A Good Country Wife-Chapter 704 - 697_1

"My lord, this Quan An is best at sweet-talking; his words are untrustworthy. You must not be deceived by his nonsense. The bandits from Longhu Mountain were summoned by him, and for all we know, they may not have left yet. You are aware of the notoriety of the bandits from Longhu Mountain; they are not to be trifled with. Just the fact that they dared to act so boldly this time shows how reckless they are. The government is unable to subdue them. If these bandits learn that you are using Quan An again, who knows what accidents might occur in their fury? My lord, you must think this through!"

The butler was not surprised to see the lord react this way. After so many years at the lord’s side, he knew full well what kind of man he was. The reason he had initially tried to stop Ceng Lu from seeing the lord was precisely because he knew the lord’s propensity to be easily persuaded; Quan An was particularly cunning and persuasive, so it was no wonder the lord was swayed, especially given his preoccupation with the young lady of the Zhao Family.

Ceng Lu was not a bold man. He wouldn’t dare provoke the tough characters from Longhu Mountain. The butler’s warning had solidified the wavering thoughts in Ceng Lu’s mind. While the beauty undoubtedly made his heart itch, his life was ultimately more important. Angering the bandits from Longhu Mountain would certainly not be wise. Hence, it was best to deal with Quan An properly.

Quan An was initially pleased, thinking he had swayed the lord, but then the butler intervened and ruined his plans. All this talk of the Longhu Mountain bandits was just an excuse—they clearly just wanted to prevent him from rising again by crushing him utterly. He could not allow this petty person to ruin his plans; missing this opportunity would truly leave him with dim prospects.

"My lord, don’t listen to those with ill intentions. All this about the bandits from Longhu Mountain is nothing but lies fabricated by them. We are so far from Longhu Mountain here in Xin’an City, and I have handled the matter with such secrecy—how could the people from Longhu Mountain possibly know? Even if someone tipped them off, they couldn’t have arrived so quickly. If you ask me, it’s most likely an inside job, a conspiracy to deceive you by pinning the blame on the bandits. We don’t even know who the real culprits are yet!" Quan An didn’t care if the bandits were actually from Longhu Mountain or not, but at this moment, it was imperative,

"You make some sense," Ceng Lu said, looking skeptical after hearing Quan An’s words.

"My lord, it’s not just making sense—it’s exactly the case. Think about it: if I could use the reputation of the Longhu Mountain bandits to kidnap the Zhao lady, why couldn’t others use the same trick? And the coincidence of the timing? To think the thieves would be that powerful is laughable. Even the bandits from Longhu Mountain couldn’t just come and go through the Government Office with such ease. It’s obviously an inside job meant to create trouble, to make the thief seem formidable. Maybe someone was bribed by that Zhao lady to commit the deed. My lord, you must uncover the true nature of the matter and not be hoodwinked."

Quan An earnestly advised with a sincere expression, as if he truly had Ceng Lu’s best interests at heart. When mentioning the bribed insider, Quan An deliberately lingered his gaze on the butler, implying suspicion. This made the butler quite uncomfortable to watch.

Ceng Lu wasn’t particularly astute, but he understood Quan An’s implication. However, he still trusted the butler, who had served him for many years with apparent loyalty. Even if the butler was sometimes underhanded, Ceng Lu believed that he would do nothing to betray him.

"Having analyzed the situation with Quan An, it indeed seems there is an insider causing mischief. I must have been blinded by rage earlier to not notice the oddities. Regardless, it can’t have anything to do with the butler. He has served me faithfully for years and would not commit such acts."

The butler felt relieved as Ceng Lu spoke and his displeased exterior brightened. As long as the lord trusted him, everything else seemed trivial. As for Quan An, the schemer who dared frame him, he would be dealt with sooner or later. But seeing the lord’s current attitude, it seemed impossible to act against Quan An immediately. If he continued to urge the lord, it may very well breed suspicion against him due to Quan An’s agitation. For now, he would bide his time—in consultation with the clerk, they would devise a strategy to act upon later.

"Thank you for your trust, my lord. This servant... this servant doesn’t know what to say. I will serve you with utmost dedication..." The butler inwardly loathed Quan An but had to suppress his emotions to avoid giving Quan An fodder for gossip in front of the lord. Outwardly, he displayed an appearance of tearful gratitude, also relieved that the lord still trusted him. Otherwise, with Quan An’s instigation, he would have been in grave trouble.

To Quan An’s surprise, Ceng Lu trusted the butler so much. But he didn’t dwell on his disappointment; after all, Ceng Lu had decided to trust him again, which gave him a chance to turn his fortunes around. If he handled this assignment well, particularly in securing Lin Family’s Zhao Lin for Ceng Lu, he would surely climb back to his former days of glory, and he wouldn’t spare any of those who once tripped him up.

"Quan An, you say you have a way to let me triumphantly win the beauty over? Tell me, what good strategy do you have?" Ceng Lu asked eagerly, his mind still fixated on the prize just out of reach.

Quan An, however, glanced at the butler, hesitating and remaining silent as if he did not wish to speak in front of him. Ceng Lu understood that sometimes his butler lacked courage, was tentative in actions, and often advised caution. Going along with Quan An’s wish, he gestured to the butler with a wave of his hand.

"Butler, though I trust you, you’re not entirely without blame for what has happened. At the very least, you failed to manage your people, allowing such betrayal to occur. It’s up to you to root out the mole. I have things to discuss with Quan An; you may leave us now."

With Ceng Lu’s command, the butler had no choice but to comply and reluctantly left the room. But before leaving, he did not forget to glare at Quan An, a clear warning. He also worried about what other unscrupulous ideas Quan An might come up with.

In truth, the butler sincerely hoped the lord would not meddle with Zhao Lin from the Lin Family. Despite being beautiful, she was a married woman with a strong backing—pursuing her could bring a host of troubles, potentially beyond the control of even the main family. He feared that he might be blamed for failing to deter the lord.

Lin Yue, along with the children, returned to the Zhao Family village and finally found some peace of mind, only to be surprised soon after by an unexpected encounter.

"It’s you, how come you are here? Could it be..."