flstandardbreds Chapter 171 Won?
Chapter 171 Won?
When the Minister of Revenue and the Director of the Orphanage arrived at the County Lady's Mansion together again, the scene before them was like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing their expectations - the door was closed tightly, and they were strictly refused entry.
This time, Yan Wanwan gave the housekeeper a strict order early on, no matter who the visitor was or what their official rank was, they must not be notified. She was determined not to see anyone.
The Minister of Revenue has always been arrogant and proud, with a stubborn spirit that refuses to admit defeat. So what if you, Yan Wanwan, avoid me? I will wait outside this mansion gate. Even if it takes ten days or half a month, I will wait until the moment you show up. I want to see who can outlast the other!
But he had oversimplified the matter. How could Yan Wanwan be easily swayed? For seven whole days, despite the Minister of Revenue's insistent waiting outside the gate, she hadn't even shown a trace.
During this period, the county lord's mansion was quiet and there was no movement, which made people suspicious. They even began to wonder whether Yan Wanwan had quietly left the mansion long ago, leaving this empty house alone, leaving everyone outside the door to speculate and worry.
"Butler, tell Yan Wanwan this is the last time. If she doesn't show up again, I will report her disobeying His Majesty."
The Minister of Revenue stood outside the county lord's mansion, his face full of anger, and his voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
The director of the orphanage beside him stamped his feet anxiously, echoing, "Yes, steward, your county mistress should not make a big deal out of this. This charge of disobeying an imperial order is no joke!"
The housekeeper stood inside the door, looking embarrassed, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He stammered, "My lords, my county mistress has instructed us not to see guests. I hope you will forgive me."
However, the Minister of Revenue refused to listen to any explanations. He paced back and forth outside the mansion, growing increasingly angry as he thought about it. "You are so mean, Yan Wanwan! I am the Minister of Revenue. Normally, so many people would beg to see me, but now I have condescended to come here on official business, and you are so disrespectful to me. If you continue to be so stubborn, I will not let you off easily!"
At this moment, the director of the orphanage suddenly had an idea. He leaned over to the Minister of Revenue and whispered, "Sir, just sitting there and waiting isn't a solution. How about I contact the people around the county lord's mansion and ask them to help persuade them? Maybe the county lord will take the people's request into consideration and come out to see us."
The Minister of Revenue's eyes lit up, and he thought this idea was feasible, so he nodded and said, "At this point, we can only try our best. Go and come back quickly!"
The director of the orphanage ran out in a hurry, his back full of haste and urgency.
But not long after, he came back slowly with his head hung and heavy steps. He looked as if his spine had been taken away, and there was an air of dejection all over his body.
The Minister of Revenue had been pacing anxiously in the room. Seeing the director's appearance, his heart skipped a beat. He hurried forward, tightly grasped the director's arm with both hands, and asked anxiously, "What happened? Why did you come back like this?"
The director's brows knitted into the shape of a "川" character, his mouth curled downwards, his face filled with helplessness and frustration. He sighed heavily and said bitterly, "Those people in Nanping Prefecture really don't know what's good for them! I tried my best to persuade them, but they seemed to have swallowed a weight and were determined not to listen. They all raised their necks and shouted shamelessly, saying that their princess's decision must be natural and correct."
Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue's eyes widened with shock and anger. He unconsciously clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. He demanded loudly, "Are they crazy? Don't they even know what the consequences will be for disobeying the order? This is a capital offense!"
The hospital director waved his hands feebly, his shoulders slumping. His tone was filled with exhaustion and despair. "I explained the stakes to them word for word, my lips nearly worn out. But they were like under a spell, completely refusing to listen. My words fell on deaf ears, having no effect at all."
The two looked at each other and saw a deep sense of powerlessness in each other's eyes.
At this moment, they truly felt the rock-solid cohesion of the people of Nanping Prefecture and the centripetal force of Yan Wanwan, which was like a solid wall of steel, and was difficult to shake.
After a long while, the Minister of Revenue fell into deep thought, and then he murmured solemnly: "Let's go! Let's go back and report to the emperor."
The subordinate beside him hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "What about the county lord...how should we deal with it?"
The Minister of Revenue frowned, his tone filled with helplessness and fatigue: "Look at her current state. What's the point of us continuing to waste time here?"
The two fell into silence in an instant, and the air around them seemed to freeze.
After a while, they returned to Jingzhao with helplessness.
When the emperor heard that their trip had achieved nothing, he was immediately furious. The wolf hair brush in his hand was broken with a "snap". His face was full of anger and he asked in a stern voice: "How did you do things?"
The atmosphere inside the Golden Throne Hall was heavy and oppressive, as if the air were frozen. The Minister of Revenue fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold ground. His voice trembled with fear and pleading, "Your Majesty, I deserve death! There is simply no way I can help County Lady Yan! She is steadfast in her refusal to open the city gates and accept the refugees. I, along with a host of officials, have tried to persuade her for seven days, until our lips were worn out. Yet, she remains unmoved and steadfast. I am truly incompetent and have failed to fulfill the important task entrusted to me by Your Majesty. My crime is unforgivable. I hope Your Majesty will punish me!"
At the same time, the director of the orphanage also knelt on the ground, prostrated himself, and kowtowed, his voice filled with tears: "Your Majesty, I have failed to fulfill your grace and mission. I beg for your punishment!"
Sitting on the dragon throne, the emperor's face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it. His cold eyes swept across the two people kneeling on the ground like a sharp blade, and his heart was filled with anger and disappointment - they couldn't even do such a small matter as conveying the imperial edict, and his trust and expectations were wasted in vain.
"Yan Wanwan's disobedience to my order... "
The Emperor gritted his teeth and was about to speak of the severe punishment for Yan Wanwan when, at this critical moment, Eunuch Wu rushed into the hall in a panic, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your Majesty, great joy! General Qin has defeated the enemy on the front line and won a great victory. He has now returned to the court!"
In an instant, the air in the hall seemed to freeze and everyone held their breath.
The emperor's originally angry expression froze instantly. He stared intently at the gradually approaching figure outside the palace. An elusive sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and he squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Did you win?"