"You!" Wang Zechen's face turned ashen with anger.
It wasn't just because of Li Lao Er's threat, but also because he knew in his heart that Li Lao Er was right: the foundation of the Wang family's high-rise building was already rotten.
He had been away from home for many years, and he had always thought that his family was his strong support. But when he returned this time, he discovered his father's incompetence, his brother's arrogance, and the excessive luxury in the family's daily life...
If the capital hadn't been moved, the Wang family would have been fine living in a remote corner of the country.
But now everything is under the Emperor's watchful eye, and any small mistake could lead to the downfall of the Wang family.
Unfortunately, his family members didn't understand at all and only wanted to trample the Li family underfoot.
You must understand that the Li family has already made their name known to the Emperor, and they are no longer someone who can be bullied at will!
Moreover, the Li family has the Marquis of Xinting as their backer, the support of the censor and the Liu family, the great merit of contributing grain, and two noble titles and an imperial edict. They have already gained power and influence, so how could they be so easily dealt with?!
If he were easy to deal with, why would he condescend to come and listen to a peasant preach?
Li Lao Er, impatient with wasting time with Wang Zechen, stood up and said, "We have different paths, so we cannot work together. Our two families have been at odds for a long time, with each side having its victories and defeats. Our Li family has always held the same idea: we don't cause trouble, but we are not afraid of trouble either."
"If your Wang family still wants to be enemies with our Li family, then bring it on! Lord Wang, you'd better watch yourself!"
After saying that, he went out the door and went straight downstairs.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Wen Hai standing next to the carriage waving, and Li Lao Er quickly went over to him.
Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng were sitting in the carriage. Liu Zhiheng was about to drink some tea when Li Lao Er snatched it from him as soon as he got in the carriage and drank it all in one gulp.
Liu Zhiheng chuckled, "Didn't you go for tea? Why are you still so thirsty?"
"Don't even mention it," Li Lao Er waved his hand. "How could I possibly have the heart to drink tea when faced with a poisonous snake! I gave him a good talking-to about how expensive tea was, and the teahouse owner and staff all heard it. Now, if anyone brings up the fact that I drank tea with him, I won't be caught off guard."
"He wouldn't really be asking you to have tea, would he?" Mr. Wen asked as he poured tea for Li Lao Er.
“Of course not,” Li Lao Er rolled his eyes. “He’s trying to fool me, looking for faults in our family, and then deciding whether to take action immediately or wait a little longer.”
Liu Zhiheng sneered, "This Wang Zechen is known for being unassuming. Even if he reconciles with your family, you can't let your guard down. He might bite you at any time!"
Recalling Wang Zechen's expression just now, Li Lao Er laughed and said, "He usually deals with old foxes who are all about maintaining a friendly facade. But today, he ran into me and completely broke off all pretense of civility. He was totally dumbfounded!"
After saying that, he repeated what Mao Zhu and Gao Lou had said.
Sure enough, Mr. Wen and Liu Zhiheng were both laughing uncontrollably.
Liu Zhiheng patted Li Lao Er on the shoulder and shouted, "You're taking advantage of the fact that the Wang family already has few brothers, and you've driven one of them crazy! Haha, you kick me, I kick you, and kick you again and again, let's send the Wang family's tall building to its knees!"
Li Lao Er spread his hands, looking innocent. "Who told him to talk about accumulating wealth over a hundred years? Our Li family has accumulated wealth over a hundred years too. It's just that their family has wealth and power, while our family has a large and prosperous population!"
"Alright, that's enough. Let's go to Cyclamen. I'm getting hungry just listening to this." Mr. Wen urged Wen Hai to drive the carriage.
Liu Zhiheng chimed in, "Yeah, let's hurry up and go. We have to have a drink about this today. Just thinking about how Boss Wang got humiliated makes me happy. My dad used to use him as an example to teach me a lesson when I was a kid!"
The carriage quickly drove away, and Wang Zechen, who was in the teahouse private room, could no longer see the carriage, so he withdrew his gaze.
His trusted aide stepped forward and asked, "Master, the Li family is too arrogant. Shouldn't we teach them a lesson?"
Wang Zechen shook his head, "Let's see. What he said isn't wrong. Our Wang family's foundation is indeed in trouble... Let me think of a way to fix the foundation, and then we'll see whether the Li family is crippled or our Wang family falls!"
The servant dared not say anything more and silently withdrew.
Li Lao Er guessed that Wang Zechen was probably angry because he had offended him.
As a result, Wang Zechen did not make any further moves during the two major court assemblies, and even greeted him warmly when they met.
Li Lao Er became increasingly wary, but his face was more enthusiastic and his smile was brighter than Wang Zechen's.
It's just acting, anyone can do that!
After one person finishes singing, another takes the stage, taking turns singing, reciting, acting, and fighting. All eighteen martial arts masters come and show off their skills!
As a result, neither of them felt anything was wrong; both were in high spirits, leaving the entire court of officials completely bewildered.
These days, can natural enemies become friends?
Has the world changed, or have they simply fallen behind the times?!
Mr. Wen, on the other hand, was very happy.
He had talked to Li Lao Er about these intrigues and power struggles countless times, but Li Lao Er, being a kind-hearted farmer at heart, remained oblivious.
In terms of defense, he can barely protect himself, but when it comes to offense, he has no idea how to shoot.
Now that Wang Zechen has delivered himself as a whetstone, Li Lao Er has no choice but to fight back, striving to hone himself until he is smooth and slippery, yet ready to unleash a sharp blade at any moment and deliver a vicious stab...
This is such a huge and unexpected bonus!
Mr. Wen, however, hoped that Wang Zechen would think things through later and serve as Li Lao Er's sparring partner for a while longer, so that Li Lao Er would fully grow into a qualified court official!
Leaving aside Li Lao Er's rapid growth, it's already March in the blink of an eye.
The new city is much warmer than the northern part of the country or the former capital, Kyoto. There is no heavy snow blocking the way in winter, and spring comes exceptionally early.
The water diversion projects for Dahuaishu, Dawangzhuang, and Xiaowangzhuang have been completed.
A public bathhouse was built at the beginning and end of each of the three villages.
The one the men used was at the entrance of the village, with several large pools, about the size of heated brick beds, inside, filled with hot spring water.
Everyone jumped in like dumplings being dropped into a pot, soaked in the water, chatted, had water fights, and were so excited they wanted to lift the roof off the house.
The women's bath was designed with consideration for women's privacy and reputation, and it was more elaborate. The bath consisted of small pools that were three feet wide and four feet long, with partitions in the middle to provide privacy.
Basically, each family has one. When showering, they can close the door and no one can see inside.
The possibility of causing trouble, such as seeing a birthmark on a girl, spreading it around, defaming her reputation, or forcing her to marry, is extremely small.
Women are prohibited from entering or leaving the area near the men's bathhouse.
Near the women's bathhouse, men were beaten to death as soon as they showed their faces.
In short, regardless of the men's excitement and the women's caution, all villages have achieved the freedom to bathe.
Thinking about the spring planting that is about to begin, and about the melon seedlings being planted in the ground, everyone is filled with hope for the future, as if life has suddenly become more interesting.
In the new village, the Li family's backyard has also been completed.
Instead of the large open-plan layout of the front yard, the main house was designed as a small suite with a bright front and a darker back...
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