Wanjin Lady

Chapter 303 Conversation
Wen Wan had prepared a set of clothes in a hidden place in the rockery in advance. After changing behind the rockery, she dried her hair and tied it up, put on a curtain, and confirmed the dagger hidden in her arm before she went to the private room in a dignified manner.

They met two people on the road, and Wen Wan asked about the location of the private room. The waiter didn't suspect anything and just thought that Wen Wan was a diner of Tianxianlou, so he didn't take it seriously.

Wen Wan arrived at the private room first, then asked the waiter to serve tea. She sat for a while, and when she thought it was about time, she heard footsteps outside.

The corners of her lips curled up slightly.

The person she had a date with today... arrived.

Wen Wan opened the door, welcomed the person in, and gave the waiter a silver ingot. She smiled and said, "Brother Xiaoer, I have important matters to discuss with this young master. Do not come in without being summoned."

For a moment, Wen Wan and Yuan Qi were the only ones left in the room.

Seeing Wen Wan wearing a curtain covering her upper body and looking around with a very alert look, Yuan Qi couldn't help but say, "Don't worry, Shopkeeper Wen, I will arrive at Tianxian Tower alone a day in advance according to the requirements in your post. I confirmed when I came here that there is no one following me."

Yuan Qi was confused at first, but later he found that someone was always following him. This group of people followed him like ghosts that he couldn't get rid of. He vaguely felt that there might be a traitor around him.

"Better safe than sorry." The young lady's voice sounded cold. "I've been followed these past few days. Perhaps Widow Wang's lover hasn't given up on finding out the truth. This is the only way I can pass on the news to you. Where's the message I sent you? Is it still there?"

Yuan Qi was stunned. He never expected that Wen Wan was also followed by someone. He felt uneasy for a moment, "It's on me."

"Burn it. Don't let anyone find it, or it'll cause trouble."

Yuan Qi hesitated for a moment, "How did Shopkeeper Wen know there was a traitor around me?"

The young lady behind the curtain laughed coldly, "Of course... I sent people to investigate you, to see where you hid Wen Jing. Since Master Yuan Wu is trying to rob you by trickery, I can only struggle desperately. Coincidentally, I've seen someone following you more than once."

Yuan Qi was shocked. "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! If that's the case, why did you tell me?"

"I don't care how others deal with you, Yuan Qi, but today's matter is of great importance. The only guarantee I need is... that I hand over the recipe to you, and you hand Wen Jing over to me safely. As for your personal grudges, Yuan Qi, I am not interested."

Without hesitation, under Wen Wan's gaze, he threw the post into the lamp and burned it to ashes.

"Very good. Let's talk business." Wen Wan pushed the teacup in front of Yuan Qi, her voice slightly cold, "Where is my sister?"

Yuan Qi looked at Wen Wan, who was completely hidden by the curtain, and sighed softly, "Shopkeeper Wen, between you and me... there's actually no need for this."

Wen Wan sneered and said nothing.

Yuan Qi slowly picked up the teacup, clearly sensing the other woman's silent, suppressed anger. Women, they always couldn't think calmly. Only by grasping this young woman's vital point could he make her listen to him quietly.

Wen Wan watched him slowly finish his cup of tea, and then she heard him say, "I believe that with Shopkeeper Wen's intelligence, it shouldn't be difficult for him to see... this whole thing was a series of mistakes, and I was just going with the flow."

"I never meant to put your father in jail."

"I only asked Widow Wang to steal the recipe, but I never imagined... that she would fall ill and die soon. I also never imagined... that Widow Wang would choose to commit suicide, and that Old Master Wen would be imprisoned and even sentenced to death."

"Come to think of it, I'm also a victim."

"Widow Wang also deceived me. Ultimately, Widow Wang is the culprit."

"If I say now that everything was a coincidence, will Shopkeeper Wen believe me?"

The woman behind the curtain spoke in a cold voice, "No matter what, you stole the Wen family's recipe first, and then caused my father to suffer imprisonment for no reason. This grudge cannot be erased by a simple 'accident.'"

"Master Yuan Wu, now that you've done it, there's no need to pretend to be a good person." The young lady's voice was tinged with laughter, but her tone was venomous. "It makes people feel... disgusting."

Yuan Qi was stunned and gently placed the teacup in his hand on the table.

He wasn't a fool like Yuan Jing who could be easily swayed by a few words. He had already anticipated that yielding today might not bring him any good, but the person standing behind Wen Wan was someone Yuan Qi had to consider. Marquis of Huai'an, Wei Zheng, was a formidable figure.

Last year, he slaughtered thousands of people along the Bingzhou coast, leaving them in a state of panic. It's said that the impeachment memorials against Wei Zheng are piled high on the imperial case, but no verdict has yet been issued by Your Majesty.

How could he, an ordinary merchant, fight against Wei Zheng?
I had never known that Mr. Yao valued Wen Wan so much, nor that Wei Zheng valued this junior sister. Now that I know, it might not be too late to show my goodwill.

After all, Wen Wan is just a leech attached to the powerful.

Yuan Qi was not afraid of the dog, but the owner behind it.

Therefore, it is not shameful to be humble today.

"Shopkeeper Wen, there are indeed some disagreements between you and me."

"But you're right. I never like to bring up old things."

"Although the whole thing was indeed a mistake, I still have an unshirkable responsibility. Therefore, I have been looking for opportunities to make amends to Shopkeeper Wen."

Seeing that Wen Wan didn't react, Yuan Qi thought that his words had touched Wen Wan.

After all, we are businessmen and we should stick to business.

Even if Mr. Wen suffered some grievances, if he could get something valuable in return, the two families might be able to reconcile.

There was a glimmer of determination in Yuan Qi's eyes, and his voice became more and more persuasive.

"The second young lady of the Wen family, I have already let her go. She should be home by now."

Wenwan narrowed her eyes.

Yuan Qi noticed the change in the man's mood behind the curtain, and a happy smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Wen. She eats and drinks well here, and not a single hair has fallen from her head."

The young lady under the curtain was obviously breathing a little faster.

"I, Yuan Qi, won't take this recipe for Ruiguo Puree for nothing. Let's sign a contract. I'll take you to Kyoto to find a suitable winery to produce it. Once it's on the imperial wine list, your Wen family can hang up the signboard of the imperial wine merchant just like the Cheng family."

"This Royal Merchant brand...how much is it worth? Shopkeeper Wen probably knows better than I do."

The man's voice gradually approached, his eyes filled with the confidence of a mastermind, "My sincerity... is this clear to Shopkeeper Wen?"

"Besides, Mr. Wen will be acquitted soon. He only suffered some physical pain, but in the end, the whole thing will benefit you, Miss Wen, and the Wen family."

"It's better for the two families to reconcile than to fight each other to the point of bloodshed. I believe that Shopkeeper Wen understands this principle."

The woman behind the curtain was silent for a while, as if weighing the pros and cons.

Yuan Qi played with the teacup calmly, like a seasoned hunter patiently waiting for his prey to jump into his trap.

The conditions he proposed...Wen Wan had no reason to refuse.

Since the matter has been settled, if Wen Wan is a sensible person, she will definitely choose to cooperate with him.

really.

"Are you really willing to give the Imperial Tribute signboard to our Wen family?"