People live for either fame or fortune. Who wouldn't be tempted by something as good as fame and fortune?
Opening a Great Exchange Hall was indeed a proposal that tempted Yu Shu. Let's put it this way, for a Master of Changes, becoming a Celestial Commissioner was a lifelong pursuit, but not every Celestial Commissioner official had the opportunity to open a Great Exchange Hall.
Although there was only a difference of one word between a Great Exchange Hall and a Great Exchange Hall, the difference was a thousand miles. It wasn't difficult for a Master of Changes to become a Master of Changes in the Dayan Examination to open a small Great Exchange Hall. All they had to do was to report to the local authorities. However, to be crowned with the word 'Great', there had to be two hard conditions.
First, the person who opened the Great Exchange Hall had to be the head of an aristocratic family. To be called an aristocratic family, there had to be at least six generations of Masters of Changes, and they had to be a high-ranking official in the Celestial Commissioner.
Second, there had to be two Great Masters of Changes in the Great Exchange Hall, and at least six Masters of Changes. Ordinary aristocratic families couldn't afford such a lineup.
Only when these two hard conditions were met could they apply to the Celestial Commissioner. After a strict examination and official documents were issued, they could then open the doors.
If Yu Shu wanted to open a Great Exchange Hall, she couldn't fulfill the first condition. She was the Imperial Concubine of the Kunling Bureau and could barely be considered a high-ranking official in the Celestial Commissioner, but her father was a short-lived scholar. How could the Yu family gather six generations to become an aristocratic family of Masters of Changes?
So when Xue Rui mentioned it like this, Yu Shu examined herself and immediately felt that he was seized by a sudden impulse. Coupled with the fact that the Xue Clan was in trouble and the Forgotten Opportunity Pavilion was forced to close its doors to avoid disaster, he suddenly had the urge to use the Forgotten Opportunity Pavilion for her to set up a Barter Shop. So she just smiled and didn't take it to heart.
Xue Rui saw that she didn't take it seriously, so he didn't rush to discuss it with her. Instead, he sunbathed and thought about the feasibility of this matter as he gradually fell asleep.
.....
In the afternoon, people came one after another after hearing the news. First, they heard that the Eleventh Prince had caused a ruckus at the Wangji Tower last night, followed by Liu Jiong, Ruilin, and the others who heard that Xue Rui had returned to the capital.
He didn't see Feng Zhaomiao, so he probably went back to the barracks.
As soon as Liu Tan saw Xue Rui, he sighed, "This morning, Grandfather sent someone to my residence to report that you're safe and sound. He told me that you've been robbed. It's really fortunate that you're able to escape safely. I don't know which group of thieves had the audacity to do this."
Xue Rui said, "They covered their faces, I couldn't tell who they were."
Unable to get an answer, Liu Tan turned to Yu Shu and said, "Yesterday, Eleventh Younger Brother came here to cause trouble. I only heard the news this morning. You're really too strong. Cousin is not here, so you should look for me to make the decision. I heard that you left with Eleventh Younger Brother. Did he make things difficult for you?"
Yu Shu already had an evaluation of Liu Tan as a fickle and heartless person. At this time, when she heard his belated statement, she just played it down, "Many thanks for your concern, but it was just a false alarm. Eleventh Master was just joking with me."
She was lying through her teeth and caused a death, so how could it be a joke? Liu Tan didn't know how she escaped from Liu Yi's hands, but seeing that she didn't want to explain, it wasn't good to continue asking.
After Liu Tan left, not long after, Liu Jiong and the others came, sighing and showing concern. Whether it was fake or not, Yu Shu couldn't tell, but Little Jue Ye, Ruilin, said something that made her feel uncomfortable. He said —
"When you disappeared, we looked for Miss Lianfang to inquire about your whereabouts, but she didn't know. Rumors were everywhere outside, and we wanted to defend you, but we couldn't do anything."
These words, it was not that he didn't trust Xue Rui, but because Yu Shu couldn't say anything, so he just looked on coldly.
Yu Shu bluntly said, "This matter is my fault. After you disappeared, they came to find me. Little Jue Ye thought that I knew where you were hiding, but I couldn't answer."
Ruilin suddenly felt embarrassed, looked at Xue Rui, and quickly said, "Don't wrongly accuse me, when did I say that Brother Rui was hiding? At that time, everyone was present, I clearly asked you where Brother Rui went."
Yu Shu put on a fake smile, "Maybe I remembered it wrong."
Ruilin felt that she was deliberately trying to sow discord, and he was annoyed. When he was about to argue, he heard Prince Xiang's Heir Liu Jiong cough and interrupt, "Anyway, it's good that you are fine. In my opinion, we haven't got together for a long time. Why don't we take advantage of today to set up a table and get drunk together? Put aside all the troubles and worries first, Brother Rui, what do you think?"
With a faint smile on his face, Xue Rui reached out and patted Liu Jiong on the shoulder, nodded and said yes, as if he didn't care about the quarrel between Yu Shu and Ruilin just now.
They were a group of men drinking, and Yu Shu didn't like to get involved, so she went upstairs to pack up and left with an excuse.
After she left, Liu Jiong joked at the table, "Don't look at the lotus house as a woman, but she has more business than us men."
Ruilin had just been tricked by Yu Shu, and now that he had drunk two cups of wine, he couldn't help but mock, "Not only business, she has more troubles, haven't you heard? The second branch of the Yin Family complained everywhere. It is said that Miss Lianfang's biological mother was originally a servant of their family. In the past, she had an affair with an examinee who was a guest in the outer courtyard. In the end, she stole the master's property and eloped. "
Other than Xue Rui, who had just come back last night and didn't know about it, the rest of the people present had heard about this farce. They didn't expect Ruilin to talk so bluntly in front of Xue Rui, so someone immediately winked at him, hoping that he would shut up. Didn't he see that Xue Rui didn't even drink wine?
Ruilin acted as if he didn't notice at all and continued, "Several yamens have received the complaint and sent people to the Yu Residence to arrest Madam Yu. Miss Lianfang didn't buy it and beat the officials away. She refused to go to court no matter what and claimed that it was Second Master Yin who slandered her. This is puzzling. If she didn't have a guilty conscience, why didn't she dare to go to court to confront him?"
In the end, he even asked Xue Rui, "You're sworn siblings with her, so you ought to know more than outsiders like us. I'm curious, could it be that there's really something that can't be brought to light?"
Liu Jiong truly couldn't bear listening to this any longer. If it was in the past, Ruilin would never have dared to speak to Xue Rui in such a manner. Wasn't it because he saw that the Xue Clan had lost power that he became frivolous?
"Alright, you talk too much. As a man, you really don't feel ashamed to talk about a girl's family behind her back."
Liu Jiong had long disliked Ruilin's virtue of changing the direction of the wind. When Ruilin was in glory, he followed him around and called him brother. When Ruilin was in trouble, he showed a different attitude.
Ruilin was rebuked by Liu Jiong and was unhappy. He pulled a long face and said, "I'm asking Brother Rui, is it any of your business?"
Liu Jiong fiercely drank a mouthful of wine and sneered, "I don't like you. I don't care what you do. If you don't want to drink, then go away. Don't gossip here."
"What do you mean?" Ruilin became angry out of humiliation. He slammed the table and stood up. How could he bear it when others pointed at his nose and scolded him?
"Don't you understand what I said?"
Seeing that the two young and vigorous young people were about to roll up their sleeves and fight, Liu Tan, who pretended to be deaf and mute for a long time, had to open his mouth to persuade them.
"Alright, alright. Don't talk too much. How much hatred can there be between brothers? Why are you so calculative? Sit down, all sit down. Fill up the wine and calm down. "
Liu Jiong could not give Ruilin face, but he could not give Liu Tan face. Ruilin was the same. The two sat down angrily, but they turned their faces and ignored each other.
Liu Tan was helpless. The atmosphere was so tense, how could he still be in the mood to drink? So, he said to Xue Rui, "Cousin, you see …"
"Let's go," Xue Rui gently shook the wine glass and looked at them. He was still clear and bright, and he did not show his emotions.
"I just returned to the capital and haven't recovered yet. I feel sleepy as soon as I sit down. I'm going to catch up on my sleep. I won't send you off."
After that, he left them and left.
Liu Jiong felt very aggrieved. Xue Rui was three years older than him. Because they were cousins, they were closer to each other. Moreover, he had been following Xue Rui around since he was a child. Every time he did something bad, it was Xue Rui who helped him take the blame. Even when he ate meat for the first time when he saw blood and fainted for the first time at the age of thirteen, it was Xue Rui who secretly took him to the south of the city to find a doctor.
In his heart, Xue Rui was on par with his own older brother. However, he was unable to help Xue Rui in the slightest when Xue Rui was in a predicament, so how could he not feel depressed in his heart?
The few of them left the Wangji Tower one after another. Lin Fu closed the back door and went into the kitchen to bring out a bowl of hangover soup for Xue Rui.
Xue Rui was lying on his side on the Luohan couch. He was very sleepy, but he could not sleep. Seeing Lin Fu come in with a bowl and plate, he lazily said: "I didn't drink much. There's no need to sober up. Take it away."
Lin Fu retreated to the door and was stopped by him.
"How much money is there in the accounts?"
Lin Fu quietly reported a number. After a pause, he heard Xue Rui say: "Have Xiao Liu go to Nan Lin Wood Shop and invite Gui Shu over."
Those who started with the word "Gui" were all loyal servants under Xue Rui. For example, Gui Liu and Gui Qi. The only one he would call Gui Shu was Gui Da, the confidant Xue Fu had left for him.
After Lin Fu left, Xue Rui got up from the bed. He washed his face with cold water and went to the study next door to plan.
After seeing Xue Lingnan, he felt that the future of the Xue family was bleak. Officials that were suspected by the Emperor never had a good ending. Furthermore, the Xue family had been prosperous for a long time. They were past their prime and would not be far from their decline.
Xue Guifei was favoured, but she could not interfere with the court. Liu Tan was ambitious, but he did not have the power and influence that Ning Wang had accumulated for many years. If something happened in the future, he could only protect himself.
Xiang Wang was idle. He might speak up for the Xue family, but he would not be able to turn the tide.
If he could not retreat in one piece, Xue Lingnan's position as Premier would be difficult to maintain. Once he was demoted, the Xue family would not be the same as before.
His adoptive father, Xue Zao, had treated him with great kindness. After all, he grew up under the protection of the Xue family. With such great kindness, he would not stand by and do nothing. Even if he could not turn the tide, he would share weal and woe with them. Only then would he be worthy of being a human.
Before the Xue family lost power, he needed to do something for Yu Shu. Even if he could not protect her in the future, she would not be bullied or tortured by others.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
