Chapter 161: Chapter 161 Apology Visit_1 Chapter 161: Chapter 161 Apology Visit_1 Magistrate Chen Qing of the new city of Xinglin was someone adept at maneuvering through politics. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to marry the Assistant Minister of Rites’ illegitimate daughter, if not to ensure he had support from higher-ups. Now that Jiang Ziqi himself has intervened in the matter, it would have been strange if Chen Qing showed no reaction. However, for the esteemed Magistrate to personally make a visit was indeed a sincere gesture, which somewhat pleased Jiang Ziqi.
For them, the common folk, the arrival of the Magistrate was an event of significant proportions, complete with horse-drawn carriages and accompanying guards. He even brought his wife along for the visit. Among the attendees was Zhao Xinglin, who worked at the government office. The procession headed towards Zhao Erhu’s home was an extraordinary spectacle, drawing all the villagers to come and watch. A crowd knelt to the ground.
Chen Qing’s calculations were meticulous; he certainly hadn’t come to apologize to Lin Yue, a mere commoner, on his own initiative. He had long since learned that Jiang Ziqi would be at Zhao Erhu’s home at this time of day, and had chosen this moment to arrive. All other excuses were mere pretexts, and bolstering his relationship with Jiang Ziqi was the true aim. It wasn’t without reason that Chen Qing had ascended from a mere scholar to his current position.
With less than a year left in his tenure, Chen Qing was worried about missing opportunities to curry favor. Although his father-in-law was a third-rank official as the Assistant Minister of Rites, his backing in the Court was not deep enough to significantly influence Chen Qing’s reassignment. Moreover, he had married the Assistant Minister of Rites’ concubine’s daughter, whose status was substantially lower. It was uncertain whether his father-in-law would be willing to exert himself in this matter; ultimately, Chen Qing knew he had to find his own way.
And so, as luck would have it, just as he was feeling sleepy, someone brought him a pillow. Although at first glance it seemed that his concubine’s relatives, acting under his name, had caused trouble and given a bad impression to the nobility, every coin has two sides. As long as he handled this well, a bad situation could turn into a good one. Opportunities to ingratiate himself with influential figures did not come by every day. Though Jiang Ziqi held no official title, he was a favorite of the Emperor, rumored to have grown up alongside His Majesty from childhood and hailing from an aristocratic family. Chen Qing knew he must seize the chance to ingratiate himself. If Jiang Ziqi could speak a few words of praise for him to the Emperor or to a superior, his words would carry more weight than anyone else’s.
Chen Qing thought clearly; it was not about currying favor, but rather, by making an additional visit he could gain a reputation for being just and close to the people. It was a win-win situation, so why not do it?
Although unaware of the specifics that prompted the Magistrate’s personal visit, Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu, as residents of the new city, knew they had to personally greet and pay respects to their parent-official. They stood respectfully at the entrance of their home with their children, awaiting his arrival. Only Jiang Ziqi sat motionless within the house, not giving the Magistrate any particular consideration.
Lin Yue was fine with it all. Though she was just an ordinary citizen, her soul came from the modern era, and she didn’t have that innate reverence and fear for superiors ingrained in her bones. As for Zhao Erhu, a native commoner, Lin Yue noted that he didn’t seem particularly nervous, which was somewhat surprising to her. This fellow seemed quite calm, though she wondered if it was just an act.
“The commoner pays his respects to the Magistrate.” As the Magistrate dismounted from his carriage, Zhao Erhu hurriedly knelt with his wife and children to pay homage. In both her lives, Lin Yue had never knelt to anyone except to heaven, earth, and her parents. She was reluctant to do so now but had no choice; when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Now that she had become one of the ancient people, she naturally had to follow their conventions.
“Arise, for I have come today in a personal capacity to offer my apologies to Mrs. Lin. There is no need for such formality,” Chen Qing called out warmly. Today, he was here to establish connections, naturally not imposing any official airs, and he approached the situation with as much amiability as possible.