freenovelworld Chapter 444 Isn't this utter nonsense?
Chapter 444 Isn't this utter nonsense?
Lu Yangyang had been teased like this before, but she didn't seem to find it particularly strange at the time.
It's like when she married His Highness, she didn't really understand the meaning of marriage. It was just that under the circumstances, she was willing to follow in His Highness's footsteps. So rather than saying it was marriage, it was more like she was following her inner desires and beliefs.
She didn't know what the relationship between husband and wife should feel like.
It seemed as if something was missing between her and His Highness.
The only thing she could be sure of was the unwavering trust between her and His Highness.
Therefore, when faced with those jokes, she simply regarded her marriage to His Highness as a fact and did not experience any strange ripples.
But for some reason, when Lord Ling, who was once like an elder to her, teased her like this, a little shyness arose in her heart, like a tender sprout emerging and gently leaping in her heart.
Recalling those things from the past, things she had never heard of and could never imagine, things about His Highness, things that Lord Ling described to her. She learned that there was such a person in this world, a very wonderful person, but so, so far away from her, just like the clouds in the sky when she lay on her back in the grass, so far away.
One day, this person, who only existed in her imagination and was far away, met her, got to know her, and even became her husband.
The ripples that followed, from the moment of their marriage, or even a little before that, from the time they met, from the time she got closer to him, the waves that lingered in her heart, were startled by a pebble, startling her into thinking about something for the first time.
She and His Highness are indeed married.
The way she described her husband differed slightly from how others described him; it wasn't just a simple identity, but rather an inexplicably intimate relationship.
Lu Yangyang sensed this slight difference and subconsciously raised her hand to touch her slightly flushed cheeks.
Seeing her reaction, Prefect Ling laughed even louder: "You're getting shy now, oh dear, that's quite rare. When I first met you, I went back and complained to my wife more than once, saying that no boy was good enough for such a fearless and capable girl, and that he would probably never come to his senses. But now, after not seeing you for several years, you even blush. If I go back and tell my wife, she'll be so happy that she'll have several more baskets of big steamed buns made for you!"
Lu Yangyang glared at him in annoyance: "If you weren't so stingy and always deducting from my wages, would Madam always think of giving me extra money every time she sees me?"
Prefect Ling, hands on his hips, snorted, "You brat, why don't you tell me that every time you come to our house, you eat all our steamed buns, leaving me not a single bun skin!"
Lu Yangyang blinked. She was really hungry at that time. She had never been full before. She was afraid of not eating enough when she could get a meal. How could there be any left?
She touched her nose, walked over, and asked anxiously and expectantly, "Please tell me quickly, where is His Highness? Where does he live? Can I go to see him now?"
"Ahem," Magistrate Ling said, sitting down in a chair and giving a light, seemingly profound cough.
Lu Yangyang quickly poured him some tea and handed it to him.
Prefect Ling took the tea, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, His Highness is not in Yuzhou City."
"What!" Lu Yangyang slammed her hand on the table in a panic.
The table shattered into pieces with a crash.
Prefect Ling was so startled that the teacup in his hand rolled to the ground, spilling tea all over himself. He looked at the table in front of him with a pained expression: "Oh dear, you girl, don't get so excited and damage my table! Don't you know how strong you are? This is worth several taels of silver! My table!"
Lu Yangyang: "..."
She really didn't mean it.
After calming down for a moment, Lu Yangyang reached out and tugged at Magistrate Ling's sleeve: "Sir, sir, don't be so stingy. I'll compensate you, really. I'll have Qingqing buy you a new table in a bit, how about that?"
Prefect Ling glared at her, pointed at her with his finger, and snorted.
Then he walked to a chair and sat down, gesturing for her to sit as well: "Alright, alright, we've caught up enough. I know you're in a hurry, come on, let's get down to business."
Lu Yangyang quickly went over and sat down, no longer daring to act presumptuously, and looked at Prefect Ling respectfully.
Prefect Ling pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice slightly: "The matter in Yuzhou is somewhat complicated. His Highness did not tell me the specifics of what happened or who was involved. What I know is that about five years ago, a Taoist priest came to Yuzhou Prefecture. He was called Master Shangqing. It is said that he came from Penglai Immortal Mountain and became an immortal."
Lu Yangyang's eyes widened, and she said subconsciously, "Isn't this nonsense?"
Prefect Ling chuckled, "You know it's nonsense, but those who believe in this way don't think that way. After Master Shangqing arrived, he ingratiated himself with a powerful figure, and from then on, the people of Yuzhou City began to worship this Immortal Shangqing. They even built an Immortal Temple and offered incense daily. Master Shangqing took in countless disciples and distributed elixirs to his followers, curing all their ailments. In just one or two years, the entire Yuzhou City, from the prefectural capital to the surrounding counties and towns, and even the villages, began to worship the Immortal. They not only built the Immortal Temple but also constructed a celestial palace on Mount Yuming. Whether it's true or not is unknown, because they used the guise of forced labor to build the palace, and none of those who went there ever returned."
Lu Yangyang exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible? Labor service isn't something that can be decided arbitrarily. What are the government officials doing?"
Prefect Ling clapped his hands: "You're right. The government can't handle this. Not only that, Yuzhou Prefecture has eight counties under its jurisdiction. Three county magistrates have died, two have fled, and one has retired due to serious illness. Now there are only two county magistrates left, and they're practically dead. Not only do they not do their jobs, but they've also become loyal followers of this Shangqing Immortal. It's only because three prefects have left in five years that Yuzhou has become a hot potato. Otherwise, how could I, a county magistrate from a remote area, have been promoted two ranks to become the prefect here?"
Lu Yangyang frowned, but quickly grasped the crux of the matter: "Even in this situation, no one is doing anything. Who exactly is behind Daoist Shangqing?"
“This is the most difficult part, but no one knows the person’s identity, they only know that such a person exists.” Prefect Ling said to Lu Yangyang, “Didn’t you just ask where His Highness went? He went to find that person. The chaos in Yuzhou Prefecture can’t be stirred up by a Taoist priest. Once the problem of the person behind it is solved, the other problems will naturally be solved as well.”
"Immortal pills, cinnabar—using these pills to control pirates, they wantonly plunder merchant ships at sea, and the government turns a blind eye. They also suppress all the doctors in the city, using these pills to control the people, not even sparing ordinary citizens," Lu Yangyang exclaimed in shock.
"Are they planning a rebellion?"