Master Feng was also a clever man. In fact, Prefect Xu's words were full of loopholes. If one were to look closely, one would surely be able to find the flaws.
But he was too old, and besides, Master Feng trusted Magistrate Xu completely, so he had no suspicions.
"It seems that this restaurant will have to be sold whether we like it or not!"
Master Feng clenched his fist, still unwilling to give up.
Magistrate Xu then said, "Sir, as the saying goes, 'A wise man knows when to yield.' Sometimes, one cannot act impulsively. Although you seem to have suffered a loss, compared to Jing Zhe's actual intentions, haven't you actually gained something?"
According to Prefect Xu, Jing Zhe's original intention was to acquire the Feng family restaurant without spending a penny. However, if he were to sell it to him now, compared to Jing Zhe taking the restaurant for free, he would actually make a profit of five thousand taels.
Thinking about it this way, it really is a win; what a logical genius.
"Alright, since Magistrate Xu has said so, let's sell this restaurant to him as long as we see five thousand taels of silver!"
After saying this, Master Feng sat down somewhat weakly, then added, "Oh, by the way, I'll have to trouble Magistrate Xu with the handover of the silver and the house deed. I really don't want to see the face of that kind of person."
"You're too kind, sir!"
Magistrate Xu was overjoyed because he didn't want Jing Zhe and Master Feng to meet at all, otherwise they would have been exposed.
So he immediately took out his only remaining five thousand taels of silver notes and came to Master Feng: "Master, actually, when Jing Zhe came to me yesterday, I took it upon myself to agree on your behalf! I just explained why I was worried. This is the silver he gave me, so I hope you will forgive me for taking it upon myself!"
"..."
Master Feng was taken aback. Perhaps he hadn't expected that Magistrate Xu had come to him for a "pretend discussion" after they had already settled things. Although he knew Magistrate Xu's true intentions, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable.
However, for the sake of the bigger picture, after accepting the five thousand taels of silver, Master Feng waved his hand and said, "I am deeply grateful for Prefect Xu's good intentions, so how could I possibly blame him?"
"..."
Subsequently, in a "joyful and peaceful" atmosphere, Master Feng had his wife find the house deed, while Prefect Xu arrived with the official seal, fully prepared, intending to hand over the property directly.
Just then, a commotion broke out outside the door.
"What happened?"
When Magistrate Xu came in to discuss matters, Master Feng had already dismissed his servants. At this moment, he called out to the door, and an equally elderly servant pushed the door open and entered.
"Reporting to Master, it's the young master... the young master has returned..."
"You're back?"
Master Feng was taken aback, and then, seeing that it was still early, he immediately showed displeasure: "Mu Bai didn't come to have breakfast with me this morning, saying he wanted to take advantage of the good morning time to recite poems. Why did he come back from outside?"
It turns out that although Feng Mubai was a womanizer, he did a good job of keeping it a secret. Because he paid hush money to the prostitutes, very few people knew about his romantic affairs.
As for the household, the servants dared not gossip, and since Madam Feng herself was not clean, she naturally dared not complain about Feng Mubai to Master Feng. Therefore, Master Feng did not know that Feng Mubai did not return home at night.
This old servant was the steward of the Feng family, and he was quite clever. He knew whose Feng family it would be in the future, so he usually didn't say much. But today was different from usual, because Feng Mubai was covered in injuries and was walking over here angrily, so he had no choice but to speak up.
"..."
The steward stammered, and everyone else remained silent. Master Feng raised an eyebrow: "Let him in!"
"Master, the young master is here..."
At this moment, Feng Mubai rushed in. Seeing Prefect Xu there, he immediately shouted, "Uncle, you must stand up for your nephew this time!"
"..."
Both Magistrate Xu and Master Feng and his wife were stunned, not only by Feng Mubai's words, but also by his face, which was swollen like a pig's head.
What happened to your face?
Master Feng forgot to scold Feng Mubai. Looking at his once handsome face now like this, he felt a little sorry for him... But why did he also feel that he looked more pleasing to the eye this way?
Thinking this, he glanced at Magistrate Xu and found that Magistrate Xu was much more engrossed in the moment than he was, as if the one being beaten was not his own son, but his own!
Seeing this scene, Master Feng recalled the rumors that had circulated on the streets a few years ago. Although they were later suppressed, he had some reservations about them.
So, feeling uneasy, she asked again, "What happened to your face? Who hit you?"
"Father, it's Jing Zhe!"
As he shouted this, Feng Mubai shed tears of anguish: "This guy surnamed Jing is simply inhuman! He cornered me in an alley, then beat me, and even claimed to be my father!"
"..."
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listeners. Feng Mubai was simply stating the facts, but the other three interpreted it differently.
Master Feng and Magistrate Xu exchanged a glance, then both looked away. Only they knew who was more embarrassed.
As for Madam Feng, she wondered if Jing Zhe's words meant that he had truly been moved at some point yesterday. Because, if the two of them were truly... in a sense, he really was Feng Mubai's father...
The three reacted differently and fell into a brief silence and thought. Feng Mubai got anxious when he saw this and thought to himself, "I'm the one who got hit, okay? What are you guys thinking?"
"Father, Uncle, you must stand up for me this time! Although he holds a high official position, he can't just beat people like that, can he? Even princes are punished the same as commoners for beating people, and he's just a second-rank official!"
At this moment, Feng Mubai had completely lost his scholarly demeanor and was more like a stray dog.
Master Feng then asked, "Why did he hit you?"
"This...how would I know? I had dinner at Feng's Restaurant last night and was on my way back..."
Next, Feng Mubai gave a brief account of the matter. Of course, he omitted the part about trying to stop Jing Zhe from opening a newspaper, because he felt that as long as he didn't say anything, no one would find out.
Of course, that's not all that was hidden. There was also the fact that he was stripped naked and thrown at the entrance of the brothel, and was eventually carried back by the prostitutes inside. Feng Mubai was usually very confident, and he thought that the prostitutes would definitely not talk about this outside, just like usual. After all, he was the big spender of the brothel.
After saying that, he asked angrily, "Father, do you think he did this on purpose? Not only on purpose, but I also suspect that he deliberately provoked us because we have no one backing us! Father, Uncle, this time you must stand up for me and write a letter to Grand Tutor Bai, asking him to impeach him before His Majesty!"
"..."
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