Chapter 27 Wen Zhao [VIP]

Chapter 27 Wen Zhao [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Chen Wenzhao, Prefect of Dongping.

"Chirp chirp chirp"

In late summer and early autumn, the cicadas chirped lazily, but the midday sun remained scorching.

At the intersection of Qingyang Street, under the Li family's corridor.

Listening to the cicadas chirping, Li Silang squinted at the sky, his brows, etched with the wrinkles of time, now furrowed into a deep frown.

He took off the handkerchief from his wrist, wiped the sweat from his brows, and then looked into the water curtain, where his wife, Lady Yinlian, was applying makeup at her dressing table.

If I don't go out soon, I'm afraid I'll be disliked.

With a sense of unease, Li Si withdrew his furtive glances, stumbled around into the yard, picked up the bucket, filled it with water, and then picked up the whetstone, walking unsteadily toward the door.

"Bang!"

"Sharpening and trimming"

The same hoarse shouts echoed through the long street, lingered at the alley entrance, and reached the bustling county town, just as lively as ever.

"...Wu Da, five gold ingots!"

"Zhang Sanlang, five gold ingots"

Not far from the Wuda pancake shop, thinking of Madam Pan who had been taken to the county government office half a month ago, Li Si stopped and hid behind a lush old banyan tree, peering out.

"Wuhan University!"

Zhang San, standing at the stall, handed over some copper coins, then craned his neck to peer into the shop, unable to resist asking, "Haven't seen Madam Pan in a while? I heard the magistrate invited her for tea? Is that true?"

Wu Da glanced at him, took the copper coins he offered, and casually asked the back of the line, "Aunt Sun, what are we eating today..."

Ever since Madam Pan was taken to the county government office, Shi Yang and his three young lads lost their will to work. They would frequently run to the county government office to inquire about her, or hide in the shop and peer around expectantly, and were sullen all day long.

Wu Dalang, however, seemed unaffected, continuing to work from sunrise to sunset, busy with chores every day, and greeting visitors with a smile.

Because of the rumors spreading, some busybodies from the neighborhood would often step into the pancake shop, hoping to find out more. Once inside, they would inevitably order a couple of pancakes.

Despite their efforts, they failed to uncover the truth, yet the pancake shop's business continued to thrive.

Just like right before our eyes.

Listening to the villagers' discussions, Li Si gripped the whetstone at his waist, his brows furrowing even more.

Seeing Wu Dachun's smiling face, could Pan Niangzi's departure and never returning be related to him?

What should I do...?

I've heard that Madam Pan has a long-standing relationship with the teachers at Qingchen Academy. Why not ask them for some help? But even Wu Da's nominal husband is staying out of it, so what right does he have to interfere?

"...Please take care, sir!"

"It's right ahead!"

Before they could sort out their thoughts, the hustle and bustle of the county town erupted again.

Li Si subconsciously looked up.

Two imposing guards escorted a dignified-looking official as they strolled leisurely through the long street.

Before long, the three of them stopped in front of the old banyan tree, pointing and looking around in the direction of the pancake shop.

"grown ups!"

The attendant on the left had a long, stern face. He stared intently for a moment, then suddenly took half a step forward, pointed two fingers in the direction of the pancake shop, and turned to the official in the center, saying, "That is the Wu family pancake shop that you are looking for, sir!"

The attendant on the right, with eyes like copper bells and a voice like a booming bell, stepped forward upon hearing this, cupped his hands and said to his superior, "Sir, you've been talking about the Wu family's pancake shop all the way here. Could it be that the reputation of this pancake shop has spread as far as Dongping Prefecture?"

"That's not true!"

Unlike the two imposing attendants, Shangguan Xiu, who was in the center, was handsome and refined, clearly the appearance of a scholar. Upon hearing this, he waved his hand and turned to his left and right, saying, "I am looking for the Wu family's pancake shop, not for a few pancakes!"

"What is that?" The attendants on either side exchanged glances and raised their voices in unison, as if afraid that others would not hear them.

"You two know about the debt collectors in your family!"

With a flick of his long sleeves, Shangguan's eyes softened with a hint of helplessness as he slowly spoke, "From childhood to adulthood, you have caused my wife and me so much worry! You two don't know, but a month ago, when they returned from the capital, they encountered bandits!"

"Mountain bandits?!"

"Is that really true?!"

The attendant on the right glared, his fleshy face twitching. He suddenly straightened up and said angrily, "Who dares to be so insolent as to make things difficult for the young master and lady of the manor? My lord, where are those bandits hiding? Let me lead men to wipe them out!"

"Fortunately, nothing serious happened!" Shangguan waved his hand, signaling him not to act rashly, then looked up at the crowded pancake stall and continued, "Fortunately, a hero came to our aid!"

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!"

"hero?"

The long-faced attendant, a man of meticulous mind, paused upon hearing this, followed his superior's gaze for a moment, then looked away and said, "Does Your Excellency mean that the hero who drew his sword to help is at the pancake shop?"

"Exactly!"

Shangguan's eyes narrowed, and he turned to him, saying, "Wang Jin, don't disturb the neighbors. Just go inside and ask the shopkeeper if Wu Song, the second son of the Wu family, who works as a constable in Yanggu County, is in the shop."

"yes!"

The long-faced servant named Wang Jin immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, then turned and hurried toward the pancake shop.

Li Si, hiding behind the banyan tree, shrank back in frustration. He listened to the whispers and gossip of the people passing by and soon realized that the handsome official was actually Chen Wenzhao, the Prefect of Dongping, who was the superior of the local county magistrate.

Going to the peak...

Li Si, holding the whetstone, was lost in thought when Wang Jin, bowing and scraping, bid farewell to Wu Da, who was standing under the eaves of the pancake shop.

"grown ups!"

Wang Jin strode across the long street, his eyes brimming with barely concealed anger. He bowed to Chen Wenzhao and said angrily, "That man just now was Wu Da, the owner of the pancake shop, and also the elder brother of Wu Dutou. He told his subordinates that his brother went to Tokyo on official business a month ago and hasn't returned yet!"

"Still haven't returned?!"

Chen Wenzhao was taken aback, calculated the schedule with his fingers, and his expression changed slightly.

Even more astonished than him was Li Si, who was hiding behind him.

Qingyang Street and Zishi Street are adjacent. Two or three days ago, rumors began circulating that someone had seen Commander Wu in front of the county government office. Others swore they had personally witnessed the travel-worn Commander Wu emerge from the county government gate…

How could he not have returned by now?

Why would Wuhan University lie?

Where is Wu Dutou now? Could he be on Zishi Street?

Thinking of this, Li Si could no longer restrain himself. He picked up the whetstone and strode off toward Zishi Street.

The afternoon was the perfect time of day.

At the entrance of Zishi Street, willow branches stretch long through the alleys.

"Splash!"

A flock of sparrows suddenly took flight from the dense weeping willows at the alley entrance, chirping and chattering incessantly.

Moments later, the clanging of knives and stones clashing together, accompanied by hurried footsteps, came from the street corner.

Under the dense weeping willows, Li Silang leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily. After seeing where the Wu family was, he couldn't wait to rest and hurried away.

"Wudu..."

"Uncle Li?!"

The hand that was knocking on the door was already halfway in, and before Li Si could finish speaking, there was a creaking sound, and the door to the next room was pushed open, and a familiar voice came from the inner room.

"Madam Pan?!"

Recognizing the figure under the porch, Li Si's eyes lit up. He wiped the sweat from his brow and strode forward, exclaiming, "That's wonderful! My wife is safe and sound! Truly, good fortune smiles upon you!"

Before he could exchange any pleasantries, Li Si looked up and saw her haggard and disheveled appearance. His throat tightened, his eyes widened, and he awkwardly didn't know what to say.

"My lady, are you... alright?"

"It's nothing serious!"

Pan Yue straightened her clothes, looked past him to the tightly closed gate of the Wu family behind him, then glanced in the direction he had come from towards the street. With a slight frown, she asked, "It's hot today. Why isn't Uncle Li at home? What are you doing here?"

"I……"

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Li Si's face as he rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "To be honest, my wife, I originally came to check if Commander Wu was home. Now that I see you are safe and sound, I realize I was overthinking things!"

"Captain Wu?" Pan Yue's brow twitched. She glanced at the still tightly closed Wu family gate and whispered, "Uncle Li, what makes you say that? Why do you think Captain Wu is at home?"

"To be honest, my lady," Li Si explained, adjusting the whetstone at his waist, "I went out today to sharpen my knives and trim them!"

He turned his head and pointed in the direction of the county seat, then said, "Not long after arriving at the county seat, right in front of the lady's pancake shop, I met a few constables. From what they were saying, it seemed they were inquiring about the whereabouts of Commander Wu!"

"Where did Commander Wu go?"

Pan Yue slightly bent her hands, which were clasped at her sides, and her expression changed slightly.

Could it be that they discovered her escape from prison and knew that the matter was related to Wu Song, and wanted to bring the two of them to justice?

Pan Yue unconsciously tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes, looked Li Si up and down, and asked cautiously, "Uncle Li, do you recognize those people? Are they people who work in the county?"

"Li Si is tongue-tied! He can't express himself clearly!"

Seemingly annoyed by his own clumsy tongue, Li Si raised his hand and slapped himself, then hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Madam, please don't misunderstand. Those men are not from the county government! I heard the people in the county talking that the official seems to be the magistrate's superior, Prefect Chen Wenzhao of Dongping Prefecture, and his two attendants!"

Before Pan Yue could ask further, Li Si hurriedly added, "Judging from what Magistrate Chen said, his personal visit to Yanggu this time was not for anything else, but because Commander Wu had saved his two children's lives! He said that a month ago, when he was returning home from Tokyo, he encountered bandits on the road, and fortunately, Commander Wu came to his aid, so that he was safe and sound!"

"Two dolls?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the daylilies leaning against the window, and recalling what Songsong had said yesterday, Pan Yue's deep-set eyes suddenly trembled.

Could the brother and sister that Songsong accidentally rescued on the way be the son and daughter of Chen Wenzhao, the prefect of Shangguan Dongping?

Although she hadn't studied *Water Margin* in detail and couldn't remember the names of the major and minor characters, she still remembered that after Wu Song "fought and killed Ximen Qing" and before "drunkenly beat Jiang Menshen," he was constantly helped by "benefactors" on his journey eastward, either "changing his case" or "reducing his sentence"...

If this Prefect of Dongping Prefecture happened to be the "direct superior" of the Magistrate of Yanggu County, and Wu Song had done a favor for his children...

Pan Yue's eyes, reflecting the clear sunlight, suddenly flashed. She raised her head and asked urgently, "Uncle Li, do you remember where we met Lord Chen just now? Have you heard where he and his companions will be staying?"

"where……"

"...It's right ahead!"

Li Si was stunned, looking dejected, when suddenly, faint voices came from around the corner, accompanied by several steady and powerful footsteps.

They both looked up at the same time.

"It's them!"

Before Pan Yue could see who it was, her right sleeve was grabbed.

Li Si suddenly stepped forward, pointed at the group of people who had suddenly appeared at the street corner, and said with a smile, "Madam, these are them! The one in the middle wearing a maroon robe is Prefect Chen Wenzhao, the long-faced man on the left is named Wang Jin, and the broad-faced one on the right is called Ma Chong..."

"……them?"

Pan Yue was taken aback, wondering how such a coincidence could have happened. Chen Wenzhao, who was walking around the street corner, stopped and suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met, and Pan Yue paused in her steps.

The person who came was clearly a stranger, yet there was a strange sense of déjà vu about them.

"grown ups?"

When the attendants on either side saw Chen Wenzhao stop, they looked up at him.

Noticing the gaze cast upon her from the corridor, Pan Yue didn't have time to think it over. She steeled her heart, turned to Li Si and told him to hide carefully. Then, she lifted her hem, ran a few steps to the shade of a weeping willow tree, leaned down and said to the person who came, "Your Honor, please understand! This humble woman has been wronged and has nowhere to turn. I beg Your Honor to redress my grievances! Please do justice for me!"

"...How dare you!"

The attendants on either side were taken aback. After exchanging glances, they stepped forward in unison. One blocked Chen Wenzhao's path, while the other shouted sternly, "Who goes there? Since you recognize your superior, why don't you kneel?"

"Charge!"

Chen Wenzhao gave a low shout, and the servants on both sides stepped back, staring warily at the woman who had come from an unknown place.

Chen Wenzhao, seemingly unaware, suddenly took half a step forward, lowered his eyes to stare at Pan Yue, and after a moment, abruptly withdrew his gaze, coughed lightly, and said in a low voice, "What grievances does my wife have? Please tell me in detail!"

"Thank you, sir!"

I would like to hear the words of the people who cry out for justice along the street. Chen Wenzhao is a person who is different from the local county government.

Pan Yue's heart eased slightly. She lowered her eyes, staring at the black boots in the shade of the weeping willows. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke: "My lord, please allow me to explain. My name is Pan Jinlian. I was originally a maid in the household of the wealthy Qian family in Qinghe County. Later, my mistress married Wu Dalang from the same county..."

"Wuhan University?"

Upon hearing the name Wu Da, Chen Wenzhao's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward, saying, "The Wu Dalang that you mentioned, madam, could it be Wu Da who runs the pancake shop in front of the county? And the famous tiger-slaying hero Wu Song, could he be your uncle?"

"..."

Pan Yue suddenly frowned, took a half step back without showing any emotion, and explained in a muffled voice, "My lord, although I was engaged to Wu Da, we never bowed to heaven and earth, and the marriage certificate was returned a month ago!"

"So that's how it is!"

Chen Wenzhao seemed unconcerned. He glanced up and saw half her body exposed to the blazing sun, then silently took a half-step back. Once she followed him into the shade, he nodded and continued, "Commander Wu, what kind of person is he?"

Pan Yue was startled, and her brows suddenly furrowed.

Could it be that they are curious about the character and personality of the person who saved their children's lives?

But it's also quite reasonable...

"Reporting to your question, sir, Commander Wu..."

Pan Yue kept her eyes lowered, the name "Wu Song" just emerging in her mind, and a hint of softness suddenly appeared between her solemn brows and eyes.

Like a weeping willow leaf falling into a spring lake, the lake surface suddenly shimmers under the spring sunshine.

"...Although he and Wu Da are brothers, in terms of character, talent, and appearance, they are worlds apart!"

Halfway through her sentence, Pan Yue suddenly looked up at Chen Wenzhao's bright eyes and smiled, saying, "Since you've come from the direction of the county, sir, you must have heard about him before. I don't need to elaborate on the character of Commander Wu!"

Their eyes met, and Chen Wenzhao suddenly looked away, instinctively grabbing the weeping willow that was gently brushing past his hand, his clear eyes flashing.

After a moment, he turned to Pan Yue with his neck stiff and continued, "But please tell me frankly, madam, what mistakes has the county made that need to be corrected, and what injustices need to be appealed?"

"Your Majesty, please..."

Pan Yue suddenly became serious.

"This is outrageous!"

After an incense stick has burned.

After clarifying the cause and effect and revealing the collusion between officials and merchants in the county, Chen Wenzhao was so angry that his face turned red and his chest heaved.

Before anyone could persuade him, Chen Wenzhao turned around angrily, brandishing the willow branch in his hand like a whistle, and shouted angrily, "Wang Jin, Ma Chong?"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Wang Jin and Ma Chong exchanged glances and then bowed to each other.

"Come with me to the county government! I want to see who this Mr. Ximen is, daring to disregard the law!"

"yes!"

Wang Jin and Ma Chong responded in deep voices.

The scorching sun blazed on as usual, and Pan Yue and her group of four headed aggressively toward the county government office.