bookrebus Chapter 268: Battle of Wisdom with Marquis Wu'an (2)
Chapter 268: Battle of Wisdom with Marquis Wu'an (2)
The next day at noon, in the Tianzihao private room of Beijing Baiweilou.
The Emperor's Teacher of Chu, the Grand Tutor of Qin, and Wei Tingqian, Marquis of Wu'an, met at Baiwei Tower to discuss matters related to the snow disaster and earthquake.
All three were outstanding officials from both the civil and military factions of Emperor Mingde, but unless there was something important going on, getting them together was not easy. This was especially true since the Emperor's tutor was the grandfather of the late wife of Marquis Wu'an, and there were many hidden reasons why this was not meant to be shared with outsiders.
At this moment, Taifu Qin sipped his tea and said solemnly, "This snow disaster is fierce and should not be underestimated. In just two days, more than a dozen villages within a hundred miles of the capital have been reported to be affected. In my opinion, there will surely be a steady stream of disaster reports in the next few days." After saying this, he sighed softly and frowned.
The Emperor Chu's teacher standing by was also not in the mood to drink tea. His eyes passed through the frosted window frame, as if he had already seen the widespread misery in the distance.
His face was filled with anxiety, and he echoed with deep worry, "Yes, I am very worried too. If the situation continues like this, I'm afraid a large number of victims will pour into the capital in a few days. It's freezing cold today, and if we don't handle it properly, those victims will starve and cold, and many will surely die!"
Marquis Wu'an's face was full of worry at this moment, and he thought to himself: I wonder why these two people specially invited me here for tea after the court today. It is really puzzling.
However, facing the post-snow disaster relief efforts, he dared not take it lightly. He spoke solemnly, "Although the sky has cleared up now, in this bitterly cold winter, who can say when heavy snow will fall again? Your Majesty is deeply troubled by this matter!"
At this time, the three of them were sitting comfortably in the private room, leisurely savoring the fragrant tea while whispering about how to deal with the disaster.
Suddenly, a fierce quarrel came from the next room without warning, and the name of Wu'an Hou was frequently mentioned in the conversation.
In an instant, the three of them put down their teacups at the same time and turned their eyes to the next room.
Although I couldn't see what was happening inside because of the thick walls, the clear sounds of the argument kept reaching my ears.
A young woman's voice, trembling with a noticeable tremor, demanded, "Master Zhao, 'Ming Yue Dian' is the workshop I founded single-handedly. It's not only the fruit of my labor, but also the sole means of livelihood for my entire family. You're forcing us to buy it with just a few flippant words. How are we supposed to live in the future?"
"Hmph! It's a blessing you've earned in eight lifetimes that a noble person takes a liking to your workshop. You still dare to complain that ten thousand taels of silver are too little? You really don't know what's good for you and you don't know how to appreciate it!" The voice of an extremely arrogant and unreasonable man suddenly sounded, and his words were full of contempt and disdain.
Lord Wei, who was sitting nearby, couldn't help but frowned slightly when he heard the familiar voice, but he didn't make any other reaction. He just sat there quietly, as if everything happening before his eyes had nothing to do with him.
"I heard that Mr. Zhao is the chief steward of the Marquis of Wu'an's Mansion, but this is under the emperor's feet after all. Even if you are the Marquis of Wu'an's Mansion, how can you bully others and force transactions? Don't you fear the law?" The person who spoke had a firm tone and was not intimidated by the other party's momentum at all.
"Hahahaha..." The man who claimed to be the chief steward of Wu'an Marquis Mansion burst into laughter upon hearing this. "How dare you, an ignorant girl, speak so arrogantly! Since you know that Wu'an Marquis Mansion has set its sights on your small workshop, then just hand it over to us obediently. Don't make a fuss here!"
Do you know who my Marquis is? I tell you, he was the current emperor's study partner and childhood friend. Their friendship is unparalleled! How can an orphan like you, who came to the capital from another place, be compared with my Marquis? You are simply overestimating yourself!
Faced with such an aggressive attitude, the woman showed no sign of retreating. Instead, she straightened her back and righteously retorted, "Does the Wu'an Marquisate simply rely on its power to oppress the people? Although I am weak and powerless, I know that everyone is equal before the law. If the Wu'an Marquisate insists on forcing me like this, then I... I will not be afraid to go to Jingzhao Prefecture and beat the drum to appeal. I will definitely ask the government to seek justice for me from the Wu'an Marquisate!"
"Hahahaha..." A deafening and unrestrained laughter suddenly rang out, as if it was about to break through the sky.
Master Zhao shouted in an extremely arrogant voice, "Humph, then why don't you give it a try? Do you think the Jingzhao Prefecture really has the guts to interfere in the affairs of the Wu'an Marquis's Mansion? This way, we can save those ten thousand taels of silver! Hahahaha..."
Wei Tingqian stood aside and listened to every word of this.
In an instant, a raging rage rose from the bottom of my heart and rushed straight to my forehead.
His eyes widened, his face filled with anger, and he secretly wondered who was so audacious that he dared to use his title of Marquis Wu'an to act recklessly and oppress the innocent people.
However, just as he was filled with rage, he suddenly felt two sharp gazes like thorns in his back. He turned his head sharply and saw that Qin Taifu and Chu Dishi were both staring at him, their eyes filled with blame and questioning.
At this moment, Wei Tingqian felt as if he was being pointed at by thousands of people and had lost all face.
He knew very well that these two highly respected ministers would certainly think that it was him who condoned his subordinates' misconduct, which led to the current uproar in the city.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel ashamed and annoyed. His chest felt as heavy as if a huge rock weighed a thousand pounds, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
The arrogant words were still echoing in his ears, adding fuel to the fire, making his anger even more difficult to suppress. He was so angry that he was shaking all over, and he wished he could find the culprit immediately and punish him severely to wash away the injustice and shame he had suffered.