As the saying goes, when you don't need to ask anyone for help, you stand as tall as anyone else. But once you have to go begging, you can only swallow your resentment.
After leaving the Xia estate, Xu Yi hosted a banquet for the two men.
Like Zhen Ping, Wu Quan treated Xu Yi with great respect. At the table, Wu Quan repeatedly assured him that Steward Xia was famous for taking gifts and getting things done, and had always enjoyed an excellent reputation.
He also let slip a secret: Steward Xia held overwhelming power in the Xia estate because his own younger sister was Xia Sibo's most favored concubine.
With that connection in mind, Xu Yi felt somewhat reassured.
He knew, too, that the Yin Court of the day was utterly corrupt. There wasn't a single official who didn't take bribes or line his own pockets. After all, the office belonged to the Yin Court, but the benefits belonged to the officials themselves. Everyone needed resources to cultivate; who had the time to serve the common people?
While Xu Yi and the others drank and waited for good news, quite a commotion was brewing at the Xia estate.
As soon as Xu Yi and the others had left, Steward Xia eagerly picked up a large chest and went to the Upper Rooms to find Xia Sibo.
To show just how generous the gift was, Steward Xia had specifically poured all three hundred Incense Beads out of his Sumeru Ring and stuffed them directly into the treasure chest.
When he arrived, Xia Sibo was in his study reviewing official documents. Beside him, a charming, bewitching woman was delicately replenishing the incense.
When she saw Steward Xia enter, the woman frowned. "Didn't I say that no one was to disturb