Feng Zhi Wei, however, behaved in an entirely different manner. As she walked, she greeted people with a smile, “This must be Master Chen? You have already returned from the frontier? The scenery beyond the border must be beautiful. I heard the snow season came early this year. I wonder how the rice prices are doing on the grasslands now?” 

“And this is Master Liu? Ha ha, not long before I left the capital, I had just had a drink with your elder brother. He was telling me that the Ministry of Personnel was terribly busy, and that he was thinking of retiring early…if he were to retire and return home, I’d say your estate west of the capital would be quite nice…” 

“Is this the young master of the Dao family? So accomplished at such a young age. Where is your new concubine from Shannan? How come you didn’t bring her? Shannan is known for having beautiful women. I imagine your newest concubine must be a rare beauty, otherwise, Master Dao would not have had to decline my invitation to the banquet…don’t you agree?” 

“This must be the eldest young master of the Yang family? You purchased a sixth-rank assistant magistrate position in the fifteenth year of Tiansheng? You’ve always been dedicated to benefiting your native land and leaving behind a legacy of kindness. I imagine that when it comes to the great affairs of the empire, you would certainly be equally committed. Let me thank you in advance…”

“This must be the Old Master Wu of the Wu family…”

“And this is..…”

As she walked, she casually pointed people out one after another. She chatted and laughed with effortless ease, yet every gentry she pointed out broke into a cold sweat. They exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions were of a unified astonishment and horror— This young commissioner, famous for rising to such prominence at such a tender age, truly was formidable! Despite having never met them, he casually pointed out everyone. Not only did he know their identities, but he also knew details of their family backgrounds, properties, career histories, connections in the imperial court, and so on without missing a single detail. His words sounded like casual conversation, friendly chatter, gentle and soothing, yet the sharpness hidden within was like a knife that caused their hearts to pound like crazy! 

How was this a casual, friendly conversation? This was a warning. A reprimand. A reveal of his might. It was a slap in the face delivered with a smile, while you had no choice but to take it and smile in return! 

The local gentry had already spent the past half-month in a state of restless anxiety, tormented by the rumor. Now, after hearing those words, they finally saw the true color of Marquis Wei, who indeed, truly lived up to his reputation as a “smiling tiger.” 

The smiling tiger went along her way with a grin, acknowledging everyone in turn. That is, everyone except the Li family— the very first family to refuse the Commissioner’s office’s invitation. 

Qiu Yuluo was standing in the most obvious place at the front, a lone, striking woman among the crowd. Yet, she seemed invisible to the Marquis. 

This, of course, carried yet another meaning in everyone else’s eyes— It seems that the commissioner truly does have something against the Li family. A man like him would never accidentally overlook someone, thus he must have done it deliberately. 

Trying not to draw any attention, the crowd edged backward bit by bit. In an instant, the people around Qiu Yuluo backed away like a receding tide, leaving her isolated like a lone island. 

She, however, seemed unconcerned. Her eyes remained fixed on Ning Yi’s retreating back, without sparing Feng Zhi Wei a single glance. 

By this point, the crowd had followed the two into the front hall where the banquet had been set up. Ning Yi took the seat of honor, with Feng Zhi Wei accompanying him in the head seat. The various families sat down solemnly according to their assigned places, each behaving impeccably, not even a cough could be heard. 

“I have been in Jianghuai for several months now, and today, I finally have the opportunity to gather here with all of you. It is truly a rare occasion. Come, let us first raise a cup together, to wish His Majesty ten thousand years of health and longevity, and His Highness, Prince Chu, countless years of blessings and prosperity!” 

Below, a sea of raised arms burst out with a noisy chorus of “Ten thousand years of health and longevity to His Majesty! Countless years of blessings and prosperity to His Highness, Prince Chu!” 

Amid the chorus of male voices, a woman’s slightly high-pitched voice rang out, making it especially clear and distinct, “Ten thousand years of health and longevity to His Majesty! Countless years of blessings and prosperity to His Highness, Prince Chu! And may everything go smoothly.” 

The additional words landed precisely at the very end of everyone else’s toast, making the words that much more jarring and out of place. For a moment, everyone froze with their cups still raised.

A vacuum-like silence suddenly filled the room. 

Ning Yi lifted his eyes and gave Qiu Yuluo a glance before raising his cup toward everyone and said with a smile, “Everyone, no need for such formality. Madam Li’s final words were well said. Right now, I truly do hope that everything will proceed smoothly and that all will go according to plan. For example, the river works I am currently overseeing. The Ling River branch of the Li River. It was originally an essential waterway connecting to the Jing-Huai Canal, but because of this winter’s drought, floods, and freezing weather, the river changed course and formed sandbars. Merely reinforcing the riverbanks and redirecting the water here is already a massive undertaking. Right now, the funds for the river works are currently running short. In weather this cold, we should at the very least let the laborers have two ounces of strong liquor to warm themselves before sending them into the water. The other day, when I was inspecting the works, I saw that the laborers’ legs were covered with countless bloody cuts caused by shards of ice. Yet, I could not even produce sufficient funds to help them….” 

It seemed like he was helping Qiu Yuluo out of an awkward situation, but in truth, with a skillful turn of the conversation, he had already steered it toward the real subject of the day. Even Feng Zhi Wei gave him an admiring glance before immediately raising her cup with a smile. 

“Your Highness’s concern for the country and the people is truly admirable. But Your Highness need not worry. Everyone here is a patriotic and enlightened member of the local gentry, who have always supported the country and its people in times of need. Naturally, none of them would stand by and do nothing when it comes to something that benefits both the empire and its people. Besides, once the canal is open, it will bring nothing but advantages to all of you merchants. To put it in plain terms, this is a family matter. Among family, there is no need to distinguish between yours and theirs. If the old master happens to be short of funds for the moment, and his children and grandchildren are still stingy with their purses…Well, be careful, or when the family fortune is divided up someday, you may find there’s no share left for you. Haha.” 

The expressions on everyone’s faces went through several shades of red and white, but all they could do was join in with an awkward laugh. 

Ning Cheng, who had been pretending to look serious off to the side, abruptly turned toward the wall, desperately suppressing the laughter that was threatening to burst out— This woman and His Highness are really a perfect match of wickedness. One would play the good cop while the other would play the bad cop. One appealed to their emotions with gentle persuasion and moving, enticing words, while the other piled on the pressure and thinly veiled threats. There was truly no pair in the entire world better at playing off one another than these two!

The entire hall once again fell into an instant vacuum-like silence. Everyone clutched their cups and exchanged looks with one another. None of them had expected His Highness and Marquis Wei would move so quickly and so ruthlessly. They were not even given a chance to laugh things off or ease into the subject. His Highness and the Marquis had gone straight for the kill. At this moment, if they drank the wine in their hands, that would be equivalent to agreeing to make a donation. The mere fact of agreeing to make a donation was not a big deal by itself. The empire was going through turbulent times, and the river works were an enormous undertaking. Once they opened their purses, they might be expected to keep pouring money into a bottomless pit. Besides, once the donation lists were submitted, what if the smiling tiger wrote down some terrifying figure? Would they then have any choice other than accepting it? 

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com 

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