the village chief in a dream, so the village chief hung up the bamboo tube and stopped people from drawing lots. Even if villagers went secretly or threw offerings into the lake, it was no longer effective. Slowly, everyone gave up on that idea."

So it was an old turtle demon with a side hustle? "Then what happened to the spirit tablet today?"

"I passed by the Water Spirit Shrine this morning and found the Water Spirit's tablet broken. The village chief thought I did it."

He Lingchuan was even more puzzled: "Why is the village chief certain it was you?"

"..." Zhu Xiuer was silent for a moment before saying, "I was the only one who passed by this morning."

Wang Pangzi said angrily: "So it was you, woman, who caused me trouble!"

Other companions were assigned villagers as docile as sheep; only he was unlucky enough to be assigned a troublemaker.

He Lingchuan asked him: "Aren't you going to find the village chief to plead your case?"

Wang Pangzi had already thought it through: "The village chief is old and has already gone to sleep; I'll go reason with him tomorrow morning."

Zhu Xiuer suddenly asked: "Could the Water Spirit's tablet have broken on its own?"

He Lingchuan thought for a long while before saying: "If it broke on its own, it means something happened to the Water Spirit—it is either severely injured or has perished."

He suddenly asked his personal guard: "What do you think?"

The personal guard shook his head: "This subordinate is also unclear."

Wang Pangzi's face fell, and he pointed at the two personal guards and asked: "Wait a minute, are they staying here too?" If he wanted to make a move at night, the difficulty had just increased.

"They are personal guards; do you know what 'personal' means?" As He Lingchuan was speaking, two servants arrived outside carrying bundles on their backs. They entered the door and bowed to him: "Young Master, we are here to make the bed."

Although He Lingchuan didn't care, when Lady Ying was packing up their household items in Heishuicheng, she still ordered people to bring both sons' bedding. The furniture outside was dirty, and it wasn't as reassuring as using their own.

He Lingchuan led them into the inner room, acting like the master of the house.

Seeing these people bustling in and out of the room, Wang Pangzi felt as if he were the outsider, and he couldn't help but sneer. This corrupt official's family was so particular even in a poor mountain ditch; he didn't know how much of the people's blood and sweat they usually extorted.

While the servants were making the bed, He Lingchuan asked him: "Where is the second one staying?"

It was fortunate that this person knew he was referring to He Yue: "The Second Young Master is sleeping in the south tonight, in the second house right next to the lake."

The second one was also far away from him and his parents; it was hard to say this arrangement was unintentional. "Why sleep so far away? Move him next to me! We still have things to talk about tonight." He pointed to the farmhouse across the door, "I think this house is quite good and spacious."

Only he could be such a brazen guest. The He family members were all very polite, except for the eldest young master. The servants were also used to it; once they received an order, they would report it to the steward, Old Mo, and the steward would find a way anyway.

He Lingchuan asked again: "Is my family still in the room?"

"The Commandery Governor and his Lady are both there; the Second Young Master is out."

He Lingchuan frowned: "Where to?"

The personal guard remaining in the hall then said to Wang Pangzi: "Your family's conditions are meager, and the Young Master is willing to help out. However, he can't sleep well when he changes locations. Seeing that your wife is well-educated and sensible, I wonder if she could chat with him for a while?" Having said that, he placed a ten-tael silver ingot on the table.

Wang Pangzi looked at the large silver ingot, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Did that little brat really take a fancy to Zhu Xiuer?

But he understood that these two must never be left alone, so he slammed the table, expressing just the right amount of anger: "What did you say! Take your silver and get out!"

"What are you getting so worked up about?" He Lingchuan stood at the door of the inner room with his arms crossed. "You earn ten taels of silver just for saying a few words; show me where else you can find such a good deal?"

The two servants behind him were very professional; they closed the door behind them as they left Zhu Xiuer's house.

"I'm not allowing anyone to stay here anymore!" Wang Pangzi walked toward the inner room, wanting to use the opportunity to throw out his bedding.

One of the two personal guards in the hall stepped forward to block him: "Don't move!"

Wang Pangzi could no longer endure it and pushed the personal guard away with one palm.

Even if he were slow, he knew He Lingchuan had become suspicious; otherwise, why would anyone be making such small talk? What was the big deal about a falling out? This little brat was coveting someone else's wife; didn't he deserve a beating? The logic was on his side. Even if the corrupt official He wanted to show favoritism, he should see what kind of place this was.

Just at this moment, Wang Pangzi suddenly smelled a strange, incredibly fishy stench!

That sour, pungent sensation was so strong that even if his own sweaty feet had been trapped in airtight boots for ten days and then held under his nose, it wouldn't have been one-tenth as bad.

Wang Pangzi was overwhelmed; he bent over and "wa-la," he vomited.

At this moment, all his momentum, posture, and caution were thrown to the winds; his body's instincts were the most honest.

The other personal guard rushed up and struck the back of the fat man's neck hard with the hilt of his sword.

By rights, he should have fallen to the ground instantly.

But this fat man was thick-skinned and fleshy; he wasn't knocked unconscious. Although he was still in severe physical distress, he knew to charge toward He Lingchuan, his two fat palms splayed, reaching to strangle his throat.

As long as he could grab this brat and use him as a meat shield, the personal guards would surely be afraid to act.

The moment he lunged out, the ring on his ring finger even emitted a faint black light. This ring was called the Black Thorn Ring, made from the tusks of a black thorn wild boar. While strengthening the owner's power and injuring the opponent, it could also inflict corrosive poison into the wound; if not treated in time, the muscles and bones would rapidly necrotize.

But after all, his breathing was disordered, and his movements were half a beat slow. Zhu Xiuer had already grabbed a wooden cup from the table and splashed the large cup of boiling water she had just poured onto his face.

(End of chapter)