She had spent a considerable sum on the county magistrate, promising to help him in the capital when his term ended and he returned for his official review. Everything had been arranged smoothly, but then an unexpected obstacle appeared.
From the brief exchange, it was evident that this person's background was no ordinary one. However, the way he defended Wu Caiwei left her uncertain of their relationship. Regardless, this was not a good omen. If the other party had too powerful a background, not only would she be unable to handle it, but her family might also be implicated.
She immediately dispatched someone to investigate the man's identity. As soon as she received any news, she planned to inform her father and brother.
Despite the magistrate's repeated attempts to keep him, Ouyang Chen truthfully reported the events to the Emperor.
The magistrate had his own residence in the city. Upon returning to his room, he closed the door and collapsed onto the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably. Soon, a small pool of water formed before his eyes. On closer inspection, it was clear he was weeping inconsolably, unable to imagine how he would face public scrutiny if his official hat were taken away.
For so many years, he had served those who paid him in the city, never having encountered trouble. The primary reason for his smooth sailing was his excellent relationship with his superiors, maintained by generous bribes. Everyone in the city knew of his proclivity, and every merchant paid their respects to him during the New Year, including the Zhang and Zhou families.
He had been nearing the end of his term, and had planned to secure a better position upon returning to the capital. He had assumed that Leng Shui Xiang was merely a village woman with no connections, and that this matter would be a trifle. Little did he know he would stumble in the most unexpected way.
Upon recalling the substantial gifts he had sent, and seeing that the Imperial Guard had not yet indicated whether he would report to the Emperor, he gritted his teeth. He went to his storeroom, selected a large assortment of gifts, and proceeded to the inn where the guard was staying.
Ouyang Chen, seeing the jewelry, ornaments, antiques, and calligraphy laid before him, had no regrets about the letter he had already sent. For a mere county magistrate to possess such wealth was indicative of considerable exploitation of the populace.
"My lord, these are all tokens of my respect. A small offering, but I hope you will accept it. As long as I remain an official, I will continue to send you gifts annually," Xian Lin said cautiously, looking at his icy demeanor.
Ouyang Chen nodded noncommittally. The magistrate remained uncertain, unsure if he had agreed or not. After a moment's hesitation, he asked obsequiously, "My lord, can you pretend today's incident never happened?"
Ouyang Chen looked at him meaningfully, making the magistrate's scalp tingle. He quickly lowered his head and admitted sheepishly, "You've come too late. My letter has already been sent. Instead of wasting time here, you should hurry to Madam Zhou and see if her brother, Lord Bai, can exert some influence for you."
Upon hearing this, the magistrate’s head shot up. Seeing that Ouyang Chen was not joking, he was momentarily speechless. Dejected, he left and walked through the streets. Recalling Ouyang Chen's words, he realized that although Ouyang Chen surely had his own motives, what he suggested was currently the best course of action.
He immediately instructed his driver to proceed to the Zhou residence. Madam Zhou had been investigating for a long time without uncovering Ouyang Chen's identity. The magistrate's arrival provided an opportunity to clarify the situation quickly.
As soon as the magistrate saw her, he inwardly cursed her for implicating him. However, at this moment, the woman before him was the only one who could save him. He quickly adopted a submissive tone, "Madam, you must save me this time, no matter what. I got into this trouble while working for you. We are like grasshoppers tied to the same rope."
Madam Zhou felt a chill run down her spine. If even the magistrate could not resolve this, she had indeed stirred up trouble. For all her efforts, she still did not know the other party's identity. She quickly inquired, "Who exactly is that person? Only by understanding his identity can I report to my father and see if he can devise a solution."
"I have already inquired. His name is Ouyang Chen, an adopted son of the Ouyang family, and a member of the Imperial Guard. Hurry and ask Lord Bai to think of a way, otherwise, if I am imprisoned, I will surely expose you," the magistrate said, unable to suppress a hint of resentment.
Anyone who had spent time in the capital knew that the Imperial Guard served the Emperor. Upon hearing that the matter might reach the Emperor, Madam Zhou was somewhat flustered. After seeing off the magistrate, she immediately wrote a letter to her father and, after some thought, sent another to a different person.
Upon receiving the letter, the Emperor found the Madam Zhou mentioned to be somewhat familiar. He asked the grand eunuch beside him, "Take a look at this letter. This Madam Zhou, the daughter of the Bai family, why does she seem familiar?"
The grand eunuch quickly took the letter and read it, then smiled, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Over a decade ago, the Grand Consort was entangled with a woman, and the Eldest Princess wept daily. It was at that time that you personally decreed that royal consorts were not permitted to take concubines without the Princess's consent."
"Now that you mention it, I do recall. Lord Bai, after all, is a second-rank official. How could his daughter willingly be merely an ordinary concubine? Later, I heard their daughter became pregnant before marriage. Is that why she married into a merchant family?" The grand eunuch's words jogged the Emperor's memory; indeed, something like this had occurred.
"Yes, at the time, the Bai family's daughter refused to have an abortion, and Lord Bai doted on her, so he found a merchant to marry her to, to conceal the matter," the grand eunuch stated impartially, recounting what he knew.
"Looking at it this way, it's fortunate she didn't enter the palace then. What kind of behavior was that? She's clearly not a demure woman. With the Eldest Princess's simple and domineering personality, she would surely have been no match for her," the Emperor remarked with genuine emotion.
Upon hearing this, the grand eunuch lowered his head, offering no opinion. Regardless of the Emperor's assessment of the Eldest Princess, they were siblings. He, as a mere eunuch, could not afford to say the wrong thing and bring trouble upon himself.
"The magistrate's actions were clearly an attempt to curry favor with the Bai family, but unfortunately, he ran into Ouyang Chen." Mentioning Ouyang Chen, the Emperor sighed with a hint of regret, "Setting aside the Ouyang family's questionable dealings, Ouyang Chen is a rare talent. It's a pity he cannot be used by me in this lifetime."
The grand eunuch lowered his head even further. On the surface, the Emperor held Ouyang Chen in high regard and promoted him. However, as his personal grand eunuch, he knew that the Emperor was wary of them and never entrusted them with important and secret matters.
After a moment of reflection, the Emperor quickly instructed someone to notify Ouyang Chen to thoroughly investigate the magistrate and to decide the punishment as he saw fit.
Upon receiving his daughter's letter, Lord Bai was so enraged that his chest ached. He had assumed that with his daughter's personality, she wouldn't cause any major trouble in such a small place. But now, she had managed to drag the matter directly to the Emperor's attention.
He had exerted considerable effort to make the Emperor forget about his daughter's past actions. Now, it was a blatant reminder of her existence.
However, Lord Bai could not bring himself to abandon his daughter. He could only pack his belongings and prepare to go to the palace to beg for forgiveness.