Chapter 60: Politeness Before Force

His first thought was that this person had come regarding the matter of Zheng Tongheng. However, for a clan secretary to step forward in person seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Jia Ping'an had already inquired about this. As a clan secretary, Zheng Yugong was responsible for external affairs concerning those outside the clan; when it came to internal clan matters, he had no authority to intervene whatsoever.

Yet, since the man had come, he naturally had to go and meet him. "Where is he?"

"Young Master, he is waiting in the Fuwang Hall," Chang Chao replied promptly, wearing a hesitant expression immediately afterward.

"Is there something else? Speak your mind." Noticing that the other had something to say, Jia Ping'an smiled and asked.

"Young Master, this Zheng Yugong contacted me once before the New Year. Just now in the hall, he even asked about me and my younger sister, and went so far as to say that someone as capable as I am could completely set up on my own and should not merely serve someone else as a lowly servant." Chang Chao finally spat out the words he had been holding in his stomach.

Before the New Year, Zheng Yugong had sent someone to contact him, even giving him two taels of silver under the guise of subsidizing his household expenses. Chang Chao had reported all of this to Jia Ping'an, and the response he received was: since there is silver to be taken, it would be foolish not to take it.

Receiving silver from others had made him quite nervous; if not for Jia Ping'an's permission, Chang Chao would never have accepted it. But today, the man had uttered such remarks once more, making him feel that something unusual was afoot, so he reported it directly. In short, he had made up his mind that this young master was the only one he would serve for the rest of his life.

Chang Chao was no fool; on the contrary, he possessed a certain clever streak. He was well aware of his own abilities and what kind of person he was. Why was it that after all these years of knocking about in Ningguta, no one had ever thought highly of him, yet now people were suddenly saying he was capable?

This was clearly aimed at the Young Master.

To borrow the words of a grandmaster of crosstalk: if you are merely a piece of rope, do you really think that by getting tied up with an Alaskan king crab, you share its value?

With a very clear understanding of his own position, Chang Chao knew what he ought to do next. He had seen with his own eyes that the Young Master not only trusted and treated him well, but also showed great kindness to his younger sister. If he let go of a master like this, he would never find another one for the rest of his life.

"Oh, did he really say that?" Hearing this, the corners of Jia Ping'an's mouth curled up into a smile.

This Zheng Yugong was actually planning to poach his people.

No! It could not really be called poaching; he was clearly trying to fish for information out of Chang Chao. And once he had used him up, it was very likely he would discard him without a hesitation, or even eliminate him to protect the Zheng family's honor—such a thing was entirely possible.

Chang Chao was still smart; perhaps he had perceived this as well, which was why he had reported the situation truthfully.

Or perhaps Chang Chao had truly devoted himself to him as his master. Well, that was something that would require careful observation over time.

Jia Ping'an had once been betrayed by someone he considered trustworthy, so naturally, he would not place his trust in others lightly.

"Very well, let us go take a trip to the Fuwang Hall." Jia Ping'an was also quite curious about what purpose brought Zheng Yugong here.

Inside the Fuwang Hall, Zheng Yugong was drinking tea, attended by a young entertainer.

He had to admit that the Hua tea tasted vastly superior to the harsh, heady tea he usually drank. If he were to invite someone to dinner, he would rather choose this place than his own Yuelai Restaurant.

However, where had these tea leaves come from? Why had he never heard of this kind of Hua tea before?

While he was still pondering this matter, a knock sounded at the door. Following that, the door opened, and a composed Jia Ping'an appeared before him, accompanied by Chang Chao.

A sincere smile graced Jia Ping'an's face, giving anyone who saw him an immediate sense of genuine warmth. Coupled with his youth and handsome appearance, he naturally found it easy to win people's favor.

Even Zheng Yugong had to admit that if he had not come with an ulterior motive, he would have greatly desired to become friends with such a youth.

"Secretary Zheng's arrival brings great honor, and I failed to go out to welcome you from afar. My apologies, my apologies."

As soon as Jia Ping'an entered the hall, he cupped his fists in apology, a sincere smile blooming across his face.

There was not a trace of perfunctoriness; it felt to anyone as though he were truly apologizing. When it came to facial muscle control and putting up a polished surface, Jia Ping'an had truly practiced his craft.

With Jia Ping'an putting it this way, Zheng Yugong could not afford to act too high and mighty either. He had no choice but to stand up, cupping his fists in return and saying, "Not at all, not at all. It is clearly I who came unannounced to disturb you; the one who should apologize is me."

"What disturbance? Secretary Zheng's ability to come is the Third House's greatest honor. Please, take a seat." Seeing the other man about to stand, Jia Ping'an stepped forward and gently pressed a hand upon his shoulder.

Zheng Yugong had only been putting on a polite show to begin with, so he naturally allowed himself to be seated. Knowing full well that the other had come to see him with a purpose, Jia Ping'an took a seat across an empty chair, and then looked at him with a smile, waiting for him to speak.

Stared at by such a pair of clear eyes, Zheng Yugong felt inexplicably uneasy.

Logically speaking, a man in his position who had served as a secretary for many years should have had a thick skin. Yet for some reason, facing Jia Ping'an filled him with a sense of unease, especially since he was here to ask for a favor this time.

Still, since he had already come, the matter had to be broached. Zheng Yugong abruptly lowered his head before finally speaking, "Young Master Jia, the situation is this: I heard someone mention that you possess a white fox, which is exceedingly clever. As it happens, my wife is extremely fond of white foxes. I wonder if you might be willing to part with it out of the goodness of your heart? Naturally, the price is open to discussion."

Having finished these words with his head bowed, Zheng Yugong raised his gaze once more. Little did he know that this very action had already placed him at a disadvantage.

Negotiation required momentum and the initiative.

When one party lost their morale before the talks even began, the outcome of that negotiation was bound to fail.

Just moments before, Jia Ping'an had used his smile to suppress the other's spirit, and looking at it now, the effect was quite remarkable.

Earlier, Jia Ping'an had been speculating on what the man's purpose might be. Intuition told him it had nothing to do with Zheng Tongheng, because it simply wasn't worth it.

Now, hearing the words "white fox," he finally understood.

Thinking back further—the Third House of the World had opened its doors yesterday, and today Zheng Yugong had arrived—it went without saying that this news must have been intentionally leaked by General Hu Buyun.

Was the General unwilling to see him do well and hoping to stir up trouble for him?

Or did he wish to watch him clash with the Zheng clan, allowing the General's Manor to play the good guy on both sides and thereby expand its own power?

Regardless of the outcome, Jia Ping'an knew he had been played by the General's Manor. But it did not matter; he had long prepared for this matter and anticipated that such a situation might arise.

"Secretary Zheng, your honorable wife is very fond of a white fox, and I am quite willing to part with it. Fulfilling others' noble desires is, after all, a meritorious deed."

Hearing Jia Ping'an actually agree, a wave of excitement surged through Zheng Yugong. However, before he could open his mouth to accept, he heard Jia Ping'an continue, "However..."

Everyone knew that when two people negotiated, whatever was said beforehand was merely polite convention; only what came after the word "however" was the core point.

"However, this white fox of mine has already attained spiritual awareness, and since I rescued it with my own hands back then, it only recognizes me. To not keep anything from Secretary Zheng, even my younger sister is not allowed to stay alone with it, for I fear she might be scratched. After all, it is a wild beast, and once someone is injured by it, it can be fatal. Do not think I am exaggerating or sensationalizing; Secretary Zheng should know that I have another identity—I am also a physician. On this point, I believe my words carry weight."

Instead of a flat refusal, he simply claimed that the white fox did not recognize others, and forcing it to stay with someone else would likely result in accidental injury.

Conversely, Jia Ping'an not handing the white fox over to Zheng Yugong could actually be considered a good thing—it was for the other man's own safety.

The smile that had previously adorned Zheng Yugong's face began to收敛 (fader/tighten) upon hearing these words. With Zheng Yugong's shrewdness, how could he fail to realize that this was simply an excuse fabricated by Jia Ping'an purely because he did not want to surrender the white fox?

"Hahaha." After his expression turned cold for a fleeting second, Zheng Yugong suddenly burst into a loud laugh. "Young Master Jia's kind intentions are deeply appreciated by Yugong. It's just that my wife truly loves white foxes and has spoken to me about this for many years. If possible, I truly wish to fulfill her wish. How about this? You need not worry about whether it will injure anyone; just name your price..."

"Ah, how can that do? Knowing full well that the white fox will injure people, how could I possibly let it hurt Secretary Zheng's wife? As a friend, such a thing is simply not something I can bring myself to do." Without waiting for the other to finish, nor waiting for him to name an actual price, Jia Ping'an flatly refused.

What a joke—this wasn't a matter of money; this was something that simply could not be sold at all.

Putting aside whether the white fox truly injured people, and leaving aside how much time the white fox saved him by helping him search for ginseng seedlings, and ignoring whether he would have the ability to find a new white fox once this one was gone—just the fact that the other party demanded it meant it could not be given.

To give it away was to show weakness.

It was like two people about to fight: before a blow was struck, one party lost their nerve, actively admitted fault, and offered compensation. How could that battle still be fought?

If he lost the upper hand in morale and surrendered his own confidence first, others would assume he was easy to bully. Would that not invite everyone else to come and bully him in turn?

Since coming into this world, Jia Ping'an had not even figured out how to bully others, yet here came someone wanting to bully him—how utterly preposterous.

Putting on an expression of acting in one's best interest while stubbornly refusing to sell the fox—this demeanor was truly begging for a beating. At this moment, Zheng Yugong completely discarded all pretense of a smile, assuming a stern expression as he asked, "What? Does Young Master Jia mean to say you will not sell it?"

"I cannot sell it. Selling it would endanger your honorable wife. How could I ever commit such a treacherous act against a friend?" Jia Ping'an maintained his smiling expression, looking every bit like someone acting out of genuine goodwill.

Yet Zheng Yugong knew that things were not like that at all. This was clearly Jia Ping'an refusing him to his face, albeit wrapped in polite language.

But a refusal was a refusal, no matter how polite, and it left Zheng Yugong extremely displeased.

In Ningguta, throughout all these years, Zheng Yugong had only ever given face to two people.