Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the group became quite varied.
Wu Lanxi looked at Tang Huan meaningfully, her feelings quite complicated.
Lin Wan'er was about to lash out, but Wu Lanxi stopped her.
Xie Wu, mindful of their friendship, decided to risk his own safety to subtly offer a hint, so that Tang Huan would stop talking nonsense.
If we say a few more words, the entire Qihuai County will probably lose its head along with that little devil Tang Huan.
Xie Wu had just taken a step forward when he saw Wu Lanxi's gloomy gaze fall upon him.
The Empress threatened again.
Xie Wu had no choice but to stop.
"Lord Tang, as the magistrate of Qihuai County, you are also an official under His Majesty. How can you be so rebellious behind his back? Aren't you worried about being punished by His Majesty?"
At this point, Tang Huan became even more annoyed.
That was undisguised anger.
"Do you think I wanted to deceive the emperor? Back then, it's not like I didn't report these things. In the beginning, I led people to cultivate seeds, reclaim wasteland, and research all sorts of things that could make money, but the people above simply looked down on a mere county magistrate like me."
"I've tried to persuade them time and time again, but my superiors either refuse to see me or dismiss me after a few words. What can I do?"
Tang Huan sneered, "What's even more ridiculous is that someone blatantly told me that this isn't how you see an official; five hundred taels is the lowest price."
"Damn it, five hundred taels would have been enough to feed the two thousand people in Qihuai County for a whole year..."
Growing increasingly angry, Tang Huan said indignantly, "If the officials below are like this, how can the Empress be any better?"
Lin Wan'er still looked indignant, displeased and angry at Tang Huan for making such a boastful assessment of the Empress.
But Wu Lanxi fell into deep thought.
This is indeed a problem in Daqing.
Even as the emperor, she could not extend her reach to every corner.
Moreover, there were officials from the imperial court standing in the way, obstructing Wu Lanxi's view of the situation below.
That's why the previous incognito visit came about.
"Let's put aside these unpleasant things for now. Let's go, let's eat. Today, I'll take Boss Wu to try the special hot pot of Qihuai County."
Upon seeing this, Xie Wu immediately went to make arrangements.
The emperor has come in person, so there can be no mistakes.
Before long, Tang Huan arrived with Wu Lanxi and the other person.
Xie Wu stood respectfully at the entrance of the inn. The lobby was only filled with busy waiters preparing for the guests; there were no other guests.
"this……"
Tang Huan was just wondering when Xie Wu laughed and said, "Boss Wu has come all this way, how can we let outsiders disturb her? She is of noble status, so let's not let her servants bother her..."
"That's true." Tang Huan nodded, acknowledging Xie Wu's arrangement.
However, he always felt that Xie Wu's words had a hidden meaning, but he was so focused on how to make a good profit off this wealthy merchant from the capital that he didn't pay much attention to Xie Wu.
"Boss Wu, soon we can enjoy hotpot and sing songs while discussing business properly," Tang Huan said with a smile.
Along the way, Wu Lanxi saw all sorts of dazzling things again, but what intrigued her even more was the hot pot that Tang Huan had mentioned.
I can't figure out what hot pot is, no matter how hard I try.
It sounded novel, and even Wu Lanxi was very curious.
"Please." Xie Wu quickly led the way, guiding everyone to a private room upstairs, while gesturing to the waiter beside him, "Go and prepare quickly."
To everyone's surprise, the waiter showed no sign of leaving; instead, he stared at Tang Huan expectantly.
This puzzled Wu Lanxi greatly.
"What's wrong with you, waiter? Hurry up and prepare the food," Lin Wan'er urged.
Making the Empress wait is a grave offense.
Wu Lanxi subtly winked at Lin Wan'er, wanting to see what was going on.
"Mr. Tang, I'd like to get your autograph..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Wu immediately scolded, "You bastard, you're still thinking about autographs at a time like this? Hurry up and entertain our distinguished guest!"
The waiter sounded a little aggrieved, "Lord Tang is a celebrity in the entire Qihuai County now. Tomorrow we can only catch a glimpse of him from afar. Who knows how long we'll have to wait for this kind of opportunity..."
"The autograph is easy to arrange, as long as you don't resell it at a high price. But I'm hungry now, let's serve the food first, and I can sign it after we finish eating."
Tang Huan smiled and offered a reassuring remark.
Upon receiving Tang Huan's response, the waiter immediately went off to get busy.
Inside the private room, the two sat facing each other.
On one side was Wu Lanxi, who sat upright, exuding a dignified air.
Lin Wan'er stood beside her, glaring angrily at the person opposite her.
Tang Huan was leisurely asking Xie Wu to massage her shoulders and legs.
Xie Wu secretly glanced at Wu Lanxi and winked at Tang Huan, but Tang Huan couldn't see it at all.
"You've gotten so lazy, you're just sitting around doing nothing?"
Tang Huan assumed Xie Wu was simply unwilling to move and didn't pay much attention.
"Lord Tang, before we discuss business, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"What would you like to talk about, Mr. Wu?"
"Let's talk about your crime of deceiving the emperor."
Tang Huan's heart sank. She felt that the woman opposite her was deliberately bringing up a sore spot, and she was determined to hold onto this matter.
But thinking about it, it makes sense; once you've got leverage over someone, you'll naturally want to gain some benefits.
Therefore, Tang Huan waved his hand dismissively, "Well then, it was wrong of me to deceive the emperor, so how about I give you a discount on our future cooperation?"
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