The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 1676 - 1670: Did You Really Think I Couldn’t Deal With Him?
After a long moment, Guo Mian finally regained his composure and stammered, "This... how could this be... I..." For a long while, he said nothing of significance.
His face flushed with embarrassment.
Wang Yongzhu smiled and said, "Lord Guo, I don’t understand what you’re saying! Why, does the Guo family not deeply benefit from the Emperor’s grace? Do you or the Guo family not wish to be loyal to the monarch and love the country? Are you not ministers of Great Chu and His Majesty? Do you not wish to repay His Majesty’s kindness?"
Each pressing question turned Guo Mian’s face ashen, causing him to retreat a few steps and hide his face with his sleeve, not daring to respond.
Wang Yongzhu then sneered, "What? You find it easy to speak of others, being generous with others’ wealth, not caring in the slightest, but when it’s your turn, you shrink back? You think you can just rely on your ability to talk?"
The other officials from the Ministry of Agriculture looked at Wang Yongzhu with awe.
This Lady Dingguo was once famous in the Capital City, boldly confronting the daughter of Duke Qiguo, leaving Duke Qiguo Residence at a disadvantage, unable to recover.
Over the years, as she was stationed elsewhere, people forgot her fierce reputation, associating it not only with martial prowess but also with sharp wit.
Ordinary people, if intimidated by someone like Guo Mian, would be put on the spot; to refuse a donation would imply disloyalty to the monarch, being ungrateful for the Emperor’s grace.
In daily service with him, in the same department, many suffered silent losses due to his tactics.
Now seeing him rendered speechless, questioning his very existence, it truly brought joy.
Wang Yongzhu understood well that a minor challenge could lead to future trouble. If Guo Mian wasn’t fully subdued today, he might stir trouble again afterward.
The credit for improving and increasing the yield of wheat, she had no intention of letting such a schemer benefit.
She immediately pressed on, "Why does Lord Guo remain silent? If you won’t speak, then I, this Lady, have something to ask! You should know, the improvement and increased yield of this wheat is all due to His Majesty’s grace, it’s His Majesty’s brilliance, and Heaven’s blessing, that allowed me to find a good seed for improvement. That is all His Majesty’s credit! I was merely fortunate to find this bestowed blessing from the Heavens!"
"In the future, when this wheat is promoted nationwide, allowing the people of Great Chu to be well-fed, that will all be due to His Majesty’s wisdom! The people should be grateful to His Majesty, not me! Then it will be His Majesty’s esteemed name reverberating across the lands, with people everywhere honoring it. What does that have to do with me or Duke Weiguo Residence?"
"What is your true intention? To forcefully attribute the Emperor’s credit to me and Duke Weiguo Residence? What are you trying to do? There’s no grievance between us, so why do you want to bring harm to me and Duke Weiguo Residence?"
Under Wang Yongzhu’s questioning, Guo Mian merely covered his face, silently protesting stubbornly.
He seemed to think that as long as he kept quiet, Wang Yongzhu would be helpless against him.
In any case, they would soon return to the Capital City. Once in the Capital, what could Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin possibly do?
This unrestrained arrogance was indeed too striking.
Wang Yongzhu sneered, naive! Does he really think I can’t deal with him?
Immediately, she ordered, "Come—"
At once, several fierce guards rushed in from outside, bowing to Wang Yongzhu, "Greetings, Madam. What are your orders?"
Wang Yongzhu nodded toward Guo Mian, "This Lord Guo, with malicious intent, attempts to sow discord between me, Duke Weiguo Residence, and the royal family. I suspect he might be a spy sent by another country, otherwise why would he say such things at such a crucial time?"
"Take him into custody, escort him to the Capital City, and personally deliver my letter to the Court of Judicial Review! Investigate who is behind him, whether there are ill intentions against Great Chu!"
With just a few words, Guo Mian was branded as a treacherous spy.
Guo Mian came to his senses, horrified; that was not a label to bear lightly! Such a groundless charge was the hardest to refute, and if he indeed returned to the Capital like this, even if it was proven he wasn’t guilty, he might never be trusted again!
Panic-stricken, he shouted, "Lady Dingguo! How dare you! I am an Imperial Court Official, this is slander against an Imperial Court Official!"
Wang Yongzhu, solemnly, replied, "I am still a First-Rank Enjoin Lady, personally enfeoffed by the Emperor; haven’t you slandered me too? Both titles are granted by the Imperial Court, yet you, merely a minor Sixth Rank, dare to defy me, should I fear defying you?"
Turning away, she impatiently waved, "Enough, take him away!"
The guards rushed forward, capturing Guo Mian like an eagle seizing a chick.
Though Guo Mian worked long in the fields, stronger than most officials, against these guards, he was easily subdued.
Before he could react, his arms were wrenched behind him, and his face was stamped to the ground by a pair of large boots.
The guard trampling him likely rarely washed his feet, for even through the boots, a stench pervaded.
Overwhelmed by the smell, when he tried to protest, his eyes watered, stomach churned, and he gagged uncontrollably.
A nearby guard produced a pair of socks, probably unwashed for at least half a month, able to stand by themselves, and shoved them into Guo Mian’s mouth.
Guo Mian rolled his eyes backward and passed out from the stench.
In doing so, he inadvertently spared the guards some effort.
They bowed to Wang Yongzhu and dragged Guo Mian out by his feet.
As they crossed the threshold, Guo Mian’s head banged with a loud thunk, making the nearby officials wince.
With Guo Mian dragged away, the room fell silent.
The officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, witnessing Wang Yongzhu’s ruthlessness, dared not make a sound.
Wang Yongzhu directly said, "Since Guo Mian is suspected of espionage, he obviously cannot manage affairs. But the transportation of these wheat seeds back is urgent, so why don’t the gentlemen discuss and devise a plan?"
The officials, trembling, promised that all would be done according to Lady Dingguo’s instructions, not daring to voice other opinions.
Wang Yongzhu sternly said, "You receive the Emperor’s salary, be loyal in your duty to him! Why should you follow my directives?"
With no choice, the officials huddled together to quietly discuss among themselves, finally coming up with a solution.
These superior wheat seeds naturally needed to go back to the Capital, but they couldn’t simply take them for free.
There were two proposals: one was for them to issue an IOU to Wang Yongzhu in the name of the Ministry of Agriculture, with repayment in silver calculated at market price later.
The second method involved delivering a certain amount of wheat, with interest, to Chicheng City when they transported military grain in the latter half, to be received by Wang Yongzhu.
After presenting the two solutions, the officials cautiously awaited Wang Yongzhu’s response.
