Protector
Madam Zhou hurriedly stood up. "Oh dear! Xiao Feng! Come, quickly let your aunt take a look." Tang Feng quickly bowed. "Aunt, since we last parted, I haven't seen you again. I didn't even say goodbye before going to Lishan Academy. Please punish me, Aunt."
Madam Zhou helped Tang Feng up and said reproachfully, "What are you blaming me for? I'm so happy you're here! Let your aunt take a good look at you."
"Mother..." Zhou Ziliang stood to the side, ignored by Madam Zhou. "Go away! Get out of the way! Xiao Feng, come and see the pastries your auntie made for you. Last time you praised your auntie's walnut shortbread, so your auntie made some for you again this time."
"Auntie~ Don't bother with all that! I just want to talk to you." Tang Feng took Madam Zhou's arm and walked towards the garden. Reaching the threshold, he turned to Zhou Ziliang and winked.
Zhou Ziliang understood and turned to bow to Zhou Wuhai, saying, "Father, I'll go and take a look."
"What are you doing, you brat! Come back here!" Zhou Wuhai stood up. "Your mother wants to talk to Tang Feng, what are you meddling in for?"
"this...."
"What are you afraid of? Your mother would never harm him. She treats him better than she treats you!"
However, just as Zhou Wuhai said, Madam Zhou did not make things difficult for Tang Feng. "Feng'er! Tell your aunt how you are doing at the academy!"
"Thank you for your concern, I'm doing very well..."
"Yesterday, I beat that brat! Everyone's saying you went to Daze! Is that a place for a human to stay?! It's one thing if they don't protect you properly, but they didn't even try to stop you!" Madam Zhou was furious. What if something happened to Tang Feng?
"You...you hit him?"
"Yes! If we don't discipline him, he'll become spoiled and start bullying you."
Tang Feng frowned. "Auntie... Let alone going to Daze, he's been very good to me and taken good care of me during these three years at Lishan Academy. Please don't hold a grudge against him over this. Going to Daze was my decision, and besides, I'm fine now."
"Then tell me the truth," Madam Zhou said, taking Tang Feng's hand. "If you think Ziliang treats you well, then are you still going to call off the engagement?"
"Aunt?" Tang Feng looked at Madam Zhou with a puzzled expression.
"Hey, you think your little tricks can fool me? It's just that my old man is too stubborn to think straight. I could tell that day that you genuinely dislike Ziliang and even loathe him. You were forced into this situation and had no choice but to lie to us about needing to get to know each other and postpone the engagement for five years. And what about you now?"
Tang Feng, head down, fiddled with the clothes. "Auntie, could you give me a little more time? I don't want to get married so soon." Madam Zhou chuckled. "Silly child, marriage is your business. I'm not forcing you. I know you can't force this. You wait here. I'll have Ziliang come and keep you company. What's there to talk about with an old woman like me?" Then Madam Zhou whispered in Tang Feng's ear, "Get along well. I can't control that stubborn old man in my family."
Not long after Madam Zhou left, Zhou Ziliang came over and asked, "My mother didn't make things difficult for you, did she?"
"Why is Auntie making things difficult for me? But why didn't you tell me you got beaten yesterday?" Tang Feng put his hands on his hips, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Tell me the truth! Were you crying and begging for your parents after being beaten?"
"How could I be so pathetic?" Zhou Ziliang smiled. "I just need to apply some medicine, would you like to take a look?"
"What kind of damage could it possibly do?!" Tang Feng nudged Zhou Ziliang. "It's not like I haven't been beaten before." But when Tang Feng actually saw the wounds on Zhou Ziliang's back, he couldn't help but gasp. "You... what did your mother use to beat you with?!" Zhou Ziliang's back was covered in bruises, with some black spots even appearing in places.
"My mother used family discipline," Zhou Ziliang scratched his head. "I won't take you to see it, or I'll scare you."
"You're not that scared... I'm more curious, what did your aunt use to hit you?" Tang Feng grabbed Zhou Ziliang's arm and shook it off. "Just take me to see! You can't just say half a thing, take me to see, come on, come on!" Zhou Ziliang couldn't resist Tang Feng's pleading and had no choice but to agree, leading Tang Feng to a small, dark room. "This is my family's ancestral hall. We can't usually go in through the main entrance, we can only enter through the side door."
"Ancestral hall? I know this place well!" Tang Feng followed Zhou Ziliang into the ancestral hall.
"This is it," Zhou Ziliang pointed upwards. Tang Feng looked in the direction indicated and nearly popped his eyes out in fright. Trembling, he pointed and said, "Is this your family's discipline?" There were two pairs of large bronze hammers hanging there.
"Yes! That's my mother's weapon from the battlefield, called the Golden Flower Copper Hammer." Tang Feng stared at the two large iron hammers, gesturing to them. Each hammer was definitely bigger than the millstone outside! "You ancient people... did you all like to beat your children to death?"
"Our ancestors?"
"No, no, I was referring to the elderly," Tang Feng quickly waved his hand. "Come with me to the pawnshop! I want to see what it's like first."
“That’s not a big problem,” Zhou Ziliang said, taking Tang Feng’s hand and calling over the old steward. “Uncle Jia, we need to go out now. Could you find us a carriage?”
The old butler, being a shrewd man, smiled and said, "Young master, don't worry, I'll go prepare it right away."
The old steward was quite efficient; Tang Feng felt like less than half an incense stick's time had passed before the carriage was waiting at the door. "Prepared quite quickly," Tang Feng remarked, lifting his robes and boarding the carriage.
“Uncle Jia has been in the manor for many years. I grew up under his watchful eye,” Zhou Ziliang said, lifting the curtain to look outside after settling into the carriage. “To tell you the truth, Uncle Jia was once a captain by my father’s side. He was always brave in battle and had many merits. However, due to an old injury, he had to retire from the front lines. He didn’t want to leave the Marquis’s manor, so he had no choice but to take on the role of steward.”
"That sounds pretty impressive." Tang Feng was clearly not very interested in the matter. Sitting in the carriage, he rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window. What he was really concerned about was what would happen at the pawnshop. Tang Feng recalled how he had been bullied and humiliated in his previous life. Seeing that Tang Feng wasn't in a good mood, Zhou Ziliang lifted the curtain and spoke to the servant behind him. He then turned to Tang Feng and asked, "I noticed you don't seem very interested! What's wrong? Did my mother ask you something that upset you? My mother is a straightforward person, don't worry about it."
Tang Feng chuckled. "My aunt is very good to me. Don't make wild guesses. Does your mother know you're talking about her like that? I might tell my aunt!"
The pawnshop wasn't exactly close to the Marquis's residence, nor was it far. Upon arriving at the location, Zhou Ziliang got out of the carriage first, lifted the curtain, and extended his hand to Tang Feng. "Xiao Feng, come on, we're here. Get out of the carriage."
"We're here so soon?" Tang Feng grabbed Zhou Ziliang's hand for support and got out of the car. "What do you mean we're here! We're nowhere near anywhere." Tang Feng looked around; it was just an ordinary street, seemingly no different from any other. After looking for a long time, he couldn't even see a pawnshop sign. "Are you kidding me?" Tang Feng punched Zhou Ziliang hard in the chest.
“No, I wouldn’t lie to you. Come with me.” Zhou Ziliang pulled Tang Feng’s hand and led him into an oil shop. He took the token from Tang Feng’s waist and placed it in front of the shopkeeper, saying, “Twelve taels of locust flower oil.” The shopkeeper took the token and examined it carefully. Then he put the token in the fire to heat it. Tang Feng was about to step forward when Zhou Ziliang stopped him. After the token was heated, the character “护” (protect) appeared in the upper right corner. The shopkeeper quickly bowed to Tang Feng, “Greetings, Lord Protector, please come in.” He then put the token in cold water to cool it down before handing it to Tang Feng.
Tang Feng took the plaque and tried to pull Zhou Ziliang inside, but Zhou Ziliang grabbed him, saying, "Xiao Feng, this is a sensitive area of the pawnshop. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter easily. You can go in; I'll wait for you outside."
Tang Feng pouted after hearing this, "So you can't get in! Then why were you so eager to help me get in?"
"I can't stay with you, but I can wait for you! Go on in! You'll be back in no time!" Zhou Ziliang gently pinched Tang Feng's nose and smiled indulgently. "I'll wait for you, and I'll buy you something delicious when you come out."
"Why do you always treat me like a child?" Tang Feng nudged Zhou Ziliang, then said to the shopkeeper, "Let's go!" The shopkeeper led Tang Feng to the backyard, turned the well cover three times, and then pulled Tang Feng into the woodshed. He opened a cabinet inside, flicked the top candle, and a secret passage appeared. "Wow... this is too complicated! Even the imperial tombs weren't this elaborate!" Tang Feng followed behind the shopkeeper. "Ugh! Will I have to go through all this trouble every time I come here?"
"No need for that. I'll draw up a roster for you when you come out. Just tell me your number then." The manager led Tang Feng to the end of the secret passage. Seeing two guards, the manager said, "This is the new Chief of the Guard. Please let him in quickly." The guards opened the door, and Tang Feng entered. It was truly a different world. Shelves, two or three meters high, stood in rows, stretching for about a hundred meters. The shelves were filled with boxes, each sealed with a number. Next to each box was a hidden scroll. The people inside were extremely busy; some were checking the contents of the boxes, others were sealing them, and still others were putting them away. "My God! So many!"
"Of course, all the rare treasures of Yan and Yun are here," the shopkeeper said with a hint of pride, his eyes closed.
"Where am I?!"
"You're here!" The steward pointed to the large round plate in the center, on which were several small tables. "You'll be right here. The position of Protectorate is a sinecure, and you are the Protectorate's attendant, so you should sit here out of courtesy."
"Oh, I see!" Tang Feng casually picked up a small object from the table and started playing with it. "Can I ask you a question? What exactly does this 'Guardian Office' do?" Tang Feng's title came out of nowhere. He remembered asking Zhou Ziliang this question before, but he couldn't remember what he had said.
“The position of Protector is easy to understand,” the steward smiled. “It involves escorting our dynasty’s tribute to other countries. However, our country has always been vast and rich in resources, and we haven’t sent tribute for a long time, so the Protector is considered a sinecure.”
"Isn't this just a paid vacation?" Tang Feng chuckled. "Do I have anyone working for me?"
"Of course, you are the driver. I will introduce you to them when you officially take up your post. Do you have any further questions? If not, I will escort you upstairs."
"You're up there so quickly? This place is so big, and you've only shown me this much?" Tang Feng looked around; all the different rooms had their doors closed.
"You don't need to concern yourself with that. The pawnshop staff each have their own duties, and they know what information to gather based on their location," the manager said, bowing slightly. "While my words may be harsh, honest advice is hard to swallow. It's best if you don't get too involved in pawnshop matters. I'm sure someone will remind you when you get back."
Tang Feng shrugged, looking at the tightly closed doors. He wasn't going to ask, nor was he curious. He wasn't some old woman from the village. "Fine, I won't ask, and I won't make things difficult for you. Just take me upstairs!"
After getting on the carriage, Tang Feng tied his name tag to his waist. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Zhou Ziliang sitting in the driver's seat. "Oh! Is this Young Master Zhou driving for me?"
“It’s my own wife, why can’t I drive for her!” Zhou Ziliang picked up the riding crop and put it aside. “Wait a moment, we’ll leave later, I have something for you.”
Tang Feng plopped down next to Zhou Ziliang, leaning against him. "Anyway, there's no rush. By the way, you've been to a pawnshop before? You were pretty fluent in the code words when you went in!"
"You mean this?" Zhou Ziliang smiled. "My uncle used to work in the pawnshop's ceremony office during the previous dynasty, so I know a little about it."
"The previous dynasty?"
"Yes, it's the Great Ruan. The pawnshop is an institution that has been established since the founding of the Great Ruan Kingdom. Most of the national treasury's silver is stored here. Therefore, for the convenience of management, most of the people employed by the pawnshop are personally selected by the emperor. The one who can inherit the pawnshop is bound to be the future crown prince. Later, when the Great Ruan Kingdom was destroyed, His Majesty did not abolish the pawnshop system, but continued it, dismissed the officials of the previous dynasty, and recruited them again himself."
"That sounds pretty far-fetched," Tang Feng said, hugging his knees and groping for the riding crop in Zhou Ziliang's hand. "You just said you were going to wait, wait for what? I don't know either."
You'll find out in a moment.
"You're keeping me in suspense, showing off your abilities."
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