Chapter 347: Heaven's Mandate Haphazardly Written, People of Meager Fortune

Du Shanü this person......

Most of the time, she is very trusting of her intuition.

Otherwise, she wouldn't keep turning it over in her mind, feeling that something was wrong with Wang Lao Ba's affair, wanting to grasp that faint, illusory sense of unease.

But she never expected——

Today she failed to catch that hint of unease; instead, her own jinx came true.

Earlier, Afang kept saying the silver was too little, but she always felt that someone would risk their life for a bit of silver.

Now looking at it......

Exactly so.

It's pitiful, pitiful in this situation.

Without these letters, this person would be driven solely by money.

With these letters, this person still cannot escape being driven by money under Heaven's mandate.

Either way, it's wrong.

I fear that when Yu Baobao arrives, not only will forgiveness be unlikely, but I'll have to cry for her several times.

Du Shanü sighed in her heart; after all, she still chose to lift it high and set it down gently:

"Administer twenty lashes, to warn others."

"This person will remain at the relay station, but is forbidden from handling letters anymore; he will only work as a cook at the station, preparing meals for the couriers and station hands, and feeding the horses."

"As for the other family letters intercepted here, return them to the relay station so they can be distributed."

Twenty lashes is actually not a small number.

However, this punishment is much lighter than what the constables originally guessed.

Every household has its own difficulties; everyone hopes that if they are forced to make a mistake due to hardship, they will be leniently pardoned by their superiors.

Thus, the two constables clearly showed some surprise and heartfelt joy, and in unison replied before withdrawing.

Du Shanü waited until everyone had dispersed, then turned back and asked:

"Now the private use of the official relay is actually this serious?"

There were only two people in the room; Du Shanü spoke, and of course she was asking Chen Weifang.

However, Chen Weifang didn't know why, but after hearing earlier that the Wise Lord only sentenced twenty lashes, he has been in a daze ever since.

Du Shanü asked twice before he barely heard clearly, then he snapped back to attention and said:

"... Indeed, but there's nothing to be done about it."

"Official documents can't be carried by just anyone, and not every office necessarily keeps its own messengers, so establishing a shared official relay is the most secure method. Yet once there are official items, it's inevitable that someone will seek personal gain from them."

After all, there is currently no other way to send letters; the official relay is fast and accurate, and hardly ever loses mail.

If one is willing to set aside pride and say they won't pay, then the courier will likely, out of fear of that household's officials, only curse behind their back and then still slip the letter along.

Taking advantage of the public, neither taking nor not taking.

Anyway, although there's no profit, there's also no loss; this will do.

Of course, this was the case in the past.

Having heard this, Du Shanü could not simply stand by:

"If convenient, we should still open a private relay for the common folk to send letters... well, let's call it the Mail Bureau."

"After all, the relay couriers of the official station also take money; the Mail Bureau will follow the official station's setup, but we won't pursue speed—just ensure steady delivery. What do you think, Afang?"

Chen Weifang felt somewhat helpless:

"Wise Lord, it's not that I want to pour cold water on you, but our funds are only just a little bit ample......"

"For now, the relay station is usable; we'll make do with it. Later, if we obtain a new Zhoufu, we'll open one each between the two Zhoufu, and for transmitting letters between the two Zhoufu, wouldn't that be great?"

It's not that we're unwilling; it's that we're short on funds!

Furthermore......

Furthermore, he now also wants to ask for something.

Before today, no, or rather, as of an hour ago, Chen Weifang himself felt he didn't have this thought.

But now, after hearing that the Wise Lord only punished Wang Lao Ba with twenty lashes, he suddenly felt like speaking up to ask for something.

The Wise Lord always tells Chinu things like 'I won't let you down' and 'I'll definitely give you everything I have'......

Chen Weifang used to refuse to believe those words.

So, in order to avoid today's possible punishment, he previously did many things.

Even after parting with Chinu in the corridor, he didn't say anything aloud, but still returned to his room, took out from under the bed that small dagger he had kept for a long time, preparing to, if the Wise Lord refused to relent, commit suicide before her......

But none of this ever came to pass.

She never doubted him from start to finish; even when he several times felt she was testing him, she easily believed his lies......

If he had known earlier that she would let it go so lightly, why would he have needed to worry and fear for so long?

Chinu, after a bout of crying, can gain favor.

Although his looks are faded, by crying he might somehow gain some 【partiality】.

Partiality is good, partiality is good.

Partiality......

Only then is it good.

Only in this way would Chen Weifang be willing to believe; this is the Wise Lord he willingly follows.

Only in this way would Chen Weifang be willing to believe; those promises she made before can someday come true.

He need not exhaust his heart and blood day after day, need not face the sky with plain noodles, need not wear coarse clothes and simple attire......

He can also go ask for things, and they will also be satisfied.

Chen Weifang lifted her gaze, once again looking at Du Shanü, who had grown unlovable because of the silver money.

Their eyes met, and Chen Weifang suddenly said:

"Wise Lord, put the postal bureau affairs aside for now, first give me some silver money."

"I wish to obtain a lacquered gauze crown, and also wish to obtain an embroidered robe…"

He has wanted this for a very long time.

How could someone who looks pure and refined yet never contends, and who from beginning to end chases after profit, possibly not contend?

But formerly, the Wise Lord seemed particularly fond of sharing hardship with her, so he not only dressed plainly, his daily meals were also unremarkable.

He clearly also desired fine garments, a fine crown, everything that should have been granted by heaven as good things…

He endured and endured, having already endured for a long time…

But she now is clearly willing to genuinely pamper and trust him.

Although now also straitened, compared with the situation back in Cang Cheng, there is indeed some difference, isn't there?

If that is the case…

To slightly reveal a bit of longing, perhaps it is not unacceptable?

After Chen Weifang spoke, she lowered her eyes, as if thinking, or perhaps merely awaiting a verdict.

Du Shanü did not expect the topic to shift so quickly; first she was stunned, then she instinctively said:

"Then… buy?"

Chen Weifang slightly lifted her eyes, her gaze falling on the two piles of letters on the tea table, still not looking at Du Shanü:

"I want the robe with an outer layer of moon‑white and an inner layer of stone‑green."

"When my father was still alive, he took me to borrow books at a distant relative's house; that person wore exactly this outfit. Such clothing is mostly worn by scholars, but the fine material is costly…"

Du Shanü finally realized, she reached out and pressed down on Chen Weifang's hand hidden beneath her white‑haired sleeve, and at the moment when her own Afang's soul fell, she firmly held him:

"Buy, if you like it, I'll buy it for you."

"Don't worry about spending too much money; I earn money precisely to spend on you all; at worst, the postal bureau matters can be delayed a bit… but I have a question."

Chen Weifang finally lifted a sliver of her eyelid; Du Shanü seized the opportunity and raised her puzzlement:

"By the way, isn't the money always in your hands?"

Damn it!

The money has always been in Afang's hands!

From Cang Cheng to this point today, she hasn't even seen a large silver ingot of more than ten taels!

Afang wants to spend money to buy new clothes, yet she has to speak to her in such a wronged, aggrieved way!

Spend! Buy! Wear!

Damn it, whoever wrongs Afang, she'll be the first to not let them off!

?? Heaven's fate writes people's thin fortune, half true half draft, not yet clear.

? (Sick, the update for chapter 7 may be delayed a bit).