Chapter 24: A Guest Arrives from Afar

  This week, Ting saw that her entry into the palace as a concubine had been settled, and she was very pleased. However, when she glanced sideways, she found that her father looked worried, and she couldn't understand why. She asked: "Father, what's troubling you? Are you worried that I won't be able to gain power in the palace?"

  On Thursday, he slightly raised the corner of his mouth and said: "I'm not worried about this matter at all. As long as you enter the palace and are conferred a title by the Emperor, regardless of whether you gain power or not, our status will be greatly different. If you can give birth to a son or daughter, your status will be even more noble. As your father, I'm not worried about this matter, what I'm worried about is that young master Hua."

  Zhou Ting was shocked and hastily asked, "Didn't the Flower Husband already agree to cancel the engagement and sign the contract? Why is Father still worried about him? A dull scholar like him can't stir up any trouble."

  Seeing his own daughter so careless, Zhou Si shook his head and said: "No, if Hua Lang was really a dull scholar, I wouldn't be afraid as his father. But from the recent events, I think Hua Lang is a very cunning person. Not to mention that he suddenly agreed to cancel the marriage contract with you, just by using letters to threaten me not to touch him, it's not something a scholar can do. A few days ago, I sent someone to capture his sister, but this afternoon, she was rescued by him again, and even Chong Xu Daozhang was killed by them. Can a scholar have such abilities?"

  After listening to her father's words, Zhou Ting was also shocked. She had met Hualang a few times before, and apart from being a bit of a smooth talker, he seemed like an honest and down-to-earth person. There was no way he would scheme against others. But the recent events were real and didn't allow her to question them.

  After a long time, Zhou Ting looked at her father and asked: "Now that this Flower Master is so difficult to deal with, does Father have any ideas?"

  After sitting down on Thursday, she picked up a cup of tea and took a sip, saying: "He must be eliminated, otherwise my heart will not be at peace. If one day he suddenly repents and exposes the fact that you have a marriage contract with him, can you still be a concubine?"

  "Can... isn't there a contract to cancel the engagement? What's the point of saying it out loud?" Zhou Ting asked, her tone already with three parts impatience.

  On Thursday, Ping let out a sigh and said, "What if he says that contract was signed under duress? So, we have to get rid of him."

  "How can we get rid of him now that he's so powerful?" At this point, Zhou Ting was already somewhat angry and very impatient.

  Thursday Ping didn't say anything, just gave a cold smile.

  It rained a little at midnight, so the air felt much fresher after getting up the next day. Hu Lang and his friends had a very comfortable stay at Wen's residence, and they were in high spirits when they got up in the morning.

  Just then, a servant rushed in to report that Zhou Siping, the county magistrate of Tianchang County, had arrived for a visit.

  Upon hearing the news, everyone was shocked. Could it be that Zhou Ping had come to avenge the death of Chong Xu Daozhang? But wasn't it true that killings in the jianghu never alarmed the authorities?

  Wen Meng hastily told Hualang and Huawan to hide first, and then observe Zhou Si Ping's intentions before making a decision.

  On Thursday, Zhou Siping came to visit. By rights, Wen Yidao of the Wen Mansion should have gone to the gate to welcome him, after all, Zhou Siping was the county magistrate of Tianchang County, an official appointed by the imperial court, and a parent-official of the locality. However, Wen Yidao had grown accustomed to his days on the jianghu, never having dealings with government officials, and this Zhou Siping's reputation wasn't very good anyway. So when Zhou Siping arrived, Wen Yidao only sent a young servant from the mansion to welcome him, while he himself sat in the guest hall waiting.

  Before long, the young servant led a slightly angry Zhou Si to the living room. As soon as he arrived at the living room, Wen Yidao also stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Zhou has come to my humble abode, my humble abode is truly honored by your presence. But I don't know why Lord Zhou has come to my Wen Manor?"

  Although the words were extremely flattering, the tone was full of disdain. After listening to Wen Yidao's words on Thursday, Zhou wanted to lose his temper, but thinking of his purpose for coming here, he calmed himself down first and then looked at Wen Yidao: "I came here today to inform you that the imperial court has sent Zhang Gonggong to our place to select beautiful women to enter the palace. Our Tianchang County must produce a few, and I heard that Miss Wen Mengyi of your family is talented and beautiful, so please let her enter the palace."

  Wen Yidao heard that Zhou Ping wanted his daughter to enter the palace, and he was suddenly shocked.

  On Thursday, Ping saw the expression on Wen Yidao's face and slightly revealed a triumphant smile, because he wanted to make things difficult for Wen Yidao. The people of the Wen Mansion had taken in Hualang and Huawan, so he would have to deal with Hualang, and naturally, he would also have to deal with Wen Yidao. He believed that selecting girls for the imperial court was not something that could be refused by just one person's unwillingness.

  The emperor's selection of a concubine is a major event, and the whole country must cooperate. If anyone refuses, it would be considered opposing the emperor, and even Wen Yi Dao, a Jianghu person, would find it hard to resist the imperial army.

  And Zhou Ping had already thought of it on Thursday, if Wen Yidao disagreed, he would instigate Zhang Gonggong to deal with these Jianghu bandits, and when the time came, there would be a good show for Wen Yidao. If Wen Yidao knew what was good for him, he would offer his own daughter, then he would harm her daughter halfway, so that she wouldn't even have a chance to enter the palace.

  No matter what method he uses, his goal is to put Wen Yi and Hualang to death.

  After a long while, Zhou Ping's expression turned cold as he sneered and asked, "How is your consideration going?"

  He warmed the tip of his sword, picked up a cup of tea and took a sip, calming himself down slightly before saying: "It's really a pity, I also wanted to let my daughter enter the palace and become a phoenix, but unfortunately she already has someone in her heart and is already engaged. I don't think Your Majesty would want to take my daughter away from me?"

  At present, the emperor is benevolent and virtuous. Wen Yidao knows that Emperor Renzong of Song cannot do such a thing, so he says this. However, although he says so, he worries that Zhou Tifu will secretly cause trouble.

  Thursday Ping calmly drew a knife and said coldly: "Alright, since that's how it is, let's just wait and see!"

  "Magistrate sir, slow down, I won't see you off!" Seeing Zhou Si's anger, Wen Yidao also sent the guest away without courtesy.

  On Thursday, Ping angrily left the Wen Mansion. However, after leaving the Wen Mansion, he immediately became pleased with himself. He was going to oppose his own daughter entering the palace just to make Wen Yidao guilty, so that he could have Zhang Gonggong punish Wen Yidao's crime. Now, what he needed to do was hurry back to the county government and speak some slanderous words to Zhang Gonggong.

  After Zhou Si Ping left on Thursday, Hua Lang and Wen Meng walked out from behind the screen. Wen Meng said angrily: "This Zhou Si Ping is really hateful, I'll go kill him and see if he still dares to stop me from entering the palace."

  Of course, this was just a vent, and after Wen Meng finished venting, she felt much better. However, thinking of Zhou Ping's ugly face on Thursday still made her feel very disgusted.