No matter what, you have to wear one pair of pants.
Tang Qi waited for a long time at the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Department before Cheng Junshi finally showed his face. He stepped down a few steps, his face grim, and took out the money pouch from his waist, throwing it at Tang Qi below.
"You win."
Tang Qi was naturally happy to tie the money pouch to himself and casually asked, "What do you mean?"
Cheng Junshi had already walked up to him and replied, "He was taken away by the Vice Minister of Revenue."
"Being able to directly promote someone beyond the Three Departments is something that a Vice Minister of Revenue cannot do."
Cheng Junshi glanced at him and said indifferently, "It seems you're not surprised at all."
"There was still a bit of an unexpected element to it."
Cheng Junshi looked at Tang Qi: "What do you mean?"
Tang Qi shrugged: "I thought Zhang Dong would die in prison, but I didn't expect someone would actually take him away."
"Recycle bait?"
Tang Qi crossed his arms and frowned: "Since that person brought Zhang Dong to me, he must have known that I would investigate him. In that case, Zhang Dong has no reason to live, but the Vice Minister of Revenue still took Zhang Dong away."
Cheng Junshi replied, "That proves he still has value." He then looked at Tang Qi, "Where are you going next?"
"The Zhou residence."
Cheng Junshi frowned: "You suspect the Left Censor-in-Chief?"
"Couldn't we just catch up? I did live in Jingzhou for a while, and I know the young master of the Zhou family."
Cheng Junshi sneered: "Catch up? It's astonishing to hear such a pure purpose from you. You met him before, and he ended up with a broken arm."
Suddenly exposed, Tang Qi panicked and said, "That time was an accident! It was a serious fight, I just didn't hold back."
Cheng Junshi continued watching him ramble on, his eyes filled with amusement as he calmly replied, "Is there ever a time in this world when the young marquis can't control himself?"
Sensing the sarcasm in his words, Tang Qi finally said, "Oh dear, we became friends after a fight."
Tang Qi then realized something and said, "Wait a minute, that happened so many years ago, how would you know?"
"It's just that the young marquis's deeds are too exciting and widely circulated."
Hearing this, Tang Qi cursed inwardly, "It must be that guy Yun An again. He doesn't want to be a proper princess, but he prefers to write those play scripts."
Tang Qi suppressed her complaints and tried to awkwardly change the subject.
Cheng Junshi did not expose him, but simply asked, "So how do you plan to get to the Zhou residence?"
Tang Qi stared straight at him, a smile gradually spreading across his face, and slowly reached out his hand toward Cheng Junshi.
"Stop."
Cheng Junshi slapped away the evil hand reaching out to him.
“Your father is a Vice Minister of State Affairs, so he has some connection with the Zhou family. It’s more legitimate for you to visit him than for me to do so.”
Cheng Junshi stared at him for a long time before finally letting out a snort through his nose. He then sneered at Tang Qi and said, "Tang Qi, did you start plotting this the moment you first saw me on the street?"
Tang Qi originally wanted to make up a few excuses to fob off Cheng Junshi, but seeing the wary look in Cheng Junshi's eyes, Tang Qi had no choice but to give up the idea of deceiving Cheng Junshi. He sighed briefly and honestly told him, "When I went to Qing Teng Valley, I was originally going to join Li Guang Army with Zhou Ziye, but when I arrived, General Ye had transferred Zhou Ziye to Hecheng to guard the capital. However, he was not actually in Hecheng. He returned to Jingzhou."
Cheng Junshi was taken aback, and then listened to Tang Qi continue: "Zhou Ziye was transferred from Hecheng by the censor, and Ye An replaced him in guarding the capital. During this time, someone attacked the city."
Tang Qi suddenly stopped, hesitated for a moment while looking at Cheng Junshi, and then spoke to him as if he had made up his mind: "The ones attacking the city are the Wolf Strategy Army."
Cheng Junshi was stunned and stared blankly at Tang Qi. He continued, "I don't know if there's an internal problem or if someone is deliberately framing me. The only variable is Zhou Ziye's transfer. The Emperor has agreed to investigate privately. Cheng Wang, I must see Zhou Ziye."
"You really have a brilliant plan."
Cheng Junshi looked at Tang Qi coldly.
"But someone has to be willing to take the bait."
Tang Qi hooked his arm around his shoulder, raised his eyebrows and smiled, "There's no other way, only someone as chivalrous and righteous as Supervisor Cheng would be my partner."
Tang Qi knew that no amount of coercion or bribery would work if he wanted Cheng Junshi's help. Cheng Junshi was a typical person who wouldn't be swayed by force, and he was so upright that Tang Qi even found him a bit cold-hearted. However, if something could cause serious harm to the country, then if he threw a rope at Cheng Junshi, he would willingly get involved without saying much to him.
That's just how strange he is.
Cheng Junshi slapped his hand away and walked forward, his voice trailing behind him: "Then I really have to thank the young marquis for always thinking of me when there's something good."
Tang Qi strode up to him and smiled, "Don't mention it, we're like family."
Cheng Junshi turned around and glanced at him, then snorted coldly, "I don't want to continue colluding with you."
"Look at this, look at this, Cheng Wang, what kind of talk is this!"
Tang Qi and Cheng Junshi bickered all the way until they reached the vicinity of the Zhou residence. At that moment, they fell silent in tacit agreement, looked at each other, and neither of them suggested going closer.
The Zhou residence was not like their own mansion; it was extremely solemn, and people standing there even found their breathing to become lighter.
Before the two men could decide who was going to knock on the door, a servant approached them.
"Young masters, my master invites you."
Tang Qi and Cheng Junshi exchanged a glance, and he spoke first: "Who is your master?"
The servant bowed and said, "You two will know when you get there."
Seeing that they couldn't get any information, Tang Qi exchanged a glance with Cheng Junshi, and the two followed the servant to see the so-called "sir" he mentioned.
The servant led them around several corners before finally stopping at one place.
"We've arrived. I'll take my leave now."
After saying this, the servant left. Tang Qi looked at the gate in front of him, then suddenly smiled and said to Cheng Junshi, "Cheng Wang, what do you think is behind this gate? A crossbow? Or a vicious dog?"
Cheng Junshi stepped onto the stairs and said without turning his head, "No matter what it is, I can guarantee that I will die after you."
Tang Qi shrugged and clicked his tongue, "Boring, Cheng Wang, how come you have no curiosity at all?"
Cheng Wang pressed his finger against the door and pushed it open forcefully: "The truth that is within my grasp is not worth my curiosity."
The scene before them gradually unfolded. Cheng Junshi looked around and said to Tang Qi, "Congratulations, you guessed everything wrong."
"That's not necessarily true."
Tang Qi and Cheng Junshi followed the only straight road forward and finally caught a glimpse of something unusual at the end.
"I told you it might not be true."
Tang Qi leaned closer and whispered to Cheng Junshi.
At the end of the straight road, waiting for them were two rows of Black-Clad Guards—the exclusive guards of officials of the third rank and above in the Shuo Dynasty.
Tang Qi and his companion walked to the center and knelt down to pay their respects.
The person in front of them was just drinking tea, occasionally glancing at the two of them.
Those were extremely intimidating eyes, as if they wanted to nail someone to the ground.
"Cheng Wang, courtesy name Junshi, served in the Ministry of Justice. Two years later, he was promoted to Junior Supervisor. The Bingzhou tax case was the opportunity for your promotion. Am I right?"
Cheng Junshi was only slightly taken aback, but quickly bowed and replied, "Not a single detail is wrong."
The man smiled and then turned to look at Tang Qi.
"Tang Qi, courtesy name Zhongle, is currently the Southern Commander of the Wolf Strategy Army."
Tang Qi straightened up, bowed to the person in the high position, and introduced himself with a smile, saying, "Hehe, no need for you to trouble yourself, I can do it myself."
The person sitting in the high position simply looked at him and smiled, saying, "You forgot to mention one thing: the son of the Marquis of Jianbei."
Tang Qi was taken aback, then composed himself and simply smiled as he replied, "My father is my father, and I am me. I don't want to be the son of the Marquis of Jianbei. If my father were to give me another brother, who knows who would be the son of the Marquis of Jianbei then? I'll just be Tang Qi."
Unexpectedly, the man suddenly burst into laughter, and after a long while, he looked at the two of them and slowly said, "Get up and sit down."
After the two were seated, the man looked at Tang Qi again and said, "You're not afraid of people."
Tang Qi smiled and replied, "Sir, since you have already figured out our background and brought out the Black-Clad Guards, you must have something to tell us. Since you won't kill us, what are you afraid of? Besides, I am a military general. I have never been afraid of swords and spears when I went into battle. Why would I be afraid of my own people now?"
Tang Qi ignored the look Cheng Junshi gave him and spoke calmly.
The man chuckled and pointed to the black-clad guards lined up beside Tang Qi: "What do you think they're guarding against?"
He simply shook his head, looked at Tang Qi, and said in a tone of authority: "You'll understand later that you should be even more wary of your own people."
"Your father certainly raised you to be naive."
Cheng Junshi looked at him, considered for a moment, and said, "This junior dares to ask your esteemed name, senior."
"I am Yunqi."
Upon hearing this name, Cheng Junshi immediately rose from his seat and knelt before Yun Qi, saying, "This student, Cheng Wang, greets Your Excellency, the Censor."
Tang Qi suddenly realized something and knelt before Yun Qi, saying, "Student Tang Qi greets Your Excellency, the Imperial Censor."
Yun Qi simply waved his hand and said, "Get up."
Left Censor, Right Censor—both titles of Censor have a prefix before them. Yun Qi is indeed one of the Three Dukes, the Censor. The school that Tang Qi and his classmates used to attend was run by Yun Qi.
"Now you're scared?"
Yun Qi continued to ask Tang Qi, who simply smiled and said, "As a student, it's natural to be afraid when you see your teacher."
Yun Qi was also amused, looking at him and saying, "He's much better at talking than your father."
Cheng Junshi spoke up from the side, "I wonder why the Imperial Censor has summoned the two of us here?"
Yun Qi looked at Cheng Junshi: "You and your father have never reconciled?"
Cheng Junshi was taken aback, then replied sullenly, "No."
“Your mother has been gone for more than ten years. No matter what happened back then, she would never have wanted you two to end up like this.”
Cheng Junshi, stared at by Yun Qi, was momentarily speechless, his entire body tensing up as if frozen in place. After a long while, he finally replied, "This student has learned much."
Yun Qi then turned to Tang Qi: "Since you came to Jingzhou, have you visited the Tang residence?"
Tang Qi shook her head: "No."
"You should go back and visit your grandmother; she's been bedridden for half a month."
Tang Qi was stunned; he knew absolutely nothing about these things.
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