Chapter 53: The Tireless Pei Shaoqing, the Iron Sword Sect’s Crisis
Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Tireless Pei Shaoqing, the Iron Sword Sect’s Crisis
The Hundred Households.
The office that should have belonged to Zhou Xiangyang had now been brazenly claimed by Pei Shaoqing.
Lu Households Commander had sent word through Sun Youliang, tacitly allowing him to sideline Zhou Xiangyang. Therefore, Pei Shaoqing had to be ostentatious and domineering to boost his subordinates’ morale and loyalty.
Otherwise, if the very man leading this insubordination appeared to lack confidence, how could the brothers under him dare to follow him down this dark path to the very end?
Pei Shaoqing was buried in his work. His dear sister, Ye Hanshuang, stood behind him with a sword in her arms, while his intern concubine, Zhao Zilan, gently fanned him with a silk fan.
"Young Master, you’ve been busy for a long time. Would you like some tea to rest for a bit?" Zhao Zilan asked in a soft, quiet voice.
Ye Hanshuang found this woman to be a real eyesore. ’She’s always buzzing around my brother, her intentions written all over her face.’
But being a woman of few words, she couldn’t bring herself to utter the sarcastic remarks she wanted to make. To make matters worse, she couldn’t even defeat the other woman in a fight. All she could do was sulk, pressing down on the longsword in her arms. Her collar sank, making her already magnificent peaks even more prominent as they swayed gently twice.
"No need." Pei Shaoqing kept his head down, writing furiously with a serious expression. "Power and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. How can an official be afraid of hard work? The more I toil, the easier it is for those under me."
"You are so considerate of your subordinates, Young Master, working tirelessly and handling everything personally. It is truly a blessing for your subordinates and the common people," Zhao Zilan said, her eyes gleaming with admiration.
’Maybe this bastard isn’t so much of a bastard all the time,’ she thought.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed as Chen Zhongyi strode in. "Sir, you were looking for me."
"Mm," Pei Shaoqing grunted. He picked up the document he had just finished writing, blew on the ink, and said nonchalantly, "Take this list and go collect my share from last month. Tell them that from now on, you will collect last month’s payment on this day every month. You’ll be in charge of this matter going forward. After you’ve collected everything, deliver it directly to my residence."
Zhao Zilan’s expression froze. Pei Shaoqing had been working diligently at his desk since early this morning, and she had actually believed he was annotating official documents or case files.
’Alright, this bastard is a bastard every second of every day.’
"Yes! Rest assured, Sir, I will not disappoint you!" Chen Zhongyi replied excitedly.
In his eyes, the fact that Pei Shaoqing was willing to entrust this task to him was a sign of trust! It proved that Pei Shaoqing had truly let go of their past grudges and completely accepted his loyalty.
Besides, this was a lucrative assignment. From now on, he would be responsible for collecting money from the merchants in the city. In the process, wouldn’t those merchants prepare a little gift for him on the side?
This wasn’t just trust!
It was a promotion!
As Pei Shaoqing’s former enemy, he was genuinely overcome by the man’s magnanimity and extraordinary poise. A heroic feeling surged within him—that a man would die for one who truly understands him.
Pei Shaoqing casually tossed the list over and said impassively, "I also believe Standard-Bearer Chen will not disappoint me. Otherwise, why would I have chosen you?"
"Yes!" Chen Zhongyi caught the list with both hands. Head bowed, he backed away respectfully until his heels hit the threshold, at which point he bowed deeply before turning to leave.
Watching his retreating back, Pei Shaoqing revealed a faint, imperceptible smile. ’Of course, I can’t personally handle matters like extortion and bribery. It’s beneath me, and it’s risky.’
’I kept Chen Zhongyi around not just to sideline the Hundred Households Commander, but also to have someone to handle all this dirty work. If there’s even a hint of trouble, I can cut ties with him immediately and throw him out to take the fall.’
’A qualified corrupt official must learn how to build a firewall for himself.’
’As for any benefits Chen Zhongyi gains while doing my dirty work, I’ll just consider it the price for his life.’
Pei Shaoqing plopped back into his seat and said, "Tea."
Zhao Zilan quickly put down the silk fan and served him tea.
Pei Shaoqing took the tea, skimming the foam from the surface as he asked, "Have you still been writing letters to your senior brother recently?"
"I..." Zhao Zilan’s face paled, and she quickly promised in a low voice, "Lan’Er won’t write to him anymore."
"Why would you stop writing?" Pei Shaoqing placed the cup he had just sipped from on the table. His tone was calm. "If you suddenly stop all correspondence, what will your senior brother think? Won’t he worry? Won’t he become anxious and insecure? Might he not run all the way to Tongzhou to find you?
So, you see, you must continue writing. Although I am a petty man, I still have to consider your feelings. I don’t mind you corresponding with your senior brother, and I even permit you to pour out your hearts and longing for each other in your letters."
’He was just that magnanimous, tolerant, and open-minded.’
’He would let Zhao Zilan have an online romance with her senior brother, while he, on the other hand, would put her in a hundred different positions and fill her like a cream puff.’
’This way, all three of them would get something out of it.’
’Wouldn’t that be wonderful?’
’It’s better to share the fun than to enjoy it alone, after all.’
His thoughtfulness and understanding caught Zhao Zilan completely off guard. A sense of gratitude welled up in her heart. "Thank you, Young Master, for being so considerate of Lan’Er."
"Mm, just be mindful of your boundaries. I don’t care how lovey-dovey you are in your letters, but in reality, you must restrain yourself. Otherwise, the entire Iron Sword Sect will pay the price for your love," Pei Shaoqing reminded her softly, his smile gentle and harmless.
Zhao Zilan’s breath caught in her throat, her heart tightening in fear. She said obediently, "Please rest assured, Young Master. Lan’Er will be your woman alone. I will absolutely observe my duties and dare not overstep any boundaries with my senior brother."
Ye Hanshuang’s gaze instantly hardened. She pressed down on the sword in her arms again, a stuffy, uncomfortable feeling blocking her chest. She merely bit her red lip and remained silent.
Zhao Zilan’s thoughts, however, began to drift.
’Senior Brother.’
’The Young Master is allowing me to keep writing to you.’
She felt incredibly conflicted, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but miss Jiang Yebai, who was a thousand miles away.
’Senior Brother, are you doing well in Bazhou?’
...............
’Junior Sister, I miss you so much here in Bazhou.’
In Bazhou, on a mountain behind the Iron Sword Sect, Jiang Yebai sat alone on a cliff, rereading the latest letter he had received from his junior sister. An unstoppable tide of longing churned within him.
"Eldest Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother!"
A series of shouts broke him from his thoughts.
Jiang Yebai quickly put the letter away, stood up, and turned to look at the person running toward him. "Seventh Junior Brother, what is it?"
"The Celestial Sword Sect is here to cause trouble! Master is..."
Before his junior brother could finish, Jiang Yebai tapped his toes on the ground and shot forward, rushing toward the sect’s main gate.
The Celestial Sword Sect and the Iron Sword Sect were both located in Bazhou. Both were sects that focused on swordsmanship, and their strengths were comparable, leading to fierce competition between them.
Their disciples often clashed, and last year, a large-scale brawl had broken out between the two sides. It ended with the Celestial Sword Sect emerging slightly victorious and the Iron Sword Sect suffering a crushing defeat.
That was why Jiang Yebai was so anxious.
But it wasn’t just the Celestial Sword Sect that had come today. Several other sects from Bazhou had come along with them.
The Celestial Sword Sect was merely the one leading the charge.
At this moment, outside the main gate of the Iron Sword Sect, the disciples of the various sects faced off against the disciples of the Iron Sword Sect.
"Fellow Sect Leaders, I, Gongsun Yi, have always considered myself to be generous and lenient. In all my years in Bazhou, I have only ever had a grudge with Ye Canghai and have never offended any of you. For what reason have you come with him today to cause trouble for my Iron Sword Sect?"
Gongsun Yi stood before his disciples, surveyed the crowd, and cupped his fist in his hand, speaking in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing.
The Celestial Sword Sect’s Leader, Ye Canghai, sneered, "It’s because your selfishness has angered the masses! The Iron Sword Sect has raised its disciples’ benefits time and time again. What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to cut off the supply of new blood to all our sects?"
After Gongsun Yi brought back a large sum of money from Pei Shaoqing, he had once again improved the benefits for his disciples. This led to an endless stream of people coming to join the sect, allowing him to recruit many promising talents who could be cultivated into future pillars of the sect.
This, however, had sparked the dissatisfaction of the Celestial Sword Sect. Several of the promising talents they had their eyes on had all run off to the Iron Sword Sect. This was clearly malicious competition, and it could not be allowed to continue.
At the same time, they wanted to use this opportunity to completely eliminate a strong competitor like the Iron Sword Sect. Thus, they had used this matter as a pretext to invite several other sects to come and demand an explanation.