Chapter 76 That was close, I almost starved to death.
"It's getting late," Xiao Yunzhan said, glancing at the sky as he realized he had no ideas for the time being.
"I haven't eaten anything since this morning, let's find a restaurant to have something to eat."
Xie Ji seemed to perk up upon hearing this, instantly straightening up. "That's right! It's better not to mention it, because just thinking about it makes my stomach rumble!"
I haven't stopped eating since I left Yaoguang Garden. If I don't eat something soon, I'm going to faint from hunger!
As he spoke, he deliberately rubbed his stomach and made an exaggerated "gurgling" sound, which made Pei Zhiwei burst out laughing.
Pei Zhi smiled and agreed, "Indeed, I only had a bowl of porridge this morning. I didn't feel it when I was investigating the case, but now that I've relaxed, I really feel hungry."
"Then let's go to Yuhuchun!" Xie Ji excitedly decided before the two could react.
"Last time I finally made it there, but that brat Zhang Xiao ruined it so I didn't even get to eat a hot dish."
We absolutely have to make up for it this time!
Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow but did not object: "Alright, last time Zhang Xuren dragged me away to talk, so I haven't had a chance to properly try the food at their shop."
Pei Zhiwei naturally had no objections.
On the way to Yuhuchun, Xie Ji kept talking, sometimes saying he wanted to order two plates of dim sum to fill his stomach, and sometimes saying he wanted to try their drunken crab.
The shopkeeper, Zhang Cheng, was standing at the door seeing off guests when he spotted the three of them. He quickly walked over, his face beaming with a warm smile.
"Oh my! It's His Highness Prince Rui, Lady Pei, and Young Master Xie! What brings you three here? Please come in!"
"What, not welcome?" Xie Ji deliberately raised an eyebrow to tease him, but didn't stop walking, heading straight inside.
Zhang Cheng quickly waved his hand, his tone full of politeness: "How could that be! It is an honor for Yu Hu Chun to have such a distinguished guest!"
As he led the three of them to the second floor, he explained, "The third floor has been temporarily closed since the incident, but the first and second floors are open for business as usual."
Lord Liu said that the third floor can be unsealed once the case is completely closed.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the innermost private room on the second floor.
Zhang Cheng pushed open the door. The furnishings inside were more exquisite than those downstairs. A pear wood table was placed by the window, with a plate of poria cocos cake on it and a pot of warm tea beside it.
"These private rooms must be very hard to book, right?" Xie Ji asked indistinctly as he sat in a chair by the window, picked up a piece of Poria cocos cake and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Last time I wanted to come, the waiter said it was already fully booked."
Zhang Cheng smiled and replied, "You flatter me, sir!"
"Yu Hu Chun is renowned, so we always reserve one of our best private rooms on each floor, just for you three distinguished guests who have arrived unexpectedly."
He then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone sincere, "Speaking of which, I must thank the three esteemed gentlemen for their keen insight in clearing Yu Hu Chun of suspicion, which has allowed us to resume normal business as usual."
"I hope you'll do me the honor of attending today's meal. Would it be alright if the bill were on my tab?"
"That's why I say you're the manager of Guangling No. 1 Restaurant. You've put in a lot of effort! But you don't need to spend any money. Look at him."
Xie Ji smiled and pointed at Xiao Yunzhan, while also winking at him.
“He has plenty of money, so put all the debts on his head today!”
Bring out all the good food and drinks you can, I'm starving!
Xiao Yunzhan glanced helplessly at Xie Ji, but did not refute her. He simply said to Zhang Cheng, "No need to be polite, just serve your signature dishes."
Zhang Cheng quickly replied "Okay," said a few more polite words, and then turned and went downstairs to give instructions.
Pei Zhiwei picked up a piece of Poria cocos cake and ate it in small bites. The cake was soft and had a faint aroma of Poria cocos. It was sweet but not greasy, which helped to fill the emptiness in her stomach.
Seeing Xie Ji wolfing down his food, she couldn't help but ask, "Isn't Prince Xie always well-informed?"
Haven't you heard any news about that Wang woman from the Xu family?
Xie Ji took another piece of Poria cocos cake and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing until his cheeks were bulging, and mumbled, "I've only been in Yangzhou for a few days!"
I had been hiding at my uncle's place for a while, and only dared to come out and wander around a couple of days ago. How could I have had time to ask so many questions?
However, I heard from people on the street that this Mrs. Xu is famously virtuous and kind; in fact, I've never heard a bad word about her.
Pei Zhiwei was somewhat curious. How could someone go more than 20 years without a single bad review?
As she was thinking, she heard footsteps outside the door. Zhang Cheng led the waiter in carrying dishes, placing them on the table one by one, and the aroma instantly filled the entire private room.
Xie Ji's eyes widened in amazement. Before the dishes were even finished being laid out, he picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a large piece of fish, and stuffed it into his mouth. It was so hot that he gasped for breath, but he still mumbled, "Delicious! It's even fresher than what I had in the capital!"
Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Zhiwei also picked up their chopsticks and started eating.
The three of them were really hungry after this meal. Xie Ji, of course, didn't stop eating, and would occasionally comment, "This is delicious" or "That's not bad either."
Xiao Yunzhan appeared to eat elegantly, but he picked up food very frequently, clearly indicating that he was extremely hungry.
Pei Zhiwei was initially mindful of her image, but seeing that neither of them were being polite, she relaxed a bit, and soon the table of dishes was completely cleaned up.
The moment they put down their chopsticks, the three of them looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.
Xie Ji patted his round belly and let out a burp: "That was satisfying! I haven't eaten this well in a long time."
"I am Lu Fanghui, and I wish to personally thank Prince Rui and Prince Xie." A hoarse yet resonant voice came from outside the private room.
All three were taken aback. Xiao Yunzhan reacted the fastest, saying to the door, "Please come in."
The door was pushed open, and an elderly man with gray hair walked in. He was wearing a dark blue brocade robe, his back was straight, and he was holding a black jade thumb ring in his hand. He was Lu Fanghui, the head of the Lu family.
As soon as he entered, he cupped his hands to the three of them. Just as he was about to bow, Xiao Yunzhan stopped him with a smile.
“Mr. Lu, there’s no need for such formalities. We’re out here now, so there’s no need for so many rules. Please have a seat.”
Lu Fanghui sat down and glanced at the leftover food on the table. He couldn't help but smile and sigh, "It's so good to be young. It's only been a short while, and you've already finished eating."
Xie Ji didn't think anything of it and even patted his stomach smugly: "Of course! I've been starving all day, what's a little bit of food?"
Xiao Yunzhan just smiled faintly, but Pei Zhiwei felt a little embarrassed, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she subconsciously pulled her sleeves tighter.
Lu Fanghui seemed oblivious to her embarrassment and continued, "Back when I was young, I could eat this whole table by myself."
Especially during my growth spurt, sometimes this whole table of food wasn't enough; I'd have to have a few more bowls of rice.
He then called out towards the door, "Zhang Cheng! Bring some more elaborate dishes!"
Xiao Yunzhan quickly replied, "Master Lu, there's no need to trouble yourself. We've already eaten our fill."
"Oh, how can this be considered troublesome?" Lu Fang waved his hand, his tone filled with the loving kindness of an elder.
"You are still young and growing, so you should eat more so that you have the energy to investigate the case."
When you get older, you won't be able to eat as much as you want.
Zhang Cheng responded with a "Okay" from outside the door, and his footsteps gradually faded away.
Lu Fanghui then picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and slowly said, "I have been pondering this in the manor for many days, and I feel that simply saying thank you is a bit too simplistic."
So I'll speak frankly: I've heard about what happened at the Xu residence today.
By this time, the government had not posted a notice announcing the case closed, suggesting that there were still some doubts surrounding the case.
I heard that three distinguished guests have arrived at Yuhuchun.
"I thought to myself, you've only been in Yangzhou for a short time and are unfamiliar with the place, so I came to see if there's anything the Lu family can help you with."
Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Zhiwei exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
They were completely clueless about the Wang family's affairs, but Lu Fanghui, a native of Yangzhou, might actually know something.
Xiao Yunzhan put down his teacup and said sincerely, "Master Lu, your arrival is very timely. We do have many questions that we would like to ask you."
"Not at all," Lu Fang waved his hand.
"Ask anything you want to know."
I've lived in Yangzhou for over sixty years, and my family has been in business for so long, so I certainly know more than most people. I'm glad I can be of any help.
Xiao Yunzhan spoke first: "Is Master Lu familiar with the Xu family?"
“Of course we’re familiar,” Lu Fanghui smiled.
"Xu Fengyan is the richest man in Daliang. Many of our Lu family's businesses have dealings with him. We often drink tea and chat together, and our relationship is quite good."
Xie Ji suddenly interjected, leaning forward: "Are you familiar with his second wife, Wang?"
"That's the lady who was kidnapped by Xu Ren today."
Lu Fanghui nodded: "She has been married into Yangdu for over twenty years, so we have had some contact with her."
Madam Xu had a very good reputation in Yangzhou. She was kind and generous and managed the Xu family mansion very well.
Whether it was the Xu family or the servants in the mansion, no one could find fault with them.
She is truly a model of a good matriarch.
Xie Ji frowned, as if he didn't quite believe it.
"Old Master Lu, tell me, if you had a daughter, given the Lu family's current situation in Huainan, would you marry her off to a merchant family like the Xu family?"
Lu Fanghui smiled upon hearing this, gently stroking the thumb ring on his hand: "Young Master Xie may not know this, but the great families of the South are indeed different from those of the North."
In the North, social standing is highly valued, and marriage alliances are often made with members of equally prominent families, official families, or even the royal family.
However, in the south, many prominent families would arrange marriages with wealthy merchants.
After all, it's not uncommon for merchants to have money on hand to help their families manage their businesses.
However, the Wang family of Hedong lived in the north, so their engagement to the Xu family back then did indeed become a topic of conversation.
"Has Grandpa Lu heard any rumors about the Wang family?" Xie Ji pressed on, "For example... are there any unpleasant rumors?"
Lu Fanghui shook his head: "No, it's all just praise for her."
In the more than twenty years she has lived in Yangzhou, she has never received a single negative review. Whether it's her interpersonal skills or managing household affairs, she is impeccable.
He changed the subject, his tone becoming more inquisitive, "But that's the problem."
Everyone makes mistakes, and there will always be things that are not satisfactory.
In all my years of life, I have never seen anyone who could maintain the same level of professionalism for over twenty years without making the slightest mistake or showing the utmost disrespect.
Xiao Yunzhan's heart skipped a beat, and he keenly grasped the key point in his words: "So, Master Lu also thinks there's something wrong with Madam Wang?"
"It's not that I think there's anything wrong with her, it's just that I think she's too perfect."
Lu Fanghui picked up his teacup and took another sip, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Humans have seven emotions and six desires, so it is inevitable that they will have tempers and times of negligence."
When Wang married into the family, she was only eighteen years old. If she could do this much when she was my age, I wouldn't find it strange.
But she's been so 'perfect' since she was young, and in my heart, she's become one of the few things that interests me.
Xie Ji became interested and couldn't help but tease, "Grandpa, you don't keep an eye on people every day just to see when they make a mistake, do you?"
Lu Fanghui was amused by him and burst into laughter, a hearty laugh that was somewhat deafening.
"Having lived to my age, I've seen everything I should have seen and experienced everything I should have experienced."
There aren't many things that interest me to begin with, so when something interesting happens, I naturally pay more attention to it.
Pei Zhiwei sat to the side, listening to their conversation, and felt a sense of novelty.
Watching others to see when they make a mistake is a hobby she's never heard of before.
However, she also sensed something was amiss and couldn't help but ask, "Since Grandpa Lu said that she hasn't made any mistakes in more than 20 years, does that mean that nothing has gone wrong so far?"
"You're still keeping an eye on her, does that mean that, in your opinion, Wang Shi, apart from being too perfect, hasn't done anything inappropriate?"
"That's certainly the case at present." Lu Fanghui nodded, his tone becoming more serious.
"I suppose you have all discovered something as well, and I can tell you about it."
Pei Zhiwei and Xiao Yunzhan were both taken aback, and Pei Zhiwei subconsciously asked, "You mean... someone has feelings for the Wang family?"
Lu Fanghui put down his teacup, his tone becoming more serious: "What I'm about to say is only for this private room. Once I leave this room, I won't acknowledge it anymore."
Xiao Yunzhan nodded: "Of course, we were just chatting casually, whatever came to mind, it all disappeared as soon as we left."
Lu Fanghui then spoke: "I have been gradually paying attention to the specific details."
I can somewhat discern the thoughts that Wang Heng, the deputy steward of the Xu family, and Xu Ren, the second son of the Xu family, have about the Wang family.
Besides these, there is one more person, who might surprise you.
As he spoke, he smiled and stroked his beard, turning his gaze to Xie Ji.
Xie Ji was taken aback by his gaze, and quickly waved his hand, his face scrunched up in a frown.
"I don't like her!"
Today at the Xu residence, I was almost driven mad by her awful appearance. I could never like her, no matter what!
Don't talk nonsense! If word gets out, how will I ever face anyone again!
Lu Fanghui was amused by his anxious appearance and laughed again.
"That is certainly not Young Master Xie. You are of a different generation from her. I am not so blind as to be so blind."
Xie Ji breathed a sigh of relief, but then, after a moment's thought, he glared at her again: "Then why are you staring at me like that?"
Could it be that she and my dad...?
Lu Fang smiled and shook his head, without giving a direct answer.
Xie Ji panicked and pretended to pull Lu Fanghui's beard.
"Old Lu, are you doing this on purpose?"
"Stop keeping me in suspense! If you don't tell me soon, I'll pluck all your beard off!"
Lu Fanghui laughed even harder, and after he had laughed enough, he slowly uttered three words: "Cui Yanwu".
Xie Ji was completely stunned by those three words.
Xiao Yunzhan and Pei Zhiwei were also startled and immediately looked at him.
Cui Yanwu of the Qinghe Cui clan is the current military governor of Huainan and Xie Ji's maternal uncle.
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