Conspiracy

"Damn it!"

An Changde swept the tea set off the table with one wave of his hand. He was so furious he could barely breathe, his face flushed red and his chest heaving violently. The thought of An Ziran resolving the crisis made him pound the table again in frustration.

The loud bang, bang startled both the first and second branches of the family. When they entered the main hall, they saw shards and tea scattered across the floor.

Wu Zhi loved that tea set the most and immediately cursed, "An Changde, are you looking to die? Even if you're angry, you can't take it out on the tea set. Do you know how expensive this set is?"

Most of An Changde's anger was immediately doused. Looking embarrassed, he had forgotten in his rage that this patterned tea set was his principal wife's favorite. She usually treasured it dearly. If she had not wanted to show off and keep every guest who visited from looking down on their family, she would never have been willing to take it out.

Seeing that he knew he was at fault, Wu Zhi snorted coldly. She walked over and dropped into a chair. "Tell me, what happened to make you so furious?"

She knew her husband would not lose his temper for no reason. Something major must have happened; otherwise, she would have already pressed An Changde for an explanation. Her tea set could not have been smashed for nothing.

"It's all because of Chang Fu's good son..." As An Changde was cursing, he suddenly saw Wu Zhi giving him a look. Only then did he notice Zhang Wanqin from the second branch still standing there. She was a rather reserved woman, always quiet and unobtrusive, so people often overlooked her. What they were about to discuss truly could not be known by too many people, including the second branch. He said to her, "Wanqin, go see whether Ming Rui has completed today's assignment. If not, help me keep an eye on him."

Zhang Wanqin was quiet by nature, but she was not dull-witted. The moment she heard his words, she understood that he did not want her to know what came next. She said nothing, only replied obediently, "Yes, husband."

Then she left.

Watching her retreating figure, Wu Zhi sneered. Although she disliked Zhang Wanqin, there was nothing she could do about it, because An Changde liked her quite a bit. Besides her gentle nature, which satisfied An Changde's masculine vanity, there was also her second son, An Mingrui. He had become a licentiate at fifteen. Though he had failed the provincial examination, he was only nineteen now and still had plenty of chances.

By comparison, her son An Yaozong was hopeless. Like the former An Ziran, he only knew how to eat, drink, and play, with no interest whatsoever in studying. Wu Zhi had always been angry at his failure to live up to expectations, but neither beatings nor scoldings had done any good. Besides, she could not bear to hit her own son. If she hurt him too badly, she would only feel heartache herself. Otherwise, Zhang Wanqin and her son would never have had the chance to strut around before her. Just wait—she would never let that mother and son climb over her head one day.

"What did that little bastard An Ziran do this time to make you so angry?"

Wu Zhi pulled back her wandering thoughts and asked. After all, she was a woman and should not show her face outside, so she still did not know about An Changde going to see the county magistrate.

An Changde immediately told her everything that had happened. He had originally planned to tell her after the matter succeeded, so she could be happy, but the plan had failed. That brat An Ziran had actually been willing to produce the An Family's debt notes. That was something he had never expected.

Wu Zhi shot to her feet, her face full of disbelief. "What did you say? That brat really gave up such a huge sum of money and lowered the rent charged to those tenant farmers from seventy percent to forty percent? Could your information be false?"

Even she could not believe An Ziran would be so generous. Her first thought was that An Changde had been deceived.

"How could it be false? The people of the entire county are talking about it now. They're even saying An Ziran is a living Bodhisattva, completely forgetting how Chang Fu exploited them when he was alive!" The more An Changde spoke of it, the angrier he became. The An Family's reputation had improved now, making it even harder for him to get his hands on the An Family.

"When did that little bastard become so clever? How could he bear to do that?"

Wu Zhi grew anxious. If An Ziran gave away all the An Family's property, then even if they obtained the An Family in the future, it would only be an empty shell. What use would that be? It would be a complete mess, and they might even lose money over it.

"No, no. We must think of a way to take control of the An Family as soon as possible. Only then will I be at ease."

"Does Madam have a solution?" An Changde knew that they could only rely on his wife's family now. The magistrate of Anyuan County had already agreed to help him last time only with great reluctance, afraid that An Ziran would use the connections his father had built while alive to cost him his official post. Without an even more influential figure stepping in this time, he probably would not help again.

"Just wait. I won't let that brat have an easy time." Wu Zhi wore a calculating expression.

An Changde immediately felt relieved. With his wife's family taking action, he refused to believe An Ziran could escape this time.

[The competition starts the day after tomorrow, December 1. I hope everyone will throw some olive branches my way, okay?]

[Hehe, hurry up and say okay!]