As Hua Jinrong’s words fell, two figures in black suddenly appeared in the courtyard.
Though the names were unfamiliar, Lin Qingge found the clothing remarkably recognizable. If memory served, the black-clad individuals who had thrown candies along the path to lure her when Lin Zimo was abducted by Ye Shengxiao had a similar dark attire.
Summoned without hesitation, the black-clad men charged forward, prompting the guards to draw their swords in defense.
Seeing the skirmish erupt, Lin Qingge, who had retreated to the corner of the wall, said with a half-smile, “Master Hua, are these also people belonging to your friend, Young Master Ye?”
“Of course~”
Lin Qingge tugged at the corner of her mouth and, mimicking Hua Jinrong’s tone with an upward inflection at the end, continued, “Master Hua, your friend named Ye truly has an exceptionally kind heart. Not only does he lend out several guards with such remarkable skills without question, but there’s also no deadline for their return. To those who know they are friends lending them, it’s one thing; to those who don’t, they might mistake them for Master Hua’s own subordinates~”
“Your excellency, you are far too humorous~ As a mere shopkeeper of a medical clinic, how could I possibly possess such great abilities~”
While Hua Jinrong was speaking, the battle on the other side was drawing to a close. Unsurprisingly, it was an overwhelming victory for An Yi and An Er. The guards, who were treated like trash and thoroughly thrashed, were left bruised and swollen, but not without uttering threats: “We are the personal guards of His Highness the Second Prince. Your humiliation of us is a humiliation of the Second Prince! His Highness the Second Prince will absolutely not forgive you!”
“Indeed, after all, one must consider the master before beating the dog. Unfortunately, your master is no longer recognizable as human.”
“More than unrecognizable?” Murong Bai seamlessly picked up Lin Qingge’s thread, finally looking up at the guards. “I am well aware of why your master, His Highness the Second Prince, sent you to find me. However, even I am powerless in this matter, so you might as well return from whence you came. Blame your master for provoking someone he shouldn’t have.”
“Even you cannot treat him?” Murong Bai rolled his eyes towards the sky and said irritably, “Your Excellency, do you have any idea about your wife’s capabilities? If it were truly Madam Lin who made the attack, a crippled leg preventing movement would be a minor issue. I fear that His Highness the Second Prince might be rendered incapable of marital affairs for the rest of his life.”
“That powerful?”
“What do you think?” Murong Bai let out a cold snort and began to wave them away, “Stop standing around foolishly over here. Anyone who is trash, throw them out quickly. Anyone who is an irrelevant party, retreat immediately. Don’t delay me from brewing medicine for Constable Yan.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingge immediately narrowed her eyes, “Coroner Murong, how much did Madam Yan pay you?”
Murong Bai didn’t hide anything, extending two slender fingers and waving them in front of Lin Qingge. “Two hundred taels?”
“No, it’s twenty thousand taels.” After speaking, Murong Bai’s lips curved into a delightful arc. His usually sharp tongue surprisingly spoke words of praise for Yan Tinghao, “I had already felt that Constable Yan possessed an extraordinary demeanor, a dragon among men. Today, I find that my judgment of people is quite accurate.”
…
The entire Lin Qingge, utterly speechless, finally encountered someone who was even better at specious reasoning than herself today. While feeling admiration, she recalled the small golden token in her embrace and understood that Yan Hanhan’s family, if not fabulously wealthy, was likely quite affluent. Thinking of this, tears of envy involuntarily streamed from the corner of her mouth.
Hua Jinrong, watching the two individuals who were easily swayed by money, said with some exasperation, “Money is but an external possession. To value wealth too highly, is that not itself a form of obsession?”
Lin Qingge and Murong Bai looked at Hua Jinrong with the gaze one reserves for idiots. “You fellow have probably never experienced the harsh realities of society, have you? While money isn’t everything, without money, absolutely nothing is possible.”
Murong Bai nodded in agreement, “As the saying goes, even heroes are troubled by a single coin. Without money, even basic necessities like food and lodging become a problem. How could that be a trivial matter?”
“Hmph, there are ways of living without money,” Hua Jinrong mumbled, personally accompanying An Yi and An Er to send off the Second Prince’s guards.
It was unclear how Hua Jinrong negotiated with the Second Prince’s side, but in any case, the Second Prince neither sent anyone else to bother Murong Bai nor caused trouble for Lin Qingge.
After the Cuju大会 concluded successfully, His Highness the Eighth Prince, acting as the referee, also dejectedly returned to the capital. Lin Qingge’s life finally returned to its usual tranquility. Even the severely injured Constable Yan had largely recovered under Murong Bai’s extraordinarily meticulous care.
As Constable Li Yi had committed a murder case, the position of constable became vacant. Given that they had accepted benefits from the elder Mr. Yan, and Ling Han, Lu Mingxuan, and others were still awaiting judgment, Lin Qingge decided to play favorites and bestowed the title of acting constable upon Yan Hanhan.
Upon learning of his promotion to constable, Yan Tinghao was so excited that he couldn’t sleep all night. If not for his injuries, he would have surely somersaulted in the courtyard! However, before he could officially assume his duties, Lin Qingge, still feeling uneasy, summoned the憨憨 to the study and earnestly instructed him, “Constable Yan, you are a newcomer, and you were also involved in the arrest of Li Yi. Therefore, the constables who were previously on good terms with Li Yi will not only harbor reservations about you but will likely also give you a hard time in secret. Thus, you must be extremely cautious and vigilant in your work. Of course, expecting you not to make any mistakes is as likely as a sow learning to climb a tree. Therefore, whenever you encounter difficulties, you must inform me. If all else fails, seek help from Ling Han or Lu Mingxuan, and listen to their advice.”
“Your Excellency, rest assured. Your subordinate will surely not fail this mission and will strive to become a constable capable of handling matters independently as soon as possible.” Seeing the憨憨 who had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, Lin Qingge waved her hand, sending him away.
However, not long after Yan Tinghao exited, the study door was pushed open once more. Seeing the ‘number one contender for poaching’ stride in with such swagger and take a seat opposite her desk, Lin Qingge raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is something the matter?”
“Lord Lin, I will also be leaving Fengtian Prefecture for a period of time.”
“The door is over there. I won’t see you out. Brother Lin, if you feel it’s not solemn enough, I can even hire a suona band and set off a few strings of firecrackers to celebrate.”
…
The veins on Lin Moyuan’s forehead twitched. His good upbringing allowed him to suppress the speechless annoyance and anger in his eyes. He said as calmly as possible, “Lord Lin, when I leave this time, I may not return for a considerable period. Therefore, I ask that Lord Lin take good care of Madam Lin and Mo’er.”
???
Hearing someone for the first time ask the rightful husband to take good care of his wife and child, Lin Qingge was so infuriated that she laughed. “I say, Brother Lin, if you want to leave, then leave. But if you continue to say these nonsensical things, don’t blame me for unleashing the hounds!”
“Lord Lin, you are an intelligent person. You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t know, and I don’t wish to know.”
Unforeseen by him, the other party was so uncooperative. Lin Moyuan let out a cold snort and left in a huff. Lin Qingge stared at his receding back, falling into deep contemplation.
Half a month later.
Lin Qingge received her first official document since taking office. Curious, she opened it to find the words ‘Autumn Execution List’ emblazoned on it.