After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 181 Tea

Sitting opposite Zheng Hao, Gu Lin's gaze fell on the young man's face. He noticed that the young man's brows were slightly furrowed as usual, and a look of doubt flashed in Gu Lin's eyes.

Zheng Hao has always been cautious and deep; he would never allow himself to get drunk and lose his senses outside.

The young man pondered, and the previously drunken youth slightly opened his eyes. Gu Lin met his dark eyes and was momentarily stunned.

Zheng Hao raised his hand, put his index finger to his lips, and silently snorted. Gu Lin then understood that the other party was pretending to be drunk. Since he was not speaking now, it was probably because there were people from Prefect Ren or General Yu watching outside.

So Gu Lin didn't say anything, and the two silently returned to their lodgings.

Just as they were about to get off the train, a young man's voice came from inside the carriage: "Da Zhuo, help the adults."

After saying that, Gu Lin got out of the car first, followed closely by Zheng Hao, who appeared normal but reeked of alcohol.

Da Zhuo stepped forward to help him up, but Zheng Hao waved his hand and stood there for a while, squinting his eyes as if he was sobering up. Da Zhuo had no choice but to back down.

But to all the servants in the mansion, the supervising officer was clearly quite drunk.

A cool breeze blew by, and Zheng Hao, who was not drunk to begin with, became even more clear-headed after breathing in the cool air for a while.

He turned his head slightly and saw that the young man had stayed by his side and had not left. Even though the other man had a calm demeanor, Zheng Hao did not miss the concern in Gu Lin's eyes and brows.

Seeing that the young man's dark eyes were becoming clearer, Gu Lin knew that the other man was completely sober. He said, "It's getting late. You should go back and take a bath and rest."

Lowering his gaze slightly, Zheng Hao swept over the weariness on the young man's face and said, "Uncle Gu too, I'll come over and have dinner with you later."

Gu Lin is much more casual now about Zheng Hao making decisions without asking him; as long as the other party doesn't cross his bottom line, the young man can turn a blind eye.

Each returned to their own courtyard. The servants who served Gu Lin had already prepared hot water. After bathing and washing up, Gu Lin went straight to bed and drank half of the wine he had consumed during the day. Although it was some low-alcohol fruit wine, the amount was still too much. In addition, he had been exposed to a lot of cold wind while drinking and talking in the garden, and for a while he felt sleepy and had a headache.

Gu Lin slept soundly until it was completely dark before he finally woke up.

Feeling a dryness in his throat, Gu Lin half-opened his eyes and was about to get up to pour some water when he felt a soreness in his body. Before he could even leave the bed, a deep voice came from the outer room: "Uncle Gu, what do you need?"

Still half-asleep and not fully awake, the young man mistook the servant in the outer room for a servant and asked him to bring in water.

The water clinked against the teacup, making a pleasant sound. Then, a steady, powerful footstep slowly approached. Gu Lin raised his eyes slightly: "Give me the water..."

Before he could finish speaking, a tall and broad figure came into Gu Lin's view. While Gu Lin was stunned, Zheng Hao walked towards the young man. Seeing that the man was wearing a cloak and was completely unguarded, sitting lazily cross-legged on the bed, Zheng Hao reached out and handed him a teacup: "Uncle Gu, have some water to moisten your throat."

For a moment, Gu Lin didn't accept.

As if knowing what the other person was thinking, Zheng Hao explained, "Uncle Gu drinks alcohol and eats wind during the day, which is not good for his stomach, so I had someone brew some tea mixed with medicinal herbs. Uncle Gu can try it and see how it tastes. If he can accept it, I will have someone brew some more often in the future and give it to him as plain water to drink."

He lowered his eyes slightly, looking at the young man in front of him. The man's lips were slightly red, but not a normal red. It was probably because he hadn't been drinking much water lately due to his busy schedule. Zheng Hao knew that although Uncle Gu looked steady, he had the same flaw as most children and teenagers: he didn't like to drink water. He would drink a few glasses of water when he was free and someone was watching him, but if he was busy, he could go a whole day without touching water.

Uncle Gu was already in poor health. If he didn't drink water for a long time, the toxins in his body wouldn't be expelled, and he would easily fall ill.

Zheng Hao had been reading medical books and talking with doctors, and he had been making tea for Uncle Gu by combining various dried flowers, tea leaves or medicinal herbs that would not harm his health. After many attempts, Uncle Gu found that he preferred flavored water to plain water.

Listening to Zheng Hao's explanation, and understanding that the other party hadn't been waiting in his room long ago, Gu Lin took the teacup, lowered his head and sipped the tea. The sweet and slightly cool water flowed down his throat, and Gu Lin felt much better.

There wasn't much tea, and Gu Lin finished it in a few gulps. Zheng Hao naturally took the teacup and asked, "Uncle Gu, would you like some more?"

Gu Lin shook his head: "No need, let's talk about the matter of Prefect Ren's wife and the others."

Sitting down on the chair by the bed, Zheng Hao gently swirled his teacup, his fingertips tracing the spot where the young man's lips had touched.

Gu Lin didn't notice any of this. He said to Zheng Hao, "I think the wife of Prefect Ren and the wife of General Yu seem to have a close relationship."

Those who overheard the young man's words might assume he meant the literal meaning, but Zheng Hao asked, "Does Uncle Gu mean that while the Prefect's wife and General Yu's wife seem to have a good relationship, their private interactions might not be?"

Gu Lin shook his head slightly and said, "If we're talking about private interactions, Madam Ren and Madam Yu must have a lot of contact. Today, Madam Yu and I had a bit of a quarrel, and after Madam Ren spoke up to mediate, Madam Yu, who is as strong as she is, immediately listened to her advice."

Gu Lin said, "It would be impossible to do this without a relatively deep relationship."

After spending a little time with her, Gu Lin knew that General Yu's wife was not someone to be trifled with.

Zheng Hao didn't concern himself with the relationship between the Prefect's wife and General Yu's wife. He stopped turning his teacup, his brow furrowed, and asked the young man, "Did they make things difficult for Uncle Gu?"

Gu Lin looked up and saw that the young man had a stern expression, his thin lips were slightly pursed, and there was a hint of ferocity between his brows, but his eyes contained concern that he was being bullied, which made him seem less scary.

Gu Lin waved his hand and said, "They invited me to be their guest, how could they possibly want to make an enemy of me?"

Even if the Prefect's wife and the others didn't care about him, they wouldn't offend him since he went to the banquet in place of Zheng Hao.

Gu Lin continued with the main topic: "Based on my intuition, the wife of Prefect Ren and the wife of General Yu are not as close as they seem on the surface. It would be best if you sent more people to keep an eye on them."

Before even reaching Jibei Prefecture, Zheng Hao sent people to investigate. After entering Jibei Prefecture, he was watched by people sent by Prefect Ren and General Yu. At the same time, he also sent people to watch the two of them.

With his eyes slightly lowered and his gaze fixed on the young man on the bed, Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, you've worked hard this time. You don't need to pay any attention to the invitations sent by the Prefect's wife and General Yu's wife."

Gu Lin nodded slightly, but then, remembering the shop that the Prefect's wife had mentioned earlier that day, he hesitated for a moment before repeating it to Zheng Hao.

Although the shop provided by the Prefect's wife was in a very good location, Gu Lin dared not and would not accept it. Zheng Hao's identity was sensitive, and it could easily be considered as accepting a bribe.

Unexpectedly, the young man replied in his usual tone, "If Uncle Gu thinks it's suitable, then buy the shop at the normal price."

"Ok?"

A look of surprise crossed the young man's face. He looked up at the youth, his face full of doubt.

Wasn't the other party being watched by Prefect Ren and General Yu's men? Aren't they afraid that if he accepts the shop from Prefect Ren's wife, they'll immediately record his crime and send it to the capital to be presented to the emperor?

Zheng Hao's tone was helpless, but his eyes were gentle and tolerant: "If Madam Ren wants to sell the shop, what's wrong with Uncle Gu buying it at the market price?"

That's what they say, but the shops along that stretch of road are incredibly valuable, and no ordinary person would ever think of selling them. The fact that Madam Ren, the prefect, said she would sell the shops to him was just out of consideration for Zheng Hao, a favor she was doing him.

Seeing that the young man was really worried, Zheng Hao patiently asked, "Uncle Gu, are you worried that after buying the shop from the wife of Prefect Ren, she will have something to use against me to frame me for accepting bribes?"

Gu Lin: "I've finally managed to expand my business to the capital, and I don't want it to all come to nothing."

The young man was stubborn, but Zheng Hao didn't care.

He peeled back the layers of interests and explained them to the other party: "I don't know what kind of world Uncle Gu originally lived in, but in Daqian, it is perfectly normal for officials to accept some benefits when doing things. I know that Uncle Gu hates this deeply, and so do I. However, being in the midst of this situation, before you have absolute power, if you don't go along with whoever pushes you, you will be defeated and sink in the court."

"As the military supervisor, I have come to Jibei Prefecture this time. As long as I do things well, I can accept some benefits and keep some things for myself. Whether it is Prefect Ren, General Yu, or His Majesty, the officials of the court, they are all well aware of this."

Gu Lin frowned and pursed his lips, unable to bear Zheng Hao's nonchalant words. Had the other party also been tainted by the officialdom of the Great Qian Dynasty in just half a year?

The young man's expression was easy to guess. Zheng Hao spoke in a low voice, revealing the unsavory side of officialdom: "Officials need to accept bribes to make other officials feel at ease. If I were without desires, many people would think I was unfit to be an official."

Being without heart or desire is equivalent to being inflexible. If an inflexible person encounters a wise ruler, they might become a legendary tale of a ruler and his minister. However, Zheng Hao was not Wei Zheng, and Emperor Jian'an was not Emperor Taizong of Tang. The court of the Great Qian Dynasty was in a state of chaos, and those who were inflexible had long since left the officialdom, either voluntarily or by force.

Not wanting to force the young man, Zheng Hao said, "Uncle Gu, if you don't want that shop, then don't. There's no need to force yourself."

He added, "You are my elder when we're out in the world, and they won't make things difficult for you."

The young man's status was a great advantage. Although he was younger than Madam Ren and others, he was Zheng Hao's elder, so Madam Ren and others would not make things difficult for him no matter what.

Gu Lin made a decision: "I will decline the position of Prefect's wife tomorrow."

Seeing that the other party did not force him, Zheng Hao relaxed his brow. He was an official so that Uncle Gu could enjoy a good life, not so that the other party would constantly compromise and make concessions, and do things he did not like.

Not long after Gu Lin sent a message to the capital, Yu Ercheng led the craftsmen by boat to Jibei Prefecture.

Da Yan went to pick up the people. Gu Lin had just returned from the White Porcelain Factory outside the city when he saw Yu Ercheng and the others in the main hall.

Yu Ercheng stepped forward with a smile: "Master, after receiving your letter, I brought all the others here except for leaving seven or eight craftsmen in the capital."

The firing of white porcelain was urgent, and Gu Lin was very satisfied with the number of craftsmen that Er Cheng had brought.

His gaze shifted to the man beside Yu Ercheng: "And who is this?"

Yu Ercheng immediately introduced: "Master, this is Master Ning. After you left the capital, we continued to recruit alchemists as you requested. After seeing the recruitment requirements, Master Ning came to recommend himself. With Master Ning's help, we quickly figured out the formula for glassmaking. Now, those craftsmen in the capital are continuing to research and develop glass."

Ning Fangshi stepped forward: "I, Ning, greet Boss Gu."

Although Ning Fangshi was a Taoist priest, he dressed like a scholar, exuding an elegant and refined air. If it weren't for Yu Ercheng's introduction, Gu Lin would have thought that he was a scholar who had studied for many years.

Gu Lin didn't know the other person's character in detail, but based on his first impression, he felt that the other person's character couldn't be too bad.

Gu Lin said to Ning Fangshi, "I have a white porcelain formula here. I will have to trouble Ning Fangshi to put in a lot of effort and work with the craftsmen to develop it."

Finally meeting his employer, Ning Fangshi, who had some knowledge of physiognomy, he could tell that the young man in front of him was easy to get along with.

He said, "I will not comply with Boss Gu's request."

Then, Gu Lin looked at Yu Ercheng and instructed him, "You are responsible for assisting Ning Fangshi. Provide whatever Ning Fangshi needs. If there is anything you cannot solve, come and find me. Try your best to fire the white porcelain before returning to the capital."

Yu Ercheng replied earnestly, "Yes!"

Before Yu Ercheng, Ning Fangshi, and others arrived, Gu Lin had already found craftsmen and workers to build the white porcelain factory, and at the same time, he had prepared a series of tools specifically for firing white porcelain in the factory.

After Yu Ercheng and the others arrived, they didn't need to work much anymore. After resting for a day, Yu Ercheng led Ning Fangshi and the craftsmen out of the city to work the next day.

Gu Lin attached great importance to the firing of white porcelain. Every day, he would go out of the city to inspect the white porcelain factory to see which step they had reached in their research and whether they had encountered any difficulties.

Because they lived in the porcelain factory and couldn't return to the city, and few of the dozen or so people knew how to cook, it was impossible to send someone to deliver three meals a day. So, Gu Lin asked a skilled cook from Baijia Village to help prepare three meals a day for the porcelain factory workers.

Although the white porcelain factory was just starting out, it was very well organized. Seeing that the group had a clear division of labor and were gradually figuring out the recipe for firing white porcelain, Gu Lin thought that good news might come soon. So he turned to look for a suitable shop.

A few days ago, Gu Lin replied to the letter, politely declining the kindness of the prefect's wife. He made it clear that he could not take away the dowry shop that the woman was giving him. In addition, the goods he wanted to buy and sell were not yet ready, and he could take his time to find a suitable shop. He expressed his gratitude again and again at the end.

After receiving the reply, Madam Ren, the prefect, politely said that if Mr. Gu needed anything, he could ask her for help.

After searching for several days, Gu Lin took a liking to a few shops, but did not make a decision immediately.

That afternoon, Gu Lin was preparing to leave the mansion to visit the last shop when he unexpectedly ran into the people sent back by Yu Ercheng.

"Master, the white porcelain has come out of the kiln!"

Gu Lin was quite surprised. He had thought that it would take Ning Fangshi and the craftsmen ten or fifteen days to figure out the recipe for firing white porcelain. However, only five days had passed before good news came.

He immediately abandoned his decision to visit the shop and rode out of the city with the messenger.