The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 212

The once bustling Tang residence fell into an eerie silence upon learning that Governor Cui of Jiangnan Province had arrived.

While most people may not have a direct understanding of Wang Yangming, the governor of Southern Zhili, they are certainly familiar with this governor who has been in charge of Jiangnan Province for many years.

Of course, most people have only heard of Cui Wenkui's reputation, but they never actually see him in person.

Those few who had occasionally seen him were even more shocked, for they had witnessed the astonishing pomp and circumstance of this Lord Cui.

Let alone Lord Cui, they didn't even dare to raise their heads when they stood by the roadside. They wouldn't even dare to look directly at a minor official under Lord Cui.

They couldn't understand what merit Tang Bohu had to attract the congratulations of two governors. They couldn't even dream of such connections, let alone dream of them.

Cui Wenkui came alone, with only two guards and no other attendants.

His main purpose in coming here was to show weakness to Zhou Chu, and his real aim was to rescue his elder brother and niece.

Cui Wenshan and his daughter Cui Tingting had been imprisoned in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) for some time. They were watched even when they went to the toilet, and they had no clothes to change into. Even though it was winter in Suzhou, the air was relatively humid, and the father and daughter could no longer stand it.

However, they were helpless. The two of them were no longer as arrogant as before. They had learned to smile obsequiously when facing the Imperial Guards, afraid that the Imperial Guards would dislike them and teach them a lesson.

This kind of thing has happened before.

After Cui Wenkui and Zhou Chu had a falling out, his biggest worry was his older brother and niece. He hadn't been sleeping well these past few nights, fearing that Zhou Chu might be in a bad mood and take action against his older brother and niece.

These days he has been looking for a suitable opportunity to bow down to Zhou Chu and see if he can rescue his elder brother and niece first. Public matters are public matters and private matters are private matters. His desire to deal with Zhou Chu and his desire to rescue his elder brother and niece are not inherently contradictory.

It's nothing more than an exchange of interests. Zhou Chu hasn't made a move for so long, and Cui Wenkui knows that this Jinyiwei centurion is just waiting for him to come knocking so he can make demands.

Even though he knew the truth, Cui Wenkui couldn't remain calm; his concern had clouded his judgment.

"Lord Wang, Lord Zhou, I never expected to meet you two here. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Cui Wenkui was somewhat surprised to see Wang Yangming, but he had originally come for Zhou Chu, so he pretended not to know anything. It has to be said that no one can compare to an official when it comes to acting skills.

"Master Cui."

Wang Yangming simply returned the greeting without saying anything more.

However, Cui Wenkui was not angry about this, as he had long heard about what kind of person Wang Yangming was.

"How could I not be present for my teacher's important matter? It seems that Lord Cui has little interaction with my teacher, doesn't he?"

Zhou Chu's expression was playful.

Zhou Chu roughly knew why Cui Wenkui had come; in fact, he had been waiting for Cui Wenkui to come to him for help.

Cui Wenkui's ability to endure until today shows his deep cunning.

"Lord Zhou, you are mistaken. Tang Jieyuan's name is known not only in Suzhou Prefecture, but also throughout the entire Jiangnan region. With such an important matter concerning Tang Jieyuan, how could I, as the governor, not come?"

The reason Cui Wenku said this and chose this day was simply to save face for himself.

After all, it's better for him to have a chance encounter here than to run into someone else.

If he were to personally visit Zhou Chu to ask for help, and word got out, wouldn't he lose face?

Zhou Chu didn't intend to break off the relationship, as there would be no benefit in doing so. On the contrary, the current situation would give him more control in the conversation.