Chapter 5

"About this matter, don't tell Uncle Lu. I don't want to cause him any trouble!" Gao Yuan reminded Zhang Yi.

"Understood, Young Master." Zhang Yi nodded repeatedly. He was just a servant who had sold himself into servitude to the Lu family and naturally dared not speak out of turn.

"By the way, Zhang Yi, what do I usually do?" Gao Yuan suddenly asked.

"Usually, Young Master doesn't do much. Just practice martial arts, and when there's nothing to do, go out for a stroll and travel around." Zhang Yi answered honestly.

Hearing this, Gao Yuan couldn't help but sweat. He had intended to ask what kind of work he did, but from Zhang Yi's words, it seemed he was just a leisurely person.

"What do I live on, then? Although there's Uncle Lu, I can't rely on him for so many years!" Looking around the room, it seemed like the family was quite well-off.

Zhang Yi couldn't help but smile. "Although Young Master's parents passed away early, the two elders left you over a hundred acres of land. Usually, it's rented out to tenant farmers, and you just need to collect rent according to the seasons. Young Master doesn't have any major expenses, and with only one person in the household, life is more than sufficient."

So it turns out I'm a landlord who lives off rent. Gao Yuan couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"By the way, Zhang Yi, do we have any stored grain at home?"

"Yes, we still have last year's old grain!" Zhang Yi replied.

"Go and fetch a few bags and deliver them to Ye Jing'er's house. I see that her family is having a hard time." Gao Yuan said.

"Ah?" Zhang Yi looked at Gao Yuan in surprise. "Deliver grain?"

"Didn't you hear me? Go quickly." Gao Yuan said angrily.

"Yes, I'll go right away, right away!" Zhang Yi ran out in a flash.

Duyou's son? Huo Tianliang? Gao Yuan sat on the bed, his fingers cracking. The previous owner of this body was harmed by you, but since it now belongs to me, we need to settle this score and avenge the previous owner.

By now, Gao Yuan had figured out that the previous owner of this body was definitely dead, but for some unknown reason, he had taken over and unexpectedly revived in this body. Since he had this opportunity and gained some benefits, he felt he should do something to feel at ease. Although he didn't know who Huo Tianliang was, in Gao Yuan's mind, this guy was going to suffer, if not die.

While Gao Yuan was lying in bed pondering how to take revenge, Lu Hong was slamming the table with the Fufeng County Magistrate Wu Kai.

"Magistrate Wu, I'm not afraid to tell you, I can't just take this loss. Gao Yuan is like my nephew, and now he's half-dead in bed because of Huo Tianliang. I won't rest until I put Huo Tianliang in jail." Lu Hong was furious, his hair standing on end. "Don't think he's off the hook just because he ran away. He just fled to Liaoxi City. Unless he runs to Jicheng, I still have some influence in Liaoxi City."

Magistrate Wu Kai sighed. "Old Lu, why are you so angry? Isn't Gao Yuan alive now? I know the Governor is your old superior, but the Huo family also has backing in the county. If this really escalates, the Governor and the Inspector will be in a difficult position. It's better to make a big issue small and a small issue nothing. What do you think?"

"No way. My nephew suffered such a great loss. Should it just be for nothing? If I back down this time, Huo Zao will think I'm easy to bully. Hmph, just wait and see. His son ran away, but there are still things that can't run. I'll teach him a lesson first!" Lu Hong slammed the table and turned to leave.

"Magistrate Lu, wait, wait!" Wu Kai was startled and, disregarding his dignity as a county magistrate, grabbed Lu Hong. "Magistrate Lu, I know what you're going to do, but you can't do it. If you do, it will really come to a head. This matter is too big. Think carefully before you act!"

"Think my ass. I'm just a soldier. At worst, I'll take my family and go to the Governor for protection and serve as his personal guard. I don't believe the Governor would refuse me!"

"It won't come to that, it won't come to that. It's just a little conflict between the young ones. Why go to such lengths?" Wu Kai pulled Lu Hong and said with a smile, "To be honest, this time Huo Zao asked me to mediate. He knows Huo Tianliang was in the wrong, so he prepared a small gift to apologize to you, Magistrate Lu. Magistrate Lu, Huo Zao has prepared 100 guan to cover Gao Yuan's medical expenses."

"100 guan?" Lu Hong snorted. "Do you think I'm a beggar?"

"This is for Gao Yuan. Another 500 guan is for you, Magistrate Lu. Now, isn't this fire about to be extinguished?" Wu Kai chuckled.

"Huo Zao knows his place. Otherwise, I'll make him pay!" Lu Hong nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, then it's settled. Tomorrow, Huo Zao will send 600 guan to your residence. As for the Gao family, you'll have to take care of it. Huo Zao is too embarrassed to go and apologize in person, right?" Wu Kai said.

Lu Hong nodded and clasped his hands. "Since that's the case, it's settled. I'll take my leave!"

Watching Lu Hong stride away, Wu Kai couldn't help but smile. What a clever man, taking the opportunity to make a fortune.

Footsteps sounded from the back hall, and a well-built middle-aged man walked out. "Thank you, Magistrate Wu, for mediating!" He bowed deeply to Wu Kai.

"It's nothing. Old Lu isn't unreasonable. This time, you've paid to avoid disaster. If you really upset Old Lu, and he caused a fuss in the county, with the Governor backing him, you wouldn't fare well, would you?"

"Exactly. Old Lu isn't the problem; the key is that the Governor has long been unhappy with me. If he gets the chance this time, he'll definitely take advantage of it. Paying the money is a lesson, Governor Huo."

"Yes, yes, Magistrate Wu, I won't disturb you further. I'll take my leave!"

"Please, please!" Wu Kai smiled and watched Huo Zao waddle out.

"Mediating in the middle, earning 1000 guan. It seems this Huo Zao is quite wealthy. Don't look at Old Lu as a rough man; he's actually very shrewd! A little fuss, and he makes a fortune. If this really escalates, it might not end well. At best, it would be a lose-lose situation." Wu Kai turned to look at a man standing in the corner of the room. "Xing Shiyi, what do you think?"

"Your insight is correct. The Governor has many personal guards, and for Lu Hong to stand out and become the county magistrate in Fufeng, it's to control certain people. If someone displeases the Governor, a wave of his hand, and Lu Hong will take action, causing significant losses to those people. To be trusted to be a thorn in the side, he's not just any ordinary soldier."

Wu Kai shook his head. "The Governor is also in a difficult position. He's dancing on the edge of a knife. Our Liaoxi County is a border county, and the Governor has thousands of soldiers, but the court doesn't provide any pay. Many people are eyeing the Governor's position. Fortunately, the Governor has backing in Jicheng, which helps him secure his position. Even so, the Governor has to raise military funds on his own. Relying solely on Liaoxi County is impossible, so he has to take benefits from certain people. If he takes too little, the Governor is unsatisfied; if he takes too much, those people are unhappy. It's a very difficult task. Mutual checks and balances. Lu Hong understands this, which is why he's targeting Huo Zao. If this really escalates to the county, the Governor will be delighted and will use it to extract a heavy toll. When the Governor acts, certain people will suffer significant losses. Compared to that, the 1000 guan is nothing."

Xing Shiyi chuckled. "But in my view, the County Magistrate is the most profitable. Sitting in a stable position, everyone has to give you face. No matter what business they do, they have to share some of the profits with you."

Wu Kai laughed heartily. "They all have backing in Jicheng, and we can't provoke them. But as the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn't suppress a local snake. My Wu family is at least a local snake in Fufeng, so everyone has to give us some face."