Chapter 135 Human Nature

Xie Xuchuan felt a chill run down his spine from what she said.

Yes, Yuanzhu had no one to rely on since childhood, so she would instinctively admire those who were strong and could protect her.

Now that he is so decadent every day, in Yuanzhu's eyes, isn't he just like the incompetent playboy she used to despise the most?

Xie Qi made a name for himself in Suzhou Prefecture with a batch of faded red silk. In Yuan Zhu's eyes, he was the one who could give her stability and make her feel at ease.

Xie Xuchuan clenched his teeth, suddenly realizing that he had disappointed too many people.

If he had regretted his decision before marrying Wansu, he could have corrected the situation. But now that the die is cast and the outcome is set, any regrets he may have would only bring him more trouble.

Before Yuanzhu and Xie Qi develop too many feelings for each other, should he...?

Is there still a chance?

Seeing Xie Xuchuan's eyes harden more and more, Jiang Wansu finally felt relieved.

Yu Lin is dead. She didn't expect anything else in her life. All she wanted was to raise Yu Lin's child and let him live a rich and leisurely life.

This is something Xie Xuchuan owes her, and also something he owes Yu Lin.

Thinking of this, Jiang Wansu wanted to ask about Cui Cheng's recent situation, but given her current status, she didn't want Xie Xuchuan to think that she was still thinking about Cui Yulin...

Everyone has their own difficulties, but if you play your part well, things can generally be much easier.

Jiang Wansu smiled gently and offered a few words of encouragement.

She had come to realize that she and Xie Xuchuan were not truly husband and wife, and that a loving relationship was impossible. But Xie Qi was right…

As long as she holds onto Xie Xuchuan firmly, secures her position as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family, and enjoys wealth and honor, what else matters?

Thinking of the scene when she wore a veiled hat to watch the Jiang family's house being ransacked and the Jiang family leaving the city in a sorry state, Jiang Wansu felt a pang of sympathy.

"Xu Chuan, since Grandmother has spoken, and the Xie family is to win the cloth sample competition, the only one who can do this is you."

“You must let Yuanzhu know that Xie Qi… will never be as good as you.”

"You're right..."

Xie Xuchuan pursed his lips tightly; his desire to compete with Xie Qi had never been so strong.

After a busy day, Jiang Wansu was exhausted. She returned to her room and called Xueqing.

“Zitang usually takes care of me more, and the Xie family doesn’t know you very well, so I have something to ask you to do.”

Xueqing nodded: "Please speak, Miss."

"These next few days, take some time to visit Qianxiang Courtyard. There's a maid named Ling'er by Shen Yuanzhu's side. She's lively and impatient. Spend more time with her when you're free."

"What does Miss need me to do with Ling'er?"

"You don't need to worry about the rest for now. As long as you get along well with her, you'll find a way to use her someday."

Xue Qing agreed, and Jiang Wansu, exhausted, turned over and fell asleep.

She left with Xie Xuchuan, but the arguments between Xie Boyu and his wife did not stop.

Listening to Xie Boyu explain how to make changes to the embroidery pattern, Hua Nanzhi said, "You know perfectly well that Mother means we need a new dyeing formula."

"My Xie family now only has a few brands that can be used as a signboard. These brands are simply not enough to go any further and become imperial merchants."

"Mother's original intention was to use this incident at the Prince's Mansion to get Yuanzhu to produce the dyeing manual."

Xie Boyu said, "Didn't Mother say she gave him 20% of the shares and 5,000 taels of silver? It's useless for a woman to hold a dyeing manual. Perhaps she took it out to help Xie Qi..."

"Xie Qi? How can you say such a thing so casually? He has already taken what is rightfully his from Xu Chuan. The shares in this dyehouse should absolutely not be given to him."

Xie Boyu frowned: "What has Xie Qizhan done to Xu Chuan? Who doesn't know how the family has treated him all these years?"

"Whatever grudges there may be, they are all matters of the older generation. Xie Qi is ultimately innocent."

"What do you mean he's innocent? He has a mother like that..."

Hua Nanzhi pursed her lips and swallowed all the words in her mouth.

Xie Boyu said, "I know what you're thinking, but Xu Chuan did something to wrong the Shen family, so I have no face to ask them for the dyeing manual."

"I'm going to the server room. The rest is up to you."

As always, Xie Boyu truly lived up to his name, remaining indifferent to fame and fortune.

But Hua Nanzhi was in great distress. This person was indifferent to everything and seemed noble, but every time he forced her to charge into battle and fight on the front lines.

If Xie Boyu hadn't been so incompetent, why would she have bothered with these trivial matters?

A pang of sadness welled up in her eyes, and Hua Nanzhi sneered, "Fine, fine. Since he doesn't care about fame or fortune, why should I bother?"

Hua Nanzhi waved her hand, instructing the warehouse manager to purchase raw silk; she didn't care about the rest.

The first wife's side was passive and inactive due to the couple's lack of harmony, while the second wife's side was overjoyed and couldn't hide her delight.

Is what the old lady said true?

Xie Chengzhi snorted upon hearing this: "Of course it's true. Shen Yuanzhu doesn't want to hand over the dyeing manual. The old lady also said in person that she would no longer concern herself with the matter of the dyeing manual."

"I never imagined it would happen so coincidentally, except for the old princess's birthday banquet at the Prince's residence."

Picking up the water pipe in the room, Xie Chengzhi took two puffs and said, "If you ask me, it's because this newly appointed governor of textile manufacturing has some connections. Otherwise, you see, in previous years, when has this kind of thing ever happened to our folk textile and dyeing workshops?"

"It seems that Eunuch Yuan wanted to achieve something in politics, so he sought out this opportunity."

Zheng Shu waved her hand to clear the smoke from her nose: "So, do you think Yuan Xu will make a lot of money off this trip?"

Xie Chengzhi scoffed coldly: "Shallow-headed thing."

He tapped his pipe: "Let me put it this way, Yuan Xu has a lot of ambitions."

"The owner of Jixia Manor is backed by Yuan Xu, but he took the Xie family's brocade and loudly promoted it in Suzhou Prefecture. Why do you think that was?"

"for what?"

Xie Chengzhi snorted: "Fool, naturally it's to tell everyone that if you want to win this competition at the Prince's Mansion, you have to show your true skills."

"At the very least, it can't be inferior to the Xie family's peony paintings!"

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Xie Chengzhi continued, "This matter was a scheme orchestrated by Yuan Xu and the owner of Jixia Manor."

"Is the Xie family's brocade something that ordinary people can weave? If Jixia Manor really uses that as a sample, even if they win the championship, can they weave five hundred bolts to meet the quota?"

No, absolutely not.

"Anything that surpasses those sample paintings of peonies is something for ordinary people?"

Exhaling a comfortable puff of smoke, Xie Chengzhi grinned: "So I guessed that this Eunuch Yuan, ostensibly selecting weaving workshops for the Dowager Princess of the Prince's Mansion's birthday celebration, was actually..."

Zheng Shu saw him smile wickedly: "He's secretly selecting potential imperial merchants."

"Winning this championship is the only way to become one of Yuan Xu's own people."

Seeing Zheng Shu's surprised expression, Xie Chengzhi snorted, "So what are two-tenths of the textile workshop's dry shares and five thousand taels of silver?"

"This time, I'm going to kick the Xie family out of the game and take the crown myself."

"From now on, this Xie family dyehouse will belong solely to me, Xie Chengzhi!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shu trembled with excitement. Seeing her like this, Xie Chengzhi clicked his tongue and said, "So we must get the 'Shen Family Dyeing Manual' from Shen Yuanzhu's hands before everyone else does!"