Wanjin Lady

Chapter 99: Leaking the Secret

"That's fine. I won't let you work in vain. Besides, it's only right to distinguish between rewards and punishments. My student... is also a very reliable person. You offered advice and suggestions to help him solve his urgent problem. He should appreciate your kindness."

Wen Wan smiled and said, "It depends on fate."

Then he thought again, this was the Chen Dynasty, an era with clear social classes among scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. If he wanted to keep his business going for a long time, he had to deal with the government.

She immediately changed her tone and chuckled, "It would be even better if I could marry the high-ranking Marquis of Huai'an. But if not, I will not be ashamed of heaven and earth."

Mrs. Yao was amused by her frankness. "This girl... seems to have a lot on her mind... but she's also so frank. It's really hard to dislike her."

Wen Wan immediately took matters into her own hands, giving Old Master Yao a sly glance before smiling broadly at Madam Yao, "Madam, bear witness. Master Yao, please promise me today that if I can produce a better essay than Master Cheng, he will make an exception and accept me as his female disciple."

Madam Yao laughed happily, "Oh, it's not easy to make this old man relax. Miss Wen has to work hard."

"On the day I hand in the article, please take some time to read it."

Old Master Yao snorted coldly, "Are you still worried that I'm deliberately making things difficult for you? Good is good, bad is bad, and you're still calling for help?"

Yeah.

My thoughts were discovered.

"Why are you so fierce?" Madam Yao was very dissatisfied. She poked Yao Shizhen's arm and signaled him to speak more quietly. "Young Miss Wen is weak and fragile. She is not like those two boys at home who can be manipulated by you!"

"She's still so weak?" Old Master Yao shouted even louder, remembering how Wen Wan had tricked him into thinking he didn't know how to fish, leading to his downfall. "This girl is more cunning than lotus roots! She's even more difficult to deal with than those court officials! Madam, don't be fooled by her well-behaved and quiet appearance!"

"Keep your voice down, keep your voice down. Aren't you ashamed of being so mean to a little girl at your age?"

Wen Wan ran away before the couple started showing off their love.

Before leaving, he did not forget to take Cheng Yunzhang's article with him.

As the saying goes, knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. Since she wants to write an article that is better than Cheng Yunzhang's, she must study her opponent carefully.

The moon was bright, the trees on both sides were deep and shady, and the dark green mountains in the distance turned into a mass of ink in the night. On the straight official road, Wen Wan had just walked a short distance when she ran into Cheng Yunzhang who was waiting by the roadside.

The man was wearing an ivory brocade robe, with his hair tied up in a crown. He was holding a yellow silk oil lamp in his hand and standing tall and graceful in the moonlight.

What a handsome scholar.

Wen Wan looked him up and down with a masculine gaze. Although Cheng Yunzhang was thin, he was not skinny like a useless scholar. Instead, he was in good health, with fair and tender skin, comparable to the figurines in her house.

However, he fell into the shadows, and there was always a lingering gloom between his brows.

He is waiting for her.

Because of Yuan Liulang, Wen Wan deliberately avoided people from the Yuan and Cheng families. However, she never expected that Cheng Yunzhang was quick enough to become a disciple of Old Master Yao, leaving her with no way to avoid him.

"Shopkeeper Wen."

The man came with a lantern. Because his skin was too fair, it appeared strangely transparent under the combined light of the lantern and the moonlight.

Wen Wan didn't get off the carriage, but simply lifted the curtain and looked at him with a smile: "Master Cheng, is there anything you want?"

You're waiting here on purpose, aren't you trying to silence me?

Cheng Yunzhang smiled. "Just now, I saw that the teacher left Shopkeeper Wen alone, and you two talked for a long time. I'm just curious... When did Shopkeeper Wen and the teacher become so close?"

Wen Wan chuckled softly and narrowed her eyes. "It seems like every time Master Cheng sees me alone... he's asking me for information."

Cheng Yunzhang was speechless, unable to help but recall the last time he had pressed her about the Four Symbols Meeting. Then he laughed, "I forgot. Shopkeeper Wen said you were a businessman. How about this: Shopkeeper Wen answer one of my questions, and I answer one of his, too? How about that?"

"it is good."

Cheng Yunzhang raised his eyebrows. "Teacher, did you decide to accept Shopkeeper Wen as your female disciple?"

"No. We were just chatting, and Madam Yao asked me some personal questions." Wen Wan answered crisply, then asked, "Is the Yuan family's Changchun wine endangered because of the water quality in the wineries in the southeast?" Cheng Yunzhang was slightly taken aback, secretly admiring the woman's sharp eyes.

Then he thought about it and it made sense. Wen Wan was a businessman, so she was naturally well-informed.

"Yes. Although I don't interfere with the family business, I know that the winery is facing some difficult problems."

Wen Wan's eyes darkened a little.

The pig demon did not lie.

Yuan Liulang really had his eyes on the Wen family winery.

To be exact, the entire Cheng family of Bozhou had set their sights on her winery.

Cheng Yunzhang asked again: "Why did Shopkeeper Wen insist on becoming Master's student? Miss Wen is just a merchant, why does she need to use the matter of 'studying' to decorate her appearance? But you..."

The man's gaze suddenly grew sharper. "Do you have other plans for the teacher?"

Wen Wan sneered, "My plans for Mr. Yao are exactly the same as your plans for Mr. Yao. You seek fame, I seek profit."

Cheng Yunzhang thought about how he had concealed his identity and approached Mr. Yao some time ago, and also thought about how Wen Wan had seen through it but never pointed it out, and he was suddenly speechless.

Wen Wan looked worried. "Why? Master Cheng thought I had other plans for Old Master Yao and was worried that a mere businessman like me would ruin the old man's reputation, so he waited here to stop me?"

"I'm sorry. Mr. Yao is not as stupid as you think, and I, Wenwan, am not as bad as you think."

"They say that friendship requires gold, and without enough gold, friendship is not deep. Although I, Wenwan, love money, I also understand the principle of making money in a proper way."

Cheng Yunzhang was a little unsteady on his feet. He felt that this young lady was very powerful. She made him so embarrassed that he couldn't even raise his head with just a few words.

He coughed softly and could only bow his hands and beg for mercy, "Shopkeeper Wen, I was wrong."

The young lady suddenly smiled and said, "No problem, just give me another question."

Cheng Yunzhang held his forehead and smiled bitterly, but he also accepted his fate. "What else do you want to ask, Shopkeeper Wen? I will tell you everything I know."

He really didn't know anything about the Cheng family's business affairs.

"What happened in Ping County...are you aware of the situation in Bozhou?"

"I don't know. But..." Cheng Yunzhang's eyes darkened, and he suddenly regretted his promise to tell him everything he knew. However, he hesitated for a moment before telling the truth, "A few days ago, my other cousin... Yuan Jing's brother Yuan Wulang came to Ping County."

Wen Wan hummed, her expression neutral.

She probably guessed it.

Yuan Liulang suffered such a huge loss in Bingzhou. According to Master Ma's inference, Yuan Liulang lost at least several thousand taels of silver. The third branch of the Yuan family was seriously injured. How could they not send external aid?
This Gengoro... sounds smarter than Genrokuro.

Oops. This is getting tricky.

Wen Wan leaned forward slightly and inquired carefully, "What kind of person is Yuan Wulang?"

Cheng Yunzhang thought for a moment, glanced at Wen Wan again, and suddenly smiled, "He's a formidable businessman. Shopkeeper Wen, you... have met a formidable enemy."

Gentle and silent.

A strong rival?
come.

See who does who.

"So..." The young man smiled, the moonlight shimmering in his dark eyes. In that instant, it seemed as if the world itself had become gentle. "Regarding the Bingzhou matter... Shopkeeper Wen must hide his true colors and not let your cousin catch him. Otherwise... you'll have a hard time getting away."

Wen Wan's expression suddenly changed.

(End of this chapter)