Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 503 Please Teach Me, Juro

What is Pei doing here?

After Li Xia entered the hall, he quickly glanced at the guests who had arrived and soon spotted Pei Zhen sitting at the head of the table. He immediately walked over to Pei Zhen's seat, waved away the Hu woman serving wine, and whispered an unfriendly question to Pei Zhen.

"If you can come, why can't I?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhen replied coldly that although they were partners in running the tea plantation, their temperaments and interests were vastly different, and their relationship was far from good. If Zhang Dai were present, he could barely keep them together, but without Zhang Dai, they simply loathed each other.

“The Prime Minister’s son can go anywhere, of course. But I never expected that I, who have always prided myself on being self-disciplined and courteous, would turn out to be nothing more than a greedy and treacherous person! How much money did the host of this place spend on you to make you condescend to come here and bolster his reputation?”

Li Xia then spoke in a low voice, his tone tinged with regret. Although he disliked Pei Zhen's behavior, he still held him in high regard. When he discovered that Pei Zhen had betrayed his principles for personal gain, he was naturally somewhat disappointed.

"What nonsense are you spouting? I was merely sent here by my family elders to socialize with relatives and friends. Why would I accept money or gifts from people for no reason!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhen glared at him and reprimanded him in a low voice.

He wasn't familiar with Wu Wenshen; he'd only met him a few times recently because the man had been frequently visiting his home. He'd only come to congratulate him on moving to his new house after being reprimanded by his stepmother, Wu Shi, with a barbed tongue.

However, once inside the hall, he began to regret his decision. He was unfamiliar with most of the guests, and the presence of numerous scantily clad women made the hall appear decadent amidst its opulence, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

It should be noted that although he lived in Pingkangfang, he had never been to a brothel until his early twenties. If it weren't for his unfortunate friendship with Zhang Dai, he probably would never have frequented such places. Although the Hu women in the hall were alluring and seductive, they did not tempt him, but rather made him somewhat irritated.

Pei Zhen was already in a bad mood, and then Li Xia came over and gave him a lecture, which naturally made him even more annoyed. He glared at Li Xia and said in a low voice, "What's wrong with you now? If this family is so unapproachable, what are you doing here!"

"Me? I'm here with ulterior motives, of course. Zhang Liu sent me here!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xia snorted, still scrutinizing Pei Zhen with a suspicious gaze, pondering whether the man's words were credible.

"Zhang Liu? What brings you here, Zhang Liu?"

Pei Zhen was naturally surprised to hear this and quickly asked another question.

Li Xia quickly raised his hand and gestured, then whispered, "Keep your voice down, don't reveal my purpose! You're considered a close friend by Zhang Liu, yet you don't even know these things! This Wu Wenshen is no good person; he was in the inner garden today..."

He quietly explained to Pei Zhen what he had learned from Zhang Dai, and then whispered, "Even if this scoundrel gives me a lavish gift, I cannot tolerate him being an enemy of my closest friends and relatives! I came here today to see what kind of treacherous plot Shi Liu and his group are plotting against Zhang Liu in secret!"

"Is there such a thing?"

After listening to Li Xia's account, Pei Zhen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Seeing the host of this house being so respectful to Li Linfu, I felt something was amiss. He may be new to the capital and inexperienced, but he is still Zhang Liu's maternal uncle. Zhang Liu is not an unknown person in the capital. The fact that he doesn't invite his nephew but instead treats a stranger with such respect is something to be said."

"You really didn't accept the gift? Wu Wenshen is incredibly generous; he just said he'd give me another gift after the banquet! You're the prime minister's son, how could he not be eager to befriend you?"

Li Xia, however, still looked at Pei Zhen with suspicion and said, "Even if you didn't accept it, your family must have! Even I, a complete stranger, have accepted a lot. He and your family are old relatives, and you are currently in a position of power, how could you not have accepted gifts! I warn you, if you do anything that betrays your good friends because of greed, I will never cover for you!"

“When I say I have not received, then I have not received! Even if I have received, am I not as good as Li Jiu?”

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhen was immediately embarrassed and annoyed, but he also had some doubts. He hadn't actually taken anything from Wu Wenshen, but the other man had brought a lot of goods with him on his recent visits, and he wasn't sure how much his stepmother, Madam Wu, had actually accepted.

After pausing for a moment, Pei Zhen said in a deep voice, "I was unaware of this matter before, which is why I came to offer my congratulations. But now that I know the inside story, I naturally know where I should stand! If you think I would betray Zhang Liu, then I will leave immediately..."

“Don’t go, stay here and help me spy on the enemy! I can’t be as thorough and meticulous as you in my investigations. You can keep an eye on the guests in the hall, I’ll just keep an eye on you!” Li Xia grabbed Pei Zhen again and whispered.

Pei Zhen was also somewhat amused and exasperated by this guy, but he rallied his spirits and began to observe the guests in the hall one by one.

He didn't particularly like Wu Wenshen's behavior to begin with, and he also wanted to take the opportunity of observing the situation for Zhang Dai to see what Wu Wenshen's intentions were. If the other party really wanted to stir up some personnel disputes, he could go home and remind his stepmother to try to distance herself from such a person and not get involved in some unnecessary disputes.

Soon it was completely dark, and with Wu Wenshen's warm welcome, all the guests took their seats in the hall. Wu Wenshen returned to his seat and thanked everyone repeatedly.

To initially build this circle of friends, he spent a considerable portion of his wealth accumulated over many years. Looking at the guests and considering their illustrious identities and the various forms of help they could provide him in the future, Wu Wenshen felt a great sense of accomplishment.

He warmly greeted every guest, and the Hu women gathered from various households in the West Market, upon learning of the distinguished status of these guests, did not require much prompting from him. They all used their utmost skills to flatter and serve them, hoping to gain the favor and patronage of these noblemen.

Li Xia, who was originally determined to investigate the enemy's situation for Zhang Dai, had long since buried himself in the warmth of the fragrant room under the seductive offensive of the Hu Ji beside him, and was too lazy to pay attention to the interactions between the people in the hall.

Pei Zhen, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, going through the motions while listening coldly to the conversation among the people in the hall.

However, there were no confidential matters to discuss at such gatherings. Wu Wenshen, besides praising everyone, boasted about his experiences of being stranded in the Hu tribe and returning to his country through his own efforts. Pei Zhen naturally didn't gain anything from this.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly jubilant. Some guests even couldn't contain themselves and dragged the wine-serving Hu women behind the screen to whip them.

Despite his long years of hardship, Wu Wenshen remained rational even after drinking heavily for a while. He suddenly remembered the instructions given to him by Consort Wu Hui today and thought that with so many guests in the hall, he might as well inquire about them first.

So he raised his wine cup again and said with a smile to the people in the hall, "This house in Liquanfang was purchased in a hurry. Although it is located in a bustling and prestigious neighborhood, it is still not entirely satisfactory. I have heard that there is still a considerable amount of vacant land in Pingkangfang in the East City that can be used to build a house and garden. I wonder if any of you have any suggestions for me?"

Before things have any clearer developments, he hasn't revealed that he was acting on behalf of Consort Hui, fearing that the landowner might raise the price upon hearing the news. Although he's generous, he's not stupid; others have no obligation to help him curry favor with Consort Hui. If he prematurely reveals his determination to obtain the land, it will only give others an opportunity to blackmail him.

However, when Wu Wenshen asked the question, he received no response. Instead, he saw that everyone was looking at him with strange eyes, as if he had just asked a very stupid question.

While the others in the hall might still have some reservations, Li Xia had already burst into unrestrained laughter: "It is very appropriate for Lord Wu to ask this question today, as the owner of that house in Pingkang Ward is a guest in the hall! Lord Wu, you are so hospitable to him and have made friends with him, so the owner will surely reciprocate and help you achieve your wish!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall burst into laughter, while Li Linfu, the one being teased, looked rather gloomy.

He glared at Li Xia fiercely, but he couldn't very well argue with a spoiled brat in court. Moreover, Prince Xin'an had returned to the country with great achievements and was riding high, so he dared not offend him openly. Therefore, he simply pushed the table aside, stood up, and stormed out.

Although he was a little slow to react after drinking, Wu Wenshen immediately knew he was in trouble after seeing this scene.

He smiled awkwardly at everyone, then personally went to Li Xiaxi's seat to pour him a full cup of wine. After a brief greeting, he hurriedly left the hall. After looking around, he noticed that Li Linfu was standing in a pavilion to the side of the main hall, gazing at the starry sky with his hands behind his back.

Wu Wenshen quickly stepped forward, bowed to Li Linfu's side, and said, "May I ask, Shilang, was I drunk and spoke carelessly, or did I make a mistake out of ignorance? After arriving in the capital, I have no relatives or friends, and I know very little about the people here. Fortunately, I have become acquainted with you, Shilang. If I have offended you, it was unintentional..."

Hearing Wu Wenshen's fairly sincere apology, Li Linfu turned to look at him. The shame and anger on his face had disappeared, but his expression was still gloomy. He said in a deep voice, "Wu Jun, there is no need to apologize so nervously. The residence in Pingkangfang is indeed a shameful matter for me. No wonder the guests made fun of it."

Since you have asked this question, I will answer it frankly. Lord Wu, you are new to the capital; do you know that there is a junior disciple of yours in the capital named Zhang Dai (Zhang Zongzhi)?

Upon hearing this, Wu Wenshen's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked, "Zhang Dai is the grandson of Zhang Yan, a young talent renowned throughout the region. Of course, I have heard of him. In terms of kinship, he is indeed a junior in my sect, but due to past events, we have never met before, and I dare not presume to be his elder. What connection does Shilang have with him? Please enlighten me, Shilang."

(End of this chapter)