Chapter 194 Cui Jin Surrenders, Madam Wang Flees...

Chapter 194 Cui Jin Surrenders, Madam Wang Flees...

Meng Qing stared at Governor Xu and noticed that his gaze wandered for a few moments. She said angrily, "It seems that you have touched on Governor Xu's secret. You really want to harm Du Min."

"Nonsense." Governor Xu denied it, staring at the parrots in the cage. He remembered these two parrots; of the eleven parrots that day, they were the largest and had the brightest plumage. He was certain these were the two that had left his residence, and concluded that it wasn't Li Sima and the Six Military Advisors who had used the parrots to warn Du Min.

"These two parrots can call out 'Liu Ji' and 'Li Ji,' so they must be from your household. Although I don't know who taught them to say that, judging from Governor Xu's reaction, you harbor ill intentions towards Du Min and are planning to harm him," Meng Qing said decisively. "You don't need to speak; I know you won't admit it, and I have no evidence to accuse you. I've come today to tell you that your wicked scheme has been exposed. From now on, Du Min will no longer attend banquets at the governor's mansion. Furthermore, I advise you to stop immediately. If something happens to Du Min in Huaizhou, we will not tolerate it. If you can't kill us, we will go to the capital to file a complaint. What you've done cannot withstand scrutiny. Prime Minister Zheng is a new official, and he probably needs someone to ignite it."

Governor Xu's face was extremely ugly. He already knew who the informant was, but he still wanted to confirm: "You knew the parrot would inform, so why did you send it to my residence? What were you planning?"

"On the fourth day after the library opened, they started a book donation and bird gifting event. It wasn't targeting you," Meng Qing explained.

Governor Xu didn't believe him. "What did Cui Jin say to you?"

Meng Qing's eyes darted away for a moment before she denied it, saying, "If he were willing to tell me, would I still be standing here today?"

Governor Xu sneered twice. Only a few people knew he would drug the wine, so the information couldn't have leaked from his residence; it could only have been Cui Jin. And Cui Jin wasn't genuinely trying to help Du Min; he wanted to incite Du Min against the governor's office. Today's scene was his goal: to make Du Min and Meng Qing turn against the governor's office, so that if he made a move, the two would side with Prime Minister Zheng.

"Good, good, good!" Governor Xu slammed his hand on the table. He had really underestimated Cui Jin. Five years of keeping him in captivity hadn't ruined him.

"This is Prime Minister Zheng's treacherous scheme. What do you think he came all the way to Hanoi County for? He just wants us to fight amongst ourselves, to defeat me. You've offended the Empress Dowager, so you have no choice but to fawn over him," Governor Xu said enticingly. "These two parrots were taken away by Cui Jin three days ago. He even misled me into thinking that you sent them to gather information and make me resent you. I almost fell for it. You only received the parrots yesterday. Where did they go for the other two days? Cui Jin used them to train the parrots."

“Even if he did it, it is true. Why didn’t he tell Du Min to be careful about anything else, but specifically to be careful about the wine and tea in your residence?” Meng Qing ignored his explanation. “I don’t care how you two sides scheme, don’t try to use us as pawns. I will keep my word. Du Min will not approach the governor’s residence again. If there is any official business, you can send someone to the residence to inform him.”

After saying that, Meng Qing glanced at Du Li and said, "Let's go."

Du Li took the birdcage from her and walked out with her.

Governor Xu watched their figures disappear without saying a word to stop them. Before dealing with Du Min, he had to deal with Cui Jin first.

*

Cui Jin wanted to sell the birdcage and all the bird-keeping equipment. After lunch, he planned to go out and check the situation. However, as he passed through the front yard, he noticed that all the maids looked strange, and even the gatekeeper was secretly staring at him. He was furious at being stared at and scolded, "Don't you recognize your master? What are you looking at?"

The servants all lowered their heads.

Cui Jin's good mood was completely ruined. He left home looking annoyed, and when he arrived at the antique shop, he was met with stares and whispers as soon as he got out of the car. He sent his attendant to find out what was going on, and went into the familiar antique shop himself.

"Prefect Cui, Prefect Cui." The servant who was greeting guests saw him and stammered as he stepped forward to greet him.

Cui Jin glanced at the customers in the shop and noticed that they were all staring at him with strange looks. When he looked over, they all looked away. He suddenly realized something was wrong, his heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously turned around to find his attendant who was there to gather information.

"My lord..." The attendant was about to enter when he bumped into him without noticing. He said in a flustered manner, "I went to inquire and found out that those ignorant fools are spreading rumors that you have raped Governor Xu's beloved concubine."

Cui Jin felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his face turned deathly pale. He swayed, unable to bear the strange looks from the crowd, and quickly walked toward the carriage.

"Return to the manor," he ordered, forcing himself to remain calm. But as soon as he entered the carriage, he slumped to the ground, his mind reeling with panic. How did this news get out? Could it be about those parrots?

"Go to Qingniao Library." Cui Jin then changed his mind, "No, send me back to my residence first."

The groom should be.

After an incense stick had burned, the carriage drove into the Prefectural Governor's residence. Cui Jin got out of the carriage and hurried to the backyard, shouting, "Madam, quickly send someone to invite Lady Meng here."

"Why did you ask her? You suspect that those rumors came from the parrot's mouth?" Madam Wang said seriously. "I sent people to inquire. The rumors started this morning, and within a day and a half, half of the people in Hanoi County knew about them. It's obvious that someone is deliberately spreading the news behind the scenes."

"You found out?" Cui Jin panicked. "Who's behind this?"

It was obvious that Madam Wang did not answer.

A maidservant hurried into the backyard. "Madam, sir, a letter has arrived from the governor's office."

Cui Jin quickly took the letter and roughly tore it open in a fit of rage. The folded paper was torn in half, but the writing on it remained intact: "There will be a banquet at your residence tonight at 7 PM. Please attend on time, Prefect Cui."

Madam Wang saw it too, and she grabbed Cui Jin's wrist in annoyance: "What are you doing?"

"I don't know, I didn't do anything." Cui Jin couldn't remember. "What did he want to do by inviting me to the banquet? What was his intention in spreading that story?"

"Think carefully, what did you do to offend him? Where did the news leak out?" Madam Wang tried to calm herself down. "Go to the banquet and see what he's up to."

“I’m not going.” Cui Jin was terrified of the banquet at the governor’s mansion.

“Listen to me, if he wanted to do something to you, he wouldn’t let rumors spread. If something like this happens, he won’t be able to escape suspicion. He’s intimidating you,” Madam Wang analyzed. “Does he realize that you’re intentionally stirring up trouble between him and Du Min, and he wants you to behave?”

Cui Jin didn't want to admit that he had been discreet enough and thought he wouldn't be discovered, but he had to admit that this was the only thing that had recently made him provoke Xu Ang.

"Go and ask if Du Min has returned." He still held onto hope.

Lady Wang went out and instructed her maid to inquire. She stood alone in the courtyard for a while, thinking about it. She had had enough of this life of being at the mercy of others.

"Madam, Chief Secretary Du has not returned," a maidservant reported.

Lady Wang waved for the maid to leave, then stood for a while before entering the room and saying, "Husband, you should escape back to Chang'an."

"What's wrong? What happened?" Cui Jin was startled.

"Have you had enough of this kind of life? I have." Madam Wang said calmly. She had a premonition that if Cui Jinruo was suppressed by Xu Ang again, he would no longer have the will to resist and would completely become a pleasure-seeking walking corpse, eventually becoming Xu Ang's scapegoat.

"You escape back to Chang'an, expose Xu Ang's embezzlement of disaster relief funds and bribery of officials, bring him down, and avenge yourself." Madam Wang stared into his eyes and urged, "Husband, you have Prime Minister Zheng, the Cui family of Boling, and my Wang family of Taiyuan. Three powerful families will plead for you. You will not be severely punished, while he will be beheaded."

Cui Jin's eyes darted away. He wouldn't face severe punishment, but he would be disgraced, forever barred from officialdom, and become a disgrace to his family.

Lady Wang's eyes were filled with disappointment as she murmured, "I hate Huaizhou. My husband died in this place."

"Has Du Min returned?" Cui Jin pretended not to hear.

"No." Madam Wang walked towards the inner room.

Cui Jin watched her retreating figure until it disappeared behind the screen. He then turned to look outside the door, quietly watching the shadows in the courtyard grow larger and larger as dusk quietly descended.

A maidservant entered carrying a candlestick and was startled when she saw a stiff figure. "Young master, shall we set the table? Where is the mistress? Is she still sleeping?"

"Set out the meal, but only Madam's food. I won't be eating at home tonight," Cui Jin decided.

Suddenly, a sob broke out in the inner room.

Cui Jin paused, but continued walking.

*

Inside the governor's mansion, the gates were wide open, but there were no guards in the front courtyard. Cui Jin walked in, and the only sound in the vast courtyard was his footsteps. After passing the screen wall, he saw that his office was brightly lit. As he approached, he heard faint conversations.

With a pounding heart, Cui Jin walked in step by step, and everyone in the room looked up.

"Lord Cui has arrived? I've been waiting for you for a long time," Li Sima greeted him. "Please take your seat."

There were eight people present: the Six Military Advisors, Li Sima, and the governor's office guards. They were exactly the same guests as those at the banquet five years ago, not a single one different. The only difference was that their schemes were no longer hidden and were clearly written on their faces.

Cui Jin sat down with a stiff face.

"Lord Cui has come after all. We thought you weren't afraid," said Military Advisor He. "Did anything come to mind today? Are you missing that grand banquet five years ago? Today, the Prefect has bestowed another table of food upon you, and we have come here to keep you company."

Cui Jin instinctively pushed away the wine offered by the guard, saying, "I won't drink it."

"You must drink it. Only if you drink it will you behave," the official said. "Here, drink it."

"Drink up, don't be ungrateful. You know what you're here for tonight, right?" Li Sima said.

"Where is Governor Xu?" Cui Jin stood up. "I won't drink. I've already confessed. I won't cause any more trouble."

The official didn't bother arguing with him. He pressed Cui Jin down, picked up the wine jug, and poured wine into his mouth.

Forced to swallow the wine, Cui Jin was so frightened that he pushed the guard away forcefully, stood up, and rushed out.

Li Sima was about to give chase, but was stopped by the guard, who said, "No need to chase him, there's nothing in the wine, it's just to scare him."

Today's show of force was merely a trap set by Governor Xu. If Cui Jin agrees to come, it means he has resigned himself to his fate, and there's no need to exert further pressure. If he refuses to come, Cui Jin is not far from death.

Cui Jin quickly ran home. When he returned to the backyard, Madam Wang was still waiting for him. Seeing that he reeked of alcohol and looked flustered, she went out and said, "I knew you would come back. Come on."

Cui Jin waved her hand, "Something's not right. Wait a moment, it seems like there's nothing in the wine."

Madam Wang stood aside watching him, and as he gradually relaxed and a look of joy appeared on his face, her heart felt heavy.

“Madam, weren’t the first five years quite good? Let’s not talk about the past anymore. Let’s stay in Huaizhou peacefully, and I’ll buy you whatever you want,” Cui Jin said.

"Okay," Madam Wang agreed, picking up the teapot, pouring a cup of water, and handing it to her. "Drink more water; your breath smells of alcohol."

Cui Biejia took the water and drank it, then slept until the afternoon of the next day.

At this time, the ship carrying Lady Wang had already sailed to Bingzhou.