A Good Country Wife-Chapter 708 - 700 The Great Ending _2

Zhao Xinglin had been attending to matters alongside Zhao Erhu and had not yet returned, and regardless of whether it was the village chief or her third great-uncle, Lin Yue could not simply ignore their safety. Ceng Lu and his people had almost reached a point of madness, capable of doing anything.

As the chief of Longhu Mountain, it was not appropriate for Huangfu Yi to show himself in front of everyone, as that would only confirm Ceng Lu’s "slander". Lin Yue, accompanied by most of the household’s Protectors, headed toward the entrance.

"What’s this, finally willing to come out? If you hadn’t, I’m not sure how much longer these two old gits would have been able to survive." Quan An sneered upon seeing Lin Yue emerge with her entourage. Much of his current plight had been caused by the Zhao Family, and at that moment, he felt a strong desire to tear this woman apart, his words laced with sarcasm and malice.

Although Ceng Lu’s men had captured the village chief and the third great-uncle, neither were the type to submit easily, nor willing to let Ceng Lu use them as leverage to threaten Lin Yue. They certainly wouldn’t comply quietly and had suffered under Ceng Lu’s men, not to mention with Quan An there, both the uncle and village chief had sustained serious injuries, the uncle even losing a front tooth.

"Ceng Lu, you despicable wretch, as the Magistrate of Xin’an City, how dare you act so brazenly? Are you not afraid of the Court’s retribution, which you surely cannot withstand?" Ceng Lu had brought a considerable number of people that day, and Lin Yue clearly could not compete against them by force. Her only option was to outwit him, to make Ceng Lu realize the consequences of his actions and frighten him into retreat. Nonetheless, Lin Yue was not certain that such a strategy would work, but it was the best she could do in a desperate situation.

Before Ceng Lu could respond, Quan An could not hold himself back any longer. He had finally managed to persuade Ceng Lu to mobilize troops, and he certainly could not allow Lin Yue to spoil his plans. Otherwise, he would be beaten back to his former, even more miserable state.

"Zhao Lin Family, enough with the nonsense. The magistrate is merely upholding justice. You colluded with bandits from Longhu Mountain to cause havoc in the Government Office, not only injuring the officials but also looting a substantial amount of money, endangering the safety of Xin’an City’s people. It is only natural the magistrate won’t indulge such behavior. Guards, seize them!"

At Quan An’s command, and with no objection from Ceng Lu, the soldiers were about to move forward. The Zhao Family’s Protectors, after several selections, were all loyal, and seeing this situation, naturally could not back down. Without waiting for Lin Yue’s orders, they stepped in front of her to ensure her safety, creating a tension that was on the verge of eruption.

It was eventually those soldiers, on Quan An’s cue, who struck first, and the two sides began to fight. Initially, they were evenly matched, but gradually Lin Yue’s side began to falter, and eventually, Ceng Lu’s forces clearly gained the upper hand.

Lin Yue knew the situation was bleak, but with things having escalated to this point, there was little else to do. Quan An was indeed despicable; had she known, she would have found a way to eliminate him, sparing her family from this disaster. The Zhao Family’s servants, seeing the dire situation, also tried to escort their mistress to safety. But it was evident Ceng Lu was targeting Lin Yue directly, and he would not allow her any chance to escape.

"Stop, all of you, stop!" A rider came galloping in, the person on horseback said with a deep voice, halting the conflict.

The fight had become fierce, and no one expected someone to suddenly intervene. Unsure of the newcomer’s background, but sensing the commanding presence, most lowered their weapons and turned to look at the newcomer.

Standing there, Lin Yue had witnessed the arrival, but unlike the others, she recognized the voice on hearing it. It was the person she had longed for night after night, hoping for his return, and she hadn’t expected him to arrive at such a critical moment. Even though Lin Yue considered herself strong-willed, at that moment, her eyes reddened, and she gazed numbly in the direction of the newcomer.

At that point, some people on Ceng Lu’s side recognized Zhao Erhu. Ceng Lu had thought the person who had suddenly appeared as Cheng Yaojin was some significant figure, maybe even sent from the Capital City. Hearing it was Zhao Erhu, he breathed a sigh of relief. Daring to cause such a commotion, he had naturally factored Zhao Erhu into his calculations and was not afraid of him. What difference did it make if he had returned?

"What are you all doing here? This is Zhao Family territory. If you want to run amok here, you’ll have to see if I, Zhao Erhu, agree!"