12 Degrees Chencang
◎Fake concessions◎
Zhuang Mansion.
While Tian Nong Le was teasing the canary in the cage, a maid in a light blue skirt respectfully brought him a bowl of steaming bitter medicine.
She stood aside with her eyes lowered, her head bowed, but her back was straight.
Tian Nongle put down the gold-inlaid bird-teasing stick, walked over with his hands behind his back, glanced at the maid indifferently, and did not take it.
After years of immersion, he has already developed the ability to be intimidating without getting angry.
Although he was sick, he was full of energy.
When he squinted his eyes and looked at the maid, he looked like the real owner of the Zhuang Mansion.
He walked slowly to the golden nanmu wooden table. A pretty maid on his right hurried forward, pulled out a chair, and helped him sit down.
Tian Nong Le tapped the table lightly, and the maid in the light pink skirt came forward and took the bitter medicine from the maid in the light blue skirt.
The rule of the Zhuang Mansion is that only second-class maids can wear light blue clothes, and below that can wear light pink, goose yellow and sky blue.
The distinct levels are hidden among the flowers, making it very lively.
Tian Nong Le rubbed the jade ring on his hand for a while, then looked at the two people who were in a stalemate.
After a while, he softened his tone and asked, "Fu Lian, is Madam okay?"
Fu Lian raised her palm-sized face, her eyes tinged with anger as she replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, "The young lady has gone to bed and sent a servant to watch over my son-in-law taking his medicine. She also instructed that if your nephew still doesn't want to change his name, she won't force him. He can return home and she will personally go to the branch to select a suitable adoptive son tomorrow."
After saying that, she put the tray she had been holding on the table.
Tian Nong Le sighed deeply, then smiled good-naturedly, "When the granaries are full, people learn etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. Our family is in poverty, and our young master is not very sensible. I will teach him a lesson when I have some free time today."
He picked up the bowl and drank the medicine in one gulp. The maid beside him took out a handkerchief at the right time.
Tian Nongle wiped it gently for a while, interrupting Fu Lian's mouth as she was about to open it again, "You go back first, I'll come back to accompany my wife after I finish my work today."
After saying that, he stood up and walked from the warm room into the bedroom, and ordered: "Change clothes."
When he changed into a dark blue plain silk robe and went out, Fu Lian had disappeared, and the bowls and spoons on the table had been taken away as well.
Tian Nong Le sorted himself out in front of the bronze mirror for a while, then told the maid, "Go buy two servings of green plum pastry and rouge peach pastry. Choose the one from the one in the south of the city. Put them on the table when you get them back."
"yes."
-
The carriage slowly drove out of the alley and arrived at the most prosperous area of Ruiyang County.
A pair of slender white hands lifted the car curtain, and before the person came out, Tian Nongle hurried forward.
He supported Jing Wenshu, who was several years younger than him, and praised him sincerely, "I have always heard that Master Jing is a man of great beauty. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."
Jing Wenshu curved his eyebrows and replied with a smile: "I am sorry to bother you today."
Although the two met for the first time, they were as close as brothers, leaving their attendants far behind.
Tian Nong Le has been fighting in the business world for several years and has become very skilled at speaking different words to different people. He feels that he has figured out the details of the person in front of him with the help of the people behind the scenes.
In the most luxurious private room on the second floor.
Tian Nongle sat upright, looking at Jing Wenshu who was half leaning against him, poured a cup of tea and handed it to him, saying with a smile: "Lord Jing has served the country and the people with an incorruptible character. There is no reason for me not to help you."
He is testing.
It is possible that a newly appointed official would be poor.
But the man in front of him was the son of a merchant, and a top scholar in the imperial examination. He was committed to the small Ruiyang County. How could he have fallen to the point of borrowing money at high interest?
It's clearly a trick.
Jing Wenshu lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly, saying, "A new official has three major things to do upon taking office. This time, I was too extravagant. All the savings my family had accumulated from years of hustling around were destroyed in an instant, and I still have several servants to support."
He stopped talking mid-sentence and lowered his head to take a sip of tea.
Extravagant and ostentatious.
I don’t know whether it is true or not.
Tian Nong laughed cheerfully and said some polite words to flatter him.
Whether the high-ranking Tanhua Lang fell from power or had other plans has nothing to do with profit-seeking businessmen like him.
After all, the big man who never shows up behind him is the one who is truly invaluable.
If he wanted to take advantage of the situation to rise to the top, he would be totally wrong.
Thinking of this, Tian Nong Le hurriedly took a sip of tea to suppress the curling of his lips.
He recalled the opportunity to show himself in front of an important figure. His palms began to sweat slightly, his eyes moved, and when he spoke again, his face was filled with regret that he had not met the important figure earlier.
"Your Excellency is wearing a golden belt and purple clothes, and all the brothers are very afraid of you."
He stopped talking at that point, and Jing Wenshu didn't get angry. He pinched a piece of cloud cake into his lips, and when he spoke again, he was already condescending.
"I have a destiny with you." After saying this, he let out a long sigh.
"Yes, you can be called the reborn parents of my Tian family." Tian Nongle smiled and said what he had already drafted in his mind eight hundred times, "The elderly in my family are ignorant. It is thanks to your kindness that my niece, Er Niang, was saved. Otherwise, she would have passed away."
Jing Wenshu raised his eyebrows and said nothing.
"Your Excellency has done many good deeds, I'm afraid you have forgotten them?" Seeing no response, Tian Nongle felt a little embarrassed, and his ears turned red.
Jing Wenshu opened his mouth slightly, as if he remembered something, and smiled slightly.
Seeing this, Tian Nong Le burst into words of praise.
Jing Wenshu's smile widened, and he accepted all the praise. He then added fuel to the fire as if it wasn't enough: "How could a man in the world see a little girl crying and not help her?"
Tian Nongle sighed, his eyes filled with worry for the younger generation. "My niece has a miserable life. Her elder brother and sister-in-law passed away early, and she raised her younger brother alone. Yet, she suffered this hardship just because of her beauty. Life is so difficult for women in this world!"
Jing Wenshu said nothing, just stroked the jade cup and sighed.
After a long time, the subject changed.
"Speaking of which, who can possibly know what the current emperor's intention is in not allowing the public to lend money at interest?"
Tian Nong Le didn't dare to respond, but just nodded awkwardly, picked up the delicacy in front of him with chopsticks and put it into Jing Wenshu's bowl.
The two chatted for a few incense sticks, and when they left, they still felt a little reluctant to leave.
Tian Nong Le's unimportant and money-losing niece has become the unspoken bond between the two men at this moment.
Separated by a wall.
Lin Luan, who was sitting upright, chuckled and took a sip of tea, with an unreadable look in his eyes.
He tapped the table twice, and the room, which had just been empty, suddenly had a man in tights jumping down from the beam.
Lin Luan said calmly: "Follow him."
Wu Xu didn't ask any more questions, just responded and left.
Jing Wenshu looked at Tian Nong Le's back as he left, turned around, knocked on the door next door, and bowed.
Inside the house, Lin Luan was sitting alone. When he saw him coming, he nodded lightly.
Lin Luan has been practicing martial arts since he was young and has excellent hearing. Even the slightest movement several miles away cannot escape his ears.
Therefore, Jing Wenshu came to this room without wasting time repeating his previous hypocrisy with him.
As expected, as soon as he sat down, Lin Luan came to the conclusion, "There's someone else behind the scenes, and this person might not be aware of it."
Jing Wenshu narrowed his eyes and said in confusion: "Your Highness, the Zhuang family is one of the richest businessmen in Ruiyang County." Tian Nong Le is the son-in-law of the Zhuang family's only daughter. It is unknown whether it is him or the Zhuang family who came today, whether it is him or the Zhuang family who usually lends money at high interest in this county, whether he is a well-polished blade of the Zhuang family or an unskilled deserter.
If he did it alone, it would be too bold.
If it was the banker's instruction, the person behind it would be easy to find out.
Lin Luan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Did you bribe the examiner to get this third place..."
He hadn't finished speaking, but the meaning of his words was very clear. Jing Wenshu choked for a moment, and finally stopped himself from sneering. He raised his glass and looked out the window.
I've heard from my teachers a long time ago that the Crown Prince's thin lips are like the sharpest sword in the world. Today is the second time I've met him, and I know what it feels like.
His thoughts had already drifted back to Beijing, and he was ready to have a good talk with everyone at the banquet.
Before he could look away, Yaoyao met the eyes of a woman on the bridge.
Jing Wenshu had been pretending to be a playboy to his bones during this period, so he subconsciously raised the wine glass in his hand and smiled in the same way as he did when he spent many days in the restaurant.
Just as he took a sip of wine, a maid appeared out of nowhere and quickly closed the screen.
Jing Wenshu put down his wine glass and looked at the unfathomable prince.
The Crown Prince opposite him raised a faint smile and said, "You're pretending too much."
-
That night, everything was silent and the clock was ticking for an even longer time.
In the quiet Tianjia Village, a horse galloped past, as fast as a shooting star.
The rider was wearing a robe that didn't suit him very well, but it didn't affect his movements. With a "whoosh", he tightened the reins and stopped in front of an ordinary house.
Almost at the same time, a masked man in black rushed out of the alley.
Lin Luan asked in a voice that was almost whispered: "Are you okay?"
Wen Xun shook his head, took the horse over, took out a letter from his arms and presented it to Lin Luan.
Lin Luan took it without checking it, and stuffed it directly into his sleeve. He patted the shoulder of the secret guard who had been guarding here all day, and said softly, "Go back."
"Yes." Wen Xun led the horse away.
Lin Luan looked at the locked door, took a few steps back, stepped lightly on the ground, and easily climbed over the wall to enter.
When he got into the house, he brushed off the dust on his body and turned around casually.
When I turned around, I met a pair of ignorant almond eyes.
Tian Nongxi was busy making mothballs and had just finished washing up and was about to take a rest.
At this time, a wooden basin filled with water was raised in his hand, as if he was about to pour the water but didn't.
The two looked at each other.
After a while, Tian Nongxi put down the basin in his hand, yawned, and said, "This wall is still too low."
Lin Luan looked at the corners of her eyes which were red from the moisture, coughed lightly, and agreed inexplicably, "Yes, it can be built higher." As he said that, he took the basin from her hand, took it to the corner of the wall and poured it down.
Tian Nongxi rubbed his sleepy eyes, feeling very sleepy, and pushed the door open and walked in.
Lin Luan's words of explanation were stuck in his throat. After thinking for a while, he turned around and put the pastries in his arms on the stove.
What did he have to explain? Wasn't his problem more important than the little thing going on in the fields? At worst, I could just pay more attention tomorrow.
When Lin Luan came out of the kitchen, his eyes swept across Tian Nongxi's closed door, and he couldn't help but think.
After finishing washing up, Lin Luan opened the envelope.
A letter and a note attached to the back of the envelope fell out with the movement.
The letter was written in elegant and upright handwriting. It was written by his mother who was far away in the capital. Lin Luan read it carefully and took in all the information and concerns in the letter.
In comparison, the handwriting on the note looked particularly crooked. It was written by his secret guard who had practiced calligraphy for more than ten years but still wrote like a child.
[Miss Tian has not contacted Tian Nong Le. Also: I went to Ruiyang County today and had a very pleasant conversation with the owner of the seed stall. I brought some seeds home.]
It's so hard to write, but I still write some messy nonsense.
Seed stall owner?
Bring everyone home.
Lin Luan snorted, burned the paper and blew out the candle.
【Author’s words】
“When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace.” —Guan Zi: Pastoral People
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