Chapter 82 The Subtle Effects of the Reverse Nature of Temperament (by...)
Wen Zhongnan was already quite drunk at Bai Xuan's house, his eyes glazed over. When Qi Chengming was invited in by Bai Xuan's wife, Jinniang, Bai Xuan was grinning foolishly with his arm around his shoulder, echoing his words:
"Yes... If I hadn't neglected my martial arts training, I would also like to go to the battlefield and give him a good beating!"
Jinniang: "..."
Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment. She was ashamed to see her husband's foolish behavior exposed to others, and awkwardly tried to smooth things over, suppressing her shame: "Your Highness, he..."
"It's alright, I can stay here by myself." Qi Chengming found it amusing, and seeing her struggling to hold it in, he quickly interrupted to comfort her.
Qi Chengming had originally arrived in a hurry. Now, he raised an eyebrow, relaxed his shoulders, and was no longer in a rush. He felt that he wouldn't be able to get anything out of him this time.
Ha, those two drunkards...
Qi Chengming sat down next to a messy table of snacks and drinks. Jinniang quickly ordered a servant to bring up a clean set of cups and saucers, but he waved his hand and refused, saying, "Bring me a cup of tea."
Two drunkards are enough.
Qi Chengming did not have a drinking problem.
After Jinniang left, Qi Chengming simply opened the infrastructure system. There were still many books in the system that he hadn't finished reading or fully understood before. It would be nice to spend this afternoon leisurely sitting with his friends.
"Joining the army..."
Wen Zhongnan's muffled voice leaked out, "From...the army."
Qi Chengming was taken aback and turned to look.
That voice was completely different from the usual clear, cheerful, and youthful tone of the Second Young Master Wen. It was deep and indignant, like a shout coming from between his teeth and from his chest, carrying an unwavering determination, or like his obsession finally being inadvertently revealed after getting drunk, as he kept muttering in his sleep.
"Wen Er?" Qi Chengming called out to him in a soft voice.
The drunken youth turned his dazed gaze over, and it took him a while to recognize who he was, as he murmured, "...Wuyou, I have to join the army."
"But I can't let you go!" He clutched two stray hairs on his forehead in distress, like a cricket clutching its antennae, and squatted childishly on the chair, his whole being sinking into deep distress and self-isolation.
"Pfft..." Qi Chengming was lost in thought and almost couldn't suppress a chuckle. He was at a loss for words, "Hey, I'm not a child anymore, why can't I let go?"
Qi Chengming was already mentally prepared for Wen Zhongnan's desire to join the army. From the moment he met this second young master Wen from the original story, he knew that Liuzhou couldn't keep him for long. As the border became turbulent, and as the situation escalated, this chivalrous young man became increasingly restless. Sooner or later, he would embark on the military journey as in the original story, and when they met again, he might even be a great general.
But why can't I let him go?
Qi Chengming felt heartened to see him so seriously worried, but also found it extremely funny.
"You could get into trouble if you're not careful," Wen Er mumbled incoherently, raising his hand to pat Qi Chengming's shoulder forcefully, making Qi Chengming stagger. "Look at this physique! What if you get seriously ill one day..."
His voice trailed off, and it became inaudible.
Qi Chengming, who had been frowning and listening attentively to his explanation, now felt only helplessness and amusement. Wen Er was indeed drunk; he was completely illogical.
"You're not a doctor, so there's no point in you staying. Dr. Bian told me he'll come back to see me when he's done with his work."
"That's good..." Wen Er's head gradually drooped, and he was drowsy and about to fall asleep.
"So don't worry about me, go if you want." Qi Chengming didn't know if Wen Er could hear him now, but he finished speaking smoothly. "If you go early, you can keep your cousin company."
“Not recently…” Wen Zhongnan forced himself to speak, his head bowed, “There’s also… a case.”
"What case?" Qi Chengming asked repeatedly, almost unconsciously.
He noticed that Wen Er's speech was very distinctive; when he got to the important parts, he would mumble and breathe heavily and weakly, which made people anxious and impatient.
“The case…” Wen Zhongnan raised his head, a glimmer of light returning to his hazy eyes. He clutched Qi Chengming’s sleeve and murmured, “The case in the county government office… Mr. Qin isn’t good at solving cases…”
"Alright, alright, I'll do it. I'll ask Commander Mao to come with me." Qi Chengming quickly agreed. After more than half a year, he finally felt how exhausting it was to coax a drunk person.
Looking to the side, Bai Xuan was grinning foolishly. After drinking, he was clinging to the table, looking so affectionate that he probably thought of it as his wife.
Qi Chengming quickly looked away, his expression a mix of emotions.
Qi Chengming spent the afternoon in a daze at Bai Xuan's house. Later, he watched the servants carry the two sleeping men to the backyard to sleep. Qi Chengming sat outside the room where they were sleeping and read a book. It was almost evening when neither of them woke up, meaning no one bothered to entertain him.
Qi Chengming found it amusing and spent a long time playing with Bai Xuan's youngest daughter before strolling off to return to the palace.
"My lord has not been very hospitable today," Jinniang apologized first, then gave a complaining smile, "...I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Your Highness."
Just thinking about how the prince witnessed her husband clinging to the table and insisting on kissing her, causing Jinniang's face to flush red with embarrassment, and she felt so ashamed that she wanted to punch Bai Xuan a few more times.
"Ahem." Qi Chengming coughed strategically, suppressing his laughter and pretending to take his leave naturally. "It's nothing. This is the price they paid for getting so drunk behind my back. When they wake up tomorrow, remember to explain that I saw everything."
After saying that, Qi Chengming suppressed a laugh and turned to leave.
He could already imagine how exciting that scene would be.
Xiao Dezi, who had been following behind like a ghost, finally burst out laughing when no one was around. Heaven knows how hard he had been holding it in all day.
"Don't tell Xiao Chengzi. It's enough that the two of us know about this." Qi Chengming couldn't help but chuckle, but he still had to remind Xiao Dezi that it was a joke about his two brothers, and it was enough that they saw it. The news should stop here and not be spread any further.
"Yes," Xiao Dezi replied readily, his tone still carrying a smile.
Qi Chengming returned to the Prince's Mansion, where he was stopped by a eunuch in the covered corridor and invited to the side hall where Chief Steward Song handled affairs. Mr. Qin was also there. The two sat facing each other, with the table in front of them covered with notes, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
"Your Highness, the new prefect's name is Lu Yu. He is from Shanyin in Jiangnan and has been stationed in remote areas for more than ten years." Song Gu wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. The information he and Qin Liusong had gathered separately had been combined. After various investigations and research, they learned that this Lord Lu had been stationed in remote and inconspicuous places several times.
In other words, if he hadn't come to Liuzhou, he would have been a completely transparent and marginalized person.
No, even if he came to Liuzhou, it would probably only prove once again that he is still a marginal figure.
"He's an unimportant marginal figure in the Jiangnan faction... only able to embezzle small sums of money." Qin Liusong summarized, his gaze falling on the new emperor. "Since entering officialdom, he has repeatedly encountered setbacks in his career, as if he's always lacking a bit of luck."
Qin Liusong had heard of this name in his previous life.
I heard that the man was not good at making money and lacked luck, so he was greedy in this and that, and scheming everywhere. But the amount of money he embezzled was not even noticed by his superiors. He was a mediocre guy who didn't even have the ability to be a "corrupt official". People who heard about his deeds would only smile knowingly, like a minor clown.
In his previous life, Qin Liusong wouldn't have felt sorry for the two because they resembled each other; on the contrary, he looked down on them quite a bit.
At least he was a talented person who was not given the opportunity, but what abilities did the other party have?
Those who only care about money are parasites!
This impression lasted until I saw them in person at the welcome banquet today.
Qin Liusong had to admit that the new prefect was even more adept at interpersonal relationships... The two engaged in a fierce verbal battle, and in the end, Qin Liusong was defeated.
He was convinced, which made him even more surprised.
If he's just an ordinary person, then what is he? So how unlucky has the new prefect been from childhood to adulthood?! He hasn't been promoted yet?!
Qi Chengming listened intently, his gaze heavy. He lowered his eyes, seemingly thinking about the ground, but in reality, he was staring blankly at the talent list in the infrastructure system: "...Is that so?"
Lu Yu's name was also on the list.
Qi Chengming's calm expression remained unchanged as he continued to speak slowly and deliberately, "So, we still can't be sure of his intentions in coming to Liuzhou, or rather, his plans after arriving in Liuzhou. Does he want to continue scheming and currying favor with others? Does he want to exploit others for money, or does he want to... spy on me?"
The system's talent list has many advantages, making it easy to select those loyal to him. However, Qi Chengming had already discovered its disadvantages.
Now that we can confirm the new prefect's loyalty, what's next?
The new prefect's past sounds like that of a shady character.
Is his inexplicable loyalty to Qi Chengming because he wants to curry favor with the prince? Even if he is loyal to Qi Chengming, it only represents his stance and does not change his methods and character. Could it be that he came for the prosperity of Liuzhou but still intends to embezzle and exploit? He seems frustrated and unsuccessful. Could it be that he does something that harms Qi Chengming's interests (which he thinks is insignificant) in order to further his position in the court factions?
The stance is absolute, but the other elements are too vague.
In fact, this wasn't the first time Qi Chengming had encountered such a talented person.
For example, Wang Chuandao and Shen Shuzhi were ministers who were inexplicably put on the list. Qi Chengming had his own concerns about them, but he was not as resistant as he is now.
He realized with great concern that the reason he was being particularly vigilant this time was because the new prefect didn't look like a good person at all. He knew perfectly well that as a superior, it was unrealistic to expect his subordinates to be completely honest, so he would be a little more lenient in his management of households, estates, and even the government offices, leaving some room for leniency.
As long as this petty corrupt prefect wasn't the extremely greedy and exploitative villain he'd encountered before, Qi Chengming could tolerate him. Lack of ability wasn't a bad thing; in fact, it was a good thing to have him in Liuzhou!
But his reaction was indeed that strong...
Qi Chengming slapped his forehead, trying to forget the new prefect's sinister and treacherous gaze.
"In other words, we still haven't figured out his intentions!" Qi Chengming sighed heavily, his interest now fully piqued.
This time, his men suffered a crushing defeat and were completely wiped out.
Qi Chengming refused to believe it and gave the order: "Keep a close eye on the new prefect."
I can always figure out what the other person is thinking.
The next day, Qi Chengming received the news—
The new prefect, accompanied by a group of officials from his office, went around Liuzhou city seeking out wealthy families to host banquets and feasts. Despite returning with a full haul, he found himself alone in his courtyard, pacing back and forth, sighing repeatedly.
It's very strange.
"Wait a minute—?!" Qi Chengming suddenly raised his hand, looking at Commander Mao with a complicated expression. "So, you guys went to scout over his wall tonight too?"
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Author's Note: A Little Theater—
Lu Yu: Look at my fat head and big ears, my standard treacherous villain face and temperament... Is anyone tempted?
(Drinking) (Inviting people to drink) (The clever reverse use of a baby's appearance)
Nobody's taking the bait? That's impossible, it's so peaceful! Didn't the new emperor say he had a very difficult early life?
(Palching and scratching his head, completely baffled)
[Second update today! Hooray!]
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