Chapter 44
Sister Ke was carried by Wang Shuhuai all the way and soon became close to her father. When she got off the car, she couldn't help but hug her father and kiss him.
Sticky saliva clung to his cheeks.
Xie Yunchu looked at Wang Shuhuai worriedly, afraid that he would dislike his daughter like he did at the beginning. She had already handed over the handkerchief. Wang Shuhuai took it and wiped it gently, but his brows were happy and doting, "It's okay."
The whole family played at Xie's house and did not return until late at night.
Madam Ming naturally entertained her warmly, and thinking of her little granddaughter's first marriage, she gave her a set of longevity gold locks and a string of multi-treasure necklaces. The necklaces were inlaid with coral, green pine, southern red, beeswax, lapis lazuli, etc., all of which were of the best quality. She also spent her own money on Xie Yunchu. Xie Yunchu refused to accept them and only kept the gold lock. Madam Ming was angry.
"You don't want to acknowledge me as your grandmother? You treat me as an outsider?"
Xie Yunchu couldn't refuse the kindness and finally accepted it.
Before leaving, Wang Shuhuai found his father-in-law Xie Hui and asked him to write a letter of introduction. It turned out that the magistrate of Songjiang County was Xie Hui's disciple. Wang Shuhuai wanted to improve the situation in Songjiang, so he had to rely on his father-in-law's help.
When they were leaving, Xie Yunyou saw them off to the door. Xie Yunyou had failed the imperial examination and was in low spirits. Wang Shuhuai comforted him.
"I will send you a few more books when I get back. They have my annotations on them. You should memorize them by heart and persevere for three years. You will definitely succeed."
Xie Yunyou agreed while teasing Ke Jie'er.
Having stayed in Xie's house for most of the day, Wang Shuhuai was busy in the study that night and did not bother Xie Yunchu. On the afternoon of the 28th, he had to go back to Jinling, so he came to see Xie Yunchu before leaving. The couple still stood across the moon-shaped door. Xie Yunchu leaned against the pillar with a smile on her face, holding the young child in her arms.
This time, Wang Shuhuai stepped over and ruffled Ke Jie'er's hair. His eyes inadvertently fell on his wife's cheek. The cool breeze blew, and strands of hair fluttered in front of his eyebrows. Wang Shuhuai wanted to smooth her hair several times, but finally held back.
"If you need anything, write to me and I will do it for you."
Xie Yunchu remembered that he had helped to consult the Monopoly Bureau, and forgot to thank him. "Thank you for your guidance on the Monopoly Bureau last time. I avoided many detours."
Wang Shuhuai didn't like her politeness, but he didn't say anything.
In a hurry to travel, Xie Yunchu prepared some dry food for them, and Wang Shuhuai drove back to Jinling at night with the dark satellite.
With the support of the emperor and the eldest princess, Wang Shuhuai set his sights on Songjiang. Because of the relationship between the Songjiang County Magistrate and Xie Hui, the two had almost no effort in communicating with each other.
The county magistrate held the letter from his mentor in his hand and weighed the matter secretly while looking at Wang Shuhuai's gentle and refined face.
He knew very well that if he did not agree, he would face dismissal from office. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examination and needed political achievements. After some thought, he decided to help Wang Shuhuai do something big. In this way, the obstacles in Songjiang were removed, and he soon joined the team to measure the fields.
Wang Shuhuai stayed in Songjiang for only half a month before returning to Jinling.
Yuhang and Songjiang are both important towns in the south of the Yangtze River. Wang Shuhuai used both firmness and flexibility to tear a hole in the iron plate of Jiangnan. This made the powerful and wealthy people in Jinling uneasy. Zhenjiang, Changshu and other places almost acted according to Jinling's wishes. In other words, Wang Shuhuai will definitely take action in Jinling next. Instead of passively accepting it, it is better to take the initiative.
They flattered Wang Shuhuai openly, but created many difficulties secretly.
Wang Shuhuai responded calmly.
After leaving the court that day, Liu Qiliang invited Wang Shuhuai to drink and discuss the matter.
"The situation is at a stalemate. If we don't make progress in Jinling, Songjiang and Yuhang will also be stagnant. Shuhuai, we have to think of a way."
Wang Shuhuai held the teacup in his hand and stood at the window of the restaurant, gazing at the extravagant scene downstairs. He thought that Nanjing, this paradise on earth, was a den of money, where the rich and powerful indulged in pleasure and enjoyed their vested interests, and were no longer used to breaking the old rules.
It must be said that the Jinling nobles were more united than he had imagined.
"Why are you panicking?" Wang Shuhuai's dark eyes lost their coldness and instead ignited a desire to compete. "My Lord, do you know the brilliant plan of Zhuge Liang to defeat Cao Pi's five armies in attacking Shu?"
Liu Qiliang, who was sitting behind him, was moved. "You mean to find the weaknesses of each family and defeat them one by one?"
Wang Shuhuai nodded, "We have had so many drinking parties with Jinling officials, and now it's your turn to take the lead and invite them to drink. Just let go and invite everyone to have fun, and leave the rest to me."
Liu Qiliang was very excited when he heard the last sentence. This was the words that any boss would love to hear the most. "Shu Huai, Shu Huai, who else can I choose but you? Come, I will toast you."
Just at this moment, a young woman was standing under the window of a jewelry shop opposite. The woman had an oval face, as bright as a full moon, and was radiant with glory. She was waving an exquisite jade-inlaid palace gauze fan in her hand, and she caught a glimpse of Wang Shuhuai standing in the opposite window.
The cold wind in Jinling was blowing fiercely at the end of October, but the man was only wearing a moon-white loose shirt. From a distance, the color did not look very shiny, and it looked like an old shirt. However, such an ordinary outfit did not hide the man's elegant demeanor at all. Jiang Cairu fell in love with him at first sight.
"Look, the man opposite is extremely handsome. When has such a man ever appeared in our Jinling City? Could it be that I have been at my grandparents' house recently and missed something good?"
The maid hooked her neck and glanced in the direction of her master's sight. The man just turned sideways, so her face could not be seen. The maid had sharp eyes and could tell that the robe was very ordinary.
"Could it be some poor student?"
"No." Jiang Cairu was born into a wealthy family. From the nobles in Jinling to ordinary scholars, she had seen all kinds of people. "This kind of temperament is not cultivated by ordinary people. He has a clear and elegant appearance, and his manners are like those of the famous scholars of Wei and Jin Dynasties. He must be a young man from a wealthy family."
"No, you better go across the street and ask for me," Jiang Cairu pushed the maid's arm and urged her to leave.
There was no way the maid could resist this young master, so she immediately ran downstairs with her skirt lifted up, and went to the other side along the stone arch bridge to inquire. Unfortunately, the shopkeeper had been instructed not to reveal his identity, and only said that he didn't know. The maid was not very shrewd, so she didn't think much about it, nor did she ask any further questions, and then came back to report to her master.
Jiang Cairu felt itchy in her heart and didn't care about her identity as a lady from a wealthy family. She danced to the bottom of the restaurant opposite, found a teahouse as a cover, and waited for the young man to come down.
It happened that Liu Qiliang had to leave first for something, and Wang Shuhuai walked out of the door alone.
When Jiang Cairu saw the face up close, she couldn't help but take a breath, clutching her handkerchief tightly, her heart pounding. Just then, Wang Shuhuai's gaze casually swept over her, and she was so embarrassed that she quickly held her breath and lowered her eyes and pretended to drink tea. She noticed the cold eyes out of the corner of her eye, and he lifted his thin eyelids to glance at her. It was like wind and snow falling all over her body, and it was gone in an instant.
When Jiang Cairu raised her eyes again, Wang Shuhuai had disappeared.
Jiang Cairu was extremely upset, and from then on she was worried whenever she returned home.
For three consecutive days, he sent his maid to the streets in the hope of encountering her, but unfortunately, he never succeeded.
One day, Mrs. Jiang came to her daughter's room to visit her. Seeing her daughter leaning against the window, she couldn't help but knock her.
"What's wrong with you lately? You don't answer your father's questions, and you don't pay attention to embroidery or calligraphy."
Jiang Cairu pouted her bright red lips and threw herself into Madam Jiang's arms, "Mother, I ran into a young man on the street a few days ago. He is extremely handsome. I have never seen a man with such a good temperament in my life. I really like him."
The Jiang family was not old-fashioned, and the young girl Mu Ai was allowed to marry. After hearing what her daughter said, Mrs. Jiang guessed something was going on, "You didn't find out about her family background, so you're upset?"
"you do not say!"
Madam Jiang pulled her daughter out of her arms and said, "Don't worry, take your time to look for someone. Your elder sister married to the capital city through an arranged marriage, and she sacrificed herself for the family. Your father promised to let you choose your ideal husband. As long as he has a good character and a decent family background, your father will not make it difficult for you."
Jiang Cairu felt relieved after getting her mother's permission. "Since mother said so, father has no objection. Father always listens to mother the most."
Mrs. Jiang smiled but said nothing.
Jiang Cairu stared at Madam Jiang's stunning face in a daze, "Mom, you are already over 40, and you are still so beautiful. No wonder you were called the most beautiful woman in Jinling back then."
Mrs. Jiang stroked her cheek and said, "You are old, what a joke."
The mother and daughter talked for a while, and then a woman came over and said,
"Madam, the master sent someone back to tell us that a distinguished guest will be visiting in the evening. Please be prepared."
Madam Jiang nodded gracefully, "Tell him, I understand."
This was the first time that Wang Shuhuai took the initiative to enter the gate of the Governor's Mansion.
It's time to pry open Jiang Cheng's iron wall.
Previously, facing Wang Shuhuai's aggressive approach, the wealthy families in Jiangnan came to Jiang Cheng for protection. Now that they encountered obstacles in measuring the land, Wang Shuhuai also took the initiative to find Jiang Cheng. As long as Jiang Cheng is still the governor of Jiangnan, he will not avoid it.
Now the two sides are in a stalemate. The only way to break the deadlock is to capture Jiang Cheng.
At three quarters past the hour of You, Wang Shuhuai walked into the Jiang Mansion in the twilight, and at the same time he brought a generous gift to Jiang Cheng.
"I heard that the Governor-General's wife is very good at calligraphy, and she particularly loves the calligraphy of our ancestor Xianzhi. This is a painting of the Duck Head Pills Collection that Huai has collected. It is a masterpiece of the calligraphy of our ancestor Xianzhi. I am giving it to your wife."
Jiang Cheng was stunned when he heard this.
Mrs. Jiang was both talented and beautiful, and was famous in Jinling. Jiang Cheng tried hard to marry her in his early years, but failed. Later, they met by chance. Jiang Cheng had to work very hard to win her heart, and Wang Xianzhi's half piece of calligraphy played an indispensable role in this.
Just half a piece of calligraphy won the approval of his wife. The one presented by Wang Shuhuai in front of him was the complete calligraphy of Wang Xianzhi.
Jiang Cheng is a rough man and doesn't understand these poetic and picturesque things, but since his wife likes it, it must be a treasure.
At first I doubted whether it was an authentic work, but then I thought, Wang Shuhuai was from the Wang family of Langya, so he must be a descendant of Wang Xianzhi.
As a result, Jiang Cheng's eyes turned complicated when he looked at Wang Shuhuai.
Jiang Cheng knew exactly why he came, but he couldn't refuse his kindness.
Jiang Cheng sighed deeply and waved his long sleeves, "Yunzhi, please take a seat."
After sitting down and drinking tea, he told the maid, "Go and invite the lady and tell her that a distinguished guest has arrived. Oh, by the way, also call the second young lady to meet the guest."
When Madam Jiang heard that Wang Shuhuai had come with Wang Xianzhi's invitation, her face became serious.
Jiang Cairu followed beside her, looking down on her, "It must be a fake from somewhere."
Madam Jiang changed her usual gentle tone and frowned, "How dare you! Don't say that to others later. Do you know who he is? He is a descendant of Wang Xianzhi. Only the Wang family has the original works of Wang Xianzhi and his son."
Madam Jiang quickened her pace and walked from the back corridor into the front hall. She walked around the dazzling emerald cloud-patterned screen and immediately smiled gracefully.
"My Lord, you have arrived. I am sorry for not coming to greet you."
Wang Shuhuai glanced at Madam Jiang and was stunned for a moment at first sight. However, he was a very shrewd man, so he quickly suppressed his surprise and bowed to Madam Jiang. "Yunzhi greets Madam Jiang."
Jiang Cairu then reluctantly walked out, holding up her skirt. When she saw Wang Shuhuai's face, she felt as if she was struck by lightning.
"Is it you?"
Jiang Cheng looked at his daughter, and Mrs. Jiang looked at Wang Shuhuai, and the couple exchanged glances again.
Jiang Cheng asked in surprise, "Do you two know each other?"
"Of course I know him."
“Never.”
The two said in unison.
Jiang Cairu looked at Wang Shuhuai coquettishly and aggrievedly, her thin eyebrows almost frowned into a ball.
Wang Shuhuai was not used to being so close to a strange woman, and seeing that the woman's eyes were fixed on him, he felt very disgusted and his expression became noticeably cold.
Jiang Cheng was a very capable person. Noticing the change in his expression, he immediately found an excuse to send his daughter away and asked Mrs. Jiang to sit down and entertain the guest.
Soon the servants brought the dishes. Madam Jiang and Wang Shuhuai talked about Wang Xianzhi's calligraphy. Madam Jiang noticed that this young man was knowledgeable, eloquent, and flattering without saying a word. He also had such a good appearance, so it was hard not to be moved. She winked at Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng understood that his wife and daughter both had a crush on Wang Shuhuai.
So, taking advantage of the time they were drinking, he asked, "Shu Huai has just come of age this year, can he get married?"
Wang Shuhuai smiled and replied, "I have a good wife at home, and a daughter who is almost one year old."
A hint of tenderness unconsciously appeared in her brows.
Jiang Cheng could barely conceal the disappointment on his face.
"Oh...oh..." He sighed several times and almost couldn't continue the conversation.
Mrs. Jiang is more open-minded. Since he has married a wife, there is no fate between them.
Jiang Cairu, who was behind the screen, covered her mouth and cried as she ran back to the backyard.
Wang Shuhuai had a very pleasant conversation with Jiang Cheng tonight, and the generous gift really touched the hearts of Jiang Cheng and his wife. Jiang Cheng promised to think carefully about measuring the land.
After returning home, Wang Shuhuai asked if there were any letters from home in the capital.
Minggui curled his lips secretly, still holding a grudge for abandoning him last time, but who told him to be a servant? So he obediently gave the two letters he had saved to Wang Shuhuai.
This time when he left Beijing, Wang Shuhuai asked Qi Wei to write a letter home every three days.
Therefore, during this period, whenever he had some free time, he would take out Qi Wei's letters and read them one by one.
Ke Jie'er's growth was obvious. Today she walked a few more steps, and another day she tripped over something while jogging. He was fascinated by all the trivial details, and even her pronunciation became clearer. Xie Yunchu could vaguely understand what she meant.
"Eat...eat..."
When Xie Yunchu wrote these words, Wang Shuhuai could imagine what his daughter looked like.
In order to prevent the child from calling someone else "daddy", Wang Shuhuai, regardless of his face, asked a painter to draw a portrait of himself and took it back to the capital. He also wrote in a letter that he wanted Xie Yunchu to show Ke'er the portrait every day and let the child call "daddy" to prevent him from recognizing the wrong person again.
When Xie Yunchu received the portrait, he almost threw it away.
Is there something wrong with this guy?
If people heard that he was hanging it in Chunjing Hall, others would think that she was thinking about her husband very much.
Having said that, she was determined not to make the mistake of identifying the wrong father again, so every night at the child's sleeping time, she would hang up the portrait for Ke'er to recognize her father.
Wang Shuhuai took the initiative to mention the matter of setting up a workshop in the letter. He found that as long as he mentioned serious matters, Xie Yunchu would write back to him. In this way, the couple had been communicating with each other for the past month. Wang Shuhuai held Xie Yunchu's handwritten letter in one hand and played with the ghost ball in the other. His expression was as gentle as if covered by a layer of gauze.
His eyes fell on the last two words "Yunchu" in Xie Yunchu's signature, and he slowly closed his eyes.
The third day of November is an auspicious day, and the Wang family has set this day to celebrate with the Liu family.
This time Liu Qiliang returned to the capital smoothly and personally brought his son to the Wang family to propose marriage.
They drank a lot of wine during the meal and started talking freely, starting with Wang Shuhuai's embarrassing moments in Jiangnan.
"Shu Huai is very popular among the girls in Jiangnan. The day before I returned to Beijing, the wife of the Jiangnan Governor held a flower-viewing banquet near the Qinhuai River. Guess what, a group of girls surrounded Shu Huai and threw flowers and handkerchiefs at him..."
Xie Yunchu sat at the table and slowly narrowed his eyes.
Seeing her husband talking nonsense, Mrs. Liu quickly tugged at his clothes, but Liu Qiliang hiccuped and was unaware of it.
The second master glanced at his daughter-in-law's face and said unhappily, "Shu Huai is not a person who doesn't know the importance of things. He has a wife and a daughter, how could he go out and have affairs with other women?"
Liu Qiliang waved his hands drunkenly, "It's not that Shu Huai flirted with them, it's just that he is too handsome and he is the top scholar of the dynasty. The girls admire him very much. Even though they know he has a wife, they still come to him one after another to show their affection. Several wealthy families even said that as long as Shu Huai is willing to take their daughters as concubines, they will agree to cooperate in measuring the land..."
The Wang family of Langya was the most prominent family in the world at that time, and marrying the eldest grandson of the Wang family as a concubine was not considered shameful for many merchants and wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River.
What's more, Wang Shuhuai's ability is obvious to all, and no one wants to miss out on this piece of good stuff.
The cold wind of late winter blew in waves like a knife. Nanny Lin and Chunqi supported Xie Yunchu on the left and right and returned to Chunjing Hall. Before Xie Yunchu, the main person, could say anything, Nanny Lin was so anxious that her throat was blazing with anger.
"Miss, you must not sit idly by and watch your husband take concubines in Jiangnan. If you are not by his side and just let those women enter the house, who knows how arrogant they will be in the future. If they have a child, you will have no place to stand."
Chunqi was also confused, but still held out a glimmer of hope for Wang Shuhuai, and comforted Xie Yunchu,
"Miss, don't worry too much. The Second Master has always been very strict about rules. Since you don't have a legitimate son yet, he won't take a concubine."
Xie Yunchu was not as anxious as Nanny Lin, nor was she as naive as Chunqi to pin her hopes on others. When she returned to Chunjingtang, the heating in the room was on. Chunqi helped her take off the bright red feather gauze satin shawl. She washed her hands and sat down at the table, tapping the table lightly with her slender jade fingers. She looked at the portrait of the man opposite her and thought to herself.
During this period in his previous life, the Duke passed away and Wang Shuhuai returned to the capital to observe mourning. He and the eldest princess were fighting fiercely, so he had no time to think about taking a concubine. It was the mourning period at that time, so it was impossible for him to take a concubine.
But this life is different.
Wang Shuhuai has always put his own interests first. In his eyes, he only has the responsibility of being the eldest grandson and the game of court. For the sake of the overall situation, it is very likely that he would take a few concubines back home. Otherwise, he would not have started thinking about the candidate for his second wife before she died in his previous life.
In her previous life, she trusted Wang Shuhuai in everything, and trusted her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and sister-in-law. What was the outcome?
She would never be stupid in this life.
While Nanny Lin ordered Chunqi to cook ginseng soup for Xie Yunchu, she sat in Jinwu and discussed ideas with Xie Yunchu. Seeing that she looked unusually calm, she became more and more unsure.
"Girl, have you thought of a solution?"
"There is a way."
Xie Yunchu could accept Wang Shuhuai taking a concubine, but she could not accept him taking a concubine without her permission, and she could not accept him taking a concubine from a wealthy and noble family. Those concubines were all very ambitious and would definitely argue with her. She would rather divorce than clean up the mess for Wang Shuhuai.
Wouldn't it be better to save your time and earn more money?
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