Chapter 69: Leaping and Pouncing

  The current county magistrate of Fengxian County is a kind old man.

  He doesn't have any outstanding abilities, nor does he have big ambitions. His governing ability is average, and his interpersonal skills are somewhat smooth, but he hasn't made any major mistakes either. Apart from the usual benefits, he won't take money that isn't his to take. Of course, he's not a clean official either, because that would mean many people wouldn't like him.

  However, he was still able to hold his own because he came from a prominent Shandong clan, whose elders had once supported the Taizu Emperor's campaign against the Qing dynasty, and thus had some connections with the imperial family. The clan had also produced many talented individuals over the years. Although he wasn't particularly outstanding, he had managed to pass the imperial examination as a second-class scholar and later became a lower-ranking official after serving in the Imperial Academy. With his good family background, orthodox education, and ability to get along with people, his future prospects were boundless. As long as one didn't intentionally try to make things difficult for him, he wouldn't cause trouble for others. Therefore, the local gentry had been relatively well-behaved under his governance in recent years.

  He also treated the Zhao family with great courtesy, which was the most important thing for the Zhao family.

  Zhao Lao Gong has been dead for many years. The convention in official circles is that once a person leaves, the tea becomes cold. Even if he was once famous and powerful, he is now nothing but a handful of yellow earth. He had helped the current emperor ascend to the throne, and when he first passed away, the emperor was deeply grieved and took great care of his family. For example, the imperial land that had been bestowed upon him according to the law would still be sent to the Zhang family every year, which is a good example. However, the emperor's favor will not last forever. It has been two years since he last sent an envoy to pay respects to the Zhang family during the New Year. He had also promised to grant Zhao Wei the title of marquis, but there has been no further news about it. Perhaps it was because Zhao Wei was still young, or perhaps the emperor was too busy with state affairs and had not gotten around to it yet. Or perhaps... he had simply forgotten about the matter.

  It wasn't just the emperor who was good at forgetting. Zhang's family, with their grandchildren in tow, moved back to their old home and gradually lost touch with friends and relatives in the capital city. The Zhao family still hadn't produced anyone capable of supporting the family, and even if Zhao Wei had a so-called noble title, it was only the lowest rank. Moreover, strictly speaking, he didn't actually possess this title, but only enjoyed the treatment that came with it. There were never any shortage of clever people in official circles. In their eyes, the Zhao family may have long since lost its former value.

  In Fengxian, the Zhao family can still walk sideways, to a certain extent. Thanks to this county magistrate.

  However, he is about to leave Fengxian due to mourning, who will replace him? What attitude will that person have towards the Zhao family?

  Fengxian was subordinate to Shanghai Prefecture. As the place where the dragon rose, Shanghai was close to the prosperous Suzhou and Songjiang areas. The Nanhui Port established during the reign of Taizu Emperor became increasingly prosperous. The counties under the jurisdiction of Shanghai Prefecture were mostly coveted by those seeking official positions. Fengxian was not the most prominent or attractive among these counties, but who knows? It was adjacent to Nanhui Port. Perhaps in others' eyes, it was also a good place to go?

  The Zhao family was worried from the moment they received the news of County Magistrate Ding's mourning. They started to worry endlessly, frequently visiting each other and holding meetings, some even ran outside to ask relatives and friends for information, and someone suggested sending someone to Beijing to inquire about the Ministry of Rites' attitude. In fact, everyone knew that the Zhao family was no longer the same as when the old Duke was still alive. If a new county magistrate who doesn't follow reason comes, wanting to trample on the Zhao family's face or cut their flesh, the entire Zhao family would be powerless against him.

  Even the old master of the Zong House was anxious, he had discussed with his son in private, and it seemed that going to Beijing was indeed a feasible option. It was said that Zhao Yue, the young master of the second house, had been promoted, although it was unknown what rank he held, but since he could be promoted, he must have some connections in the court. Adding to the face of the former Duke, perhaps they could make arrangements and let the Ministry of Officials assign a new county magistrate who was more friendly to the Zhao family?

  He had just spoken when his son, Zhao Jing, stopped him: "Father, don't be foolish. The county magistrate's mourning is an unexpected event, and no one thought of it. The Ministry of Officials will send someone, at least two or three months later. Shanghai Prefecture has several counties under its jurisdiction, although the place is small, but it is adjacent to the Longxing area, which has always been important. The court cannot casually send someone. If the person who comes is really too much, our family can also appeal to the higher authorities, and there is no way to do so. Why be so panicked? It's even more impossible to bother with Xiaochangfang. Father, have you forgotten that the eldest son of the outer eighth house just opened a clan meeting and was deceived by his nonsense, now everyone in the clan knows that you were deceived by Xiaochangfang and wrongly harmed Erbo Zhuo Shu's affairs. If you continue to deal with Xiaochangfang, the suspicion on your body will never be cleared for a lifetime!"

  As soon as this matter is mentioned, Master Rui feels very embarrassed. At the clan meeting, if it weren't for that stinky brat from the outer eighth house spouting nonsense, he wouldn't have been robbed of the spotlight by the Eighth Elder of the Third House and Zhao Xiu of the Second House. Now not only does he have to be honest and low-key at home, but also can't go out casually, lest people think of that thing with Zhao Zhuo's wife from the Second House. The Eighth Elder of the Third House has mentioned several times that he wants Zhao Jiong to come over and discuss new clan rules with him, and he can't even stop it, nor can he express his own opinions. If this continues, will the Rui house still be the Rui house? It's simply going to become a vassal of the Third House!

  What's wrong with Xiaochang House? The ones who did evil things back then were Zhao Kuang and Jiang Shi, what does it have to do with the current Zhao Yue father and son? When Xiaochang House was in power, his family's status was unshakeable, no one in the clan dared to disobey his orders. Now, even a distant relative from an outer branch of the family who is about to be expelled from the clan dares to humiliate him publicly! And his own son doesn't even stand by his side.

  Master Rui stormed off to the backyard, his sleeves fluttering behind him. Recently, he had taken a liking to a young and beautiful concubine, and was in high spirits. Since he couldn't interfere with family matters, and it wasn't convenient for him to go out, he might as well spend some time playing with this new concubine. It would also save him from seeing his son's serious face, which annoyed him.

  Zhao Jing escorted his father back to the inner house, with a helpless look on his face. His father was just too eager for power and wealth, actually he wasn't young anymore, having sons and grandsons, why couldn't he just enjoy his life at home?

  Although disagreeing with his father's proposal, Zhao Jiong lowered his head and thought for a moment, feeling that he couldn't do nothing, so he went to the old house of the second branch to look for Zhao Xuan.

  Zhao Xun is instructing people to send gifts to the former county magistrate. The county magistrate has helped the Zhao family a lot over the years, and she wants to express her gratitude on behalf of her grandmother and brother. Preparing the ritual items is a must, and the funeral rites cannot be neglected either. After all, it's good to observe the proper etiquette. Although the county magistrate may not return to office again in the future, he has a strong background, so it's a good thing to build a good relationship with him.

  Zhao Jiong arrived just in time, although she could prepare the gift, it was not convenient for her to deliver it personally, so she asked the butler to go. Compared with others who were called "young master" and went to the door, it seemed a bit lacking in weight, Zhao Jiong happened to be able to help out. This idea was exactly what Zhao Jiong had in mind. He was originally going to take a trip anyway, and it was just a matter of helping Xiao Erfang deliver a gift, which was just a trivial matter.

  After taking on this task, Zhao Yun had another matter to discuss with Zhao Xun: "Uncle and Grandmother Wang and Brother Wei are also going to the capital soon. There has been no letter back for a long time. Should we send someone to take a look?"

  Zhao Xun heard this and couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile on his face.

  She was also worried about her grandmother and brother's situation in the capital, but since her grandmother didn't send any letters back, it seemed reasonable. She was only seven years old, and there wasn't anyone in their family who could discuss important court matters. What would be the point of her grandmother sending a letter? If it was just to send a reassuring message, telling her to stay calm and wait for news at home, then it wouldn't have much significance, and it really wasn't necessary to waste manpower on another trip.

  Zhaoyao was also worried about the crown prince's injury. Lu Yunpeng and his wife had left, so she lost her most reliable source of information. However, recently hearing the rumors from outside, it seemed that there were no bad news coming from the capital, and even fewer people discussing the "crown prince being injured". The county officials who were once uneasy and the nobles from Jiading also stopped mentioning this matter. Zhaoyao had some doubts, wondering if the initial rumor was spread intentionally by someone with ulterior motives, but now that the imperial court had come to its senses, it had taken timely action to suppress the spread of rumors.

  But the rumor has stopped, and she can't judge the situation of the crown prince. She can only tell herself that no bad news is good news. The crown prince is the heir to the throne, his life and death are a big deal. If something really happened, it wouldn't be possible to keep it secret, there would be a grand funeral, and maybe even a ban on weddings and celebrations in the city, the news would have reached Shanghai already. Now that everything is calm, he's probably safe and sound.

  Zhao Xun then said to Zhao Jiong, "Although I am worried about my grandmother and brother, they have people serving them and have been in the capital for many years. My grandfather had many friends in his day, and the emperor is also very kind to us, so nothing should happen. If we suddenly send someone from home, won't it make my grandmother worry that something has happened at home?"

  "Zhuo thought for a moment: "Xu sister, be honest with me, did Uncle and Grandmother take Wei brother to the capital, saying they were going to visit the injured Crown Prince, but also to run for Wei brother's title?"

  Zhao Xuan was slightly startled: "Why did Brother Jing say that?"

  "Wei Ge'er will be twelve next year, he has the title of County Male, but in fact, it's just a matter of receiving rice rations every year. I've never heard of any formal decree to confer a title. In your front yard, the main hall is not even enshrined with such an imperial edict." Zhao Jue looked at Zhao Xuan seriously, "I've thought about this before, since Xiao Changfang was convicted, he's been stuck in the capital all these years without any movement. Is it possible that the Emperor intends for Wei Ge'er to inherit the title of Jian Nan Hou? The Duke is a founding merit subject, with outstanding military achievements, how can the Emperor bear to let his descendants not have even a decent title? Perhaps the Emperor just thinks Wei Ge'er is too young, so he hasn't formally conferred the title yet."

  Zhaoyuan had never heard her grandmother mention this matter before, but she couldn't guarantee that Zhang wasn't thinking so. She fell silent for a moment, shook her head and said: "I don't know."

  Zhao Yun was taken aback, and suddenly realized Zhao Xuan's age. He couldn't help but laugh at himself. Yes, no matter how clever Zhao Xuan was, she was only a seven-year-old girl. Zhang would discuss important matters with his eleven-year-old grandson, but he wouldn't necessarily tell these things to his seven-year-old granddaughter.

  He thought for a moment, then said to Zhao Xun: "Although Grand Aunt is in the capital and has Wei Ge'er serving by her side, Wei Ge'er is still young. If there's a need to run errands or do chores, it's often not convenient. Moreover, they've been gone for almost two months now, and there's been no news. Shouldn't we choose two reliable and capable young men from our clan to go to the capital and take a look? Even if they can't help with anything, at least they can assist with running errands on the way."

  Zhao Xuan hesitated for a moment and nodded: "This is also good."

  Zhao Jiong obtained Zhao Xuan's consent and immediately went to select people, selecting two young and strong men who had always been on good terms with him and were also clever and reliable. One was from the Jade character generation and the other was from the Water character generation. Zhao Xuan gave each of them a set of travel expenses, including their road expenses, which were very well prepared. In just two days, they would set off.

  At this time, Mr. Rui suddenly jumped out: "It's just two young people going, how can it be enough? I used to go to Beijing often, and I'm familiar with all the government offices and aristocratic mansions. I'm not worse than those two greenhorns! Why don't I take them on a trip?"

  Upon hearing his words, Zhao Yun and Zhao Xun simultaneously pulled long faces.