What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 7 No Door
Su Mo was stunned after hearing Chen Qian's words.

We should never underestimate the wisdom of the ancients.

This operation was indeed watertight, far more skillful than simply running away. I must have wasted over twenty years of my previous life!

A seasoned official is a seasoned official!

If one thinks that one can surpass the ancients with the knowledge of later generations, one will definitely suffer a great loss.

We should listen and observe more, and speak and do less!

He secretly admired his uncle's skill, but Chen Qian sighed, "This is the only way out."

"Even if Ma Da Liuzi has to suffer in silence, he will definitely hold a grudge against us and get his revenge sooner or later!"

He glared at Su Mo fiercely: "You shouldn't have meddled in other people's business!"

"What does it have to do with you that Zhou Meng went to harm that widow!"

"You'll ruin the Su family line sooner or later!"

Although Su Mo was somewhat unconvinced, he also realized that he had indeed been a bit reckless.

If you know you're wrong, you should admit it: "Third Uncle's advice is right."

"But we've already fought, and now Zhou Meng has reported it to the authorities. Does Third Uncle have any ideas?"

Chen Qian said irritably, "It's just a matter of paying money to avoid trouble!"

He took the cloth bag from his waist and slammed it heavily on the table: "There are eighty taels of silver here, plus yours, that's a hundred taels, more than enough to buy two worthless lives!"

"At most, the case can be shelved for one night in the interrogation room, and it will have to be presented to the master's desk tomorrow."

"We'll grab something to eat and then go meet up with Ma Daliuzi."

Without any hesitation, he opened the food box the young widow had brought and grabbed a dumpling, stuffing it into his mouth.

"Tsk tsk, you're really good! The dumplings are lamb!"

"Once this matter is settled, I will take her as a concubine."

"Hurry up and give the Su family a son, so that your uncle won't have to live in fear all the time!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo resolutely replied, "Absolutely not!"

"Taking advantage of someone in distress is not the act of a true gentleman!"

After hesitating for a moment, he added, "Would she agree?"

"She dares?" Chen Qian raised an eyebrow, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "The Su and Chen families have been emptied of their pockets for her petty squabble!"

"If she doesn't give the Su family a son, I'll teach her a lesson!"

"Of course." He changed the subject, "The position of the principal wife must be reserved for Yiyao!"

"Yi Yao will soon come of age."

"After she came of age, we held the wedding ceremony, and our second son took the surname Chen to continue the Chen family line!"

Su Mo...

Chen Yiyao, the only daughter of her third uncle's family, is his cousin.

She was petite and delicate, with a face that resembled her mother's, and was quite beautiful, bearing no resemblance to her uncle at all.

In modern times, Su Mo would subtly suggest that his uncle get a DNA test!

The girls of Dawu reached the age of fifteen when they came of age.

Su Mo didn't know Chen Yiyao's exact age, but she was definitely under fifteen!
Let's set aside the issue of age.

Isn't this clearly a distant relative within three generations?

Su Mo did not argue with her uncle about this issue.

We'll talk about it when she's older!

Chen Qian handed a dumpling to Su Mo and said in a deep voice, "Remember!"

"I'll bite that little widow to death; she's your woman!"

"If Ma Dali had any shame, he might have been able to save more than half a tael of silver."

Su Mo understood what her third uncle meant.

To seize the moral high ground first.

It's normal for Zhou Meng to be beaten up after messing with someone else's woman, and he shouldn't even be righteously demanding compensation.

Such a statement would naturally damage Qin Bier's reputation.

To put it bluntly, it's adultery.

However, the old clerk would never consider this issue!

The laws of the Da Wu Dynasty encouraged divorced women and widows to remarry.

Adultery with a widow is a moral issue, not a criminal one.

As for Su Mo's reputation?
He's already a low-level clerk, what's the point of thinking about reputation?
After sharing the dumplings, Chen Qian asked Su Mo to call Qin Bi'er in.

With mixed feelings, Su Mo arrived at the side room and saw the young widow with a worried look on her face, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her head down, not daring to meet his gaze.

Su Mo then realized that the young widow had overheard some of her uncle's words.

Seeing Qin Bier's unease and hesitation, Su Mo smiled and said, "Your uncle wants to see you. He has something to tell you."

"You don't need to be afraid of him. He just looks fierce, but he's not a bad person."

Qin Bier was speechless. Chen Qian didn't look fierce at all!
They're even more ruthless than you!

He's just nice to you, his nephew!

The young widow took a deep breath, her expression hardening as she looked earnestly at Su Mo: "It is I who have implicated you, my lord!"

"But please rest assured, my lord, if I am taken to the yamen, I will definitely not... implicate you!"

"only……"

"The only thing I can't let go of is my young daughter."

"If I am executed, I hope you will be righteous and take care of Dian Dian in the future."

Su Mo smiled and said, "It's not that serious."

"I hit Zhou Meng, so if anyone should be held accountable, it should be me!"

"He bullied an innocent woman and deserved to be beaten. If that big-headed bastard keeps pressing the issue, I'll take care of him too!"

Qin Bier naturally assumed that Su Mo was comforting her.

Little did they know that Su Mo had actually considered this point.

The young widow instructed Dian Dian to stay obediently in the side room, and then resolutely went to the inner hall.

Su Mo and Diandian were in a side room, which was rather awkward.

The little girl sat upright, so well-behaved that she was almost unbelievable, and barely responded to Su Mo when he spoke to her.

Instead, Su Mo was pacing back and forth in the side room, seemingly worried about something!

Tea time.

Chen Qian and Qin Bier arrived together.

Qin Bier blushed slightly, gave Su Mo a slight bow, and then left with Dian Dian.

Su Mo watched Qin Bi'er walk out the door, then his gaze fell on his uncle: "Third Uncle..."

Chen Qian glared at Su Mo: "Remember, give the Su family a son as soon as possible!"

Su Mo asked subconsciously, "Is it all set?"

Chen Qian snorted, "Dare to disagree?"

"Although she is a widow, she is still a respectable woman. After this matter is over, we will set up a few tables to celebrate and have a good time, as a kind of initiation banquet."

Su Mo secretly gave her uncle a thumbs up.

He really is my maternal uncle!

He was incredibly devoted to his nephew!
The case could only be closed for one night at the interrogation room. The two dared not delay and headed straight for the Ma residence with their money bags.

The Great Wu Dynasty had just lifted the curfew that had lasted for more than fifty years, but the streets were still deserted, with hardly anyone in sight except for the night watchman.

After walking through several streets, not far from the government office, a grand five-courtyard mansion with red walls and green tiles came into view.

Seeing the incredibly luxurious ancient mansion, Su Mo couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

The land alone covers more than two acres and is located on the east side of the most bustling section of Changping Road. It would definitely cost at least one or two thousand taels of silver to acquire.

With an annual salary of only thirty taels, he had only been there for half a year, yet he had already acquired such a large house.

Aren't you afraid of attracting the attention of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Chen Qian turned to look at Su Mo and then warned him, "When you see Ma Da Liu Zi later, say as little as possible and leave everything to your uncle."

They walked easily to the side door.

The gatekeeper was an old servant who looked to be in his early fifties.

Upon seeing Chen Qian approach, he immediately shouted, "Stop!"

Chen Qian quickly handed a small piece of silver to the doorman and said with a smile, "Chen Qian from the fast shift has something to ask the clerk. Please inform him for me."

The doorman weighed the silver in his hand, then stuffed it into his belt, his attitude softening considerably.

"You're Chen Qian?"

He glanced sideways at Su Mo beside him: "The one who beat up Zhou Meng's servant is your nephew?"

Chen Qian quickly smiled and said, "This young man is ignorant and had a misunderstanding with Officer Zhou. They are both young and hot-blooded, and they didn't know their own strength, so it was inevitable that some flesh was hurt."

The doorman looked at Chen Qian with a forced smile: "Are you hurt?"

"The doctor says that Officer Zhou's right shoulder bone is completely shattered!"

Chen Qian was taken aback: "Really?"

"This is no laughing matter!"

If the skin and flesh are injured, the government has a lot of room to maneuver.

If the bones are completely broken, it becomes much more difficult to operate.

You might spend money and effort, only to end up spending a year or two in jail.

The doorman didn't bother to say anything more to Chen Qian. He rolled his eyes and said coldly, "None of you can go see the master."

"The master has given his orders."

"Considering our shared office relationship, Officer Zhou may not pursue this matter. You will need 150 taels of silver. Also, send that wretched woman to the Zhou family and let Officer Zhou deal with her as he sees fit."

"If you refuse, then proceed according to the law. First, give him a hundred strokes of the cane. If he survives, then exile him three thousand li!"

(End of this chapter)