Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 148 Getting along
Xie Yuyan entered the courtyard and heard a quarrel.

"It's impossible to build it that tall; it would explode if not heated properly."

"So here, we should make it into the shape of a waist drum. In my opinion, that should work. We can give it a try."

"You just talk about trying it out, but what if something goes wrong? Are you going to take responsibility?"

"You made a mistake before, so you're afraid to try again now? If you use tiny furnaces, how much molten iron can you produce each day?"

"That's still better than it exploding halfway through the fire."

"Come on, tell me your reasoning. If you don't explain it clearly today, don't even think about leaving this room."

The blacksmith's voice was hoarse, clearly indicating that they had been arguing for a long time.

"Madam, our husband is over there."

Sang Dian led Xie Yuyan into a small hut next door. It was originally a hut where villagers stored straw and firewood, but it had been repaired and was temporarily used as a place for the Salt and Iron Bureau to handle official business.

The curtain was lifted.

Xie Yuyan immediately saw Wang Yan sitting inside.

On the small desk in front of him, there were piles of official documents, so much so that his arm was restricted when he wrote, and there was only a small window for light to pass through.

She looked somewhat aggrieved.

Xie Yuyan walked straight in, sat on a stool next to him, and reached his hand close to the small clay stove to warm himself.

Sang Dian served the hot tea and then left. At the door, he glanced back inside. To be honest, he had never seen anyone so casual with their young master.

Of course, this excludes Mr. He.

His son and He's son grew up together, so their relationship was always different.

Xie Yuyan's shoes were covered in snow and were a little wet as she walked. She simply moved her feet forward so that the fire could dry the soles of her shoes.

Wang Yan raised his eyes and saw Xie Yuyan's relaxed expression, seemingly even more at ease than himself. Only someone who has seen great heights could remain so composed at all times.

"Did you see clearly, sir?"

A clear voice rang out, and Xie Yuyan raised her head to meet Wang Yan's gaze. He had been looking at her for a long time, but she had not turned to meet his eyes, secretly trying to figure him out.

"Never."

A faint voice responded.

Xie Yuyan frowned slightly.

Wang Yan used the word "never," which sounded as if they had known each other before.

Xie Yuyan was certain that the young and spirited Wang Yan before her was not the cunning and calculating prime minister she knew from her previous life; their gazes were completely different.

The Wang Yan before him lacked the calm composure of an ancient well. In Wang Huai's words, the prime minister of that time had long seen through everything, and nothing could move him. Even when someone in the clan begged him to pave the way for their sons and give the Wang clan another boost, he refused.

Based on this reasoning, it's unlikely that Wang Yan came from a later era like her. Experiences always leave traces, and she would be able to tell if he showed any suspicious signs.

Moreover, even if Wang Yan from her past life were right in front of her, he wouldn't recognize her. She had only met him a few times, and they hadn't exchanged many words. Now that she had a different identity, Wang Yan would never guess who she was.

So... where did Wang Yan's meaningful gaze and probing words come from? Xie Yuyan couldn't figure it out.

She wouldn't ask.

Because this was an unsolvable problem, she wouldn't reveal her origins, so there was no way to find out the truth.

Unless, of the two of them, one of them sees the whole picture first.

“Then please take your time reading, sir,” Xie Yuyan said, “but… don’t read for too long, lest you be criticized for being impolite.”

She was reminding him that as a member of the Wang family, how could he stare at a widow like that?
Wang Yan said calmly, "If my wife cared about these things, she wouldn't have come into the house alone."

She was no ordinary woman to begin with, yet she tried to use these things to restrain him; it simply wouldn't work.

As if she had thought of something, her lips slightly curved upwards, just as she had thought of Wang Yan. Her past experiences had left many indelible marks on her.

Xie Yuyan nodded: "What you say is right, but in my case, it has always been... what I can do, others cannot do."

Wang Yan's straight lips curved slightly, and his eyes were clear: "I remember when my wife first came, she also relied on He Tan and me for protection."

Xie Yuyan said, "It's the same now." But back then it was borrowing, now it's exchanging. Since we have something in our hands, there's no need to show weakness.

Wang Yan stood up, walked around the table, and approached Xie Yuyan.

The tall figure gradually leaned towards her, but she remained motionless.

He crouched down and stretched out his hand.

His long, slender fingers were very close to her, as if he would grasp her foot at any moment.

She still didn't move.

He eventually moved the clay stove on the ground.

"If you bake it for too long, you'll get burned without even realizing it."

He released her hand, and her feet naturally slipped back under her skirt.

No one was surprised, and no one backed down.

They were all equally calm and composed.

Their eyes met, and a light flashed in each other's gaze that no one else could understand. The light, so intense, seemed to deepen the mystery in each other's eyes.

She seemed certain that he would never rashly reach out.

He also knew that she would never back down.

They understand each other inexplicably, and as long as they don't say it out loud, the other person will never guess why.

"Let's go ask the adults who drew the design and whether it's possible to build the iron smelting furnace three zhang high."

The two craftsmen finally argued in front of Wang Yan's door.

Sang Dian stopped the two of them at the door.

"grown ups……"

The two were clearly eager for a response.

Wang Yan answered without hesitation: "I drew the design."

At this point, Wang Yan looked at Xie Yuyan and said, "I want three zhang (approximately 10 meters)."

"Three zhang" was the number she used.

Wang Yan said, "This has never happened before, but it will happen in the future."

His expression seemed to be asking her a question, or perhaps reiterating the result with certainty.

"You just need to do the calculations, and someone will come to help you in a few days."

Upon hearing this, the two craftsmen had no choice but to back down and agree.

After the craftsmen left, Wang Yan looked at Xie Yuyan and said, "With the blast furnace, we can produce more armor and weapons. This is a great achievement, and the government should commend you for your service."

Xie Yuyan said calmly, "I am but a merchant, it would be a pity if the credit fell on me."

Wang Yan asked, "What does my wife think we should do?"

Xie Yuyan looked at the official documents on Wang Yan's desk: "One step more."

Wang Yan listened to the rest of her story.

Xie Yuyan continued, "It's better to mend the fence after the sheep are lost than to have peace in the world. If nothing goes wrong, there will be no need for major repairs, and some people will not be held accountable."

"Since you have such a good knife, why not kill more people?"

If someone gives her a good knife, she will definitely find several necks to cut.

When Wang Yan asked her, this was her answer.

Wang Yan walked back to the table, put the letter into an envelope, and handed it to Sang Dian at the door: "Take it home and tell him it was my idea."

Sang Dian looked into the room. He had never wanted to enter his husband's study before, as his husband was always frightening when he did things. Now... with Madam Xie around, it was even more terrifying.

(End of this chapter)