Chapter 95

Wang Xiaojun saw that Zhang Weixin was not displeased by his rejection of his suggestion, knowing that this iron buddy had understood his intentions. He then said, "This is how I think about the issue. First, it is undeniable that the audit team needs more personnel, and everyone agrees on this point. The disagreement lies in where these additional personnel will come from. Since that's the case, I propose a compromise. I suggest that the new members of the audit team be selected from the new time travelers who have joined our team."

"The new time travelers who have joined our team?" The other three committee members were somewhat puzzled by this statement. Xu Shaoran, confused, asked, "Fifth Brother, I don't quite understand what you mean. The new time travelers in our team are just Xie Tian and his three brothers, right? Now, except for the youngest, Gao Jun, the other three already have suitable positions. Moving them around would be no different from moving the old Twenty-Six, right? As for the youngest, he's just a naive kid who doesn't know anything. We can't possibly put him in the audit team, can we?"

Wang Xiaojun waved his hand and said, "No, no, no, Eighth Brother, you've misunderstood me. I know the situation with Xie Tian and his brothers. The new time travelers I'm referring to are not them. I mean... ."

"Are you referring to the two companions that Fifth Sister might bring?" Zhang Weixin, who had now understood Wang Xiaojun's intention, interrupted and asked.

Wang Xiaojun nodded and said, "Seventh Brother is right. I'm referring to them. According to Xiaofei, one of her two companions worked in a national security agency before the time travel. Everyone should understand what that department does. Therefore, I think it would be appropriate for this new brother to join the audit team. This would be a case of 'using people to their full potential.' Of course, this is just a preliminary idea. The specific arrangements will depend on his actual abilities once Xiaofei brings him back."

Wang Xiaojun's suggestion provided a new path to solving the problem. The other three committee members were very interested in his proposal and nodded in agreement. Zhang Weixin was particularly enthusiastic about the suggestion. In his view, the three new members about to join the team presented a good opportunity to strengthen the Dongshan faction. Among the three, Zhang Xiaofei would naturally stand on the same side as Wang Xiaojun. As for the couple, although they were not soldiers, no one could guarantee that they would join the Dongshan faction. Whether they joined the Xigou faction or took a neutral stance, it would be an undesirable outcome for the Dongshan faction. However, if the time traveler named Zheng Zhwei joined the audit team due to Wang Xiaojun's recommendation, others would see him as part of the Dongshan faction, thus pulling him into their camp. Of course, this was just Zhang Weixin's idea, and the actual situation would only become clear once Zhang Xiaofei and the others returned.

Although Li and Xu had no objections to Wang Xiaojun's suggestion, they felt that such a critical issue should not rely entirely on someone they had never met. Therefore, the experienced Li Junwu, while agreeing with Wang Xiaojun's proposal, emphasized the need for multiple contingency plans to deal with unfavorable situations. He said, "I have no objections to Fifth Brother's suggestion, but we should always have multiple plans. To prevent the new Zheng Zhwei from being unable to adapt to the audit team's work, I suggest we also select a backup candidate."

"Who do you think would be suitable, Big Brother?" Zhang Weixin asked.

"I think we can ask Fourth Brother to do this," Li Junwu gave an unexpected answer.

"Fourth Brother?" Li Junwu's response surprised the other three, but it also sparked a flash of insight in their minds. Indeed, as their sworn fourth brother, Yuxuzi was one of the few non-time travelers who could gain the trust of all the time travelers. Apart from him, only the Grandmaster and Qingchen could be trusted by the time travelers. Moreover, Yuxuzi was experienced and capable, fully able to assist Liang Ziyue in his work. However, because Yuxuzi was usually low-key and did not live in "Qingyuan," the others had not thought of him. Now, with Li Junwu's reminder, everyone felt this was a good choice.

"But can Fourth Brother leave Yuxugong and come to help us?" Xu Shaoran was concerned.

"Well..." Li Junwu hesitated, "I'm not sure about that. We'll have to discuss it with Fourth Brother first."

Wang Xiaojun nodded and said, "Yes, Fourth Brother meets all our requirements, but he is tied to Yuxugong. The 'Expansion One Action' might last a long time, and it would be difficult for Fourth Brother to agree."

However, Zhang Weixin was inspired by Li Junwu's suggestion and said, "Big Brother's suggestion reminds me of something. I think we should have multiple plans. On one hand, we can wait for Fifth Sister to return and see how Zheng Zhwei is. On the other hand, we can send someone to Yuxugong to discuss this with Fourth Brother. If he agrees, that would be best. If he doesn't, I think we should consider Qingchen."

"Qingchen?"

"Yes, Qingchen," Zhang Weixin continued, "Qingchen is as trusted as Fourth Brother, and he has considerable experience. He should be able to assist Twenty-Eight without any problems. Moreover, he has more free time and fewer miscellaneous tasks to handle."

Wang Xiaojun agreed, "Seventh Brother's suggestion is good. We were so focused on the people around us that we forgot about this master and disciple. Even if Zheng Zhwei can handle the audit team's work, we can still borrow Qingchen to help. This way, we can reduce the workload for Twenty-Eight and help Qingchen truly integrate into the team. It's a win-win situation, so why not do it?"

Wang Xiaojun's proposal was unanimously agreed upon by everyone present. The issue of personnel allocation for the cooperation with the Youzhou branch of "Feiyan Hall" was thus decided, pending the successful negotiation between Zhang Weixin and Liu Yunyan.

After the meeting, Zhang Weixin followed Wang Xiaojun back to the west wing. Upon entering the room, they found only the maid Meixiang in the living room. The little girl, apparently bored, was studying the poker cards that Wang and Han often played. Seeing Wang and Zhang enter, Meixiang quickly stood up and greeted them.

Wang Xiaojun asked, "Meixiang, where are the lady and Miss Yang?"

Meixiang replied, "Fifth Master, the lady and Miss Yang are talking in the inner room."

Wang Xiaojun nodded and, while asking Meixiang to serve tea to Zhang Weixin, said, "They're having a private conversation. We shouldn't disturb them. Let's sit down and have some water while we wait."

Zhang Weixin nodded in agreement and sat down with Wang Xiaojun. They drank the tea Meixiang brought while waiting for Han and Yang to finish their conversation.

After about half an hour, Han Qingwen and Yang Xiaoyun came out of the inner room, holding hands. From their expressions, it was clear they had had a pleasant conversation. As soon as they entered the living room and saw Wang and Zhang sitting there, Yang Xiaoyun seemed a bit embarrassed, her cheeks turning red, and she turned to go back. However, Han Qingwen grabbed her and dragged her to Wang and Zhang, making her sit down and saying, "Sit properly. It's not the first time you've met them, so there's no need to be shy."

Yang Xiaoyun struggled a bit but couldn't stand up, so she sat down, her face still red and her head lowered, not even looking at Zhang Weixin. Normally, with her personality and experience, Yang Xiaoyun wouldn't be so shy, especially since she and Zhang Weixin had met privately many times and had become quite comfortable with each other. Her current shyness was mainly due to the presence of Wang Xiaojun and his wife, and the private conversation she had with Han Qingwen, which included discussions about marriage.

Seeing Yang Xiaoyun's rare display of shyness, and given her natural beauty, Zhang Weixin was completely captivated. He stared at her, unable to say anything except to chuckle foolishly. Wang Xiaojun, although also impressed by Yang Xiaoyun's beauty, quickly regained his composure and, feeling embarrassed for his friend, patted him to avoid being laughed at by his wife.

This pat actually woke Zhang Weixin up. Realizing the awkward situation, he stammered, "This... that..."

Before he could find a way to smooth things over, Han Qingwen interrupted, scolding him, "What's this and that? At this point, there's no need to be shy. Since you've brought Yang Xiaojie to 'Qingyuan,' don't be so hesitant. With Fifth Brother here, just speak your mind. What do you plan to do with Yang Xiaojie?"

Spurred on by Han Qingwen, Zhang Weixin regained his manly confidence and said, "Of course, my feelings for Xiaoyun are as clear as the sun and the moon. From now on, I will treat her well and never let her suffer any more."

Zhang Weixin's words clearly pleased Yang Xiaoyun, who, although still looking down, felt a warm glow inside. However, while his words moved Yang Xiaoyun, they did not satisfy Han Qingwen. She waved her hand, dissatisfied, and said, "I know you will treat her well, but that's not what I'm asking. What status do you plan to give Yang Xiaojie?"

At this, Zhang Weixin finally understood what his fifth sister-in-law was asking, and Yang Xiaoyun, who was also very sensitive to this issue, became even more anxious. Her shyness had disappeared, and the redness on her cheeks had faded, replaced by anticipation, tension, and even a bit of unease. During their private conversation in the inner room, she had expressed her concerns to Han Qingwen. As she had told Han Qingwen, although she and Zhang Weixin were deeply in love, and she knew he truly loved her, this did not dispel her concerns. Her biggest worry was what status Zhang Weixin would give her, a concern stemming from her past experiences. Although she had been a courtesan in Jiangdu City, adhering to the principle of selling art but not herself, this still left a stain on her life.

Of course, Zhang Weixin had always told her that he did not care about her past, but as a woman of this era, Yang Xiaoyun's thoughts could not escape the limitations of her time. In this era, women who had once been in the pleasure quarters, even if someone was willing to marry them, were usually taken as concubines, and it was almost impossible for them to be taken as the main wife.

This concern had been troubling Yang Xiaoyun since the beginning of their relationship. However, because of the unresolved issues with "Feiyan Hall" and the obstacles between her and Zhang Weixin, she had focused more on enjoying their time together and temporarily set aside her worries. Now, with the obstacles between them about to be removed, this almost forgotten concern resurfaced, making her nervous and anxious.

Unlike Yang Xiaoyun, Zhang Weixin, coming from the modern era, did not place much importance on his beloved's past experiences. Although he was familiar with the marriage customs of this era and had even used them to help Wang Xiaojun solve the problem of his two wives, when it came to his own situation, he had not paid much attention. Now, with Han Qingwen raising the issue, he realized his oversight and knew it was time to make a statement. He quickly composed himself, straightened his attitude, and solemnly promised Han Qingwen, and by extension, Yang Xiaoyun, "Fifth Sister, thank you for your reminder. Because I have lived abroad for a long time, I am not very familiar with the customs of the mainland, and I overlooked this matter. Fifth Sister, as you know, I had a wife abroad, but we were separated during a sea disaster and will likely never meet again."

Hearing this, Han Qingwen clearly had doubts about his statement that they would "never meet again," given Wang Xiaojun's example. However, before she could speak, Zhang Weixin interrupted her and continued, "I know what you're thinking, but my situation is unique. The luck my fifth brother has is not something ordinary people can have. I can confidently say that I will never see my former wife again. I, Zhang Weixin, am now a widower. If Xiaoyun is willing to marry me, she will be my second wife. I will follow all the proper procedures and marry her with great pomp and ceremony."

Zhang Weixin's promise greatly satisfied Han Qingwen and relieved the anxious Yang Xiaoyun. The weight on her heart was lifted, and she returned to her previous shy demeanor, her face flushing again. Fortunately, after getting a satisfactory answer from Zhang Weixin, Han Qingwen, considering Yang Xiaoyun's shyness, pulled her hand and went back into the inner room. A while later, Han Qingwen came out alone and, together with Wang and Zhang, seriously discussed when Zhang Weixin would marry Yang Xiaoyun.

However, to Han Qingwen's disappointment, Wang and Zhang could not make the final decision on this matter. They both stated that it needed to be discussed and approved by their committee. As for when a decision would be made, it would likely be after the completion of a current plan, which would then allow Zhang Weixin's marriage to be considered.

Although Han Qingwen was disappointed with this result, she understood that her husband and his brothers had their own special way of doing things. Moreover, Yang Xiaoyun, upon learning this, expressed her understanding, so Han Qingwen did not say anything more. Instead, she focused on arranging Yang Xiaoyun's life in "Qingyuan" to ensure she was comfortable while waiting for her wedding day.