Divorced by her husband's family and rejected by her own! She defiantly turned her life around

Meanwhile, Lu Yunzhou arrived in the county town on the eighth day of the first lunar month. He first found an inn, put down his luggage, and then went to pay his respects to the teacher of the county school. "Student Lu Yunzhou pays his respects to Teacher Wang. This is Teacher Zhang's letter of recommendation to you."

Master Wang took the letter, opened it in front of him, and placed it on the table after reading it. "Students who participated in the academy examination this year will begin school on the tenth day of the first lunar month. Where will you be staying for the next two days?"

"The students will stay at the inn for two days and then move to the county school when school starts."

"Alright, if you're free these next two days, you can come to my house and I'll talk to you about policy essays."

"Thank you, Master. I have nothing to do and will come immediately."

After leaving Master Wang's house, Lu Yunzhou returned to the inn. He could have stayed in a superior room, but since he didn't have much money, he could only ask for a regular room.

He lay on the bed for a while, then took out paper and pen from his bundle and began to write a complaint. After finishing the complaint, he also wrote a visiting card. He was going to visit the county magistrate at the county government office the next day to submit the complaint.

Regardless of whether Liu stole his money or not, the magistrate should make things difficult for her. The better Liu lives, the more it makes the Lu family seem blind and Lu Yunzhou seem incompetent.

The next day, he bought two steamed buns on the street for breakfast. When he went to the county government office for his shift, he handed his visiting card to the guards at the gate and said, "Gentlemen, I am Lu Yunzhou, a student from Sifang Town. I have come to pay my respects to the county magistrate."

The two constables exchanged a glance. It was best not to offend a scholar. If he ever rose to prominence and came looking for trouble, it would be a piece of cake for them.

"So it's Lu Tongsheng. Please wait here for a moment, I'll go in and inform the master right away."

A yamen runner carrying a visiting card entered and met Fang Zhihua. "Sir, there is a student named Lu Yunzhou outside who wants to pay his respects. This is his visiting card."

Fang Zhihua accepted the visiting card, opening it as he said, "What do you mean by 'Lu Tongsheng' or 'Shui Tongsheng'? What do they have to do with me?"

He glanced at the visiting card, then threw it on the table. "A mere student is nothing," he said. "Bring him in. I want to see what business he has with me."

The yamen runner hurried a few steps to the entrance of the county yamen. "Lu Tongsheng, the magistrate requests your presence."

Lu Yunzhou followed the yamen runners inside and met Fang Zhihua. "Student Lu Yunzhou greets Lord Fang."

Ah~

"So you are Lu Tongsheng? What brings you to see me?"

"My lord, I am about to enter the county school and will soon take the provincial examination. I have come to pay my respects and ask for your guidance."

The student has come today with another matter to discuss, and requests the authority to make a decision for the student.

"For matters concerning the imperial examinations, you can consult the teachers and instructors at the county school; they are more knowledgeable than I am. And what is the other matter?"

"This is a complaint written by the student. Please take a look."

Lu Yunzhou respectfully handed over the petition. After reading it, Fang Zhihua smiled and said, "Lu Tongsheng, you say you lost 100 taels of silver notes and suspect several people in your village, as well as a woman from another village named Liu Siyue. Who is this Liu Siyue? Why do you suspect her?"

"These people in the village are all lazy and good-for-nothings who do nothing. Liu Siyue is the student's ex-wife, and we have already divorced."

The student suspected him because she had come to the village that day, and her relationship with the student's family had always been strained; hence, the student's suspicion.

"You have no evidence, so I will uphold justice for you. Do you want me to arrest them all and torture them into confessing?"

"Lu Yunzhou, how dare you! Without any evidence, you falsely accuse an innocent person! You call yourself a scholar? Guards! Slap him!"

A constable immediately entered from outside and slapped Lu Yunzhou twice across the face.

Lu Yunzhou felt a burning pain on both cheeks. He hadn't expected that the county magistrate would disregard scholars and humiliate him like this.

"Lu Tongsheng, you must remember, do not falsely accuse good people without evidence."

Go back and gather all the evidence, and I will naturally uphold justice for you.

"Go down. Out of respect for your scholarly background, I will not hold this against you."

Lu Yunzhou was seething with hatred. If he could find evidence, would he need to come to this incompetent magistrate? Despite his hatred, he had to put on a humble and receptive appearance, saying, "This student will remember your teachings, sir. Farewell."

Fang Zhihua watched Lu Yunzhou leave and found it amusing. What was there to brag about for a mere child student who had even passed the county-level exam?

He thought I would fawn over him, that he had a bright future and that I could earn his favor in the future. What a piece of trash! I've seen plenty of people like him. He really thinks he's someone important.

Lu Yunzhou, his face swollen and red, left the county government office. After walking a long distance, he turned back and said, "Fang Zhihua, you corrupt official, just you wait and see. One day, I will make you kneel and beg me."

He stormed off to Master Wang's house. When Master Wang saw his swollen cheeks, he didn't know what had happened. "Yunzhou, why is your face so red and swollen? What happened?"

"It's better not to mention it; I'm afraid it will only make the Master angrier."

"Oh, what could possibly anger me? Since Master Zhang recommended you to my school, you are my student. Who dares to humiliate a scholar like this?"

Lu Yunzhou then recounted how he had lost his silver notes and gone to the county government to file a complaint.

When Master Wang heard that it was the county magistrate, he really had no way to seek an explanation.

"You may not know this from your town, but several major cases have occurred in the county in the second half of the year, and all of them are important figures who died in gruesome ways. Now our county magistrate doesn't care about anything. If you go to him, you'll get beaten up if not him."

He hates people who cause him trouble the most right now, and besides, you only have suspicions and no evidence at all.

"From now on, don't bother going to the county magistrate if you need anything. It's better to talk to anyone else in the county office than the magistrate."

"I understand, thank you for the reminder, Master."

"You don't need to come over for the next couple of days. Just focus on recovering from your injury and come back when school starts."

"Thank you for your consideration, Master. I will now take my leave."

Lu Yunzhou came to the street, saw a clinic, went in, bought some medicine for his injuries, and took it back to the inn.

He coughed as he walked, feeling a tightness in his chest. He found a place by the roadside to rest for a while, which made him feel a little better.

Lu Yunzhou was still a little worried, so he returned to the clinic to have the doctor examine him. With the imperial examination just around the corner, he couldn't afford to have any health problems.

As soon as he entered the clinic, the doctor saw him. "Why has this young master returned? Is there something wrong with the medicine you just received?"

No.

I cough occasionally, sometimes quite badly, and this has been going on for a month or two. Could you please take a look and tell me what might be wrong?

"Please sit down, young master. Let me take your pulse first."

The old doctor closed his eyes and carefully felt his pulse. "Young master, there is nothing wrong with your body. The occasional cough is probably caused by dryness and phlegm accumulation in your lungs. I will prescribe two doses of medicine to moisten your lungs, stop coughing, and clear phlegm. You should be fine after taking it for two days."

Lu Yunzhou was relieved to know that he was alright, but he was still a little scared when he thought about how he was sick when he was a child.

He returned to the inn carrying several packets of medicine and borrowed a medicine pot from the waiter. "Young master, do you want to decoct the medicine?"

"Um."

"Young master, you look like a scholar. How can you do such work? I can do it for you for only 5 coins."

Lu Yunzhou thought about it and realized it made sense. It would be a waste of time for him to brew the medicine himself; he might as well read more books.

He took out 5 coins and put them in the shopkeeper's pocket, explained the precautions for decocting the medicine, handed the medicine to him, and went back to his room.