A Good Country Wife-Chapter 702 - 695_1

Although Ceng Lu was reluctant, he nonetheless knew that the situation was pressing. He understood the butler’s intention and realized that this was not the time for bravado or stubbornness. Lin Yue had brought many people with her, and the government office was already struggling to cope with the number of people they had. Furthermore, there had been an incident in the government office, a disturbance caused by some unknown figure from the martial world, which left even fewer available capable hands. The only course of action now was to release the captives first and plan their next move later. Moreover, with the commotion caused today, he had an excuse to call up local military forces.

"Since the turmoil within the government office was the result of traitors colluding with external thieves, Madam Lin’s actions today are somewhat understandable. I, the Magistrate, will let you go for now. If further investigation reveals any impropriety or falsity, I will have someone summon you back to the government office." Ceng Lu said and gestured with his hand, signaling the Government Officials to clear the way and let Lin Yue and her people leave.

Upon hearing Ceng Lu’s words, Lin Yue felt somewhat relieved that Ceng Lu at least had some sense. Although she knew this scoundrel definitely had not abandoned his thoughts and would not let things go so easily, as long as they didn’t cause trouble right at the government office’s entrance, that was all that mattered. After all, even though she now possessed wealth and Zhao Erhu was performing tasks for the Emperor, her status was still that of a commoner. The fact that she dared to confront the Government Officials at the government office was audacious, regardless of the reasoning, and was bound to provoke criticism.

"If that is the case, then I must thank the Magistrate for his discerning judgment." Lin Yue said with a smirk that did not reach her eyes. Without hesitation, she immediately escorted Dalang and his brothers out of the government office entrance, lest Ceng Lu have a change of heart.

Having left the government office, it was already getting late, and the city gates had been closed. Lin Yue and her party could not immediately return to Zhao Family Village, so they had to settle for the night in a residence within the city. After resting for one night, they hurried back to Zhao Family Village early the next morning. Liu, the shopkeeper, out of concern that Ceng Lu might make another move, had been keeping a watchful eye on the situation. The next day, he personally escorted Lin Yue back to Zhao Family Village before returning to the city.

No matter the reason behind Liu, the shopkeeper’s, actions, Lin Yue was grateful for the kindness shown, as well as for the assistance of the Jiang Family’s Hidden Guard, who had truly put forth much effort in protecting and escorting her this time.

Lin Yue initially wanted to host Liu and his party to express her thanks, but Liu had taken time out of his busy schedule to escort them. Jimin Hall still had many issues awaiting his attention, and aligning with Lin Yue had put him on the defense against any potential underhanded moves from Ceng Lu’s side, requiring his constant vigilance. Thus, he really could not afford to stay any longer and was in a hurry to get back to the city.

"Since everyone else is also busy, I won’t insist on keeping you here any longer, lest it delays your affairs. I, Lin Yue, am very grateful for all the help I’ve received these past few days and will remember your kindness. If there’s ever anything I can do for you, just let me know. I will not hesitate to help," Lin Yue said, and personally saw her guests off. She decided that when Zhao Erhu returned, she would bring gifts to express her gratitude in person. It was not for lack of sincerity but because Ceng Lu clearly had his sights set on her, and she dared not enter the city and present herself to him so easily.

But back to Ceng Lu, he had made careful plans, yet who would have thought Lin Yue would be so formidable and that such a mishap would occur in the government office? The prey he thought was cooked and ready to eat had flown the coop! Watching Lin Yue leave with her people, Ceng Lu, upon returning home, had as his first order of business to investigate who had released Dalang and his brothers, and what audacious thief had emerged from nowhere.

"My lord, the man had his face covered, and we did not see his features clearly. However, his skills were truly extraordinary, and none of us combined was a match for him alone. He even performed acrobatics, swiftly incapacitating our men, and then leapt onto the wall to make his escape," the guards tasked with watching Dalang and his brothers said as they knelt on the ground, sweating bullets. They weren’t exaggerating to avoid the blame; the intruder was indeed that skilled, and without such abilities, he wouldn’t have been able to so easily infiltrate the well-guarded government office. Due to the matters concerning Lin Yue, security there had been much stricter than usual, yet still, the intruder managed to break in and leave with such ease.

"You’re all useless! High skills in martial arts? Had you not been so poorly trained, how could he have come and gone as he pleased, using the government office as if it were his own backyard? It only proves how I’ve been raising a bunch of idiots!" Ceng Lu refused to believe the cowardly excuses of these men, thinking of the wasted effort that had all been for nothing—anger nearly took his breath away.

"My lord, that man was too powerful. He... he also said that if you dare act in his name, you must be prepared to endure his wrath. This was just a small lesson for you!"

The Government Official knew he could not escape responsibility but, seeing the Magistrate’s angry rebuke and knowing all the blame was falling on them, with likely severe punishment to follow, he suddenly remembered the words of the masked man, mentioning them as if they were a lifesaving talisman.

"You say that man left a message, asserting that I acted in his name and that he taught me a lesson? He must be extremely arrogant! Moreover, when have I ever acted in his name? This is absurd; it must be a case of mistaken identity, which is why he came after me," Ceng Lu said, both angry and confused by the message the masked man had left, believing the man must have been mistaken. He, Ceng Lu, had never needed to act in someone else’s name, and he had certainly not done anything of the sort. Could it really be an undeserved disaster brought on by someone else’s doing?

Only someone as dimwitted as Ceng Lu would believe such a mix-up possible. His butler, upon hearing there might be more to the story, gave it some thought and, considering Quan An’s previous actions, already had a suspicion of what might have happened.

"My lord, perhaps there was no mistake. Have you forgotten who Quan An claimed to represent when he kidnapped those boys?" the butler reminded Ceng Lu, sharing his own conjecture.

"Who?" Ceng Lu was still slow to catch on. After all, the matter had been arranged by the scribe and the butler, and he wasn’t very clear on the details.

With a look of concern, the butler pointed in a certain direction: "Only bandits from Longhu Mountain with such skills and the audacity to confront the government would do this. Previously, Quan An used the name of the bandits from Longhu Mountain when he kidnapped the boys. Later, the real bandits from Longhu Mountain probably found out and thought it was you, my lord, who had ordered it. That’s what led to yesterday’s incident—you’ve been implicated."