Chapter 328: Coaxing on a Snowy Night [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Wu Xian managed to calm Xu Jie down for the time being.

However, he knew that the biggest trouble did not lie with Xu Jie.

He returned to the inner courtyard, his heart heavy with sorrow. His concubine, Lady Mi, had been Wu Xian's most beloved concubine for the past two years. Upon hearing the maid's report, she greeted him with a gentle smile, attending to his every need. Taking advantage of Wu Xian's favor, Lady Mi occasionally dared to overstep her bounds and inquire about matters in the front courtyard: "My lord, have you encountered some trouble outside? Why do you look so gloomy?"

"It's not a big deal, it's just..."

Wu Xian took the wrung-out cloth and wiped his face.

Lady Mi turned and took the warm copper basin from the maid, then squatted down and placed it down. Wu Xian took off his shoes and put his feet into the warm water. He gestured for Lady Mi to get up; these chores were for the servants, and she, as a concubine, didn't need to do such dirty and tiring work.

Lady Mi smiled charmingly, pursing her lips.

“Serving your son brings him joy; how can that be considered dirty or tiring work?” Lady Mi said gently, but upon hearing Wu Xian’s words, she rose and sat down beside him, then changed the subject, “Your son hasn’t yet said who made you unhappy.”

Wu Xian had no intention of hiding it.

This is not a very important matter after all.

He also wanted to learn from Lady Mi how to please someone. Upon hearing this, Lady Mi's oval face, which had a rather auspicious appearance, stiffened for a moment, but she suppressed her sourness and cautiously asked, "Your new favorite, my esteemed husband?"

Wu Xian: "...No, it's Gong Su."

Consort Mi: "..."

Despite being merely a woman in the inner quarters, and having been a lead dancer in a noble family's dance troupe before becoming Wu Xian's concubine, she wasn't highly educated. However, she knew several key figures under her husband. After all, offending these people could instantly turn any amount of favor into nothingness—Wu Xian's susceptibility to influence didn't mean he was clueless.

This "Gongsu" should refer to Qin rituals.

Lady Mice remembered how overjoyed Wu Xian was when he received Qin Li's help; it was clear how much Qin Li meant to him. In a flash, Lady Mice's mind raced, and she had an idea.

"How did you offend Mr. Qin, my lord?"

Lady Mi was quite adept at reading people's expressions and moods.

With just a few words from Wu Xian, she understood that no matter what happened, Wu Xian would always blame himself for the mistakes.

She couldn't possibly speak ill of Qin Li without any tact.

Not only should she not speak, but she should also stand in Qin Li's shoes and criticize her husband properly! Wu Xian was indeed not angry.

Wu Xian recounted the incident that occurred today with a sense of helplessness.

Qin Li was ostracized and left in anger.

Wu Xian managed to calm Xu Jie down, but he didn't know how to appease Qin Li.

Qin Li also touched on Xu Jie's taboo this time.

He had known Xu Jie for many years and understood him quite well. Xu Jie was usually quiet and preferred to "value harmony" in everything, but that didn't mean he had no edges—in fact, he was adept at hiding a knife behind a smile, and Gong Su had really offended him this time.

Consort Mi: "..."

She inexplicably felt that the scene Wu Xian described was familiar.

Isn't it the same when several wives and concubines in the backyard vie for the emperor's favor?

However, she dared not say those words aloud.

To compare Wu Xian's trusted confidant, Zhen Feng, to women vying for his favor in the harem—if she dared to utter such words, Wu Xian and his men would surely destroy her. Lady Mi smiled gently, "My lord, think about it. Who is Mr. Qin here for with these words and this trip?"

Wu Xian said, "Naturally, it's for my sake!"

Qin Li was wary of Qi Shan, and also of Shen Tang, whom Qi Shan was supporting. The safest course of action was to nip the danger in the bud before it fully developed. However—Wu Xianzhen felt it wasn't that serious; Qin Li was being too hasty.

Lady Mi said, "Since it's for the sake of my worthy husband, shouldn't Mr. Qin's sincerity earn him a personal apology? My worthy husband is the master, and he is the subject, but you are also like-minded friends. Is there anything that can't be said directly?"

Wu Xian was stunned for a moment.

The soles and backs of the feet, which were rubbing against each other in the copper basin, stopped.

After a while, he hurriedly got up, ignoring the icy cold ground, and stepped directly onto it with his wet feet as he walked towards the door.

Lady Mi hurriedly got up and followed.

Amused, he advised, "Why are you in such a hurry, my dear son?"

"At least put your clothes on properly before you go!"

If Wu Xian falls ill from the cold after leaving his room, it will be difficult for her to explain herself when the wife asks questions.

Wu Xian could only suppress his anxiety.

He quickly dressed and left without looking back.

Lady Mi escorted him to the courtyard gate, until his figure disappeared at the end of the pebbled path. Beyond her courtyard lay a meticulously landscaped garden, with artificial hills and flowing water, exquisite plants, and even the fish in the pond had no shortage of food…

They were all well taken care of.

Lady Mi leaned against the door and looked around for a long time.

"Madam, you should go back. Be careful not to catch a cold."

He only turned away with a sigh after being persuaded by his personal maid.

Her voice was plaintive, and a hint of sadness showed in her beautiful eyes: "Caught a cold? If I were sick, would my beloved be so worried?"

The maid did not understand.

It's just a habitual act of flattery.

"As long as the lady enjoys the favor, the head of the household will naturally follow suit."

Lady Mi shook her head upon hearing this, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, her expression filled with worry. "You don't understand, he wouldn't do that. Qin Gongsu can help you achieve great things, but when he gets angry, you worry. Look at the flowers in the backyard, which one could so easily stir his heart?"

Maid: "But, it's different."

Lady Mi then asked her, "How is it different?"

The maid said, "Mr. Qin is the head of the family, a man who can be relied upon, but Madam is the head of the family's beloved, the mother of the children."

How can people with these two identities be the same?

Mr. Qin cannot replace his wife.

The maid couldn't understand her thought process at all.

Lady Mi sighed again: "You will never understand."

Ultimately, it's the same thing: subordinates and concubines are all people Wu Xian needs. The latter can be replaced by younger and prettier women at any time, but how many people can replace a great talent like Mr. Qin?

If you are not needed, you are easily abandoned.

Lady Mi also truly envied Qin Li.

Qin Li could make her husband genuinely humble himself, eagerly apologizing and coaxing her, but what about her? She lived her life cautiously in the backyard, relying on her husband's favor. This favor was the key to whether she could continue living in her comfortable nest far from poverty, hunger, and war, untouched by the hardships of the outside world, and enjoying wealth and luxury.

If it weren't for Wu Xian, she would be dead somewhere now.

To be fair, Wu Xian is a good person.

Even more fortunately, the first wife was not harsh and never mistreated them. But was this because the first wife was kind and generous? Not necessarily. She simply didn't really care about these concubines; they were just beautiful decorations that walked around in the backyard.

Lady Mi mourned and mocked herself.

Wu Xian was clearly unaware of Lady Mi's thoughts.

He donned a thick fox fur cloak, braved the wind and snow, and carrying a lantern, knocked on Qin Li's door, waking Qin Li abruptly. Hmm—Gong Su was also awake. By the light of the lantern, he recognized the person in the snowstorm and exclaimed in surprise, "My lord?"

Wu Xian silently cursed the awful weather.

"My lord, please come in first."

Qin Li was both annoyed and amused.

They could more or less guess Wu Xian's purpose in coming.

Wu Xian took off his cloak and followed Qin Li into the house. He raised his hand to brush the snowflakes off the cloak and rubbed his hands together to warm them: "Why didn't Gong Su bring out the charcoal brazier? It's so cold inside."

Qin Li had candles lit.

He said, "Using literary energy to protect the body can ward off the severe cold."

Wu Xian said, "Isn't this a waste of literary talent?"

It also drains your mental energy.

Who would do this on purpose when they have nothing else to do?

It's not like we're so poor we can't afford that little bit of charcoal.

Qin Li closed the tinderbox and responded calmly.

"I'm used to it."

Wu Xian sensed that he was unwilling to discuss the matter further, so he stopped pressing for details. He then changed the subject and said solemnly, "I came to disturb you, Qin Qing, so late at night because of what happened during the day."

The essence of an apology is to get straight to the point. Beating around the bush and dragging things out will only make people irritable.

Qin Li's face clearly showed the words "Just as I expected".

He asked, "Is our lord here to act as an intermediary for Xu Wenzhu?"

Wu Xian waved his hand: "No, no."

He paused, rose from the mat, and bowed in apology to Qin Li's shocked and puzzled gaze: "Actually, it was because of my bias today... It was my fault... Please forgive me, Qin Qing."

Although Wu Xian did not reprimand either Xu Jie or Qin Li, it was clear from the fact that Xu Jie was supported by local Tianhai residents while Qin Li was driven away in anger that he was tacitly taking sides.

Qin Li raised an eyebrow: "...My lord, there's no need for that."

Wu Xian carefully observed his expression, trying to discern Qin Li's true emotions from his calm face.

"...So Qin Qing isn't angry anymore?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Qin Li shook his head helplessly and said, "What kind of person do you think I am, my lord? These kinds of conflicts and setbacks are inevitable; it's impossible for colleagues to work together without ever having a disagreement. I don't usually take such trivial matters to heart, but—"

Wu Xian breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing what was said earlier.

But as soon as that "but" came out, my heart started pounding again.

"But what?"

After much deliberation, Qin Li decided to speak up—since he had chosen to assist Wu Xian, he couldn't just watch him fall into a trap. However, honest advice was often hard to swallow and might offend some people, perhaps even a couple he didn't like. Was he afraid of Xu Jie?

"But Xu Wenzhu..."

Wu Xian interrupted him in a low voice: "Wen Zhu hates it most when others bring up the Xu family's rise to wealth as merchants. Qin Qing's disdainful words about merchants today will surely make him hold a grudge. Let it go this time, but you must not say it again in the future."

Qin Li's expression was complicated.

But he continued, "It's not that I despise merchants, but that I dislike those who pursue profit without considering the bigger picture."

Qin Li wasn't someone who cared much about social status. When he was truly down on his luck, how much dry food could this thing buy?

However, Xu Jie's choice truly enraged him.

Wu Xian understood the implication in his words.

He said awkwardly, "This is a bit too serious. Wen Zhu knows the gravity of the matter. If there really is a problem, the greater good will warn us... Wen Zhu must have weighed things carefully before doing this..."

Qin Li let out a soft snort.

"There is never anything that can be perfect in this world. Those who are too greedy will eventually be devoured by their own greed." Qin Li naturally knew that Xu Jie would not do anything to harm Wu Xian, but because of the benefits given by Shen Tang, Xu Jie changed his attitude and hoped to bring the two families together in a friendly manner, so that everyone could benefit.

This idea is quite dangerous.

In Qin Li's view, it was a betrayal that didn't count as a betrayal.

Wu Xian knew that Qin Li was thinking of his own interests, so he couldn't force the latter to do or not do certain things. However, he couldn't help but say a few heartfelt words to him. The whole sentence didn't contain any persuasion, but every word was persuasive.

What did they say?

It only mentions how much Xu Jie "generously donated".

Wu Xian's rapid rise to power, with ample manpower, supplies, and funds, was not only due to the Wu family's own solid foundation and the assistance of its followers, but also inseparable from the strong support of the Xu family. As long as Xu Jie did not commit any substantial betrayal, stab him in the back, or do anything unforgivable, Wu Xian would readily agree even if Xu Jie expressed interest in one of his concubines.

The unspoken meaning—

Qin Li was a smart man, so he naturally understood.

Xu Jie doesn't speak easily, but once he does, it's hard to refuse.

Having come this far, Qin Li had no choice but to back down: "I will keep your words in mind, my lord."

Try to avoid clashing with Xu Jie.

Given Xu Jie's profit-driven nature, going against him is like pushing him into the arms of an enemy. Xu Jie cannot leave Wu Xian's command, but as the head of the family and clan leader, he cannot stop others from investing in and pledging allegiance to others.

There are always more solutions than problems.

Seeing that Qin Li had been wronged because of him, Wu Xian swallowed his anger and said guiltily, "Alas, I'm sorry to have wronged you, Qin Qing..."

"but--"

That word again.

Wu Xian's heart skipped a beat again.

"But what?"

Qin Li said, "However, we still need to be wary of Shen Youli."

Wu Xian was puzzled.

Qin Li is too obsessed with Hei Chentang and Qi Shan.

He then said, "I think Shen Youli is quite good, a sincere and enthusiastic young man. It's a blessing for commoners to meet him. Why is Qin Qing so wary of him? Is it only because he is the lord that evil schemers have their eyes on?"

Qin Li shook his head and said, "It's not that. It's just that the moment I saw this person, I knew that he was not willing to be subordinate to anyone. His pure and sincere nature is just a disguise. Beneath this skin lies an ambition to devour the sun and the moon!"

Wu Xian: "???"

Suddenly, I began to doubt whether I was the same person as Shen Tang that Qin Li had mentioned. But even so, there was no need to be so wary of Shen Youli so early. Let's form an alliance first, and deal with the others after that.

For example, Gu Ren, and Zhang He.

Wu Xian has disliked these two for a long time.

Especially that scoundrel Gu Ren.

Does having many sworn brothers make you great?

"Furthermore, the more I think about it these past few days, the more something seems off about Li."

Something's not right.

Qin Li did not elaborate.

He had always felt that something was wrong. The Four Treasures formed an alliance, and Shen Tang fled to take up his post ahead of time. The official reason was that it would be difficult to lead a group of old, weak, women and children in a military campaign. In addition, the rebels retreated, and in order to expand the results of the war, they needed to pursue them quickly, so they fell behind halfway.

But this is too much of a coincidence.

It is reasonable in every aspect, yet unreasonable in every aspect.

But this was just his intuition, and he couldn't convince anyone.

"In short, it's never wrong to be vigilant and cautious."

He also wanted to tell Wu Xian to keep an eye on Xu Jie's actions, lest he be blinded by the benefits offered by Shen Tang and do something presumptuous, which would be too late then... But thinking of today's conflict, he swallowed his words. Xu Jie is, after all, the head of a noble family, not just a simple merchant; shouldn't he have that kind of self-awareness?

At this moment, Wu Xian said, "Wen Zhu brought back two hundred jars of wine from Shen Youli and sent fifty jars to my residence. I don't know if it's effective or not. Qin Qing has a good capacity for alcohol, why don't you have a few jars too?"

It's free.

Qin Li: "..."

Qin Li was filled with sorrow, but what about Xu Jie?

Hey, he's having a party.

(End of this chapter)