The Laid-back Life of a Stepmother

Wen Ye and Xu Jingrong came to report a case and were first met by Liu the Steward in the prefectural yamen. He had met Xu Jingrong once before and knew that the latter was a classmate of his master's youngest son.

Upon learning that they had come to report a case, he quickly went to the back to seek instructions.

Soon, Wen Ye met Zhuo Qian, the current prefect of Orchid City.

Zhuo Qian had been appointed to Orchid City for less than half a year. His predecessor, though not a corrupt official, was hardly a good one. Over the years, Zhuo Qian had uncovered more than a dozen miscarriages of justice from the records in the yamen's archives.

Some of these cases were complicated by the passage of time, as the suspects had either died or disappeared, making it difficult to reinvestigate. Zhuo Qian had been focusing his recent efforts on these cases.@@novelbin@@

On one hand, he wanted to uncover the true culprits, and on the other, he hoped to use these cases to better understand Orchid City.

Zhuo Qian had met Xu Jingrong before; his own younger son was also studying at Orchid Academy, and the two were good friends.

He was well aware of Xu Jingrong's identity.

As soon as he walked out, he asked, "Young Earl, is it you who wants to report a case?"

Xu Jingrong shook his head, then nodded, thinking for a moment, "Yes, it's me, Uncle Zhuo, but my Second Aunt is also here."

It was only then that Zhuo Qian noticed a woman sitting not far away.

Hearing Xu Jingrong address her as 'Second Aunt,' Zhuo Qian immediately understood the woman's identity.

He then spoke with more courtesy: "So it's Madam Xu, I wonder what case you and Young Earl wish to report?"

Xu Jingrong spoke first: "It's like this, Uncle Zhuo. On our way back, my Second Aunt and I saw two black-clad men forcefully abducting someone in broad daylight in Copper Drum Alley. The person abducted seemed to be a young man around sixteen or seventeen."

He spoke with rhythm and emotion.

Wen Ye then stepped forward a few paces and added, "That young man today also saved a woman who was almost kidnapped in the street by a local bully outside Cloud Pavilion. It was the yamen's constables who later arrived to take the bully away; they should still remember the young man's appearance."

Prince Wen was around ten or eleven years younger than the emperor and was now in his late teens. However, his appearance was youthful, and those who didn't know him might mistake him for being only sixteen or seventeen.

Describing him as a young man was not inappropriate.

Xu Jingrong clenched his fist and added, "Yes, he also stood up against evil today."

Initially, hearing only Xu Jingrong's account, Prefect Zhuo thought it was just an ordinary case of abduction for robbery or murder.

But after Wen Ye's words, his expression immediately changed.

Zhuo Qian quickly asked again, "Did the abducted man have a personal guard with him?"

Wen Ye nodded, "Yes, there was one, but the guard was not by the young man's side at the time."

Hearing this, Zhuo Qian's complexion grew even more grim.

Seeing this, Wen Ye knew he had figured out the identity of the abducted person.

This was good; it saved her the trouble of having to subtly hint at it.

Wen Ye had never intended to actively reveal who the abducted person was. She didn't want to get herself involved.

Witnessing the abduction of an ordinary young man was different from witnessing a current prince being kidnapped by bandits.

If the latter was the case, her decision to report the matter to the authorities in the future could be interpreted in various ways.

The situation had become serious, and Zhuo Qian's face showed a grave expression.

He had just received news from Sheng Jing, and shortly after, his men informed him that they had encountered Prince Wen on the street.

Zhuo Qian had originally planned to finish handling the current cases on his desk and then assist Prince Wen in investigating the suspects in his case.

But if Prince Wen were to have an accident on his watch, his official position might not be secure.

However, who would dare to abduct a prince of the court in broad daylight? If it were the accomplices of that local bully, they should know better than to mess with someone connected to the authorities.

Broad daylight, and masked black-clad men.

This matter was likely not simple.

Zhuo Qian looked at the two again, his gaze hesitant.

Wen Ye understood and said, "Before coming to report the case, I sent a capable guard to follow them discreetly. He should be back soon."

"At that time, Prefect Zhuo can summon him for questioning."

Wen Ye's attitude made it clear that she would not meddle in the matter.

Zhuo Qian immediately expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Madam Xu. This case may involve complex issues, please understand."

Having said all that, Wen Ye was more than willing to know nothing more.

For dangerous matters, the less one knows, the better.

However, her luggage was almost packed, and by this time, Granny Jiang and the others should have been waiting near the yamen for some time.

Thinking of this, Wen Ye changed her expression to one of concern and said, "However, the two black-clad men seemed to have seen our faces when they abducted the young man. Could this be..."

Wen Ye stopped there.

Zhuo Qian was also a clever man; he immediately caught on. After a moment of thought, he said, "How about this: until the criminals are caught, please stay in the back courtyard of the yamen for a couple of days, Madam Xu and Young Earl. My wife is also from Sheng Jing."

Even if Wen Ye hadn't brought it up, Zhuo Qian would have considered sending some men to protect them. If the perpetrators turned out not to be ordinary bandits, losing a young master from the Grand Duke's manor would truly jeopardize his official position.

Although staying in the back courtyard of the yamen might seem a bit abrupt, it was at least safe, and with his wife present, he could focus all his energy on tracking down the kidnappers of Prince Wen.

As a woman, Wen Ye's accommodation in the back courtyard should be handled by Zhuo Qian's wife.

While Wen Ye instructed Tao Zhi to call Granny Jiang and the others to come in, Zhuo Qian went to the back courtyard to explain the situation to his wife.

Zhuo Qian's wife was Lady Wang. Her father had served as an official in the capital for many years, and Zhuo Qian's smooth career path was not only due to his own abilities but also thanks to the influence of his father-in-law, Lord Wang, who had quietly helped him.

Therefore, Zhuo Qian held Lady Wang in high regard. He explained to her the details of the situation that he could.

After hearing, Lady Wang's expression became serious: "The situation is sudden; it's indeed not safe for Young Earl and Madam Xu to stay in their original accommodation."

Seeing that his wife understood, Zhuo Qian said, "This matter can only trouble you, my dear wife."

Lady Wang replied, "What trouble? I'll take care of Madam Xu. You just focus on handling the case."

Having said that, the couple went to the front yamen together, while behind them, Wen Ye was now accompanied by several others.

Zhuo Qian was slightly surprised and blurted out, "Who are these?"

Wen Ye explained, "These are the servants and maids who have been taking care of Jingrong in Orchid City, and the rest are guards who accompanied me from Sheng Jing. Since capturing the criminals is the priority, we won't add extra trouble to Lord Zhuo and Lady Wang."

The logic made sense, but Zhuo Qian couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

However, his mind was now entirely focused on Prince Wen's abduction, and matters that didn't seem so important could only be set aside for now.

Lady Wang stepped in for her husband, saying, "How could it be trouble? If Madam Xu has any needs, please feel free to let me know."

Wen Ye looked at her and spoke politely, "Thank you, Lady Wang."

"By the way," Wen Ye added, "The guard I sent to follow the criminals has already returned. Lord Zhuo can summon him for questioning at any time."

Zhuo Qian's attention immediately returned to the abduction of Prince Wen. He quickly said, "Then I must take my leave for now."

Wen Ye nodded slightly.

With Lady Wang's proper arrangements, Wen Ye smoothly moved into the back courtyard of the yamen. Along with her were Xu Jingrong, the male servants staying in the front courtyard under the arrangements of Liu the Steward, and the female servants all settled in the back courtyard under Lady Wang's arrangements.

The back courtyard of the yamen was not very large, with only a few living quarters.

As they walked along, Lady Wang apologized, "We prepared in a hurry; I hope Madam Xu can forgive us."

Wen Ye shook her head, "This is fine; Lady Wang has gone to great lengths. Besides, we're the ones bringing trouble by coming here."

Lady Wang was a thoughtful person. Worried that Wen Ye might feel uncomfortable, she stayed a while longer to keep her company.

Through Lady Wang, Wen Ye learned several things: Lady Wang had a daughter and two sons. Her eldest daughter had been married off a couple of years ago, her eldest son was studying at her father's home in Sheng Jing and had entered the Imperial Academy two years ago, while her youngest son remained with them, attending Pine Mountain Academy as the family moved with Lord Zhuo's promotions.

Lord Zhuo also had a concubine-born daughter who was engaged and rarely left her room these days, spending her time embroidering her dowry.

Judging from Lady Wang's demeanor when talking about her husband and children, the Zhuo household seemed peaceful, and the relationship between Lord Zhuo and Lady Wang was quite good, with the lord showing respect to his wife.

Lady Wang was also clever; she seemed to know what Wen Ye wanted to hear, though the information she provided could be easily learned by asking around.

However, Wen Ye couldn't leave now, which is why she wasn't aware.

Through this, the private matters of the residence would not be exposed, and the guests could stay at ease.

Lady Wang was quite experienced and knew exactly how to handle such situations.

After Lady Wang left, Xu Jingrong, who had been quiet all along, couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Auntie, didn't you say we were going to report this to the authorities? Why are we staying at the government office?"

Wen Ye glanced at him and replied, "If we didn't stay at the government office, do you think those black-clothed men would have spared us in our small courtyard?"

Xu Jingrong wasn't very sure and said, "They wouldn't be able to figure out who we are so quickly, right?"

Wen ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Ye took a sip of tea and said, "What if they do? We can't gamble with our lives."

Xu Jingrong's face twisted a little and he continued, "So, are we going to stay here forever?"

Wen Ye nodded and replied frankly, "Yes. Regarding the academy, I’ll ask Lady Zhuo to help you take more days off."

Xu Jingrong suddenly sighed, looking quite conflicted. "What if I fall behind in my studies?"

Wen Ye gave a soft chuckle and saw through him at once. "Did you ever keep up before?"

"......"

Wen Ye continued, "Don’t think about it. Just behave and stay in the government office. You're just a brash youth. This is not the time to play the hero."

Being seen through, Xu Jingrong could only sigh awkwardly over and over again and obediently stayed by Wen Ye's side.

Xu Jingrong's dream of being a hero was completely shattered.

*

On Zhuo Qian's side, after listening to the guard's account, his expression grew increasingly serious. They had actually lost track of the target.

A moment later, he instructed Liu the Steward to carefully arrange the guard's duties and quickly returned to his study to write a letter, sending it urgently to Sheng Jing with a trusted subordinate.

Then, he summoned a few more trusted subordinates, ordering them to disguise themselves and secretly investigate the area near where they had lost the target.

The government office's forces were to remain on standby for now.

After finishing all this, Zhuo Qian personally went to the prison to interrogate the thug still detained there, hoping to find new clues.

The trusted subordinate sent by Zhuo Qian to deliver the letter to the capital traveled at full gallop, and within two hours, the letter was delivered to the Magistrate's Office in Sheng Jing.

Upon reading the letter, Magistrate Wang immediately sent someone to notify the Duke's Mansion and had the mansion prepare the carriage as he needed to enter the palace.

The abduction of a prince was no trivial matter.

Half an hour later, in the Hall of Diligence in Governance.

The letter sent by Zhuo Qian detailed everything.

After reading the letter, the Emperor's face turned exceptionally dark.

"This case is to be handled jointly by the two of you. You must ensure that Prince Wen is safely rescued!"

Magistrate Wang: "This subject obeys the decree."

At this moment, Xu Yuejia suddenly said, "Not many people know about the Prince going to Orchid City to capture the criminals. Investigating this line might yield clues."

The Emperor agreed. "Xu Qian speaks wisely. I’m afraid he was recognized by someone in Orchid City, which would be troublesome."

The case he assigned to Prince Wen was just an extremely ordinary case from the Magistrate's Office's files and didn't involve any officials in the court.

In essence, it was just a way to pass the time for the Prince.

Xu Yuejia quickly understood the Emperor's intent. "Previously, the clues I found all pointed to the Wan City area. Now it seems that Wan City is likely a smokescreen set up by the remnants of the rebel king."

The Emperor thought the same way. He was afraid that the ones who abducted Prince Wen were the remnants of the rebel king.

Given how much those people hated him, if his twelfth brother really fell into their hands, he would undoubtedly suffer greatly.

"This case has always been handled by this subject." Xu Yuejia added, "I want to go there personally."

The Emperor didn't hesitate. Compared to others, he trusted Xu Yuejia more, and believed that only he would do his utmost to rescue Prince Wen.

"Alright, I’ll immediately assign you more manpower."

The three of them deliberated in the Hall of Diligence for a long time, until the moonlight rose, before finally reaching a conclusion.

*

The next morning, Wen Ye had just woken up when she was informed that their original residence had been searched.

Lady Wang had personally come to tell her about this.

Lady Wang sighed in relief. "Luckily, Wen Ye, you thought deeply. Otherwise, something might have happened."

When she learned about this from her husband, she was deeply fearful.

With just the Prince Wen's matter being enough of a headache, adding two more could mean the end of Zhuo family's prospects.

Wen Ye hadn't expected her prediction to be so accurate.

But if it were just ordinary thugs, how could they have such power to find their residence so quickly?

Despite only arriving in Orchid City yesterday, she could sense that the lives of the common folks here were relatively peaceful. Even if there were a few difficult and infamous thugs, they shouldn't dare to kidnap anyone connected to the government office.

Wen Ye furrowed her brows, feeling that something was being overlooked.

"Auntie, I want to eat the braised pork at Cloud Pavilion for lunch. Can Shi go buy a portion for me?" Xu Jingrong approached Wen Ye and whispered.

Following behind him was Zhuo An, who, after greeting, stood beside his mother, Lady Wang.

Worried that Xu Jingrong might not be used to staying at the government office, and also for her younger son's safety, Lady Wang used the excuse of feeling unwell to have Zhuo An take a few days off.

Hearing Xu Jingrong's small request, she smiled and said, "It's surprising that young Master Xu and our Zhuo An both like the braised pork from Cloud Pavilion. By the way, Zhuo An must be craving it too. I’ll have someone from Cloud Pavilion bring two portions."

Wen Ye finally realized what she had overlooked. Her brows still furrowed as she glanced at Xu Jingrong, then shifted her gaze to Lady Wang's son, asking them, "How long have you been eating the meals from Cloud Pavilion?"

Xu Jingrong was confused but still answered, "It should be more than three months now."

Zhuo An added, "I like their braised pork. It's much better than what our cook makes at home."

Lady Wang, who was sharp, immediately caught the abnormality in Wen Ye's words and hastily asked, "Could there be something wrong with Cloud Pavilion's meals?"

Wen Ye didn't immediately confirm her suspicions but said, "I'm just speculating. Lady Zhuo, how about staying for lunch to taste the braised pork made by my cook?"

Lady Wang collected herself slightly and said, "Alright."

At lunchtime, Wen Ye had Hong Xing make two plates of braised pork, placing one before each of the boys.

After Xu Jingrong took a bite, his eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

Zhuo An also nodded in agreement, though he said, "But I still want to eat Cloud Pavilion's."

Wen Ye asked without changing her expression, "You feel Cloud Pavilion's is better?"

Zhuo An hesitated slightly and denied, "It doesn't seem so."

"It's just that I keep wanting it in my mind," he finally added.

Wen Ye's gaze turned to the side and she asked again, "Jingrong, what about you?"

After finishing the second piece, Xu Jingrong thought seriously for a while and said the same thing as Zhuo An, "I do kind of want it."

It was strange. The braised pork made by Auntie's cook was clearly better.

Lady Wang, if she couldn't hear the problem in this, would have lived in vain these past decades.

"This matter must be told to Zhuo An's father," Lady Wang thought in anger. If Cloud Pavilion really had a problem, she looked at her younger son and couldn't help but show concern.

Wen Ye thought even more. She knew some of the details about the Caiyun Pastry Shop case. The culprit, Xu Muzhi, had used a drug that made his wife, Madam Deng, addicted, leading to her miscarriage.

The drug Xu Muzhi had used was from Caiyun Pastry Shop.

This was something Xu Yuejia had told her later.

Caiyun Pastry Shop and Cloud Pavilion had such similar names. Could there be some connection between them?

If her thoughts were correct, then the ones who kidnapped Prince Wen seemed to have an answer.

After all, the incident of the thug grabbing someone in broad daylight happened not far from Cloud Pavilion.

But why would they want to kidnap Prince Wen?

Wen Ye couldn't figure it out. She didn't want to frustrate herself and was about to tell Lady Wang her suspicions, asking her to inform Lord Zhuo. However, a servant from Zhuo Qian's side came to report that there was a noble person in the front hall wanting to see Wen Ye.

Wen Ye was surprised. "A noble person? Who is it?"

The servant replied humbly, "It's Lord Xu, the Minister of Works."

Xu Yuejia had actually arrived?

At this moment, Wen Ye became even more certain of her suspicions.

Xu Jingrong was also astonished. "Why did Second Uncle come too?"

*

In the front hall, Zhuo Qian was reporting his findings over the past two days to Xu Yuejia.

Zhuo Qian was very perceptive. Seeing Wen Ye arrive, he paused the conversation, found an excuse, and left first.

Wen Ye approached and asked, "Why did you come here?"

Xu Yuejia's gaze lingered carefully on her, finally settling on her face.

Seeing Xu Yuejia like this, Wen Ye understood that Lord Zhuo had already informed him of everything that had happened here.

So she spoke first, "Don't worry, I’m fine."

Xu Yuejia was silent for a moment. "Mm, as long as you’re fine."

Wen Ye said with a hint of pride, "Before coming to the prefectural yamen to report the case, I had already instructed Tao Zhi to go back and inform Granny Jiang to pack their luggage, and then bring everyone to stay at the prefectural yamen."

Even though she knew Wen Ye had many cunning ideas and would be fine in the short term, Xu Yuejia's anxiety persisted throughout the journey. It wasn't until he saw her unharmed that he gradually relaxed.

"So, things are more complicated?" Wen Ye asked, voicing her speculation.

Xu Yuejia nodded. At this point, continued concealment would only lead to more unforeseen circumstances. Telling her now would also help her be more cautious. He said, "The black-clothed men who kidnapped Prince Wen are likely the remnants of the rebel prince's forces."

Upon hearing this, Wen Ye's expression grew serious. She quickly shared her own recent suspicions with Xu Yuejia, concluding, "This restaurant called Cloud Pavilion, even if it’s not directly involved with the rebel prince's remnants, must have some issues."

With Wen Ye's lead, the investigation now had a clear direction.

Xu Yuejia responded with a 'good' and added, "I will assign someone to focus on investigating this restaurant."

"Furthermore," he instructed, "The city will be chaotic for the next few days. Since you’re staying at the prefectural yamen, try not to go outside unless necessary."

Wen Ye immediately assured him, "Don’t worry, I value my life."

"But," she hesitated, "are you alone?"

Xu Yuejia replied, "The backup team will arrive soon."

Wen Ye murmured an 'oh' and her gaze coincidentally met his, leaving her momentarily at a loss for words.

After a brief pause in her breathing, she said, "Jingrong is eating in the back. Would you like to see him?"

Xu Yuejia answered, "No need. Lord Zhuo is still waiting for me."

Wen Ye didn’t insist, "Alright, then please go attend to your duties."

She had Xu Jingrong under her watch.

Xu Yuejia suddenly raised his hand and gently brushed her hair, saying, "Everything will be resolved soon."

Wen Ye responded, "I trust in your capabilities."

Xu Yuejia's actions were indeed swift. Within two days of his arrival, he had Cloud Pavilion shut down, and soon after, Prince Wen and his personal guards were rescued.

In less than ten days, all the rebel prince's remnants hiding in Orchid City were eradicated.

Wen Ye learned that Cloud Pavilion had been an abandoned stronghold for many years. With the sudden incident at Caiyun Pastry Shop, those people had hastily retreated to Orchid City and resumed operations at Cloud Pavilion.

They planned to start with Pine Mountain Academy, adding a drug that causes addiction to some dishes to control the students. Once these students succeeded in their imperial examinations, they would select those who could be swayed to their cause.

To avoid leaving traces, they had modified the drug's formula, reducing its potency.

Although many students from the academy had been affected, the physicians' diagnoses revealed that the bodily damage was still within the recoverable range.

Wen Ye thought Prince Wen was the unluckiest. After several days of recuperation, his face was still swollen like a pig's head.

No one knew what kind of torment he had endured during those days of being kidnapped.

He was also in bad luck. Walking around so ostentatiously on the street, he was recognized by the rebel remnants. Those people had wanted to capture him as a bargaining chip. Little did they expect that this hasty move would accelerate their downfall.

What puzzled Wen Ye was why these remnants of the rebel prince, who had already been subdued for years, still had the energy to stir up trouble.

Xu Yuejia explained to her, "Their leader escaped capture back then and seized a newborn son of a wealthy merchant, passing him off as the rebel prince's posthumous child."

Wen Ye finally understood, "I see."

Xu Yuejia looked at her and added, "The remaining matters are taken care of by Lord Zhuo. Do you want to return to Sheng Jing with me?"

Wen Ye felt that since coming to Orchid City, the only difference from Sheng Jing was just changing residences.

To be honest, she wasn’t quite ready to leave.

So, she gave an excuse, "That’s right, I promised my sister-in-law to investigate the recent abnormalities of Jingrong."

Xu Yuejia looked away and said, "No need for that."

Wen Ye was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"After this incident, the academy has decided to grant the students a month's vacation," Xu Yuejia again looked at her and said, "Jingrong will return with us."

Wen Ye was surprised, "A vacation?"

Xu Yuejia nodded, "Yes. Although the main responsibility for the Cloud Pavilion case lies with the rebel prince's remnants, the unpalatable food in the academy's canteen is an undeniable fact. The emperor has already issued a decree, ordering Principal Xu to improve this situation within a month."

Wen Ye thought about it and said, "Hearing you say that, I suddenly want to try it. Just how bad is it?"

Xu Yuejia: "......"