74 Borrowing prestige
◎Is it a fox taking advantage of the tiger's power? This feels really good.◎
Chen Yihao lived in Dangju County and opened his shop there.
Dangju County was located in the northeast of Yanchao's territory. It was the second largest of the five counties of Yanchao. Its county seat was Xichang County, located in the center of Dangju County.
During the wars of the previous dynasty, many families relocated to Xichang County, and the Shen family was one of them. Their ancestors had made their fortune by selling illegal salt. After the dynasty changed, they offered a generous gift to the current emperor, abandoned the illegal salt trade, and instead operated various silk and satin shops.
The Shen family has been developing in Xichang County for many years and its influence is deeply rooted. Many of the family's branches have entered the court to serve as officials. Although they are minor officials, they are still respected enough in the county.
After getting the information, Tian Nongxi left a silver ingot and walked towards Shen's house alone.
The Chen residence is located in the very center of Xichang County. The house alone occupies nearly half of the street. People coming and going, regardless of gender, age or status, all look straight ahead as they walk, as if it is a convention.
Tian Nongxi glanced at the pearwood plaque with the words "Chen's House" hanging high above the door lintel, smiled brightly at the guard at the door, and explained his purpose.
Unexpectedly, the guard just looked her up and down and let her go.
Passing through pavilions, towers, waterside terraces and corridors, Tian Nongxi finally saw Shen Yihao.
He was wearing a dark blue robe with dark patterns. The gold thread at the collar was stretched out by his round neck. His neatly trimmed beard shone in the sun. He was calm and relaxed as if nothing had happened.
Chen Yihao nodded at her and tilted his head slightly towards the maid beside him. The maid understood and poured tea for Tian Nongxi.
"This is aged Pu'er tea, a gift from my uncle, an official in the south, to the old lady at home." Chen Yihao smiled faintly and made a gesture of invitation. "Shopkeeper Tian, I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person. Have a cup of tea to ward off the cold."
Tian Nongxi smiled back, opened the jade cup with her bare hands, and sipped the tea that was as red as agate. The coldness was instantly melted by the warm bitterness.
Amidst the lingering aroma, she raised her eyes slightly, smiled faintly, and said, "Manager Shen's tea is of course excellent."
"But why doesn't Shopkeeper Shen treat everyone equally and treat returning customers better?" Tian Nongxi said slowly as Shen Yihao looked smug. A smile played at the corner of her mouth, but her expression didn't sound like she was questioning him, but rather like she was just chatting casually.
Before arriving at the Chen Mansion, Tian Nongxi disguised himself and went to the Hao Zai Lai restaurant in Xichang County. Upon arriving at the door, Tian Nongxi thought he'd made a mistake—the shop was packed, even the private rooms on the second floor were full. He waited in line at the door for nearly half an hour before a table opened up.
As soon as she entered, she felt something was wrong. Not to mention that the waiter was too lazy to pay attention to her because she was alone, but the fact that he handed her a wooden menu with a condescending look and arrogantly informed her that she had to pay for the seat, cups, rice, and the window seat to enjoy the street view was something Tian Nongxi found strange.
After she made sure that she had not entered the wrong shop, she said that she was looking for someone despite the waiter's cold stare, and then lifted the curtain of the kitchen.
Fortunately, Jiang Chang reacted quickly. Before the waiter could catch up, he grabbed her arm and said that this was his distant relative. Because of the relationship with the chef, the waiter reluctantly exempted Tian Nongxi from the "time arrangement of the shop" and went to invite the next table with a grumble.
Tian Nongxi still remembers Jiang Chang's angry expression: he leaned against the back door with his arms around his chest, his face as dark as if he had smeared it with ink every night before going to bed.
Jiang Chang said that Chen Yihao would come back after ruining the place. He saw it with his own eyes and was anxious in his heart, but no one cared because he was unfamiliar with the place.
She asked why the shop was so crowded. Jiang Chang snorted and said that they were all there to curry favor with the Shen family. There were very few real customers. Those who looked poor were driven away and couldn't even get in.
The price of dishes in the shop is five taels of silver higher than that of ordinary restaurants. Even the real landlords are not fools, and many of them just leave with a wave of their sleeves.
The two chatted for a while before a middle-aged man who looked somewhat similar to Shen Yihao pushed the door open and told Jiang Chang to go back to the kitchen in an impatient tone.
Before Jiang Chang left, he winked at Tian Nongxi and said that every clerk in the shop should not be underestimated, as they were all descendants of the Shen family's side branches - except for him, he was the only one who could be underestimated.
"Manager Tian, aren't you underestimating our Shen family?" Chen Yihao slowly spun the jade cup with his fingertips, not showing any sign of haste. "My Shen family is full of loyal and filial people, devoted to His Majesty and generous to the people. The golden plaque bestowed by His Majesty the Great Ancestor still hangs in the ancestral hall. No one in the Shen family will dare forget it."
Tian Nongxi knew that he was using his power to pressure her, so she put away her smile. Her eyes, like gleaming silver needles, fell directly on the face of Shen Yihao, who was sitting in the upper seat. Her tone grew colder: "Then report it to the authorities. It was written in black and white that day. Manager Shen is an open-minded person, so I'm sure he won't deny it."
"Report to the police?" Chen Yihao chuckled twice, his beard twitching. He squinted his eyes and glanced at Tian Nongxi's slightly tense face, and said with a smile, "Shopkeeper Tian is really a man of temperament. You and I have only been doing business for a few months and you're already saying no."
Tian Nongxi took out the agreement between the two from his sleeve. The red seal on it was clearly visible, as fresh as if it had just been pressed.
She pointed to the regulations one by one and said, Shen Yihao's eyes became more and more playful.
Finally, there was a loud "clang" outside the courtyard, accompanied by the servants' exclamations, and the vermilion lacquered door was suddenly pushed open. The yamen runners in official uniforms came in one after another, holding swords and knives, with serious and cold faces.
The leader, wearing a purple official robe and with a beard reaching his shoulders, stared at Chen Yi sitting on the table and said in a clear voice, "I am following the order of the county magistrate to investigate the matter concerning this shop."
Before he finished speaking, the yamen runners had surrounded Shen Yihao and Tian Nongxi.
Tian Nongxi was surprised at how efficiently Jiang Chang worked. After a moment, he put away his stunned expression. Just as he was about to hand the contract to the county magistrate, he suddenly heard a sound of light footsteps.
As if someone whispered something in her ear, Tian Nongxi looked up
——Wen Tingluan? ?
The yamen runners holding their swords made way for one person to pass. Wen Tingluan, wearing a crescent-shaped white cloak, walked slowly to Tian Nongxi and put it on her, as if he didn't notice anyone around him, whispering gently, "Be careful not to catch a cold."
She frowned at him, then looked at the county magistrate with a sullen face, and finally her gaze fell on Shen Yihao's face, who put away his smile after seeing Wen Tingluan. The astonishment on his face was finally replaced by a look of ease.
Is this a fox taking advantage of the tiger's might?
It feels great.
Tian Nongxi's mouth curled up uncontrollably, her voice softened a bit, and she acted as if no one was around: "Thank you, husband."
After glaring at the two of them, Shen Yihao finally spoke.
"Breaking into a private house in broad daylight? Lord Xu, as a senior official, this really disappoints me." Even though the yamen runner pointed a knife at him, Shen Yihao still had an expression of being the most powerful person in the world, his eyebrows twisted into a knot, and his tone was condescending.
"Catch him." County Magistrate Xu did not respond, but handed the token on his waist to everyone and said without allowing any questioning.
Following the team of yamen runners who were suppressing Shen Yihao, Tian Nongxi couldn't help but ask, "Did you... go to the government office specifically?"
"Did Xiaoxi report to the police?" Wen Tingluan raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah." Tian Nongxi responded, then asked, "Is this still possible?"
"How was Xiaoxi going to deal with this?"
"I'll report it to the police. It's written in black and white. If he really has power and reporting to the police won't work, I'll—" Tian Nongxi hesitated for a moment, his voice trailing off, "Be tough."
"Um?"
"I've prepared five hundred pieces of evidence in advance of his bullying. I'll post them all over the streets and alleys. I've also bribed his doorman so I can steal the contract in the dead of night." Tian Nongxi felt increasingly embarrassed as she spoke, her nose slightly reddening. She changed the subject, her voice clear and melodious, "But this is still too much trouble. How about just giving the order, Your Highness?"
"Xiaoxi, this is not a bad idea, but it's a bit reckless." Wen Tingluan leaned over to tie her cloak, which had become a little loose due to walking, and pricked her nose. "If you get hurt, how can I not feel bad?"
Tian Nongxi stammered: "It's because the government is useless." She suddenly thought of the identity of the person in front of her, frowned and asked him why there were so many corrupt officials.
Wen Tingluan said solemnly, "The remnants of King Qi will be eliminated." His indifferent eyes fell on the county magistrate walking in front, and he said, "County magistrate Xu, the new official, will definitely sweep away the old customs of his predecessors."
"It's not certain if you're not here." Tian Nongxi added softly.
She didn't want to hurt Wen Tingluan's feelings, but she also didn't want to ignore the suffering of the people.
"Well, Xiaoxi is right. I will make this place clear and bright." Wen Tingluan said in a low but clear voice with a firm tone.
After the confrontation at the yamen, the two found a hotel to stay temporarily.
Staring at the blanched choy sum on the table, Tian Nongxi asked, "Will Chen Yihao take the money back?" That's three million.
"It's written in black and white. He was at fault first. He can't take it back."
"oh."
"But after this incident, your reputation is gone. Xiaoxi, do you have any idea how to deal with it?" Wen Tingluan picked up a piece of food for her with his chopsticks.
Tian Nongxi shook his head and asked if there was any solution.
"We can have the government post notices," Wen Tingluan mused. "I have a group of people under my command who are skilled at disguising themselves as ordinary people to gather intelligence. I can have them wander the streets and alleys, talking to people about this matter and changing public opinion."
"Forget it." Tian Nongxi lowered his eyes, ate the vegetable heart tastelessly, and said softly, "Those who believe will believe it no matter what, and those who don't believe will not believe it no matter what. There's no need to go to great lengths."
She thought of the case that Hao Zailai in the capital was involved in. Afterwards, the business did not decline but increased, and it was in full swing for several days. Even now, you can still hear people talking about it.
If I really intervene in this matter, I don’t know if I can stop the shop’s revenue.
Wen Tingluan paused and replied in a deep voice, "Okay."
The two stayed in Xichang County for a day, and after resolving the matter, they rushed to the capital together.
It was already the Lantern Festival by then, and Tian Guangzong was waiting for them in his house in the capital, holding An An.
An An followed Tian Nongxi around everywhere. She felt very guilty and thought that the food it ate recently was not as delicious as usual.
Tian Guangzong, who was packing his bags for Poya Camp, couldn't help but say, "It had a good appetite on the way here and ate more than me."
Tian Nongxi doted on her child, "The child is still growing."
After the Lantern Festival, Tian Guangzong would return to Poya Camp again and would only come out a few times in a year and a half.
"Brother, you should stay." Tian Nongxi stroked An An's hair without looking at him. "You joined the army to make money. Now that our family is not short of money, we don't need you to work hard."
"But - fighting side by side with brothers is the honor of every man." Tian Guangzong, who had just been muttering about the Lantern Festival and the reunion, immediately refused.
Tian Nongxi: “…”
It's still glorious, bronze, right?
"Besides, this money is all earned by you with great difficulty, how can you spend it on me?" Tian Guangzong frowned, "Don't think I don't know that you also bought this house."
"It was your money I spent before." Tian Nongxi lowered his eyes to glance at An An rolling on the ground, and stood up. "Forget it, if you want to leave, go ahead. I'm just worried that no one will take care of grandma. In the future, I may have to... go on a long journey."
Not only the Huang family, but also the shop.
And... many people and many things.
She needs to arrange everything before she leaves.
She wanted to give back all the kindness she had received.
Tian Guangzong was silent for a moment, and looked at Tian Nongxi seriously, as if he could see the words she had not said through her silent face.
After a while, he looked away, his voice barely perceptible, tense:
"Go ahead."
Tian Guangzong said.
"Little sister, you were meant to soar high in the sky, not be confined to the boudoir."
He ruffled her hair.
"It's just—safety, safety is the most important thing."
"Really? Wen Tingluan worked so hard to make it look so beautiful for me." Tian Nongxi turned her neck away and complained in a low voice.
Tian Guangzong laughed, put down his hand and said, "To me, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also very important."
As soon as he finished speaking, a tall figure walked up to the two of them against the light.
Wen Tingluan held a white porcelain bowl in his well-defined hands. Inside the bowl were more than a dozen snow-white, still steaming, Yuanxiao dumplings neatly arranged. He lowered his eyes and smiled at Tian Nongxi, "Xiaoxi, try some."
【Author’s words】
[Touching cheeks][Touching cheeks][Touching cheeks] The PC list only gained one collection in one day, Sang Xin (; _;)/~~~
No way, I was really silent. I only wrote 2,500 at 11 o'clock, but I couldn't bear to give up my little red flower so I planned to post this much first, and add a few more words after 11 o'clock. As a result, after I finished writing, I saw that it was under high review, and it just ended at 59 o'clock. Haha... I copied and pasted in a hurry and it got stuck at 00:00:03. Are you kidding me? Pdd, didn't you say that I was the luckiest person? [burst into tears][burst into tears][burst into tears] My little red flower, I miss you so much
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