Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 191 Be confident
Shentu Ji breathed a sigh of relief, poured himself two cups of tea, and quietly comforted her, "Sister-in-law is so confident, it seems that she and my second brother have nothing to hide. Mother, please rest assured."

Since they were at the prefect's residence, Tan Anfu's last few words, which she had deliberately made a scene for, had already attracted the attention of the guests not far away. Although it wasn't obvious on their faces, there were probably several pairs of ears listening to the commotion behind the screen. Seeing her innocent appearance, the old lady didn't say much, but just shook her head and sighed.

Tan Huaike said, "I am grateful to Aunt Jun for her understanding of righteousness," but he didn't say, "Aunt Jun, do not listen to the slander of others." What righteousness does she understand? Doesn't she just tacitly agree to her secret dealings with Shen Tu Zhuo? She was thanking him for not making trouble on the spot, for not going along with Tan Anfu's instigation to undermine her, Madam Shen Tu, and even for sending someone to remind her to be careful.

Her premeditated actions demonstrate that her affair with Shentu Zhuo had been going on for a long time, and she felt completely emboldened. Even if someone insisted on exposing the confrontation, she remained utterly unafraid.

The old lady closed her eyes to rest, wondering to herself what sins she had committed.

How did the marriage originally chosen for Heng'er end up with Zhuo'er by some twist of fate? And since Zhuo'er returned from her official post, she's clearly become even more attentive to her widowed sister-in-law. At that time, Zhuo'er had just experienced the pain of losing her son and vented all her resentment on this marriage, ultimately harming an innocent girl who had been forced into a substitute marriage. Is this heaven's retribution for her?
While the old lady was feeling distressed, Tan Anfu began to put on an act, taking advantage of the opportunity to admire the flowers to pretend that she didn't know what to do and started chatting with the other female merchants.

Seeing her anxious expression and the way she kept glancing towards the tea room and the merchant guild, onlookers asked, "What's wrong, Lady Fu? She seems to be preoccupied."

In the early days when the Tan family was prosperous, these women were considered her close friends. Although they knew she was married, they didn't really know much about her husband's family and still habitually called her "Lady Fu".

Tan Anfu was quite pleased and naturally picked up the conversation, feigning concern as she said, "Alas, perhaps I've done something wrong."

Then she recounted how she found the jade pendant with the shimmering beads that Lord Shentu had strung together, and how she returned it to Old Madam Shentu. The young ladies were uninterested, wondering what she had done wrong. Then Tan Anfu changed her tone, saying that she had spoken out of turn, mentioning to the old lady that she had seen a similarly bright shimmering beaded bracelet in her sister's courtyard. Somehow, this had angered the old lady, who had told her not to speak nonsense.

She pretended not to understand, but those young ladies were all shrewd and adept at reading between the lines. In an instant, they thought of the uncle and sister-in-law in the Shentu family and all sorts of rumors. In the past, these were all just rumors, but now they had presented them with solid evidence.

Ordinary people gossip, at most indulging in idle chatter about other people's secrets, without actually verifying them or embarrassing others in public. However, recently, Tan Huai Ke has been handling many affairs of the Guangli Chamber of Commerce in Hexi. In order to secure operating rights on the new trade route, she has openly and secretly affected the interests of many other merchants. Some people have long harbored resentment towards her and were just looking for a pretext to bring her down. Now, they have seized the opportunity that came knocking on their door.

Because of Tan Huai Ke's intervention, the Bi family's trading company lost its largest source of jewelry from the Western Regions. They had several disagreements with the Guangli Chamber of Commerce recently, a fact well-known throughout Zhangye County. Tan An Fu's words were actually addressed to the eldest daughter-in-law of the Bi family.

As she expected, Madam Bi relayed the matter to her husband.

Boss Bi glanced at Tan Huaike, who was thriving in the Chamber of Commerce, and sneered: "If she were to be a quiet widow, who would care about her family's shameful affairs? But she's got ambitions that are higher than the sky, and she even wants to steal my business. Ha, then don't blame me for making her ashamed to stay in Hexi..."
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At noon, the grand banquet began.

A thousand potted exotic flowers swayed and exuded fragrance in the courtyard, while the music of the Yuefu (a type of traditional Chinese music) lingered endlessly. Today, the prefectural governor's mansion seemed to foreshadow the future prosperity of Hexi. The sound of the bronze chime rang out, and the clamor of the courtyard suddenly subsided, leaving only the soft sounds of jade ornaments tapping and robes rustling on the high platform.

The King of Qin, clad in black robes and embroidered with gold, stood atop the jade steps. The rhinoceros horn wine cup in his hand reflected the sunlight, as if he were holding the blazing sun beyond Yangguan Pass. His gaze swept over the guests seated before the table, taking in the brocade robes symbolizing wealth and power, the obsequious faces of the aristocratic families, and the gleaming eyes of the merchants—all were captured in his smiling gaze.

"Gentlemen," Zhou Wenzong's clear voice broke through the superficiality, "the chilling winds of Yangguan still echo in our ears, yet a new trade route to the west is already within reach—this banquet is my way of thanking you all! I thank you all for prioritizing the greater good even amidst the changing trade routes." He tilted the wine cup slightly to the west, offering a toast towards the seats of the aristocratic families, "Thanks to the strong support of the aristocratic families, new post stations have been established inside and outside Yangguan, and beacon towers have been built." He then turned to the area where merchants gathered, "With the smooth flow of merchants, camel bells have never ceased, and goods are flowing like rivers."

"I have been robbed by bandits in Zhangye, and I have also received kindness here." He couldn't help but look at Tan Huai Ke, who was hidden among the flowers in the distance, and his expression softened. "After this wine is drunk, may the Hexi commercial network be as valuable as the Qianjin Canal of Zhangye. I will work with you all to build a new road and drink from the living water of imperial merchants!"

The entire hall erupted in a resounding response, and a hundred cups were raised in unison as people drank and made merry with the King of Qin.

Then the music and dances resumed, making the atmosphere of the banquet even more lively. After several rounds of drinks, seeing that the King of Qin was in high spirits, everyone relaxed and moved between the various tables, drinking heartily.

Just then, a riot broke out in a corner.

With an angry rebuke, the red-faced boss was pushed to the ground, crashing heavily onto a guest's table, scattering dishes and wine all over the floor, attracting the attention of the King of Qin.

Zhou Wenzong asked, "What happened?"

Boss Bi, feigning drunkenness, pointed at the person who had pushed him and said, "Why is Lord Shen Tu angry? Love between men and women is a natural thing, what's wrong with that? I bet your unfortunate brother wouldn't mind, would he?"

Shen Tu Zhuo roared, "Say one more word and I'll tear your mouth apart!"

As he was saying this, he was about to kick the boss when he was stopped by someone standing nearby.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Wenzong frowned and slammed his hand on the table: "What exactly happened?"

Upon hearing the King of Qin's question, Boss Bi seemed to realize the occasion only then, waving his hands and slurring, "Hiccup, Your Highness, it's just some country gossip and widow's scandalous affair. It's all my fault for speaking carelessly while drunk..."

"What widow's scandal? I'll tell you to shut up..." Shen Tu Zhuo, unaware of the situation, subconsciously looked at Tan Huai Ke, only to see her nod slightly and gesture for him to calm down. Shen Tu Zhuo suddenly understood and changed the subject, "Stop pretending to be drunk! What kind of skill is it to ruin someone's reputation behind their back? If you have the guts, tell His Highness the Prince of Qin how you slandered my sister-in-law!"

"Hmph, go ahead and say it! You dare to do such shameless things, what don't I have to say!" Boss Bi shoved Shen Tu Zhuo in front of him, pointed at him, and then swayed and spun around to point at Tan Huai Ke diagonally in front of him, "You two, uncle and sister-in-law, haven't you been having an affair for a long time?"

"The two of them... were having an affair?" Zhou Wencong had thought it was something serious, but upon hearing this, he didn't seem to care much. He first gave Shentu Zhuo a meaningful look, then looked in Tan Huai Ke's direction to confirm, before pointing it out with interest, "You mean Lord Shentu and his widowed sister-in-law?"
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Next chapter: Gossip abounds at the widow's door.