Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the evening, Pingxi Prefectural Governor Wang Jianbei was reading a letter in his office with a strange expression.

The letter was delivered by someone from the manufacturing bureau, written on Qian Su’s behalf.

Wang Jianbei and Liu Yucheng were both Lei Sitong’s subordinates and close friends. Hence, they had an unusual bond between them compared to prefectural governors and military governors from other places. They were very close and would often discuss matters together. When the letter was delivered here, Liu Yucheng was in Wang Jianbei’s study room. After the latter finished reading the letter, he passed it to the other man. “Take a look at this, Yucheng.”

Liu Yucheng accepted the letter. Few seconds after reading it, he raised his thick eyebrows as he exclaimed aloud, “Ah, people actually dare to pose themselves as officers from the Transportation Office and act ostentatiously in the manufacturing bureau! How bold of them…!”

“I’m afraid that these are not imposters but real officers from the Transportation Office!” Wang Jianbei watched a sparrow jumping on the branch of a magnolia tree, then continued speaking in an indifferent tone. “Two days ago, I received a confidential letter from Lord Lei saying that the Northwestern Transportation Office’s Vice Transport Commissioner Zhong Xiankui was leading a group of officers into Gan Province and making haste to Pingxi Prefecture. It’s about time they reach the Pingxi Prefecture today…”

“The Transportation Office didn’t issue an official document to the Provincial Governor?”

“No, the Prefectural Governor’s Office did not receive any notice either!” Wang Jianbei shook his head. “The Transportation Office has always been unbridled in their way of doing things over the past few years. They entered Gan Province this time without providing any documents either. Since they didn’t bother to cover up their tracks, they naturally couldn’t escape Lord Lei’s eyes. After knowing they entered Gan Province and seemed to be coming to Pingxi Prefecture, Lord Lei even warned me to be more careful so we wouldn’t leave anything for these people to use against us!”

“The Transportation Office is targeting the manufacturing bureau?”

“It seems so!”

The Pingxi Military Governor read the letter in his hand again, then drew a sharp breath. “How bold of them to take Zhong Xiankui down. Although that man is useless, he definitely brought an expert along with him to Gan Province. I met Gan Province Inspector Shi Zhiyao from the Transportation Office last year. He has progressed into a Martial Grandmaster and is a troublesome one. I wonder if he is here with Zhong Xiankui…”

“Since Zhong Xiankui has come to Gan Province, Shi Zhiyao is most likely here too!” Wang Jianbei nodded. “Although this letter is from Qian Su, I’m guessing Yan Liqiang is in the manufacturing bureau right now and instructed him to send this letter to inform us just in case…”

“How can the manufacturing bureau be so bold to even dare to take down people from the Transportation Office?”

“Did you not see the reason they wrote in the letter? The manufacturing bureau is under the Qiyun Protectorate’s jurisdiction, and therefore operates independently of the Northwestern Transportation Office. Yet these people came making trouble at the manufacturing bureau without such common sense, so they must be imposters without a doubt. Besides, the manufacturing bureau mentioned that these people weren’t carrying any official documents with them…”

“F*ck, how ruthless! It does sound like what Yan Liqiang would do!” Liu Yucheng slammed the letter on the table and clicked his tongue. “They have taken down the people, so if the manufacturing bureau claims that these people didn’t carry any official documents, then they didn’t. I guess the reason they found is a pretty solid one. However, Northwestern Transport Commissioner Jiang Tianhua will probably lose his head once he finds out about this incident and he’s not going to take things lying down. The manufacturing bureau has really stirred up a hornet’s nest this time…”

“Jiang Tianhua has always been Lin Qingtian’s blind follower while Yan Liqiang is an ally of His Majesty’s. If this dispute is taken to court, Yan Liqiang wouldn’t be scared even if it is escalated to the Imperial Capital. He must have thought of this already!” A meaningful smile appeared on Wang Jianbei’s face.

“I’m sure Jiang Tianhua is aware of this too, so I don’t think he will dare to say anything about taking things to court with Yan Liqiang!”

“Of course!”

“Then how could Yan Liqiang still be this bold?”

“Even rabbits can bite when they feel threatened, let alone humans. Yan Liqiang has instructed for this letter to be delivered us as a notification. We’ll just inform Lord Lei. As for the rest, since we didn’t receive any official documents from the Transportation Office regarding Zhong Xiankui’s visit to Pingxi Prefecture, we can pretend to be unaware and just ignore it. We’ll do what we should and buy whatever time we have. Just pretend nothing happened!”

“But Jiang Tianhua is a vicious and merciless man! They really have a backing in the Transportation Office!”

“Regardless, Lord Lei is absolute in the Gan Province. It’d be even better if Yan Liqiang fails to handle things and come seeks us for our aid!” Wang Jianbei’s gaze deepened.

“You mean the salt pan at Yuntao County?”

“That’s Lord Lei’s wallet. You should visit that place more frequently, Yucheng. The goods from our salt pan in Pingxi Prefecture can shock even the most established salt merchants in the northwestern region. Lord Lei has already assigned an expert to oversee the place. But over the past few days, there has been quite a number of troublemakers appearing in Yuntao County Town. We should assign a battalion of cavalry there if necessary with the excuse of conducting a training drill to save trouble…”

“Alright. Damn, that Yan Liqiang really knows how to make money. Anything that passes through his hand becomes gold. I never believed the rumors from outside saying that Yan Liqiang is capable due to the guidance he receives from a deity. Now, I’m a little convinced. Let’s see how he will handle this…”

…

…

SPLASH…!

Vice Transport Commissioner Zhong Xiankui was startled awake from having a basin of water poured from his head to toe. He slowly opened his eyes. In his daze, he gradually got a good look at his surroundings.

He was in a dark cell surrounded by stone walls. A stove of blazing coals was burning in the room, dyeing the entire room red. Qian Su, whom he had seen before, was calmly looking at him with another few unfamiliar faces standing in the room.

As soon as he took a good look at the scene before him, he felt his cheeks hurting very badly. His head felt like a wooden block and he tried to touch it. However, the clang he heard made him realize that his limbs had been chained to a metal frame.

“What are you all doing?! I am the Vice Transport Commissioner from the Northwestern Transport Office! It is a capital offense to beat or hold an official of the imperial court captive…!” Zhong Xiankui immediately struggled to break free while yelling like a pig that was about to be slaughtered.

“You’re not an official from the imperial court! You’re just an imposter…!” Yan Liqiang chuckled as he watched the chained Vice Transport Commissioner shrieking.

“NONSENSE! I-I… I have my official paiza with me and I also carry an official document…!” Zhong Xiankui shouted, trying to fish something out. It was a shame that his limbs were chained so his movements were too limited for him to find something on his body.

“Are you looking for these?” Yan Liqiang picked up the stack of official paizas and a few documents from the side.

Zhong Xiankui looked up. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw the items Yan Liqiang was holding. “YES! Yes, yes! Those! Since you already know who I am, release me at once! Do you have a death wish…?!”

Yan Liqiang smiled coldly, then tossed the official documents and paizas into the blazing flames beside him. The documents immediately burned up when they came into contact with the fire. The few wooden official paizas engraved with the words ‘Northwestern Transportation Office’ also caught on fire in just a flash…

“What about now? Is there anyone else who can prove your identity?” Yan Liqiang asked Zhong Xiankui.

“T-THIS IS A CAPITAL OFFENSE! A CAPITAL OFFENSE…!” Zhong Xiankui couldn’t even speak properly but he was yelling.

“Impersonating an official from the Northwestern Transportation Office and coming to cause trouble at the manufacturing bureau under the Qiyun Protectorate’s jurisdiction is a capital offense!”

“NONSENSE! I am Zhong Xiankui! The Transport Commissioner of the Northwestern Transportation Office! How dare you accuse me of being an imposter…!”

“Brother Zhou, I think he’s still not very awake yet. Why don’t you sober him up…?” Yan Liqiang ordered Zhou Yong who was standing beside him.

Although Zhou Yong was injured, his condition had pretty much stabilized after he took some medicine and received treatment, so he could move without much problem. While clenching his teeth at the side, Zhou Yong had been staring menacingly at Zhong Xiankui whose head had swelled up like a pig’s head. As soon as he heard Yan Liqiang, he immediately picked up a glowing red triangle branding iron from the stove with a pair of metal tongs and approached Zhong Xiankui…

“W-What are you doing…? What are you doing?! I am an official of the imperial court…! Qian Su, do you not value your lives…?!”

Looking at the glowing red object drawing closer to him, Zhong Xiankui screamed in terror.

SIZZLE…!

When the glowing red branding iron was pressed directly against Zhong Xiankui’s chest, the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. Zhong Xiankui let out a blood-curdling scream as he struggled against the metal frame like a fish out of water, but to no avail. After a moment, his head finally lolled to the side as he lost consciousness.

Another basin of cold water was poured from his head to toe again, and Zhong Xiankui’s eyes snapped open once more. He saw Yan Liqiang looking at him calmly. Apart from terror and fear, there was nothing else left in Zhong Xiankui’s eyes.

“What’s your name?” Yan Liqiang asked calmly.

“Z-Zhong… Xiankui!”

“Wrong. You’re not Zhong Xiankui. You are Zhu Dakui, right?”

Zhong Xiankui hesitated for a moment. However, when he saw Zhou Yong looking at him while licking his lips and was about to reach for the branding iron again, he immediately shivered and hurriedly nodded. “Yes, yes, yes. My name is Zhu Dakui, my name is Zhu Dakui…!”

A smile finally appeared on Yan Liqiang’s face. “Tell me, who sent you here…?”