Chapter 2312: Fortunately, They Departed

Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao remained oblivious to the fact that their courtyard had been taken by Lu Min’s steward. They believed Lu Min and his group were intentionally avoiding them.

This belief had irked Officer Qiao since yesterday, leaving him feeling slighted. He sensed that Lu Min and his companions were disrespecting him.

Madame Qiao’s words only fueled his displeasure. She spoke icily, “Those arrogant nobodies who only know how to step on others beneath them are not worthy of looking down on you! Once we reach Hangzhou, we’ll teach them a lesson they won’t forget!”

“Enough,” Officer Qiao cut in with a frown, halting Madame Qiao’s tirade. But inside, he was conflicted. Without power, he knew anyone could disregard him. This trip to Hangzhou was his chance to settle his score with Qiao Xuan once and for all…

Meanwhile, the steward and his men scoured Lishui City. Situated in the Jiangnan region, Lishui was relatively large and bustling. It differed greatly from the remote Nanyue. After about four hours of searching, in the end, they finally discovered from an inn that Lu Min and his party had departed early that morning.

Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao were left speechless.

“Why didn’t they just say they had already left?” Officer Qiao muttered, his frustration palpable. The innkeeper’s emphasis on “early in the morning” seemed unnecessarily pointed, almost accusatory.

Although lacking evidence, it felt as if someone had deliberately left early to avoid them.

Madame Qiao sneered knowingly, as if she had seen through the whole affair.

Officer Qiao glared at her, his anger simmering. “Just you wait,” he muttered under his breath.

Their search for Lu Min’s group had caused a significant delay.

By the time they found out, more than half a day had slipped away. Even if they hurried now, they would still arrive late. What difference would a few hours make?

Consequently, they decided to spend another night in Lishui City.

Officer Qiao remained irritated, while Madame Qiao was visibly disappointed.

She knew that Lu Min had a good relationship with Shao Yunduan. She had hoped that her connections would intimidate Lu Min’s wife and create problems for them along the way.

She detested anything related to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan.

Now, her plans had fallen apart.

Four days later, in the afternoon, Lu Min and the others finally arrived at Hangzhou City.

Shao Yunduan had already organized accommodations for everyone when he sent out the invitations.

It was Qiao Xuan’s suggestion. She believed that these County Magistrates had a rare opportunity to gather and discuss matters. After all, they were colleagues, so arranging for them to stay together in Hangzhou City would minimize logistical issues.

Shao Yunduan agreed with the idea and instructed the servants to prepare the meals.

Shao Yunduan ordered his men to book three large inns near the main inn to accommodate everyone. Given the diverse entourages accompanying each County Magistrate, including assistants, followers, and personal servants, they all had distinct living preferences and levels of authority. Due to these differences, unless they were close friends, they couldn’t share courtyards with each other.

Each courtyard was assigned to accommodate only one person. Upon their arrival in Hangzhou City, Lu Min and the Fujian delegation inquired about the location of the inn and headed there directly.

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