The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 484

When Sun Qiang worked as a slave trader in the capital, he knew a great many people, including people from all walks of life.

Originally, Sun Qiang's family also made a living by farming. Later, he was introduced to the trade by a distant relative and entered the brokerage business. Only after entering the brokerage business did Sun Qiang truly escape the bottom class and achieve his first class leap.

Although the leap is not large, it is still far better than that of ordinary people at the bottom of society.

Sun Qiang was always grateful to this distant relative. However, his distant cousin's family was much better off than Sun Qiang's family before. In fact, someone in his family had even passed the imperial examination and become a scholar. So, they gradually became more respectable and stopped doing business in the brokerage industry.

The one who passed the imperial examination was none other than the son of Sun Qiang's cousin, and one of the scholars who participated in the examination this time.

A few days ago, countless scholars were looking for ways to get on the imperial examinations and bring glory to their ancestors. Sun Qiang's cousin's son was no exception.

Since leaving the brokerage business, their family had lost touch with Sun Qiang. They only knew that Sun Qiang was now the manager of Zuixianlou Restaurant, but they were unaware of the relationship between Sun Qiang and Zhou Chu.

In reality, not many people in the entire capital knew about the relationship between Sun Qiang and Zhou Chu.

Sun Qiang's cousin, Wang Mu, originally made a lot of money through brokerage. Sun Qiang used to work for him. However, after his son, Wang Ying, passed the imperial examination, Wang Mu seemed to see hope for their family's rise to power. In order to help his son's career, Wang Mu cut off all the brokerage business.

After all, it's not a good thing for a scholar's father to be a broker. He might even be looked down upon by other scholars.

This is something Wang Mu cannot tolerate.

Wang Mu had already made a lot of money through brokerage, and used that money to buy many land deeds. His son passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, so their land was exempt from taxes. In fact, ever since Wang Ying passed the imperial examination, countless ordinary people had donated their land to them and then rented it from them to cultivate.

The same person's circumstances before and after passing the imperial examination are vastly different.

No matter how poor or destitute they were before, once they passed the imperial examination, they would never have to worry about making a living again. Local gentry would take the initiative to send them money and gifts to make friends, and common people would take the initiative to donate land.

In order to completely sever ties between their family and the brokerage firm, Wang Mu's family even cut off all contact with Sun Qiang.

In this imperial examination, Wang Mu spared no expense to pull strings for his son's career, finally managing to get on Yang Lian's good side. Just as Wang Mu was secretly pleased, he learned that Yang Lian had been arrested by the Northern Garrison Command. At the same time, the Northern Garrison Command was constantly arresting people in the capital, and for a time, everyone in the capital was on edge.

The arrest of Yang Lian immediately sent chills down Wang Mu's spine. He had never been an official, nor had anyone in his family held that position, and he had no idea what kind of interrogation Yang Lian would face in the Northern Garrison's prison.

Wang Mu felt that once Yang Lian confessed, he would likely also be implicated in his attempt to bribe the examiners.

Wang Mu, who had originally thought that the Wang family was on the verge of rising to power, suddenly felt as if the sky had fallen.

In fact, it wasn't just Wang Mu; the entire Wang family was in a state of panic at this time.

"Father, we can't just sit here and wait to die."

Wang Ying looked at Wang Mu and said.

Neither the father nor the son had any experience as officials, and they didn't know how far the investigation would go, how far it would go, or whether it would implicate them.

But both of them knew very well that they couldn't do nothing.

"Father, my cousin used to work for you in the brokerage business. I heard he's now the manager of Zuixianlou. Zuixianlou is a place frequented by high-ranking officials and nobles. Maybe my cousin knows some important figures."

Wang Ying slapped her thigh and said.

Wang Mu looked troubled upon hearing this.

“We severed all ties with the brokerage firm back then, and we haven’t had any contact with Sun Qiang in recent years. Would it be inappropriate for us to suddenly show up at their door now?”

"Father, what time is it? Why are you still hesitating? Let's try anything, even if it's a dead end. Bring more gifts; it's never a bad thing to be polite."

Wang Ying said with a hint of disappointment.

Wang Mu pondered these words for a long time after hearing them.

"You're right. Whether it works or not, we should give it a try."

Wang Mu didn't really want to ask Sun Qiang for help. After all, he was the one who brought Sun Qiang to the capital in the first place, and Sun Qiang had always been his little brother in his eyes, always obeying him.

He felt somewhat embarrassed to ask Wang Mu to beg his former little brother.

Moreover, what he said was true; he and Sun Qiang had really had little contact over the years, and Wang Mu felt even more embarrassed to suddenly show up at their door.

However, Wang Mu also knew that things had come to this point, and he couldn't risk his family's safety for the sake of saving face.

"Go and prepare a generous gift. I'll go find Sun Qiang in a bit."

People like Sun Qiang, who came from humble beginnings and later entered the brokerage business, didn't even have a proper name.

The designation of a name has always been a matter for scholars.

Upon hearing this, Wang Mu's wife dared not delay and hurriedly went to prepare things.

"Mother, you must prepare a generous gift."

Wang Ying looked at her mother and said.

He knew his mother well. She had always looked down on his cousin. Now, although he needed her help, Wang Ying knew her well and knew that if he didn't emphasize it, she probably wouldn't prepare anything valuable.

If you can be perfunctory, then be perfunctory.

"Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss? Sun Qiang was brought here from the countryside by the master. We just need him to do us a favor."

Wang Ying's mother was somewhat displeased upon hearing this.

“Mother! Times have changed. Now my cousin is the manager of Zuixianlou Restaurant. Perhaps only he can help us with our family’s affairs.”

Wang Ying said with a hint of helplessness.

"Those who are all talk and no action, listen to the boss."

Wang Mu glared at his wife and said.

Seeing that both Wang Mu and his son were acting this way, Wang Ying's mother immediately softened, knowing that now was not the time to be aggressive.

"I understand, you can't even say things properly."

She muttered to herself as she went to the storeroom to get something.

Soon, Wang Mu and his son arrived at the entrance of Zuixianlou with generous gifts.

They knew very well that Sun Qiang must be at Zuixianlou at this time, and he couldn't be found at any other establishment.

"Cousin, what brings you here? It's been almost ten years since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

Sun Qiang was very happy to see Wang Mu. Although Wang Mu looked much more prosperous than he had ten years ago, Sun Qiang still recognized him at a glance.

Sun Qiang was always very grateful to Wang Mu. He knew very well that without his distant cousin, he would still be in the countryside.

After the Wang family severed ties with the brokerage firm, Sun Qiang, in order not to affect Wang Ying's career, also stopped associating with the Wang family.

Wang Ying was considered to have achieved fame at a young age, passing the provincial examination before the age of twenty. However, his official career was not smooth afterward, and he failed the metropolitan examination several times in a row. This made Wang Mu and his son anxious, so they came up with the idea of ​​using connections.

Faced with Sun Qiang's enthusiastic attitude, Wang Mu became increasingly embarrassed.

"There's something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Wang Mu spoke with difficulty.

After saying this, he handed over what he was holding.

"Cousin, what are you doing? If there's anything I can help with, I certainly will. There's no need for all this."

Sun Qiang said somewhat displeased.