Chapter 86

As the diners all lowered their heads, not daring to look this way anymore, Liu Shichen finally gave a cold snort and turned his dark face. He then stood up, took out a silver ingot from his chest, placed it on the table, and put on the usual smile he used with his colleagues, saying to Cai Yaji, "That fellow has some connection with my wife. I hope you will take good care of him for a while. I will go to the Prefect and Zhang Kongmu to plead for him!"

Cai Yaji, seeing this, stared at Liu Shichen and said, "We are brothers, not outsiders. Why do you do this? It makes me look bad! I promise that the person you mentioned will be comfortable in the prison and will not suffer any injustice!" After saying this, he instructed his brother in front of Liu Shichen, "Take good care of Liu Shichen's relative. You go and arrange it yourself!"

However, he only looked at his colleague and brother, not glancing at the silver ingot. The man with the flower in his hair glanced at the silver a few times before turning his gaze and responding to his brother, clearly not yet skilled enough in the art of subtlety.

This time, Liu Shichen was just making a show of offering the silver. Seeing the response, he put the silver back. They were both officials in the same prefecture, and such exchanges were common, like scratching each other's backs. However, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and leaned in, pretending to be intimate, and said, "The Prefect's family is sick. How much did Cai Yaji send?"

Cai Yaji, hearing this, held up one finger. The man with the flower in his hair, sitting beside him, thought to himself, "We clearly sent three hundred guan, why does my brother say only one hundred?"

Liu Shichen, surprised, said, "So much?"

Cai Yaji just nodded mysteriously without saying more. Liu Shichen, seeing this, laughed and said, "Cai Yaji, the prison is a lucrative place. Those of us who run around in the market are miserable!"

The man with the flower in his hair was inwardly indignant, thinking, "Relying on the mountain to eat the mountain, relying on the water to eat the water. Running around in the market, how can you lack opportunities? You don't even need to borrow money from me, why do you keep complaining about being poor? No wonder my brother doesn't tell you the truth." Despite his inner thoughts, he still maintained a light smile, but with a hint of amusement.

Cai Yaji, hearing this, remained calm and did not argue, but changed the subject, saying, "A few days ago, Cai Xiang's daughter and the Governor's wife were sick in bed. All the important figures in Daming Prefecture went to visit her, and as a result, several of the officials' families were infected! Now, all the skilled doctors in the city have been invited to stay in the officials' homes, making it impossible for us lesser figures to get sick. If we have a headache or fever, who can we turn to?"

Liu Shichen, hearing this, slapped his thigh and said, "Isn't that the case? I don't know what illness the noble person has, but it's so frightening! The Prefect didn't even go to court today, leaving me with nowhere to go! Fortunately, we are all minor figures. If we could reach the Governor, we would probably be at home now! Come, come, let's not talk about this. Brothers, let's drink!"

The two continued to chat, and Liu Shichen frequently raised his glass. This man had poor drinking manners, and when he drank too much, he started to ramble. Cai Yaji patiently accompanied him for a while and then decided to send him home. Liu Shichen, drunk, said, "This good-for-nothing, the master doesn't even know him, but he makes me spend money to bail him out! Isn't that unlucky? But, but the wool comes from the pig, I'll go to the market and try to get my money back!"

As he spoke, the alcohol took effect, and he accidentally leaned on a table of other guests, only to provoke a fierce god who had descended from the heavens.

The person Liu Shichen bumped into was the melancholy Hao Siwen. This Jingmu An had been listening to their conversation for a long time and was already furious. Seeing the man leaning on his back, Hao Siwen remained seated but subtly used his arm to push. Instantly, Liu Shichen felt a powerful force and was pushed off balance. He was furious, thinking, "Who is so bold to be so disrespectful to me in Daming Prefecture?" When he looked, he saw the guest turn and glare at him. Liu Shichen, seeing this, laughed in anger and reached for the rope to lock Hao Siwen. Hao Siwen, unable to contain himself, slapped the table, and with a loud "thud," a palm-sized hole appeared in the table. Liu Shichen, seeing this, was shocked, and half of his drunkenness wore off. He was stuck, not daring to advance or retreat.

"Sir, please go back. Don't make a small matter into a big one, or it will be hard to resolve in the end!" Wang Lun looked at the Daming Prefecture's bailiff, who was outwardly fierce but inwardly timid. If he wanted to kill the man, it would be easy, but he had important matters to attend to and didn't want to cause a commotion. There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with such corrupt officials later.

The bailiff's mind was already mostly clear. He knew the man who pushed him was very strong, clearly a martial artist. He was no match for him alone. He could rely on Cai Fu and Cai Qing, but they were merely colleagues, not friends. Moreover, Cai Fu was too calculating, even for an old hand like himself, and he couldn't fathom his thoughts. If they fought, he couldn't be sure if Cai Fu would help him in a critical moment.

To be honest, this wasn't his biggest concern. His biggest worry was the scholar, whose casual words showed confidence and fearlessness. With his years of experience, he knew this man was not pretending. He seemed to have the aura of someone who had long been in a position of power, suggesting he was not an ordinary person. The man who shattered the table would not have attacked him without a signal from this scholar, judging by the look of anger in his eyes.

Liu Shichen, as a seasoned official who had been on the streets for decades, knew how to handle such situations. The most important rule in his line of work was to step on those you could and avoid those you couldn't. Now, he felt a strong urge to retreat, but he was hesitant to leave without revealing his identity, as it would make him look too weak. Thus, he was in a difficult position.

At this moment, Cai Fu, seeing Liu Shichen's thoughts, quietly stepped forward to support him, saying, "The bailiff is drunk. Brother, let me help you back to rest!" He then said to the two unusual men at the table, "Gentlemen, please enjoy your meal!" and led Liu Shichen, who was still trying to maintain a fierce expression, out the door.

The man with the flower in his hair, seeing his brother support Liu Shichen, sneered inwardly and glanced at the guests with a hint of amusement before following them out.

Watching the three leave, Hao Siwen said angrily, "Who is in power, and who is in the wilderness? What kind of court is this!"

Wang Lun patted his hand and said, "Brother Hao, I once heard an elder say something that I will share with you. He said, 'When you are powerless to change the present reality, be patient and endure! Preserve your strength, and when you have the ability to change it, rise up and correct it yourself!'"

Hao Siwen, hearing this, was taken aback and looked at Wang Lun thoughtfully.

"Coincidentally, the two section leaders are leaving? Oh, Liu Shichen is here too. Let's go in and have another drink together?" As the three officials were about to leave, they met two handsome men at the door, one of whom greeted them, while the other stood smiling, looking graceful.

"Xiao Yi, are you meeting friends? Liu Shichen is drunk, so we are sending him home. You go about your business!" Cai Fu laughed. The man who had been stern from the moment he entered finally managed a smile, not because he liked the person, but because the person's master was very influential in Daming Prefecture, and getting closer to him would be beneficial.

The man with the flower in his hair smiled and chatted with Xiao Yi for a few moments, exchanging pleasantries, and then the two groups parted ways. Xiao Yi, seeing them leave, introduced them to his friend, "They are all officials from Daming Prefecture. The brothers are called Iron Arm Cai Fu and One Flower Cai Qing. The drunk one is not worth mentioning!"

The graceful man nodded and smiled, not saying much more. The two walked in together, and as they did, they saw a burly man coming down the stairs, still half-asleep, rubbing his eyes. Xiao Yi, seeing this, praised, "What a fine sumo wrestler's build!"

The man, hearing this, moved his arm and opened his eyes, saying, "You, a porcelain doll, what do you know?"

The two laughed, and the burly man, confused by their laughter, was about to ask again when he heard a call. He didn't say anything more, ignored the two, and hurried toward the source of the call.

The two young men, seeing this, exchanged glances, both surprised. They thought the burly man had been about to confront them but was immediately obedient when called. They both became interested in the burly man's master and looked at the table. They saw a young scholar and a muscular man sitting there, drinking tea, looking like master and servant.

Wang Lun, seeing the two looking at him, smiled and nodded.

The younger of the two, with lips like vermilion, eyes like ink, and a face like jade, made Wang Lun think, "This must be the rogue Yan Qing. Cai Fu did call him 'Xiao Yi.' But his fresh and elegant friend standing next to him didn't lose any of his charm, and his brows showed a hint of worry, adding a mature manly charm."

Neither of the two was rash. Seeing the unusual scholar looking at them and nodding, they both bowed in return. The scholar then laughed and said, "Brother Xiao Yi, I hear your martial arts are the best in Hebei. My brother here also loves martial arts. Since we have met by chance, why don't you show us a few moves and give my brother some pointers?"

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