Free Web NovelChapter 579: Chapter 581: Nan Yue’er
Prefect Nan’s face darkened on the spot.
The two families were clearly locked in a struggle, yet they insisted on pointing all their spears at him, the local "parents official." This was an accusation that his governance was lax.
Did they really have no idea why there was so much vandalism in Le City?
He couldn’t afford to offend either side at the moment, so he just said vaguely that he would increase the number of government officials on patrol in that area and that they should prepare in advance if they noticed anything unusual.
Li Xia understood immediately. So, the Lord Prefect wasn’t taking either side. ’That’s fine,’ she thought. ’Now we’ll see who is the better strategist.’
She had been by her Madam’s side for so many years and had long since read many of the case files submitted from below.
Combined with her own analysis, she refused to believe she couldn’t outsmart that old fox. freewebnσvel.cøm
Jin Qianqian couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the long, detailed plan Li Xia had attached.
Lichun also stared at it for a moment before saying worriedly, "Isn’t Li Xia’s move a bit inappropriate? What if Prefect Nan interferes again?"
Jin Qianqian said, "Why do you think I borrowed men from General Zhou before?"
"Ah, I get it," Lidong immediately said, pleased. "Madam is borrowing General Zhou’s influence."
Jin Qianqian continued, "Tian Zhuang dares to run rampant in one area just because he has the Minister’s Mansion behind him. But unfortunately, the world isn’t ruled by the Huang family. Among all the high-ranking officials and nobles, a single Minister’s Mansion is clearly not enough."
"Even if Prefect Nan truly throws his lot in with Minister Huang right now, he still has to consider whether he can afford to provoke General Zhou, the Marquis Cheng’en."
’As long as he has reservations and doesn’t interfere, dealing with Tian Zhuang will be simple, relying solely on Li Xia’s methods and the people she brought with her.’
「Meanwhile, in the back office of the Le City government office.」
Prefect Nan was also talking about Jin Qianqian. "This Mrs. Gu is truly a bit overbearing. Although Tian Zhuang schemed against her that day, wasn’t she unharmed?"
"Tian Zhuang suffered a stint in prison because of it, and I helped her vent her anger. Can’t she just let the matter drop? Must she turn my Prefecture City into such a mess?"
Nan Yue’er brought him a cup of tea. "Father, please don’t be angry."
"I, for one, don’t think Mrs. Gu is in the wrong. If their wicked plot had succeeded, Mrs. Gu’s reputation would be in tatters right now."
"If it had really come to that, even if a Lord Qingtian had come along to overturn the case for her, it would have been too late to salvage anything."
"For so many years, the Tian Family, as mere merchants, have been lording it over you, Father. It’s truly arrogant of them."
"After that stint in prison, not only did he not restrain himself, but he became even more high-profile in Le City, relying on his connection to the Minister’s Mansion."
"You are clearly the ’parents official’ of Le City, Father, but all those people go to suck up to Tian Zhuang instead."
Nan Yue’er thought of how smug Tian Mi had looked at recent gatherings, even daring to disregard her, the Prefect’s daughter. The memory made her add a few more words.
Prefect Nan sighed, "It’s because your father doesn’t come from a good enough background. I fought hard to climb to this position, so naturally, I don’t want to offend anyone."
"I didn’t expect to end up getting grief from both sides, and now I’ve failed to please either."
Lady Nan said, "The problem is that we don’t know what the future holds. Otherwise, it would be better to just pick a side to support directly, rather than taking flak from both."
"This official position is so frustrating..."
Catching a look from Lady Nan, Nan Yue’er said softly, "If you ask me, this is all because Tian Zhuang is petty and started the trouble first."
"Otherwise, why would Mrs. Gu go to such great lengths, coming all this way just to deal with him?"
"From my perspective, Tian Zhuang is no match for her at all."
This piqued Prefect Nan’s interest. "Yue’er, you think Mrs. Gu will be the better strategist?"
Nan Yue’er replied, "Father, I think we’ve all been overestimating Tian Zhuang."
"From what I’ve heard, Mrs. Gu only sent a personal maid this time, not even a steward. This just goes to show that she doesn’t see Tian Zhuang as a threat at all."
"And think about it, even the personal guards sent by General Zhou are just following that maid’s orders."
"This shows that in Mrs. Gu’s eyes, this is all the treatment Tian Zhuang deserves."
"So why should we hold him in such high regard? Even if he is related to the Huang Mansion, he can’t be allowed to walk all over you, a Prefect."
"If word of this gets out, it won’t benefit your future career, Father. In fact, others might use it to attack you."
Prefect Nan came back to his senses. He had indeed been too anxious lately.
With the end of his term approaching, he had been focused only on grabbing onto the Minister’s Mansion as a lifeline, ignoring other minor details.
’This really is a no-win situation,’ he thought. ’Any choice I make will have consequences for me.’
"By ignoring both sides, you can certainly ensure your safety for the time being."
"But what about later? By doing this, you’ve indirectly offended three parties. If any of them decide to make things difficult for you, who knows where your next transfer order will send you?"
Prefect Nan closed his eyes and sank into thought. Everything his daughter said made sense. Trying to please both sides was clearly not an option; he had to make a choice.
When he opened his eyes, he didn’t say anything else but posed a question to Nan Yue’er, "If you had to choose, who would you pick?"
Nan Yue’er had been learning from her mother for a long time and naturally had her own opinions. "If it were me, I would definitely choose Mrs. Gu’s side."
"Why?"
Nan Yue’er asked, "Father, are you testing me?"
"You’ve been studying with your mother for so long. I want to see what you’ve actually learned."
"Alright, I’ll speak my mind then. If I say anything wrong, please point it out, Father."
"As an Imperial Merchant, Mrs. Gu holds immense wealth in her hands, something the Tian Family cannot compare to."
"On top of that, she has now successfully ventured into sea trade, which means she is already recognized by the Holy Emperor."
"She is also a Prefect’s wife. And while she may not have a powerful family behind her, Mr. Gu himself is more than enough to make up for that shortcoming."
"He has accomplished so much before even reaching the age of thirty, and now he is governing Lu City so effectively that his reputation has spread all the way here."
"Once his term is over, no one can take away the credit for his achievements, and his future career path is predictable."
"Besides, it’s not like they have no foundation. Don’t forget, Mr. Gu also served as a Capital Official in Shangjing for a time. Is it possible he didn’t make any friendly colleagues?"
"And even if all that is no help, he still has the backing of General Zhou. I imagine that even Minister Huang wouldn’t dare to go up against General Zhou."
Hearing her daughter’s analysis, Lady Nan couldn’t suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
"They say the onlooker sees clearly. Our Yue’er certainly has a clear view." In truth, Prefect Nan had already made his choice in the past few days.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have so casually dismissed the matter when Tian Zhuang came to the government office to complain again.
"You have taught our daughter well, Madam," he added, not forgetting to praise Lady Nan.
Lady Nan smiled humbly. "The child still has much to learn."
With that, she dismissed Nan Yue’er and turned back to Prefect Nan. "I trust you have made a decision, my lord. As it happens, I have a matter to discuss with you."
