The matter concerning Xiao Yao Shi had been resolved satisfactorily, but Old Madam Yao was not content. She muttered, "Nephew, you are surnamed Yao, aren't you? Look at He Hua, beaten to a cripple. What's wrong with us asking Zhan Lao Er for some silver?"
"Village Chief Uncle, we don't have many people with us today. How about we call the whole village tomorrow!" Big Brother Yao said with a fawning smile. That was one hundred and fifty taels of silver!
The Zhan family had only two households. Including Old Master Zhan and Old Madam Zhan, each family could receive fifty taels. Even if Zhan Lao Er wanted to divorce his wife, he would have to give He Hua twenty-five taels of silver.
Village Chief Yao, who had just managed to resolve the matter peacefully, was amused to the point of laughter by Old Madam Yao and the others. He pointed at Zhan Fei Yu under the persimmon tree, "That's the little prodigy the County Magistrate values. He Hua dared to falsely accuse her in the main hall. Do you believe that if she gets angry, not only will you not get any silver, but your entire family will be thrown into prison!"
After all, Yao He Hua was also surnamed Yao. If Zhan Fei Yu truly sought revenge, it was possible that Old Madam Yao, or even the entire Yao family village, could be implicated!
Old Madam Yao opened her mouth, and the two Yao brothers immediately cowered. Let alone the County Magistrate, they wouldn't dare to offend the constables of the yamen!
"Alright, all of you go back. He Hua will stay in Jin Lin Village!" Village Chief Yao declared, giving a signal to the younger generation from the Yao family village.
Several people immediately stepped forward and seized the unwilling Big Brother Yao and his brother. The group of twenty to thirty people then departed.
Under the persimmon tree, Third Uncle Zhan scooped Zhan Fei Yu into his arms and asked loudly, "Did you eat the rice cakes I brought you last time? If you liked them, Third Uncle will buy you more next time."
Zhan Fei Yu, placed on the ground, looked up and smiled, "I ate them, thank you, Third Uncle."
Zhan Fei Yu liked rice cakes. In the past, when Second Uncle Zhan drove the ox cart, he would also bring back small snacks, but never rice cakes. He always brought maltose and candied hawthorns that Big Brother and Third Brother liked.
"By the way, Third Uncle, is the dock work hard? Do you want to switch to something else?" Zhan Fei Yu did not dare to claim great abilities, but she could find Third Uncle Zhan a lighter job.
Third Uncle Zhan glanced at Gu Qing Zhou, surprised that he, from the Yao family village, had not left yet.
Hearing Zhan Fei Yu's words, Third Uncle Zhan chuckled, "No need to switch. Your Third Uncle is now a small manager at the dock. It's easy and comfortable."
The dock was always a place of mixed characters, but Constable Ma had put in a good word, and Third Uncle Zhan himself was a straightforward and righteous person. Now, several merchants entrusted their goods to him.
Third Uncle Zhan arranged for ox carts to transport goods and deliver them. He also rented out his own ox cart to two burly men who carried heavy loads at the dock.
In a month, Third Uncle Zhan could earn one or two taels of silver. The key was that he didn't have to do hard labor; he just sat under the shed and directed. By evening, he would drive his ox cart back, living a life of leisure and freedom.
Seeing the beaming Third Uncle Zhan, Zhan Fei Yu also understood his nature, "Alright, Third Uncle, as long as you're happy."
"Haha, Third Uncle is just waiting to bask in your glory after you achieve fame!" Third Uncle Zhan said proudly, showing no shame.
He had already made up his mind. Little Yu currently had the reputation of a prodigy, and he could be a small manager at the dock. When Little Yu became a scholar in the future, he would surely become a big manager. He, Third Uncle Zhan, didn't want to do anything too mentally taxing.
After leaving the old house, Gu Qing Zhou looked at the cheerful Zhan Fei Yu and said, "You're not old, but you're quite cunning."
"You flatter me. I'm just seeking a good reputation," Zhan Fei Yu said with a thick skin, winking mischievously, "And to annoy my second uncle a bit."
Among the people in the old house, apart from Er Lang, San Lang, and Little Niu Niu, Zhan Fei Yu was only close to Third Uncle Zhan. Even after being adopted, she still called him Third Uncle.
Looking at the little girl who barely reached his waist, Gu Qing Zhou was silent for a moment, "Hypocritical."
Settling Xiao Yao Shi in the village caused no trouble for Zhan Fei Yu. On the contrary, it would make the villagers think she was kind-hearted, magnanimous, and tolerant. But the truth was not repaying grievances with kindness, but rather to disgust Zhan Lao Er.
"That's right. Anyone who wants to make me unhappy, I'll make their whole family unhappy!" Zhan Fei Yu said casually, walking away with quick, small steps. "We've reached the village entrance, Second Uncle Gu. Safe travels."
Gu Qing Zhou stopped in his tracks. Why did her words sound like an insult?
...
After the county school resumed, Zhan Fei Yu did not see Grand Scholar Gu again, nor did she see Prefect Zhang. She didn't even see Yin Wu Yan, as if these people had never appeared in Shang Si County.
"Sigh, what's going on?" Uncle Hu quickly reined in the ox cart, forgetting to curse. He turned back and asked, "Little Yu, are you alright?"
Zhan Fei Yu poked her head out from under the cart cover, "Uncle Hu, I'm fine. What's wrong?"
After forcing the ox cart to stop, a person alighted from the carriage. He was about fifty years old, dressed in a dark purple round-collared robe, with a thin, long face and a handlebar mustache. He walked over arrogantly, "Miss Zhan, I have a business matter to discuss with you. Please come."
"I won't go!" Zhan Fei Yu replied crisply and decisively. She subtly glanced around, wondering if her elder brother's mentioned Dark Dragon Guards had arrived.
Steward Tong did not expect Zhan Fei Yu, despite her young age, to be so haughty. Angered, his handlebar mustache twitched, and he spoke disrespectfully, "Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! There are some people you cannot afford to offend!"
Zhan Fei Yu remained seated on the ox cart, raising her eyebrows with utmost arrogance, and retorted, "You look like a decent person, but you're just a servant. How dare a dog slave yell at me? No one in Shang Si County dares to speak to me like this! I am the little prodigy personally praised by Magistrate Chen!"
Uncle Hu stared blankly at the proud Zhan Fei Yu with her chin held high. He wanted to rub his eyes; was this still the well-behaved and polite Little Yu?
Her haughty demeanor was like that of the young ladies he had seen in the county.
Being called a dog slave! Steward Tong was furious. He angrily pointed at Zhan Fei Yu, "Do you know who I am?"
Leaning back to avoid the flying spittle, Zhan Fei Yu glared, "I don't care who you are! All professions are inferior, only scholarship is supreme! You, a slave, dare to be fierce with a noble scholar? You must be out of your mind! Uncle Hu, let's go. Don't talk to fools."
"You..." Steward Tong had always been imposing in Nan Xuan Prefecture, let alone in Shang Si County. He was so angry that he roared, "Scholars and Jinshi scholars bow to me, yet you, a commoner, dare to be arrogant with me! Who gave you the courage!"
Zhan Fei Yu's crisp retort was even sharper, "Oh, a slave dares to insult a Jinshi scholar? Whose dog slave are you? I'll go find Magistrate Chen right now!"
Seeing Uncle Hu pick up his whip to drive the ox cart away, the enraged Steward Tong suddenly snatched the whip and swung it towards Zhan Fei Yu's face. It was evident that he had done such wicked deeds frequently.
Zhan Fei Yu had already prepared to get off the ox cart, but suddenly, she stopped her movement.
Zhan Fei Yu had a bewildered look on her face, appearing as if she were frightened.
"Ah!" A scream rang out. The whip in Steward Tong's hand fell to the ground with a crack. He, however, squatted down clutching his waist in pain, appearing as if he had twisted his waist.
"You dare to hit me?" Zhan Fei Yu cried out in anger. She turned around, took out an inkstone from her satchel, and to everyone's astonishment, smashed it directly onto Steward Tong's head.
With a clang! The inkstone fell to the ground, surprisingly not breaking.
"You..." Steward Tong, squatting on the ground, looked up at Zhan Fei Yu, rolled his eyes, and fell to the ground, unconscious. A gash had appeared on his forehead from the inkstone, and blood gushed out.
"Little Yu... this..." Uncle Hu was completely stunned. From Steward Tong snatching the whip to Zhan Fei Yu smashing him, he hadn't reacted.
With a whoosh, Zhan Fei Yu jumped off the ox cart, picked up the inkstone, and squatted down again.
Just as everyone thought she was checking Steward Tong's injuries, Zhan Fei Yu pulled up Steward Tong's robe and carefully wiped the inkstone clean.
The Dragon Guards hidden in the dark, despite their usual impassive faces, couldn't help but twitch their eyes. The way the little girl hit people was very skillful.
"Uncle Hu, don't worry, he's not dead," Zhan Fei Yu smiled back, her ferocity gone, unlike when she was smashing people. "Uncle Hu, go call the constables. I'll wait here."
Hearing that no one was dead, Uncle Hu breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still worried about Zhan Fei Yu's safety if she stayed.
"Don't worry," Zhan Fei Yu said, waving the inkstone in her hand. "At worst, I'll smash him again."
"Alright then." Uncle Hu also felt that this matter needed the constables to handle it. He glanced at the fearless Zhan Fei Yu and quickly ran towards the marketplace.
Not far away, the coachman wanted to come over but stopped. He didn't know if he was afraid of Zhan Fei Yu's "weapon" or her identity, as this road only led to the county school.
Constable Zhao, who was patrolling, heard that someone dared to lay hands on Zhan Fei Yu and immediately rushed over with two constables, "Little Yu, are you alright..."
Seeing Steward Tong, who had just regained consciousness and was knocked out again by Zhan Fei Yu with an inkstone, Constable Zhao's mouth twitched. The little girl was too ferocious. Steward Tong had openings on both sides of his forehead, and blood covered his face. At first glance, it looked like a crime scene.
"Constable Zhao, you're here." Zhan Fei Yu greeted him with a smile, then squatted down to wipe the inkstone, and said without looking up, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. At most, there will be some bleeding. He won't die."
"It's not Little Yu's fault. He snatched the whip and almost hit Little Yu's face," Uncle Hu quickly added.
Zhan Fei Yu nodded obediently, "I suspect he was sent by someone jealous of my talent for reading, wanting to ruin my face!"
Constable Zhao had his companions apprehend the coachman and then looked down at the completely unconscious Steward Tong, "Could there be a mistake? Such things are usually done by thugs."
Although Steward Tong's face was covered in blood, his hands were fair, and his palms were without calluses. It was evident that he had lived a life of luxury for many years. Moreover, his silk robe clearly indicated he was not short of money.
"Whether there's a mistake or not, he, a slave, dared to hit my face. He should be grateful I didn't smash him to death," Zhan Fei Yu snorted twice. "Constable Zhao, I'll go with you to the county yamen to see Magistrate Chen."
A moment later.
In the county yamen's study.
After hearing Constable Zhao's report, Chen Wei Bin frowned, "The coachman said this person is from Nan Xuan Prefecture?"
"Yes, he checked into the Tai Fu Inn yesterday afternoon. The coachman was hired by a waiter from the inn and has been waiting outside the county school." Constable Zhao had invited Physician Xu from Ji Shi Tang, but after being hit twice, the man had not woken up yet, so they could only interrogate the coachman.
Magistrate Chen waved his hand, signaling Constable Zhao to withdraw, and then said, "Lian Qing, what do you think?"
Sitting to the right was Chen County Magistrate's advisor, Bai Lian Qing. They were classmates. He had been accidentally scalded on the face years ago and could not participate in the imperial examinations, so he became Chen County Magistrate's advisor.
"I'm afraid it's about the matter Instructor Zhao mentioned earlier." Bai Lian Qing was also curious about what Zhan Fei Yu had told Instructor Zhao, which led Instructor Zhao to bypass Chen County Magistrate and Prefect Zhang and submit a memorial to the imperial court through his retired mentor, who had once held the position of Vice Minister of Personnel, ranking third.
However, Instructor Zhao had also privately apologized, saying that the matter was of great importance and he had no choice.
"Your Honor, why don't we summon Zhan Fei Yu to answer?" Bai Lian Qing said with a smile. Since someone had come from Nan Xuan Prefecture, with the girl's exceptional intelligence, she would likely reveal some inside information, especially since Your Honor had shown her kindness.
After being led into the study by a servant, Zhan Fei Yu bowed to Magistrate Chen, "This student has caused trouble for Your Honor again."
Magistrate Chen looked at Zhan Fei Yu, who was apologizing sincerely. Although she had an scholarly air, she was still a young girl who had not shed her childishness. Magistrate Chen couldn't imagine how Zhan Fei Yu had used an inkstone to smash the person until his face was bloody.
"Little Yu, do you know the identity of the other party?" Magistrate Chen asked directly.
Zhan Fei Yu shook her head, "He didn't have time to reveal his identity before I knocked him out. However, he said that scholars and Jinshi scholars all bowed to him. Such arrogance and overbearingness suggest that his master must be an official in the imperial court."
If it were a merchant, no matter how wealthy, they would not dare to insult scholars and Jinshi scholars with their words.
Magistrate Chen immediately ruled out Prefect Zhang. Lord Zhang was an incorruptible official who valued rules. The Zhang family would never speak such wild words.
"Little Prodigy Zhan, did you intentionally knock him out to prevent him from revealing his identity, making it difficult to act later?" As soon as Bai Lian Qing said this, he saw Zhan Fei Yu's eyes widen, showing an awkwardness as if her "evil plan" had been exposed.
Bai Lian Qing was amused by her expression and couldn't help but laugh, "Your Honor, it seems Little Prodigy Zhan already knows the other party's background."
Essentially, Chen Wei Bin was a stern and pedantic scholar. He was unwilling to believe that Zhan Fei Yu would be so cunning and violent, but seeing her guilty look, Chen Wei Bin suddenly felt a headache.
"To Your Honor, I estimate he is the steward of Lord Tong, the Vice Prefect of Nan Xuan Prefecture." Zhan Fei Yu put on an extremely innocent, chubby face. Ignorance is bliss. Besides, she was an eight-year-old girl. Would the Vice Prefect, a fifth-rank official, deign to argue with her?
Chen Wei Bin and Bai Lian Qing were both stunned. They stared blankly at the composed Zhan Fei Yu. Well, in terms of courage, the two of them were definitely no match for an eight-year-old girl. That was a fifth-rank official!
"Your Honor, by rights, Prefect Zhang should have come to see me. But Prefect Zhang did not appear, and it wasn't Lord Tong who came, but his steward. I estimate that Lord Tong harbored selfish intentions and wanted to act behind Prefect Zhang's back. I knocked the person out, offending Lord Tong, but Prefect Zhang will definitely protect me."
Zhan Fei Yu was fearless. Moreover, Steward Tong dared to whip her face. Even if she didn't study for the imperial examinations, what if her face was ruined as a young girl? Using an inkstone to smash someone was already showing mercy.
Magistrate Chen finally came back to his senses. If he didn't know Zhan Fei Yu, he would definitely think the girl was boasting! However, considering that Instructor Zhao had bypassed him and Prefect Zhang to submit a memorial to the imperial court, Magistrate Chen had to believe her.
"Your Honor is diligent and loves the people. I believe you will be promoted soon," Zhan Fei Yu said before leaving.
In the study, Chen County Magistrate couldn't figure out what Zhan Fei Yu and Instructor Zhao had done to alarm Prefect Zhang to the point of coming in person. It must be something extraordinary.
"Your Honor, Prefect Zhang and Vice Prefect Tong are not on good terms," Bai Lian Qing reminded him.
"I understand." If Zhan Fei Yu understood, how could Magistrate Chen not? She had knocked out someone from Lord Tong's household and would receive Prefect Zhang's protection. Similarly, Magistrate Chen would choose to side with Prefect Zhang. In officialdom, it was most important to avoid being caught in the middle.
After a moment of silence, Magistrate Chen couldn't help but ask, "Lian Qing, what did Zhan Fei Yu mean by that?"
It was not surprising that Magistrate Chen could not calm down. He had been in Shang Si County for seven years, but with his mentor Liu Jian pressing down from above, Chen Wei Bin would never expect to be promoted in his lifetime. His ambitions would eventually be worn away, leaving only regret and helplessness.
Bai Lian Qing also did not know what Zhan Fei Yu and Instructor Zhao had done, but he could guess the general idea. "The fact that Prefect Zhang was alerted and Lord Tong acted secretly suggests it is a matter of great importance for the country and the people. Little Prodigy Zhan is a resident of Shang Si County, and Your Honor has shown her kindness. If this matter succeeds, it would be reasonable for Your Honor to be promoted by one rank."
Half an hour later, the two wounds on his forehead had stopped bleeding, but the newly awakened Steward Tong had his mouth gagged by the constables before he could reveal his identity, and was then dragged out to be beaten with planks. Since they had to take sides with Prefect Zhang, they naturally had to offer a token of allegiance!