The county magistrate stiffened. Although he had suspected something, he was genuinely surprised when the other party confessed without being prompted. He hadn't expected them to possess such skills as to escape from prison silently and steal items from his study.
"I advise you to return those items. They are not something you commoners should possess. You must understand the widespread interests involved. If even the slightest mistake occurs, the Second Prince will definitely retaliate. While you may be capable, you surely don't want to be a wanted criminal nationwide, living in hiding for the rest of your lives. Even if you don't consider yourselves, you should think about your descendants," the magistrate said with a grim face and an unusually serious expression.
This was no joke. If these letters fell into the hands of another prince, they would be ironclad evidence against the Second Prince and might even damage his image in the Emperor's eyes.
"The items are safe. As long as you do as we say, they will be returned to you. It's late today. We expect to see you hold court tomorrow. If you make a mistake, while we might be wanted, if we hand these items over to the Crown Prince, I believe he will guarantee our safety."
How could Zhang Changhe be intimidated by him? If he were just a commoner, he might have considered it. But what hadn't he experienced? He had even occupied the highest position several times.
At this moment, the county magistrate seriously doubted the other party's identity. If he were just a commoner, how could he have thought of such a matter? Yet, he had previously dug up the ancestral roots of both of them for eighteen generations and found nothing unusual.
Seeing that the other party was not joking, the magistrate's anger surged but had no outlet. He could only watch him leave leisurely and then punch the table.
The two constables behind him tried to minimize their presence. Today, they regretted following the county magistrate. They had heard the entire conversation between the two and discovered something extraordinary. Fearing that the magistrate might silence them later, they gradually showed signs of weeping. If they had known this would happen, they would have found an excuse to leave. Now, it was too late.
Zhang Changhe walked onto the street, couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled his words and actions just now. Then, he went to Wu Caiwei's favorite pastry shop to buy some snacks. No matter how hard the county magistrate racked his brain, he wouldn't figure out that the magistrate's true intention was not just about the stolen items. Last night, he had almost destroyed the Li family. How could he let it go so easily?
Even after returning to his residence, the county magistrate was still furious. He felt something was off. In the past, no matter how big the problem, he could quickly adjust his mindset and deal with it calmly. But today, for some reason, nothing pleased him, and he felt like losing his temper. He even reprimanded his favorite concubine.
Looking at her aggrieved expression, in the past, he would have comforted her and made her happy. But today, she just seemed to be an eyesore, unable to understand him. Didn't she see that he was upset outside? She even wanted him to placate her.
"What's with that expression? Feeling wronged? If you're so wronged, then get out, and preferably leave forever," the magistrate roared impatiently. After roaring, he was somewhat surprised. He couldn't believe he could say such words, but today, for some reason, he just wanted to vent his anger somewhere.
The concubine's heart sank. She was so young and married an old man like the county magistrate. She couldn't have genuine feelings for him. In the past, as long as she acted cute or showed a wronged expression, he would indulge her and coax her. She thought today would be the same, but unexpectedly, the master was driving her away.
She couldn't help but panic. Many of the Madam's people were here. Today's events would surely reach her ears, and the servants in the mansion would soon start currying favor. But seeing the magistrate's grim face, she knew further talk would be useless. She could only cover her face and run out crying.
The county magistrate went to his desk and gulped down several cups of tea before his heart calmed down somewhat. He thought he was angered by Zhang Changhe, who was too audacious to steal from his residence. It seemed he would have to find a new place to hide his silver or important letters in the future.
As the concubine had thought, the argument between them soon reached the Madam's ears. She couldn't help but smile. The county magistrate had had several favorite concubines in the past, but they all lost favor within two years. The Madam only heard the new laughter and not the old cries. Therefore, the county magistrate's Madam never paid attention to the favorite concubines. They would flutter around for a year or two, and when they lost the county magistrate's favor, they would be at her mercy. But this current favorite concubine was different.
It had been five years, and there was no sign of her losing favor. The master prioritized her for anything good, which had long displeased the county magistrate's Madam. However, with the county magistrate protecting her, she couldn't do anything overt to her. And this concubine was clever, never disrespecting the Madam, appearing to be compliant and respectful to the Madam in the county magistrate's eyes. With her around, the backyard was peaceful, and the wife and concubines lived in harmony.
The county magistrate's Madam had long regarded her as a thorn in her side, but she was helpless. Unexpectedly, they had a quarrel this time, giving her hope. She couldn't help but eat a few more bowls of rice. Thinking that the master was heartbroken and disappointed, she immediately took her personal maid to comfort him.
"Master, try this. This is a nourishing soup I specially made for you," the county magistrate's Madam said with a smile, placing the soup on the table and looking up at the county magistrate obsequiously.
The county magistrate smelled it and came to the table to taste it. Just as the county magistrate's Madam was about to ask about the taste, she saw him "slap" the soup bowl onto the table and say irritably, "What kind of soup is this? It tastes terrible, and it's so hot. Are you wishing for my death?"
They had been married for so many years. Although there were disagreements, due to her powerful family background, the county magistrate had never spoken harshly to her. This was the first time she had seen him so furious, especially with servants waiting outside the door, likely to spread the news of today's events soon. She had just been happy about the county magistrate scolding the concubine, but now she felt wronged by being scolded herself.
Her eyes reddened. If she hadn't held back, she believed tears would have flowed like a river. But the other party seemed to think he had done nothing wrong, looking at her with displeasure. He used to find her quite pleasing, but now he increasingly felt she wasn't dignified enough and not qualified as the head of the family.
Concealing herself with the darkness of the night, the county magistrate's Madam wiped away her tears. She looked back at the county magistrate's study with a confused expression. He seemed like a different person today. After returning to her courtyard, she sent someone to inquire about what had happened.
How could she, as his wife, not notice the illicit dealings the county magistrate engaged in? Knowing he was paving the way for their small family, she indulged him and sometimes even covered for him.