Chapter 713 - 714: Satisfying Private Desires Under the Guise of Talent Selection

"Mistress, time to get up!" Seeing she hadn’t woken, Ye Zi’an went upstairs to call her. "Eat breakfast, then sleep."

"I’m so sleepy, I can’t get up." Glancing at him, Yang Chuxia continued burying her head in bed.

"Hehe," Ye Zi’an picked her up in his arms and laughed, "Your nanny has asked about you several times. If you don’t get up, she’ll probably come looking for you."

"What does she want with me?" Yang Chuxia, still with her eyes closed, let Ye Zi’an dress her and asked.

"I don’t know." After putting her shoes on as well, Ye Zi’an pulled her to the outer room. "Sit down, Xiu’er will be bringing water for you to wash soon."

"Oh"

Yang Chuxia leaned against him, feeling lazy and unwilling to move. However, thinking of yesterday’s selection event, she forced herself to wake up.

After washing and eating lunch, she asked, "Did Mu Shaoling find out anything?"

"He did; the news came back last night. Today, he sent someone with his stuff to the prefecture."

"Oh?" Yang Chuxia became curious, "Tell me quickly! What’s the story? Did the Prefect forge the imperial edict or what?"

"Yesterday, Mu Shaoling sent someone to follow Steward Cao to the inn and overheard his conversation with Nurse Yun. Cao’s selection of beauties wasn’t a court-ordered event, but a private order from Lord Prefect. It’s said that Lord Prefect wanted to choose some beautiful girls to treat as his daughters, send them for the imperial selection. If they couldn’t be selected to enter the palace, they’d be presented to him eventually. So, whether they were married or not didn’t matter, as long as they were young and pretty."

"Scoundrels!" Yang Chuxia became furious. "He wants to find daughters to please the Emperor but uses the guise of the selection to make people fear and have no choice but to agree! If Steward Cao can do this in our village, he’d definitely do the same in other places. Who knows how many families have been torn apart because of their private desires."

"Mu Shaoling has already sent people to investigate and will report to the court later," Ye Zi’an consoled her. "You don’t need to be angry anymore. Now that Shaoling’s aware of it, Lord Prefect won’t be able to gain any benefits."

"Even so, I now have doubts about their efficiency in handling affairs," Yang Chuxia laughed sarcastically. "Back when the Li Family and that eye-gouging incident happened, they clearly had all the evidence at hand but didn’t uproot the problem. Who knows what they were thinking?"

"The Li Family must be waiting for the right time. I bet they want to sentence them all at once, unlike the Prefect and the Li Family."

Yang Chuxia hummed and then asked, "That Steward Cao mentioned he’d bring County Magistrate Shen, has he come?"

"He hasn’t."

Just as they were speaking, their servant Xiu’er came up to report that Land Officer Yang’s son was calling the young masters and mistresses, saying that County Magistrate Shen, Lord Prefect, and Steward Cao had arrived.

"Let’s go!" Yang Chuxia jumped up and saw a feather duster beside the door. She grabbed it and said, "Since we already know the ins and outs, today, I must teach Steward Cao a lesson."

"Mhm, just don’t beat him to death," Ye Zi’an smiled and followed her.

As they were leaving, she brought along some of their servants and instructed them on the way, "Li, you all go and tie up that Nurse Yun for me. As for Steward Cao, leave him to me."

"Yes, Mistress."

They then went to the village entrance in a mighty procession. Arriving there, they saw County Magistrate Shen with a group of people and horses, along with Steward Cao.

"Lord Shen, it’s her! Isn’t she beautiful?"