noffsinger Chapter 1124 I've tolerated you for a day
Chapter 1124 I've tolerated you for a day
Ugly time.
One major event occurred in the Prince's mansion during the day, and another major event occurred at night.
The Prince's mansion is on fire.
Moreover, this was no ordinary fire; the flames leaped up extremely quickly and were not easily extinguished by water.
The people on the street all woke up; some were putting out the fire, some were watching, and some were discussing it.
"How could it suddenly catch fire? Oh dear... Lord Wang is still here, still at the clinic. If he wakes up and finds out his house has been burned down... Alas! It's truly a double whammy, what a tragedy!"
"Lord Wang has already returned! He's probably at the manor right now!"
"What?! Lord Wang is back? When did this happen?"
"At midnight! I heard the sound of carriage wheels then, and peeking through the crack in the door, I saw Lord Wang returning home. It was Lord Shen who personally escorted him back!"
"Then why is it on fire again? Did Lord Wang still not understand things after returning, and set his house on fire as soon as he came back?"
"How could that be? He has elderly parents and young children to support. Has Lord Wang gone mad? Even if he didn't want to live anymore, he wouldn't take his parents and wife with him to die!"
"Hiss—something's fishy about this. Could it be arson?"
The sky was glowing red from the firelight. As the crowd was discussing, they saw members of the Wang family being escorted out, including Wang Huai'an.
The people breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this: "Thank goodness no one is hurt..."
A house can be rebuilt after it burns down, but if a person is gone, then they are truly gone.
Out of concern or curiosity, a few bold commoners followed and asked, "Lord Wang, how did your residence suddenly catch fire? Are you alright? Why don't you come to my house to rest for a while? I'll go... and fetch a doctor for you."
Having suffered two major mishaps in one day, Wang Huai'an was now dizzy and choked by the fumes. Without thinking, he waved his hand and refused, "No need, thank you..."
Lady Wang was terrified and burst into tears. Gazing at the billowing black smoke from the mansion, she cried out in despair, "My husband, our home is gone..."
They bought this house with all their savings when they first arrived in Liuyang Prefecture many years ago.
In this sudden fire, everything was gone...
"Someone must have deliberately set the fire!" Recalling the unusually rapid spread of the flames, Madam Wang immediately thought of Shen Zheng, even her tears filled with hatred. "It must be her! I offended her today, and she held a grudge, sending people to burn it down..."
"Snapped--"
Before she could finish speaking, she received a solid slap on her left cheek, causing her already loose hair to suddenly come undone.
Xiang He stared straight at her, gritted his teeth, and said, word by word, "I've put up with you all day."
The onlookers gasped in shock, then were choked by the smoke, and coughing erupted incessantly.
Beside him, Wang Huai'an closed his eyes helplessly.
The old lady didn't even glance in their direction, turning to the onlookers and saying, "Excuse me, could you please give us a drink of water?"
The people, engrossed in watching the spectacle, paused for a moment before realizing what was happening: "Water? Oh, oh, water! Please wait a moment! I'll be right back!"
"I don't want to live anymore! You're all bullying me!" Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Madam Wang kicked her legs and tried to lie down and roll on the ground, but Xiang He was quick to catch her and pulled her up.
She was grabbed by the collar and had no power to resist. In the blink of an eye, Xiang He dragged her in front of several people.
"Open your dog eyes and see clearly!" Xiang He forcefully lifted her chin and shouted, "Whose people risked their lives to rush into the fire and rescue your family just now! If you dare to speak rudely again, I don't mind slapping your face to pieces."
The county soldiers, their faces covered in soot, spat at her in unison.
She closed her eyes tightly, refusing to look.
"Why bother talking to her so much?" Su Yan dragged someone over, glanced at the Wang family, and said, "Let's go. The fire is almost out, and the arsonist has been caught. We should go back and report."
The group left under the watchful eyes of the people.
The former prince's mansion was not luxurious, but it was still a two-courtyard residence.
Now, most of it has been burned down overnight, and the people sigh as they look at the black smoke rising into the sky.
Amidst their sighs, they finally realized something.
"So Lord Wang didn't commit suicide by falling into the well, but was murdered! Then we've wronged Lord Xu, haven't we?"
"You're only just realizing this? I told you this morning that the Bureau of Accounting is a good place, and many officials would love to be transferred there. There's no way Lord Wang would commit suicide for that, and you still didn't believe me!"
"So... does that mean Lord Wang should thank Lord Shen and Lord Xu?"
"Of course! If it weren't for Lord Xu's promotion, Lord Wang might never have been able to enter the Accounting Office in his entire life!"
"..."
......
Perhaps because he had experienced two life-or-death situations in one day, Wang Huai'an was somewhat numb.
Upon entering the government office, he immediately said he wanted to see Shen Zheng and Yu Zhengqing.
Shen Zheng knew that the answer she had been waiting for had arrived.
In the courtroom, Wang Huai'an, his hair disheveled and his robes stained with black ash, immediately knelt down upon seeing Shen Zheng and the other person arrive.
His forehead pressed tightly against the blue brick, his tone filled with undisguised regret: "This humble official is guilty, I beg you, gentlemen... to punish me!"
Shen Zheng did not sit down, but stood in front of him and asked, "What crime has Lord Wang committed?"
Wang Huai'an's back trembled as he said in a deep voice, "I have a son named Wang Ang, who is currently studying at the prefectural school. At the beginning of this year, he participated in the prefectural examination... I knew he was dull-witted and not cut out for officialdom, so I didn't take it to heart. But when the results were announced, I was surprised to find that he... was on the list."
Shen Zheng's heart sank upon hearing this.
Wang Huai'an wouldn't bring up the prefectural examination for no reason. The fact that he said it now means that the person who wants him dead must be related to the prefectural education administrator.
Yu Zhengqing had just told her to be careful of the people in charge of the prefectural school, but she didn't expect that they would make a move so soon after she arrived in the prefectural city.
Wang Huai'an continued, "Upon learning that Ang'er had passed the imperial examination and become a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), I immediately went to see him. He was quite surprised, saying he never thought he could pass. But regardless, it was a good thing that he had passed, so I hosted a banquet at home and drank with my family. After a few rounds of drinks, my wife couldn't hold her liquor, so I helped her back to her room. It was then that I realized that Ang'er's success in passing the Xiucai exam wasn't due to a sudden enlightenment, but rather..."
It was his wife who went astray.
"She said she met the wife of Wu Shun, the educational official, at a flower-viewing party." Wang Huai'an's voice trembled even more as she said this: "She told her that she could ensure Ang'er passed the imperial examination and become a scholar without having to do anything, just wait for the results to be announced... Thinking that she didn't want money or favors from her subordinates, she readily agreed..."