Chapter 320: Chapter 184: Tonight, You Go to Sleep First, Don’t Wait Up for Me
This was the Prefect’s chair.
Lu Yuan slowly spoke, "Since it’s all a misunderstanding, everyone can get up."
Hearing the Prefect’s words, the officials scrambled to their feet, dusting off their knees and turning to face Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan’s trusted men, seeing the situation was under control, finally released the group of Mansion Guards.
Lu Yuan’s men stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the entrance of the main hall. With their hands clasped behind them, they faced away from Lu Yuan and the others, their sharp eyes fixed on what lay ahead.
The Mansion Guards who had been knocked to the ground writhed and checked themselves for injuries. They picked up their weapons and stood together in a sorry state.
The two groups formed a stark contrast.
Lu Yuan had an official bring over a chair and place it beside his own, gesturing for his wife to sit there.
Su Liyan felt a little uncomfortable with all the officials’ eyes on her.
With her head lowered, Su Liyan walked to Lu Yuan’s side and sat down.
Su Liyan had never seen such a spectacle before. Over a dozen officials stood below while she sat up high with her husband.
Back in Changliu Village, the highest-ranking official Su Liyan had ever seen was the pot-bellied village chief, who spent his days fanning himself with a cattail cushion and flirting with the village widows.
’Who would have thought I’d ever see so many officials?’ she mused. ’I’m really basking in my husband’s glory.’
Lu Yuan pointed at the Right Deputy Magistrate and said, "You. Tell me how the previous Prefect died."
The Right Deputy Magistrate was the eldest among the group, yet he was being ordered around by a young man barely in his twenties.
In an era where rank and seniority were paramount, the one with the higher official position had the final say.
The Right Deputy Magistrate cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Replying to you, my lord, the former Lord Prefect was observing the common people’s conditions when some kind of Xingzi bit through his neck, killing him."
Hearing the Right Deputy Magistrate’s words, the Left Assistant Magistrate couldn’t stand it any longer, even though his own rank was lower.
’This Right Deputy Magistrate is treating Prefect Lu like a child he can fool.’
The Left Assistant Magistrate took a step forward and said, "My lord, that is not the truth of the matter."
Lu Yuan looked at the Left Assistant Magistrate. "Then what is the truth?"
The Left Assistant Magistrate then relayed everything he knew, trying his best not to leave anything out. He didn’t forget to criticize the previous Prefect’s wrongdoings.
The Left Assistant Magistrate didn’t know if this Lu Yuan was a good or evil man. ’Worst case scenario, I get dismissed from my post and go home. What’s the big deal?’
’This official post has been nothing but stifling anyway.’
Acting without a conscience was something this Left Assistant Magistrate just couldn’t do.
From his account, Lu Yuan finally got a general idea of the situation.
The previous Prefect had been a corrupt scoundrel, indulging in extortion, womanizing, and gambling.
His so-called "observing the common people’s conditions" was just a cover for seducing women.
One night, while "playing a two-person card game" with a seductive woman he’d picked up from gods-know-where, he was bitten to death by some ferocious Xingzi.
As for the specific details, no one knew.
Because everyone who had accompanied the Prefect was already dead.
And the seductive woman’s whereabouts were unknown.
Lu Yuan didn’t comment on either of their accounts. Instead, he said cheerfully, "Let’s end things here for today."
The new Prefect had caused a huge scene, only to ask a few simple questions.
"My lord, we didn’t expect you to arrive early. We’ve already booked a banquet. We can have the restaurant reschedule it and hold a welcome feast for you today," said the Right Deputy Magistrate.
Lu Yuan stood up and said, "The two of us already ate some flatbread at the entrance just now. We’re a bit tired from the long journey, so I’ll skip this meal. Why don’t you all hold the banquet for this Right Investigating Officer here. Have a few drinks, it might help you cool off."
"Everyone’s dismissed. Hey, you, someone come show me the way. Find us a room in the rear courtyard." With his arm around Su Liyan’s slender waist, Lu Yuan started walking toward the back.
A junior official called out to the entrance, and a servant from outside ran forward. "Go, show the lord the way."
After Lu Yuan left, the officials in the hall looked at each other in dismay. The new Prefect hadn’t shown them any face at all.
"Let’s go, my lords. The Lord Prefect isn’t eating, but we can’t let it go to waste, can we," said the Right Assistant Magistrate.
The officials left the Prefecture Yamen. Some went to the banquet, while others returned to their own residences.
Lu Yuan’s arrival in Dongchang City several days early had caught all the officials off guard.
None of the usual welcome pageantry had been prepared, and they had even gotten into a fight with the new Prefect. It was a complete embarrassment.
For this first appearance, Lu Yuan didn’t want to get too involved with these officials.
He would let them stew for a while before making his next move.
The rooms in the Prefecture Yamen were opulently decorated and furnished. The large platform bed was big enough to sleep four or five people at once.
Lu Yuan glanced at the luxurious furnishings in the room and asked the servant, "This is the room?"
The servant quickly replied, "My lord, this is the Lord Prefect’s residence. The previous occupant’s clothes and belongings were thrown out long ago, and the room has been cleaned inside and out several times. You can rest assured it’s safe to live here."
Inside the room, Su Liyan gazed at the tiers of various porcelain ornaments on the wooden cabinet. "Honey~ this porcelain is so beautiful," she said.
Su Liyan was captivated by the ornaments before her.
Sitting on the soft, large platform bed, Lu Yuan said, "Wifey, that stuff isn’t cheap. Even that cabinet is carved from a single piece of mahogany."
Su Liyan didn’t know about such things. "Do these cost... dozens of taels of silver?" she asked.
"Probably several hundred taels," Lu Yuan said nonchalantly.
At this, Lu Yuan paused. ’A Prefect’s annual salary is one hundred taels of silver at most.’
’How could he have spare money for all this?’
’Looks like he was a greedy one.’
Many of the Travelers, Spirit Binders, Celestial Masters, and Grand Celestial Masters employed by Lu Yuan had annual salaries that could reach one hundred taels of silver.
’Only high salaries can retain talent.’
Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, Su Liyan took a step back, afraid she might accidentally bump into something and break it.
Lu Yuan didn’t care for these trinkets. If he were interested in this sort of thing, he could have opened a museum for his collection at the Zhao Mansion in Taiping City.
All of Lu Yuan’s money was earned legitimately and could see the light of day.
Just then, the phone inside the bundle on the bed began to ring.
Hearing the phone ring, Su Liyan scurried over to Lu Yuan’s side in a few steps and sat on his lap.
Lu Yuan instinctively wrapped his arm around Su Liyan’s slender waist and reached for the phone in the bundle.
At this time every day, it was always a call from home for Lu Yuan and Su Liyan.
"My darling sweethearts, what took you so long to answer the phone?" On the other end of the line was Aunt Zhao’s voice.
"Auntie misses you! When are you coming back from Dongchang City? Auntie wants to give you a big hug. You’ve gotten so thin lately."
Ever since Aunt Zhao got pregnant, her weight had skyrocketed.
She had just finished her postpartum confinement period, and her weight was only now slowly starting to come down.
Currently, she was still much heavier than Lu Yuan.
This Aunt Zhao was a tall woman to begin with, at six-foot-two, so it was normal for her to weigh much more than Lu Yuan.
Fortunately, Lu Yuan’s arm strength was astonishing; an ordinary person really wouldn’t be able to hold her.
When Lu Yuan was with Zhao Qiao’Er, it was like a small horse pulling a large cart—and this particular pony was all lean muscle.
"Aunt Zhao, are you missing him already?" Su Liyan said from the side. "Soon, soon. When the time comes, I’ll have him go see Aunt Zhao more often."
Aunt Zhao said, "That’s my Liyan, so generous to your Auntie. It wasn’t for nothing that I’ve been feeding our Bengbeng. Bengbeng is eating so much and getting so strong now, one side isn’t enough for her anymore! She even tries to steal from Huanhuan."
If someone with Zhao Qiao’Er’s large frame couldn’t satisfy Bengbeng, they’d really have to hire two wet nurses to keep up.
As for Su Liyan’s petite figure, it was currently only enough to satisfy Lu Yuan.
If Su Liyan were to return to the Zhao Mansion in Taiping City to nurse Bengbeng now, her own reserves wouldn’t be enough.
That little girl Bengbeng really could eat. You wouldn’t find a child with such an appetite in any of the surrounding villages.
Su Liyan’s mother took the phone and admonished her, "Liyan, you must be patient while you’re away. In all matters, you have to listen to our son-in-law. You can’t be throwing your little tantrums."
Su Liyan replied, "I know, Mom. I always listen to him~"
"That’s good, that’s good," Su Liyan’s mother repeated several times.
While Su Liyan had been away with Lu Yuan, Bengbeng had been breastfed by Aunt Zhao, with her own mother looking after the baby.
They also said on the phone that Bengbeng had grown a lot.
Su Liyan also wanted to go back as soon as possible to kiss her precious baby. What mother doesn’t miss her child?
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yuan gave her a kiss and said to his wife, "Tonight, you go to sleep first. Don’t wait up for me!"
