RPAGF Chapter 403 Farewell
Chapter 403 Farewell
Chapter 403 A Ten-Mile Farewell
The procession had already left the city, but the people still followed closely behind to see them off.
Inside the carriage, Wang Wenzhou, with one arm around Chen Yuanyuan and the other around Wang Ying, proudly said, "My darlings, how beloved I am by the people!"
Chen Yuanyuan sneered, "The common people are really too stupid. They give their own daughters to you to harm, and they still think you are a righteous official."
“Yuanyuan, you’ve gone too far! When have I ever harmed a girl? I’m a man of broad love, not a womanizer! And I’m definitely not a scumbag!” Wang Wenzhou said seriously.
"Sigh..." Wang Ying sighed softly, thinking that her husband was really shameless.
Wang Ying thought for a moment and then said, "Husband, quickly get off the carriage and thank the people. Don't let them see us off anymore; we're already ten miles outside the city."
Wang Wenzhou nodded, knocked on the carriage, and said, "Stop the car."
Yu Tao quickly spurred his horse over and asked, "Lord Wang, what are your orders?"
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Brother Yu, you see the people following the procession to see us off, I should at least thank them. Besides, they've already come such a long way, it's time for them to go back."
Yu Tao nodded and quickly ordered the carriage to stop.
Wang Wenzhou certainly didn't like riding in a carriage; he wanted to ride in his sedan chair. However, Yu Tao's men couldn't carry such a heavy sedan chair, and Yu Tao didn't dare to ask Wang Wenzhou's sedan chair carriers to do so. So, he could only force Wang Wenzhou to ride in a carriage.
The carriage stopped, and Wang Wenzhou got off and walked towards the people.
"Wang Qingtian!"
"We don't want you to leave!"
"Wang Qingtian, it would be so wonderful if you could stay!"
The people cried out from the bottom of their hearts.
Wang Wenzhou bowed deeply to the people and said, "Fellow elders of Gaoling, I am truly burdened by official duties and have no choice but to leave Gaoling. I thank you all for seeing me off so far from the city!"
After speaking, Wang Wenzhou bowed deeply once again.
The people of Gaoling were truly reluctant to see Wang Wenzhou leave; they had never seen such an incorruptible official! Shen Zizhen had served as an official in Gaoling for six years, during which the people of Gaoling suffered immensely. When Wang Wenzhou arrived, he not only executed Shen Zizhen but also promised the people that he would return the overcharged taxes and mobilize grain to provide disaster relief.
Wang Wenzhou cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Even after a thousand-mile journey of seeing you off, we must part ways. Please return now!"
“Wang Qingtian, this old man is quite free and just wants to take a stroll for a while.”
"Wang Qingtian, I'm on a diet!"
The people made various excuses, unwilling to leave.
Wang Wenzhou knew these excuses were lies, but he was deeply moved. To be honest, he hadn't truly considered the people's welfare; his actions were primarily to please Liu Rushi and get her to sleep with Qi Siyan. Even so, the people were still grateful to him, treating him like a second father.
“I appreciate your kind intentions! Please go back now. Rest assured, I will definitely come back to Gaoling County after I finish my official business. I believe that by then, you will all be able to live and work in peace and contentment,” Wang Wenzhou said with a smile.
"Thank you, Judge Wang!"
The people knelt down to express their gratitude.
"Go back, everyone!" Wang Wenzhou urged again.
The people stood up and left reluctantly, turning back every few steps.
Looking at the people's backs, Wang Wenzhou said to Yu Tao, "Yu Tao, you have been an official in Gaoling for many years. Why is it that the people wish you were dead, while I have only been in Gaoling for one day, and the people wish I were a living Buddha to worship?"
"Hehe..." Yu Tao laughed awkwardly.
Wang Wenzhou said softly, "Everyone has a heart. I understand that you have your difficulties serving as officials in a place like Gaoling, where bandits are rampant. But there should be some bottom line in what you do, right? Even if you can't benefit the people, you can't oppress them, can you?"
Yu Tao nodded and said sincerely, "Lord Wang, to be honest, I never thought of this before. But today, so many people have spontaneously come to see you off, and I've been thinking, wouldn't it be better if they came to see me off? I suddenly understand a principle: people are selfish, but we can't let others lose their way to live just for our own sake. It's best to leave others a way to live without harming our own interests."
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Brother Yu, you have a good understanding. This is what is called the Doctrine of the Mean. You really shouldn't have joined the rebel army. You should have become an official. As long as you understand this, you should be able to become an honest official in the hearts of the people."
"Lord Wang is too kind. I am ashamed!" Yu Tao said sincerely.
Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Alright, let's go."
……
Xi'an.
Sun Chuanting received a message from Wang Qiang that Wang Wenzhou had been kidnapped by thieves, leaving Sun Chuanting helpless. That mad dog Wang Wenzhou, without a word, beheaded Shen Zizhen, the magistrate of Gaoling County. Yes, you, Wang Wenzhou, are an imperial envoy, but the Emperor sent you here to supervise the army, not to cause trouble!
Shen Zizhen has made a mistake. You can impeach him or bring him to justice, but you can't just behead him without a trial by the three judicial authorities. Now you've incited a riot among Shen Zizhen's subordinates, and you've become their hostage.
Wang Wenzhou had instructed Wang Qiang not to reveal that he had been kidnapped. However, when Wang Qiang and Miao Ping saw him off that day, Miao Ping sensed something was amiss.
So Miao Ping pressed Wang Qiang for details, and Wang Qiang, without much thought, told Miao Ping what had happened.
Upon hearing this, Miao Ping was alarmed. The imperial envoy had been kidnapped! This was a serious matter and could not be taken lightly. What if the thieves decided to kill Wang Wenzhou in a desperate attempt to destroy him?
Wang Qiang was terrified by Miao Ping's speculation. Although Wang Wenzhou told him not to worry, how could he not worry, since the animals were in the hands of thieves?
At Miao Ping's urging, Wang Qiang wrote a letter to Sun Chuanting, informing him of the matter.
Now it was Sun Chuanting's turn to worry. Wang Wenzhou was an imperial envoy, and it would have been better if he hadn't known he was kidnapped. Now that he knew, he had to find a way to rescue him. Otherwise, if anything happened to Wang Wenzhou, the emperor would definitely hold him accountable.
Sun Chuanting quickly mustered his troops and went to rescue Wang Wenzhou.
A few days later, Wang Wenzhou learned that Sun Chuanting's Qin army was less than twenty miles away from them, and he was both amused and exasperated.
Old Sun, aren't you just making things worse?! I have over five thousand elite soldiers with me, and instead of helping myself, I let Yu Tao kidnap me. It's obvious I'm not worried about my life. And you come here with a large force, looking like you want to fight. Are you trying to force Yu Tao to kill me?
Yu Tao said coldly, "Lord Wang, what exactly is the purpose of your subordinates acting this way?"
Wang Wenzhou smiled wryly, "Brother Yu, Sun Chuanting is the governor of Shaanxi, how could he be my subordinate? Although I am the military supervisor of the Northwest, I can't order Sun Chuanting around. How about this: we have more cavalry, we'll flee tonight and prevent Sun Chuanting from catching up. Actually, I'm also afraid. You don't know, my reputation in the court isn't good, I have too many enemies. I'm afraid that old bastard Sun Chuanting will use the pretext of saving me to kill me!"
Yu Tao nodded and threatened, "Lord Wang, I hope you're telling the truth. The lives of over two hundred of us brothers depend on your whims. But if you're lying to me, you'll probably be the first to die!"