A Good Country Wife-Chapter 148 Won’t Let Off Easily_1

Jiang Ziqi galloped his horse relentlessly, and it was with great effort that he caught up with Lin Yue, witnessing a scene that was hardly believable: Xu Er being threatened by Lin Yue, several grown men seemingly powerless to resist the commands of a frail woman. As relief washed over Jiang Ziqi, he wasn’t sure whether to marvel at Lin Yue’s impressive feat or lament the incompetence of the men.

Having traveled far and wide, often roaming various regions, Jiang Ziqi had learned martial arts for self-defense. In just a few moves, he subdued Xu Er’s men and tied them up along with Xu Er himself.

"Are you all right?" Jiang Ziqi asked as he looked at Lin Yue, who despite her slight frame, stood defiantly, resembling the noble, unyielding plum blossom amid winter’s chill. His heart skipped a beat for reasons unknown, sensing something had shifted within him.

"I’m fine, thank you Dr. Jiang. If it weren’t for your arrival, I wouldn’t have known how to end this. But now, what shall we do with these men?" Lin Yue said, her eyebrows furrowed with worry now that Jiang Ziqi had taken care of Xu Er and his men, uncertain how to deal with them.

"Don’t worry, just send these worthless rascals straight to the government office and let the government deal with them," Jiang Ziqi responded nonchalantly, evidently not taking Xu Er and his men too seriously.

Lin Yue’s thoughts differed from Jiang Ziqi’s, considering that he seemed unaware of Xu Er’s identity. "But that servant said that Xu Er is the Magistrate’s brother-in-law. If we send them to the government office..."

She let her words trail off, the implication clear. Given that Xu Er was the Magistrate’s brother-in-law, if the Magistrate learned of today’s incident, he might not adjudicate fairly on their behalf. Worse, if he were particularly dim-witted, he might even blame them. If so, Lin Yue, a mere commoner, couldn’t possibly contend with the Magistrate and would certainly suffer, potentially implicating Jiang Ziqi as well.

"You’re overthinking it. Not to mention the current Magistrate of Xin’an City is a rather upright and honest official, who wouldn’t confuse right and wrong. Even Xu Er is an impostor. The Magistrate’s wife comes from the third branch of the Assistant Minister of Rites’ family and bears the last name Yao, not Xu. It is rumored, though, that the Magistrate has a non-favored concubine, the legitimate daughter of the Xu family merchants. Just a brother of a concubine daring to claim he’s the Magistrate’s brother-in-law, flaunting the Magistrate’s name to commit misdeeds, if the Magistrate were to find out, he surely wouldn’t let him off lightly," explained Jiang Ziqi.

What Jiang Ziqi left unsaid was that, considering the current status of the Jiang Family and the emperor’s favor toward him, the Magistrate of Xin’an City would likely mete out severe punishment to Xu Er on his account. The Magistrate had worked hard to accrue achievements, aiming for a favorable evaluation upon promotion and a desirable assignment. If he mishandled this matter and Jiang Ziqi happened to mention anything unfavorable in front of His Majesty, all the Magistrate’s efforts would be in vain, and he would leave a poor impression with the emperor, dashing any hopes of further promotion.

As Jiang Ziqi elucidated the situation to Lin Yue, Dr. Zheng, having seen him rush to Lin Yue’s aid and fearing he might be injured, swiftly arrived with the servants from Jimin Hall and the Jiang Family, just in time to help Jiang Ziqi deal with the aftermath and deliver Xu Er and his men to the government office.

Owing to the incident with Xu Er, Lin Yue didn’t refuse Jiang Ziqi’s offer to escort her home. Upon arriving, she relayed a few instructions to Dalang before retreating to her room. Only when she saw Zhao Erhu lying on the bed did the tension that had held taut in her heart finally ease.

"Brother Erhu, when will you wake up? Do you have any idea that I almost got bullied today..." With no one else to vent to, Lin Yue poured out her frustration, fear, and grievances to the comatose Zhao Erhu, so absorbed in her outpouring that she failed to notice his fingers twitching when she spoke of nearly being bullied by Xu Er.