"Master, the person has been taken in." A deep voice came from the darkness of the Marquis of Ningguo's most private inner study.
At this moment, Marquis Jiang He of Ningguo was standing in front of the shelves in the inner study. He nodded after hearing these words, his expression still calm, though he had been in a very bad mood these past few days.
Meanwhile, at the Xie family residence, Xie Yun was in front of a waterside pavilion. A tea boy was brewing tea beside him, but seemed deaf and mute, showing no response whatsoever to Xie Yun and the man dressed in black whose face could not be seen.
"Master, the Jiang family has already sent people in." His voice was cold, like a demon crawling out of hell in the night.
Xie Yun's face twisted into a mocking smile, which appeared particularly chilling in the shadows.
"That idiot Jiang He, hmph, does he even know who he sent?"
The man in black lowered his head even further, and this time his cold voice carried a hint of fear, "Your subordinate is incompetent and has not yet found out who this person is."
These words seemed to be a sarcastic remark about Xie Yun's smile just now, and an angry expression appeared on his face. However, he quickly suppressed it, and although his voice was not loud, his anger was evident.
"Find this person as soon as possible!"
"Yes." The man in black clasped his hands in a salute, bowed, and retreated.
The capital city is divided into four major sections: east, west, south, and north. Among them, Zhuque Street in the east city is in a good location and is extremely prosperous. The wide bluestone street is clean and there is not a single piece of clutter on it.
There were very few pedestrians.
The mansions on both sides of the street are quiet and elegant, yet they are magnificent. The vermilion gates are tightly closed, and the stone lions in front of the gates stare fiercely ahead, determined to protect the exquisite house behind them.
A horse-drawn carriage with an oilcloth quietly passed by on the clean bluestone street, then went around the alley and entered through a side gate.
The side gate opened, and an elderly man stepped out of the car. Although he was white-haired and wrinkled, he was in high spirits and walked briskly.
"Please come in, sir. My master has been waiting for a long time." The old servant who opened the door bowed and led the old man who had stepped down from the carriage inside.
After walking through the winding corridors, you arrive at a study called "Dongyuxuan". Stepping into the study, you are greeted by the four large, elegant characters "Heaven rewards diligence" directly in front of the door.
This character was left by Fei Chang, a great calligrapher of the previous dynasty, and is worth a thousand pieces of gold.
Such treasures can only be found in scholarly families with a rich cultural heritage.
“Good calligraphy.” The old man stared intently at the four characters as soon as he entered the room, his eyes burning with interest.
"Brother Yang, do you like Fei Chang's calligraphy?" Someone walked in from behind and closed the door behind them, their voice echoing as the door shut.
Yang Zhong turned around, his eyes no longer filled with the initial burning passion, but instead scrutinized the person in front of him. The person was around fifty years old, yet showed no signs of aging, with distinct and exquisite features, revealing that he had been a dragon and phoenix in his youth.
"Fei Chang's calligraphy is elegant and beautiful, a perfect match for you, my brother. I dare not take what belongs to someone else."
Wang Kuanqi personally poured tea and gestured for Yang Zhong to sit down before he took his seat.
“Brother Yang, why are you being so polite with me? As for Fei Chang’s calligraphy and Yan Youlong’s painting, as long as you ask, I will find them for you even if I don’t have them myself.”
"Hahaha." Yang Zhong laughed, "You, you're still as unrestrained as you were when you were a child."
Yang Zhong took a sip of tea, waiting for Wang Kuanqi to continue.
Wang Kuanqi's smile vanished, replaced by a somber expression. "Brother Yang, when will His Majesty calm down?"
He was ordered to stay home to educate his children, but he kept a close eye on the court. As a relatively young second-rank official and one of only two chief officials of the Secretariat, he was constantly being sought after by others.
These days, the Emperor has not thought of him at all. Although his disciples and subordinates come to him for advice when they have something to say, this is not a solution. Now that another Chamberlain is in charge of the Secretariat, he is really worried that he will be replaced by his rival.
Yang Zhong put down his teacup. "You don't even bother to pretend. How can the Emperor be appeased?"
"Brother Yang, do you expect me to personally go to apologize? What kind of family is my Wang family, and what kind of family is the Yongwang Mansion? That's impossible!" Wang Kuanqi pointed in the direction of the Yongwang Mansion, his anger flaring up.
Yang Zhong picked up on his words, raising his voice, "You also know that he is Prince Yong."
Wang Kuanqi immediately fell silent.
Finally, he said reluctantly, "Wouldn't that make him look good?"
Thinking of Prince Yong, his face was full of disdain.
Yang Zhong stood up and flicked off the non-existent dust on his wide sleeves. “That’s not to make him look good, it’s to make the Emperor look good. The Emperor dotes on him and his daughter because he’s been pressured too much. The Emperor is angry and rebellious. Whether you like it or not, Qiu Chengshi has been frequently summoned to Taihe Hall recently. There will be results soon.”
After he finished speaking, he walked out of Dongyuxuan.
After the others left, only Wang Kuanqi remained in the study. He pondered for a moment, then summoned someone, "Go and investigate the recent movements of the Prince Yong's residence."
"Yes." The man bowed and withdrew.
At Prince Yong's residence, Prince Yong exclaimed, "How did you make this, Ah Jun? This fish soup is so delicious!" He drank two bowls in a row and still wanted more.
Separated by a screen, Zhao Shu ate alone in the inner room, while Prince Yong and Wei Tingsi ate together outside the screen.
"It's not as good as Father says. Perhaps it's because of the tofu that Father thought it tasted so delicious." Zhao Shu also tasted it and thought it was much inferior to what Ajiu made, but the ingredients were much better than those of modern times, all-natural and pollution-free.
The only downside is that it's currently the height of summer, not the time when sea bass are at their fattest and most delicious.
"What does Lord Wei think?" Prince Yong felt that he had never tasted such delicious fish soup in his life. On the one hand, it was made by his daughter herself. He heard that his daughter had even killed the fish herself, and he was very touched by her thoughtfulness.
On the other hand, the fish soup was indeed much more delicious than what we usually eat.
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