The newcomer was a man around forty years old, tall and handsome, dressed in the robes of a third-rank official.
Although this person had a smiling face and seemed very easygoing, people subconsciously dared not underestimate or neglect him.
Li Lao Er vaguely felt that this person looked familiar, but he really didn't know him. Looking at Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng, although they were also smiling, their expressions carried a bit of wariness.
A sudden realization dawned on Li Lao Er, and he finally came to his senses completely. This person was probably Wang Zechen, the eldest son of the Wang family who was serving as an official elsewhere.
Sure enough, the man stepped forward, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting, “Your Excellency, Lord Liu, I left court early today, and going home is rather dull. I would like to have a cup of tea with the Marquis of Zhongshan. I wonder if you two could make an exception for me?”
Mr. Wen frowned, but Liu Zhiheng smiled even more "amiably" and said, "Oh, it's Lord Wang Zechen! It's been years since we last met."
“What you’re saying, Lord Wang, is true. Although we are on good terms with Lord Li, we can’t make decisions for him. If others heard what you said, they would think that we treat Lord Li like our own servant.”
Wang Zechen raised an eyebrow, cupped his hands in apology, and said, "It was my poor wording. Please don't take offense, Lord Liu. I've been away from home for many years, and I'm still getting used to being back in the capital."
With him adopting such a humble posture and so many people watching, even if Liu Zhiheng still wanted to stop him, he wouldn't have a good reason to.
Li Lao Er stepped forward and said with a smile, "Lord Wen, Lord Liu, I'm a little thirsty. It would be nice to have a cup of tea with Lord Wang. You two go ahead and get busy at the yamen. I'm just an idle person with no duties. As long as Lord Wang doesn't mind wasting his time, I'm happy to keep you company."
Liu Zhiheng and Mr. Wen exchanged a glance. Although they were still somewhat uneasy, they could only nod.
Mr. Wen said, "Okay, didn't they say Cyclamen has launched new dishes? Shall we go for lunch?"
"Okay, I guess I'll get back early, I'll wait for you guys first." Li Lao Er replied, and then Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng left.
Li Lao Er was left behind, smiling, walking with Wang Zechen.
Li Lao Er wasn't nervous or reserved at all, and casually asked, "When did you return, sir? I heard you've been stationed away for a while?"
Wang Zechen laughed and said, "Yes, I've been stationed away for seven or eight years. Before the New Year, I received a letter from home saying that my father was ill and my good-for-nothing brother had gone mad. I was worried about him, so I quickly submitted a memorial to the Emperor asking him to transfer me back."
"His Majesty's grace is boundless," Li Lao Er turned around and bowed towards the palace, "His Majesty is most benevolent and understanding towards his subjects, unlike us from humble families, who are petty and can't forgive anything..."
The two walked and chatted, and to an outsider, they would have looked like longtime friends.
Little did they know, every word they uttered was a barrage of insults, as if they wanted to stab each other with a dozen or more bloody holes!
They went straight out of the palace gates and boarded the royal family's carriage.
Seeing Li Lao Er examining the interior of the carriage with great interest, Wang Zechen held this humble, peasant-born lord in higher regard.
"Lord Li, you're getting into my carriage now? Aren't you afraid I might do something to you?"
"Unfavorable?" Li Lao Er was quite surprised and laughed, "How could that be? I don't think Lord Wang has any reason to be unfavorable to me. In fact, I'm even waiting for Lord Wang to apologize to me! After all, someone as smart as Lord Wang wouldn't be unaware of the previous conflict between our two families..."
"At the very least, when it comes to my elder brother, Wang Qiusheng, the son-in-law who was taken back by your Wang family, shouldn't you apologize on behalf of your father and your younger brother?"
Li Lao Er spoke without any politeness, and his face turned cold. "It's understandable that Third Master Wang is a merchant with little education and a bit arrogant. It's also understandable that Old Master Wang is a bit confused due to his advanced age."
"But Lord Wang is a high-ranking official of the third rank. When he serves as an official in the countryside, he is also the father of the people in the region. If he cannot distinguish right from wrong, then there is no need for us to have tea today."
Wang Zechen was silent for a moment, then finally smiled, "Lord Li, you flatter me. I was just joking."
Li Lao Er raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. The eldest son of the Wang family was very cunning. He had just taken the initiative to draw his sword, but it was like hitting cotton; it had no effect whatsoever...
Soon, the carriage arrived at the entrance of a teahouse. Both men were dressed in official robes. As soon as they got off the carriage, the owner warmly welcomed them upstairs and booked the best private room.
Li Lao Er frowned slightly, which aroused Wang Zechen's curiosity. He asked, "Does Uncle Li think this teahouse is not good? Shall we go to another one?"
Li Lao Er shook his head and asked, "Does Lord Wang know how much silver it would cost to open this private room, including tea and snacks?"
Wang Zechen thought he couldn't afford it, so he replied, "Ten or eight taels is enough. Please order your favorite tea and snacks, sir. It's my treat today."
Li Lao Er waved his hand, "Does Lord Wang know how much a pound of rice costs in Xinduli these days? It's a full fifty coins! This is the highest price in nearly twenty years, and we consume two hundred pounds of rice every time we drink tea!"
"These two hundred catties of rice, mixed with coarse grains and wild vegetables, are enough to sustain a family of five for half a year. Lord Wang comes from a wealthy family, so he may not think much of it, but my family are just ordinary farmers. Even now, my mother is a first-rank noblewoman, and she still has to weed the vegetable garden."
Wang Zechen was displeased with what he heard, and his face finally turned cold. "Is Lord Li saying that I made a mistake by inviting you for tea today?"
Old Li shook his head, refusing to back down in the slightest. "Whether it's right or wrong, I don't know. I just feel I can't bear the responsibility. If the Wang family has this money, they might as well build a soup kitchen and do good deeds. There's really no need to waste it on me, because the matter between our two families can't be resolved with just a cup of tea."
"Is Lord Li determined to be an enemy of our Wang family?" Wang Zechen straightened his back, his expression arrogant. "Not that I'm being presumptuous, but even ten members of the Li family might not be a match for our Wang family. Our Wang family has been established for a century; we would never be afraid of a bunch of peasants!"
Li Lao Er sneered and replied, "Whether we're afraid or not, we can't say for sure. But you said our Li family are peasants? Yes, we are indeed peasants, but there's nothing wrong with being from a peasant background."
"Lord Wang has returned from Sichuan, so you should know that there is a kind of bamboo there, right? It stands in the mountains, silently bowing its head to take root for four years. When the spring breeze of the fifth year comes, it will grow wildly every moment, and perhaps in just a few days it will reach straight into the sky."
“Our Li family is like this bamboo. Aren’t you just being polite by inviting me for tea because you’re afraid of how fast our Li family is growing? Otherwise, given your Wang family’s methods, you could crush us with one foot and wouldn’t waste this time!”
Li Lao Er's eyes gleamed with a frightening intensity. He pounded on the table, his face full of sarcasm, and continued, "Your Wang family has accumulated wealth for a hundred years, just like that tall building. It is indeed impressive, but no one has seen that the foundation of the building has rotted away, has they? It is difficult to build a tall building, but to make it fall, perhaps all it takes is an outsider to kick it!"
"Of course, it's possible that one kick won't knock it down, but that's okay, we Li family have many children and grandchildren! One kick from each of us, and we'll make sure it gets what it wants and smashes to pieces!"
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