The Anarchic Consort

Helian Wei Wei’s face did not change even a bit, as if she did not see the Magistrate Liao and the officials from the provincial capital brown-nosing. Everyone who came was indifferent in her eyes and she was not affected by the gifts they had brought.

Private Advisor Zhang pulled a face and muttered with disgust, “Just go on pretending then!”

To him, the one named Wei was really dumb. The officials from the provincial capital had already come yet he was still trying to be modest and arrogant. He did not even care to lighten things up, thus, he deserved to be unlucky!

Helian Wei Wei was not being arrogant, she just was not the type of person who would fawn over her superiors. She would do things in moderation yet not acting too rude.

As soon as the officials from the provincial capital sat, they started questioning, “The budget from the imperial court has been assigned. We heard that there are plans to build some roads here in Fuping, how do you all plan to do that?”

“We will use the same ways we did in previous years.” Magistrate Liao was holding his teacup as he grinned and replied, “It would be best if the roads leading to the village can all be built, this would ease the convenience of the people to travel to the city.”

After listening to that, the officials all nodded their heads in agreement. “Fuping county covers a big area, if adding a few roads could help the commoners with their traveling, it should be a good thing.” Then, they turned their attention toward the county magistrates and asked, “What about you all? Do you all have any suggestions?”

Those county magistrates would definitely not have any other ideas as they were all very happy with the project of building roads! Among their conversations, they could not help but worship Magistrate Liao up until the sky.

However, Helian Wei Wei who actually had the most right to talk was drinking tea calmly the entire time.

She only let go of the teacup in her hands until they finished with the discussion. Then, she spoke with a voice as clear as crystal, “I don’t think building roads is a good idea.”

Magistrate Liao’s smiling face suddenly deepened and he turned to look at Helian Wei Wei.

A few of the officials from the provincial capital also exchanged glances, then furrowed their thick brows. “Let’s hear your reasons then.”

“Fuping county already has two main roads going out of the village and both of them lead straight to the capital city. There’s no need to build another one.” Helian Wei Wei sounded calm, but each and every sentence was on point.

Magistrate Liao chuckled in a deep voice, “Lord Wei, you have just gotten into this field, you do not understand the meaning of building these roads to the commoners. People are building roads everywhere now. In order to let the people prosper, we will need to connect the roads and rails to the provincial capital. Otherwise, Fuping county will face poverty and be outdated in the future. This is a decision made after gathering all our concerns.”

“Let me ask you then, Lord Liao. When you made this decision, did you consider the fact that Fuping county is covered with mostly fields? To build roads, these fields will need to be replaced. All the commoners grow food in the fields, what are they going to eat if their fields no longer exist?” Helian Wei Wei retaliated with a question casually.

Magistrate Liao’s gaze deepened and he laughed, “What a good question Lord Wei! We were worried about this problem in the beginning too. But then after much thought, there will need to be sacrificed in order to achieve something. After the roads are done, the people will only need to wait until the season of harvest. By then, all losses can be earned back. If this doesn’t work, we still have a number of dry foods for the needy in the store, right? We can just use them when the time comes.”

“Lord Liao seems to have forgotten that just two days ago, you have handed the rest of the dry foods to Private Advisor Zhang, asking him to sell them off. What are we going to give the people when they are having difficulties?” Helian Wei Wei had already put down the teacup in her hands and went straight to the point.

Magistrate Liao listened and let out a cold laugh, “So what Lord Wei really means is to disagree to build those roads? Have you ever thought of the things that the commoners in Fuping county will miss because of your rash decision?”

As if to agree on what Magistrate Liao had just said, suddenly there were noises from far away, “We want to meet Lord Wei! We want to meet Lord Wei!”

This kind of ruckus sure would have been heard by all. The officials from the provincial capital exchanged looks and asked curiously, “What is going on outside?”

“My lords, several farmers were making a fuss wanting to meet Lord Wei. They seemed to want to ask him about something.” Private Advisor Zhang was the one who replied. He opened his mouth again as if to speak but he stopped, this made everybody even more eager to know what was really happening.

Helian Wei Wei saw him exchanging looks with Magistrate Liao. Her slender fingers were knocking on the tabletop, but she kept quiet.

One of the officials from the provincial capital spoke, “Let the common people in, we want to hear what they have to say and what they want to ask Lord Wei.”

“Yes.” Private Advisor Zhang followed the order with his head down and a sneer on his face as if his plan was about to succeed. After a while, he led the farmers into the manor.

The common people obviously had never seen so many officials before, so their expressions were a little afraid.

Private Advisor Zhang lowered his voice and spoke with a strangely kind attitude, “You do not have to be scared, you may voice out if you have anything to say. All the masters here came from the provincial capital, they are able to help our people.”

After hearing this, someone finally had the courage to shout, “I want to meet Lord Wei! Where is the newly promoted county magistrate of Fuping!”

After noticing the huge change of emotions among the farmers, the few officials who came from the provincial capital all turned to look at Helian Wei Wei with questions in their eyes…

Magistrate Liao kept his head down and sipped his tea, but that was not enough to cover the contemptuous curl of his lips.

Helian Wei Wei, on the other hand, was unexpectedly calm. She stood up with ease and said slowly, “I am the newly promoted county magistrate of Fuping…”

“So you are the one greedy official who has been preventing us from earning a living!?” A young man shouted loudly before Helian Wei Wei could finish her sentence, “Why are you stopping Magistrate Liao from repairing the roads? Here you say that it’s all for the good of the people, but you have obstructed us from connecting the train roads to the provincial capital and use that money to build a what, buried water diversion system!? Everyone knows that the river terrains in Fuping is lower than the fields, it is impossible to use this method to water the fields. You can do all that by yourself, but why did you use up the budget for repairing roads and stopping us from earning money! The one named Wei, you are really the most shameless and greedy official I have ever seen!” Helian Wei Wei did not get angry after being scolded, in fact, she questioned him with a calm and steady voice, “Only a few of the lords and masters here know about the budget from the imperial court, my dear brother, where did you hear of this news?”

That man’s gaze automatically shifted toward Private Advisor Zhang.

Private Advisor Zhang then let out a loud cough!

The man continued, “Who cares where I heard that from! For your own benefit, now you are stopping us from repairing the road and this is the truth!”

“About this, Lord Wei needs to have a proper explanation indeed.” After listening to what that farmer had said, the officials from the provincial capital all turned to look at Helian Wei Wei sternly. “The imperial court will never accept corruption, we will not risk such a huge amount of wages to feed the mouth of a corrupted official who would endanger the people!”