Chapter 37: I, Wei, Am Merely a Groom (Please bookmark and follow for updates)

“As I just stated, those with talent are permitted to refuse this matter. Now that Martial Instructor Fu wishes to withdraw, I shall not go back on my word...” Prefect He’s face darkened with anger for a moment before he suddenly broke into a smile. Instead of punishing Fu Zhizhou for his insubordination, he uttered those words.

The martial instructors in the hall looked on in astonishment, a wave of commotion breaking out among them.

They had not expected Prefect He to be so easygoing; had they known, they would have stood up alongside Wei Tu and the others to voice their refusal directly.

Aside from a few instructors driven by greed, the remaining martial instructors had agreed to go to the Martial Fortune Pavilion not out of willingness, but out of coercion by the Prefect's tyranny, fearing that a refusal would offend the high-ranking official before them.

“But—”

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

The martial instructors fell silent, their gazes shifting toward the seat of honor where Prefect He sat.

At that moment, the speaker, Prefect He, picked up the teacup from the table and stood up.

Dressed in the attire of a scholar, he looked like a man of letters. Standing among the crowd of martial instructors, he appeared extremely frail, as if a single gust of wind could blow him over.

Yet, Prefect He showed no sign of intimidation. He scanned the surrounding martial instructors with a cold gaze. Those who met his eyes instantly felt a chill run through them; they lowered their heads and bowed their bodies, not daring to look up.

This was official authority.

In a single word.

In a single gesture.

He could instantly plunge the atmosphere of the hall into oppression and tension.

At this moment, everyone in the hall remained silent, and it seemed as though they could hear nothing but the sound of their own heavy breathing...

Finally, Prefect He’s gaze drifted past the hair knots of the instructors, swept over Fu Zhizhou’s face, and landed upon the faces of Wei Tu, Wei Fei, and Kou Liang.

All the pressure in the room.

At this moment.

Was concentrated upon the three of them.

The breath-holding martial instructors let out a collective sigh of relief.

“But... Fu Zhizhou is different from the three of you. His uncle is a Battalion Commander in the Xiaoyi Prefecture militia, a seventh-rank official...”

“Even if he gives up this chance for promotion today, he will still receive his uncle's cultivation tomorrow. But what about the three of you?”

Unexpectedly, Prefect He’s tone was very gentle, much like a kind teacher instructing disobedient students.

He offered no words of reproach to Wei Tu and the others. Instead, there was only the earnestness of one explaining reason and logic.

However.

To the ears of the martial instructors, these words carried a bone-chilling frost.

These words confirmed their suspicions: refusing this task could lead to being suppressed or targeted by Prefect He.

The implication of Prefect He’s words was—

Fu Zhizhou could refuse.

That was because he had the protection of a seventh-rank military uncle; even if he were suppressed, he would at most endure two or three years of hardship before being promoted.

But what about Wei Tu and the others?

Once suppressed, they might never be able to rise in rank, destined to die old at the bottom of the social ladder.

“This...”

Hearing this, Fu Zhizhou’s throat tightened. He wanted to speak out urgently to warn Wei Tu and the others not to be bewitched by the Prefect.

But under the pressing gaze of Prefect He, he was forced to swallow his words, keeping them locked inside his stomach in silence.

Furthermore.

What Prefect He said was the truth. The reason Fu Zhizhou had dared to stand up and refuse immediately was inseparable from the fact that he had a seventh-rank military uncle.

—Only with a background does one have the capacity to be "willful."

“Martial men are indeed just martial men... they fold after a few words,” Prefect He thought to himself with a contemptuous smile, waiting a moment and seeing that Wei Tu’s group had not yet responded.

“I have no backing, no Fu family, and no seventh-rank military uncle like Fu Zhizhou...”

“But I, Kou, am clumsy and dull... I fear I might ruin your Excellency's plans. I ask for your Excellency's forgiveness.”

At that moment, a voice appeared in the living room at an inopportune time, coming from the mouth of Kou Liang, who stood beside Fu Zhizu.

Instantly.

The atmosphere in the hall fell into a deathly silence once again.

No one dared to speak loudly.

No one even dared to breathe loudly.

However.

Before anyone could react.

In half a breath, Wei Tu, who was in the same row as Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang, also spoke.

Compared to Kou Liang, Wei Tu was much more polite. He cupped his hands toward Prefect He and said, “I, Wei, am of low status. Before participating in the military examinations, I was merely a groom, looked down upon by others. Now... even as a low-ranking military official, I imagine... life will be much better than my previous existence...”

—They had not been together for even half a day, so he was not yet capable of feeling brotherly affection for Fu Zhizhou and the others, but he knew this "disaster" was something he had to avoid at all costs... even if it meant being targeted by Prefect He.

To suffer more...

Could it possibly be worse than the day he redeemed himself from servitude?

Soon.

As Wei Tu finished speaking.

Wei Fei also spoke through gritted teeth, though unlike the other three, he only said, “I am the same.”

However, that single sentence was enough to express his attitude; the number of words did not matter.

After hearing the three of them, Prefect He understood the intention of the four men. He did not force the issue. After silently noting their names, he turned his gaze to the other martial instructors and said, “Your concern... is merely whether this mission is confidential?”

“You have all been invited by this official because you come from clean backgrounds and have great prospects... I expect none of you will easily leak the secrets of this place. As for the maids and servants in this house, they are my trusted subordinates; they will not be loose-lipped...”

As his voice fell.

The martial instructors who had intended to follow Wei Tu’s lead in defying Prefect He immediately felt their resolve waver. They halted their steps, not daring to take a "second step."

Prefect He’s words held some merit. The instructors present were not ordinary people; they would not leak secrets easily.

And the maids and servants, as long-time confidants of the Prefect, were arguably more reliable for maintaining secrecy than the instructors themselves.

Wei Tu and the others were unaware of the small calculations of these instructors. After exchanging glances, they cupped their hands and took their leave of Prefect He.

Under the watchful eyes of the other martial instructors.

The four of them walked out of the living room together and left the Qingfeng Prefecture government office.

...

“That was close...”

“I almost let that Prefect sway me. I wouldn't have dared to mention refusal again...”

Outside the government office, Kou Liang patted his chest and took several deep breaths before laughing.

“Brother Kou, thank you.” Fu Zhizhou patted Kou Liang on the shoulder, his face full of gratitude.

Just now, if Kou Liang had retreated and failed to speak up in time, Fu Zhizhou would have been "ruined."

“And Brother Wei, Brother Fei!”

“Great kindness cannot be expressed with words alone.”

Then, Fu Zhizhou turned to look at Wei Tu and Wei Fei behind him. He laughed a few times, and his rough, large hands gripped theirs tightly.

He shared a bond of being fellow townsmen with Kou Liang.

But with Wei Tu and Wei Fei, it was merely a first meeting.

This time, Wei Tu and Wei Fei had risked themselves alongside a "young master" like him—though a large part of the reason was for their own sake, there was also a sense of gratitude toward him.

“We said in the government office that once we left, we would become brothers! If any of us faces trouble, we help each other!”

“If Prefect He suppresses us, it will at most be for a year. Once this passing dragon leaves, I will use my connections to pull you all up, no matter what.”

Fu Zhizhou patted his chest, speaking with bravado.

“Let’s go to Xuanhe Pavilion for wine first.”

“By dawn, the results of the Dao Examination will be posted. We shall see then what tricks this Prefect He can play...”

Kou Liang smiled and said.

Having shared this ordeal, even though the four of them had just met, they undoubtedly possessed more trust in one another than they would with mere acquaintances.

“The Dao Examination is the grand talent selection for the Shannan Circuit. What power can a mere Prefect wield? The military exam is not like the civil exam; the winner and loser are obvious at a glance.”

Hearing Kou Liang's words, Fu Zhizhou laughed, expressing his disdain for Prefect He's influence.

(End of Chapter)