Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 543 Resentment
Xie Yizhi frowned in thought, and the atmosphere in the room became even more somber.

Although Cui Deng, the advisor standing next to him, had not read the letter, he roughly knew what it said: the porcelain trade was changing hands, which was a major event in the city recently, and even the storytellers in the teahouses would mention it.

Surprisingly, Madam Xie had an exceptionally good reputation in the neighborhood. For a widow from a merchant family to achieve this was truly admirable.

However, Cui Deng couldn't tell his master any of this. He stepped forward and whispered, "This is just the beginning. The Xie family has only just taken the initiative. It's hard to say what will happen next."

"With just words, you can temporarily appease those merchants."

Merchants are all driven by profit; if they can't make money, who will support her as an old hand in the trade?
Xie Yizhi took a deep breath. If the Xie family had launched an attack on him as soon as they returned to Bianjing, although it would have caught him off guard, he could have resolved the situation quickly.

After all, he had arranged everything meticulously, and no one around Xie Wenjing would tell the truth. Who could believe the words of a woman of unknown origin?
As the Xie family's influence deepens, it becomes increasingly difficult to uproot them, especially since Wang Yan is also behind them.

"No news from the Wang family?" Xie Yizhi asked.

Cui Deng responded in a low voice: "Not yet..."

The emperor ordered the imperial physicians to visit Wang Bingchen, who was "sick," and bestowed upon him a great deal of medicinal herbs, indicating that Wang Bingchen would soon be able to return to the Secretariat.

Wang Bingchen was implicated because of his son, and the Emperor was also eager to bring Wang Bingchen back because of this, especially since Wang Yan had made great contributions this time.

Even officials wouldn't want to bear the reputation of using a son to suppress his father.

Xie Yizhi then thought of her own eldest son, who spent his days in a daze, behaving like a spoiled brat, not even remotely comparable to Wang Yan.

However... does Lord Wang really not care that his son's future has been ruined by a woman?
"Wang Yan's promotion document has been drafted by the State Affairs Hall," Xie Yizhi said. "It has been sent to the Secretariat for review and will be stamped in the next two days."

Cui Deng didn't want to ask what official position Wang Yan held, as the master's displeasure was clearly related to this. However, he couldn't avoid the question now: "I wonder where His Majesty has placed him?"

Xie Yizhi said: "Chaoqing Lang, Zhi Jinzou Yuan Shi, Shi Yushi Zhi Zashi, Hanlin Xueshi, Zhi Longtu Ge, bestowed with a silver fish bag."

Cui Deng couldn't help but say, "This is three appointments and one supplementary post. He not only has to control the central government's responsibilities and has the power of impeachment, but also has the supplementary post of Longtu Pavilion in order to maintain his reputation in the court. In the future, local reports will be sent to him first, and he can also draft edicts on the side when the emperor makes decisions. He is truly a close minister with special favor."

"Aren't you afraid of being accused of father and son seizing power?"

“That’s Wang Yan’s cleverness,” Xie Yizhi said. “This case has earned him the Emperor’s utmost trust.”

"Although Prime Minister Wang suffered a setback this time, he gained the position of the eldest son, which is also..." Cui Deng stopped here, having already seen Xie Yizhi's face grow increasingly gloomy.

His master was on par with Master Wang, the difference being that the Xie family did not have a descendant who could rival Wang Yan.

Xie Yizhi said, "And then there's Wang Bingcheng, who's been constantly targeting that father and son, using all sorts of underhanded tactics. Wang Yan's rise to this position is also due to Wang Bingcheng's constant promotion of him with the title of 'Wen Kui' (top scholar in the imperial examinations)." He did have two good younger brothers, but both were estranged from him. His third brother was in poor health and died young, and his second brother…

Thinking of her second brother, Xie Yizhi gritted her teeth in hatred. Her second brother had been dead for so many years, yet his spirit still lingered. If she had known this day would come, she should have stopped her mother from taking that wicked child to the village, or found an opportunity to get rid of that wicked child, and then there would be no trouble now.

Xie Yizhi said, "Keep an eye on the porcelain business." As long as he finds an opportunity, the Xie family's good days will be over.

……

Inside the Ministry of Justice, Wang Yan also heard the news from the Secretariat, but what truly delighted him, more than these official positions, was the food box sent by Lady Xie.

Lord Wang hid in the room, closed the door, and ate all the food in the food box himself.

Sang Dian, standing at the door, sniffed, unable to smell even a hint of fragrance.

Her husband is so stingy; no one else can get a single thing from anything his wife sends.

To avoid being disturbed, before leaving the second hall, he left Lord Xu with a large pile of case files and documents.

It must have been tough on Lord Xu.

Sang Dian watched as Xu Huaiyi grew thinner and thinner, staying up with her husband every day until her eyes were red. Her husband could sneak off to his wife's place to rest, but Xu Huaiyi could only keep working.

From Lord Xu, Sang Dian learned a lesson... He had to get married early, otherwise he wouldn't have an excuse to be lazy.

Wang Yan returned to the second hall.

Xu Huaiyi had just put down his pen. He glanced at the oil lamp on the table. It was almost time to finish today... He looked up to speak, but met Wang Yan's gaze.

Xu Huaiyi was surprised to find that in just a short while, Lord Wang had regained his spirits.

“Tonight, we’ll interrogate the Li family,” Wang Yan said. “Everyone, please work hard so we can close the case sooner.”

The people in the room immediately looked as if they had been hit by frost, but dared not refute and could only respond.

Xu Huaiyi frowned, feeling that this task had come very suddenly. But then he thought that the prisoner had traveled a long way and was exhausted, which was indeed the best time for interrogation. Lord Wang was doing his duty, so he had no choice but to pull himself together.

As Xu Huaiyi thought of this, his stomach rumbled a few times. He immediately looked at the servant beside him and said, "Go and fetch some food, just some flatbread and soup."

“I forgot… everyone hasn’t eaten yet, so let the kitchen prepare some hot food,” Wang Yan said, picking up the dossier with his head down. “I received a food box from home, so you don’t need to count my share.”

It was an extremely ordinary order, but for some reason, Xu Huaiyi felt that Lord Wang's words carried a hint of arrogance.

……

Chen Yixiu and Li Shi felt physically and mentally exhausted these past few days. They had tried their best to keep seven or eight merchants with them. The rest either secretly signed new contracts with the Xie family or openly explained the benefits of the new contracts.

Standing at the city gate, Chen Yixiu watched the departing carriages and horses, his face full of disappointment. Yet another merchant had been deceived by the Xie family and left with the porcelain.

Li Shi said in a low voice, "More people will come to Bianjing one after another. We can persuade them separately then. More and more people will gather. Besides, tomorrow is the ten-day deadline. If the Xie family can't produce the porcelain, we'll have an excuse to make a scene at the porcelain shop."

“They won’t listen to me, otherwise…” Chen Yixiu said, “we will definitely win this round.” He had already found out that Xie Yuyan’s men were collecting porcelain everywhere in order to deal with the current situation.

Porcelain was so expensive that Xie Yuyan had to cover the cost with his own money. So, if there were enough merchants demanding porcelain, Xie Yuyan would not be able to keep going.

But those people were all terrified.