NOVPUB58: 39 Chapters Inspector’s Reward_2
58: 39 Chapters Inspector’s Reward_2
“If that is so, I cannot insist on keeping you here.
Another day, we will surely entertain Inspector Liu with fine wine and a grand banquet,” Ran Wen said as he saw Liu Pinrang getting up.
He casually made the remarks and then led him out of the main hall.
Liu Pinrang and Ran Wen left the hall and walked along the corridor toward the exit.
Near the gate, Liu Pinrang paused and said, “There is something I perhaps should not say, but…
although Qin Si is a competent subordinate of mine, his son…”
Halting mid-sentence, he waved his hand with a resigned smile, “Let it go, children have their own fortunes, and it is not for this old man to interfere too much!”
In Liu Pinrang’s words, there was no mention of the marriage between the Qin and Ran families, but his meaning was already crystal clear.
And after all, since he did not explicitly say anything, even if the marriage were to fall through later, it would not be his concern.
Ran Wen’s heart had already been wavering, and with Liu Pinrang’s words, he felt even more that Ran Yan marrying Qin Silang would be an underutilization of her talents.
After seeing Liu Pinrang off, Ran Wen hurried back to the side hall, where a group of guests had already gathered.
He felt uneasy; although the Ran family was accustomed to constant visitors, he wondered why so many people had come today all at once.
As soon as Ran Wen entered the side hall, he immediately felt the tense atmosphere.
The guests, who had been sitting upright, got up to greet him as soon as they saw him.
While exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Ran Wen looked around the hall and noticed several elegantly dressed women, among whom two were matchmakers from Suzhou City, well-known for their good reputation.
A plan began to form in his mind.
Once everyone had taken their seats again, Ran Wen also sat in the host’s seat and, with a slight smile, asked, “What has brought everyone here today?”
Before anyone could respond, a woman dressed in gold and red with butterfly patterns interrupted, “Master Ran, my name is Madame Zhuang.
I am a matchmaker invited by the Yan family to propose a marriage on behalf of the second master of the Yan family.” With a beaming smile, she glanced around the room, “I suppose everyone’s intentions are the same.
Such matters really cannot be ranked by status or distinction.
I took the liberty of speaking first, please forgive me, everyone!”
The others felt a bit stifled.
Even if status and distinction were to be considered, she was representing the Yan family of Suzhou, who would dare call her lowly?
Furthermore, the match she was arranging involved the Second Master of the Yan family, well-known for being the legitimate son of the Yan family.
He graduated as an Advanced Scholar the same year as Yang Si, at the age of nineteen he became the Secretary of Wucheng County, truly distinguished and with limitless prospects.
“The Second Master of the Yan family is enormously talented, with limitless prospects, handsome beyond compare, and the Yan family matches well with the Ran family in status.
This is truly a match made in heaven, and I enjoy helping people secure such matches, which is why Master Yan entrusted me with this proposal for Miss Ran Seventeen,” Madame Zhuang said with perfectly moderated joy across her face, just enough to infect others but not so much as to appear frivolous.
Being a matchmaker in the Tang Dynasty was a legitimate profession, not all matchmakers dressed gaudily in an unseemly manner.
Indeed, those with status not only dressed richly and appropriately but also conducted themselves with elegance and manners.
The kind with faces full of makeup, waving their handkerchiefs around, were simply not part of the esteemed circle.
Madame Zhuang was not only a qualified matchmaker but also the most famous and well-reputed one in Suzhou City.
After Madame Zhuang spoke up, there was a moment of silence from everyone.
Indeed, it was a favorable marriage proposal.
Even though the other families were also of good standing, they still lacked a bit of confidence compared to the Yan family.
Ran Wen grew even happier.
He was thankful that the marriage contract with the Qin family hadn’t been exchanged yet.
It wasn’t too late to call off the marriage now.
After all, offending an Upper Assistant wasn’t a big deal.
He had thought Madame Zheng had left him nothing more than weeds, but it turned out to be a treasure!
Since the others had come, they couldn’t just leave like that.
They began to state their cases one after another.
Ran Wen was in high spirits, and his manners grew even more gracious, “I am deeply grateful for your fond regard for my daughter, but I cannot be the sole decision-maker in matters of her marriage.
I still need to ask for my daughter’s wishes.
Today, I am unable to provide everyone with an answer, and I apologize for this disappointment.”
The room filled with silent grumbles.
They hadn’t heard him say any of this when arranging the union with the Qin family!
But outwardly, they had to show approval and then indirectly mentioned the merits of their own sons.
Liu Pinrang returned to the Government Office, a trace of a smile flashed across his crumpled old face, and he muttered, “Wife, this favor, I have now returned.”
He didn’t actually make any substantial moves, merely pushed the spread of rumors a bit, gently instigated a few families to propose marriage to the Ran Family.
Although Qin Si held a high official position, none of these well-rooted families truly feared him, and since the engagement was known only among a few, they could all feign ignorance.
In his eyes, a dignified Inspector, it was nothing more than a trivial matter.
If Ran Yan didn’t want to marry Qin Silang, he would simply stir things up a bit, returning the favor to the little wife.
As for who she ultimately married, what did it have to do with him?
Liu Pinrang’s casual meddling turned out to be a huge bother for Ran Yan, who spent the morning thoroughly questioning the seven or eight people who came for her medical consultation.
They were all sent to seek medical help, none of the sick had come personally, but based on the symptoms discussed, surprisingly, each case was a complicated and difficult disease!
Ran Yan had no choice but to prioritize their treatment based on the severity and urgency, arranging to treat only two a day starting from tomorrow.
And today, Ran Yan specifically made time to coax her own master.
Wu Xiuhe usually liked to collect precious herbs, and besides that, he enjoyed drinking and fine dining.
Ran Yan was penniless and, unable to procure rare medicines or fine wines momentarily, planned to cook a few dishes herself.
Fearing Xing’s wife might become suspicious, she simply said she was going to pay respect to her master, and sent her and the Liu family to take care of Wan Lu, while instructing the Servant Shao Ming to move the items to Wu Xiuhe’s courtyard kitchen and help with lighting the fire.
There was a vast peony garden near this villa, where the Ran family used to visit for leisure or to escape the summer heat, so every courtyard had a small kitchen equipped with all the necessary utensils.
Wu Xiuhe, sitting under the porch sun-drying herbs, didn’t take Ran Yan’s intention to cook to heart.
What could a delicate wife possibly make?
He secretly decided that if the presentation was poor, he definitely wouldn’t eat.
As for Ran Yan’s behavior these past days and the stories about her circulating outside, Wu Xiuhe had listened to every word, but in his eyes, this was a very normal change, as he had once calculated her fate using the Liu Ren Skill…
Wu Xiuhe scratched his messy hair, wondering, what did he tell his disciple last time?
Was it what school he belonged to?
Or did he say he was a disciple of Bian Que?
Or perhaps, that he was a disciple of Hua Tuo?
Stroking his beard and pondering for a long while, Wu Xiuhe finally felt that maybe he had said he was a disciple of Zhang Jingzhong!
***
Thanks to Carmel for the Thanksgiving gift, all kinds of tiger touches~~~~
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