Lady Bian was deeply distressed upon hearing that her husband had turned the tables and placed all the blame on their daughter. She clung to Li Jinzhi, sobbing uncontrollably. As she cried, the housekeeper suddenly reported, "Old master, Miss Mu has returned and is waiting in the main hall!"
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Li became flustered, "Why is she here? Who came with her, is Young Master Huo here too? Did he come along with her?"
The housekeeper answered, "Miss Mu came alone. She said she was here to fetch her father and County Magistrate An. She also wanted to meet with you to have a discussion."
"No, no!" Sheriff Li dismissed the request without even thinking. "Tell her I’ve drunk too much and I’m not awake yet. Oh, by the way, are An Qiyun and his company awake yet?"
The housekeeper replied, "They are awake. As per your orders, we gave them soup to sober them up. They are now in the Flower Hall, looking confused."
"Let them go, every one of them. Also, order to release all Mu family members from the prison at once. Do it now!"
Every time Sheriff Li thought of Huo Yuan coming to look for him, he broke out in cold sweat. If he released all the Mu family members, at least it would alleviate one reason for Huo Yuan to seek him out. Maybe, Huo Yuan might even lessen his retaliation punishment for Sheriff Li taking the initiative to free his wife’s family members.
Cai Wei didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. She had thought that, with the Li siblings’ grave injuries, Sheriff Li would vent his anger on her and make life difficult for her. However, not only did she manage to rescue her father, but she also managed to save the entire main family. All the measures she had prepared to deal with that corrupt official were not needed at all!
In reality, without Huo Yuan’s affections for her, Sheriff Li would absolutely be merciless towards her. If he didn’t skin her alive, he would at least severely beat her to vent his anger. However, with Huo Yuan’s affections for her now, in Sheriff Li’s eyes, she was a significant figure whom he dared not provoke. It would be too late even to flatter or please her, let alone cause her any trouble!
After Mu Zhongqing woke up, he was sent back to his carriage in a daze by the servants of the Li mansion. Seeing his daughter sitting upright in the carriage waiting for him, he apologized guiltily, "Wei’er, it’s all because of my excessive drinking that caused the trouble."
Cai Wei smiled gently and comforted him, "You didn’t cause any trouble, Father. Master Li has already ordered the release of the main family. The officials carrying out the order are already on their way, so the main family should be released soon."
Mu Zhongqing was overjoyed!
Cai Wei nodded. As she watched her father’s surprised expression, a faint worry crept into her heart.
Father is a man of extreme purity and filial piety. If the elders insist on not moving, will her father go against them and move anyway? If not, wouldn’t their family’s life continue to be affected by the endless scheming and extortion of the main family? Thinking of this, her face paled, and she decided to voice out her concerns.
"Father, what would you do if Grandpa disagrees with us moving?"
Mu Zhongqing paused for a moment. He had thought about this question before and knew that he would have to face it sooner or later, so he had already made up his mind.
"I will try my best to convince them to agree."
"What if they still disagree?"
Mu Zhongqing smiled, patted his daughter’s shoulder and said, "Wei’er, I know what you’re worried about. Rest assured, not only am I their son, I am also your mother’s husband and your father. Even though I can’t give your mother and you siblings a luxurious life, at the very least, I won’t let you down!"
His firm promise instantly cleared the dark clouds in Cai Wei’s mind, brightening her mood. She smiled, as if seeing a not too distant future where their family moved into the flourishing capital city. She imagined herself walking leisurely on the ancient bustling streets of the Imperial City, inspecting her own shops one by one...