Chapter 467 - 461_1
"This humble commoner has seen the Magistrate, it has been some days since we last met, I wonder if these days have been smooth for the Magistrate?" Lord Wei gave Ceng Lu a bow and said with a smile, his heart actually devoid of any awe towards the Magistrate, but rather considering the relationship merely one of utility. Compared to the previous Magistrate, Mr. Chen, this Magistrate Ceng was nothing but a fool and a debauchee, sinking daily into eating, drinking, and merriment. Yet such a person was easy to manipulate; with silver and women to sweeten him up, he would do anything asked of him.
"Thanks to your blessing, Old Wei, I’ve been quite well. Those two twin beauties you sent last time were indeed delightful, very skilled in serving people, truly a great pleasure without end, excellent indeed." Ceng Lu said with a look of satisfaction about the twin beauties sent by Lord Wei. Lately, he had spent the majority of his time in the room of the twin sisters, even frequently summoning them during the daytime. It just so happened that the twin sisters had been feeling unwell these past few days, which is why they were not present at the moment.
"If it pleases you, it is this humble commoner’s good fortune to be of service to you. I had been initially concerned that the sisters might not serve you well due to the short time spent in training them, but it seems there is no need to worry now."
"What business brings you here today?" Ceng Lu knew that a visit from Lord Wei could not be ignored, and said bluntly,
"The Magistrate is wise, indeed, ..." Lord Wei roughly laid out his plan. "Rest assured, Magistrate, that Zhao Erhu’s assets are not insignificant. After the matter is dealt with, this humble commoner will not monopolize the benefits; your share will certainly not be lacking."
Ceng Lu had not paid much attention until he heard Erhu’s name, which sounded somewhat familiar. He repeated it silently a couple of times, then suddenly it dawned on him, "No, you can’t touch this family."
Lord Wei hadn’t expected the Magistrate’s ready agreement to suddenly be withdrawn, and his heart sank. For the matter concerning Zhao Erhu, he had given the Magistrate no small bribe. If he could not recoup his investment, that would be a great loss, and what was more crucial, he could not swallow his pride. Zhao Erhu and his wife were overly arrogant, showing him no respect at all; he had to teach them a lesson.
Although Lord Wei was somewhat anxious, he still managed to keep his composure. Judging by the Magistrate’s manner of speaking, there seemed to be a reason behind his refusal. "Magistrate, why is this? Could it be that there is some relationship between you and this family?"
"Nonsense, what status do I have? How could I have any relation with a pair of peasants? However, this family has been declared untouchable by an order from above. According to the news from the Capital City, not only are this couple protected by the Jiang Family, but the peasant woman also enjoys good relations with Princess Yongle and Commandery Princess Roujia, who are favored by the Emperor. We must not offend them lightly, otherwise, even my cousin at the palace won’t let me off easy." The Magistrate didn’t hide the situation and disclosed the reason behind it.