Chapter 408
Chapter 408: Wuzhou Uncle
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Diaoyu Tai, 10 years without a visit, even the wild gulls guess where I went . White clouds float across the green mountains, facing the lovely wine, I drink deeply . Although I lack Yizhou's talent in governance, my interest in alcohol supersedes that of Liu and Ruan, and my love of poetry is also not below that of Li and Du . Suan Zhai laughs at me, I admire Suan Zhai .
The night comes and the wild monkeys of West Lake cry out . How many extraordinary people have been there in 20 years, rising and falling with the blossoming and withering of the flowers . Gazing at the skies, worshipping the military parade stage . With stars in sleeve and peace in heart, break the spell of smoke . Suan Zhai laughs at me, I ridicule Suan Zhai .
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The weather in Wuzhou was at its height . Perhaps the little flowers in the corners of the streets knew they did not have many more days, so used all their strength to indignantly bloom for the last time . The yellow color contrasted sharply against the grey city wall and appeared to be particularly eye-piercing .
To the right of the neighboring lake was Wuzhou's recently built restaurant . It was the place to go for quiet and liveliness . The so-called quiet liveliness was not actually in conflict . The peace referred to the environment, while the liveliness referred to the people .
It was just past noon and the sun emanated eye-piercing rays of brilliance . The baking heat drifted along the city and chased the leisurely people into the restaurant . Behind the restaurant was a recently excavated little lake . The lake wind took this opportunity to pour itself over the people just like the big fans the palace treasury produced, except it did not need manpower and was able to bring the people a sense of coolness .
Duckweed flourished on the surface of the lake . It covered the surface thickly and hid the sunlight, using its shadows to protect the fish in the water .
Ever since the Baoyue Brothel was added to Jingdou, all the restaurants in the world seemed to have gone crazy in a night . They began to copy that kind of arrangement with a lake behind the restaurant and a courtyard on the banks of the lake .
However, the building, lake, and courtyard in Wuzhou actually all belonged to one person .
This person, in the minds of the Wuzhou people, was like the peacefulness of the building, duckweed on the lake, and cool breeze winding through the people . He was everywhere, protecting everything in Wuzhou .
Wuzhou did not have major merchants, large families, or military, they only had him .
Ever since this man, born into poverty, began to serve as an official over 20 years ago, his name had become a symbol of Wuzhou . As long as he was present, the lives of the Wuzhou people were good .
Everyone had feelings for their hometown . Although everyone in the world believed that this man was the first evil Prime Minister since ancient times, for Wuzhou, he…was Wuzhou . In officialdom, people often relinquished his tabooed name and directly referred to him as Sir Lin Wuzhou .
He also was known as the last Prime Minister of Qing Kingdom, Lin Ruofu, who now was retired in Wuzhou .
Ever since Lin Ruofu had quit his post and returned to his hometown, given his identity, he rarely came out to meet the people of Wuzhou . Even the Zhizhou, who was as respectful as a grandson, and the governor, who demonstrated the respect of a disciple, did not have many opportunities to see his face . However, his influence in Wuzhou was still something no one could compare to . Putting aside influence, at least half the property in Wuzhou was surnamed Lin .
Because he sought the wealth of the world, Wuzhou flourished . So, no matter what, the people of Wuzhou would never say a negative word against Lin Ruofu, even the most hot-headed of scholars .
But, it might not be the case for other people .
"I will protest the unfairness on behalf of the Ming family . " In the restaurant, a man around 30 years old was speaking indignantly with anger between his brows . It was unknown what his profession was ,but the vitriol in his tone could not be hidden . "Is the court only going to fine his salary after he forced someone to die?"
The effect of the Jiangnan matter was too big . Its influence had reached the Wuzhou territory in Jiangbei . The world had a lot of say about the Jiangnan matter . After all, Qing Kingdom was not a sealed country with tightly sealed roads, and the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council did not have the power to keep an eye on all the places outside of Jingdou, so when the people discussed this, they were quite daring .
Because of the old Ming matriarch's unusual death, the reputation of imperial envoy Fan Xian took a great hit . After a series of actions, the Ming family was rocked by the wind and rain and further proved Fan Xian's ruthlessness . In this world, people often sympathized with the weak, so in their discussions, they often despised the side of the government .
However, after Fan Xian took to the stage, he had been too brilliant and eye-catching that even the darkness of the Overwatch Council could not dampen his brilliance . So, not everyone was protesting injustice for the Ming family . Those young scholars, who knew where they had received the information, once again edged their butts closer to the side of Sir Fan junior, leader of all scholars under heaven .
When all was said and done, not many people believed that the poetic Sir Fan junior would actually be after the Ming family's silver .
"The Ming family? What injustice?" A young man in his early 20s laughed mockingly . "They're nothing more than bandits who colluded with pirates and killed to steal goods . It is the court's good fortune and our blessing that Sir Fan junior defeated them . Only stupid people like you would make such a dumb announcement . "
That middle-aged man became furious . He slapped the table and said, "What pirates? Don't attack maliciously . I am a Suzhou man . The old Ming matriarch was unbelievably benevolent…she's already dead, she is not to be recklessly framed by an ignorant child like you!"
The young man arguing with him earlier was a scholar of Wuzhou Hearing the middle-aged person announcing his origin, only then did he know that the other person was a traveler from Suzhou . He couldn't help laughing coldly and waving his fan . He said, "This matter has already spread throughout the scholars . Do you really think the Ming family is that innocent?"
"It's actually Sir Fan junior…dare I ask, do you know of anything Sir Fan junior has done that was not honorable?"
The Suzhou merchant paused . Thinking carefully, he realized that Sir Fan junior had been working for the court in Jingdou for the last few years and there was actually no evidence to say he had done anything despicable .
The Wuzhou scholar smiled slightly and said, "Can't think of anything, right? Sir Fan junior is a heaven-born genius who holds himself very properly . He exposed the spring examination scandal and tossed Northern Qi's national prestige outside the city . Such a figure, how could he fight for powerful with you bronze-stinking merchants? The Ming family…if they had not done so many things in secret that angered both humans and spirits, how could they force Sir Fan junior to act?"
These words were actually a bit unreasonable, but still the Suzhou merchant was unable to counter it for the time being . He could only viciously say, "The Ming family colluded with pirates? Even the Jiangnan people didn't know, yet you Wuzhou people knew…where are the pirates? How come the court didn't capture them? If there really was a problem with the Ming family, the court should publicly try the case . How could they use power to threaten people?"
The two parties' argument became more and more violent, and their voices and anger gradually rose . Although the merchant was not speechless, his face was red . He stood up and rolled up his sleeves, gearing up for a fight .
Fortunately, someone came up from the side to hold him back so that the weak scholar did not get the worst of it .
No one noticed that in the process of stopping the fight there seemed to be a few feet that kicked at the merchant, making the merchant repeatedly howl with pain .
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Seeing this sight, the people in the restaurant were startled, particularly travelers passing through Wuzhou . They were thinking and discussing the matter of Sir Fan junior . Why did it seem like the Suzhou merchant had offended everyone in Wuzhou? As they watched for a bit longer, the travelers felt a chill in their hearts . Even the shop boy had gone up to land a kick .
Finally, someone could not keep watching . A frail cry came from a table in the corner, "Everyone, stop!"
The owner of the voice was a girl . She wore a skintight, light yellow shirt that enveloped her curvy figure . At her waist was tied a long sword . It looked like she was a jianghu figure . Her appearance was also very delicate .
Hearing this cry, the people at the same table as her all quietly cursed, thinking, their little sister disciple was going to make trouble again . With some fear, they looked at their master sitting at the back and wanted to call the girl back, however, the girl had moved quickly and was already walking to the center of the room .
The master of everyone at that table appeared calm . His age was near middle-aged . The atmosphere around his body was reserved, and it was impossible to see his depths . He only shook his head with pain . It seemed like there was little he could do about the girl .
The people who were trying to make peace saw a meddlesome person approaching and dispersed, leaving the pitiful Suzhou merchant in the center . After all, the woman was carrying a sword beside her, which common person would want to provoke her?
The Wuzhou people in the building laughed and didn't even bother to acknowledge her . It was the scholar from earlier who smiled coldly and said, "To insult a court official in a public place in front of all these people, even if the officials are benevolent, can people such as us not strike out?"
"Insulting a court officials?" That young woman furrowed her brows with loathing and said, "What is great about that Fan Xian?"
The building erupted into a clamor . Even the Suzhou merchant who had spoken so disrespectfully of Fan Xian couldn't help but be shocked at hearing this girl so boastfully looking down on Fan Xian .
Who was Fan Xian? In today's world, which other young person was more in the limelight than him? How could the girl dare to say such things?
The Wuzhou scholar smiled coldly and said, "Sir Fan junior is indeed nothing special, except it is difficult to find someone else who is more exceptional[JW1] than him . "
That pretty girl furrowed her brows as if she felt that it wasn't much of a skill to bully these people . She asked, "But what does that have to do with you?"
The Wuzhou scholar smiled slightly mockingly and said, "You don't understand? Sir Fan junior is Wuzhou's uncle[JW2] , yet this man dared to speak ill of him in a restaurant in Wuzhou . Don't you think he deserves a beating?"
Fan Xian had married Lin Ruofu's daughter, and so naturally he had built a close and exceptional relationship with Wuzhou, a place he had never visited . After Prime Minister left his post, Wuzhou no longer had someone to speak for them in Jingdou . The people couldn't help but be somewhat angry, but Fan Xian, this uncle, had done so well for himself that naturally, the Wuzhou people also felt some honor . How could they tolerate a foreign traveler discussing Fan Xian so presumptuously?
The Suzhou merchant's beating was an unexpected calamity . He should have remembered Sir Fan junior's relation to Wuzhou .
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The beautiful girl seemed to dislike hearing Fan Xian's name . The corners of her mouth twitched and she revealed the glimmer of a ridiculing expression . "So what? I don't see him daring to be presumptuous in our Northern Qi? So he is only relying on his father-in-law's might and hiding in Wuzhou like a turtle…"
So, the people from that table were from Northern Qi .
It was said that the South Kingdom had long renewed diplomatic relations with Northern Qi, and they were currently in the honeymoon period with the marriage between the two countries in addition to Ku He accepting a disciple . However, after all, they were enemies of many decades . The hatred between the people of the two countries had not reduced much . Hearing the girl exposing her identity, fear and cautiousness appeared on everyone's face .
Even the Suzhou merchant that had been beaten felt like he was unlucky and spat onto the floor . He didn't thank his savior at all, instead he turned and went downstairs .
The beautiful girl was noble born, and her master was also second to none . Ever since her youth, she had never received so many eye-rolls, immediately her mood became terrible .
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