Song Jiyun took the deed and turned to hand it over to Wong Dahai, smiling, "Thank you for your concern. I will have to ask for your continued care in the future."
Then she turned to Wong Dahai, "Buy a servant boy to serve by the official’s side. That way, if there are any matters, the official just needs to give an order, and it will also save the official the trouble of not finding someone when needed."
The Registrar was caught off guard by how adept Song Jiyun was at dealing with people and was momentarily stunned, hastily waving his hands in refusal.
After some back and forth, the Registrar reluctantly agreed in the end.
His attitude toward Song Jiyun had also warmed considerably, and he quietly told her, "The Inspector General is currently in Jingde Town, and Lord Wan has been attending there these past few days. If you want to visit Lord Wan, it would not be too late to come again in a few days."
He even joked with her to show closeness, "To say that your family got the deed smoothly, you have Prince Ning to thank for that!"
Song Jiyun was extremely surprised.
The Registrar softly told her, "If it weren’t for Prince Ning’s affair these days causing such a stir, making everyone in the Jiangxi official circles feel threatened, our master wouldn’t have easily given Magistrate Jiang face like this."
Song Jiyun, in her past life, had no shortage of dealings with officials, and she understood that the Registrar was speaking in roundabout hints.
She responded with a smile and a few jesting remarks, then mentioned it was getting late and asked him to join her for dinner.
The Registrar refused, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!"
Song Jiyun didn’t insist. After a few more pleasantries, she stood up to take her leave.
However, at the entrance of the Imperial Kiln Factory, they ran into Mr. Han who was returning from Song Daliang’s Kiln Factory.
After exchanging greetings, they went their separate ways. It was Wong Dahai who, after leaving the Imperial Kiln Factory, hesitantly said, "Owner, what do you make of the Registrar’s words? Even if Magistrate Jiang made some introductions, Eunuch Wan has always been overbearing with the backing of the palace connections. The Twenty-Four Yamen and the Ministry of Personnel of the Inner Palace don’t follow the same path; no matter where Magistrate Jiang comes from, there’s no guarantee he will continue to give face to Magistrate Jiang."
Song Jiyun gave Wong Dahai an unexpected look.
No wonder her father had put Wong Dahai in charge of their family’s orders with the Imperial Kiln Factory; among the Song Family Kiln Factory’s store managers and master craftsmen, only he had this kind of sharpness.
"You heard right," she said lightly with a smile, "That Registrar was indeed reminding us."
Wong Dahai became somewhat anxious, "Then should we... go thank Eunuch Wan again?"
"Of course," Song Jiyun said, "Not only that, but you also need to find a way to inquire about what Eunuch Wan has been up to lately and see if we can repay him in some way. In a few days, we still have to compete for next year’s orders from the Kiln Factory. Even if we don’t say anything, in Eunuch Wan’s eyes, we will still be considered Magistrate Jiang’s people."
Wong Dahai was relieved to see that Song Jiyun did not act arrogantly due to her young age and the control of the family business.
The two discussed matters pertinent to the kiln factory as they boarded the mule cart.
*
In the study of the back hall of the Liang County Government Office, Magistrate Jiang was being pinned down on the desk by Yuan Yunzhong with his arm twisted behind his back.
"Ouch!" Magistrate Jiang exaggerated loudly on purpose, "What are you trying to do? Be careful, or I’ll tell our mentor that you are bullying me!"
Jiang Xiaosi peeked his head in from outside the door, looking at Yuan Yunzhong’s frosty face and hesitated to speak, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Yuan Yunzhong snorted coldly, each word biting, "It was you who colluded with Wan Xiaoquan!! Hmm!! It was you who encountered Wan Xiaoquan at the Jiangxi Governor’s place!! Hmm!!"
"Though you initiated it, if I hadn’t made it clear to Wan Xiaoquan, would he have understood?" Magistrate Jiang retorted, "Don’t think everyone is like me, able to understand your ’unsaid words’."
Yuan Yunzhong’s lips tightened even more, his face growing colder as he pressed him towards the writing desk.
"Ow, ow!" Magistrate Jiang cried out as if cornered with no choice but to change his tune, shouting loudly, "It was you, it was you! It was all your doing, happy now?!"
But even so, he couldn’t help but say, "I’m just concerned you wouldn’t know how to explain to Miss Song, with the affairs of the Song Family unsettled. Is Miss Song anxious?"
Yuan Yunzhong laughed out of sheer frustration, "Should I be thanking you then?"
"That won’t be necessary." Magistrate Jiang yelped in pain, "Junior, there’s no need for us to be like this! When you would sneak out to play as a child, I did cover for you. When you didn’t want to do your homework, I helped you hold the pen. Why can’t we talk things over nicely? Why must it be a matter of life and death between us?"
Yuan Yunzhong was unmoved, his sneer cutting, "Cut the nonsense, just say what needs to be done."
"The bell ringer must untie the bell." Magistrate Jiang repeated insistently, "The mess I caused, I’ll clean up."
A sliver of clarity crossed Yuan Yunzhong’s expression, and he let go of Magistrate Jiang.
Magistrate Jiang sprang up, exaggeratedly crying out in pain while rubbing his shoulders and wrists, "My arm hurts so much, I haven’t injured the meridians, have I? Tomorrow I must accompany the Inspector General to Changjiang Wharf! It is said that Prince Ning’s smuggled goods are all transported from there. Both the Inspection Division of Liang County and Jingde Town could have problems."
Yuan Yunzhong sat in the Taishi Chair, royal and commanding, silently watching Magistrate Jiang’s theatrics.
Magistrate Jiang sheepishly drank some tea as if finding an excuse for himself, then sat next to Yuan Yunzhong, adopting an intimate chat posture. First, he called out "Junior," before expressing sentimentally, "They say a girl changes eighteen times between childhood and womanhood, but I think it’s the same for boys. You were so adorable when you were young. Every time you came home, all the senior brothers would compete for your attention. But you acted as if you were above it all, ignoring everyone. We used to worry privately, back in the day, concerned that you might offend people when you grew up."
At this point, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "You helping Miss Song so much, it couldn’t be because you have taken a fancy to her, could it?"
Yuan Yunzhong was taken aback and then his face darkened as he rebuked, "What nonsense are you spouting? All I did was help a girl who was being bullied by those good-for-nothings; how does that translate to having a fancy for her?"
Who would have known that Magistrate Jiang’s eyes would light up at this, his gaze suddenly beaming illuminatingly at Yuan Yunzhong, "If that’s not the case, why are you in such a hurry?"
He moved closer to Yuan Yunzhong and let out a sly chuckle, saying, "I’m just curious, you know? Usually, if you were misunderstood, at most you’d give someone a cold look. But this time you provided such a lengthy explanation, it’s so abnormal! It’s so abnormal!"
Veins popping on his forehead, Yuan Yunzhong gave Magistrate Jiang a cutting look, his sarcasm sharp, "No wonder Madam Wang likes you so much!"
Was this to say he was as gossipy as a woman?
The junior brother’s sharp tongue was something they had all experienced. Magistrate Jiang took it in stride, acting immensely pleased, stroking his non-existent beard, "I knew it! Out of all our Master’s disciples, I was neither the most talented in reading nor the most diligent in studying, yet I alone was chosen to read and serve by our Master’s side. It turns out Madam played a role in this!"
In the face of such a Magistrate Jiang, Yuan Yunzhong could only say, "Isn’t it because you have the thickest skin?"
"So I have this merit, too!" Magistrate Jiang touched his face.
The brothers bantered.
Jiang Xiaosi’s little head peeked out from outside the door again.
"Lords! Young Master!" he said timidly, "Miss...Miss Song has arrived! She says she’s come to thank the Lord!"
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