Chapter 51

(Third update of the night. Also, the recommendation ticket requirements on Chuangshi have been relaxed; level 2 members now get one. Please check and vote for me. I've been suppressed for the past two weeks, and I need to rise up!)

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In a room about ten feet square, Wang Xian held a cup of fragrant tea and sat behind a desk. Since just now, his mouth had been stretched in a silly grin, unable to close. Fortunately, a curtain divided the office into inner and outer chambers. The inner chamber, though small, was his own private space. The outer chamber, though large, was crowded with ten clerks.

More importantly, he now had the freedom to act without worrying about others' faces. On the contrary, others had to pay attention to his expression. He no longer had to serve tea and water to others; instead, others had to serve him, just as they were doing now...

Wang Xian took a sip of tea and secretly warned himself not to be too complacent, as that would be wrong. However, all the hard work and schemes were for this very moment, so he allowed himself a moment of self-satisfaction...

He kept grinning until noon when Wu Wei came in to remind him it was time to eat. Only then did Wang Xian close his mouth and say, "I want to hire two bailiffs."

"No problem," Wu Wei thought for a moment and said, "Once Li Sheng leaves, his lackeys won't be able to stay. They'll be kicked out."

"Good." Wang Xian stood up and smiled, "Then I'll leave it to you, Brother Wu."

"Uh... Yes." Wu Wei was stunned. He realized that some people were born leaders and could command others without any instruction.

When they went to the canteen for lunch, Wang Xian no longer had to share a table with eight others, fighting for the meager food. Now he ate in the inner chamber, where the same-sized table served only four people. The dishes included crystal-clear pig's trotters, stir-fried river shrimp, stir-fried purple leaves, white fish fern soup, and a plate of red, fragrant steamed mandarin fish, with bones that melted in the mouth.

Because of the abundant food, the clerks and officials could leisurely drink and chat in low voices, a far cry from the tense atmosphere outside.

Wang Xian was invited to join the three senior officials from the criminal department. Li Guan and the others laughed at his green robe, making him uncomfortable. He could hardly eat and had to whisper, "I'll treat you all to dinner at Immortal Crane Tower tonight. I hope you'll honor me with your presence."

"That's more like it," the official who had summoned him twice for punishment, Zang, said with a smile. "But I bet you don't have the money. How about we go out and collect some after lunch?"

"Sure, where to?"

"Very close, just a few steps away." Zang smiled, "Hurry up and eat, then we'll go find Zhang Mazi."

The other two wore amused expressions, clearly knowing what Zang had in mind.

After lunch, Zang led Wang Xian to the constables' office to pick up Zhang Mazi, then they headed straight to a house two streets away from the yamen.

Perhaps they came here often, and seeing the door slightly ajar, Zang and Zhang Mazi didn't wait for the gatekeeper to announce them. They simply walked in with Wang Xian.

Wang Xian followed behind, looking around in amazement. From the outside, the house looked ordinary, but inside, it was quite extravagant. He wondered what the owner was like.

In the main hall, Zang and Zhang Mazi sat down grandly and invited Wang Xian to join them. Zhang Mazi then shouted, "Lord Li, Lord Li?" After calling twice with no response, he huffed and said to the two officials, "This Li Sheng is really disrespectful. We've been here for a while, and he hasn't even offered us tea. Why should we bother with his affairs?"

"Indeed," Zang nodded. "It's like offering kindness to a donkey. Let's go; we don't care if he lives or dies."

Wang Xian, who had been uneasy about extorting money from the people, perked up when he heard it was Li Sheng's house. He watched the two with interest.

The two stood up and walked to the hall entrance. A cough came from behind the screen, "Please wait, my lords." In the Ming Dynasty, "lord" was not a particularly respectful title, used when the status difference was not significant. If the difference was large, a more formal title was required.

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Wang Xian turned his head and saw an old man with a hunched back emerge from behind the screen. On closer inspection, the man wasn't that old, but his face was full of worry, his skin wrinkled, and his hair mostly gray. Upon closer inspection, this was none other than his former superior, Li Sheng.

"Oh my, how could you have aged so much, my lord?" Wang Xian, seeing Li Sheng's sudden aging, felt a pang of pity. But then he remembered how this man had plotted behind the scenes, causing his family to be destroyed and nearly leading to his own ruin. All sympathy vanished. He stepped forward and bowed deeply, "Have you been happy these past days?"

"Cough, cough..." Li Sheng finally recognized the young man in the green robe as Wang Xian. In a sense, this young man had risen to power on his grave. Hearing Wang Xian's mocking greeting, Li Sheng almost fainted. He turned away and ignored him, addressing the other two, "Please sit, my lords. I appreciate your concern."

"It's nothing, we were colleagues, after all. It's our duty to help you," Zang said with a worried expression. "But Hangzhou has been pressing us every three days. This time, they insist on bringing Brother Li to the Censorate for questioning. We can't delay any longer."

"Ah, my lords can see that I am very ill. I fear I cannot endure the journey by boat. Please intercede for me," Li Sheng said humbly, feeling a deep sense of despair. Just half a month ago, he wouldn't have even glanced at these two, but since leaving the office, everything had changed.

A few days ago, Zang and Zhang Mazi had suddenly visited, saying the Censorate had informed them that He Chang, who had been taken to Hangzhou, had confessed to new crimes, many of which involved Li Sheng. The Censorate had ordered them to bring Li Sheng to Hangzhou for questioning, and the Censorate Commissioner wanted to speak to him personally.

Li Sheng broke out in a cold sweat. He Chang was his Achilles' heel! According to the Great Ming Code, those who incited crimes were treated as the primary offenders. If He Chang was to be executed, Li Sheng would also face the death penalty!

He knew these two were likely fabricating the story, but the thought of the "Cold-Faced Iron" in Hangzhou left him with no courage to take a chance. He humbly asked what he should do, naturally offering each of them a silver ingot as a token of gratitude.

After receiving the money, the two changed their demeanor. "Actually, there is a way. Since Hangzhou isn't entirely convinced, they just want you to be questioned. We can report that you are seriously ill, and by law, you can only travel once you recover. When you recover is up to us. If we drag this out for a year or two, the Censorate will have so many cases, they'll forget about this one."

"Brilliant plan!" Li Sheng had praised at the time.

But he couldn't keep praising for long. These two kept coming every few days, saying the higher-ups were pressing, sending people to check, and even threatening to carry him away. Li Sheng, already a frightened bird, always paid to avoid trouble.

Although a few silver ingots were a mere drop in the bucket for the wealthy Li Sheng, the constant pressure was overwhelming. Most of his hair had turned white in just a few days...

"This time, we really can't delay," Zhang Mazi pulled out a warrant from his chest. "Here, the magistrate has already approved it. If we delay any longer, we'll be beaten."

"Ah..." Li Sheng looked desperate but didn't believe it. He knew they had brought Wang Xian to extort more money. How could they let their cash cow be cut down?

But who wants to be a victim, especially at the hands of someone who had wronged them? If it were just Zang and Zhang Mazi, Li Sheng would have likely complied, but seeing Wang Xian, he refused to bow his head. He muttered, "If that's the case, I won't trouble you further. Let's set a date for the journey. I have a clear conscience, and I believe Governor Zhou will not wrong an innocent man..."

Zang and Zhang Mazi realized that Li Sheng had seen through their scheme. With nothing to lose, they couldn't do anything to him.

They looked at Wang Xian apologetically, sorry that he hadn't seen a good show, only a farce.

Wang Xian, who had been silent except for a few sarcastic remarks when he entered, finally spoke when the two were at a loss for words. "My lords, Li Sheng was once my superior. I can't bear to see him suffer. Let's delay for two more days."

"We've already delayed for a while. What's the point of two more days?" Zang asked, puzzled.

"Here's the thing. My father has received a letter from the capital, saying he has been appointed as the prison warden of the Zhejiang Censorate. He will be taking office soon," Wang Xian said seriously. "My father and Li Sheng were colleagues. With his help, Li Sheng will be treated much better."

Hearing that Wang Xing had been appointed as the prison warden, Li Sheng's soul almost left his body. He Chang was now in the Censorate prison. If Wang Xing became the warden, the first thing he would do is interrogate He Chang. With Wang's methods, what confession couldn't he get?

Thinking of this, Li Sheng trembled and said, "Didn't they say he would be appointed as the magistrate of Renhe County?"

"Ah, plans don't always go as expected. The magistrate position was already arranged, but 'Cold-Faced Iron' said, 'A magistrate is not a high enough rank to reward a loyalist.' The Ministry of Personnel must have reassigned him... In the end, he was given a ninth-rank prison warden, which is even lower than a magistrate!" Wang Xian said, feigning disappointment.

"Ah..." Li Sheng's limbs went weak, and he felt dizzy. He cried out, "What can I do?"

"By the way, the autumn execution is in two weeks," Wang Xian sighed. "My father said he still wants to lobby in the capital to see if he can change the position. He really doesn't want to be a prison warden."

"Yes!" Li Sheng clung to this like a lifeline. "Have your father lobby in the capital. He must change it back to a magistrate."

"Unfortunately, we have no money left," Wang Xian sighed again. "I guess he'll have to take the position."

"No problem, I have money!" Li Sheng quickly pulled out a brocade pouch from his sleeve. Opening it, he found four or five gold bars. "Take this. I'll gather more, a few hundred taels, to ensure your father gets what he wants!"