"Water! There's water!"
The imperial officials were stunned, they turned around to look at the direction where the sound came from. A handsome and apathetic silhouette was standing in the vast field, tall and slender. The hem of his long robe was flying in the wind; he looked like a god from ancient times.
He wore pure black gloves on his hands, his fingers long and slender. His lips curved into an indistinct smile and his deep eyes were beaming with a faint light. It was hard for people to ignore the overwhelming pressure coming from him.
Although he was standing in the crowd, he could be recognized at first sight.
Helian Wei Wei was stunned for a while, then her lips curled into a smile. His Highness had gone missing since morning, so he was actually waiting here...
Chapter 476 - Threatened Wei Wei With One's Power?
"What's the matter?" the imperial officials asked.
After running back and forth, the servant's eyes went wide in disbelief and he said, "My Lord, please go have a look quickly, there's water!"
There's water?
Everyone knows that it is the rarest thing to find water in Fuping County.
There's water in the rice fields now?
Where did the water come from?
The imperial officials were dubitative, hence they slowly paced toward the direction of rice fields. They could see water flowing out continuously from the bamboo pipe, while the other end of the bamboo pipe was actually connected to the lowest-lying part of the river!?
How could this be?!
Everybody was caught off guard, their faces registering shock!
The few farmers who came after the officials could not believe their own eyes, they started tearing up in excitement!
"This, where did the water come from?" The villagers were so overwhelmed with happiness that they stumbled upon words.
"The Private Advisor Long beside Lord Wei!" someone shouted, "He asked people to bury the pipes and finally succeeded in channeling water to the rice fields!"
The Private Advisor Long beside Lord Wei?
Doesn't that mean it's Lord Wei herself?
They looked back at the direction of Helian Wei Wei.
There were glances of admiration, astonishment and most of all, awkward glances!
He came to the rice fields with the initial intention to see Lord Wei make a fool of himself, but what happened in the end!
He actually created an opportunity for Lord Wei to enjoy the limelight!
It turned out that he was the one who was humiliated instead!
Magistrate Liao only wished he could dig a hole and hide when he met the glances of his colleagues. All he could think about now was to leave this place as soon as possible!
Unfortunately, life does not work that way, especially not in front of His Highness. So, you want to run after bullying his people? You will have to ask if he's willing to let you go!
It was His Highness' usual style to return tit for tat, which was why the elders in the Capital most feared him.
The officials in the provincial capital had yet to know Baili Jia Jue's identity. If they did, they would not want to be any part of the matter in Fuping District, regardless of how much benefits Magistrate Liao would give them.
"My Lord, this place is too crowded, let's head back before these unruly commoners injure anyone of you." Seeing this situation, Old Master Yan immediately stepped out to help Magistrate Liao out of embarrassment.
To his surprise, as soon as he said that, a voice with a thick village accent barked, "We're forced to become unruly commoners because of you, you shameless man!"
"You, you… where are you from? I don't know you at all, don't you dare slander me!" Old Master Yan yelled back.
Old Man Liu could not take it anymore, he threw the hoe in his hands on the ground.
"Yan! You have been in league with the magistrate all these years. God knows how many dirty things both of you have done behind our backs. You agitated the public to fix the road so that you can cash in on the project! All sizes of the roads in Fuping County have been fixed in these three years' time, but our lives are getting worse and worse! Apart from your sole authority in Fuping District, we have to send any girl you like to your house, or else our family will not be able to live in peace! Do you really think that there are no laws in this land?"
Old Master Yan felt restless looking at the glances around him. He could not help but take a step backward, holding his big belly and pointing at Old Man Liu as a warning. "Watch your words! All my marriages are based on mutual consent. How can you turn your back on me after accepting the money? You've already taken the dowry, but now you're saying that your family can't live in peace because of me. This is such deliberate wrongdoing after accepting my money! My Lord, please set things straight for me!"
Old Man Liu never thought he had the effrontery to say that, his eyes turned red in anger upon hearing the word 'dowry'. "We didn't want your 10 silvers at all! Do you think you're buying livestock?"
10 silvers?
Is he even paying for dowry?
This is simply a humiliation!
The expressions of some officials who were on the scene changed, thinking that this man with surname Yan is well out of order. If he's really fond of the lady, he could have just given her more pennies. Why must he render the situation so much worse!
Old Master Yan explained, "So you think it's too little, that's okay, I'll make up the money for you. Why must you make a false accusation against me? Let me tell you, Old Man Liu. I'm not a pushover and I will not ignore this and let you slander me!"
"You!" Old Man Liu's face turned green with anger.
Old Master Yan was still pretending to be righteous and said, "Some people have been under the pressure of poverty for so long, so he wanted to take advantage of me even though I lent him a helping hand before. I can understand all these and I'm too lazy to bother about it. Old Man Liu, regardless of how, you have to be responsible for slandering me around the public…"
Bang!
Before Old Master Yan could finish his sentence, Helian Wei Wei, who had been keeping silent the whole time, lifted her leg and kicked the c.h.e.s.t area of Old Master Yan.
One kick was not enough for her to let off her steam, thus she gave him a second kick!
Old Master Yan was originally standing with his shoulders back and his c.h.e.s.t out, still pretending to be rich. After being kicked by her, he curled up in great pain.
No one expected Helian Wei Wei to strike a blow. All the imperial officials were appalled by her sudden movement, especially Magistrate Liao.
He flew into a rage in an instant and yelled at Helian Wei Wei, "Lord Wei! What are you doing? Do you know who's the man you're beating up! He's the person who can help Fuping County the most in eliminating poverty!"
"The person who can help Fuping County the most in eliminating poverty?" Helian Wei Wei threw a mocking glance at Magistrate Liao and slowly grabbed him by his collar. "I've seen a lot of people, but I've never seen anyone as cheap as him. He only paid 10 silvers yet he dared to say he has paid the dowry and spread words to the public about how he has helped them. All the good ladies in Fuping County are suffering because of you! You're just a beast hiding under human skin, how dare you take the credit for somebody's achievement! Old Master Yan, explain to me, why do you keep disturbing the Liu family, again and again, hiring three big guys to beat up a woman?"
Old Master Yan was at a loss for words after being kicked twice by Helian Wei Wei. He felt intense pain on his body and turned to look at Magistrate Liao, blood trickling from his mouth.
Magistrate Liao was just about to help him out before he heard someone among the commoners shouted aloud, "Let Yan give us an explanation! He himself knows how much dirty stuff he has done over the years!"
Old Master Yan was annoyed by the commoners who were creating a disturbance and could not help showing his true colors. He was swollen with arrogance and said, "I pay to sleep with women
, why do I have to explain? I despise all of you, making a fuss about my personal life once there's a problem. I didn't kill anyone, nor did I commit arson, I just do my business conscientiously and it's not even a crime. Has Lord Wei thought carefully about the consequences of kicking me?"
"Consequences?" Helian Wei Wei sneered and said, "Is Old Master Yan threatening me now? Who actually gives you the courage to threaten me, an imperial official, in front of the imperial officials from the provincial capital?"
Chapter 477 - His Highness' Tricks
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liao started to wish that he did not know Old Master Yan at all.
But everyone in Fuping County, including these villagers, knew that Magistrate Liao and Old Master Yan were on the same boat!
"Who else could it be, it must have been Magistrate Liao! If not for Magistrate Liao, how could he be so dauntless? Officials and businessmen colluding with one another, this is why we are always on the losing end!" The villagers were getting more agitated as they spoke. This was especially the case for some of the older farmers. They saw Old Master Yan and Magistrate Liao as their own enemies, with angry faces and hurried steps they surrounded them both and questioned them!
The guards responsible for rescuing Magistrate Liao in this situation were blocked by Da Xiong outside, they had no way of entering.
In a flash, the whole field was in chaos. Grumbles and curses on Magistrate Liao and Old Master Yan could be heard everywhere.
It was now clear who was the one that had roused the public's wrath.
"This… this is totally out of order!" The officials from the provincial capital saw too that Magistrate Liao had gone out of line, there was no way out for him now!
They started to feel some resentment toward him. They had thought that they could win some offerings in Fuping County as the Liao family was influential. This situation was unexpected.
The commoners were behaving like spectators as they looked on!
All of these people were of certain statuses and positions in the provincial capital. None of them had been ridiculed so badly, this whole situation was a shameful incident for them!
Helian Wei Wei stood aside observing this whole debacle, a smile was already playing out on the corner of her lips. As she glanced over, she saw that his thin lips were curled up evilly, revealing a profound devilish look. He was handsome and charming, yet far too dangerous.
"How did you think of this trick?" Helian Wei Wei lowered her voice as she spoke secretly to her own advisor.
Baili Jia Jue glanced briefly at her. If they were not in public, he would have had her in his arms and ruffled her fluffy head. This little thing that was speaking softly to him attracted him very much.
"Erm…" Baili Jia Jue breathed lightly into her ear, he was teasing her, "When you were asking for mercy in bed, I had to think of something else to distract me. If not, how could I control myself to not want you."
Helian Wei Wei choked on this man's words. Her ears turned numb and she coughed lightly. She was thankful that she was discerning right from the start and had fallen for His Highness. If not, she would have been reduced into a bag of bones by this man.
One would know just by looking at these officials. They still had no idea who they had offended and how they ended up here, so foolish…
"Lord Wei, what are you doing in a daze? Take your unruly people away!" Magistrate Liao yelled uncontrollably. His hair was a mess and he was looking utterly disconcerted as he tried to control the situation with his status and imagined power. However, these commoners had gone crazy, they took his words and rebutted back at him, they were uncontrollable!
Helian Wei Wei's tone was plain as she said, "Magistrate Liao, you should answer the questions these people are asking. I cannot help you here."
The officials from the provincial capital felt more and more ashamed of the situation. Upon hearing Helian Wei Wei's comment, they waved their long sleeves and proceeded to leave the scene. Before leaving, they did not forget to yell orders at the guards, "Remember to bring your master back to yamen, this is too much!"
"Yes, sirs!" The guards replied in a hurry.
Looking at the situation, Magistrate Liao knew he needed to break ties. He turned and stared angrily at Old Master Yan. "This is all your fault!"
"Lord… Lord Liao, I do not know how things turned out like that. These commoners are the death of me, how dare they make such a mess!" Old Master Yan was used to having the power to raise storms. His immediate reaction was anger, he was calculating how he would punish every single person who reprimanded him today once he got out of this field. He did not read between the lines of Magistrate Liao's words, nor did he see that the provincial officials had left!
Magistrate Liao had never regarded Old Master Yan as st*pid, but now he really had no other words to describe him.
He felt immense regret for having entered into a partnership with someone like that! His status was damaged, and he had lost his face in front of all the provincial officials! It would take him a lot of effort to recover from this ordeal!
How could a government official be scolded so blatantly by his people?
This was such a joke!
He could not imagine how he would be laughed at in the Capital!
He had to find a way to break free!
Having these thoughts, Magistrate Liao shouted suddenly, "Guards, arrest Old Master Yan on my orders!"
"Lord Liao!" Old Master Yan was stumped. Unable to believe his ears, he stared at Magistrate Liao in a daze until the guards came and took him from the back. He grumbled at Magistrate Liao as he reacted, "Lord Liao, you cannot do this to me! We are on the same boat, Lord Liao!"
Magistrate Liao was not in the mood to hear what he had to say. Since he had arrested him, he decided he might as well turn a deaf ear!
"Take him away!" Magistrate Liao's hair and clothes were in a mess, he did not look like an official at all. He had no ounce of energy left in him. If not for his scheming fierce eyes, the people would have forgotten who he was.
Standing beside him, Baili Jia Jue spoke slowly, "Lord Liao, did you not hear Old Master Yan? He said that you two are on the same boat. Are you sacrificing yourself for justice with this arrest?"
Magistrate Liao was already in a terrible mood, these words made his eyes grow redder. He huffed and puffed as he tried to soothe his c.h.e.s.t, but he could not do anything in front of everyone. Instead, he clenched his teeth and said, "Let's go!"
The guards hurried after him to protect him, pushing away the villagers that were trying to get him, they fled in a fl.u.s.ter out of the field.
The villagers switched moods as they faced Helian Wei Wei now, their gazes were filled with admiration!
"Lord Wei, how did you do it? You are amazing! How did you draw water out of the river to water the fields?"
Helian Wei Wei laughed lightly, "I merely installed a few contraptions."
"What kind of contraptions? They have been so effective!"
Helian Wei Wei hesitated, "The contraption is complicated to explain. If you would like to know, then you can find out from the technicians who made the contraptions, they can tell you better."
"With such a contraption, Fuping County will never have to worry about any drought happening!"
Bountiful praises echoed throughout the farmland. This was Helian Wei Wei's first battle since arriving at Fuping County's bureaucracy, and it was a successful one!
However, this was just a start…
Chapter 478 - Magistrate Liao Wanted To Put Wei Wei Down
Things were obviously no longer the same in Fuping County.
No one knew when it started, but when Magistrate Liao began to be aware of it, he was already in the middle of this storm.
Those officials that used to support the road reconstruction project were like headless chickens. They sat in the yamen and tried their best to find out what was happening in the provincial capital, hoping for a breakthrough.
Among these
people, Private Advisor Zhang was the most anxious.
He was the one that was on the best terms with Old Master Yan. Now that Old Master Yan was in trouble, he might be implicated too.
Rumors had been spreading among the commoners. They were saying as the yamen's Private Advisor, he had been covering for Old Master Yan all these years. He was nothing but a pimp after all.
"Lord Liao, we have to think of something, we cannot just sit here waiting for our doom!" Private Advisor Zhang wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. "There are many people waiting outside the yamen now, forcing us for immediate answers. Fortunately, the few officials from the provincial capital were still compassionate and did not report us further up. If our higher-ups knew of this fiasco, we would be done!"
This situation that Private Advisor Zhang was describing, Magistrate Liao had thought about it. However, thinking about it and handling it was entirely different matters.
"You have to make the Liu family shut their mouths, then only we can stand a chance!" Magistrate Liao instructed Private Advisor Zhang in a low voice, "This case is easy, don't panic. Don't forget that these officials from the provincial capital are here to back us up. If they do not speak, who would dare to reflect this to the higher-ups? Even if the news reaches the capital, we still have someone there. That Lord Wei is not even something in the provincial capital, she is nothing in the Capital! She thinks she is someone that can go against us just because she produced some results? Huh." Magistrate Liao laughed coldly, his expression was sinister, "In politics, things do not change just because the commoners raise a ruckus. What happens next is more crucial! Go get some money, I don't care how much. We have to force the Liu family to change their statement. As long as we cast doubt on their words, that Wei guy's argument will fall as well!"
"Yes! No one is more thorough than you, Lord. I will go ahead and handle it now!" Private Advisor Zhang nodded his head vigorously.
The Anarchic Consort c1-1376 Page 210
