There's a large teahouse on the corner of Wenjia Street. Business wasn't great before, but it's been booming these past few days.
Everyone was waiting to see how the Wen family would react, but the result was unexpected...it was truly explosive!
A guest asked the servant who had gone to gather information, his face full of disbelief, "Are you saying that Wen Junyan refused to help his brother because he was jealous of him?"
It's no wonder this person is making such a fuss. After all, every wealthy family has its share of conflicts. It's rare for brothers to be harmonious, but usually when trouble comes, everyone will unite against outsiders.
After all, even a child understands the principle that we all prosper together and suffer together.
Others were also surprised and asked, "Wen Junyan usually has a good reputation as an official, he shouldn't be like this!"
The servant became anxious, as if afraid that everyone would think he was lying, so he jumped up and started imitating.
He was also clever and had a good memory. He clearly repeated what Liu, his son, and Madam Cui had said to Wen Junyan after they left, and even mimicked their expressions from time to time.
It was as if the scene from just moments ago had been replayed.
When everyone heard this, they were in an uproar.
Someone sighed and said, "You can know a person's face but not their heart. This Wen Junyan is really too narrow-minded! There are many families where the eldest son is mediocre but the second son is outstanding. Don't they support and rely on each other to make their families more prosperous?"
"Why is it different when it comes to the Wen family? Wen Junyan is really not acting like an elder brother... Poor Imperial Censor Wen, he has been suppressed since childhood!"
“Yes,” the friend next to him nodded and said, “If the Wen family doesn’t want to save them and is afraid of being implicated, then they should just shut up and let the Liu and Li families save them.”
"But if Wen Junyan's words get out today, anyone who pleads for Imperial Censor Wen will be considered disloyal! Even if someone wants to help, they should think carefully. It's extremely vicious!"
"If he had used that ruthlessness he showed his brother on his job, he wouldn't be a fourth-rank official now; he would probably have been promoted to first-rank by now," someone mocked with disdain.
However, some people had a different focus and whispered, "So, it turns out that Old Master Liu really intends to arrange for Grand Scholar Cui's beloved daughter to marry Imperial Censor Wen. No wonder Madam Cui has been working so hard these past few days, disregarding the damage to her reputation."
“Yes,” the person at the table chimed in, “the fact that Imperial Censor Wen is so resistant to the marriage arranged by his family, even going so far as to move out, probably means he also has feelings for his junior sister from the Cui family.”
"Logically speaking, Madam Cui has been divorced for a long time. If she had married Imperial Censor Wen, it would have been a beautiful story of two fellow disciples becoming husband and wife. However, Imperial Censor Wen is now in trouble, which is a pity!"
"I'm afraid that even with the Liu, Li, and Cui families running around like this, Imperial Censor Wen will still be punished... I'm afraid Madam Cui will never be able to remarry!"
Leaving aside the murmurs circulating in the teahouse, in the Liu family's carriage, Old Master Liu stroked his beard and instructed his niece, "Jinrou, go back to Suijintan and wait for news. Don't keep running around with me. You've done enough now, and the capital knows that you and Shao Yuan are in love."
"Right now, people sympathize with you, but if you continue to get involved, they will inevitably say some unpleasant things."
"Yes, Uncle, I'll head back to Suijintan right away, but what about the Dali Temple..."
Madam Cui was still a little worried, but Liu Zhiheng waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, Lord Li and Jiaren are here, guarding us every step of the way."
"Those people from the Dali Temple are all opportunists. Since the Li family is so helpful, they wouldn't dare to do anything. Everyone in Xindu knows that the Li family is not to be trifled with, not to mention that the Marquis is backing them!"
Madam Cui nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.
Although she knew it was all a scheme orchestrated by everyone, she couldn't help but worry about her senior brother being imprisoned.
Recalling the Wen family's ugly behavior just now, she couldn't help but feel even more heartbroken for her senior brother.
"I originally thought that my senior brother's father was just a rigid and strict person who had higher expectations for him. Who would have thought..." Madam Cui wanted to curse, but she held back and only found one word, "Who would have thought that he was so two-faced!"
Liu Zhiheng couldn't help but laugh, "Sister, if you want to curse, then curse away! What are you holding back for now! He's even abandoned his son, yet he keeps talking about loyalty to the emperor. Bullshit! He's just afraid that Shao Yuan will implicate his family and cause Wen Junyan to lose his official position!"
Old Master Liu glared at his son and scolded, "Say less!"
As a father himself, he couldn't believe that his son was in trouble and his father would just stand by and watch without offering any help!
The Wen family is truly disappointing...
Under the shade of the trees across the street from the Dali Temple, the Li family's carriage seemed to have taken root and remained parked there.
Even though it was raining and all the vendors and people who came to run errands had fled, the Li family's carriage did not move.
The minor official guarding the gate of the Dali Temple, watching the carriage from afar, couldn't help but whisper to his companion, "The Li family is really something. It's been days now, they come early and leave late, just keeping watch every day. Didn't we tell them long ago that Censor Wen is fine? They just don't believe us!"
"What do you know?" His companion glared at him and said in a low voice, "The Li family isn't afraid that we'll do something underhanded to Censor Wen; they're just trying to intimidate outsiders! No censor can avoid offending anyone. The Li family is afraid that people who had some conflicts with Censor Wen before will take the opportunity to cause trouble!"
"Lord Li is standing guard outside the door. Anyone who wants to take advantage of Censor Wen's misfortune should think twice. To harm Censor Wen is to make an enemy of the Li family!"
"Oh my, the Li family has risked everything!" the clerk couldn't help but exclaim enviously. "Imperial Censor Wen is lucky to have befriended a family like the Li family."
"Alright, that's enough. You've eaten quite a bit of the food that Cyclamen sent. He's obliged to help you out. Just keep an eye on things related to Censor Wen."
"Haha, that's true! The boiled pork slices yesterday were really delicious. I ate three big bowls of rice with it!"
"I like roast duck, but I don't know if they have any left today. I heard that Cyclamen Restaurant only sells eight ducks a day, and many customers are fighting to get them!"
The two minor officials chatted and laughed together. Across the street, next to the Li family's carriage, another carriage had stopped at some point. The window was open, revealing Mr. Peng's haggard face.
Li Lao Er quickly opened the window to call out, but Mr. Peng waved his hand weakly and said, "Lord, I went to ask a few friends, and they all said that Shao Yuan's matter is not easy. No one knows the Emperor's condition now, and if we're not careful, we might be accused of spying and implicated."
Li Lao Er nodded and replied, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Peng. Please go back and rest for the night. If anything happens, I will have Jia Ren go back to Luo'an to report."
Mr. Peng had been running around the city for two days and was really exhausted, so he agreed, "Alright, I'll go back and change my clothes first. Thank you for guarding this place, Lord. Please send someone to let me know if anything happens."
After saying that, the Peng family's carriage started running again, and soon only the Li family remained in the rain.
Jiaren sat at the back of the car, carefully watching the teapot on the charcoal stove, and asked his father, "Dad, will the teacher be alright?"
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, and not wanting to see his son with dark circles under his eyes from staying up so long, Li Lao Er whispered, "Don't worry, everything is arranged."
Jiaren was stunned for a moment, then looked into his father's smiling eyes, his heart filled with ecstasy!
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