Chapter 12

Old house, narrow alley.

In front of an ancient and low-key old house, Xue Duizhu asked Wang Wenshu in a low voice with an incredulous expression: "Are you sure this is the place? The dignified Langya Wang clan, a high official who retired from the Minister of Works' mansion, the brother-in-law of the Prince of Jiangxia, lives here?"

"This is called 'the great hermit hides in the city'; famous scholars like this style. Do you think it's an upstart?" After Wang Wenshu finished speaking, he was also a little puzzled and muttered: "But it does seem to be lived in a bit too simply."

Although the house gate was not eye-catching, thinking that the big shot named Wang Tai lived inside, Xue Duizhu could not help but feel awe and looked at Wang Wenshu: "You go knock?"

Wang Wenshu was also a little timid and was secretly cheering himself up when Wang Yang, with his hands behind his back, said with a calm expression: "Call the gate."

The dark-skinned man responded and walked to the gate, knocking *dong, dong, dong*.

Xue Duizhu looked at the dark-skinned man and hissed secretly, thinking that this guy had become bold in order to curry favor with the little playboy; the gate of the Langya Wang clan, and he just knocked like that!

The door opened halfway, and a man in black stood inside, with a poker face, looking at them indifferently.

Wang Wenshu was all smiles: "We are the Jingzhou Aqu Garrison—"

Before he finished speaking, the poker face was about to close the door. Wang Wenshu hurriedly changed his words: "We escorted the Langya Wang young master here, and specifically came to visit our clansmen!"

The poker face's movement stopped, and his sharp gaze swept over them and finally landed on Wang Yang.

Wang Yang felt that this person's gaze was like a sword, as if it would pierce through his body, but he had already brewed up ten parts of energy and spirit at this time and decided to fight to the death, so his expression did not change at all, just glanced at the dark-skinned man lightly.

The dark-skinned man presented the name card, the poker face took it, said to Wang Yang: "Wait a moment," and closed the door.

Xue Duizhu muttered in a low voice: "Good fellow, even a gatekeeper has such airs!"

This "wait a moment" lasted for more than an hour.

Wang Yang was apprehensive; he didn't know whether it would be a blessing or a curse after meeting, so naturally, he wouldn't urge them. But Xue Duizhu couldn't hold back and gathered his courage to go up and knock on the door.

It was still the same poker face who opened the door, and Xue Duizhu cupped his hands and asked: "May I ask, sir, what did your master say?"

"Don't know."

"Don't know? This... what does this mean? Was the name card delivered?"

The poker face closed the door directly.

"Damn it." Xue Duizhu couldn't help but curse in a low voice, "A dog relying on its master's power!"

He looked at Wang Wenshu, "You tell me, what do they mean by this?"

"Stay calm, stay calm. Last time I came to Jiangling, I heard that the Legal Aide of the commandery visited the young master of the Hedong Liu clan, waiting from early morning until the moon came out, waiting for a full day! In the end, he didn't even drink a sip of tea! Think about it, that's the Legal Aide! What a big official! He waited for a day and didn't see anyone! It's normal for the Langya Wang clan to let us wait."

Xue Duizhu was discouraged, but suddenly realized: "This isn't right! This isn't letting us wait; this is letting Young Master Wang wait!"

The two looked at Wang Yang together, each pondering in their hearts.

Wang Yang also felt strange; one couldn't judge true or false based on a name card, and besides, he had attached a little poem to whet people's appetites. Not to mention inviting him in immediately, they should at least invite him in and let him wait sitting down; that is the way of hospitality! How could they let people stand like this?

Although Wang Yang didn't understand, he began to think of another possibility: if he couldn't see them, would it be a good thing for him?

They waited for another hour, until their waists were sore and their backs were aching, and the sun was setting, but there was still no movement inside the door. As a result, even Ding Jiu's look at Wang Yang was wrong, and Xue Duizhu and Wang Wenshu had already walked to the side, whispering to each other. Only the dark-skinned man accompanied Wang Yang, as respectful as ever.

Xue Duizhu whispered: "Could this kid really be a fake? But even if he is a fake, he should come out and say something."

Wang Wenshu pondered and said: "A fake is not necessarily true. But even if it is true, the branches within the great clan are complex, and the glory, shame, height, and lowliness are as different as heaven and earth, so it's not surprising. To be so cold after seeing the name card, I'm afraid this person is not some high branch."

"But isn't his second uncle a high official of the Palace Attendant?"

"His second uncle is a Palace Attendant, but he is not."

Wang Wenshu glanced at Wang Yang:

"Maybe he's some down-and-out descendant from somewhere, using his second uncle's name to put on airs! Saying it's a second uncle, who knows if it's a direct second uncle or some uncle who has no connection at all? Besides, look at him; he's waited for so long and doesn't have a temper at all. Where does he look like an aristocratic descendant! Calling him a playboy is really overestimating him! It seems you and I have both been fooled by him!"

At this time, Wang Yang also realized that he had made a mistake!

Unlike Xue Duizhu and the others who were restless, Wang Yang was repulsed by the meeting with the Langya Wang clan and felt that not seeing them might be a good thing. Even if he had to see them, he could prepare a little more if he saw them later; why not do it? So he waited very patiently. But he completely forgot that he was playing the role of an aristocratic young master; how could there be any reason to stand outside the door without a word?!

However, if mistakes are utilized well, they can also have unexpected effects.

He put on a fierce but cowardly look and said angrily: "What's so great about Wang Tai! I respect him as an elder, which is why I wait with etiquette, but he is so arrogant, fawning over the high and trampling on the low! Seeing that my family is not in power, he is so cold! How does he know I won't soar into the sky in the future? Forget it if you don't see me! I won't wait!"

When Xue Duizhu heard Wang Yang's words, his heart went cold.

After all that, it turns out he's a "down-and-out" member of the Langya Wang clan; Wang Wenshu was right!

Just as he was about to speak, Wang Wenshu pulled him and said: "Good, then we will have a chance to visit again in the future. We will take our leave first." After speaking, he gave Xue Duizhu a wink.

Xue Duizhu understood and cupped his hands: "Yes, we will have a chance to accompany the young master again in the future."

Without waiting for Wang Yang to react, the two hurried away. Ding Jiu called out: "Captain! What about us?"

Xue Duizhu waved his hand without looking back: "I'll give you five days off too; go home and see."

After the two walked away, Xue Duizhu hurriedly asked: "Old Wang, what are you doing? Are we just leaving like this?"

Wang Wenshu asked back: "What else can we do if we don't leave? Do you want to invite that little ancestor back and serve him with good food and drink? Our grain is already not enough; if we give too much, people won't be grateful, and if we give too little, they will inevitably resent us. How many dried fish do you have left? I can't take out any more eggs."

When Xue Duizhu heard about the dried fish, he immediately said: "Yes, yes, we can't take them back!" But he was a little worried: "But what if he's a fake? Are we just going to ignore it?"

"Then what if he's real? Aren't you afraid of being managed by him? Even if he's down-and-out, he's still the Langya Wang clan; why offend him? More trouble is worse than less trouble; since true or false has no benefit to us, why worry about this?"

Xue Duizhu thought it was right and asked again: "Then should we report this?"

"Of course we have to report it! We didn't report it before because we wanted to get some oil and water, but now that we've found there's no oil and water, we should get rid of it quickly and let the superiors handle it themselves. This way, even if something happens in the future, it has nothing to do with us."

"But what if it's finally confirmed that he's a fake, and the superiors pursue us for letting him go..."

Wang Wenshu looked at Xue Duizhu, a strange smile appearing on his face: "We didn't let anyone go; didn't we leave two soldiers behind?"

Xue Duizhu slapped his thigh and was about to walk back: "Then I have to tell them."

Wang Wenshu pulled Xue Duizhu: "Oh, my Captain, what are you telling them for? If he's real, you tell them to guard him, isn't that offending him?"

"But if he's a fake, what if they let him go without being told in advance?"

Wang Wenshu smiled: "That's their own dereliction of duty; what does it have to do with you and me?"

Xue Duizhu was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "You scholars are still the most sinister!"

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Note: Although the Langya Wang clan has a high status, it does not mean that all Langya Wang clan members are wealthy and powerful. Within the family, the branches are different, and the circumstances are sometimes vastly different. As Lin Xiaoguang said: "Within the so-called family, there is also a differentiation between the noble and the lowly, where the noble have been dukes for generations, and the lowly have to farm and weave themselves." (See Chapter 1 of Lin Xiaoguang's *Wang Rong and the Yongming Era: A Case Study of Southern Dynasties Aristocrats and Aristocratic Literature*) But even if Wang Wenshu speculated that the protagonist might be a down-and-out aristocrat, he was still unwilling to offend him, because the status of an aristocrat is not just a useless brand. Details to follow.