The magnificent Tianyi Palace stood before him, leaving Wang Jingze speechless.

He had never seen such a luxurious building in his life, except for the imperial palace.

But what is the palace, and what is this place?

"Sir, my brother said this place in Qihuai County is used to entertain distinguished guests, so it must be of the highest standard. Now that I see it, it truly lives up to its name..."

Gao Yi praised while also providing an explanation.

The Minister did not like such a high-profile approach, but he did not want to rest at the Tang family's house, fearing that he would disturb them. In the end, Tang's father recommended Tianyi Palace as a place to stay.

Wang Tianze raised an eyebrow. "Since things have come to this, let's check in first."

After a long and tiring journey, Wang Tianze, whose body was not as strong as that of a young man, was naturally somewhat fatigued.

Soon, the two learned that beneath Tianyi Palace's glamorous exterior lay a hefty price tag, which caused Wang Tianze considerable distress.

As a confidant of the Empress, Wang Tianze, while in officialdom, was not entirely honest and occasionally accepted favors from others.

However, he did not compromise his principles, which resulted in him not earning much money in addition to his salary.

Thinking of this, Wang Tianze shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I have been an official for more than 20 years, and in the end, I am not as good as a small county magistrate who has only been in office for a few years. It is really pathetic."

Others are already incredibly wealthy, while I have to be careful with my money.

Looking at it this way, what Tang's father said was true. That kid's methods of making money were quite remarkable, and he was indeed incomparable to himself and Lord Cui.

Meanwhile, the Tang family.

Tang Liu and his mother were helping Tang's father, who was already dead drunk, into the house to rest.

Thinking of the two guests who had left not long ago, Tang's mother felt a pang of guilt and said, "Gao Yi is an old friend of ours, why did you trick them into going to Tianyi Palace? The expenses there are considerable..."

The drunken father was unable to answer, while Tang Liu appeared righteous and awe-inspiring.

"What's the big deal? They're guests from the capital, especially the one Uncle Gao is accompanying. He looks like he's of high status. Staying a few days is nothing to them. We've received a favor from you, so naturally we should help you attract business, right?"

"Can……"

Tang Liu waved his hand and said, "There's no 'but.' My dad does this even when he's drunk, which means my idea is right."

Gao Yi probably never dreamed that he would come to Tianyi Palace in this way.

To save money, Wang Tianze did not book several rooms separately like his son, but shared a room with Gao Yi.

However, the room at Tianyi Palace was larger than they had expected. It was more than enough for two people, even if there were two more.

There are two large beds alone, and the room also has a large desk and shelves filled with books.

The walls are adorned with paintings inscribed with poems.

Wang Tianze only glanced at the table briefly before habitually sitting down at his desk.

In the past, when he was at the Minister's residence, he spent most of his time here.

Gao Yi stood beside Wang Tianze, and before he could speak, Wang Tianze said, "Sit down. This isn't your residence; there's no need for so many formalities."

Gao Yi nodded slightly, took a stool and sat down, but he just sat there quietly, looking a little reserved.

Upon arriving in the city, Gao Yi deliberately avoided getting drunk, even when dining at a friend's house.

Wang Tianze was even more concerned about important matters and remained remarkably clear-headed at this moment.

What do you think of Tang Huan?

Wang Tianze asked his trusted subordinates.

Gao Yi thought about his brief encounter with Tang Huan and slowly began to speak.

"But considering that he was able to help Qihuai County escape its misery, this is already a remarkable achievement. Based on my understanding of Qihuai County, I'm afraid that anyone else would have been absolutely unable to do this."

"Then do you think that if I or Prime Minister Cui were to come, we could achieve this?" Wang Tianze asked, recalling Tang's father's assessment that Tang Huan was no less capable than the Minister and the Prime Minister.

Gao Yi shook his head with a wry smile, “Your Excellency and the Prime Minister are both first-rate capable people, but even if you came in person, you might be able to change Qihuai County and free it from poverty and suffering, but you would never be able to do what you have done now.”

They saw so much on their way into the city.

That's something you rarely see even in the capital.

Wang Tianze indicated his understanding and asked, "Anything else?"

"Lord Tang is quite talented. You can tell from his poem 'Leaving home young and returning old.' His poetic talent is top-notch even in the capital. Moreover, I noticed that some of the calligraphy and paintings in the room bear Tang Huan's name, which further proves his talent."

Wang Tianze also agreed with this point.

"Besides, Lord Tang is also an audacious and reckless person. He deceived his superiors and subordinates, allowing Qihuai County to grow to its current size without anyone noticing, yet only paying taxes to two thousand people each year. This is already a crime of deceiving the emperor... Furthermore, as a county magistrate, he replaced government officials on his own initiative and even personally participated in commerce, which is even more unacceptable..."

As he spoke, Gao Yi's voice suddenly lowered.

Because he discovered that the deeper he investigated, the more serious Tang Huan's crimes became.

Moreover, it was a heinous crime punishable by death.

Seeing Gao Yi's worry, Wang Tianze said softly, "It's just the two of us here. We're just having a casual chat today, so you don't need to be shy."

Gao Yi nodded upon hearing this, and continued, "From what we've seen along the way, and from what my brother has told us, most of the businesses in Qihuai County belong to Tang Huan. Even without considering these, the amount of money he distributes to the people for welfare each year is considerable. Yet, he insists on charging exorbitant entrance taxes and the same goes for lodging. You can imagine how much money is involved in all sorts of things in Qihuai County..."

"Wealthy enough to rival a nation, yet incredibly stingy?"

Wang Tianze suddenly wasn't sure if the word "stingy" was appropriate, but that's exactly how Tang Huan acted.

Gao Yi nodded, indicating that what the adult said was exactly what he thought.

Wang Tianze chuckled, recalling how Tang Huan was staggered and had to be helped away, and asked Gao Yi, "Do you think Tang Huan was really drunk today?"

"I don't know..."

Gao Yi also thought back for a moment, "The master didn't drink much, so he probably wasn't drunk."

"Yes, he probably wasn't drunk, but why did he suddenly leave? He came in a hurry and left in a hurry too."

"He came, it seems, for me?" Gao Yi was somewhat uncertain.

"It's for you. Do you remember what he said when he first arrived? Qihuai County can't accommodate many people anymore. He seemed worried that you, an old resident of Qihuai County, might come back."

There are indeed clues to this.

But why did the other party leave in such a hurry? How can this be explained?

Wang Tianze sighed and said, "Perhaps that Lord Tang has realized our identities, which is why he is unwilling to have much contact with us and made an excuse to leave in a hurry."