Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Third Master lay on the floor clutching his mouth, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. He remained perfectly still and looked as though he had been knocked unconscious.

Zhao Jiu had used Internal Force. The blow had certainly hurt, but it had not been nearly powerful enough to knock the man out.

Looking at Third Master sprawled on the floor, Zhao Jiu naturally understood his little scheme. He was simply playing turtle—humiliating, perhaps, but it spared him another beating.

Zhao Jiu picked up his waist token and hung it back on his belt, paying no attention to Third Master’s performance. Quibbling with common thugs would only make him look bad. He tossed the silver to the Shopkeeper to settle his bill, declined the change, nudged Zhaocai with his foot, and headed upstairs with his umbrella.

He ordered a large tub of hot water and enjoyed a comfortable bath. After asking the Shopkeeper for the exact location of the docks, he ignored what time it was and went to sleep!

He had spent more than ten days cooped up in the carriage. Although the compartment was spacious, it could hardly be called comfortable. It was a carriage, after all, not a traveling palace!

After more than ten days, his entire body had nearly stiffened from the ordeal. Now that he could finally enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep, he naturally had to savor it to the fullest!

When Zhao Jiu awoke, the sun was already high. Although the rain had stopped, the dampness covering everything was still unpleasant. After eating, he ambled toward the docks.

Lu Wenyu had arrived long before him and was already waiting beside the water. His scarlet official robe made him extremely conspicuous.

“Fifth Master.”

Zhao Jiu hurried over and greeted him. Since the boat had not arrived, the two stood around in the river breeze and waited. Fortunately, the weather was reasonably pleasant. Otherwise, they would have looked exactly like a pair of idiots.

The boat did not arrive until the sun emerged. It was not large, but it could certainly be considered luxurious. It had two decks and lanterns bearing the insignia of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Aside from the Boatman, there was no one else aboard.

The two boarded, and the boat immediately set off downstream.

This journey was much more comfortable. Aside from the boat’s gentle rocking, there was little discomfort. Zhao Jiu remained on the upper deck, admiring the scenery along the way with considerable leisure and refinement.

Despite traveling downstream with the current, it still took them eight full days to reach Jiangzhou.

Before they had even arrived at the Jiangzhou docks, Zhao Jiu could already see a multitude of colors gathered along the riverbank—black, white, blue-green, and purple. He was beginning to understand just how much influence Lord Lu wielded. They had not even docked yet, but this crowd looked as though they were welcoming their own father home.

Zhao Jiu returned to the cabin and changed into his official uniform. He then stood silently behind Lu Wenyu, doing his utmost to play the part of a nephew.

Before long, the boat docked. Several high-ranking officials, easily identifiable by their official robes, hurried forward to help Lu Wenyu ashore.

“Your journey was arduous, Lord Lu. You must be exhausted. This subordinate has already prepared a fine banquet to welcome you and wash away the dust of the road!”

Almost unanimously, the officials ignored Zhao Jiu behind Lu Wenyu. Only the few men in black-and-white Flying Fish Robes showed any reaction. Their gazes flickered, and they exchanged several looks before returning to calm.

Lu Wenyu was the one who beckoned Zhao Jiu forward. After briefly dealing with the officials, he told the members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, “Zhao Muzhi, from the Northern Division.”

At that, the Thousand-Household Officers and Hundred-Household Officers immediately lost interest. None of them belonged to the Northern Division. Zhao Jiu was not their superior, merely a colleague from a different department at most, so there was naturally no need to be wary of him. However, they were all seasoned veterans of officialdom and still observed the necessary courtesies. They smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Zhao Jiu. His status as a Lower Fourth-Rank Official was genuine, after all.

The group did not linger. Led by several local officials, the grand procession headed toward a restaurant.

They claimed that the banquet was meant to welcome Lu Wenyu and wash away the dust of his journey, but they were really just currying favor with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. At the very least, they wanted Lu Wenyu to remember their faces. Every local official in Jiangnan was currently on edge, terrified that one failure to please him would bring their political career directly to its final destination.

The banquet delighted both hosts and guests. Officials of every rank took turns bombarding Lu Wenyu with flattering remarks as though compliments cost them nothing. Their skill at delivering such incisive, polished flattery made even Zhao Jiu blush.

Scholars really were something else.

Impressive!

Zhao Jiu’s side of the table was considerably quieter. When the officials learned that he came from the Northern Division and was responsible for the Imperial Prison, they nearly died of fright. Each approached him with the utmost respect, only to leave with an awkward smile. The only thing they did not do was break into a run.

Zhao Jiu did not mind. He had obtained this official post for free, and the Northern Division was notorious for its little slips of paper.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhao Jiu supported Lu Wenyu back to the Post Station. The two sat facing each other and drank tea.

“Well?” Lu Wenyu asked indifferently, seemingly working off the effects of the wine. “Did you enjoy the meal?”

Zhao Jiu answered honestly, “It was all right. Judging by their expressions, though, the words ‘Northern Division’ don’t seem to have a pleasant ring.”

“They sound perfectly fine. Why wouldn’t they? We simply arrest people every day, so it’s only natural for them to be afraid. It’s perfectly understandable.”

“Who cares whether something is good or bad when I got it for free?” Zhao Jiu replied self-mockingly.

“Fifth Master, if you need something, just say it. Easing into a subject isn’t your style.”

Lu Wenyu froze and stared at Zhao Jiu. Only after a moment did he slowly speak.

“There is indeed something. You need to go to Chuzhou and kill someone.”

“Who?”

“Shi Huiming, Chief of the Canal Gang!”

Zhao Jiu could not understand it. Why kill the head of the Canal Gang? As far as he knew, the Canal Gang had always maintained a good relationship with the government. The two could even be considered partners. Besides, the Canal Gang was an important factor in maintaining regional stability, and stability was what the government valued above all else. Why would it risk destroying that stability?

Zhao Jiu racked his brains but could not make sense of it. He could only ask in confusion, “Lord Lu, are you certain you mean the Canal Gang—the word for grain transport, not the similar-sounding words for ‘grass’ or ‘tide’?”

“What? You can’t even kill a Fourth-Rank?”

Zhao Jiu’s answer was so far beyond Lu Wenyu’s expectations that Lu Wenyu naturally assumed he believed the Chief of the Canal Gang to be some First- or Second-Rank expert.

“That’s not it.” Realizing that Lu Wenyu had misunderstood him, Zhao Jiu hurriedly explained, “Is the Chief of the Canal Gang plotting a rebellion too?”

After thinking it over, that seemed like the only reasonable explanation. Killing just one man would minimize the repercussions, make an example of him to warn the others, and avoid disrupting regional stability.

“Just tell me whether you’re doing it!” Lu Wenyu snapped impatiently. “Why so much nonsense?”

“I’m doing it. Of course I’m doing it. Don’t be angry, Fifth Master. I was only worried about killing the wrong person.”

Zhao Jiu finally came to his senses. He was here to make money, so why did he care about any of this?

Damn it! The moment he put on that official uniform, he had nearly forgotten his true purpose.

He deserved a beating!

“Five hundred taels,” Zhao Jiu declared decisively. “Fifth Master, that’s not much!”

Lu Wenyu did not haggle. He placed five hundred-tael banknotes directly in front of Zhao Jiu.

Zhao Jiu picked them up and held them against the light to inspect them.

There was no mistake. They were genuine!

“At your service, Fifth Master.”

Lu Wenyu did not mind Zhao Jiu’s glib remark. He smiled as though he had not heard it, then asked seriously, “Shi Huiming is in Chuzhou. When do you intend to leave?”

Chuzhou?

Zhao Jiu froze. Was Chuzhou not upstream from Jiangzhou? If he needed to kill someone in Chuzhou, they could simply have stopped there. Why had they gone all the way to Jiangzhou?

Something was suspicious about this!

However, Zhao Jiu did not ask why. He merely smiled and said, “I’ll leave tomorrow after I wake up. I’ll have to trouble you to look after my dog for a few days, though.”

“All right.”

Lu Wenyu was somewhat surprised. This brat’s enthusiasm whenever money was mentioned truly surpassed that of ordinary people.

Could this be a trick?

Zhao Jiu was not thinking nearly as much as Lu Wenyu. He simply wanted to make money.

After going several months without business, even the God of Wealth would start to panic!