Chapter 670
Absurd and Overbearing
Chapter 670 Absurd and Overbearing
These few shouts immediately drew everyone's attention.
The owner of Shuhaige felt something was wrong and hurriedly tried to leave, but he was blocked by a wall of people and could not get away.
What's more, Gu Baozhu was blocking the way ahead.
Gu Baozhu crossed her arms and spread her legs, ready to start a full-blown fight. Qin Heng quickly whispered a reminder: "Sister Baozhu, you mustn't give yourself away."
Simon and the others are nearby; if they discover her true identity, their plan will be in vain.
Gu Baozhu coughed lightly, turned her face and ordered the guards beside her to stop the person from leaving. She put one hand on her hip, pointed her index finger at the owner of Shuhai Pavilion and shouted in a shrill voice: "Speak, what exactly are you doing here? Do you want to cause trouble at Ranxiangju, or do you want to intimidate Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang? Think it through before you speak."
The people watching the spectacle from the outer circle were all noble ladies who had arrived late and were all waiting to see Young Master Nantang make his appearance.
Hearing that someone was plotting to harm the young master of Nantang whom they had been longing for, they all gathered around and chattered noisily.
The owner of Shuhaige hurriedly retorted.
"You can't just spout nonsense. This is the capital, not a place where reason prevails. Do you think that my coming out to watch the commotion is the same as me causing trouble for Ranxiangju or plotting against Mr. Songshan and the others? How absurd! How domineering!"
He flicked his sleeves and tried to leave.
But it cannot be moved.
Qin Heng and Xiao Dong shouted loudly from the outer circle: "This is outrageous! The people from Shuhaige can't stand losing, so they came here to cause trouble. They even tried to kidnap Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang to publish their poetry collection. When they refused, they came up with evil intentions. No wonder they say that no merchant is honest. Shuhaige is really too unruly."
The owner of Shuhaige was so angry that his face turned pale and he gritted his teeth: "This ignorant brat is spouting nonsense and tarnishing my reputation."
The manager of Shuhaige, having somehow summoned a group of people to protect his employer, heard his employer shouting inside and immediately screamed, "In broad daylight, under the Emperor's nose, on the Empress Dowager's birthday, do you people have no regard for the law? Where are the officials of the Five Cities Garrison? Come and help us powerless merchants!"
Gu Baozhu screamed even louder.
"I should be asking you if you have any respect for the law! Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday, and you've brought people to disrupt my Ranxiangju's garden party. Don't think that only your Shuhaige can do business with scholars. Mr. Songshan is just here to discuss policies. What are you all doing jumping around here?"
Qin Heng also feigned grief: "I know that scholars have always looked down on each other, and two tigers cannot share one mountain. Originally, Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang were only helping Master Gu publish his poetry collection because of the Marquis of Dingbei's family. Besides, it was your Shuhai Pavilion that looked down on it, so Master Gu had no choice but to print it himself and did not pursue your rude behavior of belittling the Marquis's family."
Who would have thought that your Shuhai Pavilion would try to snatch this business again? The gentlemen were outraged by your coercion and enticement, which is an insult to their culture, so they held a discussion in front of Ranxiangju.
What are you doing here instead of keeping an eye on your own nine-turn lotus lanterns?
Xiao Dong said indignantly, "It's only because the Marquis of Dingbei's family is easy to talk to. If it were any other noble family, would they allow him to act so wildly?"
As the saying goes, the common people cannot fight against the officials.
Although the owner of Shuhaige passed the imperial examination, he did not enter officialdom. Therefore, he should have shown great respect to the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion.
However, he had close ties with other scholars who entered officialdom at the same time and also ran a business selling policy documents. He was very popular in official circles. He considered himself a scholar and looked down on military generals, which is why he refused to print the poetry collection for Master Gu, causing so much trouble.
The Marquis of Dingbei's family was already being magnanimous by not pursuing these grudges and disputes, yet he still went around telling everyone about them as a joke. He never expected Shen Changle to be so capable; with just a little guidance from Qin Yuan, she had managed to build such a large business, which already made him quite unhappy. But he never expected that the other party would continue to offer strategies, which was aimed at undermining his very foundation.
The owner of Shuhaige couldn't win the argument with these three, and the more outrageous their words became, the more panicked he became.
The marriage alliance of the Marquis of Dingbei was with the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.
The recent success of "The Collection of Fireflies" prompted the Imperial Academy scholars to publish a collection of ancient poems, which included poems about fireflies from ancient times to the present, echoing "The Collection of Fireflies." The combination of the two has brought fame to many people, especially to Mr. Songshan and Mr. Nantang.
If they succeed in their policy presentations, and with the endorsement of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, a portion of the business of printing policy documents will inevitably be swallowed up.
What's even more infuriating is that people like Qin Siyuan, who have made a name for themselves through their poetry collections, will inevitably have an easier time entering officialdom than others. Naturally, they will turn around and boast about the bookstore of the Marquis of Dingbei.
Although the Marquis of Dingbei's residence has not yet opened a bookstore, it is clear that it will eventually.
If we are further branded with a reputation for being jealous of talent and ability, which will negatively impact the poetry competition at Shuhaige, then we will be even less able to fight back.
As the saying goes, those who understand the times are the heroes.
Junjie suppressed his anger and acted cautiously: "I have come here to listen to Mr. Songshan's profound discourse, and I have no other intentions. You should know that besides running the Shuhaige business, I am also a student who reads the classics. Since ancient times, there has been no end to learning. Even Confucius said that if I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening. What is wrong with me coming here to listen to his teachings?"
Having operated in the capital for many years, he naturally had people speaking up for him. Immediately, someone stepped forward to mediate: "The owner of Shuhai Pavilion also passed the imperial examination back then. He is so humble and eager to learn, truly a rare gentleman. Although the Marquis of Dingbei's family has some disagreements with him, they are all minor matters. As the saying goes, it is better to resolve enmity than to make it, so why not turn hostility into friendship?"
Gu Baozhu frowned, about to speak.
Brother Ximen, along with Blackie Hong and others, crowded around Qin Heng and asked, "Brother Qin, what's going on? Has someone made things difficult for you?"
Qin Heng asked in surprise, "Brother Ximen, have you finished solving the riddles? Where is Yuan Da?"
Brother Ximen glanced at Xiao Dong, then at Gu Baozhu, and laughed, "Yes, I couldn't find you after I came out. I wasn't very interested in what that Mr. Songshan inside was saying. Yuan Da drank too much and got a bit tipsy; he's dozing off under the stone lion in front of Ranxiangju. Where's Brother Qi?"
Qin Heng said, "I guess I'll be accompanying my sisters to see the lanterns. We'll run into them when we get here. Let's have some fun first."
Brother Hong asked with concern, "Can the brothers help you?"
Qin Heng glanced at the owner and manager of Shuhaige standing in the center of the room, sighed and said, "Our Qin family is related to the Marquis of Dingbei by marriage. We can't just stand by and watch the people from Shuhaige cause trouble here."
Brother Hong exclaimed, "I've heard that Ranxiangju and Shuhaige are going to have a showdown tonight. It's strange that they can fight over something as simple as one selling incense and the other selling books."
"It wasn't about Ranxiangju. It's a long story. The sixth master of the Dingbei Marquis's mansion and my cousin went to Yuyuantan Park for a visit..."
Qin Heng immediately recounted the whole story in detail, striving to ensure that everyone present knew the history of the feud between the two families.
Finally, he sighed, looking aggrieved: "Look, he's abandoned his own business and is squatting here, saying that he's also a scholar and wants to learn from Mr. Songshan. What are we supposed to say? Our elders are all in the palace."