Header Background Image

    Lady, escort the emperor! 34

    Read Advanced Chapters on Patreon: patreon.com/fantasystories797

    Chapter 34: I Don’t Have a Friend Like You!

    Li Nuo felt somewhat helpless. The former Chang’an County Magistrate was a crucial witness; with his death, the investigation would become even more difficult.

    Behind Li Nuo, Steward Wu looked up at the sky and sighed softly. They’d been out all day. When would the Young Master finally return home? He was starving. The new cook at the Li residence was exceptionally skilled; he’d already planned his evening meal, yet here he was, waiting idly.

    At a certain moment, he finally couldn’t bear it any longer and whispered, “Young Master, are you going to handle this case?”

    Li Nuo glanced at the elderly woman, who was so grief-stricken she was near fainting. He asked Steward Wu, “Can this case be handed over to the Dali Temple?”

    County Magistrate Pei dared not investigate; Li Nuo understood him. Though handing it over to the Dali Temple meant he wouldn’t be directly involved, even if he gained nothing from the case, he still wanted to seek justice for this old woman.

    Steward Wu smiled, waved his hand, and said, “No need for such trouble…”

    He beckoned to someone in the distance. A peddler carrying a load of goods set down his burden and trotted over, asking, “Steward Wu, what are your instructions?”

    Steward Wu said, “Go to the Chief Secretary of the Board of War’s residence and ask him if his son raped a girl six months ago.”

    The peddler asked, “And then?”

    Steward Wu waved his hand and said, “There’s no ‘and then.’ Just come back after you ask.”

    The peddler nodded and dashed off in a certain direction, quickly disappearing from Li Nuo’s sight.

    Li Nuo looked at Steward Wu and asked, “That’s it?”

    Steward Wu smiled, “Young Master, please wait a moment.”

    Li Nuo didn’t know what he was up to, but he still had other cases to handle that day. He first asked the old woman to rest aside and continued with his work, thinking that if all else failed, he would seek his father’s help in the evening. With the Dali Temple’s resources, investigating a case shouldn’t be difficult.

    Pei Zhe glanced at Steward Wu and silently offered a prayer for the Chief Secretary of the Board of War.

    Such is life.

    In the eyes of some, ordinary people are like ants.

    But in the eyes of others, you too are an ant.

    At that time, in a grand mansion somewhere in Chang’an, a lavish family banquet was underway.

    The Examination Department managed the performance evaluations of over 90% of Da Xia’s officials. As a Chief Secretary of the Examination Department, Wang Duo’s daily work was extremely busy. Because of this, he valued his days off immensely. On his days off, he would put aside all official duties, bathe, burn incense, and spend time with his family…

    The Wang family was large and prosperous, with harmonious brothers and sisters, a truly united family. The only regret was that he only had one son.

    As the head of the Wang family’s main branch, he should have had more children.

    But his wife suffered a miscarriage during her pregnancy, and after giving birth to their son, she was unable to conceive again. Over the years, Wang Duo never considered taking a concubine.

    He came from humble beginnings. In his early years, his wife, even while pregnant, worked tirelessly washing and weaving clothes for others, from morning till night, denying herself food and clothing, using all her earnings for his education. How could he bear to sadden her?

    Fortunately, they had a son. Although he was spoiled by his mother since childhood, under his father’s guidance, he hadn’t become a spoiled wastrel like others. He had already reached the second realm of martial arts at a young age and was also diligent in his studies. In time, if he could pass the imperial examinations, as the Chief Secretary of the Examination Department, Wang Duo could guarantee his son’s smooth career path…

    Even if he couldn’t pass the imperial examinations, with the family’s current standing, he could ensure his son’s prosperity for life.

    Halfway through the banquet, Wang Duo looked at his young son sitting below him and asked, “How are your studies at the academy lately?”

    The young man was eating. Upon hearing this, he coughed lightly and said, “Better, better than the past few months.”

    Wang Duo nodded and said, “Study hard at the academy. Even if you can’t master all six arts, you must at least excel in one, and the other five shouldn’t be too weak. Then, as long as you can pass the imperial examinations, even if you’re only at the bottom of the Jinshi list, I can ensure your promotion from the ninth rank to the seventh rank within ten years…”

    Having a Chief Secretary of the Examination Department as a father meant a swift rise in the official circles once he entered office. The young man nodded repeatedly in agreement. At that moment, a Wang family servant rushed in and said, “Master, someone came outside and said they have a question for you.”

    Wang Duo put down the food he had picked up and asked, “A question? What kind of question?”

    The servant looked at everyone at the banquet, hesitant to speak.

    Wang Duo glanced at him and said, “There are no outsiders here. Just speak your mind.”

    The servant hesitated for a moment and said, “The person asked if the master’s son, the young master, raped a girl six months ago…”

    The young man froze, then his face turned angry. He said, “That old hag, is she never going to stop? That time was just a drunken mistake. Normally, even if her daughter stripped naked in front of me, I wouldn’t even look…”

    Given his status, he certainly didn’t lack women. However, the women who came to him were either worn-out women or those with ulterior motives who wanted to marry into a wealthy family. He didn’t find them appealing. That time, he got drunk and impulsively wanted to experience the taste of a virtuous woman, but unexpectedly, it turned into an inescapable problem afterwards.

    “Shut your mouth! It’s all your fault!” Wang Duo glared at him, then turned to the Wang family servant and asked, “Which office is that person from? The Chang’an County Office or the Ministry of Justice?”

    Six months ago, because of this incident, he had confined his son to his room and punished him to face the wall for three days.

    Punishment was punishment, but as a father, he couldn’t just watch his son’s future be ruined.

    Even if he could pay a fine to avoid punishment, having a criminal record would still affect his future promotions if he passed the imperial examinations. He, as the Chief Secretary of the Examination Department, knew these things best.

    The only ones who could handle this matter were the Chang’an County Office and the Ministry of Justice. The previous Chang’an County Magistrate had contacted him about this matter, assuring him in person that nothing would go wrong. He had also contacted the Ministry of Justice, and no one had mentioned this matter again in the following six months.

    Could it be the newly appointed Chang’an County Magistrate?

    It seemed this new county magistrate wasn’t very savvy…

    He thought so when the servant said, “He said he’s from the Dali Temple Minister’s office.”

    Clang!

    Wang Duo’s jade chopsticks fell on the table.

    Crash!

    Dishes shattered on the floor of the dining hall.

    A moment later, at the Wang residence.

    The young man’s face was pale, and he knelt on the ground, trembling, clutching Wang Duo’s leg, tremblingly saying, “Father, you must save me!”

    A richly dressed woman also grabbed Wang Duo’s hand, tears welling in her eyes, saying, “Master, we only have Yue’er, our only child. You can’t leave him alone. If anything happens to Yue’er, I won’t live either!”

    Wang Duo’s face was also pale, but as the head of the family, he managed to compose himself and said, “Stay here. I’ll go visit a few officials.”

    A moment later, Wang Duo hurried out the back door and visited several prominent families in succession.

    Some of these people were from the Ministry of Justice, others from the Jingzhao Prefecture.

    Usually, they would bow and scrape before him, greeting him with smiles. Today, needing their help, Wang Duo’s demeanor was humble.

    “I heard the magpies chirping happily this morning. It turns out to be a distinguished guest. Minister Wang, please have a seat!”

    “Minister Wang, why have you come? Quickly, quickly, bring out my treasured tea!”

    The situation was urgent, so Wang Duo spoke briefly and to the point: “To be frank, my son has gotten into a little trouble…”

    “Minister Wang, rest assured, your business is my business. I will need your help with the Ministry of Personnel’s assessment this year…”

    “It’s about your son’s case, is it? It’s a small matter, a small matter. I will have someone inform the Chang’an County Office immediately.”

    However, after Wang Duo explained in detail, these people changed their tune.

    “What? This case has been personally assigned to the Dali Temple Minister?”

    “Minister Wang, I’m afraid I can’t help you with this…”

    “My master is ill and cannot receive guests.”

    “Minister Wang, my master says he’s not here.”

    “Get rid of the guest, get rid of the guest!”

    Wang Duo walked the streets despondently. Those officials who had once bowed and scraped before him, those colleagues who had once called him brother, initially greeted him with smiles, but upon hearing that the case involved the Dali Temple, they all changed their expressions. Not a single one was willing to lend a hand; later, he couldn’t even step foot inside their homes.

    Finally, after much hesitation, Wang Duo entered one last gate.

    He explained his intentions to the gatekeeper. Soon, a refined middle-aged man walked into the courtyard. Looking at Wang Duo, pale and terrified, he asked in confusion, “Minister Wang, what’s wrong?”

    Wang Duo quickly stepped forward, seizing the man’s hand, anxiously saying, “Minister Chen, you must save me!”

    The middle-aged man patted his hand and said, “Don’t worry, tell me what happened slowly. We’ve been friends for many years. If you’re in trouble, how could I stand idly by?”

    The next moment, after listening to Wang Duo’s account, the middle-aged man exclaimed in surprise, “What? Your son raped a woman, and Li Xuanying’s men are after him?”

    Wang Duo nodded and said, “Minister Chen, you have to save me!”

    The middle-aged man’s face darkened.

    Save, save, save what!

    Chang’an officials, those who haven’t committed crimes, still fear being targeted by Li Xuanying, let alone committing such a serious crime.

    Who is Li Xuanying?

    A living Yama! (King Yama, the judge of the underworld)

    What case he targets, who dares to interfere?

    Interfere and lose your hand, poke your head out and lose your head.

    The middle-aged man immediately withdrew his hand from Wang Duo’s grasp, firmly stating, “We’ve been friends for twenty years, but today, we sever ties. From now on, I don’t have a friend like you!”
    (End of Chapter)

    Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

    0 Comments

    Heads up! Your comment will be invisible to other guests and subscribers (except for replies), including you after a grace period. But if you submit an email address and toggle the bell icon, you will be sent replies until you cancel.
    Note