It was truly a difficult situation for Wang Hui.
Unable to fulfill both loyalty and filial piety, she decided to leave the choice to heaven, letting it make the decision, and they were the fortunate ones.
Fortunate for the sliver of kindness in Zhao Jiaqi's heart.
The two sat on stools, gazing at the scenery outside the window, their hearts filled with apprehension. If everything went smoothly from this afternoon into the evening, then tonight would bring a great battle.
"Wife, you must stay in the restaurant tonight. Absolutely do not go out. I will come to get you!"
Speaking of this matter, Zhao Jiaqi's eyelids twitched, an inexplicable premonition chilling her: "I understand, don't you worry and go do what you need to do."
To prevent her husband from worrying, Zhao Jiaqi hid the unease in her heart. Then she thought, their side had too many people; even a battle of attrition could exhaust the enemy.
Time gradually passed. Seeing that the time was about right, the couple changed into clean clothes and went to the front hall.
At this point, they discovered that Wang Yuanzhi had been waiting in the living room for a while.
Wang Yuanzhi: "It's about time now. Let's go. We shouldn't keep the two prefects and the general waiting. It wouldn't be good."
Fan Zehao nodded slightly: "Right. For our first collaboration, we should be punctual."
Zhao Jiaqi, seeing the atmosphere was slightly tense, smiled and teased, "Tonight we are here to discuss important matters. The prefects' and general's time is precious. Let's drink less tonight and focus on reaching an agreement first. We can have a victory banquet afterward."
Seeing Wang Yuanzhi listening intently, Zhao Jiaqi smiled and said, "Every extra day we sell goods is an extra day we earn money. In this day and age, who dislikes having too much money?"
She smiled sweetly at Wang Yuanzhi: "What do you say, Village Chief!"
"That's the logic. Those words are impeccable. Once matters are settled, I will personally host a feast with good food and entertainment. You can rest assured, I will definitely give you plenty of face."
That's not necessary. As long as you confess so readily, it will be enough.
However, Fan Zehao, against his better judgment, replied, "Then I truly thank you, Village Chief. We will have many more dealings in the future. If there are benefits, I won't mistreat you either."
This was a grand promise, enough for Wang Yuanzhi to chew on for a while.
With that said, they left the front hall, walked out of the courtyard with smiles, and saw that there were not only two carriages outside, but also a driver for each, and four bodyguards.
Looking at the setup, Fan Zehao turned to Wang Yuanzhi: "What is the meaning of this, Village Chief?"
Wang Yuanzhi's answer was: "This is just for show. Although the prefects are officials, we can't lose the demeanor of merchants. We should put on a good appearance when necessary."
He then lifted the hem of his robe: "Look, this outfit cost me over two hundred taels. I don't usually dress up, but today, in order to welcome them, I've put in a lot of effort."
After he said that, they indeed looked closely at the Village Chief. From head to toe, he was completely transformed. If he hadn't mentioned it, they wouldn't have noticed.
After all, they had seen many people dressed like this before. In their subconscious, the Village Chief's family was quite wealthy.
A three-courtyard house was unique in the village.
"It's true. Your sincerity is enough to move them. I predict that half of tonight's matters will be successful. The remaining half will depend on how the profits are divided."
Wang Yuanzhi understood the implication in Fan Zehao's words. He stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "As long as we can sell a lot, splitting the profits equally is not an issue. The main thing is... whether it can be sold is the big problem."
Fan Zehao raised an eyebrow: "What do you think I do? I specialize in business. Just give me the goods, and I can definitely sell them. But the key is that you insist on seeing my abilities first."
He spread his hands, looking helpless: "Originally, we could have split it equally, but now, it has become that we all have to share."
Wang Yuanzhi chuckled and grasped his hand: "The money isn't earned by one person. In the future, if we encounter any problems in this area, won't these two provide protection? In the long run, we will still profit. Giving them an extra share of the profit is like buying peace of mind."
Well, this person's mind was quite agile. However, no matter how agile, it was not used in the right place, which was truly a pity.
Fan Zehao silently gave him a thumbs-up. Wang Yuanzhi also chuckled foolishly and got into his carriage.
Fan Zehao helped his wife into the rear carriage. He sat in the front on one side, with the driver arranged by Wang Yuanzhi on the other.
As for the escorts, there were two men, standing on either side of the carriage, driving unhurriedly towards the town.
In the restaurant in town, Bai Lu was very worried, and more so anxious.
Upstairs, several important figures who had been silent all along sat in another private room. There was no tea on the table, but instead, ink brushes, ink stones, paper, and ink were laid out.
Soon, they entered the restaurant. At that time, the two prefects and the general and their wives had not yet arrived. They waited in the hall for a while, and then saw the two prefects arrive leisurely.
The first person to walk in was an old acquaintance of Wang Yunzhi, the Prefect of Xiuzhou, Hua Yunzhe. Seeing Wang Yuanzhi, he smiled heartily.
Fan Zehao looked at this person, his small, squinting eyes full of calculation, and he felt disgusted, yet he had to step forward: "Are you Prefect Hua? My surname is Fan."
Upon hearing this surname, Hua Yunzhe's smiling face immediately became welcoming. There was no trace of a prefect's arrogance. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "I heard from the letter from His Highness the Prince that he told me about your relationship and asked me to send you greetings, saying that he wants to entertain you well when you go to the capital."
Hearing this, Fan Zehao quickly responded, "His Highness is too kind."
"However, His Highness and I have a relationship spanning many years, a life-and-death bond. Few people know about it. If it weren't for doing some business and making money, I wouldn't have written to His Highness and troubled him."
Hearing of this deep connection, Hua Yunzhe's eyes gleamed. After all, this Prince was highly trusted by the Emperor.
As they were talking, the Prefect of Songling Prefecture, Mi Yihai, also arrived. He looked around the restaurant and finally his gaze fell on Fan Zehao.
"Brother Fan, long time no see. You are still as handsome, suave, and dashing."
Mi Yihai knew Fan Zehao's true identity. It was only when a special forces soldier delivered a letter that he learned that the Prince was actually in Gangshang Village.
Although this was just a polite act, he dared not say anything else. Firstly, praising the Prince was always correct. As for the rest, he would observe the situation and act according to the Prince's cues.