Different from the Jingdong Guild Hall, which was specially used to receive those officials with the title of "Imperial Envoy" in the capital, and which had a bit of the capital's wealth and elegance, Zhang Chen, who used the alias Wang Shen, stayed in a Jinyu Cottage, which was definitely full of the flavor of a nouveau riche.
As the most luxurious inn in Shunde Prefecture, the cost of staying here for one night is one tael, which is enough for a middle-class family to live for a month. However, Xingtai is not on the canal, nor is it a port near the sea, so there are not many wealthy merchants coming here from Jiangnan. Usually, most of the rooms are empty. Now Zhang Chen is enjoying the treatment of renting the whole place. After returning from the capital, he has been having fun every day.
However, Young Master Zhang was also a prominent figure among the playboys in the capital. He had seen the Twelve Rains of Tingyu Villa countless times, and now he had long forgotten his initial thoughts of having a romantic encounter. He drank and had fun purely for the enjoyment of music, singing and dancing. None of those singing girls and dancers who threw themselves into his arms could succeed, and they gradually became obedient.
At this moment, thinking that Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu would be overjoyed after the money was delivered, Zhang Chen squinted his eyes and took another sip, then tapped the table with his fingers in a self-satisfied rhythm. At this moment, he felt someone approaching behind him, and just as his body tensed up, he heard a voice.
"Sir, the people are here."
Zhang Chen realized that he was no longer alone and weak as when he first came out. No matter what his father was thinking, the people he gave him were indeed useful. However, no matter how satisfied he was, he looked arrogant and reserved at this moment. He raised his hand slightly and made a gesture, as if he was immersed in the singing, dancing and music again.
Soon, a voice with a hint of flattery came from outside: "Master Wang, Mr. Zheng and others want to see you."
"Didn't I just see them last night? What are you doing here again?" Zhang Chen raised his eyebrows in obvious impatience, and then said unhappily, "They are not beautiful beauties. They keep hanging around in front of me. Are they trying to remind me that I owe them money? Tell them to come in, and everyone else go out!"
Zheng Yuanwai and others who were waiting outside the door did not change their faces when they heard these arrogant words. Having dealt with Wang Shen, who was said to be the confidant of the second prince, several times, most of them understood his character - arrogant and daring... Otherwise, how could ordinary people dare to beat up the eldest prince's men casually? But it was precisely because of this that they decided to use this person to deal with the imperial envoy.
After all, among the four young masters over there, two are the future imperial consorts and grooms, and the other two are also children of officials - one of them is even related to Zheng Yuanwai himself. No one wants to offend the four to the point of desperation - even though they have already done quite too much.
At this moment, seeing that the music troupe and a group of singing and dancing girls had retreated, Mr. Zheng took the lead and entered the house.
Not only had his elder brother passed the imperial examination, he was also a student of the Prime Minister Jiang Ge Lao, and was now a bachelor of the Imperial Academy, so he was also considered the top figure among the families in Xingtai. Therefore, after he greeted "Wang Shen" with a smile, he glanced at the two guards behind him calmly.