Chapter 622: Chapter 609: Stupid


    Upon hearing the news, Zhuang Qisheng hastily rushed into the courtyard where Zhuang Qinn was situated. Seeing the disorderly scene in the house, he knitted his brows and eximed, “What nonsense has been happening again?”


    “Father.” Zhuang Qinn saw Zhuang Qisheng and started sobbing loudly, choking on her words and gasping for breath.


    Because of the intense crying and her internal agitation, her forehead turned red in patches, and her hands were trembling non-stop.


    Zhuang Qinn had been like this since she was little. She would be fine ordinarily, but when she got upset, she would be just like now – her face and head glowing red, her hands and feet would tremble, and if she got more irate, she would faint straight away. She would have to be coaxed for a long time and would only recover after her rage subsided.


    Zhuang Qisheng, who was distressed by his daughter’s condition, quickly calmed her in a soothing tone. “My good daughter, please calm down first. Speak to your father slowly about what’s bothering you.”


    Having said that, he hurriedly helped Zhuang Qinn to sit down on a chair, and then had a maid bring a cup of warm water to slowly feed her.


    After drinking a few sips of warm water, Zhuang Qinn’s mood gradually stabilized a bit. Her loud sobbing had turned into quiet crying, and she was able to speak normally.


    “What’s the use of telling you, father? You can’t help me with anything.” Zhuang Qinn said grumpily.


    “What are you talking about? I am still a magistrate of repute. What is there that I can’t manage?” Zhuang Qisheng felt slighted by Zhuang Qinn’s words.


    “A magistrate? I’m afraid in the eyes of others, you’re nothing!”<div>


    Zhuang Qinn wiped away her tears and said, “I couldn’t even get into a women’s academy; I was mocked and lost my face entirely!”


    “And now, Zhuang Qingning, who is nothing but a lowly farmer, has been given nobility! Despite your prior assurances to help me take credit for her achievements, all we can do now is see her be the Lord of Hening County while we are left with nothing!”


    “I don’t understand why, when that lowly farmer was captured, we could have killed or beaten her at will, yet you dared not make a move. You wasted such a good opportunity!”


    Zhuang Qisheng was upset and annoyed by Zhuang Qinn’s scolding.


    Regarding the matter of the women’s academy, he had already spoken with the academy’s director and even repaired the academy’s roof. He thought this matter was practically settled, but he didn’t expect the director of the women’s academy to be so brazen and break their agreement, causing his daughter to lose face so terribly.


    This matter was truly infuriating. He wanted to cause some trouble, but the academy’s director had powerful connections that he dared not provoke. Furthermore, after Zhuang Qinn made a scene, people outside began to point fingers at him as a magistrate, calling him an ipetent teacher and using him of being a tyrant, which led to Zhuang Qinn’s behavior.


    Ordinary people could say such things, and Zhuang Qisheng wasn’t afraid. But among the students at the women’s academy were many girls from respectable families, including those from bureaucratic households. If rumors spread too widely, it would be detrimental to his official career, so he had to swallow his anger.


    The matter of not being able to secure the title of Lady of Hening County for Zhuang Qinn made Zhuang Qisheng even more helpless.


    How could he dare to scheme when Chu Jinnian had given his word?


    Zhuang Qisheng was sensible enough to distinguish between the importance of wealth and status and that of life.


    But he didn’t exin too much to Zhuang Qinn about the reasons, which is why sheined that he was ineffective in everything.


    “These things are also caused by inevitable circumstances and there’s nothing that can be done,” Zhuang Qisheng clenched his teeth and exined.


    “What reasons could there be? The fact is you just don’t want to deal with it.” Zhuang Qinn sobbed heavily, using him, “You simply don’t want me to be a countydy, so you’ve made up lots of excuses to fob me off.”


    “I don’t care, I just want to be a countydy, father, you have to think of a solution for me!”


    Zhuang Qisheng frowned, feeling extremely annoyed. “You’re being unreasonable. Do you think you can just be a countydy if you want to? The Emperor has already made a decree, how can you snatch it back?”


    “What difficulty is there? Father, you just need to submit a petition stating that Zhuang Qingning is a big fraudster and didn’t invent the waterwheel, that it was I who invented it. Request the Emperor to grant me the title of countydy, wouldn’t that be fine?” Zhuang Qinn said defiantly.


    “If father doesn’t want to do this, then I will. I will find people to catch that rustic farmer and beat her until she voluntarily hands over the credit to me.”


    Zhuang Qisheng’s irritation was clearly written all over his face.


    If the whole thing could be solved so simply, would he have had to work diligently for so many years just to attain the position of magistrate?<div>


    In his mind, he could not be considered a foolish man. One could even say he was very shrewd, so how had he managed to raise such a foolish daughter?


    Zhuang Qisheng didn’t have the patience to console Zhuang Qinn anymore. He shouted, “If you want to keep your life, don’t harbor such ill-intentioned thoughts!”


    “Many eyes are watching this matter, and all of them belong to people you can’t afford to offend. If you dare to act recklessly and anger those in power, I won’t be able to save your life!”


    Having said this, Zhuang Qisheng couldn’t be bothered to exin to Zhuang Qinn anymore. He just turned his back and stormed out, leaving Zhuang Qinn alone in the house, sobbing once again.<div>


    Her sobbing was louder and more desperate than before. Despite being two courtyards away, Zhuang Qisheng could still hear her quite clearly.


    Children are really a means of debt collection!


    Zhuang Qisheng felt upset and flustered. He threw the teacup in his hand aside.


    The servant next to him was scared and quickly cleaned up the broken pieces of porcin.


    “Where is young master?” Zhuang Qisheng asked loudly, “I haven’t seen him for several days.”


    “The little one heard that the young master had gone to Ying County,” the servant answered truthfully.


    “What is he doing in Ying County?”


    If he remembered correctly, not too long ago, Zhuang Lianghong had his arm broken abruptly and all his servants were injured as well. It seemed that Zhuang Lianghong had taken a liking to a girl while he was in Ying County. He was beaten up before he could utter more than a few words, and was injured. He had been recuperating at home for a long time before he got better.


    But after a short period of calm, he was back to Ying County, probably to get even.


    Having understood this, Zhuang Qisheng spit out, “Each and every one of you has nothing better to do than cause trouble!”


    “How many people did he take with him this time?”N?v(el)B\\jnn


    No matter how unbearable it was, Zhuang Lianghong was still his biological son. He was still worried about Zhuang Lianghong being at a disadvantage.


    “Master, you can rest assured, the young master took more than twenty people with him this time. He definitely won’t be at a disadvantage,” said the servant.<div>


    “That’s good then,” Zhuang Qisheng nodded.


    After all, he was still a magistrate, and Zhuang Lianghong had a prestigious identity. It would be a blessing for a girl to be admired by him. If the girl failed to appreciate this favor, it was only fair for her to be disciplined once she was found.


    “Master, what about the matters concerning the youngdy…”