Commander-in-Chief Xu, this man, had all the unruliness of a military family scion. For instance, bullying by power, giving orders arrogantly, being condescending, insatiable greed, and being solely profit-driven and so on, yet there was one aspect in which he was unmatched by many.
He had an eye for timing!
He knew when to bully by power and when to be insatiable in greed. Since he had hinted for Lord Wang to quickly back down, he must have noticed something.
Lord Wang had been looking for a way out, and seeing this scene, where would he dare to insist any longer? He hurriedly said, "Lord Yuan is the Inspector General, shepherding the people on behalf of the Emperor. All of us, of course, will conscientiously follow Lord Yuan’s wishes, taking Lord Yuan’s lead as our guide."
Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, hardly trusting their own ears.
Lord Wang’s attitude... had changed too quickly, hadn’t it?
Commander-in-Chief Xu, however, silently gave Lord Wang a big thumbs-up in his heart.
Impressive!
The sage governs with a single principle as the shepherd of the world. Upholding the great way, shepherding the people on behalf of heaven, holding steadfastly to neutrality, complying with heaven to serve the people.
Yuan Yunzhong was simply named "Yun," with the character Yunzhong.
Lord Wang had only stopped short of calling Yuan Yunzhong a "sage."
Look at how Lord Wang had flattered, so skillfully done.
When a civil official sets aside his dignity, he certainly surpasses these military officials by many levels.
No wonder his brother had repeatedly instructed him before leaving the capital to keep his distance. If he had the chance to converse with Lord Wang, that would be best; if not, he mustn’t offend him.
Lord Wang was no ordinary man.
Not to mention anything else, just based on how he knelt without a moment’s hesitation when told, he was far from matching him.
It was clear he had much to learn from Lord Wang!
"Excellent!" Commander-in-Chief Xu exclaimed loudly, "The Inspector General is noble and upright, with decisive actions; the Chief Secretary of State is impartial and selfless, an honest and upright official. Both lords have the people’s feelings and welfare at heart; truly a perfect match, complementing each other and restoring to the Jingde Town kiln workers a just and peaceful world. This is not only a fortunate event for our colleagues but also a blessing for the kiln workers!"
Since he had already given Lord Wang a ladder, why not help him down smoothly?
Only then did everyone snap back to reality, still in a daze.
"The Inspector General is wise!"
"Lord Wang is profound in his understanding of righteousness!"
They shouted in praise loudly, unable to resist following the example of Commander-in-Chief Xu and cheering as well.
Yuan Yunzhong smiled slightly, glanced at Song Jiyun, and took a few steps forward. His voice, not too loud nor too low, was clear enough for everyone in the hall to hear distinctly, "The Imperial Kiln Factory is the Emperor’s own kiln, and Jingde Town belongs to all of us. We must look after our own home, and also take care of the Emperor’s kiln."
"Lord Yuan is right!" someone shouted from the crowd.
The others joined in a cacophony of voices: "We will listen to Lord Yuan!"
"We will listen to the Inspector General!"
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the Temple of the Wind God, inside and out.
Lord Wang breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, no one held him to account.
Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief Xu had squeezed his way to Yuan Yunzhong’s side, speaking eagerly, "Lord Yuan, it’s not often you come to Jiangxi, and you haven’t visited our Guard Station yet, have you? Would you like to take some time to visit? The leaders at our Guard Station have all heard about the way you represented the Emperor during the border inspection last April, your archery skill hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces. Everyone admires you greatly and has long been clamoring to witness your valiant appearance!"
He couldn’t afford to offend Yuan Yunzhong either.
Yuan Yunzhong’s eldest cousin, Yuan Jingnian, was an Imperial Censor at the Censorate, and his being sent to Jiangxi was thanks to that Lord Yuan.
It was said that Yuan Yunzhong’s eldest cousin and three male cousins doted on him greatly, and he was hoping to mend his relationship with Yuan Jingnian through Yuan Yunzhong and return to the capital sooner.
The officials who had come with Lord Wang also came to their senses, saying warmly one after another, "Lord Yuan, I am a councilor at the Chief Secretary of State’s office. I became an Imperial Scholar in the first year of Tianshun through two exam rounds. I am of the same cohort as your cousin Wang Zi."
"Lord Yuan, I am the Jiangxi Grain Transport Commissioner. I became an Imperial Scholar in the fourth year of Tianshun through two exam rounds. That year, your uncle was the chief examiner, and he was our mentor. Speaking of which, you and I could be considered from the same circle."
"Lord Yuan, I am the Magistrate of Ganzhou. I became an Imperial Scholar in the fifth year of the Jingtai era, of the same cohort as your second cousin Yuan Jingxun."
"Lord Yuan..."
Everyone had some connection with Yuan Yunzhong, and those who didn’t, sought to fabricate some.
Old Master Yan, Old Master Wu, and others quietly gathered around Song Jiyun.
"I really didn’t expect Young Master Yuan to be the Inspector General!"
"You really kept a tight lip, not letting any information slip—I tell you, you had us all on edge."
"Now that we have Son-in-law Yuan, no one will dare to bully us again."
Those who couldn’t push through looked on with envy, whispering among themselves.
"The Song Family is going to make a fortune!"
"With such a son-in-law, the Song Family will soon be walking sideways in Jingde Town!"
"How does Boss Song have such good luck! His porcelain craftsmanship is already beyond our reach, and now he finds a son-in-law who is out of our league. Why do all the good things happen to the Song Family?"
There were also those who reveled in Schadenfreude: "Do you think if Song Daliang and Song Sanliang knew that Boss Song is about to marry off to such a distinguished son-in-law, they would run back with tears and snot to apologize to Boss Song? Wanting to return to the Song Family, huh?"
"I can’t speak for them. As for me, not to mention tears and snot, even if Boss Song threw a bucket of water and asked me to catch every drop back in the bucket, I would have to try."
Everyone chipped in their remarks, their expressions revealing their excitement.
The two who were surrounded by people yet isolated from each other could only glance up inadvertently to see the other’s dark hair.
*
Eunuch Wan’s face turned ashen.
Seeing this scene, everything became clear to him.
He was not only abandoned by Lord Wang, but also labeled as corrupt by Commander-in-Chief Xu.
What awaited him was still unknown.
He tried to get up several times but failed.
Suddenly, someone reached out a hand to help him up.
He looked up and, to his surprise, it was Song Tao.
"What are you doing here?" he said, his gaze toward Song Tao as if it could devour her.
When he had been looking for her earlier, she had been nowhere to be found.
Song Tao shrank back slightly.
Yuan Yunzhong turned out to be an imperial envoy!
She had been so terrified that her soul had nearly left her body and instinctively had hidden herself away.
To avoid the crowd, she took refuge behind a large red lacquered pillar in the main hall.
When Eunuch Wan was searching for her, she had seen him, but she didn’t dare to come forward.
Why did Song Jiyun always have such good luck?
In her previous life, it was Hong Xi, Eunuch Wan, Lord Wang. This lifetime, even though she had nipped her future in the bud, Song Jiyun’s luck turned out even better than before. She had actually bewitched a talented and handsome Inspector General like Yuan Yunzhong!
Why had she felt so humiliated by Yuan Yunzhong’s cold words back then that she turned and left on the spot?
If she had lowered her head and flattered Yuan Yunzhong properly, perhaps he would now be at her service instead of supporting Song Jiyun.
What should she do now?
Biting her nails, the sharp pain in her fingertips gradually calmed Song Tao down.
The marriage agreement between Yuan Yunzhong and Song Jiyun was definitely a sham!
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