Chapter 28: United in Appearance but Divided at Heart

  Xiao Fan felt he should do something.

  No matter how much resentment he had towards Chen Siliu, after all, he was the boss of Zui Xian Lou, this was already a fact, he couldn't just watch as Zui Xian Lou went bankrupt during his term, that would be an insult to the transmigrator!

  Xiao Fan felt that he had been insulted by ancient people many times already.

  Chen Siliu, this ruthless businessman, was able to build such a large family business in just over a decade, it's really not easy. Xiao Fan had a feeling of being calculated by him.

  Just as Xiao Fan became the shopkeeper, he encountered a powerful opponent, Jinyulou.

  This opponent has a deep official background, Chen Si Liu can't afford to offend him, let alone a humble and weak husband like himself.

  But... it can't be helped, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion is about to be squeezed out of business by it. Chen Si's family has a large business, and even if this one store closes, they have other shops, so it won't affect him much, but he can't bear to lose face like this.

  Huang Zhi County's wine house, if it were in the past, Xiao Fan would not have dared to take charge of it. Huang Zhi County is a powerful figure in Jiangpu, provoking him would be asking for trouble.

  But it's different now, fortunately Xiao Fan knew that a Cao County Lieutenant had recently arrived in Jiangpu County.

  When you have momentum, it doesn't hurt to be a bit tough; when you don't have momentum, then you can only borrow some...

  Xiao Fan sat at the edge of the table, his fingers unconsciously drawing circles on the tabletop as his mind rapidly turned.

  At the same time, he was also guessing that Chen Siliu arranged him to be the shopkeeper of this Drunken Immortal Building, and it was possible that he had taken advantage of his relationship with Cao County Magistrate, so he deliberately used himself to provoke a fight between Cao County Magistrate and Huang Zhixian. If Cao County Magistrate won, the Drunken Immortal Building would be saved, and the Chen family would benefit. If Cao County Magistrate lost, Chen Siliu could pretend to be unaware of this matter, and it was even possible that he would push Xiao Fan out as a scapegoat...

  The merchant's mind is so dark...

  No wonder Zhu Yuanzhang didn't want to see merchants, Xiao Fan now understands Zhu Yuanzhang's mentality, merchants are indeed not a good thing, it is estimated that Old Zhu suffered a lot before rebelling, just like the current Xiao Zhang...

  Chen Siliu's beam can be pressed down for the time being, in any case, Zui Xian Lou cannot be overthrown. If it is overthrown, Xiao Fan will definitely change from Chen's meritorious minister to Chen's sinner again, and may face the crisis of being expelled from Chen's family again.

  One day in the future, Xiao Fan will inevitably leave the Chen family, but he absolutely does not want to leave in a way that he is driven out.

  Before long, Xiao Fan's mouth corners suddenly hooked up slightly, and his eyes also gradually revealed a bright light.

  He thought of a way to solve the crisis of the Drunken Immortal Building's bankruptcy, while also making Chen Siliu suffer a setback and feel so humiliated that he couldn't sleep at night.

  Huang Rui De and Cao Yi were still in the flower hall on the west side of the county government's three halls, exchanging polite pleasantries, all saying some uninteresting nonsense.

  The atmosphere is neither hot nor cold. In the officialdom, it's like this. If there's no deep-seated hatred, even if there's resentment in one's heart, nobody will directly tear their face off.

  Playing games requires understanding the rules of the game, and being an official is no exception.

  The two men are in different political circles and have no common language, anyone with discerning eyes knows that in the future Jiangpu government office, these two will engage in a fierce battle to the death, only one of them can stay and monopolize the politics of the county.

  Their hostile stance can be said to have been destined from birth.

  Two sworn enemies sitting together, what can they possibly talk about? A polite conversation turned over and over again, both of them feeling somewhat impatient in their hearts, yet still having to force themselves to appear warm and continue speaking nonsense.

  A flurry of hasty footsteps approached, and the light in the hall dimmed. A young man appeared at the entrance of the flower hall.

  "Dad, it turns out Chen's family is fine after all, you have to help me think of another way..."

  Huang Rui's face suddenly changed: "You bastard, shut up! Don't you see that I have guests here?"

  Cao Yi's eyes sparkled as he turned his head to look towards the door, and saw a young man of about twenty years old standing at the entrance. The young man had a gloomy face, a frail body, and an obvious air of debauchery. He was staring at Cao Yi with an embarrassed expression.

  Huang Rui De gave the young man a stern look, then turned to Cao Yi with a forced smile: "This official's discipline is not strict, his son is frivolous and without manners, making Cao sir laugh."

  Huang Rui De's face sank as he shouted at the young man, "You unruly thing, come and pay your respects to County Magistrate Cao at once!"

  The young man's face was calm as he glanced at Cao Yi with a casual sweep of his eyes, and he cupped his hands together in a perfunctory manner, saying: "I am Huang Weishan, nice to meet you, Lord Cao."

  Cao Yi didn't return the gift, but nodded his head in a elder's manner and smiled: "Your son is young and handsome, a talented individual. County Magistrate is indeed blessed, haha."

  Huang Rui De sighed and shook his head: "Magistrate Cao, you're overpraising him. This unfilial son is really unmanageable, he doesn't study or learn anything, all day long he only knows how to cause trouble and stir up conflicts. I'm really at my wit's end with him. Last year, I asked the county school's instructor Li to take him in, hoping that this year he could pass the imperial examination and bring some glory to our ancestors' door. But it turns out he's not even material for studying... Alas..."

  Cao Yi smiled and said, "It's okay if you can't read books. A great man achieves success and builds a career, not just through the imperial examination..."

  Huang Rui De's eyes flashed with a few points of disdain, and he didn't respond.

  The words didn't quite match, Cao Yi saw the atmosphere was cold and clear, so he stood up, clasped his hands together in a salute and said: "You have business with County Magistrate, I won't disturb you, I'll take my leave."

  Huang Rui De stood up and returned the courtesy with a smile: "Lord Cao is too polite, when you have time, feel free to come and visit often. Lord Cao, take care on your journey, I won't see you off in person."

  Cao Yi walked to the door, and Huang Weishan hastily turned his body sideways, bowing to let him pass.

  Cao Yi suddenly stopped in front of Huang Weishan.

  "You just mentioned the Chen family, are you referring to Chen Si Liu?"

  "Ah, Lord Cao, yes." Huang Weishan replied with his head bowed, then quickly raised it and asked tentatively: "I heard that when you first arrived in Jiangpu, Chen Si Liu's only son, Chen Ning, offended you. Is this true?"

  Cao Yi nodded, then shook his head and burst out laughing: "This official is a rough man, not knowing each other without fighting is often the case. The Chen family and this official just had a misunderstanding, haha, it's all in the past...".

  Cao Yi gazed at Huang Weishan, smiling with a hint of profundity: "As the saying goes, 'to spare someone when one can' is indeed a virtue. Mr. Huang, don't you think so? Haha, Lord Huang, I bid you farewell."

  Huang Rui De and his son Huang Wei Shan heard this and their eyebrows twitched simultaneously.

  Cao Yi's figure quickly disappeared outside the flower hall.

  Huang Weishan suddenly jumped up and said: "Dad, what did that guy mean by his last sentence just now? It sounds strange..."

  "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" Huang Ruidi said angrily.

  "Huang Rui De snorted and said, 'Can't you hear such an obvious hint? He's secretly reminding us not to use his grudge against the Chen family as a pretext. How arrogant! Extremely arrogant!'"

  Huang Weishan was taken aback, immediately closing his mouth. Then he thought of the matter at hand and hastily said: "Father, the Chen family is fine, Father, you help me think of a way, I must marry Chen Ying'er..."

  "Scoundrel! You already have a wife, how can you still take another? The Ming law has long since made it clear that if a man has no official rank and is under forty years old with no children, he may not take a concubine. Do you have an official rank? Are you over forty? Scoundrel!"

  "Huang Weishan hastily said: 'Laws are dead, people are alive, if the child brings her back to raise in the outer house, it's all up to you... You're the magistrate of this Jiangpu, what can't be decided by you?'"

  "You... you scoundrel! You're going to infuriate me to death!" Huang Ruide was so angry that his whole body was shaking, and he shouted: "Not to mention that you can't marry a concubine, even if you could, Chen Ying'er has already been promised to someone else. This is something everyone in Jiangpu County knows about. If you were to marry her, wouldn't you be afraid of being ridiculed? I'd be the one losing face!"

  Huang Wei-shan curled his lip and said, "I know that Chen Ying-er is engaged to a farmer's son. I really don't know what Chen Si-liu was thinking in his head. It's said that the one she's engaged to is surnamed Xiao, and everyone in the county knows he's a coward. If I go scare him a bit, he won't even dare fart, and then he'll obediently let me marry Chen Ying-er..."

  Huang Rui De angrily said: "You only know that his surname is Xiao, but I know more than you. Do you know why the Chen family, who were originally doomed to be destroyed and killed by Cao Yi, ended up being safe and sound?"

  "Why?"

  "It was all because of what you said, that Mr. Xiao intervened and persuaded, the Chen family barely escaped disaster! A person like this, how dare you say he's useless? What qualifications do you have to call him useless?"

  Huang Weishan was shocked and hastily asked: "Father, what's going on?"

  Huang Rui De stroked his chin and slowly said: "The matter of the Chen family offending Cao Yi, I knew about it that night. Originally, I planned to wait until the Chen family was destroyed, then take advantage of the opportunity to bring out Chen Ying'er and make her a servant girl in the mansion. At that time, she would have no one to rely on, and you could do whatever you wanted with her, even without giving her a name... But unexpectedly, that afternoon, the Xiao lady from the Chen family entered the government inn alone and stayed inside with Cao Yi for more than two hours before coming out. After he came out, the Chen family's crisis was already resolved, and even I don't know how that little brat surnamed Xiao managed to persuade Cao Yi to spare the Chen family..."

  "How could this young man have such skills?" Huang Weishan exclaimed in surprise.

  "It was a great show, sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, I was about to reap the benefits, but that little guy dissolved it into thin air, what a pity...". Huang Ruidi sighed, with an increasingly sinister look in his eyes.

  "Dad, it can't end like this!"

  "You understand! Cao Yi wanted to take down the Chen family, it was all just a show for me, he wants to establish his authority! Hmph, I don't know why he gave up, I heard that Miss Xiao is now working as the manager of Zui Xian Lou, arranged by Chen Si Liu. You'd better behave yourself lately, neither Cao Yi nor young Master Xiao are easy to deal with, don't get me into trouble, did you hear?"

  Huang Weishan anxiously said, "Father! Cao Yi has the Prince of Yan as his backing, and we are being heavily suppressed by him. Won't we be unable to hold our heads up for the rest of our lives? I am not willing!"

  Huang Rui De glared at him: "What's the hurry! Hmph! With Prince Yan as a backer, what can be done? Can't I find a backer myself?"

  "Dad, what do you mean by this?"

  Huang Rui De's eyes flashed with a hint of pride: "Have you ever heard of Xu Guan?"

  "Xu Guan? Who is that?"

  Huang Rui De stroked his beard and said slowly: "Xu Guan, originally surnamed Huang, shared the same surname as me. His father, Huang Gu, married into the Xu family of Gouzichang, Shangqing Creek, and changed his surname to Xu. Later, Xu Guan took part in the imperial examination from the 23rd to the 24th year of Hongwu and successively passed the first three ranks, becoming the first person in our dynasty to achieve this feat. People at that time praised him saying: 'Three Yuans are rare in the world, six Firsts are unheard of.' After Xu Guan became a Jinshi and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy by the Emperor, he was promoted to be the Right Vice Minister of Rites this year, a second-rank official position. The Emperor also allowed him to restore his original surname, so now he is called Huang Guan..."

  Huang Weishan suddenly realized: "So father was talking about Huang Liushou, he is a famous talented scholar in the world..."

  "Haha, Huang Liu's political views are in line with mine. As far as I know, he has repeatedly submitted memorials to the throne, strongly arguing against the abuses of the feudal princes. Among them, the Princes of Yan and Ning are the most powerful, and Huang Guan is deeply wary of these two princes who have large armies. This year, his promotion to Right Vice Minister of Rites is a great opportunity for me! Haha... Cao Yi may have the Prince of Yan as his backer, but the Prince of Yan is far away in Beiping, unable to exert influence over the imperial court's politics. On the other hand, Huang Shilang is based in the capital, accompanying the emperor every day. Who do you think has more influence?"

  "But... Father, he is a second-grade official of the imperial court, while you are just a seventh-grade county magistrate. The difference is huge, will Huang Shilang accept you?"

  "Haha, no matter, you forgot that Huang Liu was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the 24th year of Hongwu, and I, too, was a second-class scholar in the same year. We have a bond as fellow graduates, which is most precious in official circles. He will not refuse me at his door. I have already sent someone to deliver my visiting card to the Huang residence in the capital, and tomorrow I will go to pay my respects to this chief scholar..."

  Huang Rui's eyes grew increasingly stern as he coldly sneered: "Within the borders of Jiangpu, it is still unclear whose territory this is..."

  Huang Weishan also let out a sigh of relief, his face filled with deep joy, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

  The manager of Drunken Immortal Pavilion? Hmph...