People die for wealth, birds die for food; since ancient times, self-interest has been a powerful motivator.
Shen Youying thought about it and could understand what the Xu family had done, but there was still one thing she couldn't understand: "Didn't the Xu family think about the consequences if their secret came to light?"
“That’s exactly what I was worried about.” Xue Shen’s smile faded, and he frowned as he said, “Compared to Cai Wenxuan, the Xu family is far more daunting.”
Cai Wenxuan came from a humble background, and his influence in Xizhou City was far less entrenched than that of the Xu family. The Xu family had been operating in Xizhou City for three generations and held the power to command troops. If they harbored any disloyalty, it would be difficult to quell them without bloodshed.
Shen Youying thought of the troop strength in Xizhou City and also became worried: "If I remember correctly, Xizhou has nearly 100,000 troops stationed there."
Seeing her worried expression, Xue Shen pinched the tip of her nose and said, "Don't be afraid. If I wasn't completely confident, I wouldn't have let you into the city. Besides, we put on such a big show together to bring Cai Wenxuan and the Xu family inside. It wasn't just a waste of time playing house."
Seeing his confident demeanor, Shen Youying chuckled, her slightly furrowed brows relaxing.
*
While the two were strolling among the flowers, Zhou Liuer and Cai Wenxuan "chatted happily together".
Cai Wenxuan knew that Zhou Liuer came from a humble background and that she was able to get close to the powerful Prince Qin entirely because her cousin, "Zhou Zhang'er," had become the Prince Qin's concubine and gained his favor. Therefore, he didn't expect Zhou Liuer to have any talent or learning; he was already quite satisfied with her beautiful appearance and gentle nature.
To everyone's surprise, when the two started talking, Cai Wenxuan discovered that Zhou Liuer was also educated, and the two found themselves quite compatible when discussing poetry.
Seeing the look of surprise on Cai Wenxuan's face, Zhou Liuer lowered her head and said timidly, "When my parents were alive, although our family was poor, they still sent me to school. But after my parents died early, I had to live with relatives, so I could no longer go. I could only secretly hide outside and listen to my cousins study..."
The beautiful woman lowered her eyes and wept, her delicate figure like a willow swaying in the breeze, immediately arousing Cai Wenxuan's pity.
He had been married to Xu for many years, but there had been no romantic love between them; each time it was just a matter of enduring and coping. Now, seeing such a frail and helpless young girl, Cai Wenxuan's stagnant heart was stirred, and he vaguely found some of the spiritedness he had felt in his high school days.
He suppressed his inner turmoil and politely invited her: "I have rare copies of the poetry collections that Madam Zhou mentioned. After I return home, I will have them sent to Madam Zhou for her to read."
Zhou Liuer first showed delight, then hesitated timidly, saying, "Won't this be too much trouble..."
She lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed: "Besides, it's always unreasonable for me to accept gifts from men outside the family."
Cai Wenxuan became restless upon reading this, and said eagerly, like a naive young man, "How could it be troublesome... As long as Madam Zhou is willing, she can read all the books in my manor to her heart's content..."
Zhou Liuer looked up, met his gaze, and then shyly looked away.
Cai Wenxuan was about to say something when Xue Shen returned. Zhou Liuer pursed her lips in a fluster, not daring to look at Cai Wenxuan again. Seeing this, Cai Wenxuan withdrew his gaze somewhat disappointedly and greeted Xue Shen.
"Is Madam still in good health?"
Xue Shen said, "It's just that the child is fussy from sitting for too long, it's nothing serious."
Then he added, "I was just flustered by worry. The banquet is over, so why don't we go to a restaurant and have a few more drinks?"
Although Cai Wenxuan was somewhat reluctant to part with his beloved, he ultimately prioritized his business and reluctantly went with Xue Shen to the best restaurant in the city.
...
The two enjoyed a good drink at the restaurant. During the meal, Cai Wenxuan tentatively brought up Zhou Liuer's marriage. Xue Shen, with an air of knowing what was going on, asked, "Have you taken a liking to her?"
Cai Wenxuan was a scholar, and although he was old, he still had some sense of shame. He was almost a decade older than Zhou Liuer, and he explained somewhat awkwardly, "Madam Zhou is so intelligent and kind-hearted, I couldn't help myself..."
Xue Shen waved his hand and said, "Why bother with these formalities between us? If you really want to marry her, it will relieve Zhao Zhao's worries and allow her to focus on her pregnancy. I have no objections."
Cai Wenxuan was overjoyed and said he would come to propose marriage after a while, and made many promises.
Xue Shen smiled as he watched him beam with joy, the wine glass touching his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
*
With Xue Shen's promise, Cai Wenxuan felt he had boarded a big ship and immediately sent a message to the Xu family, saying he would go to the mine the next day.
Cai Wenxuan planned to go to the mine to quell the unrest, then review the accounts for the month. He would then take out his share of gold, using most of it as a pledge of allegiance to the King of Qin, and the remainder as a betrothal gift to marry Zhou Liuer and hold a grand wedding.
Thinking of the delicate and timid Zhou Liuer, Cai Wenxuan felt a surge of pride and excitement, experiencing for the first time the anticipation and exhilaration of being a groom. Even though there were still many troubles at the mine waiting for him to solve, he didn't feel so bothered anymore.
The Xu family members were naturally keeping a close eye on his movements and knew that Cai Wenxuan and the Prince of Qin were drinking merrily at the restaurant. Now that the Xu brothers had met him, seeing his energetic appearance, they secretly sneered.
Cai Wenxuan thought he had climbed to a high position, but he didn't know that his death was imminent.
This time, the eldest son of the Xu family came to the mine with Cai Wenxuan to deal with the trouble. He, Cai Wenxuan, and the third son of the Xu family first inspected several mines.
The Tatar Mountains have a vast gold mine. Through continuous mining, there are now more than ten mines with a total of over 30,000 miners.
These miners were all able-bodied soldiers from the garrison. They were originally under the command of the Xu family and were now assigned to mine gold. Because of the generous wages, they had not caused any trouble.
But ever since the last time someone was killed in the Eleventh Mine accident, and Xu's third son's attempt to suppress the incident by force failed, the morale of people in various mines has clearly become unsettled.
These mines were all located in the Tatar Mountains area, and some were not far apart. Although the third son of the Xu family suppressed the news and forbade the miners from spreading it, the soldiers at other mines still vaguely learned about it.
When Cai Wenxuan went on his inspection tour, he saw three soldiers from the mine arguing with the guards.
He frowned solemnly and said, "People's hearts are restless these days. If we let them unite and cause trouble, it could lead to a major disaster. Third Brother, it's not advisable to suppress them with force alone. It would be better to single out the ringleaders and make an example of them, and then give the obedient ones some rewards. Only by using both kindness and severity can we make them work willingly."
Xu Sanlang was displeased upon hearing this: "Why do I have to coax them?"
Knowing Xu Jiasanlang's temperament, Cai Wenxuan quickly said kindly, "It's just a temporary measure. Once the Prince of Qin leaves Xizhou City, Third Brother can do whatever he wants."
Xu Sanlang thought about it and felt that what he said made sense, so he said, "Alright, I'll listen to you this time." He put his arm around Cai Wenxuan's shoulder and said, "Let's go drink first, and after we've had our fill of drinking, we'll pick out a few chickens to kill."
Cai Wenxuan naturally did not refuse and went with him to the temporary accommodation built at the mine.
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