Chapter 151: I Am Still a Child

"Didn't you hear? My master invites you in for a chat!"

The fierce-looking man blocked their path, glaring at Xue Rui with a threatening expression.

Realizing that leaving today was impossible, Xue Rui had no choice but to turn back.

The guards at the entrance pushed open the door and said to Xue Rui and his father, "Go on in."

At the entrance of the private parlor, a folding screen painted with flowers and birds blocked their view of the interior.

From inside came the crisp, melodious sound of a zither, accompanied by the laughter and chatter of several men and women.

Xue Yuanhao steadied himself, walked around the screen, and entered the parlor.

The room was furnished with considerable elegance. Small tables were placed around the perimeter, laden with fruits, candied preserves, wine, and food.

Behind the central table and the two tables on either side knelt a man, each accompanied by a scantily clad woman of modest attractiveness who clearly was not from a respectable family.

As the father and son entered, the six people inside stopped talking and turned to look at them simultaneously.

While the others sized them up, Xue Rui's gaze quickly swept across the three men.

The man in the central seat was a middle-aged man of about forty with a goatee.

The man on the left was a middle-aged scholar with a cold expression, and the man opposite him was a pot-bellied fellow in a squire's robe, looking like a wealthy local landlord.

Xue Yuanhao stepped forward, cupped his hands toward the goateed man, and said, "Your humble subordinate, Xue Yuanhao, pays his respects to Lord Han."

The goateed man, however, shook his head and smiled. "You've mistaken your man. This is the real Lord Han."

With that, he looked toward the middle-aged scholar.

The scholar's expression turned slightly cold as he said to Xue Yuanhao, "You truly have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai. The man in the seat of honor is none other than Xu Wei, the Director of the Bureau of Appointments in the Ministry of Personnel!"

The Xue father and son were startled. They had assumed the host today was Han Zuo, never expecting an official from the Ministry of Personnel to be present. It seemed Xu Wei was also implicated in the grain merchants' scheme.

"Your humble subordinate pays his respects to Lord Xu and Lord Han."

Xue Yuanhao bowed to the two men, then stood silently, waiting for them to speak first.

"Please, take a seat."

Xu Wei raised a hand, gesturing for them to be seated.

Two small tables had been set out for them. Exchanging a glance, the Xue father and son sat down.

Once they were seated, Xu Wei smiled at Xue Yuanhao and said, "When Lord Han invited you here today, we didn't expect your esteemed son to be in attendance as well. I had previously heard of him by reputation and was quite curious, which is why I asked him to join us. Seeing him now, he is indeed a man of extraordinary bearing and exceptional talent!"

Neither father nor son believed such cheap flattery. Since he was speaking so amiably, there had to be a specific motive.

Naturally understanding this, Xue Yuanhao replied modestly, "Lord Xu flatters us. My dog of a son is unruly and hardly deserves such praise."

"Heh, I heard earlier that there seemed to be some misunderstanding between Lord Han and Official Xue. My presence here today is simply to act as a mediator and smooth things over. What does Official Xue think?" Xu Wei looked at Xue Yuanhao as he spoke.

The misunderstanding he referred to was naturally the matter of Han Zuo championing the grain merchants and withholding the emoluments of the Directorate of Astronomy.

However, playing dumb, Xue Yuanhao countered, "Lord Xu, your humble subordinate has never met Lord Han. Where would a misunderstanding come from?"

"I advise you not to be ungrateful!"

Suddenly, the pot-bellied squire on the right slammed his wine cup onto the table and glared angrily at Xue Yuanhao.

Unaware of the man's identity, Xue Yuanhao frowned and asked, "And who might Your Excellency be?"

The fat squire gave a cold snort, gritting his teeth as he said, "I am Sun He, proprietor of the Gaosheng Grain Firm. Lu Hui, the former Commander of the East City Military Garrison, is my cousin's husband!"

Hearing him announce his background, the Xue father and son immediately understood his identity. So this fellow was one of the major grain merchants conspiring to drive up prices.

Sun He's attitude toward his father deeply displeased Xue Rui, who could not help but sneer, "So you are the mastermind who incited the scoundrels in the city to harass my grandfather's grain shop. You certainly have impressive methods, Excellency—to the extent of personally sending your own cousin's husband to prison. Truly admirable."

"You little brat, you're courting death..."

Stung to the quick, Sun He struggled to pull himself up. Unfortunately, having knelt for too long, both his knees were somewhat numb, and for a moment he failed to rise.

Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Han Zuo intervened, "Why fly into a rage, Squire Sun? We are here today to discuss matters, not to bicker. If you want this to end in bad blood, by all means, throw your punches."

"Hmph!"

Being a businessman at heart and still needing Han Zuo's help, Sun He had no choice but to sit back down in a huff, glaring fiercely at Xue Rui.

Fearing complications, Xu Wei cut straight to the point, asking Xue Yuanhao, "Official Xue, as I understand it, your father-in-law's family also operates a grain shop?"

"That is correct." Xue Yuanhao nodded.

"How is business?" Xu Wei asked with feigned concern.

"Because my father-in-law's prices are fair, business is passable, and townspeople come to buy grain in a steady stream every day."

Xue Yuanhao had no patience for beating around the bush with them and deliberately handed them the opening.

Sure enough, seizing the opportunity, Xu Wei sighed and said, "Your family's shop is doing a booming trade, but the other grain firms in the city are suffering miserably. Does Official Xue know why?"

"This... your humble subordinate does not know." Xue Yuanhao shook his head.

"It is precisely because your family's shop sells grain at low prices that you are ruining everyone else's business!" Sun He seized the chance, speaking through gritted teeth.

"Squire Sun, that is a rather distorted way of putting it. My father-in-law's grain shop conducts an honest business and does not conflict with other grain shops. How can you claim it ruins anyone else's business?" Xue Yuanhao's face chilled. Toward an unscrupulous merchant, he saw no need to put on a polite facade.

"You..."

Just as Sun He opened his mouth to retort, Xu Wei raised a hand to stop him and said smoothly, "Official Xue, setting aside whether your father-in-law's shop has harmed others' business, grain prices in the city are currently soaring, and quite a few merchants are making a fortune. Perhaps Official Xue could make a decision on his behalf and raise your father-in-law's grain prices by a few tenths, aligning them with Squire Sun and the others. That way, everyone profits. Why not?"

"Lord Xu, your humble subordinate is an official of the Directorate of Astronomy and understands nothing of mercantile affairs. I have never meddled in such matters and am afraid I cannot make decisions on behalf of my father-in-law. If there is nothing else, your humble subordinate will take his leave." Xue Yuanhao declined tactfully.

Seeing him show such a lack of deference, a flash of annoyance crossed Xu Wei's face.

The atmosphere in the private room grew heavy. The accompanying hostesses stopped what they were doing, not daring to draw a full breath.

*Clap, clap, clap*—

At that moment, Xu Wei clapped his hands, and the zither music from the inner chamber instantly ceased.

A moment later, a woman carrying a zither emerged. Her eyebrows looked as if drawn with ink, her skin surpassed the snow, and she possessed an intoxicating, peerless beauty.

Especially striking was her extremely slender figure; as she moved, she gave the impression of a fragile willow swaying in the breeze, making one instinctively want to gather her into one's arms.

Xu Wei let his gaze linger on the woman for a moment before saying to Xue Yuanhao, "Official Xue, this young lady's name is Qianniang. She is a zither player specially invited by Squire Sun. The rest of us are all accompanied by fair companions, and it would hardly do to neglect our esteemed guest. Perhaps she might pour wine for Official Xue."

With that, Xu Wei nodded toward Qianniang.

Qianniang set her lute aside, curtsied deeply to Xue Yuanhao, and said softly, "It is this humble maid's honor to pour wine for Official Xue."

The expressions of both father and son shifted.

This Xu Wei truly was an old fox. Seeing that negotiations were failing, he had instantly changed tactics. Having Qianniang serve Xue Yuanhao wine was clearly a honey trap. As the saying goes, those who eat another's food become soft-handed, and those who take another's gifts become short-elbowed. With such a great beauty presented to him now, Xue Yuanhao would find it hard to refuse when they resumed discussing business.

Seeing Qianniang walk toward his father, Xue Rui suddenly grabbed her delicate, onion-white hand and declared firmly, "Elder Sister, you cannot go keep my father company. When we left home earlier, my mother expressly commanded that he is not to dally with wildflowers and grasses outside, or he'll be made to kneel on a washboard when he gets back."

"Hahaha!"

Everyone in the room was startled by this declaration, and then burst into hearty laughter.

Xue Yuanhao's face flushed a deep crimson, and he was so embarrassed he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground. While he might be somewhat submissive to his wife, it certainly wasn't to the extent Xue Rui described. Having it proclaimed in public like this—wasn't this just slapping his face?

Seeing his old man glaring fiercely at him, Xue Rui offered a continuous series of bitter smiles. This wasn't him trying to ruin his father's good time; he was trying to rescue him!

When the laughter subsided, Xu Wei smoothed things over, saying, "A man is only putting on a show when he's out. Your father is a seventh-rank official at such a young age, and he will inevitably have to attend such occasions in the future. If he insists on staying pristine all the time, he'll likely find it hard to integrate into official circles. Besides, if you don't say anything about today, how would your mother ever know?"

"My mother has a remarkably sharp nose. This sister here is fragrant and alluring; if she stands too close to my father, he'll definitely be found out upon returning. Since I'm rather bored at the moment, why don't this sister keep me company and talk with me instead?"

Clutching Qianniang's hand, Xue Rui tried to pull her down to sit beside him. To his surprise, Qianniang stood firm, and he failed to budge her.

Pulling her hand free from Xue Rui's grasp, Qianniang cast a subconscious look at Xu Wei. Seeing no objection, she took it upon herself to say, "In that case, this humble maid will keep the young master company, so as not to put Official Xue in a difficult position."

And thus, under Xue Rui's astonished gaze, Qianniang seated herself beside him.

Seeing this, Sun He was so angry he ground his teeth. The pretty beauty he had spent a small fortune to invite had actually chosen to keep a clueless, unromantic brat company—what a waste of fine flowers on manure!

"Come, come, since this is a banquet, how can we do without wine? Everyone, bottoms up!"

Fearing the atmosphere would go cold, Xu Wei raised his cup and proposed a toast.

Because there were matters to discuss today, the banquet featured Western Regions grape wine, which was not particularly high in alcohol. Xue Yuanhao had some capacity for drink and did not decline, cooperating by draining a cup.

After setting down his cup, Xu Wei did not return to the subject of the grain shop, instead turning to discuss affairs of the Directorate of Astronomy with Xue Yuanhao.

Pricking up his ears, Xue Rui half-heartedly exchanged words with Qianniang while secretly eavesdropping on the conversation of the others.

As he listened, Xue Rui felt a small hand slip onto his thigh, slowly creeping closer to a certain sensitive spot.

"Damn!"

Xue Rui started in alarm.

Earlier, seeing Qianniang's steady demeanor—unlike the unseemly flirts among the other women—he had assumed she was a pristine courtesan who merely poured wine for guests. He had never expected her to make a direct assault on his lower regions!

As a novice in the world of romance, where had Xue Rui ever witnessed such high-stakes maneuvers? His face instantly turned as red as a boiled crab.

Feeling Qianniang's hand still roaming on his thigh with no intention of stopping, he finally couldn't help whispering a warning, "Qian, Sister Qianniang, I'm still just a child!"

"Huh?"

Qianniang was slightly startled before realization dawned. The brat thought she was engaging in some sort of shameful behavior. A wave of rosy blush flooded her cheeks, and she couldn't help giving Xue Rui's thigh a sharp pinch.

"Ouch!"

Stung by the pain, Xue Rui let out a soft exclamation.

At the sound, the others looked over and saw Xue Rui grimacing, pulling a face and blinking rapidly at Qianniang.

With an unruffled expression, Qianniang withdrew her hand, grabbed a handful of candied jujubes and dried fruits, and shoved them all at once into Xue Rui's mouth, playfully chiding, "Such a little fellow with a big imagination, still needing me to feed you aren't you ashamed?"

Caught off guard, Xue Rui's mouth was stuffed to capacity, leaving him to clutch his cheeks and chew with great difficulty.

Their exchange was interpreted by Xu Wei and the others as playful flirting. Aside from a few mental sneers, they paid it no further heed.

Seeing the others resume their conversation, Qianniang finally let out a sigh of relief.

By now, Xue Rui had moved a couple of feet away from Qianniang, maintaining a posture of total alertness, looking very much like he was guarding against a wolf.

Seeing him like this, Qianniang bit her lip and leaned closer. Dipping her finger into the wine in her cup, she traced a single character on the table.

"Jin..."

As he recognized the character, realization struck Xue Rui. No wonder the men arranged by Chen Yi had never shown up—it turned out Qianniang was a covert operative planted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Connecting this with Qianniang's earlier bizarre behavior, how could Xue Rui fail to understand? The woman hadn't been taking advantage of him at all; she had been writing on his thigh to signal her true identity...

It was fortunate that only Qianniang knew what had happened just now, otherwise he truly would have died of mortification.

Once he understood Qianniang's identity, Xue Rui felt much more at ease, chatting and laughing with her in an atmosphere of apparent harmony.

Meanwhile, back on Xue Yuanhao's side, having finished discussing the Directorate of Astronomy, Xu Wei spoke with high spirits:

"Official Xue is profoundly learned; serving merely as a seventh-rank official truly wastes your talents. As it happens, I have some connections in the Ministry of Rites. Once today's affairs are settled, I will have a word with them so that when they submit reports, they give Official Xue special consideration. Given your seniority and achievements, you could advance another rank in less than half a year."

Xue Yuanhao hastily replied, "I thank Lord Xu for your kind consideration, but your humble subordinate is truly unworthy of such favor. Let nature take its course."

Though spoken politely, this was a flat rejection of Xu Wei's goodwill, causing the expressions of the three men to darken somewhat.

Han Zuo said with a gloomy face, "Official Xue, I hear the junior officials of the Directorate of Astronomy have been harboring immense resentment lately due to their unpaid emoluments. Is there any truth to this?"

"Indeed there is. Every other yamen has been paid, while the Directorate of Astronomy alone has not. Naturally, the officials have grounds for complaint," Xue Yuanhao acknowledged with a nod.

Han Zuo gave a cold laugh. "To speak plainly to you: until your family's grain shop raises its prices, the salaries for the Directorate of Astronomy will not be disbursed!"

Xue Yuanhao said in a deep voice, "Lord Han, what do the affairs of a grain shop have to do with the salaries of the Directorate of Astronomy? Could it be that Lord Han is also stepping forward to champion the grain merchants?"

Han Zuo picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and then said arrogantly, "I'll spell it out for you clearly: my Ministry of Revenue has extensive dealings with the major grain merchants in the city, and we rely heavily on them in our day-to-day work.

Your family's grain shop has disrupted market conditions, making it impossible for anyone else to do business. That inevitably affects the Ministry of Revenue to some extent. That is why I have stepped in to mediate on behalf of the merchants. If you refuse to show consideration for your peers, then I will show no consideration for the Directorate of Astronomy."

With an ugly expression, Xue Yuanhao challenged, "Lord Han, grain prices in the city are currently skyrocketing, and the common people are suffering bitterly. If prices climb any higher, who knows how many impoverished souls will starve to death? As an official of the Ministry of Revenue, how can you act as an accomplice to evil and sit idly by while such a tragedy unfolds?"

"Audacious!"

Han Zuo slammed his hand on the table and bellowed, "What does the life or death of the capital's common people have to do with a petty official of the Directorate of Astronomy? Even if people really starve to death, that is a matter for the imperial court, not for Han someone-or-other. I tell you straight now: if your family's shop doesn't raise its prices, don't even dream of getting the Directorate's salaries released. In time, let's see if you can withstand the fury of hundreds of men!"

Taking a deep breath, Xue Yuanhao looked toward Xu Wei in the seat of honor and said through clenched teeth, "Lord Xu, you heard Director Han's words just now. Such a muddle-headed official who disregards the lives of the people and only knows how to scheme for corrupt merchants fails the Son of Heaven above and the common folk below. As the official responsible for selecting and evaluating the court's personnel, how can you condone such lawless behavior?"

At this, Xu Wei pushed the woman in his arms away and said with a chuckle, "Official Xue, now that you've entered officialdom, how can you not understand the principle of officials protecting one another?"

"My—my lord, what do you mean by that?"

Xue Yuanhao's expression stalled as he stammered the question.

Xu Wei said with playful mockery, "To speak plainly: the business of the grain merchants involves too many intricate threads, and quite a few bigwigs are keeping their eyes on it. If you fail to give a satisfactory answer today, the next person who comes looking for you will make you give your answers from your knees!"