"Only 60%?" Huang Xiaosan was very dissatisfied. "That's too low."
He thought there was at least an 80% chance.
“It’s not low,” Han Yi said with a wry smile. “Such a person cannot be judged by ordinary standards.”
Sixty percent is an overstatement; he felt at most a fifty percent certainty.
After all, some things are unavoidable, no matter how hard you try.
He felt he was taking a risk, but the temptation was too great, and he couldn't resist.
Even knowing there's a cliff ahead, you can't resist the urge to climb up.
“Too risky,” Boss Huang shook his head. “It’s like gambling. I don’t approve.”
"Mother," Huang Lao Er looked at Jiang Nuan, "what do you think we should do about this?"
He also felt that the idea was a bit crazy, but it would be a pity to give up, so he hesitated and turned to Jiang Nuan.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuan did not offer an opinion, but instead continued to ask, "How do you plan to bump into this person? Will you wait for them to come to you at Juquanlou, or will you create an opportunity yourself?"
She emphasized the words "encounter".
This is the premise!
If this cannot be ensured, the result will certainly not be satisfactory.
"I've asked the shop assistants to keep an eye out for strangers lately," Han Yi cleared his throat, "and I've also assigned two people to keep a close watch on the city gates, to report any incidents immediately."
No matter where a person from out of town comes, they will inevitably be caught by his eyes.
“Too deliberate,” Jiang Nuan shook her head. “Have the people at the city gate withdraw, and don’t make it too obvious at the restaurant.”
"Then what should we do?" Han Yi pursed his lips. "With people coming and going, how can we be sure? What if we miss it?"
“Your idea is good, but the plan has many flaws,” Jiang Nuan said slowly. “Although I haven’t seen his portrait, I have investigated him too thoroughly. There will definitely be some flattery during our interactions, which will easily arouse suspicion.”
"Add to that a perfectly timed chance encounter, and it's hard for a suspicious person not to overthink it, even if it all seems perfectly natural!"
“From what I understand,” Han Yi said after a moment of thought, “this person is not a suspicious person; he is quite elegant and refined, gentle and gentle as jade.”
“That’s just appearance,” Jiang Nuan said emotionlessly. “Every official wears a mask, and it’s hard for others to see their true character. He must have something special to become the prime minister’s son-in-law. He’s not only capable, but he also has the right shrewdness.”
"The future Grand Secretary is not a position that a bookworm can hold. Those people have such high hopes for him, and what you've investigated is just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps they're intentionally showing it to outsiders."
The servants of wealthy families undergo various trainings, so the secrets of their residences are not so easy to uncover.
Jiang Nuan felt that such surveys could at most serve as reference data, but could not be relied upon entirely.
"In your opinion, Aunt," Han Yi bowed deeply, adopting a very humble posture, "what should your nephew do?"
He had thought about this question before.
However, obtaining this information came at a great cost, amounting to more than 30,000 taels of silver, so they never suspected anything.
However, now he is uncertain.
Silver wasn't worth that much in the capital; the powerful and wealthy around the imperial city had plenty of people giving them silver.
Since ancient times, power has been more important than fame and fortune. Even with some connections, he was still just a businessman. His methods were no match for those powerful and wealthy people, let alone the newly appointed top scholar who had the prime minister as his backer.
Perhaps, others have already seen through my tricks.
In an instant, cold sweat soaked Han Yi's back, and he lost all his previous confidence and arrogance.
Jiang Nuan had also thought of this question: "When you were investigating these things, was anyone aware of it?"
If that person already knew, this oversight would be enormous.
No matter how natural the plan, it's useless; they've already guessed these schemes.
He himself believed that Han Yi hadn't seen the portrait and didn't recognize the person, but others might not be so sure.
“I don’t know either,” Han Yi said dejectedly. “Although I thought I had done it discreetly, I’m not sure I could have completely escaped the watchful eyes of those big shots.”
“What’s the point of scheming about this?” Huang Lao Er said speechlessly. “They might already know and are just making a fool of you.”
"Second brother, shut up!" Jiang Nuan scolded. "Don't think your brother Han Yi is stupid. This is just a gap caused by unequal status. If even one person from the Han family could enter officialdom, the outcome would be unpredictable."
Putting aside intelligence and cunning, Jiang Nuan felt that Han Yidan's ambition was ten times greater than that of the bunch of lazy bums she had raised.
Daring to think and act, daring to venture and work – this kind of spirit is rare. If someone were to support them, they would surely soar to great heights sooner or later.
Looking at his own son, he was dutiful but lacked ambition.
Even the most ambitious mistress isn't bold enough; she completely lacks Han Yi's courage.
"I am honored that you think so highly of me, Auntie," Han Yi said, feeling a pang of sadness. "I have never thought of myself as inferior to anyone, but there are some things that I am truly powerless to change."
The Han family was ultimately just a merchant family; even though they had some money, their social status remained low.
He had many connections with officials, but they were all bribed and were completely unreliable.
He could only keep scheming and currying favor with one powerful person after another to increase his own influence.
Hearing the conversation between the two, the three brothers exchanged glances and looked at each other in bewilderment.
They were speechless!
I, a country bumpkin, didn't say a word, but Brother Han Yi, who comes from a wealthy and powerful family, is actually playing the victim. It's simply outrageous!
Lowering their eyes to conceal their emotions, the three brothers remained silent, looking down at their feet as if a flower had bloomed there.
Seeing this, Han Yi sighed softly, “My three younger brothers, don’t think your older brother is ungrateful. The Han family is a powerful force in Ping’an County and has some influence in Yu’nan Prefecture, but in the capital, we can only huddle together for survival.”
"There are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. Once you go out, you will find that Ping'an County is very, very small, too small to accommodate the ambition of one person."
"Han..."
“There’s no need to explain to them anymore,” Jiang Nuan interrupted Han Yi. “People in different positions see different scenery. No matter how much you say now, they can’t empathize. Once they’ve seen more, they’ll understand the principles without being taught.”
Turning to her son, she said, “You and Han Yi are just like the young men in the village. You feel that our family is inadequate and needs to continue to work hard, but they don’t understand. They think that you just need to loaf around and wait to die.”
"Some people's starting point is someone else's ending point. If God doesn't give you a chance, there's nothing you can do."
“You may not understand Han Yi’s feelings, but you should respect his ambition. He’s so well-off, yet he still wants to improve himself. Our family is so poor, and you don’t even think about learning from him. What will we ever achieve?”
Her words left her three sons blushing with shame and speechless, while Jiang Nuan herself lowered her eyes in reflection.
These words were not only spoken to his son, but also to himself.
She doesn't care much about fame and fortune; to put it nicely, she's indifferent to fame and fortune, but in reality, she's just a lazy bum.
These things weren't a big deal in the past, but as the head of the household, they are indeed lacking.
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