Chapter 89

In the Tianzi Private Room of Huifeng Yuan, a middle-aged man and a young man sat across from each other, with a steaming hotpot between them. “Not bad, this fermented tofu is quite good,” the young man said while eating voraciously and praising the dish. Seeing the man across from him eating slowly, he asked, “What’s wrong? Used to the taste of Shanxi? If you don’t like it, you’ll have to get used to it. After all, you’ll be staying here for a few years as the magistrate, Li.”

If Wang Yuan’er were here, she would be utterly shocked. Why? Because the two men were none other than County Magistrate Li Xian and Cui Yuan, who were from the renowned Cui family in the capital.

Li Xian, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, had a somewhat weathered face, likely due to the dry climate of Shanxi. Hearing Cui Yuan’s words, he smiled and said, “It’s not that I can’t get used to it; I just didn’t expect to be transferred back here.” Recalling Cui Yuan’s earlier antics, he disapprovingly added, “Huifeng Yuan is said to be the best restaurant in town, with excellent food. Why did you have to cause a scene earlier?”

Cui Yuan scoffed, “This place belongs to Song San, so it’s natural to squeeze out something extra. See, with a bit of pressure, something new and delicious appeared.”

Li Xian chuckled but picked up a tender piece of mutton, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. Nodding, he said, “It is indeed something new.”

Cui Yuan laughed and continued eating several pieces of mutton and some water spinach until he was almost full. Then he turned to Li Xian and said, “Changle Town is the stronghold of the Tang family. Tang Kui is aligned with the Crown Prince. Although the Crown Prince is currently under house arrest, the Emperor still values the bond between father and son. The Crown Prince won’t be deposed anytime soon. Recently, the Crown Prince has been quite impressive. During the Empress Dowager’s memorial, he copied the Diamond Sutra with his own blood. The Emperor was touched by his filial piety, and although the house arrest hadn’t been lifted, he had granted him many tonic herbs. It seems the house arrest will be lifted soon; otherwise, Tang Kui wouldn’t be so active.”

Li Xian took a sip of wine and listened quietly.

Cui Yuan glanced at him and smiled, “Why do you think I mentioned this? No matter how much the Tang family schemes, you’re still in charge here. Tang Kui must be heartbroken that the lucrative opportunities are slipping away.”

“Does the Fifth Prince truly intend to compete for the throne?” Li Xian asked after a long pause.

Cui Yuan’s expression turned serious, losing his earlier playful demeanor. “He doesn’t want to, but those old officials won’t allow it if he doesn’t. Each family has their entire lives tied to his fate.”

Li Xian remained silent.

“Don’t overthink it. Just do your best. You’re skilled in managing waterways. Otherwise, the Fifth Prince wouldn’t have gone to great lengths to bring you back.” Cui Yuan poured him more wine.

Li Xian blocked the pour with his hand and sighed, “I just didn’t expect the Fifth Prince, a seasoned warrior, to end up on this path.” Then he smiled and said, “And you, having traveled for years and always avoiding these matters, why are you suddenly involved?”

Suddenly?

Cui Yuan gave a bitter smile that didn’t match his age, which quickly disappeared. He resumed his playful demeanor and said, “Who doesn’t like promotions and titles? That’s what makes life worth living. Don’t you agree?”

Li Xian laughed heartily, refilling their wine cups as they continued discussing the political situation, occasionally mixing in light-hearted conversation, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Meanwhile, at the Tang family residence, the atmosphere was far from pleasant. With a gloomy expression, the head of the Tang family was busy writing letters to be sent to the capital.

Chapter 90

Putting aside the atmosphere in the Tang family, over at the Wang household, Wang Er and Madam Zhang were having a fierce argument behind closed doors.

When Wang Yuan’er entered the courtyard, she saw Wang Qing’er sneakily eavesdropping under the window of the west room.

“Qing’er, what are you up to now? Come over here,” Wang Yuan’er scolded, frowning.

Wang Qing’er stuck out her tongue, laughed, and ran over. Pointing to the west room, she said gleefully, “Second Uncle and Second Aunt are arguing so fiercely, they nearly tore off the roof.”

Wang Yuan’er twisted her ear gently and chided, “How unbecoming for a young lady to be so nosy? Aren’t you ashamed?” Hearing the escalating argument from the west room, she asked, “What are they arguing about?”

“I can’t hear clearly. It seems Second Uncle gave a lot of money to Second Aunt’s family for some job, but it fell through. He said Second Aunt’s family is a bottomless pit and that it’s like throwing meat buns to dogs.”

Frowning, Wang Yuan’er thought about the matter. Second Uncle had previously asked her for a recipe to curry favor with the Tang family, but since he didn’t get the recipe, did he give them money instead? And failed to get the job done?

Wang Yuan’er pressed her lips together. She had warned Second Uncle not to get too close to the Tang family, but he didn’t listen. What could be so important?

Pondering over her past life, Wang Yuan’er couldn’t make sense of it and decided to let it go. She said, “Don’t get involved. I brought back food from Huifeng Yuan; we’ll have a feast tonight.”

In the west room, Wang Er angrily smashed a teacup.

“I gave everything to your elder brother but didn’t get the job or even a scrap. Isn’t this like throwing meat buns to dogs?” He sat on the kang with a sullen face. “Over the years, I’ve given him enough gifts. What did I get in return?”

“Is this my fault? My elder brother is just a runner. Besides, it’s not over yet. Once the office is set up, there will be jobs,” Madam Zhang said, feeling wronged. She secretly blamed her elder brother for not handling the matter properly, but she was in a difficult position.

Wang Er snorted, “They say the new county magistrate isn’t affiliated with the Tang family. How can this work out? Do you think I’m a child? And don’t think I don’t know. I spent a lot of money on that warehouse job before, but in the end, your elder brother’s family benefited. I thought it would be my turn now, but what happened?” The more he thought about it, the more bitter he felt. The money was gone, and he got nothing in return. Angrily, he said, “Taking money without doing anything? That doesn’t make sense. Don’t get too close to your elder brother and sister-in-law; they don’t consider us family.”

They even said he couldn’t get a recipe and had no guts or vision. It was infuriating, and he couldn’t swallow his pride.

“And Min’er, she almost treats her aunt like her mother, running to her all the time. Control her, or if a joke comes out, neither I nor our parents will forgive you,” Wang Er said, his face darkening.

Madam Zhang felt aggrieved and clenched her teeth. “Have you no conscience? I get close to my elder brother and sister-in-law for this family’s sake, for our children. The Wang family has neither people nor resources. Without my maternal family’s support, how can we succeed?”

Wang Er, feeling even angrier, retorted, “So you blame the Wang family for not being good enough for you? Do you regret marrying me?”