Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 57

Chapter 57

This was a brilliant calculation, and Xie Junling wasn't stupid, so how could he not know? He guessed that this trip to Tongzhou would take at least two months, with all the travel back and forth. He didn't want Lu Baoer to be burdened with it, so he asked her to stay home alone until he returned.

Lu Baoer refused, protesting several times. She was so anxious she couldn't even eat properly. But she was also afraid that if she went to Tongzhou, she would run into trouble with the Cheng family and cause more trouble for Xie Junling. She wanted to help him, not harm him. So she followed Xie Junling's instructions.

Xie Junling went to Tongzhou alone. The governor of Tongzhou was no fool and knew how to put on a good show. He personally organized workers to dredge the river and fill the silt to prevent flooding. Not only that, the governor also opened a porridge stall to provide relief to the victims, acting like a righteous official.

Xie Junling also guessed this. He secretly deployed spies and started from the victims. After finding out about the flood, many victims whose families were broken up were driven out of Tongzhou and were not allowed to enter Tongzhou. Half of the disaster relief silver was just enough to help the victims in Tongzhou, and the other half was embezzled by the governor. Since the silver was not enough, he continued to write to the court to cry poor.

After Xie Junling obtained evidence of the crime, he spent the night chatting with the Tongzhou governor. He praised the governor's integrity and righteousness, while secretly sending Zhu Sheng to Kyoto with an expedited 800-li journey to deliver the letter to the emperor through the Minister of the Secretariat, Lord Fu. Xie Junling feared that Zhu Sheng would report the case after returning to Kyoto, giving the Tongzhou governor ample time to dispose of the remains and thus counterproductive. Consequently, imperial officers and soldiers secretly arrived in Tongzhou, bearing the emperor's decree, to apprehend the convicted official and bring him back to Kyoto for investigation by the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate.

Cheng Linghe, having learned of her master's downfall, attempted to escape that very night. However, as soon as she opened the door, she ran into the elegant and distinguished Xie Junling. Cheng Linghe's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed in delight, "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law, save me!"

Xie Junling frowned slightly, glancing at the woman running toward him. He thought for a long time before remembering who she was. He said with disdain, "I can't be called your cousin-in-law. My wife isn't in the Cheng family tree, so she's not a Cheng daughter. Don't try to imply any connection; it's disgusting."

He said it lightly, but Cheng Linghe felt like she was falling into an icy cellar. Her face burned with pain, and she didn't know what to say. Before she could say anything, the officers stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth and took her away.

On the day Xie Junling returned to Kyoto after a long journey, he was greeted by hundreds of officials. The emperor, remembering his meritorious service in investigating the embezzlement of disaster relief funds, appointed him to the rank of Fourth Rank Dali Temple Shaoqing. This was the emperor's official appointment of Xie Junling based on his merits.

It had only been less than four years, and Xie Junling had already reached the fourth rank. His promotion was far too rapid. Some people were saying that Lu Baoer was indeed a lucky charm for her husband, suggesting that Xie Junling had a reason for wanting to marry this country girl of unusual origin.

Xie Junling was busy with his official duties and it was two days later that he returned home to see Lu Baoer. Three months without seeing Lu Baoer, with only letters from home to express his feelings, was truly unbearable.

As soon as she entered the house, Lu Baoer rushed towards Xie Junling and shouted happily, "Husband!"

Xie Junling also missed Lu Baoer very much, and at this moment he hugged her tightly. His arms were filled with his daughter's fragrance. He took a deep breath and held her tightly in his arms. Xie Junling asked, "I haven't seen you for a few months. Have you listened to what Madam said?"

Xie Junling could only entrust Lu Baoer to the old nanny in the mansion. He glanced at the old nanny and waited for her answer.

Seeing the young couple being so affectionate, the old nanny pursed her lips and smiled, "Don't worry, Master. Madam is very well behaved in the mansion. She never misses a single meal a day and even has a snack at night!"

Hearing this, Xie Junling initially felt relieved. But then he thought about how he'd been unable to sleep at night just thinking about Lu Baoer. It was a shame this heartless girl was so happy to eat anything, not caring about him at all. Was he still her husband? How could he not be consumed by longing, wasting away for her?

Xie Junling pinched Lu Baoer's face hard and teased: "You have indeed gained a little weight."

As soon as she got home, she said she was fat? Lu Baoer was a little dissatisfied, grinning and said, "How can a husband be like this? He only looks at me to see if I have gained weight. I am not a chicken or duck in the backyard, so why should I be counted by kilograms?"

Hearing her shouting, Xie Junling finally felt a glimmer of life. His days in Tongzhou had been rough. He constantly worried that the Tongzhou governor would discover his mistake and kill him first, then blame it on bandits. By then, he wouldn't be able to uncover his corruption, and Xie Junling's life would have been wasted.

Lu Bao'er also knew about the Tongzhou Governor's family. If Cheng Linghe hadn't coveted the Governor's family's wealth and married him as his second wife, perhaps she could have avoided this disaster. It seems that everyone has their own destiny and fate. She was lucky to have met Xie Junling. If she had met someone else, she might not have the glory she has today.

Thinking of the Cheng family, Lu Baoer asked Xie Junling, "With Cheng Linghe in such a serious situation, did the Cheng family contact you?" Xie Junling had been responsible for this matter, so it's easy to imagine the Cheng family's fear, terrified that Cheng Linghe's affairs would implicate them. After all, they had previously used the governor as a shield. The Cheng family must have used the title of Tongzhou Governor's wife to do many things, which is why they were so supportive of Cheng Linghe. Now, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Losing a concubine's daughter is not a big deal, but if it were to affect the Cheng family's century-old family business, it would be a loss that outweighs the gain.

Speaking of the Cheng family, Xie Junling sneered: "The Cheng family did approach me, but I rejected them all. You don't have to worry."

That day, the Cheng family arrived, bearing a large sum of money, to visit Xie Junling, claiming that Old Lady Cheng wished to meet her grandson-in-law. Xie Junling, not having much to offer, refused all requests, citing Lu Baoer's absence from the Cheng family tree as a reason for not being a Cheng daughter. Furthermore, Zhu Sheng then proceeded to beat the visitor out with a club. Xie Junling's ruthlessness was evident, with some disaster victims claiming he was the reincarnation of "Xie Qingtian." He suspected the Cheng family was trying to exchange money for information, hoping to learn how the Tongzhou governor would handle the situation, and whether, if he executed her, his wife's family would be implicated.

Unfortunately, they didn't get any information from Xie Junling. The Cheng family staged a drama overnight, saying that Cheng Linghe was not actually a member of the Cheng family, but a bastard born from her mother's one-night stand. They used this as an excuse to expel Cheng Linghe from the Cheng family and remove her name from the family tree. It's hard to say whether such a method would be effective if they really wanted to punish her severely. However, the Cheng family was really sycophantic, and the entire family was very cold. Xie Junling was glad that Lu Baoer had no connection with such a family.

A few days later, the three courts came to a joint trial, convicting the Tongzhou governor of embezzlement and corruption of disaster relief funds. The emperor, merciful, simply beheaded the governor and exiled his family as a warning to others, but that is another story.

Speaking of offspring, Lu Baoer was worried all day long, which made Xie Junling unable to sleep well.

Xie Junling saw that Lu Baoer also kept her eyes open at night, so he took her into his arms and asked, "What are you thinking about, Madam?"

Lu Baoer turned around, buried herself in Xie Junling's arms, and asked him quietly, "Do you want a child, husband?"

"Child?" Xie Junling remembered she was talking about a legitimate son or daughter. He had no elders, so he was completely indifferent to the issue of offspring. He thought about how a child would cry and how, if it was a boy, he would definitely be around Lu Baoer all day. He frowned in disgust and said, "I don't mind that."

"Who doesn't want children?"

"If you want one, you can just adopt one later."

Who wouldn't want to pass on their bloodline? How could Xie Junling actually talk about adopting a child? Lu Baoer was puzzled, but her heart felt sweet. She had originally wondered if Xie Junling would do like other men, filling his backyard with people to expand his family, and then have ten or eight children.

At this moment, she would be happy to hear this even if it meant lying to her.

Lu Baoer's lips curled up as she said, "Then my husband and I have agreed that from now on, you will not take concubines in the name of having children."

Xie Junling was stunned. He was afraid that Lu Baoer wouldn't catch on, so he kept trying to force someone on him a few years ago. Now that she had finally refused, was it because she cared about him? She loved him so much that she wouldn't let anyone else share him. Was that so?
Xie Junling's expression gradually softened. He gently stroked Lu Baoer's cheek and said, "Well, I've made an agreement with you."

Lu Baoer laughed like a cat that had succeeded in stealing something. "But if you take a concubine under other names, I won't say anything. It's just that I have trouble with childbearing, so you can't say such hurtful words."

Hearing this, Xie Junling's face darkened again. So she didn't allow him to hurt his heart with these words, but could Lu Baoer hurt his heart with the words "taking a concubine"?

Xie Junling was slightly angry, and said in a cold voice, "How many times do you want me to tell you? My husband will not take a concubine! I'm afraid you are too idle on weekdays, so you have random thoughts all day long. Since you have nothing to do, then I will find something for you to do."

By the time Lu Baoer reacted, she was already tightly held in Xie Junling's arms. At this moment, the man's hands were like shackles, tightly binding her and not allowing her to escape.

Xie Junling was so scary. Lu Baoer wanted to hide, but she couldn't. His kisses were overwhelming, making Lu Baoer feel confused and tearful. She couldn't remember what happened next.

There was only one thing she remembered clearly: she could no longer mention the idea of finding a concubine to Xie Junling. It seemed that he didn't want to touch anyone except her.

But Xie Junling was such a good man, wouldn't it be unfair for her to keep him all to herself? What if she couldn't have children for the rest of her life? Would she really adopt one and raise someone else's child?

Adoption is impossible. Even if I just stay with Xie Junling, there is no need to raise someone else's bloodline in vain.

After thinking about it, Lu Baoer raised the corners of her mouth again. Who cares! Anyway, it was what Xie Junling said, so she would do as he said and take it over first! Lu Baoer is a person who likes to eat alone. If others are begging you to eat, wouldn’t it be a bit unfair to him if you don’t eat?
(End of this chapter)