Chapter 272: Trouble for County Magistrate
Chapter 272: Trouble for County Magistrate
"Master..."
Xiang Ling noticed the little sad face that Xu Wei was making after she started reprimanding him, and finally decided to stop getting any further angry at him.
"You have already started to not listen to me." She muttered as she reached out for his hand and took hold of his wrist to check his pulse. Though much stable and stronger compared to how it was five weeks ago, his primordial spirit was still not completely healed.
Letting out a sigh, she let go of his wrist and spoke in a serious tone, "You might be getting better than before, but you should also know your real condition. I have said it before and I will say it again, having an injured primordial spirit is a matter of great concern. You should take better care of yourself-"
"Please don’t tell me to return to the manor and rest. I’m your personal bodyguard and I’m not even able to accompany you anywhere let alone protect you. I feel like a burden of yours while staying in that room all the time." Xu Wei finally let out his true thoughts which made Xiang Ling shut up and rethink.
Finally a moment later, she spoke, "Alright. Accompany me now." Saying that, she once again resumed walking and noticed the young man following after her with a huge smile on his face.
The two of them headed toward the main market street as Xiang Ling wanted to have a look around the bustling areas of the city.
"Master, why do you suddenly want to take a stroll through the city?" Xu Wei asked as he found the situation kind of weird.
Xiang Ling shrugged her shoulders as she answered, "Just because I have nothing else to do." She didn’t tell him that she was on her way to find out about citizens’ opinion about her as such a long time had passed since she started her mission of changing Chen Xiang Ling’s bad image.
They passed through the famous shops and restaurants, and the further they went into the market, the more people recognized Chen Xiang Ling. They whispered among themselves as they talked about how much more beautiful, noble, and elegant she looked compared to the past. Others were talking about how there had been no bad news about her for nearly an year. Then there were others who started talking about how good she turned out to be in business. Finally, there were a few who were curious about Wu Xie’s identity. They were wondering if he was one of her husbands, but then dismissed the thought since his clothes and demeanor didn’t appear like that of the husband of a noble lady.
Satisfied with what she heard, Xiang Ling and Xu Wei stepped into the side street and walked out of the bustling market area, only to stumble across an unexpected scene - a bunch of official guards were taking a dead body away.
"What happened here?" Xiang Ling asked some old people who were standing nearby.
"Poor Huan. She was an old woman who used to stay with the beggars. But how an old and weak body could handle this bone-chilling cold. She passed away this morning." Someone answered in a heavy voice.
"The weather is getting worse by each day, yet, the officials have done nothing to protect these poor souls. These old people and small kids are about to lose their lives any of these coming days." Another added.
While Xiang Ling was busy pondering on the situation, an official arrived in front of the group of people and greeted them politely before speaking, "We are sorry for what happened to Old Huan, but please understand that the County Magistrate Office is continuously trying to find a proper solution of this issue. Unfortunately-"
"If this is how you all are trying to help, then I’m sure all those poor beggars will end up dead in no time. Even though they are people who don’t provide any help to boost the empire’s economy and prosperity, or pay taxes to the government, they are still citizens of this great empire and under the protection of the Emperor. Their lives shouldn’t be discarded like this." A certain person didn’t allow the official to say any further and spoke out her mind without any hesitation.
Xiang Ling stepped back from the group of angry people and took a place at a corner. "Let’s get out of here." She told Wu Xie and was about to leave that place when she heard the words of another person.
"Even though County Magistrate Chen has been working as a diligent official for years, he’s finally showing that keeping Nanxia County thriving and free of problems is no longer in his power. He’s turning old and the world is changing rapidly. With more development comes more problems, and he alone isn’t able to handle all these problems. Let alone entire Nanxia, he is failing to handle even Dongzhi City’s problems. This isn’t our first year facing such harsh winter season, nor is this the first time we have lost a life like this. Yet, the County Magistrate has failed to help these beggars even after years."
"Master, are we not leaving?" Xu Wei asked when he noticed that Xiang Ling hadn’t moved from her place at all. The woman shook her head in a negative response before she asked while signaling at the official. "Any idea who he is?"
Xu Wei looked at the official before answering, "He’s Zhu Peng, a seventh rank official working under your father. He’s one of the seven people who passed this year’s Imperial exam from Nanxia County."
Xiang Ling nodded her head before she stepped forward and decided to save the poor soul from the scorching anger of the citizens. "Offcial Zhu, can I have a word with you?"
Both the group of people, who were busy reprimanding Zhu Peng, and the man himself were left shocked by Xiang Ling’s sudden intrusion. When the man didn’t speak immediately, Xiang Ling signaled him and he finally nodded his head in agreement.