Chapter 320: The Air of a Wise Ruler
The two people followed for a while, but they were startled by Duanmu Hui and didn’t dare to continue. They went back to report to Li Qun.
Li Qun wasn’t surprised and nodded. “Since they are prepared, then let’s wait for a few more days. There’s no rush. If they move back, we’ll find another opportunity!”
Li Daniu, after receiving his news, kept clamoring to see him. It was becoming quite annoying. “Didn’t I have anything better to do? The matters at hand are already progressing slowly, three steps forward and two steps back.”
“And she’s just adding to the chaos!”
“If it weren’t for the hope that her son could control the Qi family and be useful to me, I really would…”
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The next day, Wen Yu wanted to see how they were settling in, but unexpectedly, a large group of people followed her.
Zhu Zhu wanted to come, so Hu Fei naturally followed. Then Magistrate Wen said that he would come after finishing his court session and official duties.
The Chen sisters, Mu Ling, and Zhang Jinqing also wanted to see Master Qing’s nephew.
Zhang Jiangqing came because Wen Yu had something to discuss with him.
The three Wen sisters had been asking their elder brother to deliver things to the shop recently. Hearing that they were going to the imperial villa, they encouraged their brother to wait and go together later.
Song Shang was considered Yi Bai’s savior, but the two had never met. This time, they would come together to meet.
The previous night, Duanmu habitually went to Yi Bai’s courtyard, but the person was already gone. Feeling a sense of emptiness, he decided to go to the villa as well. The Crown Prince’s villa was cold and desolate; he must be uncomfortable. It would be best to persuade him to move back…
Thus, the usually quiet villa suddenly became lively.
Their visit wasn’t in vain. The carriages were loaded with food and drinks, and the steward was busy attending to everyone.
Seeing Song Shang, Yi Bai’s heart was filled with emotion. If it weren’t for this person, he would probably have died of old age in that filthy place…
So, he bowed deeply to Song Shang.
Even though Yi Bai’s legs and feet were inconvenient, Song Shang saw that his elegant demeanor was rare in the world.
He quickly helped him up and said with a smile, “There’s a saying, ‘East Hu, West Bai.’ I never thought that I, Song, would have the opportunity to witness your reunion! It’s truly a fortunate event!”
Hu Fei and Yi Bai exchanged greetings. They felt a sense of mutual appreciation and sat together, chatting for a long time. They even made plans to play a game of Go when they had time. Duanmu excitedly declared that his Go skills were superb and that he wanted to join in as well…
Yi Bai’s mood instantly soured.
Zhu Zhu pulled Lan Zhou aside and asked if he was used to living there, how the food was, and if he was cold.
It was evident that Lan Zhou was very satisfied with the place.
Yi Bai was even more satisfied. He completely ignored Duanmu’s attempts to persuade him to move back. The garden was beautiful and peaceful, Lan Zhou was well-behaved, and Yi Bai could take care of him when he was in the mood, or ignore him when he wasn’t. He had already planned out his daily routine and was feeling very content…
Wen Yu was whispering to Zhang Jiangqing. Qi Wu, feeling uneasy, sat between the two, slightly closer to his wife. He didn’t interrupt, just looked back and forth between his wife and Jiangqing…
Wen Yu said, “I didn’t intend to use this matter to do anything to him. The current situation is good enough. Someone is openly keeping an eye on him, so at least he won’t harm other women in the short term. Mu Bo and the others will need two or three months even if their mission goes smoothly. Let’s investigate what we can on our end and wait for their return.”
“I’ve already made arrangements to go to the countryside to check the records the day after tomorrow.”
“Good. Don’t forget to take that box later. It contains some gold and silver fragments and small denomination silver notes. No matter what you do, you’ll need money. Your brothers are coming with you, and you’ll need money for renting donkeys and horses, lodging, meals, and bribes for anyone you need help from.”
Jiangqing smiled helplessly. “You really don’t need to worry about this.”
Qi Wu interjected, “Jiangqing, just listen to Ah Yu. Don’t be polite. Everything should be for the convenience of the task. Money is not a problem for us.”
Wen Yu looked at Qi Wu with her beautiful eyes, feeling that this man was truly… “Yes, Jiangqing Ge, my husband has quite a bit of private savings!”
Qi Wu’s ears turned red, and he fell silent again.
The eldest Wen brother, taking the girls with him, toured all the places they could. He shook his head and sighed, “As expected of an imperial villa, it’s truly impressive! There’s not a single place that isn’t exquisite!”
The Crown Prince had received the news yesterday and had already moved in.
He had originally only intended to have the carriage circle around to see how the arrangements were.
As a result, he saw a group of people raising their glasses and making merry! Especially Duanmu with his loud voice, he could hear him from a distance, “Come on, fill it up! Song Shang! Why didn’t I see you drink that last cup?”
“Magistrate Wen can testify, I drank it!”
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Magistrate Wen’s voice, “I’m the fairest person… He drank it, just like this…”
“Father! You can’t raise your glass to everyone who drinks!” This was that girl named Zhu Zhu!
Then, there was a chorus of giggling from the women!
The Crown Prince couldn’t believe his eyes. Weren’t they seeking refuge in his villa? This was like they came to enjoy themselves…
What was going on?
When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king? A cuckoo occupying a magpie’s nest?
The Crown Prince coughed several times, but no one paid him any attention. Finally, the steward noticed him. “Oh my! Your Highness is here! Everyone, everyone, our Crown Prince has arrived!”
The laughter and chatter stopped.
Everyone stood up… Especially the women present, most of whom had never met him before. They were curious and apprehensive.
The Crown Prince felt it was a bit awkward that everyone stopped laughing when he arrived. “Continue eating and drinking, just add a wine cup for me!”
Qi Wu stepped forward and introduced everyone to him.
Seeing Yi Bai, the Crown Prince was also slightly stunned. He marveled at how diverse the world was, with all sorts of people!
He felt great sitting between Hu Fei and Yi Bai! The three of them drank and chatted.
Of course, as the Crown Prince, his perspective was lofty. He mentioned the former Bai family, “They were too closed off and idle. They clearly possessed skills that could benefit the people, but they didn’t put effort into developing them or effectively spreading them. In the end, it led to the destruction of generations of wisdom and hard work.”
“This is not only a loss for the Bai family but also a loss for the entire world.”
Yi Bai never imagined that one day he would sit beside such a noble person and hear these sincere and wise words!
He was immediately moved, his emotions surged, and his eyes reddened.
He said that once his aunt recovered, he would return to their hometown. He had heard his aunt mention that there were other places where their family’s heritage was stored. However, his aunt was young at the time and couldn’t remember the details.
He and his aunt would go back to investigate, and there might be a chance they could find something. If they did, he would dedicate it all to the court!
The Crown Prince was very pleased and said that Master Yi Bai understood the bigger picture and was considerate of the overall situation. “This Crown Prince will definitely select suitable people to thoroughly investigate the case from back then. If it was a miscarriage of justice, I will definitely clear the Bai family’s name!”
Yi Bai was so moved that he wanted to kowtow, but the Crown Prince stopped him. “There’s plenty of time! Today, we are friends!”
Yi Bai’s tears flowed freely. It was something he hadn’t experienced in many years.
The Crown Prince expressed his appreciation to Hu Fei, saying that the Hu family had achieved great things under his leadership. They had established schools to share knowledge and trained many skilled craftsmen, contributing significantly to the prosperity of the surrounding areas.
He would suggest to the Emperor that the Hu family be commended. Moreover, he had heard that Master Hu was already engaged, and he would personally go to congratulate him. Additionally, Madam Hu’s First Rank Decree would be issued by the Ministry of Rites immediately…
This struck a chord with Hu Fei, and he was also deeply moved. He felt respect and admiration for the Crown Prince.
Wen Yu listened from the side, drinking several cups of wine to suppress her discomfort. “This person is shameless, but he truly understands the way of a ruler.”
Without spending a single coin, he had won over both East Hu and West Bai!
Everyone thought he had the air of a wise ruler, but who would know that he was actually using his wife’s dowry!
“Shameless!”
She angrily drank another cup.
“Ah Yu, drink less!” With Zhang Jiangqing present, Qi Wu was keeping a close eye on Wen Yu.
Wen Yu looked at Qi Wu with displeasure. “Is this the person you follow?”
In the blink of an eye, she saw the Crown Prince whispering to Duanmu. After a while, he was whispering to Song Shang…
Finally, Magistrate Wen joined them, raising his glass and laughing from beginning to end.
The Chen sisters, the Wen sisters, Zhang Jinqing, and the like were completely captivated by the Crown Prince’s charm.
They whispered amongst themselves, “His Highness truly has the air of a wise ruler!”
After everyone left, Yi Bai sat by Master Qing’s bedside and told his aunt about it…
Back home, Qi Wu was filled with emotion. He hugged Wen Yu and said, “Ah Yu, you’re so capable! The legendary East Hu and West Bai were connected through you. Seeing them together today, so carefree and elegant, I was quite moved!”
Wen Yu leaned lazily in his arms. “Hmph, even if I’m capable, what does it matter? I’m afraid there’s someone behind the scenes, and we’re being used!”
