Fix Smile Order

Tan Lingyin went back and hid the manuscript, and then went to chat with the bailiff who was the gatekeeper outside the second hall for a while. She only dared to go out after hearing that the person who had filed the complaint earlier had left.

After leaving the county office, she went straight to Gutang Bookstore.

Tan Lingyin seriously reported: "Qingchen, Zhu Dacong is here!"

Tan Qingchen was also shocked, and gestured with Tan Lingyin: Are you sure?

Tan Lingyin nodded solemnly. "He just came to the county office to complain." After speaking, she explained the ins and outs of the story.

Tan Qingchen thought it was incredible. With Zhu Dacong's status, there is no need to travel all the way to Tongling County to file a complaint, right? Besides, when did Zhu Dacong become a merchant?

It's more likely to be someone who has the same name. There may not necessarily be only one Zhu Dacong in Jinan.

Tan Lingyin also hoped so, but she still felt apprehensive. 

Tan Qingchen comforted her: more than three years have passed since that incident. If Zhu Dacong was looking for trouble, he would have come a long time ago.

Tan Lingyin was still a little sad. "Qingchen, we have all been away from home for more than three years."

Tan Qingchen nodded.

"Will we ever be able to go home again?"

Tan Qingchen sighed and held his sister's hand.

—

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That night, Tang Tianyuan treated Zheng Shaofeng to food and wine for their reunion and also to express his thanks. Zheng Shaofeng drank two sips of wine and then lost his filter. One moment he would be speaking gibberish and then the next moment, he would tease Xianggua and Xueli. Then he would joke with Tang Tianyuan, clamoring to drink Tan meizi and his wedding wine.

Tang Tianyuan frowned and put down his wine glass. He had been unhappy for a long time. "You’ve only been with her for half a day and are already addressing each other as gege and meimei. As far as I’m concerned, you two are closer."

"Yo~ Someone’s jealous! You have to drink now!"

Zheng Shaofeng's alcohol intake was not good, and he got a little drunk after a few drinks. Soon he picked up his chopsticks and began to beat them on a table in a rhythm and sang a little song.

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Tang Tianyuan shook his head inwardly. Although he had grown, his tolerance had not grown at all.

He was a little restless today. As if he was being entangled by some inexplicable emotion, unable to get rid of it, but also unable to grasp it.

Just drink. Once drunk, everything will be forgotten.

Early the next morning, Tang Tianyuan and Tan Lingyin saw Zheng Shaofeng off together.

Not long after Zheng Shaofeng left, Zong Yinglin, the prefect of Chizhou, came. Zong Yinglin was in his forties this year. He was white and plump; with round eyes, round face, and a round face, giving an illusion that he can roll over if you pushed him lightly.

Zong Yinglin's main target was naturally the imperial envoy, but unfortunately he didn't see it. Tang Tianyuan also fabricated a message from the imperial envoy, saying that he would appear when he should appear.

This line was suitable for gauging out people who had other thoughts in their hearts.

Zong Yinglin was a smiling tiger, no matter what kind of news; big or small, good or bad, he always had a smile on his face. Hearing such words, he couldn't help but praise the imperial envoy for being wise.

As a lower ranked official, Tang Tianyuan received the prefecture magistrate seriously. While drinking tea, Zong Yinglin asked Tang Tianyuan some questions about the imperial envoy.

People in the officialdom speak like the eighteen-pan trails of Mount Tai. There were too many twists and turns; some words were sincere, some words were false. Sometimes the praises were actually criticism, and sometimes the criticisms were really praises. Naturally, Tang Tianyuan didn't dare to complain directly about the imperial envoy, so he said that the imperial envoy was "fair", "strict", "honest", "upright", etc. Being fair and strict meant that there was no chance of favoritism. Being honest meant that he took no bribes, and being upright meant that his character and temperament was not very good, so be prepared psychologically...

In this way, Tang Tianyuan had successfully portrayed himself as a young local official who was full of complaints because his plans were foiled by his superior. It's so real and three-dimensional, let alone Zong Yinglin, even he himself was about to believe it.

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Zong Yinglin received the hint from this subordinate accurately, and immediately felt that this imperial envoy was not easy to deal with. There was nothing to be done, he is Tang Tianyuan, a Tan Hua appointed by the imperial pen. On top of that, his father was the Imperial Chief Minister, so wherever he went, he had an aristocratic and indomitable capital and status. 

Zong Yinglin took out his handkerchief and wiped his sweat. He followed up with a few compliments, and instructed Tang Tianyuan to be down-to-earth and not to overthink.

Although the words were impolite, Tang Tianyuan knew that it was Zong Yinglin’s compassion towards him: teaching and lectures was to give him face. Making small talk and jokes for a long time without actually saying anything useful would mean he wasn’t treating him as one of his people.