Chapter 235 Traitors in Chaotic Times (XI) How to Become a Super Strategist...

"Young master, will we be locked up in prison forever?" Tiger asked timidly, leaning against the cold wall.

No, it won't.

"But...but that Magistrate Fang doesn't seem like a good person! I'm worried..."

Song Ce smiled faintly, letting Hu Zi lean closely against him, and said gently, "Don't worry, we'll be able to get out of here soon."

Tiger nodded as if he understood, and soon fell into a deep sleep against the corner of the wall.

Meanwhile, in the back hall of the county government office, Fang Dahong was pacing back and forth with a look of irritation, muttering something to himself from time to time.

Half an hour later, the clerk came into the room with freshly brewed tea and whispered to Fang Dahong, "Sir, that scholar surnamed Song is quite composed and behaving very well in prison! I personally searched his baggage and found no official documents."

"Good! Excellent!" Fang Dahong took the teacup and gulped down two mouthfuls, then said angrily, "What an audacious poor scholar! How dare he challenge me in public! I'm furious! I'm furious!"

The clerk paused, stroked his beard, and pondered, "Sir, this man is learned and talented, and when he confronted you in court, he was calm and composed, quoting classical texts in every sentence. Don't you find this suspicious?"

"Jiewei, what do you mean?"

“In my opinion, this Song Ce is no ordinary scholar. My lord, think about it. Even ordinary scholars or those who have passed the provincial examinations would be trembling in the face of government officials. How can a scholar with no merit or fame dare to be so composed in front of you? What is his confidence? Moreover, I heard from Constable Wang that this man seems to be quite skilled in martial arts!”

"Oh? Is that so?" Fang Dahong narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "So, Jie Wei, this scholar really does have someone behind him?"

"This... I can't say for sure." The clerk shook his head. "But this person is eloquent and has an extraordinary demeanor. He might be a young master from some noble family in the capital, or perhaps..." He lowered his voice and pointed to the top of his head, "sent by his superiors."

Upon hearing this, Fang Dahong's heart tightened, and he slammed the teacup in his hand onto the table with a loud clatter: "No, no way, right?"

"My lord, have you forgotten the commotion General Wei caused a while ago?" The clerk bowed and reminded him, "The situation is still unclear. Who knows if those higher up might want to take this opportunity to plant some people in. Song Ce's arrival is suspicious; we must be on guard!"

Fang Dahong got up and paced around the room twice, then stopped at the window and looked out at the dark night. "In Jie Wei's opinion, how should this person be dealt with?"

The clerk took two steps closer and lowered his voice, saying, "In my opinion, sir, you might as well investigate his background first. If he has no power or influence, then you can do whatever you want with him, right? But if he really has some connections, we can make plans in advance!"

"Very well! Then, according to your suggestion, how should I investigate?"

"Sir, you might as well lower your stance and offer him some benefits to see if he's willing to serve you," the clerk smiled and continued, "If he's sensible, we might have a valuable assistant in the future; but if he doesn't know what's good for him..."

"What if they don't know how to appreciate kindness?"

The clerk gave a sinister smile and snorted, "Since he has no official credentials, then everything is negotiable."

Fang Dahong and his advisor exchanged a glance, then hesitantly asked, "But if he really is a scion of a prominent family or a high-ranking official, how am I supposed to explain this?"

"What do you mean, 'explain'?" The clerk laughed and patted Fang Dahong's sleeve. "Sir, have you forgotten that bandits are rampant in our Shiguan County, causing you a lot of headaches?"

"Bandits? Yes...yes! Bandits!" Fang Dahong understood and laughed along. "Song Ce, Song Ce, whether you live or die is up to you! If you don't know what's good for you, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Before that, let him suffer in jail! Let him tough it out!"

After the two had made their plans, five or six days passed before the clerk sent someone to the prison to deliver a message that Lord Fang had summoned Song Ce to the back courtyard for questioning.

When Song Ce was led out of the prison by two yamen runners, Hu Zi grabbed his sleeve in a hurry, but was stopped by the yamen runners with a stern shout.

"You little thief, behave yourself! If you keep causing trouble, we brothers will give you a good beating! Now get lost!"

Tiger was still a teenager, and he immediately let go after being startled like that. Seeing this, Song Ce patted his head and said gently, "Tiger, don't worry, I'll be back in a bit."

"Hmm...then I'll wait for you to come back."

Before long, Song Ce was led by the yamen runners to a luxuriously decorated back courtyard.

Fang Dahong was sitting at the stone table in the center of the courtyard, sipping tea. When Song Ce came in, he personally got up to offer him a seat and ordered someone to serve him freshly made snacks, a stark contrast to his behavior a few days ago.

"Mr. Song, how have you been?" Fang Dahong put down his teacup. Although he had a smile on his face, it was a forced one.

Song Ce dusted off his sleeves and said calmly, "I wonder what instructions you have for me, sir, who brought me here from prison?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance," Fang Dahong said amiably, gesturing to the stone bench opposite him. "Please sit down and let's talk, sir."

Song Ce raised an eyebrow slightly, sat down as instructed, and waited for him to continue.

Fang Dahong slowly poured Song Ce a cup of warm tea, and after a while, he smiled and said, "I heard that you are a scholar?"

He has only a basic understanding of literature.

"Tsk, that's a real waste of talent." Fang Dahong shook his head with some regret. "I wonder if you have any ambitions, sir?"

Song Ce smiled faintly: "Lord Fang, please speak frankly."

"Good! Excellent! I enjoy dealing with people like you!" Fang Dahong changed the subject and chuckled, "I see you are brave, resourceful, and exceptionally courageous. How about... you stay in my Shiguan County and work for me?"

Song Ce raised an eyebrow. "What does Your Excellency mean?"

"Of course I'll find you a good job in the county government. From now on, you'll be living a life of luxury with me. How about it?" Fang Dahong smiled, his eyes narrowing into slits. "As long as you're obedient, you'll naturally get plenty of benefits."

Song Ce toyed with the teacup in front of him and asked calmly, "Sir, are you trying to bribe me?"

"What bribery? Don't put it so harshly." Fang Dahong's smile faded slightly. "Sir, you are well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics. Surely you know the principle that those who are wise in times of adversity are the heroes? If you know what's good for you today, I can let bygones be bygones for everything that has happened these past few days."

"My lord, what will happen if I don't know what's good for me?" Song Ce asked.

"Hmph! If you don't know what's good for you, then this great man will be in trouble..."

Fang Dahong didn't say anything more, but the threat in his eyes was obvious.

Song Ce smiled, picked up the tea on the table and slowly poured it on the ground, saying lightly, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I appreciate it. However, we are on different paths, so we cannot work together."

Upon hearing this, Fang Dahong's smile instantly froze. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, roaring, "Song Ce! You! Don't push your luck! Do you really think I wouldn't dare to touch you?"

“Lord Fang.” Song Ce slowly stood up, his gaze calmly meeting his. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

"Good! Good!! Good!!!" Fang Dahong was so angry at his arrogant appearance that he trembled all over. He suddenly knocked the teacup to the ground and roared, "Guards! Guards! Drag this ignorant fool away! Beat him hard! I want to see if his mouth is tougher or my rod is tougher!"

Before the constables could get close, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the side courtyard, accompanied by a short constable's panicked shouts: "M-M-Sir! No, no, no, it's all over!"

Fang Dahong was already furious, and upon hearing this, he roared even more furiously, "What's so good about it! Can't you see I'm busy? Get out of here right now!"

"My lord! It's not alright! No, no, it's not alright! Something's wrong!"

The short constable rushed into the courtyard, panting, and continued, his face pale, "A man has come from outside. He claims to be a General of the Imperial Guard from the capital and asked me to bring his official credentials, saying he wants to see you, sir!"

"What did you say? Imperial Guard General?" Fang Dahong was stunned, then his heart skipped a beat. "A senior third-rank official! It's actually a senior third-rank official! Jiewei, quickly check if this official certificate is genuine or not?"

Upon hearing this, the clerk stepped forward and quickly took the official document from Fang Dahong's hand, examining it carefully.

“Sir, the official document is genuine! However, the Imperial Guard Commander is a high-ranking official in the capital. Why would he suddenly come to our Shiguan County? Could it be…” The clerk gave Fang Dahong a wink, then looked at Song Ce beside him.

At this moment, Song Ce still stood there calmly, as if he had known all along that such an uninvited guest would come.

Fang Dahong was stunned, his mind went blank for a moment, and cold sweat broke out all over his body.

"You...you are..." He pointed at Song Ce, his lips trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"My lord! My lord! Don't waste your time on this man! Hurry up and go to the main gate to greet General Fang!" The clerk stepped forward and tugged at Fang Dahong's sleeve, saying urgently.

"Yes, yes, yes! Jiewei is right! Come on, you, you come with me, together..."

Fang Dahong was so flustered that he forgot to change out of his official robes and stumbled a couple of steps as he walked out. Song Ce stood there, watching the two figures leave in a panic, a cold smile curving his lips.

The two constables who had brought Song Ce looked at each other in bewilderment, hurriedly put down the boards in their hands, and dared not take another step forward.

Meanwhile, outside the main gate of the county government office, a tall and upright general in black armor stood with his hand on his sword. When he saw Fang Dahong staggering out, he only frowned slightly, his expression remaining largely unchanged.

"Your humble servant, Fang Dahong, the magistrate of Shiguan County, was unaware of the arrival of General Zhonglang. I am deeply sorry for failing to greet you properly. I beg your forgiveness!" Fang Dahong, along with his clerk and the constables, knelt firmly on the ground, their foreheads touching the ground, not daring to look up even once.

"Please rise, Your Excellency." Gao Chengfeng's voice was deep and powerful, and he said with authority, "I have come here today on the orders of the new Emperor to deliver your transfer documents."

"A new emperor? Transferred, reassigned?"

Fang Dahong's vision blurred and he almost collapsed, but luckily his advisor reacted quickly and reached out to catch him.

Gao Chengfeng smiled casually, took out a roll of dark red silk from his pocket, and said calmly, "The imperial edict is here. Your esteemed county, please accept the decree!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Dahong's knees buckled, and he almost instinctively knelt down. He raised his trembling hands high above his head and stammered, "This humble official...this humble official receives the decree."

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Author's Note: [Shrugs]