Yan Sanhe stood up abruptly.

Her hand reached for that teacup. Just as she was about to splash the drunk’s face with water, the drunk suddenly wiped his face and spoke.

“Zhou Ye is forty this year, hasn’t married, hasn’t taken concubines, has no sons or daughters—still a bachelor.”

Forty and still a bachelor?

Everyone’s brows furrowed in unison.

Yan Sanhe frowned while sitting down, her expression somewhat serious.

“Not only that, he has no father or mother, no relatives or dependents—it’s as if he burst from a crack in a rock.”

Xie Zhifei propped his chin on his hand, his eyes growing increasingly hazy.

“He never drinks with colleagues or subordinates, never invites colleagues to his home, doesn’t gamble, doesn’t listen to songs, doesn’t visit brothels.

Every day he comes and goes alone. He doesn’t even have a personal attendant—he does everything himself. San Pang and the others all say Magistrate Zhou lives even more ascetically than monks.”

“This…”

Pei Xiao gasped. “This isn’t normal!”

Xie Zhifei lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced at Yan Sanhe.

“There’s something even more abnormal. He’s extraordinarily good to the common people—whoever has troubles or worries, he’s willing to help with money and effort.

But he’s extremely strict with people in the office. Whoever slacks off or plays around, he’ll scold for half a day. Not one of San Pang’s group isn’t afraid of him. Behind his back, they all want him transferred away.”

Yan Sanhe avoided Xie Zhifei’s gaze. “Anything else?”

“Yes, there’s one thing particularly puzzling.”

Xie Zhifei’s lips curved toward Yan Sanhe in a smile. “He’s held the position of magistrate continuously for nine years.”

Nine years?

The same official position?

Yan Sanhe immediately asked, “Pei Mingting, normally how often should there be transfers?”

Pei Xiao: “Officials serve three years for a minor evaluation, six years for a major evaluation. Normally, transfers definitely happen after six years.”

Yan Sanhe: “Xie Zhifei, did you clearly find out the reason he’s served nine years?”

Xie Zhifei exhaled and spoke softly. “The common people submitted a joint petition, a blood petition—they absolutely refused to let Magistrate Zhou be transferred. Tell me, isn’t that miraculous?”

To what degree must an official serve to earn such devotion from the people?

How could an official so beloved by the people possibly be a thief?

This was what everyone in the room couldn’t understand.

Pei Xiao steadied himself and voiced his heartfelt doubt. “Yan Sanhe, could we have made a mistake?”

Li Buyan, quite rarely, stood on Pei Daren’s side. “That’s right, young mistress. No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem like it!”

Huang Qi scratched his head. “A good person!”

Zhu Qing said nothing but nodded emphatically, giving his position.

Xie Sanye, propping his chin, his face flushed pink, gave Yan Sanhe a roguish smile.

“That good-looking young lady who said Magistrate Zhou was a thief—come, tell Third Master in detail what you’re really thinking.”

Pei Xiao: “…” Now he’s flirting?

Li Buyan: “…” Dog of a man!

Huang Qi: “…” So awkward!

Zhu Qing: “…” Can’t watch this!

Yan Sanhe laughed coldly, rose, and walked to Xie Zhifei, doing something no one expected.

She reached out and lifted Xie Zhifei’s chin, forcing his gaze to meet hers.

“May I ask Third Master, how many people burst from cracks in rocks?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Pei Xiao: “…” Counter-flirtation?

Yan Sanhe: “May I ask Third Master, how does a man without wife or concubine relieve his desires? Without visiting brothels or listening to songs at pleasure houses, just relying on his five fingers?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Li Buyan: “…” Tch, even eunuchs find palace maids for food-sharing partnerships!

Yan Sanhe: “May I ask Third Master, without Zhu Qing, doing everything yourself—how many days could you live?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Huang Qi: “…” My master couldn’t last three days anyway.

Yan Sanhe lowered her head a bit more, her gaze sharp as cold light. “Finally, let me ask Third Master, doesn’t his love for the people seem very familiar to you?”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Zhu Qing helplessly turned his face away. “…” Really can’t watch anymore.

The fingers on his chin were very cool.

The pair of eyes before him were very bright.

Even if Xie Sanye’s inner being was already submerged by rivers, lakes, floods, and seas all together, his face still maintained an extremely calm expression.

“Yan Sanhe, how can you do this? All evening they poured drinks until I was completely tone-deaf! I forced myself to come back to see you!”

Pei Xiao: “…” Now acting coquettish?

Li Buyan: “…” What’s the meaning of this?

Huang Qi: “…” Third Master isn’t easy!

Zhu Qing: “…” I feel for my master!

Yan Sanhe’s fingers seemed scalded by something and suddenly withdrew.

Smooth-talking wastrel!

I’ve lost!

She wiped her fingers on her clothes at her side, her gaze shifting. “Buyan, Zhu Qing, do something for me.”

Li Buyan glanced at Xie Sanye, still in a daze. “Young mistress, speak.”

Yan Sanhe: “I want to know Zhou Ye’s martial skill level.”

“He knows martial arts?” Pei Xiao exclaimed in shock.

Yan Sanhe ignored him. “One of you provides cover, the other tests him. Wear night clothing, strike swiftly.”

Li Buyan: “Young mistress, I didn’t bring night clothing.”

Huang Qi: “I have some. I’ll go.”

Zhu Qing: “I’ll first find out where he lives.”

“No need to inquire!”

The speaker had collapsed on the table, face buried in his arms, voice very muffled.

“San Pang and the others said the backlog of official business is too much. Magistrate Zhou has been sleeping at the office these past few days.”

Huang Qi and Zhu Qing exchanged glances. One after the other, they left.

The room quieted.

Pei Xiao, silently, unable to hold back, stole a glance at Yan Sanhe. He wanted to speak but stopped, stopped but wanted to speak.

He sneakily kicked Li Buyan, then blinked his eyes several times.

Li Buyan: “What’s wrong with Pei Daren’s eyes? Are they twitching?”

You’re the one twitching!

I’m telling you to ask your young mistress why she wants to test whether Zhou Ye knows martial arts!

“Pei Daren!”

Li Buyan imitated Xie Sanye’s chin-propping posture. “I never ask about anything my young mistress does. Asking invites humiliation.”

Pei Xiao: “…”

“Mingting!” The person collapsed on the table suddenly interjected. “She’s saying you’re stupid.”

You’re the one with a mouth!

Can’t I hear that myself?

Pei Xiao ground his teeth and stood up, supporting Xie Zhifei. “Very drunk. Come, I’ll help you to your room.”

“Get lost!”

The drunk shoved his hand away. Using both hands for support, he struggled to straighten his body.

Just as he was about to speak, he first let out a wine-scented burp.

“Yan Sanhe, let me humiliate myself a bit, how about it?”

Yan Sanhe’s face was expressionless, saying neither good nor bad.

“That day at the post station, you said something to me.”

Xie Sanye’s tone was lazy. “You said heaven’s wheel turns, that person ran out in the dead of night, bandits would take care of him for us.”

Yan Sanhe’s face showed some movement, then she nodded slightly.

“You said this because on our journey we encountered bandits, so you were certain there would be no shortage of bandits on various mountain peaks along this route, and they’d come out to ‘forage’ at night.”

Yan Sanhe nodded again.

“That thief fled overnight with eight hundred taels on him. To avoid the bandits, besides good luck, another possibility is that he has good martial skills.”

Xie Zhifei’s lips curved. “If Zhou Ye knows martial arts, then he must be that thief.”

Yan Sanhe nodded once more.

Thud!

Xie Zhifei collapsed again, his head toward Yan Sanhe’s direction. His peach blossom eyes, hazed by alcohol, held soul and spirit, extraordinarily alluring.

“Yan Sanhe, am I clever?”