Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 121 We can't let her plans be delayed.
Shen Qingzhou stood under the door, remaining silent for a long time.

He Tongchu: "Please give your instructions, young master."

Shen Qingzhou then asked, "Have you found out Lu Jie's motive?"

"Aside from the previous conflict between the brothers-in-law, nothing else could be found."

Shen Qingzhou went back into the room. After sitting behind his desk for a while, he said again, "Quickly send this message to Yanzi Alley. Let her decide what to do. Just don't delay her plans."

He Qu glanced at him and asked, "Young master, aren't you going back to Miss Lu's place today?"

Don't you usually rush to deliver the latest news?
Why did he have to relay messages today?

"I have some things to do these next few days, so I won't be going back." Shen Qingzhou picked up a book and began to read it intently, her words carrying a heavy weight.

He Qu looked at the book in his hand, and after a long while said "Yes," he stepped out of the doorway.

Once outside, he glanced back knowingly.

—Is something the matter?
What could be wrong that you're so distracted while reading?

He'd never seen a book read backwards before!
After He Qu left, Shen Qingzhou put the book down.

The previous turmoil in my heart has completely subsided.

Now that things are looking up at the Cheng family's situation, Cheng Wenhui will definitely be anxious.

Lu Jia had been waiting for this move. Although she didn't know the specifics of Lu Jia's plan, by going along with it, Lu Jia could return to the Lu residence as planned.

By then, he couldn't possibly go back to the Lu family with her, so he had originally planned to find an excuse to leave and disappear after she returned to the mansion. Now, things have turned out well; the Cheng family, who were waiting for her to come to her doorstep, managed to ruin the job just as she wished, as if they were urging him to make a decision to leave.

He took a breath and looked out the door, then through the roof to the distant sky. Oh well, perhaps this is fate.

After so many ups and downs, it's finally time to part ways amicably.

He no longer needed to go back; hesitation would only lead to future troubles.

He seemed to have made up his mind, and grabbed the book in front of him again.

However, he couldn't concentrate on anything, whether it was books, documents, files, or anything else.

……

When He Qu brought the news to Yanzi Hutong, the Cheng family was already in an uproar.

Since leaving that day, after Madam Cheng's scolding of her, Cheng Wenhui could no longer disbelieve Lu Jia's words, but she couldn't help but take it to heart.

Besides going to his post in the government office, he, who never formed cliques, couldn't help but actively make connections with people and inquire about the vacancy in the Ministry of Personnel from various sources.

After so many days, nothing unusual has happened.

This morning, his fellow townsman from the Ministry of Personnel suddenly came to inform him that the vacancy had already been decided internally.

Cheng Wenhui was secretly delighted, thinking to himself that he was the one chosen by the Censor-in-Chief! He had already been recommended by the Censor-in-Chief!
As expected, Lu Jia is not necessarily trustworthy.

But the visitor told him it wasn't him! It was someone else who had been transferred back to Beijing!

Cheng Wenhui panicked.
This time, the Censor-in-Chief personally recommended him to Grand Secretary Chen. How could there be any mistake?
When asked again, the other party simply told him the whole story he had heard, almost directly stating that it was Gao Hong, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial!
My fellow townsman works in the Ministry of Personnel, where he is in charge of official documents and correspondence under the Minister. This information must be accurate.

After hearing this, Cheng Wenhui was so shocked that her hands and feet went numb. Gao Hong was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, while he was just a minor Vice Censor-in-Chief. Why would he need to alarm a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial to cause trouble?

Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that the person who replaced him was not someone with connections, but simply an official who had accumulated enough seniority to be transferred to the capital. This meant that he could not possibly have any connections with the palace, so why was he given the position to this person?
Could it be that I have offended Gao Hong somewhere in the past, and that's why he's targeting me in retaliation?
Just as his mind was in turmoil, another classmate, whom he had previously spoken to, came to find him again. First, he asked if the Ministry of Personnel knew about the matter. Then, as the conversation continued, he mentioned that Lu Jie had been in frequent contact with Gao Hong recently. Even the edict used by the emperor for the fasting ceremony on the fifteenth of September was personally written by Lu Jie. Because it was written in a way that pleased the emperor, Gao Hong, as the person who submitted the edict, even received a reward from the emperor!

The classmate asked tactfully, "You haven't had any new conflicts with your ex-brother-in-law lately, have you?"

Cheng Wenhui was just straightforward, not stupid. He simply didn't participate in the back-and-forth tricks of officialdom, but how could he not know them?
Gao Hong received benefits from Lu Jie, shouldn't he reciprocate?

This eunuch Gao has no grudge against the Cheng family, but the man surnamed Lu does!
What kind of shady dealings are involved? Does he not understand?
Besides, Lu Jia had already given him a heads-up!
Cheng Wenhui was trembling with anger. She hadn't expected Lu Jia to be right. No! Did Lu Jia already know about this all along?

definitely is!

That's her biological father!

No one knows a father better than his daughter!
He spent half a day in the yamen beating his chest and stamping his feet in frustration, but he couldn't stand it any longer and stormed out to return home.

Madam Cheng was having tea with the wives of officials who had come to propose marriage to Cheng Yi when she suddenly heard a loud banging at the front door. She immediately sent a servant to investigate.

The servant returned and said that the master had come back.

Having been married for so long, Madam Cheng knew exactly what kind of person her husband was. She guessed who had upset him again, so she politely served him tea, made an appointment with the guest to go boating on the lake another day, and escorted him to the door before returning to her room.

As soon as she entered, she saw Cheng Wenhui pointing at the wall and cursing. She looked at it and saw that it was a piece of calligraphy written by Lu Jie many years ago. She asked, "What did it do to you this time?"

"Why can't he mess with me? He's always looking to mess with me!" Cheng Wenhui roared angrily, then explained the situation in a few words, before pointing at the words on the wall and cursing, "I, Cheng, must have killed his whole family in my past life, otherwise why would he oppose me like this? I curse his Lu family ancestors for eighteen generations!"

When Madam Cheng heard that the promotion had really fallen through, she was thunderstruck and didn't even bother to remind him to be careful with his words: "Say it again, did someone really take your place?!"

"Isn't it true?" Cheng Wenhui looked at his wife, her voice softening. "I never imagined that Lu Jie would be so despicable... Hey, hey, what's wrong with you, Madam!"

Just then, Cheng Yi and Cheng Yan arrived. The two brothers quickly supported Madam Cheng as she fell backward, calling out "Mother" repeatedly.

Madam Cheng slumped into a chair, her face deathly pale, but she forced herself to remain conscious. She grabbed Cheng Yi's hand and said, "Yi-ge'er, hurry up and go to Yanzi Alley. Find your sister and ask her to come here. Ask her to come right now!"

Cheng Yi looked at her with concern, then at Cheng Wenhui.

"Just go when I tell you to! What are you waiting for? He's the one who messed things up!"

Mrs. Cheng was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes.

Cheng Wenhui was as tough as a rock in public, but he knew exactly when to advance and retreat in front of his wife, and dared not utter a single word at this moment.

Cheng Yi took a deep breath, stomped his foot, and rushed out the door.