Chu Wen welcomed the person in tremblingly, and Xiao Langyan saw all the guilt and uneasiness in his eyes.
Shen Dingzhu followed Xiao Langyan, as quiet as an orchid in an empty valley.
"Sir Governor, you are traveling in casual clothes, but are you here for people's livelihood?"
When Shen Dingzhu heard Chu Wen call Xiao Langyan this way, she looked up at Chu Wen in slight surprise.
It seems that Xiao Langyan did not reveal his true identity.
Xiao Langyan looked around with thin eyes. Chu Wen's mansion was not built inside the city. Instead, it was outside the city. It occupied a large area. The nine-curved corridor was classical and elegant. Rockeries and flowing water could be seen everywhere, and exotic flowers and plants abounded.
"I came here just because of the earthquake disaster in Nanzhou half a year ago. The imperial court allocated 20,000 taels of silver for disaster relief. Only half a year has passed. Why are there victims going to the capital to beat drums and express their grievances?"
Xiao Langyan's tone was calm, as if he was asking an ordinary question. Chu Wen respectfully led him into the main hall and served tea with his own hands.
Then he said, "You don't know something. After the earthquake, all the damaged parts of the city have to be rebuilt, and money needs to be allocated to appease the people who unfortunately died. Therefore, this disaster relief money is not enough."
As Chu Wen spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the beauty standing behind Xiao Langyan from the corner of his eye.
Shen Dingzhu's white and tender neck hung down. In Chu Wen's eyes, it looked like she had a guilty conscience. If she had anything to do with the governor official sent from the capital, she must have complained!
Xiao Langyan raised his eyebrows calmly: "Not enough? Your answer seems to be different from what I found."
As soon as he finished speaking, the attendant threw a thick account book onto the table next to Chu Wen.
Of course Chu Wen recognized it. He and officials at all levels in Nanzhou City were embezzling money from each other. He knew exactly where the snowflakes and silver used for disaster relief by the imperial court had gone!
Seeing that he couldn't hide it, Chu Wen glanced outside the door. A servant from the mansion came forward, holding a tray covered with mahogany in his hand.
Chu Wen lowered his voice with a smile: "Sir Governor, you and I are both officials in the court. To put it bluntly, we are all working for the emperor. The emperor gave us disaster relief money, and the lower officials spent every cent to help the people."
"But there is always extra money. It's not corruption. He just keeps the money in his hands for the time being and uses it for post-disaster reconstruction. However, time is slow and no one knows when the construction will be completed."
"Some people misunderstood the official, so they went to the capital to slander and complain. Please return to the capital and say a few kind words to the emperor on behalf of the official. Here is a thank you gift, please accept it. It's been a hard work all the way here. Chu Wen said, taking off the red cloth.
There were actually a dozen gold ingots piled on the entire tray!
This was a blatant bribery of the ministers sent by the imperial court to inspect. Shen Dingzhu sneered in his heart, Chu Wen was in trouble.
Little did he know that he was facing the Ninth Five Supreme Being.
Xiao Langyan's eyes were dark and bottomless. He smiled and said, "You are quite happy to give such a big gift."
After that, he turned around and said calmly to Shen Dingzhu: "Go outside and wait for me for a while."
Shen Dingzhu was startled, then nodded and walked out.
Looking at her graceful back, Chu Wen's heart pounded, and it might not be easy to guess the identity of her and the governor in front of him.
This Madam Su was a famous beauty in Nanzhou City. From the local gangsters to the wealthy young men, everyone coveted her beauty, but none of them succeeded.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Su's ambitions were so great, and she won over the governor as soon as he arrived.
Shen Dingzhu left the main hall and did not want to go far, so he waited in the corridor not far away, looking at the pool in front of him, the raindrops making ripples on the water.
When she was alone, she finally had time to think about the future path for her and her daughter.
Xiao Langyan didn't explicitly agree just now that he would allow her to return to Beijing with her daughter.
Thinking of this, Shen Dingzhu's slightly passionate feelings for him became much colder.
Xiao Langyan knew that Chengcheng was his daughter, but he could still say such indifferent words. It seemed that in his heart, only someone he truly loved like Fu Yunqiu was qualified to give birth to a child he was willing to admit.
Shen Dingzhu beat her sore waist and thought about the next solution.
At this moment, a sharp female voice came from behind: "Ah, am I right? It's really Su Xiu Niang? Do you still dare to come to our house?"
Shen Dingzhu stood up when he heard the sound and looked back. It was Chu Wen's wife Huang. Ms. Huang is wearing a double-breasted brocade skirt and colorful accessories on her head, which makes her look rich and noble.
Under such a gloomy sky, Mrs. Huang approached with two maids and said with a smile: "Why, the humiliation given last time was not enough?"
Chu Wen is the cousin of the rogue Chu Er. Because Shen Dingzhu had a conflict with Chen E, Chen E once invited Huang to bully Shen Dingzhu.
Mr. Huang, who was about to celebrate his thirtieth birthday, ordered an embroidery piece with blooming flowers and riches from Chunyun's embroidery shop, and was willing to give him a generous reward.
Moreover, Huang asked Shen Dingzhu to embroider for her, and Shen Dingzhu to embroider hibiscus.
Shen Dingzhu happened to be short of money at that time, so she took the order. Unexpectedly, after she finished the embroidery, Huang changed her story and said she wanted peonies, not hibiscus.
That day Chun Yun brought Shen Dingzhu to the house to apologize to Mrs. Huang, but Mrs. Huang said harshly: "Peony is the real wife, but you use hibiscus to disgust me."
No matter what Shen Dingzhu explained, Huang didn't listen and held Shen Dingzhu in her arms and made her stand in the rain for a stick of incense.
In the end, Shen Dingzhu left soaked. Chun Yun could do nothing but help her wipe away the water drops, and sighed: "Sanniang, let's not get angry with them. Who asked Huang and Chen E to find them?" A husband you can rely on."
That time, considering that her daughter was still young, Shen Dingzhu didn't want to cause trouble, so she swallowed it. When she saw Huang and Chen E in the future, she would just hide away.
Unexpectedly, enemies would meet again here.
Shen Dingzhu ignored Huang's provocation and simply said: "I came with a friend."
Huang sneered: "Friend? Which shop owner are you again? It seems that you are short of money again, and you are taking jobs everywhere to do embroidery, right? Normally I might be merciful and give you a chance, but today there is a noble person in our family who wants to Come on, get out of here, where is the concierge? Don’t let people like this in next time!"
Her shouts attracted nearby servants, who hurried over and reminded in a low voice: "Madam, your distinguished guest is already in the main hall."
Mr. Huang even felt that Shen Dingzhu was an eyesore and had a foxy face, which was really annoying to see.
She ordered her servants: "Kick this fox out, don't rush into the distinguished guests here."
Shen Dingzhu frowned: "Mrs. Chu, don't you even ask who I followed?"
"I don't care who you came with? That's inexplicable!" Huang mocked her for overestimating her abilities.
Just when she was about to push Shen Dingzhu, Chu Wen's scolding suddenly came from behind them——
"Stop! Shrew, what are you going to do?"
