Chapter 491 - 186: People Can Look Alike, Part 3
Chapter 491: Chapter 186: People Can Look Alike, Part 3
She saw Mr. Sheng with a young man, clearly heading toward the plum blossom grove as well. She immediately said, "Jing, go and stop them."
Don’t let them run into De’an.
De’an couldn’t hide his feelings; whatever he was thinking was written all over his face.
If he saw that man, he would definitely have a strange expression. Even the others would surely look uncomfortable.
If one or two of them acted that way, how could it not arouse suspicion and speculation?
They didn’t know if this newcomer was friend or foe. Exposing themselves now would lead to endless trouble.
Zhao Jing thought of this as well and immediately walked out. "Wait here for a moment, Big Sister. I’ll be right back."
Zhao Jing walked out quickly.
His objective was clear: he headed straight for Mr. Sheng.
Mr. Sheng was accompanied by plainclothes constables. Seeing Zhao Jing approach, they all stretched out their arms to block him. "What are you doing?"
"Do not be insolent before the Lord Prefect."
Hearing this, Mr. Sheng turned his head to look. He recognized Zhao Jing at a glance and immediately broke into a smile.
"Ah, it’s you, my boy! What brings you here today? Oh, that’s right, I remember now. You and those kids from the Wang Family were going to the temple fair today. Isn’t Yan’er with you? Where did she go?"
Seeing this, the constables realized that Zhao Jing was an acquaintance of the Lord Prefect. They quickly retracted their arms and made a "please proceed" gesture.
Zhao Jing took two steps forward and bowed respectfully. "Miss Sheng was delighted by the plum blossoms at the City God Temple and has taken her friends to see them. My wife and I were praying in the main hall when we happened to see you passing by, my lord. I came over to wish you an early happy new year."
Mr. Sheng heard this and laughed heartily. "This is a rather insincere New Year’s greeting. You should have come to my residence to pay your respects properly. My manor will be hosting a banquet after the new year. You must come. You can have a couple of drinks with me then."
"It would be my honor to obey."
Zhao Jing feigned a hesitant expression. Mr. Sheng noticed and asked curiously, "You rascal, is there something else? There are no outsiders here right now. If you have something to say, just say it."
Zhao Jing cupped his hands again. "In that case, I will be so bold. My lord, I have an impertinent request. I would like to ask for two ’Fu’ characters, written by you, to place on my main gate to protect the household."
"What’s the reason for this? Is there trouble at home? Has someone been causing you offense?"
"My lord, you care for all living beings, bear the state in your heart, and are devoted to the common people. Since you took office, the lives of the citizens have improved daily, the local customs have become simple and honest, and no one would even pick up something lost on the road. My own days in the Prefecture have been peaceful and comfortable. It’s just that there’s an old custom from my hometown: for the new year, we ask an elder for their calligraphy to protect the home, bring prosperity, and ward off evil spirits."
The people surrounding Mr. Sheng, including the nearby constables and the richly dressed young man, all turned to look at Zhao Jing with solemn expressions.
’To look at him, one would think him a man as pure as the moon and clear as the wind, yet who would have expected such fawning words to come from his mouth?’
’This whole story about needing an elder’s calligraphy to protect the home, bring prosperity, and ward off evil spirits... One only had to think about it for a moment to see the cunning in this man’s heart.’
’First, by asking for an elder’s calligraphy, he was treating the Lord Prefect as a dependable and close senior. This invisibly closed the distance between them, making others more tolerant and friendly toward him.’
’Second, if the Lord Prefect agreed to this, the matter would quickly become known to everyone in the Prefecture.’
’Regardless of whether these "evil spirits" were real or fake, out of respect for the Lord Prefect, no one would dare to trouble him again.’
’This man was truly a master of calculation, a true schemer.’
’What was most remarkable was that, with such an otherworldly and refined face, he could utter such obsequious and fawning words. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.’
’A man like this would transform into a dragon upon encountering water.’
’The Lord Prefect would surely not mind helping someone achieve their goal, giving him a hand while he was still at a low point to show favor.’
Sure enough, Mr. Sheng was heard laughing heartily and with great satisfaction.
"Zhao Jing, oh, Zhao Jing. You’ve asked me personally; how could I possibly refuse? Yanhe, my boy, it seems we won’t be able to admire the plum blossoms today. Such enthusiasm is hard to refuse—I must first bestow some blessings upon my student."
The young man named Xu Yanhe heard this and smiled dashingly. "Finders keepers! Since Mr. Sheng is going to start writing blessings, how can you not spare a few for me? Give me some as well. Tomorrow, I’m going to my uncle’s house, and I can present them to him as a New Year’s gift."
"Heh, you rascal, you’ve certainly mastered the art of ’presenting the Buddha with borrowed flowers.’ But who can blame you for being here at the right time? Fine, I’ll give you a few as well. Just don’t complain that my calligraphy is ugly, and feel free to just stuff them at the bottom of a chest later."
"I couldn’t do that. Even if my uncle wanted to stuff them in a chest, I, your nephew, would resolutely refuse. I would definitely take them out and paste them on the main gate, ensuring that all the friends and relatives who come to pay their New Year’s respects can see them at a single glance."
"Good, good, HA HA HA! That puts my mind at ease."
The three of them turned and headed for a side room.
On the way, Mr. Sheng introduced the two young men to each other.