Chapter 357 — Kuang Chao

Song Yan said with a smile, "Family does not speak two languages. When it comes to dealing with palace people, Fifth Uncle really is no match for me."

Dou Yan thought of the expression on Song Yan's face when he had helped Dou Yan sit down earlier, and could not help laughing.

All his self-professed cleverness was wasted—there were still times when he could not see clearly.

Song Yan was clearly doing this for the sake of Fourth Aunt's face, sparing no effort to intervene in the matter, and yet he had mistaken him for a man of warmhearted generosity...

"Then I have Fourth Uncle's leave to thank!" Once his mind was made up, Dou Yan was more decisive than anyone. He clasped his hands toward Song Yan and said without the slightest hesitation, "No time like the present—why not summon Kuang Zhuoran here right now? I'd like to know what else lies hidden in this business."

Song Yan nodded.

Dou Yan and Dou Huaide left for the inn on Yuanyen Temple Lane.

Song Yan had a screen set up in the small study, and said to Dou Xin, "When we talk later, you stay behind the screen and listen." Then he sighed. "I ought to be taking you about and showing you the sights, but I'm bound to my post and truly cannot get away. You must be bored to tears at home—listen to all this, and treat it as a way to pass the time."

Dou Yan's heart was a tangle of feelings.

Married to Song Yan, she had never imagined that one day she would receive so much more than she gave.

She wrapped her arms around Song Zhi's waist and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Song Yan was slightly taken aback, and the corners of his mouth could not help curving upward.

He returned Dou Yan's embrace, feeling his wife's tenderness toward him. It was like drinking Li Hua Bai—intoxicating, and one had no wish to wake.

It was a pity that such wordless tenderness, more eloquent than speech, always seemed so brief. By the time Dou Yan and Dou Huaide came in with a pale-faced Kuang Zhuoran, Dou Yan was already seated behind the screen.

After bowing to Song Yan in some bewilderment, Kuang Zhuoran's face grew even paler.

He muttered to Dou Yan, "So the Yingzhen Ducal Manor is kin to your family! I never knew your family had such illustrious connections!" And then, "How can this be? Our family is merely one of the notable houses in Panyu—how would the great folk of the capital know of us?" He looked as though he had been frightened out of his wits and had still not come back to himself.

This was what everyone wanted to know.

Dou Yan began to question Kuang Zhuoran gently about the ins and outs of the affair.

Kuang Zhuoran knew well enough how grave the matter was. He took a sip of tea and steadied himself, then answered each of Dou Yan's questions carefully.

The matter was simple enough. The Kuang family was one of the greatest landowners in Panyu, and the newly appointed magistrate had reexamined the yellow registers for the grain tax. The Kuang family was assessed as a major taxpayer, and they refused to accept it. They sought out the prefect, with whom they had long-standing ties, and the prefect intervened on their behalf, reducing their tax burden from the first grade to the second. Not long after, their business began to draw covetous eyes.

Hearing this, Song Yan and Dou Yan could not help exchanging a glance.

This time it was Song Yan who spoke.

"When the new magistrate took office, did the Kuang family not pay him a visit?"

"We did," Kuang Zhuoran said, somewhat uncomfortable, but still honest. "Though our manner was rather arrogant."

"And after the registers were changed, did you not take the opportunity to mend fences with the magistrate?"

Kuang Zhuoran's face flushed crimson, and he said in a low voice, "My grandfather has something of a temper, and my elder sister is betrothed to the prefect's second son, so..."

So the man had made up his mind to make life hard for them.

Song Yan and Dou Yan lowered their heads and took a sip of tea.

Dou Huaide could not help saying, "Our Dou family has produced more than a few provincial graduates and metropolitan graduates—we even hold a seat in the Grand Secretariat now—and yet whenever a magistrate takes office, we never dare treat him with disrespect. Whatever happens in the county, we are always the first to contribute money and goods. A magistrate who is slighted can ruin a family utterly—does your family not even understand that much? How on earth did you become the richest house in Panyu? I truly cannot fathom it!"

But Kuang Zhuoran was thunderstruck by the words "our Dou family has produced more than a few provincial graduates and metropolitan graduates—we even hold a seat in the Grand Secretariat now." He stared at Dou Yan and cried out, "Can it be that Brother Boyan is a son of the Dou clan of the North Tower?"

Dou Yan looked at Dou Huaide and could only sigh inwardly. "I am indeed of the Dou clan."

Kuang Zhuoran dropped to his knees before Dou Yan with a thud: "Brother Dou, I beg you, save our Kuang family!"

Dou Yan hurried to pull him up. "We are brothers, you and I—there's no point to this."

Kuang Zhuoran rose to his feet, ashamed and mortified.

Song Sui stood nearby, stroking his chin: "I think you've got the wrong man!"

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Brothers and sisters, here is today's first update.

The second update will be around 11 tonight.

o(n_n)o~