Chapter 36: Four-Way Alliance (Please add to favorites and follow for updates)

By then.

After earning his merits, Wu Xiucai would return to Shannan Dao and receive several rapid promotions. With the appreciation of Governor Wang, his status would be far more than just a mere Wu Xiucai.

Marrying off his daughter would not be a loss.

Under heavy rewards, there will always be brave men.

Soon.

Three or four martial instructors expressed their willingness to follow the government's arrangements and join the Wuyun Pavilion as undercover agents.

At this moment, Wei Tu’s gaze shifted toward "Fu Zhizhou," the martial instructor who had taken the lead in refusing earlier. Seeing that the man remained unmoved, Wei Tu let go of the worries in his heart.

A reward of a hundred gold pieces.

Marrying a daughter to the Prefect's legitimate daughter...

These two additional rewards offered by Prefect He still failed to move Wei Tu.

He still remembered the warning he gave himself while practicing martial arts at the Shan family

—It is fine to use martial arts to earn academic honors and raise one's status, but one must remember to avoid conflict and strife to preserve one's life.

He had a bright future ahead; there was no need to fight for life and death over trivial matters.

At this moment.

The rewards from the Prefectural Office.

In Wei Tu's view, though heavy, it would be unwise to squander his life for them.

Wei Tu recognized all the dozen or so martial instructors who had entered the hall; these were all renowned figures participating in the Dao Examination martial arts competition.

Fu Zhizhou, in particular, was a top contender to take the first place in this year's martial examinations.

Seeing that no one was noticing him, Wei Tu walked to Fu Zhizhou's side. Using the same method as Wei Fei earlier, he nudged the instructor's elbow and asked, "Instructor Fu, do you still stand by your previous thought? I feel the same..."

If Prefect He increased the rewards and a martial instructor still lacked tact and refused the mission...

The consequences were predictable.

It would mean offending the governing official of an entire prefecture—the "Thousand-Mile Marquis."

Therefore, if Wei Tu wanted to refuse, he had to find several people to join him in applying pressure, thereby reducing Prefect He's resentment toward him.

Fu Zhizhou's reaction was similar to Wei Tu's. Seeing such a gesture from an unfamiliar person, his brow furrowed slightly.

However, upon hearing Wei Tu's subsequent words, his brow instantly relaxed, and his gaze toward Wei Tu gained a hint of friendliness.

"I, Fu, share the same thought as Instructor Wei: I refuse this matter."

"First, a conspiracy involving over a dozen people carries too much risk. Even if you and I come from clean backgrounds, have bright futures, and have kin in the local area who wouldn't dare leak secrets... there is still risk..."

"Second, I am not interested in the rewards."

"Third, Prefect He... has only one year left in his term at Qingfeng Prefecture."

After a moment of deliberation, Fu Zhizhou pulled Wei Tu into a corner of the hall and lowered his voice.

"I feel the same as Brother Fu." Seeing a kindred spirit in Fu Zhizhou, who did not mind sharing his thoughts, Wei Tu changed his form of address, calling him "Brother Fu."

Hearing Wei Tu call him "Brother Fu," a faint smile appeared on Fu Zhizhou's face, and he likewise changed his address, calling Wei Tu "Brother Wei."

The two men addressed each other as brothers.

At this moment, by joining forces to refuse Prefect He and share the pressure, they were effectively comrades in the same trench.

Furthermore.

They shared the same academic status.

Both were Wu Xiucai of this year's cohort.

They already shared the bond of being "classmates" from the same examination year.

"If we pull in a few more, ideally four or five people," Fu Zhizhou said.

Hearing this.

Wei Tu nodded without refusal.

The more people who refused, the less danger and pressure he and Fu Zhizhou would face.

"Instructor Wei..." Wei Tu scanned the room. Seeing that Wei Fei was one of the few instructors who had not crowded around Prefect He, he walked over to him and explained what he and Fu Zhizhou had discussed.

"Fine."

"Count me in."

Wei Fei did not hesitate long and nodded in agreement.

A short while later.

Fu Zhizhou also pulled a close friend from his own county and walked toward Wei Tu and Wei Fei.

This instructor was named "Kou Liang," and he was also a formidable figure in this year's martial examinations.

"Four people—that is equivalent to one-third of the martial instructors present."

Wei Tu's eyes flickered; he now had the confidence to refuse Prefect He.

They had their academic titles behind them.

(The results of the Dao Examination were difficult for the Prefectural Office to interfere with.)

Even if Prefect He held a grudge, it would be difficult for him to do anything to these Wu Xiucai. At most, he could pull strings when they were appointed as military officers to send them to remote, desolate areas.

Compared to the danger of joining the Wuyun Pavilion, that was negligible.

"The four of us refusing Prefect He together will incur his resentment..."

"Once we leave the Prefectural Office, let us become sworn brothers."

"When one of us faces hardship, we shall help one another!"

As the instructor who had led the refusal and possessed the best examination results, Fu Zhizhou naturally became the leader of the four.

Fu Zhizhou looked around at the three men, his expression solemn, and said in a deep voice

"Good!"

"Once we are out, we become sworn brothers!"

Wei Tu and the others were moved by this. After a brief moment of thought, they all nodded in unison.

Classmates, fellow townsmen, and fellow disciples were the easiest groups to form factions.

At this moment, the four of them each had friends from their own counties and were all Wu Xiucai of this year... Facing Prefect He, "forming a faction" was perfectly natural.

***

The Prefectural Office.

The rear residence parlor.

"Martial men value profit; the ancients did not lie," Prefect He thought to himself with a faint smile as he looked at the crowd of martial instructors surrounding him, sensing that the momentum was in his favor.

As long as one person's heart was moved and they agreed, the others would follow suit one by one. This was experience he had accumulated through years of officialdom.

As for any outliers, he would simply entice them with benefits or threaten them with danger afterward, and they would obediently obey.

However—

Just as Prefect He was feeling self-satisfied, he saw four martial instructors walking toward him with heads held high and chests out. They cupped their hands in a salute and uttered words that made him extremely displeased.

"Prefect He, the four of us are naturally clumsy and unsuited for undercover work at the Wuyun Pavilion. We ask that the Prefect grant our request."

The four of them spoke in unison.

Instantly.

The entire hall fell silent.

The gazes of everyone in the hall—Prefect He, the other martial instructors, and even the servants and maids—all converged simultaneously upon the four men...

Aside from Prefect He's bewilderment, the gazes of the others were filled with shock and disbelief.

Prefect He's expression darkened, and his eyes turned cold as he stared at the four men.

If it were just one person refusing, it would be one thing.

Even when training sheep, there is always one beast that runs wild and refuses to obey.

Much less a human.

But—

For four people to speak at once with identical wording, that was different.

It was clearly a coordinated effort!

"The ancients said: if a ruler is not discreet, he loses his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he loses himself..."

"The Prefect has gathered over a dozen of us here; it is truly too many. There is a risk of... information leaking..."

"Regarding the matter of risking our lives, please forgive us, but we cannot comply."

Fu Zhizhou took the lead and spoke.

"Fu Zhizhou?" Prefect He clearly recognized him. He scrutinized Fu Zhizhou closely; though he said nothing, everyone present could sense his fury.

His official authority was as heavy as a mountain!

Did he not know that a group of over a dozen martial instructors discussing this carried a risk of leaks?

But it was precisely because of this that he would not "make a mistake" in this matter.

If the operation failed or information leaked in the future, the blame would fall on the other Wu Xiucai who had been present. It would not be linked to him, the Prefect.

At most, he would be seen as having been insufficiently strict.

In a year, he would be transferred out of office.

Who would care about the mess left at the Wuyun Pavilion?