“My lord, why do you always exclude me?
I even bought a new bathtub and wanted to share it with you!”
Lin Qingge, feeling no causal relationship between the two, rubbed her forehead with a headache and said earnestly,
“Constable Yan, your mouth is uncontrollable. How can I be expected to tell you the truth?
Moreover, I have no obligation to report to you. So, in the future, please refrain from asking such obvious questions.”
???
Although his lord’s tone sounded very approachable, the content made Yan Tinghao suspect if his lord was mocking him again.
Yan Tinghao scratched his head and changed the subject,
“My lord, how did you discover that Constable Li had a problem?”
Lin Qingge’s eyes widened immediately, “Did I not explain it clearly enough just now?”
“What did you say, my lord?”
Feeling that the other party’s brain capacity was limited and that it wasn’t worth arguing with a simpleton, Lin Qingge suppressed the wildly twitching veins on her forehead and said with a forced smile,
“I said you should be grateful that you are somewhat useful.”
“My lord, does my usefulness have any necessary connection to discovering Constable Li’s problem?”
“Shut up!”
“Yes, my lord.”
Lin Qingge, who was about to explode, stepped on Yan Tinghao’s foot as if by accident.
Then, she even deliberately crushed it.
“Ouch—”
Even with his thick skin, Yan Tinghao cried out in pain.
When he came to his senses, his lord was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile.
Lin Qingge returned to the yamen with her guards, only to be stopped by Lin Yan, who was waiting at the entrance.
“My lord, I have something to report.”
Lin Qingge yawned and said somewhat impatiently, “It’s so late, I assume it must be something very important?”
“Reporting to my lord, I just received news from the post station.
It says that the Eighth Prince, who will be the referee for this Cuju大会, and his entourage will arrive at Fengtian Prefecture tomorrow morning.”
…
After two days of rushing, Lin Qingge reviewed the words ‘Cuju大会’ in her mind twice before belatedly remembering the matter of one hundred taels of gold.
“Isn’t the competition still five days away? Why are they arriving so early? What a hassle.”
After muttering, Lin Qingge looked up at Lin Yan’s gentle eyes. She took a step back subtly, ensuring a ten-foot distance between them, and then ordered,
“Although I don’t know the Eighth Prince’s character, the yamen’s accounts are not flush with cash. Later, I will have Xiao Cao clean up a courtyard. Tomorrow, you, I, and Master Hua will go to the city gate together to welcome the Eighth Prince.”
“My lord, there is one more matter.”
“There’s more?”
“Reporting to my lord, besides the Eighth Prince, the Second Prince and his entourage will also arrive soon.”
“Oh, for goodness sake!
One is enough to give me a headache, and now there’s a bonus one?
It’s just a game of Cuju, why are they all flocking to Fengtian?
And it’s the one who has a disagreement with my mentor?”
“My lord, from what I know, besides chasing women, the Second Prince’s greatest passion is Cuju.
The Cuju team of Shuntian Prefecture is led by the Second Prince. To be more precise, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Second Prince personally organized the Cuju team of Shuntian Prefecture.”
Hearing this, Lin Qingge’s head ached even more, “Are all princes so idle these days? Wouldn’t it be better for them to focus on their careers?”
Lin Yan, understanding Lin Qingge’s implied meaning, seemed amused by her distressed appearance and said with a suppressed chuckle,
“My lord, the Second Prince is known as a notorious rake in the capital for his idleness.
As for the Eighth Prince, he is not yet an adult, and his birth mother was merely a lowly palace maid. He has no powerful maternal family to rely on, which is why they are relatively idle.”
Lin Qingge raised an eyebrow upon hearing this,
“You seem very familiar with the situation in the capital?”
“My lord, it’s not that I am very familiar with the situation in the capital.
It’s just that these are the most common pieces of news that anyone who has stayed in the capital would know.”
Meeting Lin Yan’s smiling gaze, Lin Qingge pouted disapprovingly,
“Tsk, I bet that simpleton Yan Tinghao doesn’t know!”
“My lord, did you call for me?”
Yan Tinghao, who had lagged a step behind, had just reached the yamen gate. Hearing his lord mention his name, he eagerly approached.
“It’s nothing. I mentioned that we will be welcoming the Eighth Prince and his entourage tomorrow morning. You should tidy yourself up and pick two constables.
Actually, never mind, it’s better not to bring constables. Let’s arrange for guards; at least they’ll look more imposing.”
Saying this, Lin Qingge, who was yawning repeatedly, went back to rest.
Yan Tinghao, staring at Lin Yan, who seemed to have a good relationship with his lord, for a long time, asked the question that had been lingering in his mind:
“Lord Lin Yan, you’ve been helping at the yamen, how is your work at the county yamen being handled?”
“Changzhou County has very few official duties. The position of county magistrate was vacant for many years, and there were no problems.
Moreover, since you all left, the county yamen has been peaceful.”
Feeling that it made perfect sense, yet also felt strangely off, Yan Tinghao scratched his head. Unable to figure it out, he also returned to his room to sleep.
The next morning.
Hua Jinrong sent a message via a servant.
“Reporting to my lord, my master says he ate something bad yesterday and is suffering from severe abdominal pain, so he has to take a leave of absence today. I hope Lord Lin can forgive him.”
Lin Qingge, whose mind was as narrow as a needle, habitually rubbed her chin after hearing this, and sent a message back to Hua Jinrong through the same messenger.
“Tell Master Hua to eat more beans. If that doesn’t work, ask Forensic Doctor Murong for some enhanced Five Poisons powder, otherwise, the effect won’t be realistic enough.”
The messenger responsible for relaying the message: …
With Hua Jinrong absent, Lin Qingge had no choice but to take Lin Yan and Yan Tinghao to the city gate to pick up the distinguished guests.
After standing at the city gate for half a day, a slow-moving carriage finally came into view.
Until the carriage arrived in front of them, Lin Qingge did not believe that a prince was inside, thinking it was just a passing carriage.
She even complained in her heart that the carriage was moving as slowly as a millstone and wondered if someone should be sent to urge it to move faster, lest it offend the so-called Eighth Prince.
However, the carriage stopped directly in front of Lin Qingge.
Immediately after, a young eunuch emerged from the carriage and shouted in his duck-like voice,
“The Eighth Prince has arrived!”
…
Lin Qingge, who had almost offended the prince herself, raised her hand to wipe away the non-existent cold sweat on her forehead, stepped forward, and bowed,
“Lin Jingxing, Acting Prefect of Fengtian Prefecture, respectfully welcomes Your Highness the Eighth Prince!”
“Huh, arrived so soon?
Degui, didn’t I tell you to wake me up in advance?
It’s over!
My clothes are all wrinkled. My mother specially asked the embroidery bureau to make these before I left, saying they were for me to hold my own among the officials!”
After a shout accompanied by a flurry of chaotic sounds, the carriage curtain finally slowly lifted.