Chapter 32

Zhao Junchen did not know how much of an impact his return to the capital had caused. At this moment, he was merely sitting in the carriage, lifting the curtain to take in the prosperity of Beijing.

This city, indeed worthy of being the capital of the Ming Dynasty, was the largest city of its time, even more prosperous than Zhao Junchen had imagined. People came and went, the streets were bustling with traffic, and the noise was lively, showing a vibrant atmosphere. The people, whether in their attire or demeanor, were far superior to those in the towns Zhao Junchen had passed through on his way back to the capital.

As the carriage turned and twisted, Zhao Junchen was so engrossed in the sights that he forgot about the distance and time. Unconsciously, he had already arrived at his destination—his residence in Beijing.

"Master, we are back at the mansion," a slightly excited voice from outside the carriage called out. Xu Qingyan had been stifled during the trip to Luan Prefecture, and returning to the capital gave him a sense of liberation.

Zhao Junchen did not respond, but simply jumped out of the carriage and looked at his residence in Beijing.

Then, Zhao Junchen was somewhat stunned.

A few days ago, during the sacrifice to heaven in Luan Prefecture, one of the charges Zhang Qicheng listed against Zhao Junchen was the extravagant and expansive mansion he owned in the capital. This mansion covered a hundred acres, was luxuriously built, and was still being expanded. It was said that the construction had cost hundreds of thousands of silver taels, and many civilian homes had been forcibly taken, leaving hundreds of families homeless and destitute.

During the debate with Zhang Qicheng, Zhao Junchen almost refuted all of Zhang Qicheng's arguments, except for the charge regarding this mansion. Zhao Junchen had simply changed the subject, even daring not to respond.

Because, no matter how eloquent one was, one could not refute the ironclad facts.

At this moment, Zhao Junchen finally realized how luxurious and vast his mansion in the capital was.

The mansion before him had wide gates and high walls, with carved bricks and painted wood. The eaves were high, and the alleys on both sides were all included. The courtyard gates were wide open to welcome Zhao Junchen, and looking inside, it was even more magnificent and grand. The pavilions and high buildings, the trees and artificial hills, were faintly visible everywhere, with double eaves and long corridors, adding to its grandeur.

And what Zhao Junchen saw was just the tip of the iceberg. The interior was likely even more luxurious.

Faced with such a luxurious mansion, Zhao Junchen felt not the slightest joy, but rather a sense of helplessness. He knew that as long as this mansion existed, it would be a living sign, and the world would never change its view of him, for this was not a mansion that a clean official should have.

On the other side, Xu Qingyan was still unaware and instead sighed to Zhao Junchen, "Master, we are finally back. It's still better to be at home. A remote place like Luan Prefecture can't compare to the capital's prosperity. There isn't even a decent house to look at. But it's good that we are back. These days have been tough for us."

Zhao Junchen subconsciously shook his head and asked, "Qingyan, do you think this mansion, being so luxurious and vast, might be overstepping the boundaries, almost on par with the princes' mansions?"

Xu Qingyan, however, was not concerned about Zhao Junchen's worries. Instead, he looked at Zhao Junchen with confusion and asked, "Master, why are you worried about this? Even the Emperor has visited our Zhao Mansion and said nothing. How could it be overstepping the boundaries?"

Zhao Junchen nodded without arguing and took a step towards the mansion.

At this moment, the people in the mansion also received the news of Zhao Junchen's return, and there was a commotion. A large group of people, led by a petite and charming woman, quickly came to welcome Zhao Junchen.

Then, Zhao Junchen finally met the legendary "Madam Ruyi" Fang Ru.

...

Wearing a light green dress, she exuded a seductive charm. Her fair oval face had almond-shaped eyes that seemed to be smiling, with arched eyebrows that seemed to be frowning. Her every glance was full of allure, making her extremely charming.

If there was any flaw, it was her height, which was only slightly above Zhao Junchen's chin. However, her petite figure added a touch of vulnerability to her seductive charm.

Although Zhao Junchen had seen many beautiful women in his previous life, he was still momentarily stunned when he saw Fang Ru.

On the other side, Fang Ru led a group of servants to Zhao Junchen. When the others bowed to Zhao Junchen, Fang Ru walked to his side, disregarding the others' gazes, and directly held Zhao Junchen's arm, her soft body half-relying on him. She spoke in a gentle voice, "Master, you are finally back."

Not used to such intimacy with a stranger, Zhao Junchen was surprised by Fang Ru's boldness but still nodded and smiled, "Yes, finally back."

Fang Ru frowned, feeling that Zhao Junchen's reaction was a bit off, but thinking that he must be tired from the journey, she let it go. She turned to the servants who were still bowing and said in a soft voice, "What are you all doing standing there? Master has had a tiring journey. Why don't you welcome him back to the mansion to wash off the dust?"

As soon as she spoke, dozens of servants scattered, some welcoming and some preparing.

Fang Ru, after all, was just a concubine in the Zhao Mansion. A concubine was only slightly higher in status than a maid or servant. In ancient times, officials and wealthy people often gave their concubines away with a wave of their hand, showing how low their status was.

However, Fang Ru, as a concubine, could command the servants in the Zhao Mansion as if they were her own, which was not easy even with Zhao Junchen's favor. But seeing how the servants in the Zhao Mansion revered Fang Ru, it was clear that they regarded her as the mistress of the mansion, showing her remarkable skills and abilities, which left Zhao Junchen quite surprised.

"Hmph!"

On the other side, Xu Qingyan grunted heavily, expressing his dissatisfaction.

But Fang Ru, as if she hadn't heard, smiled and said to Zhao Junchen, "Master, you must be tired from the journey. Let's go back to the mansion and talk."

Zhao Junchen nodded and, led by Fang Ru, walked into the mansion.

Entering the Zhao Mansion, it was indeed as luxurious and grand as Zhao Junchen had imagined. Just the servants and maids he saw numbered nearly sixty or seventy.

When they arrived at the main hall, Fang Ru first led Zhao Junchen to the main seat, then took the tea from a nearby maid and placed it by Zhao Junchen's side. She then moved behind Zhao Junchen, placing her soft hands on his shoulders and gently massaging them.

Zhao Junchen could not refuse and could only enjoy the massage while drinking tea, not knowing what to say.

Fang Ru, seeing that Zhao Junchen was not speaking, did not speak either, but continued to massage him in silence.

Xu Qingyan, however, could not stand Fang Ru's behavior and muttered something, the words "fox spirit" faintly audible.

It must be said that Fang Ru's massage skills were excellent. Under her gentle hands, Zhao Junchen's fatigue gradually disappeared, and he felt quite comfortable.

After a while, Zhao Junchen finally spoke, smiling, "That's enough, enough. I feel much better now."

Hearing this, Fang Ru came to Zhao Junchen's side, standing there like a regular concubine, her almond-shaped eyes full of happiness, and said, "I'm glad you feel better. The journey must have been tough on you."

Seeing Fang Ru standing there, Zhao Junchen pointed to the seat beside him and said, "Sit down, sit down. It's not comfortable for me to talk while you are standing."

Saying this, Zhao Junchen turned to Xu Qingyan and said with a smile, "You too, sit down and talk. In Luan Prefecture, you weren't so formal. Why are you being so formal at home? We are all family, so why be so formal?"

Hearing this, Fang Ru did not refuse and sat down beside Zhao Junchen, smiling, "Master, you said you would be back within a month, but it has been two months. You didn't even send a letter. What kept you?"

Xu Qingyan also sat down and, hearing Fang Ru's words, muttered, "What a concubine can do, how can she interfere with Master's affairs?"

However, Fang Ru, as if she hadn't heard, looked directly at Zhao Junchen, waiting for his answer.

Seeing Fang Ru's persistence, Zhao Junchen pondered for a moment and then explained to her about his trip to Luan Prefecture to perform the sacrifice to heaven and eradicate the locusts.

Hearing Zhao Junchen's explanation, Fang Ru's mouth opened slightly in surprise, feeling that Zhao Junchen's actions in Luan Prefecture were completely different from his usual style.

Then, Fang Ru spoke to Xu Qingyan for the first time, but it was a rebuke, "Working with the people to eradicate locusts, waking up early and going to bed late, day after day, how could Master endure such hardship? Why didn't you stop him?"

Before Xu Qingyan could respond, Fang Ru turned to Zhao Junchen, her eyes full of concern, and said softly, "Master, you are right. You haven't done physical labor in years. Those days must have been tough on you. You must be exhausted."

Zhao Junchen smiled and shook his head, "It was just eradicating locusts. With a group of local officials helping, it was impossible to slack off. How could I be tired?"

Fang Ru sighed, "That's good."

Then, Fang Ru frowned, "However, to eradicate locusts, why did Master have to personally work with the people of Luan Prefecture?"

Zhao Junchen sighed and said, "This trip to Luan Prefecture made me realize many things. After being hit on the head by a stone from the people..."

"Ah!"

Halfway through his words, Fang Ru let out a light exclamation, then quickly came to Zhao Junchen's side, carefully examining his head, her face full of worry.

When Zhao Junchen spoke, Fang Ru had been listening quietly, even if she had doubts, she never interrupted. But this time, she was greatly upset.

"Don't worry, it's nothing. I was just a bit dizzy at the time, but I was fine the next day."

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen finally understood why the original Zhao Junchen had favored Fang Ru so much. It was not just because of her appearance and skills.

Being with Fang Ru, Zhao Junchen's most profound impression was that no matter when, Fang Ru's bright eyes always focused on him, as if the world had no place for anyone else in her eyes. Every move, every smile and cry, was all because of Zhao Junchen.

Hearing Zhao Junchen's reassurance, the worry in Fang Ru's eyes lessened, but what made Zhao Junchen stare in shock was that the next moment, Fang Ru's eyes flashed with resentment, her teeth clenched, and she asked Zhao Junchen, "What happened to the people who attacked you? Attacking an imperial envoy is a serious crime. They shouldn't have died too easily."

Zhao Junchen finally understood why Xu Qingyan had said Fang Ru was impulsive. Who would have thought that the gentle and dependent Fang Ru could speak such cruel words?

After a moment of shock, Zhao Junchen explained, "I released all the people who attacked me!"

"What!?"

Fang Ru looked at Zhao Junchen in disbelief.

On the other side, Xu Qingyan slammed the table and shouted, "A mere concubine, are you going to meddle in Master's decisions?"

Fang Ru, as usual, ignored Xu Qingyan and only looked at Zhao Junchen, waiting for an explanation, her face full of disbelief.

Zhao Junchen sighed and said to Fang Ru, "Sit down and talk. Don't be surprised. I have thought this through."

Since hearing from Xu Qingyan that Fang Ru was his former accomplice in corruption, Zhao Junchen had planned to explain his current thoughts to her. This was the right time.

"After being hit on the head by a stone from the people, I realized that the people of Luan Prefecture hate me so much. This shows that my reputation in the court and the country is already in ruins. Throughout history, no official like me has had a good end. The reason no one dares to touch me now is because the Emperor is still alive. But the Emperor is already over fifty. How long can he protect me? So, I took this opportunity during the locust disaster in Luan Prefecture to improve my reputation."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's explanation, Fang Ru understood and said, "Master, you are doing this for your reputation. The people are ignorant. No matter what we do behind the scenes, as long as we appear to be clean officials, our reputation will gradually change. When the time comes, Master will have a good reputation among the people, and even if the Emperor changes, it will be easier to deal with."

Xu Qingyan echoed, "That's what Master means. This time in Luan Prefecture, Master didn't take less silver. He earned over two hundred thousand taels, but he did a good job with his reputation. The people of Luan Prefecture now see Master as a just official. When Master left Luan Prefecture, he received over a hundred 'people's umbrellas'."

After a pause, Xu Qingyan looked at Fang Ru with malice and said, "As the saying goes, even a prostitute needs to set up a memorial arch."

When he said