Steward Liu often interacted with Ceng Cang Ling, so he often saw Madam Ru. However, his tone was not as polite as usual.
Even if Ceng Cang Ling only charged him with negligence, he would not be able to keep his position. Why would Steward Liu still care about his wife?
Seeing the woman crying, Steward Liu frowned and said impatiently, "Miss Ceng, now is not the time to cry. Quickly go and get your Langjun's account book. If you want to save his life, you have to do it here."
The woman was stunned for a moment and quickly agreed. She quickly turned around and ran to the back of the house.
Ceng Cang Ling's account book was usually kept by her, so it was hidden well. The woman took the account book and quickly put it in her pocket before returning to the study room.
Steward Liu was pacing around in the study room. The woman hurriedly came in and closed the door. Just as she took out the account book, Steward Liu snatched it away.
Liu Yuhuan was a steward in the prefecture chief's residence, so he was naturally proficient in accounting. He flipped open the account book and understood Ceng Youtian's way of keeping accounts.
Steward Liu read ten lines at a time and quickly skimmed through. When he flipped to the last page, he pinched his fingers and calculated. He had a rough idea and thought to himself, "About a hundred thousand stone grains, and we still need such a large amount? Where can we find the money in such a short time? I'll let Ah Lang worry about this … "
The woman saw that he was mumbling to himself and did not dare to disturb him. She only looked at him anxiously. Only then did she timidly ask, "Steward Liu, my Langjun is detained in the prison. Does the prefecture chief have any ideas?"
Steward Liu glanced at her in annoyance. Suddenly, he had an idea.
The woman was small and exquisite. She was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, but her figure was as petite as a young girl. The collar had just taken out the account book from inside, but in his panic, he forgot to cover it up, revealing a lush green bra. It was as smooth as milk, and it was as white and smooth as milk. Her cleavage was deep and even more alluring.
Steward Liu did not understand simple adjectives like a child's complexion and large breasts, but he could tell at a glance. Coupled with the fact that she had just cried, her eyes were slightly red and her hair was messy. That kind of charm was even more lovable.
This young woman was originally from a brothel; she had the nickname 'Little Jin Dou' er '. She and another young lady with the nickname' Fragrant Fan Peng 'er' were equally famous in Peng Zhou. Both of them were known for their dainty, petite, round, and moist appearance. Although Steward Liu was a member of the governor's household, he could not afford to visit a first-class brothel. He had never tasted such an enchanting woman before.
Later on, although he and Ceng Cangling called each other brothers, in fact, Ceng Cangling was an official of the imperial court. He respected him because he was the steward of Li Taishou's mansion. Although Little Jin Dou 'er was only Ceng Cangling's wife, he did not dare to look her in the eye, let alone have any fantasies.
But now, it was different. Even if Ceng Youtian could keep his life, he was doomed to fail, and the calamity of imprisonment was unavoidable. The little girl in front of him was only Ceng Youtian's concubine and could not make any decisions. Even if the Ceng family's property was not confiscated, when Ceng Youtian's family came to dispose of the property, he did not know where this little girl would end up …
Thinking of this, Steward Liu suddenly had evil thoughts. He sneered and threatened her, "Don't hold too much hope. Ceng Youtian will most likely be beheaded. At that time, his property will be confiscated, and a woman like you will be treated as an official's slave. From then on, you will be a slave or a maid, and you will never be able to rise again."
Little Jin Dou 'er's vision darkened. Her legs gave way and she fell to the ground. She cried out involuntarily, "How could this be? How could this be? "
Suddenly, she came to her senses. She hurriedly crawled two steps forward and hugged Steward Liu's thigh. She pleaded bitterly, "My Ah Lang works for the governor. At this critical moment, the governor can't just stand by and do nothing. If the imperial court really finds out the truth, the governor can't escape either."
Steward Liu said in a carefree manner, "Are you threatening me? The saying that a prince who breaks the law is the same as a commoner is just a bluff. Haven't you heard that a doctor can't be punished? My Ah Lang is a governor. Even if the truth is found out, the worst that can happen is that he will lose his position and be dismissed. But your Langjun is the seal officer of Cang Zheng in Feng Province. If we don't kill him, how can we restore justice to the world? "
Little Jin Dou'er was a woman. She only learned poetry and songs in the brothel. She had never dabbled in the law of litigation. As soon as she heard these words, she was so frightened that her heart felt like it was going to explode. She couldn't help but cry and kowtow, saying, "My Langjun works for the governor. Governor, you can't abandon my husband. Steward Liu, I beg you. You are a good person. Please put in a good word for my Langjun in front of the governor … "
The woman was petite and had a small waist. When she bent down to kneel, her buttocks were like the moon. Steward Liu's eyes burned with lust. He smiled and bent down to help her up. He smiled hypocritically and said, "I am the governor's confidant. If I put in a good word for you, I can ask for the governor's help. But … how are you going to thank me?"
Little Jin Dou 'er looked up and saw the smile on Steward Liu's face. Her heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously covered her chest. Her voice trembled as she stepped back, "I … I … What are you doing?"
The light on the window frame lit up. A figure could be seen pouncing forward like a gray wolf. There was a delicate cry followed by the sound of ripping cloth. Not long after, the silhouette on the window frame became clear. Under the light, a delicate and timid little person could be seen kneeling on the table like a kitten. Behind her, there was a person with his shirt unbuttoned. She kept crying out when he bumped into her …
…
Chang 'an.
Shen Mu held the news in his hand. He tapped the table with his fingers and did not speak for a long time.
Lan Jinhai paced around him. He wanted to say something but stopped.
After a while, Shen Mu suddenly slammed the table heavily. He stood up and said, "Forget it! So what if I go to Luoyang? I'll go to Luoyang and meet this Beta Persei boy! "
Lan Jinhai turned pale with fright. He hurriedly advised, "Sect Master, you can't! Sect Master, you must not lose your sense of propriety. That Provincial Governor of Feng Province is not one of us. At worst, we'll just cut off all contact with him. Sect Master, why do you have to put yourself in danger? We don't know what that Yang Fan has prepared in Luoyang. That place is a dragon's pool and a tiger's den! "
Shen Mu said calmly, "This contest is between the Obvious and Hidden Sects. To make them submit, we have to defeat them fair and square. Murder, assassination, and killing their leaders won't solve any problems. It will only deepen the hatred between the two sides. I won't do such a thing, and he won't do it either. Now that Yang Fan is using the power of the Guan family to bully me, I'm far away in Chang 'an. Every piece of news has to be sent here. Before we can come up with a countermeasure, the other side has already made changes. In this way, we're falling behind in every aspect. How can we not be at a disadvantage? I'll go to Luoyang and fight it out with him face to face! "
Shen Mu paused, then asked, "Has Zhao Yu been summoned back?"
Lan Jinhai nodded. "Yes! He'll probably arrive in Chang 'an in two or three days. "
Shen Mu's face darkened. "He doesn't need to come to Chang 'an. Send him directly to Longyou to work for Zhang Yi. He doesn't need to return to the Central Plains ever again."
Lan Jinhai hurriedly said, "Sect Master, Zhao Yu did it out of his loyalty to you. Although he acted on his own …"
Shen Mu said coldly, "If I don't punish him, doesn't that mean that everyone can act on their own in the future as long as they pretend to be loyal to me? I'm not being fair in this matter. I'm only fair in this matter. He did something wrong, so he must be punished! "
Lan Jinhai said, "But … it's too harsh to never return to the Central Plains. Sect Master, do you want to reconsider?"
Shen Mu said, "There's no need to reconsider. It's decided!"
Lan Jinhai had no choice but to agree. "Then … I'll make arrangements as soon as possible."
Shen Mu nodded and said, "Although Li Hao isn't one of us, we still have to protect him if we can. Now that Zhao Houde has resigned from his position as the Deputy Observer of the Guannei Circuit, our power in the bureaucracy is too weak. If we can protect Li Hao, we will have another weakness in our hands. When he becomes the Provincial Governor of the Shangzhou Province, it will be of great help to us. "
All these years, Shen Mu had been developing his power in secret. However, because his initial strength was far inferior to the Obvious Sect, many things could only be carried out in secret. In addition, he had only been rising for a short period of time, and the investment period to support a spokesperson in the bureaucracy was too long. Therefore, the Hidden Sect's power in the bureaucracy was actually very limited.
Currently, other than the Deputy Observer of the Guannei Circuit, Zhao Houde, who had temporarily retired to avoid the limelight, the only notable figure in the Hidden Sect's bureaucracy was the Yanzhou Prefecture's Chief Clerk, Ye Luoyu. Zhao Houde had the backing of the Xingyang Zheng Clan, while Ye Luoyu had the backing of the Longxi Li Clan.
The Longxi Li Clan supported the Hidden Sect because there were too few Longxi Li Clan members in the Obvious Sect, and their influence was limited. Therefore, the Longxi Li Clan and the Xingyang Zheng Clan supported the Hidden Sect vigorously.
Even so, in the eyes of these two clans, the Hidden Sect was just a tool for them to expand their power and influence. Naturally, they wouldn't hand over all the official powers that they controlled to the Hidden Sect. The Xingyang Zheng Clan only handed over Zhao Houde, while the Longxi Li Clan handed over Ye Luoyu.
Shen Mu pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do it this way. Ask Ye Luoyu to get a batch of rations from Yanzhou. Now that the early-maturing crops have started to be harvested, we can buy it at a high price. We can even buy it from the wealthy landlords in Yanzhou. In short, we have to gather a hundred thousand dans and help Li Hao fill up this deficit. Originally … this is what I owe him."
Lan Jinhai frowned and said, "Yanzhou has prepared a warehouse for Wuchang and a hundred thousand dans of rations. Where can he gather it in such a short time?"
Shen Mu smiled and said, "Don't worry, he has a way!"
Lan Jinhai saw the situation and tactfully didn't ask anymore. Shen Mu laughed at himself and shook his head, "Erlang, oh Erlang, you are really amazing. You finally forced me to tear down the east wall to pay the west wall."
Shen Mu sighed and said to Lan Jinhai, "Be more cautious. Don't let Hu Yuanli get hold of you again. I am going to Luoyang, and my safety is not a problem. I don't intend to fight or kill with him. To me and him, the bravery of an ordinary man is not something that can be put on the stage. In this place, just the transmission of information and traveling back and forth will cause us to miss many opportunities. "
Lan Jinhai nodded and quietly retreated. Shen Mu's eyes flickered as he muttered to himself, "Erlang, I am here to see your good methods. You … better not disappoint me!"
His eyes were deep and filled with treachery. Even those who were most familiar with him couldn't tell what he was plotting.
…
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