Pang Yuhai also hadn’t slept. He was organizing the account books. After completely finishing the organization, he closed the account book and stared blankly out the window. Li Yifu’s accounts were very clean. Aside from the one hundred and forty silver coins that didn’t match up today, the rest could generally be reconciled. Although the prices of pork and mutton were a bit high, this was also within the permissible范畴. Except for not demonstrating the advantage of the academy’s bulk purchasing, there really wasn’t anything else to criticize.
Pang Yuhai wasn’t feeling guilty—this emotion had long ceased to belong to him. Born into an official’s family, he had a special way of interpreting the word “friend.” It wasn’t that he couldn’t have poor friends, but such people had to be useful to him. He had always been respectful toward several poor friends around him. As long as their abilities were inferior to his own, Pang Yuhai could absolutely achieve mutual respect. Everyone said that being friends with Pang Yuhai was like a spring breeze brushing across one’s face—the nickname “Pang Spring Breeze” wasn’t given for nothing.
Especially after he received the academy’s punishment and spent three months piling up a mountain of sweat, his classmates’ evaluation of him became even higher. Presenting the powerful bow to His Majesty during the Lantern Festival earned him everyone’s esteem. As for the academy’s braised pork regaining its former glory, this led countless junior students to affectionately call the braised pork “Pang Pork”!
The academy had a very bad habit—in normal times, exam scores were regarded as important as life itself, but when it came to major examinations, they transformed into the infuriating five-point system. As long as one was an excellent student, the score received would become five points. The differences of several points from ordinary days disappeared. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry became fellow members of the highest tier of five points just like oneself. Especially detestable toads like Li Yifu were particularly hateful.
The accounts needed some adjustment. One hundred and forty silver coins alone weren’t enough to bring down Li Yifu. Some small account discrepancies could make Li Yifu reveal his true colors. A poor wretch could actually resist the temptation of money for so many days—another person of resolute mind and will. He must be cleared out. At least by the end of this year, the only one entering the Central Secretariat for political observation could be me, Pang Yuhai.
Pang Yuhai never believed that Li Yifu would have no way to obtain one hundred and forty silver coins. As long as one was an academy student, as long as one was willing to bow one’s head, one hundred and forty silver coins simply wasn’t a problem. Since the crime of embezzlement couldn’t be established, then the crime of accepting bribes—he didn’t believe Li Yifu could escape that!
Yun Ye was very diligently reviewing official documents. The Lingnan Navy was about to set sail to eliminate pirates. Although they were pirates in other people’s waters, the Great Tang still had an obligation to help everyone eliminate these damned pirates. Of course, if they were other people’s navies, the Lingnan Fleet would also eliminate them—those were evil nations, evil water forces. On the great sea, the only righteous party was the Lingnan Navy.
Hou Jie was working very hard. He had now pushed the defensive line to near the Java forests. Savages should go into the jungle to stay with wild beasts and find wild fruits to eat. It had been many years since venturing into the jungle—who knew if those savages still had their ancestors’ fighting spirit.
Madam Hou’s letter said she had already arrived at the Meng family stockade and very much liked it there. A group of women and children were living very well in that stockade. She herself was old and couldn’t do work, but those loyal family retainers and servants could always support their dozen-some people. In the tone of an elder, she ordered Yun Ye not to send relief supplies anymore. If the Hou family wanted to stand up again, they couldn’t rely on others’ support. The Hou family descendants needed to trade their own blood for their future. Living a bit hard herself was appropriate—otherwise, it wouldn’t激起 their fighting spirit.
Yun Ye had deliberately saved this letter to read last. After reading it, he put the letter into the furnace to burn. The Hou family were criminal officials—such correspondence wasn’t suitable to keep.
The sound of wooden clappers came from outside—it was already the third watch. Na Rimu was lying on the table, already asleep. At first, she had said she wanted to stay up late with him. She didn’t even wake when he draped a cloak over her.
After tidying up the desk, he came before Na Rimu and picked her up. Na Rimu familiarly put her arm around her husband’s neck and buried her head in her husband’s neck to continue sleeping.
Kicking open the bedroom door, he placed Na Rimu on the bed and slapped her bottom once, saying: “Stop pretending. Hurry up and get undressed for bed. It’s already the third watch. If you can’t get up tomorrow, you’ll see how Xinyue deals with you.”
“Slap two more times! You used to always slap three times.” Na Rimu immediately opened her eyes. Her mouth said two times, but she held up three fingers, seeming very much to hope for two more slaps.
Yun Ye naturally wouldn’t refuse such a request. He slapped her round bottom several more times before stopping. The feel was very good—no wonder when Xinyue hit Na Rimu, she always went for the bottom.
After being hit, Na Rimu immediately happily stripped herself completely naked and burrowed into the quilt, continuously flashing her big eyes at her husband. Yun Ye had long since been unmoved by such temptation. Slowly putting on his nightclothes, he burrowed into the quilt. Na Rimu’s fiery body immediately pressed against him, clinging to Yun Ye like an octopus. She grabbed her husband’s ear with her hand and only then closed her eyes in satisfaction to sleep…
Xiao Wu had originally brought over a bowl of congee, but as a result, she saw her master carrying Na Rimu into the bedroom. Curling her lips, she pried open Huantou’s mouth and poured the entire bowl of congee into Huantou’s mouth, and only then walked back leisurely. This bowl of congee had been cooked for a full hour!
Huantou was very happy. Just now when she asked Xiao Wu for congee to drink, Xiao Wu had only given her a small spoonful. Now she had drunk a large bowl—naturally she was perfectly satisfied. Guanzhong girls all had big mouths, so they also most liked to eat delicious food. A twelve-year-old little girl was just at the age of gluttony. Drinking a bowl of congee too hastily really wasn’t anything to criticize. Swaying her little girl’s round bun head, she closely followed Xiao Wu.
Returning to her small building, Xiao Wu propped her chin on both hands and stared outside the window in a daze. At this time, Li Yifu should have succeeded, right? If he couldn’t even handle a group of local ruffians, he deserved to be played to death by Pang Yuhai.
Li Yifu sat boldly in a chair eating his meal. This was the only chair in the entire room. Before he sat on it, sitting on the chair had been a large man covered in knife scars, a notorious villain from Chongwen Ward.
Scarface was bound up like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, lying on the ground constantly calling out. One of Li Yifu’s feet was stepping on his head, and he kept rubbing his foot back and forth.
“Son of a bitch, scholars are all cunning. You damn well schemed against me. Even as a ghost, I won’t let you go.” Taking advantage of Li Yifu’s sole leaving his mouth, Scarface hurriedly spoke this sentence. He was very worried that later he wouldn’t have another chance to say such bold and cloud-piercing jianghu words. A dead donkey not falling over—this was his ultimate requirement.
Li Yifu dipped the last piece of steamed bun in the vegetable juice and swallowed it, and only then released his foot and lowered his head to say to Scarface: “You remember this—in the future if you want to deal with academy students, you’d best not listen to him speak the moment you meet. Just stab him to death directly with one knife, and everything will be fine. Only then will you be the victor.”
“You bunch of people have neither the courage to kill nor the resolve to die—what qualifies you to oppose a master like me, an academy elite? You’ve also seen the character of your subordinates. A few words of incitement and they get excited like mad dogs. Then a few more words of威胁 and intimidation and they immediately scatter like birds and beasts. How do you lead your little brothers?”
“Don’t worry. Every additional stick of incense that I spend in your dog den is one more stick of incense of humiliation. When they return from outside, I’ll release you. You can still be your leader. I’m destined to be a great official—I won’t covet your petty power.”
“Now tell me—who told you to kidnap me? As long as you tell me, I’ll leave immediately after handling my business. That money-making scheme I proposed—you can enjoy it as you please. Don’t think I’m deceiving you. You risk your lives fighting brutally—isn’t it just to seize those prostitutes’ protection money? For men of valor to snatch the flesh-selling money of a few women who can’t survive—damn it, isn’t that disgraceful enough? Do as I say, and you’ll definitely make big money. The people best at making money under heaven are all at the academy. What are you lot?”
Scarface seized the opportunity to roll out from under the table. Looking at Li Yifu, he said loudly: “Why should I believe you? Just now you sent the brothers away to handle things, and when I was drinking, you knocked me out with a brick—what kind of skill is that?”
“Why? Because I’m an academy student, trained in both civil and military arts. With your few tricks, you still can’t beat me. Do you think someone like me would abandon being a high official to come to your small dog den to be a gang leader? I’ve just encountered a bit of trouble and need you to step forward, that’s all. How about it? Isn’t my idea enough to compensate you for your small effort?”
“But you have me tied up! This isn’t the way to discuss matters.” Scarface felt he had been insulted.
“Bah! A dog thing like you is like a donkey—won’t walk when led, backs up when beaten. If I hadn’t tied you up, would you have had the patience to let me finish speaking?” Li Yifu bent down to untie the rope for Scarface, then returned to the table and poured himself a cup of wine. After drinking it in one gulp, he said again: “Come here, sit down. Do I still need to invite you?”
Scarface bared his teeth about to get angry, but after thinking it over, he sat down across from him. He picked up the wine pot and vengefully poured himself a bowl, drank it in one gulp, wiped his mouth and said to Li Yifu: “Damn it, am I the ruffian, or are you the ruffian? Are all you academy people of this character? Is that place an academy or a bandit den?”
Li Yifu held his head in both hands and said to Scarface in distress: “Help me out, and I’ll remember I owe you a favor. In a while, after your brothers capture Old Cui, help me resolve the matter. I’ll provide you with a development plan. As long as you follow this plan slowly, within ten years, I guarantee you’ll be the biggest hall in the northern city area.”
Scarface chuckled and placed his right hand on the table, saying: “Look at my hand—three fingers missing. I can’t grip a knife anymore, can only use an iron spike. If you become our strategist, no matter what trouble you get into, I’ll take responsibility for you.”
Li Yifu smiled bitterly at Scarface and said: “You’d best not have this thought. Academy students have always only liked being chief officials, not subordinate clerks. If I became your strategist, you definitely wouldn’t live long. Believe me—by not joining you, I’m actually doing this for your own good.”