A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 27 Mutual Calculations

Early the next morning.

Wang Qing rushed to the yamen and ordered his men to take the bound Ni Er to the duty room, dismissing all those around him.

While untying Ni Er, he laughed and said, "The flood washed away the Dragon King Temple. I didn't expect you to be the relative in charge. I'm so sorry for offending you."

When Ni Er heard him mention Lai Wang's name, he wondered when he had become Lai Wang's relative, but he also understood that it was probably just an excuse to get people out of trouble.

Feeling more confident, he casually sat down in the chair opposite Wang Qing, crossed his legs, and swayed his head, saying, "I dare to do this business because I naturally have someone protecting me!"

Wang Qing wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he smiled broadly and said, "Yes, yes, yes! The steward told me!"

"You know that much is good!"

Ni Er, increasingly smug, sneered, "When are you going to let me out?"

Wang Qing feigned difficulty: "Although there is a manager here to vouch for us, it still involves thieves, so it's a bit tricky..."

"I'm just running a business, how would I know anything about thieves?"

"That may be true, but only you know whether it matters or not. And if you just make things up, what if the thief gets caught and then betrays you? Wouldn't that be...?"

As he spoke, he pushed a pre-prepared document in front of Ni Er: "I'm also trying to protect myself. Here's a statement that has nothing to do with the thief. If you're willing to sign it, we'll have the manager come tomorrow and sign another guarantee document, and then we can let you go out first."

Although Wang Qing couldn't have foreseen it, Wang Xifeng wanted to cook the fish in three ways.

But wasn't he also scheming against this fiery woman?

These days, how many ordinary people have the opportunity to read and write?

Even Wang Xifeng couldn't recognize all the characters, let alone Ni Er.

He claimed to have no connection with the thief, but in reality, he confessed to lending money at exorbitant interest rates under the instructions of Wang Xifeng.

He didn't expect to convict Wang Xifeng based on this. As long as he combined it with the document that Laiwang recognized Ni Er as a relative and vouched for him, it would be enough for Wang Xifeng to weigh the consequences of presenting it to Grandmother Jia.

Of course, he wouldn't resort to such a drastic measure right now, one that would kill a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of his own.

But constant dripping wears away a stone. As long as one has enough of these things, accumulating them to the point that even Wang Xifeng cannot bear it, one can make her hesitant to act rashly and accept her fate.

As for whether Wang Xifeng would suspect him of having ulterior motives.

Wang Qing wasn't worried at all. After all, he knew better than Ni Er that the other party had nothing to do with the thief.

In other words, in Ni Er's eyes, this confession was completely useless, and telling Lai Wang about it might only cause more trouble.

Even if he didn't have that much brains, and told Laiwang about it, even with that guarantee document, Laiwang might not take it seriously.

Even if Wang Xifeng knew, he could use the same words he used with Ni Er to deflect the question. Even if it aroused Wang Xifeng's suspicion, it would be better than leaving no evidence at all.

After all, given Wang Xifeng's personality, she would never let anyone manipulate her without having some knowledge or skills, relying solely on empty words.

Thanks to the Five Cities Military Command's habit of keeping a low profile, Ni Er not only had no suspicions about Wang Qing's hesitation, but also looked down on him even more.

He grabbed the confession that Wang Qing pushed towards him, examined it for a moment with feigned concern, then sneered and pressed his fingerprint on it.

Only then did Wang Qing put away the documents, chat with Ni Er in a friendly manner for a while, and then send someone to escort him back to his cell.

Then, he summoned Zhuang Ze and told him that Ni Er would be released the next day, and asked him to draft a guarantee document.

These days, it's common to see relatives and friends covering for each other and to use connections and back channels. Wang Qing was also actively promoting his relationship with the Rongguo Mansion, and Zhuang Ze not only didn't object, but he also didn't object.

Instead, they felt he hadn't done enough and suggested, "Why don't you go all the way and return the money confiscated from the gambling den as well? And those men of Ni Er's are just a waste of money and resources to keep them locked up."

Returning the money was just a favor; Zhuang Ze mainly felt there was no need to support those idle people.

Instead of reprimanding him, Wang Qing sneered, "He's just a relative of a servant. I'm already being generous by releasing him. Why would I return the money?"

Then, he changed the subject, saying, "You're right, it is indeed a waste of money and food to keep these people locked up. It's not that the money can't be refunded, but it shouldn't be refunded in this way."

Yes, Wang Qing did not intend to keep these scoundrels around indefinitely, and in fact, the money was not impossible to return.

Just like when he released Ni Er, he only wanted to wait for the forces behind these people to come knocking on his door before doing them a favor.

On the one hand, water that is too clear has no fish; if he were unconventional and incorruptible, he would find it difficult to move forward.

On the other hand, although raiding the gambling dens brought in their first pot of gold, this sum was enough to sustain them for two or three years.

But he still needs to merge the military commands of the five cities. Once he merges the other four cities, it won't be so easy for him to repeat the same trick.

Therefore, he needed to do someone a favor to implement the next step of the plan and secure a long-term and stable source of income for the Five Cities Garrison.

As for whether these hooligans will become even more ruthless after they leave, Wang Qing is not considering that for the time being.

When one is poor, one should focus on self-cultivation; he will only consider these things if they do not affect his own well-being.

The most urgent task is to complete the emperor's mission; indulging in excessive maternal instincts will only bring trouble upon oneself.

Of course, in Wang Qing's plan, these people would be sent to labor reform sooner or later, but now was not the time.

After handling some miscellaneous matters at the yamen and having lunch, Wang Qingfang led his men on a tour of the western city area. It wasn't until evening that they finally took a detour home.

As soon as he entered, the young maids excitedly exclaimed, "Master! Madam Zhen from the East Mansion has arrived!"

"Oh?"

Wang Qing hurried to the front hall, bowed deeply to the woman inside, and said sincerely, "I should have visited Brother Zhen and Sister-in-law first, but I couldn't possibly trouble you, Sister-in-law. I'm so sorry for my rudeness!"

Madam You returned the greeting and said with a smile, "Brother Qing, you flatter me. You have just taken office and have a great responsibility to capture the thief. As for us, we have been busy with things at the manor lately. If we hadn't seen someone sweeping outside, we wouldn't have known that Brother Qing had come. Please forgive us for any neglect."

She had initially worried that Wang Qing was too weak and might be harmed by Jia Zhen, but seeing his imposing appearance, she not only felt relieved but also wondered if he might have actually injured the thief.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but glance at Wang Qing a couple more times.

You was sizing up Wang Qing, and Wang Qing was also sizing her up.

I originally thought that when Wang Xifeng made a scene at Ningguo Mansion and called You Shi a gourd with its mouth sawed off, she was mocking her for being clumsy and tongue-tied.

Unexpectedly, she spoke very fluently, and although she was not as flamboyant as Wang Xifeng, she was more amiable.

On the contrary, her figure is exactly like a gourd, with a prominent bust and buttocks.

Although she couldn't match Li Wan's exquisite features, she had an apricot-shaped face and peach-like cheeks, with spring-like eyes and a mature charm unique to her age, giving people a feeling of being mature but not saccharine, charming but not seductive.

After exchanging pleasantries, Madam You got straight to the point: "Your elder brother Zhen has invited some of his buddies to our house tomorrow for drinks and a performance. Hearing that you're coming, he was thinking of introducing you to some old relatives and friends..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qing was overjoyed. He quickly stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you so much for your kindness, Brother Zhen and Sister-in-law. I will go to the yamen first thing tomorrow morning to let them know, and I will be there on time before noon!"

Although when you're away from home, you give yourself your own identity.

To make it look convincing, you need to bring in some people to support you and make the whole thing work.

Originally, he had done Wang Xifeng a favor and was hoping that the power behind the gambling den would find the Rong Mansion, and then, by going along with it, he could make connections with these people through Jia Lian, and incidentally get to know a few playboys in the capital.

Unexpectedly, Jia Zhen took the lead and rushed to advocate for himself.

Although Jia Lian was closer to him, Wang Qing secretly calculated that he would soon accompany Lin Daiyu south, and the trip would last for a year.

As the head of the Ningguo Mansion and the patriarch of the Jia family, Jia Zhen carried even greater weight.

So, although there was an element of acting involved, the surprise was genuine.

However, he did not forget to release Ni Er, but he was unwilling to tell Madam You.

This reaction was exactly as Wang Xifeng had guessed, but the fact that all the gentlemen in the Ning and Rong mansions were neglecting their duties, and that Wang Qing even had to steal time to go to the yamen to attend events, surprised You Shi, who glanced at him slightly.

Since it was her first visit and dusk was approaching, she could not stay long. After exchanging a few polite words, Madam You hurriedly took her leave.

……