My Love Rivals Have All Reborn - Chapter 48.2

Wen Zhilin was so angry that he spoke recklessly: “You, what a sharp-tongued girl! The Wen family’s centuries of scholarship are inherently nobler than you merchants with your copper stench! You say I rely on powerful connections, but look at yourselves. Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—you are the lowest class. How can you compare to us? Wen Yuke, you are lowering yourself by associating with a merchant.”

Wen Yuke’s face flushed red, and she clenched her fists. Xiao Kunning was calm. She had seen too many shameless people. There were many families like the Wen family who were hypocritical. She could not reason with him and was too lazy to try.

As she prepared to drive him away, a voice came from the back door: “Why so much talk? Shopkeeper, call someone to break both his legs. The Zhao family has money to pay for the treatment. Ten thousand taels of silver for one of your legs.”

Zhao Kaizhi spoke leisurely. Over the years, he had learned from Zhao Xiran how to be unreasonable. This was how to deal with shameless people.

Wen Zhilin saw the situation was bad and immediately tried to run, but the assistant grabbed him. They put a sack over him and started beating him up.

Xiao Kunning said helplessly, “Uncle, aren’t you afraid of causing trouble for the Zhao family?”

Wen Yuke said calmly: “What if we cause trouble? If the Wen family dares to file a complaint, I will dare to publicize the Zhou family’s forced marriage.

If I cannot be a gentleman, what is the harm in being a villain?

Zhao Kaizhi clapped his hands in approval. He ushered the two girls out: “You should return to your manors. I will send him to the pharmacy, and he will lack neither treatment nor tonics.”

Besides, Zhao Xiran was acquainted with powerful people. If she could not handle this small matter, what was she doing as a princess’s lover? She should pack up and come back to be the co-owner of the shop.

After being ushered out, Xiao Kunning smiled wistfully at Wen Yuke: “My uncle has a cheerful personality.”

Wen Yuke’s face was filled with longing. This was perhaps what a family should be, while in the Wen family, there was only profit.

After leaving together, they boarded the Xiao Residence’s carriage. Gu Ning, across the street, saw everything clearly. Xie Yu’s backyard was on fire.

And the fire was quite big. It was about to burn down the courtyard wall, and the flowers had run out to be picked.

The two were silent after getting into the carriage. The noise from outside drifted in. Wen Yuke lifted the curtain, pretending to be casual: “His Majesty rewarded me with some silver. I want to buy a new house. Miss Xiao, do you know where would be suitable?”

Xiao Kunning had not expected Wen Yuke to ask her opinion. She thought seriously. Chang’an City was expensive, and the area near the Xiao family was all official residences, which were costly. No one was selling a house right now.

“There are no official residences being pawned off today.”

Wen Yuke gripped the carriage curtain tightly. Her stability contained a tremble. She asked earnestly, “Where does Miss think is nice?”

“Me?” Xiao Kunning pointed at herself, not understanding her meaning. She laughed heartily: “A place with beautiful scenery is good! Some houses have good land prices, but the scenery in the manor is not good. You need to look around more.”

Beautiful scenery… Wen Yuke noted it down. Xiao Kunning came from Jiangnan, the place with the best scenery in Great Zhou. It would not be difficult to build a Jiangnan-style courtyard in Chang’an City.

The carriage stopped outside the Wen Residence. The coachman placed the footstool down. Wen Yuke stepped out and turned to bow to Xiao Kunning: “It is getting late. Miss, please take care.”

Xiao Kunning curved her lips and smiled lightly, waving at her: “Minister Wen, take care. Do not worry about today’s matter.”

Wen Yuke’s limbs were stiff. She waved her arm woodenly, silently watching her leave. After the carriage disappeared around the corner, the light smile on her face was replaced by coldness.

Three days after Xiao Kunning returned to the manor, Zhao Kaizhi sent a message: the Wen family matter was handed over to Zhao Xiran; there was no need to worry.

Princess Gaoyang was notoriously overbearing. No one would dare say anything if she killed someone. Zhao Xiran did not think it was a big deal, but she had someone seriously investigate Wen Yuke.

Wen Yuke was the only person who had been promoted so quickly. She was indeed a genius, but her family background was poor, and she had a bunch of bloodsuckers in her family. They needed to be careful about marrying their daughter to her.

Prince Gaoyang heard some subtle implications in her words. It was normal for Zhao Xiran to appreciate Wen Yuke, but what about the cold-faced Grand Tutor?

They were all allies, so they had to help. She peeled a fruit and fed it to Zhao Xiran: “The upright and resolute Minister Wen and the proper and beautiful Elder Miss Xiao would make quite a compatible match.”

Zhao Xiran raised an eyebrow: “Get away from me. I am looking for my daughter. Xiao Wenxue is suitable for a prince or a noble young master. Do not interrupt.”

Prince Gaoyang had no choice. She had done her best for her ally. Wen Yuke was indeed excellent. Even the Zhou family was interested in her, so it was no wonder Zhao Xiran was getting ideas. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if Xiao Kunning’s nature and Xie Yu’s stubbornness would lead to daily quarrels if they were together.

Xie Yu was sharp-tongued and did not seem like the type to dote on someone.

As an ally, she wrote a letter to Xie Yu, telling her to solve things herself. Successful in her career, but unlucky in love. Heaven was fair, after all.

She did not feel bad. People like Xie Yu needed this kind of tempering, or she would become too arrogant.

The letter was delivered to the Xie Residence and then forwarded to the Guan Zhi Study. Xie Yu was in the Hanguang Hall, listening to the officials discuss matters. Gu Zheng had been demoted, and the vacant position needed to be filled.

With the formidable Wen Yuke in the Ministry of Personnel, no one wanted to go there.

Yan Huaizhen had been lightly penalized for his salary by the Emperor due to the scholar’s case. He felt uncomfortable and had lost face, so he sat in the hall, saying nothing.

He was silent, but his faction was extremely active, nominating only their own people. Zhao Mian remained quiet, and Xie Yu looked at the Political Essentials in her hand, her expression calm, clearly unwilling to speak much.

When the palace servant came to add tea, he subtly handed the letter to her.

Zhao Mian saw this and asked, “Does the Grand Tutor have something to report?”

Xie Yu’s expression remained the same: “The backyard is on fire.”

Her voice was as steady as before, without much fluctuation.

Everyone was curious about what she meant by “backyard.” The Grand Tutor’s residence only had her staff, maids, and servants. That was hardly a backyard.

Zhao Mian was also stunned, unable to help his curiosity: “Where does the Grand Tutor have a backyard?”

Prince Gaoyang’s letter wrote: The red apricot is beautiful and extends over the courtyard wall. Translating this, was it not just that the backyard was on fire?

Xie Yu hid the letter in her sleeve, not allowing others to see it. She sat up straight and said, “Your servant has a candidate.”

The crowd immediately perked up, leaning forward to listen. Even Zhao Mian was curious about Xie Yu’s best candidate.

Xie Yu said: “What does Your Majesty think of your servant?”

Prime Minister Yan across from her sneered: “So that is what the Grand Tutor is thinking. You already control the Patrol Camp. Are you not afraid of being stretched too thin?”

Xie Yu did not look at him, only speaking to the Emperor: “Your servant does not understand military affairs. The commander of the Patrol Camp should be replaced.”

Trading the Patrol Camp for the Ministry of Personnel, everyone was confused about what Xie Yu wanted. The Ministry of Personnel had the troublemaker Wen Yuke. How could it be more comfortable than the Patrol Camp?

Zhao Mian felt there was a hidden meaning in Xie Yu’s words. Xie Yu was a woman, and controlling the Patrol Camp was indeed somewhat inappropriate. He agreed: “The Grand Tutor must have a new candidate for the Patrol Camp commander.”

Xie Yu said indifferently: “Deputy General Sun You of the Luoyang Barracks. He was a jinshi during the late Emperor’s reign, later abandoned literature for the military, and went to Luoyang to serve as a deputy general.”

The court officials were unfamiliar with this person. The Minister of Rites remembered him and said: “This person is indeed not ordinary. The late Emperor appreciated him and wanted to transfer him back to Chang’an, but the commander of the Luoyang Barracks refused to release him, so the late Emperor had to give up.”

Zhao Mian also had some recollection: “Someone the late Emperor appreciated cannot be bad. Let us transfer Sun You back to Chang’an, and Xie Yu will take the position of Minister of Personnel.”

Xie Yu rose to thank the Emperor. Everyone was completely confused. What good was the Ministry of Personnel, with its lack of military power, to Xie Yu?

Thinking of the troublemaker Wen Yuke, it was already headache-inducing.

After the meeting dispersed, Xie Yu walked slowly at the back. The Minister of Rites walked with her, slightly worried about her actions: “Grand Tutor, why did you do this?”

Xie Yu was calm and composed, with a detached and distant air. She gazed leisurely ahead: “If I control the Patrol Camp, I will only become the target of all criticism. It is better to have freedom in the Ministry of Personnel.”

The Minister of Rites felt she had a point. Xie Yu was a person of indifferent nature and had no interest in power struggles, so giving up military power was better. But he still did not understand: “Going to the Ministry of Officials would be better than staying in the Ministry of Personnel. That Wen Yuke dares to oppose anyone. Aren’t you afraid she will expose you once you go there?”

He thought of Gu Zheng and Prime Minister Yan, both of whom had lost face because of her and were hiding in their manors, afraid to venture out easily.

Xie Yu’s eyes were deep and profound. She said, “It does not matter. If she is a troublemaker, I will pluck out her thorns one by one.”

The Minister of Rites knew her character. With these two unsettling women in the same ministry, they would be constantly butting heads. There would likely be no quiet days ahead.

After the candidate was decided, Wen Yuke also selected a house and had people repair it when she was free. She should be able to move in before the end of the year.

After seven or eight peaceful days, the Guan Zhi Study was scheduled for assessment. Xiao Kunning was forced to get up and take the exam. Her mind was blank. She thought of the exam questions from her previous life. No, that is not right. Xie Yu did not hold an assessment in the previous life. Why is she acting crazy in this life?

To escape her misery, she decided not to write anything, no matter the topic. White paper was given to her, and white paper would be returned to Sir.

The last assessment was set by Xie Yu: The Art of Go (Chess).

Looking around, everyone frowned. After a moment, they picked up their brushes, dipped them in ink, lowered their eyes, and began to write. Even Zhao Can, after staring blankly for a cup of tea, suddenly had an epiphany and wrote with great feeling.

Only Xiao Kunning had no idea what to write. To successfully leave Xie Yu, she needed a drastic move.

Zhao Xiran said that it was easy to anger one’s teacher: Draw a turtle on white paper; it is a scoundrel either way.

It works every time.