"This..." Mei Xian Cheng said nervously, "I don't think it's necessary."
"Why is it not necessary? If you don't agree, we can provide more money..."
Although the county magistrate wanted to use his power to show off his prestige, he did not dare to push it further, so he found an excuse and coaxed him: "The reason why I said it was not necessary is because this magistrate Chen always puts his future first, and he has fawned over you Lu. I will definitely not let go easily. How can a person like him do such a thing for a woman?"
After listening to it, the manager felt that it made some sense.
The Prime Minister of Meixian County comforted him again: "As the saying goes, 'A boiled duck can't fly', don't worry. If you are afraid that it will be difficult to explain when you go back, we have good wine and meat here to serve you. It won't be too late to wait for a few days. Think about it, it's Isn’t that true?”
The steward nodded deeply, and then bowed again: "In that case, I can just go and report to the master, and there is no need to bother the county magistrate, so as not to arouse suspicion."
He pulled away and went out, and the county magistrate asked, "Do you want me to deliver it in person?"
"You're welcome, you're welcome, go about your business!" He said with a smile before striding across the threshold and turning around to leave the Taizhou County Government Office.
Chen Tongpao stayed in Jiangdu County for three days. He and Leng Ping discussed the matter of currying favor with the prefect all day long, and the discussion was in full swing, but other than that, there was no other word.
The shopkeeper brings a bowl of warm tea to the magistrate every morning, but he rarely goes out.
That day, tea was brought as usual. Seeing that Chen Tongpao had just tied his casual clothes and had the robe in his hand, he stepped forward to get the tea.
The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Maybe you are going out today?"
"Yeah, I'm going out for a trip." Chen Tongpao said.
"Does it have something to do with the return of the prefect?"
Tongpao Chen put on his official uniform and said expressionlessly: "Of course. I have to give him a cleansing."
Wen Zhong soon saw Tongpao Chen in the gambling house. He stood at the top of the stairs, curled his lips, and the two big men immediately walked down, took Chen Tongpao's arm, and helped him upstairs.
"Hey, Mr. Chen hasn't left yet?" Wen Zhong was wearing a single coat and did not show any courtesy. He scratched an itch on his body and asked.
"I specially wanted to ask you to help me with something, so I came here again today."
Wen Zhong laughed loudly: "I'm afraid it's to meet the prefect, right? It's easy!" He patted his colleague, "When the prefect returns to Jiangdu in the afternoon and there is a big banquet, I will take you there and get to know each other."
"Thank you." Chen Tongpao said.
"Come here, arrange an empty room for him to rest for a while... Also, the prefect must tell me before he arrives." Wen Zhong said, holding on to the railing and went upstairs.
A few hours later, a clerk came into the house and told Wen Zhongchen, "The magistrate is only twenty miles away from Jiangdu and is about to enter the border."
Wen Zhong stood up calmly and said, "Don't rush to make arrangements for County Magistrate Chen first. You have to find Chu Zi first. I just owe him a favor, so I just sealed him with forty taels of silver and asked him to buy a banquet. I will use the money as his own." Come out, let him take the credit."
"In addition, on my birthday, Song Jiaoyu gave me ten pots of old wine, so I have to help him with some things. Now that the magistrate is back, you take him to a banquet and say a few good words. If the boss likes him, then It's his creation; if people don't want to pay attention to it and don't blink their eyes, then you can't blame me, after all, to do this is the end of benevolence and justice."
"You made it clear," the waiter said, "What should I do with Tongpao Chen?"
"Pull the car over and I'll go with him." Wenzhong said.
After Chen Tongpao was woken up, he learned that the prefect had entered the city and was resting at Guo Chuzi's house. He put on his coat and went out of the gambling house with Wen Zhong. He saw a three-horse carriage crossing the door. . He boarded the car, leaned in first, and saw that it was extremely spacious, enough for five or six people, so he sat down casually.
Wen Zhong also walked in, smiled at him and said, "How is it? Have you ever been in a car?"
"In Taizhou, I don't even know how to ride a horse, let alone this thing..." the colleague replied.
The two got chatting and were about to say a few more words when they suddenly heard a bell ringing, the wheels turning, and their bodies jolted.
"How long will it take to get here?" Chen Tongpao asked.
"We arrived in an instant. This time I invited a friend who owns a dyeing shop to treat me as a guest. I just went to his house for a visit."
"Did you call him Chu Zi?" The colleague thought of this person and blurted out.
"Yes, yes!" Wen Zhong slapped his thigh, "So you know each other!"
"But I don't know much about it."
"My friend's experience was really rough. He was originally engaged in the silk dyeing business in Nanjing, but he couldn't make it there. He had no choice but to move the entire dyeing workshop to Yangzhou. I was still a ruthless person who was not afraid of anything. I rely on having three or two brothers to do that kind of bastard stuff everywhere... But since I heard about this, I have restrained myself a little bit. Because I know that no matter what, I still have to act with conscience..."
After saying that, Wen Zhong took advantage of the situation and took a look at Comrade Chen's face. He didn't seem to care much about it, so he sighed and said nothing.
In an instant, the two of them suddenly felt their bodies leaning forward, and then suddenly stopped, and they knew they had arrived at the place.
Wen Zhong patted his clothes, grabbed the curtain with one hand, and said to his colleagues: "I'll go in first, you wait here, and someone will call you over later."
With that said, he jumped out of the car, gave orders to the groom, and went straight through the door.
After walking for a while, he saw the guy from his gambling house coming towards him with a smile, so he asked, "How is the prefect?"
"The prefect is chatting with Mr. Guo nearby."
"You didn't take Chen Jiaoyu with you?"
The guy snorted: "That guy surnamed Chen... can't do it! When he comes there, he only talks some unimportant nonsense, mostly flattering words, which makes even the governor tired."
Wen Zhong smiled bitterly and said: "This kind of person doesn't even have the bottom of his heart. It's his turn to flatter others? How can he still think about glory and wealth without first weighing his own weight?"
"Presumably Tongpao Chen is also a passerby." The clerk didn't have a good impression of these people who asked the shopkeeper to do things, so naturally he didn't take him seriously.
But Wen Zhong frowned seriously this time: "According to the information I sent to inquire, this person is not simple. In order to make a comeback, he has been trying to please the Lu family in Yizheng. Wasn't it just to pay off their debts some time ago? Really? But he should have left immediately after paying off the debt, yet he asked me to take him to see the prefect..."
"Who wouldn't want to stay a few more days if there's a chance to cling?"
Wen Zhong tugged on his sleeves, "Otherwise. I saw that he knew Guo Chuzi somewhat, and he must know that this house is the biggest brand in Yangzhou. He relies on the support of the prefect all day long to expand his industry in Yangzhou; and Now the Lu family wants to take a share of the pie, so the two families are naturally at odds with each other. Chen Tongpao's visit this time is obviously to meet Chu Zi under the guise."
"Why did he betray the Lu family?" The more the man listened, the less he understood.
"Tongpao Chen puts interests first in everything. But this interest is by no means greedy for money and lust, but an interest that truly considers one's own safety: that is, to calmly act according to the situation and not be disturbed by temperament. We advance when we are at ease, and we retreat when we are in danger. No move is deviated from the current situation."
Wen Zhong obviously did not answer his question directly, but left the clerk confused.
