Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 125 Bullying goes too far
Wang Xi and Huangfu Sengnian were extremely worried about their father's career. However, Wang Shouyi and Huangfu Shangde had been out of touch with officialdom for a long time and had not yet realized this. At this moment, they were still immersed in the joy of victory.

"This government office is not bad; it looks quite spacious."

Wang Shouyi looked around the new government office and was very satisfied.

Now that the authority of the Anye Bureau has expanded considerably, the bureau can no longer act arbitrarily. Therefore, the imperial court immediately converted a bureau located next to the West Market into the Anye Bureau.

Huangfu Shangde, who was standing nearby, joked, "It's not even as big as your backyard."

Wang Shouyi said, "But you can't compare them like that. This temple may be small, but there will definitely be many people coming here to burn incense in the future!"

Huangfu Shangde said, "What future? People are already scouting ahead."

Wang Shouyi asked in surprise, "Someone has already contacted you?"

Huangfu Shangde nodded and said, "The key to the return of hidden households to their registered residence lies in the land, but where will this land come from? How can everyone not be worried? They have come up with all sorts of excuses to ask me for information."

Wang Shouyi asked, "So what did you say?"

Huangfu Shangde said, "Of course I mean that none of these are under our jurisdiction. We only manage the hidden households, not the land. We will settle as many hidden households as the court provides."

Wang Shouyi nodded and said, "Let Yuwen Rong handle the land matter. We must not get involved."

At this moment, a clerk came forward and bowed.

Huangfu Shangde handed a notice to the registrar and said, "Registrar Xu, post this notice in various places in the West Market."

"What is this?" Wang Shouyi suddenly asked.

Huangfu Shangde said, "When the time comes for those who have gone into hiding to return to their registered residence, they will still have to go through merchants, right? This is to tell those merchants that if they want to hire people, they can come to our Anye Bureau. This is also to fulfill the idea of ​​providing property for the people."

"Let me see!"

Wang Shouyi took the notice directly from the registrar and began to read it with great seriousness.

Huangfu Shangde looked at Wang Shouyi with a strange expression. "Brother Wang, can you understand it?"

Wang Shouyi snorted, "Huangfu, don't look down on people. I used to not care about studying. If I really wanted to learn to read and write, it would be a piece of cake for me."

After saying that, he handed the notice back to the registrar, saying, "There are no typos. Take it and post it here."

"The villain obeys your orders."

The registrar nodded blankly and then left.

Huangfu Shangde was amused by this fellow and chuckled.

Just as the registrar left, another person entered the courtyard.

When Wang Shouyi and Huangfu Shangde saw this person, they were both taken aback.

The visitor was none other than Yuwen Rong.

"congratulations!"

Yuwen Rong stepped forward with his hands clasped, "Congratulations on acquiring a new headquarters for your Anye Bureau. Are you two satisfied with this place?"

"Thank you! Thank you!"

Huangfu Shangde cupped his hands in greeting and asked, "Could it be that Imperial Censor Yuwen selected this land for us?"

Yuwen Rong hurriedly replied, "I don't have that authority, but I did mention it briefly."

Wang Shouyi hurriedly said, "This place is excellent. It's very close to the West Market, making it convenient for our Anye Bureau to work. I am truly unworthy of Imperial Censor Yuwen's consideration for us."

"Where! Where!"

Yuwen Rong said, "Duke Qi, please don't say that. To be honest, it was you two who helped me a lot. It was I who proposed the idea of ​​returning hidden households to their original place of residence, but it has not been implemented effectively. I am also very worried about this, fearing that this plan will not work and will delay His Majesty's grand plan."

"You flatter me, Imperial Censor Yuwen." Huangfu Shangde gestured again, "Please come in."

"please."

The three of them sat down in the back hall. Yuwen Rong got straight to the point: "I have come to visit you today not only to offer my congratulations, but also to ask you for a favor."

Wang Shouyi said, "Imperial Censor Yuwen, please speak."

Yuwen Rong said, “Everything is difficult at the beginning. Therefore, the most difficult part of the process of bringing hidden households back to their place of origin is gaining their trust. The Anye Bureau has done a better job in this regard than any other government. Therefore, I hope to understand the specific arrangements made by the Anye Bureau in its implementation so that it can be promoted in various places in the future.”

Wang Shouyi and Huangfu Shangde exchanged a glance, and Huangfu Shangde immediately said, "Of course, of course, we will definitely cooperate fully with Imperial Censor Yuwen."

"Oh dear! Don't say that, Yuwen Rong can't afford to hear it."

Yuwen Rong said with trepidation, "Not to mention that His Majesty has not yet decided who will be in charge of this matter, even if it is indeed entrusted to me, His Majesty still hopes that Anye Bureau can play a supervisory role in the middle. After all, the interests involved are very complicated, and any slight mistake will lead to gossip."

Huangfu Shangde nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's right, that's right."

Yuwen Rong added, “According to the authority of the Anye Bureau, you will only be responsible for registration. You will help as many hidden households as the court allocates land to settle down. You will not need to cooperate with anyone or be at anyone’s beck and call.”

Huangfu Shangde chuckled and said, "Imperial Censor Yuwen's words have truly awakened me from my dream!"

But his smile seemed somewhat forced.

Yuwen Rong chuckled and said, "Please don't blame me for being nosy, you two."

"How could this be? How could this be!"

Wang Shouyi said, "After all, we have been out of touch with state affairs for a long time, and there are many things we can't think of for the time being. What Imperial Censor Yuwen said is of great help to us, and we are grateful enough."

Yuwen Rong laughed and said, "The Duke of Qi is so modest, I am truly unworthy of such praise!"

The three chatted for a while longer before Yuwen Rong got up to take his leave.

After seeing Yuwen Rong off, Huangfu Shangde's smile gradually disappeared. "It seems that even if we try to take full advantage of the situation, it will be difficult for us."

Wang Shou nodded: "This person is not easy to deal with. We must be extremely careful. We don't want him to take the benefits and we to become the bad guys."

In terms of administration, Yuwen Rong was indeed much better than the other two.

Little did he know what Wang Shouyi and Huangfu Shangde were up to.

An industry brings peace and prosperity, and wins the hearts of the people.

Expanding the farmland will offend people.

Yuwen Rong is certainly not that stupid. If you want credit, you must also bear the responsibility.

His assertion of the On Yip Department's authority was actually a cover for him, so that when he investigated the land, he could use the On Yip Department as an excuse.

When unregistered residents go to the On Yip Department to register, they need to explain their land situation. If there are any problems, I will definitely investigate.

Meanwhile, Wang Xi was not idle either; he was still doing his best to complete the follow-up matters of the entire plan.

That is, a workshop.

He promised those unregistered residents that if they lost their livelihoods due to returning to their registered residence, the On Yip Department would make arrangements for them.

He needs to get all the workshops up and running as soon as possible.

The prime minister, of course, is the brewery.

The old residence of the nameless college.

"Where did you find so many people?"

Bai Ningsu was startled when she saw the dozens of people bustling around inside.

Wang Xi smiled and said, "They are all unregistered households, and they are currently waiting for the imperial court to allocate land to them, so I arranged for them to help out here first."

Bai Siyong said cautiously, "Once the imperial court distributes land, they will leave. Training a skilled winemaker is not an easy task."

Wang Xi said, "There are too many people and not enough land, so it won't be their turn. You can rest assured, they are all trustworthy."

Bai Siyong nodded slightly.

Although they didn't quite understand, the recipe was theirs, and they thought it was fine as long as it was okay.

Wang Xi then called over the winemakers and introduced the Bai family father and daughter to them.

Bai Siyong didn't act like a wealthy businessman at all; instead, he was extremely respectful and apprehensive, repeatedly bowing to them and greeting them one by one.

After seeing this, Wang Xi couldn't help but whisper to Bai Ningsu, "Little Bai, your father really doesn't seem like a businessman."

Bai Ningsu muttered to herself, "My father wasn't a businessman to begin with."

"what?"

"nothing."

Bai Ningsu shook her head, then suddenly asked curiously, "Young Master Wang, this person is yours, and you know the secret recipe, so why would you give this benefit to us?"

Wang Xi sighed, "One wrong step can lead to eternal regret. If I hadn't flirted with you back then, I wouldn't be suffering like this today."

Bai Ningsu blushed and said, "Actually... you have already paid back what you owed me. On the contrary, our Bai family has received many favors from you and Mr. Bai."

Wang Xi shrugged and said, "Consider it a lesson learned; I'll never flirt with others again." Bai Ningsu rolled her eyes and didn't respond.

At this moment, Bai Siyong walked over and asked, "Young master, how do you plan to cooperate this time?"

Wang Xi said, "As usual."

Bai Siyong said, "But no, absolutely not. This person is yours, the house is yours, and even the secret recipe belongs to the master. How can our Bai family take 70% of the profits?"

Wang Xi laughed and said, "Old Bai, this is the first time I've ever heard of a businessman complaining about making too much money."

Bai Siyong replied, "Making money is certainly important, but we must also live up to our conscience. The master and young master have taken such good care of us, father and daughter, how can we be ungrateful?"

Wang Xi said, "In that case, let's calculate the winery's profits in reverse order: I'll get seven and you get three."

Bai Siyong still felt it was a bit too much.

Wang Xi said impatiently, "Fine, it's settled then. I don't need this little bit of money."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Seeing that Wang Xi was a little angry, Bai Siyong finally agreed.

Next, Wang Xi took the father and daughter around to familiarize them with the surroundings.

When Bai Ningsu saw the buckets of fermenting fruit pulp, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What is this fruit pulp?"

Wang Xi said, "This was all arranged by you long ago, sir. It's used to brew fruit wine, mainly made from grapes, kiwis, and pomegranates. When our fruit wine hits the market, we'll not only sell it at the highest price, but we'll also sweep away all other wines on the market."

The brewing of wine was quite sudden. On the one hand, he obtained some raw materials from his home, but on the other hand, he sent people to find various raw materials, including these fruit pulps.

Bai Ningsu's eyes flashed rapidly, "Then wouldn't that mean we could make a lot of money?"

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Is that even a question? We'll definitely be making a fortune every day."

Bai Ningsu asked anxiously, "Then how long will it take to earn a million coins?"

"One million dollars? It probably won't last six months."

"Really?"

"of course."

"Great! Great!"

Bai Ningsu clenched her fists in excitement, her delicate body trembling slightly.

Wang Xi was taken aback for a moment, and said, "Xiao Bai, it's only a million coins, and you're so excited that you're trembling all over. That's a bit of an exaggeration."

Bai Ningsu was startled and quickly lowered her hand. "W-Am I trembling?"

Wang Xi nodded.

Bai Ningsu whispered, "You wouldn't understand."

Wang Xi said, "What do you mean I don't understand?"

Bai Ningsu shook her head and said, "Nothing, nothing."

Just then, a man burst in; it was indeed Huangfu Sengnian.

"Chuque-ge'er, you're really here, that's wonderful." He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing Wang Xi.

Wang Xi asked, "What is it?"

Huangfu Sengnian said, "Your aunt, the Empress, sent someone to ask you to come to the palace. She's looking for you all over the streets now."

royal palace.

When Wang Xi arrived at the inner palace, he found only Empress Wang in the room. Curious, he tentatively asked, "Aunt, did you call your nephew here to hear about Dream of the Red Chamber?"

"Ah."

Empress Wang nodded, but then shook her head and said, "Yes, but no."

Wang Xi asked curiously, "Nephew, I don't understand."

Empress Wang seemed somewhat hesitant to speak, "Que'er, are you angry with your aunt?"

Wang Xi was baffled by the question, "Why would I be angry with my aunt?"

Empress Wang said, "What if your aunt wants you to do something you don't want to do?"

Wang Xi quickly pledged his loyalty: "I would never care whether I wanted to or not to share my aunt's burdens."

"Really?"

“Of course it’s true,” Wang Xi said. “Doesn’t Your Majesty believe me?”

Empress Wang smiled and said, "How could your aunt not believe you?"

She hesitated and remained silent.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xi became even more worried and said, "Aunt Empress, just tell me what it is, and I will not be angry."

Empress Wang said, "But you said it."

"It was my nephew who said it, or should I swear?"

"That's not necessary."

Empress Wang said, "Actually, His Majesty was thinking of you today, so he asked me to summon you to the palace."

Wang Xi asked curiously, "Really? But His Majesty isn't here!"

Empress Wang said, "His Majesty is not here. His Majesty is currently with Consort Wu."

"Wu Jieyu?"

Wang Xi blinked. "I'm so confused by the Empress. Since His Majesty is with Consort Wu, why did you call me here? You can't expect me to go to Consort Wu's side too."

"..."

Empress Wang lowered her eyelids and remained silent.

"Could it be that they really want my nephew to go there?" Wang Xi asked in shock.

Empress Wang asked, "Then are you willing?"

Wang Xi jumped up and said excitedly, "Of course I don't want to!"

Empress Wang said, "You just said that you would agree to your aunt's request."

Wang Xi was taken aback. "No...no, what I mean is, why did His Majesty send me there?"

Empress Wang sighed softly, "It is said that Consort Wu also wanted to hear about Dream of the Red Chamber."

Wang Xi sneered, "If Consort Wu wants to hear it, let her nephew Wu Er kowtow to me a few times, and I'll tell him the story and let him tell his aunt. Now you want me to tell her? What a mess that is."

Empress Wang said, "Just think of it as being for your aunt's sake."

Wang Xi became anxious, "Empress Aunt, what they are doing is simply outrageous! Aunt can't be so weak!"

Empress Wang glanced at him and said, "This is all your fault."

"Is it my fault?" Wang Xi asked in surprise.

Empress Wang said, "Didn't you say that a wife should be magnanimous, and what about that kite theory?"

Wang Xi blinked. "My nephew did say that, but... but he didn't say anything about being this magnanimous. This is simply..."

Empress Wang suddenly raised her hand and gently stroked Wang Xi's head. "Actually, the reason I did this wasn't just because of that. It's also because I can see that His Majesty likes you very much. You see, His Majesty is afraid that you will be angry, so he doesn't dare to stay here and instead asked me to talk to you."

Furthermore, His Majesty said that if you don't want to go, you must not be forced. However, your aunt believes that it's unnecessary to upset His Majesty over this matter; perhaps this is exactly what Consort Wu hopes for. Besides, your aunt doesn't understand the opera you're singing very well and cannot help you entertain. Consort Wu, on the other hand, is proficient in music and will certainly be able to entertain you.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Xi frowned deeply. Yes, this might be a scheme by Consort Wu. If I don't go, wouldn't I be playing right into her hands? I'm a man who aspires to be a favored minister. If I can't even handle this matter well, how can I become a favored minister?

He suddenly stood up.

Empress Wang was startled: "What are you doing?"

Wang Xi said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'll come and teach you music whenever I have time. It's just music, what's so great about it?"

Empress Wang nodded and said, "Alright! But today...?"

Wang Xi sat down again. "Does Aunt really want her nephew to go?"

Empress Wang smiled and said, "Aunt hopes you will go, so that the Wu family will also know that not everyone in our Wang family is ignorant of literature and poetry."

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely fight for the honor of our Wang family."

Empress Wang added, "But you must not upset His Majesty."

Wang Xi said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I know what I'm doing."

(End of this chapter)