Bu Huaiyi and Lu Youde are not only fellow townspeople, but Bu Huaiyis wife is also the elder sister of Lu Youde.
Bu Waiyi came from a family of teachers and had been a teacher for many years, having also served as a financial officer and a judicial officer. Lu Youde, on the other hand, was new to the profession. Lu Youde was clever since childhood and passed the imperial examination at the age of 17 or 18, but then repeatedly failed in subsequent exams. Three years ago, when he went to take the autumn exam again, he tried to buy his way through with money but ended up losing his title as a scholar and being banned from taking the exam forever. Lu Youde had no choice but to join his sisters husband and changed his profession to become a teacher.
Before becoming the steward of County Magistrate Li, Bu Huaiyi worked under the gate of Dingping Prefecture in Hedong Road with Lu Youde. They were dismissed after being caught cheating by exchanging old grain for new grain from the prefectures granary and profiting from the price difference. They were beaten dozens of times by the prefectural judge and expelled, leaving them with only their clothes on their backs.
Before becoming a steward of the Flash Mansion, this Wu Huaiyi had served several masters, and Eldest Brother was still inquiring about him through others.
"Ill go tell Father right now!" Li Wenshan and Li Xia said, slamming their fists on the table in anger.
"I think so, its pointless even if you say anything." Li Xia leaned on the edge of the table, her chin resting on the back of her hand, thinking about the behavior of the two masters she had seen in the past two days. If she hadnt relived those moments and known what happened later, she would have thought that these two masters were flawless.
"How can it be useless? These two people are notorious! Father hates people who behave improperly the most! Im going to find Father! By the way, theres something else, Ill tell you when I get back!" Li Wenshan stood up and walked out, Li Xia hurriedly followed behind him, waving her small arm to watch the excitement.
"Dad, I have something extremely important to tell you!" Entering the study, Li Wenshan was solemn and serious from head to toe.
Magistrate Li burst out laughing, "Whats so serious? Your face is all scrunched up!"
Li Xian was originally a loving father who doted on his children, and now that he had been promoted to county magistrate and everything was going smoothly, he was even more patient and tolerant with the kids.
"Father, we cant use Ab Master and Lu Master anymore!" Li Wenshan looked at his father.
Magistrate Li was taken aback, "Huh? Cant use it again? Whats going on? Tell me clearly."
"Is Father aware that Boss Bus wife is Boss Lus own sister?"
"This is something Master Bu never mentioned." County Magistrate Li seemed rather uninterested.
"Ah, Father! This is deceitful!" Li Wenshans voice rose in indignation as he saw that his father didnt care at all.
"This doesnt count as cheating." County Magistrate Li patted his sons shoulder, smiling as he spoke, "We have a relationship with your uncle like this, if Commander Luo didnt know about it, I wouldnt tell him even if he asked me. If I did tell him, it would be bad instead."
"How can this be the same? Master Bu and Master Lu are both your masters, they have a relationship, if they join hands..."
"Alright, alright," County Magistrate Li said with a mix of helplessness and amusement. "Uncle Bo and Uncle Lu are what kind of people? Your father has a good grasp on that, you can rest assured! Whats wrong? Dont even trust your own father? Alright, go back and study hard, its not easy to get into the Wan Song Academy."
"Ah, Dad, when Master Bu was under the jurisdiction of Dingping Prefecture on Hedong Road, he made a profit by buying old grain and selling new grain. You knew about this too?" Li Wenshan thought that this would surely shock Ah-Dad, and indeed, County Magistrate Li was taken aback. "How did you know about this? Who told you?"
"Father, dont ask me how I know this for now. Bu Huaiyi didnt dare to be the steward of finance anymore, so he pushed out his younger brother-in-law Lu Youde as a scapegoat, and then took charge of both the judicial and financial departments himself. This is clearly an attempt to use Fathers hands to make a huge profit. Father, these two people can no longer be used!" Li Wenshan said in one breath, feeling that his argument was solid and convincing, and this time he would definitely persuade Father.
Mr. Li stood up and pressed Li Wenshans shoulder hard, "Growing up, almost as tall as me, also know how to care about Dad, help Dad share worries."
"Ah, Father!" Li Wenshan thought he had moved his father and was excited all over his face. However, Old Master Li just smiled and said: "The matter of Dingping Prefecture, Master Bu told me about it when he came. This matter is not as simple as you heard. Master Bu is an innocent scapegoat who took the blame for someone else. Youre a good kid, but dont worry about your father. Your father has been a teacher for over ten years and has some insight into peoples characters. Just focus on studying, your father isnt that easy to deceive!"
"Ah, Father!" Li Wenshans heart sank from halfway up the mountain to the bottom of the cliff, "You just listen..."
"Whats going on in Dingping Prefecture?" Magistrate Li interrupted his son to ask, "Who brought this gossip to you? Zhao Da?" Magistrate Li was dull in some ways but quick and accurate in others.
"No!" Li Wenshan subconsciously denied in one breath.
Magistrate Lis expression relaxed instantly, "Is that the rumor I heard in the yamen? Hmm!" Magistrate Li hummed heavily with displeasure, "It must be County Lieutenant Wu who, after being found out by Master Bo for many mistakes, intentionally spread this rumor to slander Master Bo. Shan Ge, remember, you cant ignore rumors, but you also cant listen too much, or youll fall into someones trap and destroy your own wall. Did you hear that?
Li Wenshan was extremely depressed, originally thinking that coming over to talk, Father would definitely be shocked and furious, and then drive away Bu Huaiyi and Lu Youde. It seems that he thought too simply, the matter of embezzling grain funds, Bu Huaiyi had already cleverly prepared a case here with Father! Indeed a cunning fellow!
Li Wenshan walked out with his head hung low, and as he exited the door, Li Xia pulled him back. Li Wenshan bent down, and Li Xia tiptoed to his ear and whispered, "Go ask Father, how did Wu County Magistrate know about the Dingping Prefectures affairs."
"Huh? Ask this... okay." Li Wenshan turned around and went back into the house, "Father, why did you say it was Wu County Weis words earlier? Dingping Prefecture is thousands of miles away from Hengshan County, how would Wu County Wei know about Dingping Prefecture?"
"Ah," County Magistrate Li smiled, twirling his mustache as he looked at his son, the pride of having a grown son evident on his face. "The wife of County Lieutenant Wu is surnamed Xie, and shes from the same clan as Madame Xie, the wife of Minister Su of the Ministry of Personnel. I heard theyre sisters within five degrees of mourning."
"Is that Minister Su? The brother of Imperial Consort Su?" Li Wenshans face was full of surprise. Magistrate Li nodded, let out a troubled sigh, and thought to himself: With such a powerful background as his deputy, and hearing from Master Bu that this County Lieutenant Su wants to rise through the ranks quickly, becoming a county magistrate directly from being an official, its really a headache.
If it werent for Master Bu, I wouldnt have known how badly that scoundrel with the surname Wu had deceived me!
"What to do?" Back in his own hut, Li Wenshan hung his head and lay on the bed with a long sigh.
"Whats the big deal!" Li Xia climbed onto a chair and sat down, swinging her legs as she looked at her brother. "If you had just said one word, Father would have listened and then those two troublemakers would have been chased away, that would be strange."
Complete works txt download, full text free, e-book, remember 77 reading books
