"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 61

Recently the crown prince wanted to do something bad, Xia Fen could tell, Xiao Bai guessed, Wang Yun Feng…had known long ago the crown prince was not a quiet master.

Therefore, when the crown prince dragged Xia Fen with him to secretly do something bad, Xiao Bai followed behind to shield them, Wang Yun Feng…turned a blind eye, and turned a deaf ear.

Juan Shu felt, in the world he was the only most kind-hearted person, never doing a bad thing, of course he also wouldn’t participate in a bad thing.

Every day the crown prince left early in the morning, pulling Xia Fen with him outside the city, taking along his three tails and Xiao Bai to join in the small squad digging earth, afterwards issuing an impassioned and nonsensical speech to the numerous suffers massed together, finally, directing everyone----dig tunnels!

There was a technique with digging tunnels, a mistake could cause the tunnel to collapse, burying those in the tunnel alive; digging tunnels were very difficult, the labour force digging the tunnels every day woke earlier than the chickens, sleeping even later than the dogs, working themselves to death without money; digging tunnels were also a secret, they weren’t allowed to tell their old parents, they weren’t even allowed to divulge a single word to the lovers they had outside; digging tunnels…

Anyway, a group of people suffering hardship and distress, robust, idled and agitated with nothing to do young men of the disaster area were rounded up by Xiao Bai to the outside, swindled by the crown prince’s mouth filled with hypocrisy and phoney lies of all the traditional virtues to go and do all black, no daylight work.

Digging tunnels for three days, it was a little deep, the starting point was a room under the bed of a bailiff’s maid of a mistress outside of Zhuozhou’s granary, the end point was inside the largest granary of the granary courtyard.

On a dark and windy night, without moonlight, without stars, and without torrential rain, the crown prince commanded everyone to raid the greatest granary empty.

Where was the foodstuff moved to? Anyway it wasn’t under the bed in the bailiff’s maid’s room! In any case, in Lord Wang’s mind he knew the victims weren’t lacking food supplies for the time being! But also, generous, Lord Wang for the country and people joined hands with the crown prince, continuing to encourage that group of working people to excavate the remaining few granaries, then filled in the secret tunnels, also blocking off the exit. Yes, in just two days, that maid was taking as a concubine by the bailiff, worthy of celebration, to everyone’s delight and satisfaction!

The crown prince with a black heart knew, things were only just getting started; the heavy-handed Xia Fen knew, at the moment he hadn’t the smooth and steady feeling to sleep; Wang Yun Feng knew, he could start digging pits, to trap corrupt officials.

Lord Wang entered the city, taking out the emperor’s imperial edict, with an imposing manner he requested the corrupt official to open the granary and release grain for the disaster relief. The victims were pushed in through the gates by people who wanted to help, all gathering on the road outside of the government office, listening to imperial censor Lord Wang reading out the imperial edict word by word, then the starving victims carrying the local official they ran to the granaries, forcing the official to open the giant locks on the granary…

Unexpectedly the granary was empty!

The crowd was enraged, wanting to revolt, the local official life suspended by a string shouted: “We opened the wrong granary, tomorrow, there will definitely be foodstuff in the granary tomorrow! Everyone come again tomorrow, spare out lives - -”

The corrupt official was scared to die, he couldn’t think how a granary packed with foodstuff could just disappear like that, the key was on his body, this was a place where he held an office, the disappearance of foodstuff was his responsibility. The people would not believe you saying `the foodstuff had already been given to the disaster relief at an earlier time`, they only knew the emperor requested the official to open the granary, without foodstuff they would eat the official’s flesh, nibbling on their bones, if a rebellion occurred, that would be the local official’s mistake, when the emperor knew the reason he would chop off the official’s head, slaughter his entire clan.

That night, the candles inside the government office burned all night.

A notice was put up on the second day, telling the victims to go to the stipulated rice shops to receive rice. The officials and merchants once again collaborated, the countermeasures the officials thought of after trembling with fear, Wang Yun Feng did not know how many unequal agreements were signed between the officials and the merchants, the crown prince was also unconcerned.

Wang Yun Feng persisted to manage once a not too little and not to big tea party, inviting more than ten of the large and small officials of Zhuozhou, including the refugees. Afterwards, throwing out more than ten books, inside each book was recorded the corruption of an official. The officials cried out loud, outdoing one another in saying this was slander.

Wang Yun Feng sneered, the iron masked imperial censor revealed his sinister and ruthless expression: “Whether it is slander is not important, what is important is, if these books are presented to the emperor’s table, I will have the power to make the emperor believe them.”

These words weren’t to deceive people.

Imperial censor Wang was indeed the favoured minister of the emperor, he was the blade in the emperor’s hand. Wherever the emperor pointed, Wang Yun Feng that blade would cut down in that direction. Equally, if that blade reached the neck of that official, the emperor would also completely believe in imperial censor Wang’s words, in a flash making this upright and honest loving the common people as his own children official lose his standing!

Did people dared to doubt the imperial censor Wang’s abilities? If you dare to doubt, you can go and test it, watch those half true and half false books reach before the emperor, can you still sit here free and at leisure! Maybe, when you’re being interrogated, you will be abandoned by your numerous colleagues, placing all the charges onto you, make you into the vengeful spirit under the muddy structure of Zhuozhou.

Wang Yun Feng confidently and at ease patted his bottom: “These are duplicates, everyone can look at them as many times, if there is anything wrong you’re welcome to give amendment suggestions.” Drinking a cup of tea, again adding a few words: “And it’s not known whether other counties were hit by natural calamity, I also can’t stay here for much more time, ai, so busy!” Having spoken he said he had something to do, leaving first, leaving behind a house full of broken-hearted officials looking at each other.

Lord Wang’s meaning was very clear, I’ve grasped hold of your weaknesses, you can discuss together what to do. Of course, you can privately come to find me to clear the way. If I’m delighted, then you will also be at ease. I’ve done my job then, you can also continue to live those days of holding beauties in left and right arms, lively and fragrant live.

Certainly, you have to hurry, my patience is limited, with limited time.

That night, Lord Wang rarely did not leave the house, cooped up inside the small house teaching Xia Fen to write characters. This child worked hard practicing martial arts, when it came to writing he was restless, turning and scratching his neck, moving around in an insincere manner.

Wang Yun Feng held a chicken feather duster in his hand, placed on the main table was the Four Treasures of the Study, the folded yellow memorial to the emperor on the left side was still not written, there was a pile of books on the right side, looking like the original of that pile of books the officials had taken this afternoon. A bit further along was a small table, in front of the table sat Xia Fen, when he stopped writing for some time, the duster in Wang Yun Feng’s hand would meet his tiny bottom, a `pa` sound, but loud and clear.

Being hit too much, he didn’t dare to sit his bottom on the chair, Xia Fen felt he was suffering even more than the hard toil of those who excavated the tunnels.

Xia Fen was forced to practice his characters, Wang Yun Feng personally used a vermilion writing brush to circle out the mistakes he made, then he had to copy the word he got wrong ten more times. Xia Fen was enraged, immediately after he threw down his writing brush wanting to run out, just by chance running into Juan Shu coming in the door falling into a dumpling, a short and stout affable middle aged official followed behind Juan Shu.

Wang Yun Feng grabbed hold of Xia Fen’s arm, much too tense, fingertips digging into his flesh, heavily forcing him into his seat, conveniently drawing out a bright clear large knife from the wall placing it horizontally on the table: “When you finish writing these characters, I will reward you with this blade”

Xia Fen asked: “Why do I want it?”

“Give it to you to play.”

Xia Fen held the knife, while bit by bit kneading the steel knife into silver ingots, tossing them onto the table: “Don’t use rubbish metals to deceive me.”

Wang Yun Feng took a deep breath, from his drawer he felt out a gem inlayed blade : “If you can write these characters from memory, I’ll give this to you.”

Xia Fen with a `shua` drew out the blade from its scabbard, holding the palm size knife swiping it at the corner of the table, the first-rate rosewood table lost a piece, it appears this weapon would cut clean through iron as though it were mud. Xia Fen was happy, putting the knife in his pocket, he seriously picked up the writing brush, licking it with the tip of his tongue, again dipping it into the ink, beginning to write characters.

Only then did Wang Yun Feng see the official covered in sweat, while giving polite greetings and watching attentively at Xia Fen.

The official had good insight, determined Xia Fen was Wang Yun Feng’s son, with the intention of speaking a few high praises to curry favour, he asked what Xia Fen’s interests were. Wang Yun Feng showed an embarrassed face: “His favourite thing to do is brandish a sword, because he did a little thing wrong in the Imperial city, I’m afraid he’s too condescending, there was nothing else to do but bring him along with me."

The official laughed heartily: “Knowing martial arts is good!”

Wang Yun Feng was even more embarrassed: “It is good, but his temper is too unruly. He is most fond of punishing vile people who harm the country and people, he has boasted to the crown prince before, he said he will kill all the corrupt officials of Dayan, get rid of harm for the people.”

That official’s smile still remained, his entire body began shaking: “Your son’s ambitions are ambitious…”

Wang Yun Feng in a loving manner stroked Xia Fen’s head: “There’s nothing to do about it, he is my son.”

Xia Fen moved his attention onto that official: “Is he a corrupt official?”

Wang Yun Feng smiled but did not speak.

Xia Fen stood up, already holding the blade from his sleeves in his hand. The blade was thin and sharp, a cold shine reflected under the light. Xia Fen licked the blade: “Can I chop off his head?”

Wang Yun Feng held Xia Fen firmly: “I said before, you can’t kill people as you wish.”

Xia Fen stubbornly said: “He is a corrupt official, he harm people, I can kill him.”

“No!”

“I want to!”

The father and son argued incessantly, one more vicious than the other, when he saw Wang Yun Feng could no longer hold Xia Fen’s arm, that official had already suddenly kneeled on the ground: “Lord Wang note clearly, this official is genuinely not a corrupt official. This official has come to lighten Lord Wang’s burden, help settle down the victims!”

Wang Yun Feng paused a while, rather awkwardly saying: “Settling down the victims require distributing fertile land again. But right now the old gap in the dam still hasn’t been repaired…”

“Repair! Repair immediately!”

“Ai, this official also wants to, but the money the emperor has allocated has still not reached this official’s hands.”

“This official has money! Ah, This official can help the lord to prepare money. Zhuozhou has a lot of populous and affluent influential families, merchants are extremely wealthy, let them pull out a little amount and it would be enough to fill the gap in the dam!”

“This…I’m afraid is inappropriate.”

“It’s not inappropriate.” That official saw Wang Yun Feng relent, immediately he moved closer pandering to him: “Lord be at ease, hand over everything to this official. As long as after you are done with this matter…” Saying this, his line of sight unstably headed to Wang Yun Feng’s table. On the table were the evidence of the corrupt officials’ guilt and the accounts books about to be presented to the emperor.

Wang Yun Feng smiled: “So long as it brings relief to the disaster, everything will be dealt with.”

The official left giving a thousand thanks, before he stepped out he intentionally urged: “Your son is still young, even though his martial arts is good, he still needs to remember not to hurt anyone at all, if not it will be difficult for this official.”

“That is obvious.”

Just after that official left, Wang Yun Feng seized the blade from Xia Fen’s hand, while placating the child: “Fen Er’s acting isn’t bad, next time proceed.”

Xia Fen rather pleased with himself raised his head, with a `now you know how amazing I am` arrogant expression, showing off in front of Wang Yun Feng.

The father and son echoed each other, unexpectedly scaring a few coward and timid officials. Tempering justice with mercy, the disaster relief only started to get better over these few days.

But, the father and son never thought, when they were complacent, the tigress at home would appear unexpectedly, their true freedom was still very far away!

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T/N: Cute (?) Father and son bonding time but it won't last long it seems haha