Chapter 72: This One’s Name is Fu Jun
“Husband?”
“Mm.”
Xiao Ji was shocked!
Someone was taking advantage of the young emperor in broad daylight!
It turned out that the Heaven Sword Manor Lord was not only Su Yan’s lackey but also a lecher!
But Wei Wanlan was oblivious. The characters written on his palm were clear; he recognized them. His voice was soft and gentle: “Fu Jun.”
Spring flowers bloomed everywhere on the street. Fu Jun responded with another “Mm,” very seriously.
Xiao She couldn’t bear it. This was the young emperor he was protecting, and he had been inexplicably taken advantage of by this lecher! He was furious, and tried to intervene:
“Manor Lord Fu is much older than my young master. Calling him by his given name is inappropriate, isn’t it?”
Wei Wanlan agreed. Looking at Fu Jun, he nodded: “I’m sorry. I was presumptuous. I’ll call you Manor Lord Fu, is that alright?”
Xiao Ji said he was old.
Much older?
Looking for a fight?!
A slight crack appeared in his impassive expression.
Fu Jun said calmly: “I am the rightful Manor Lord, yet it sounds like I’m a deputy when you call me that. I prefer people calling me by my name. Just that.”
That seemed logical.
Wei Wanlan thought for a moment. Judging by Fu Jun’s arrogant demeanor, he probably didn’t like being treated as a deputy: “Okay then, I’ll still call you Fu Jun. Hello, Fu Jun. I look forward to working with you, Fu Jun. Please give me your guidance.”
Xiao Ji: “…”
Stop it! Stop calling him that! Please! The ancestral tablets of past emperors won’t be able to stay put anymore.
Xiao Ji’s frustrated sigh echoed in the air. He silently raised Fu Jun’s threat level in his mind.
At that moment, the horses lifted their hooves.
The two horses moved slowly.
Fu Jun led Wei Wanlan’s horse, and several disciples, following the Manor Lord’s instructions, returned to the branch temple to prepare food and hot water. The sword-bearing disciples spoke with utmost respect. Wei Wanlan’s belief in Fu Jun’s identity as the Heaven Sword Manor Lord grew stronger.
The Heaven Sword Manor branch temple was located in the most prosperous part of the city. As they spoke, they had arrived. Two large stone lions stood outside the branch temple, and the guards in tight-fitting clothing bowed when they saw them.
“Greetings, Manor Lord!”
Fu Jun waved his hand and led the way. The branch temple was filled with trees, with tender green willow buds in early spring.
The deputy manor lord walked alongside, recounting Yuan Xizai’s past:
“Yuan, the scoundrel, was a favorite of the previous emperor. The former emperor took many concubines, and Yuan Xizai catered to the emperor’s preferences, building the Xiu Palace in Luoyang to facilitate the emperor’s debauchery.”
He spoke without any restraint.
To be honest, even Wei Wanlan himself wouldn’t dare to speak about his imperial brother in such a way. Wei Wanlan couldn’t help but admire the frankness of these Jianghu people.
He continued, speaking of Yuan Xizai’s assets:
“Half of Luoyang’s shops belong to the scoundrel Yuan. He doesn’t need to appear; he has officials handling it for him. He secretly colludes with thugs, and many shops, to prolong their business, even actively pay tribute to him. It has become a habit over time.”
Wei Wanlan gasped.
Wasn’t this exactly what the Regent King had explained to him – collusion between black and white, the government colluding with evil forces to gain wealth?
A sword-bearing disciple angrily added:
“Absolutely not exaggerated! We have proof! I can take you to Luoyang at any time, and show you where Yuan’s influence extends…”
“Okay, thank you.”
Wei Wanlan observed quietly. The Heaven Sword Manor branch temple, its disciples – all were real. Even the sandalwood chairs in the branch temple, with their faded lacquer, were old objects, good things, and impossible to forge.
Fu Jun’s identity as the Manor Lord was firmly established in Wei Wanlan’s mind. He wasn’t the Regent King’s subordinate.
Wei Wanlan relaxed his guard further, his ears seeming to droop, appearing very calm.
Fu Jun calmly said again, “Actually, I have a plan to deal with Yuan Xizai. Do you know what a corrupt official’s biggest weakness is?”
—He was going to tell him Yuan Xizai’s weakness!
Wei Wanlan was overjoyed.
His drooping ears perked up again. A look of anticipation suddenly appeared on his face, as if Fu Jun was a treasure bag waiting to be opened. He almost wanted to shake Fu Jun’s arm vigorously, to shake the answer out:
“What is it?”
His eyes were fixed on Fu Jun.
Fu Jun’s voice was calm: “Go take a bath. I’ll tell you when you come out.”
Woohoo! He was even leaving a cliffhanger! So hard to wait!
Water flowed over Wei Wanlan’s delicate skin as he bathed.
There was a glazed tile couch in the bathroom, and he unwittingly dozed off for two hours. When he woke up, beautiful clothes had been prepared – comfortable and soft, with cloud-pattern embroidery on the edges, perfectly fitting. Wei Wanlan liked them very much.
After waking up and pushing open the door, he went to find Fu Jun, catching his eye.
Twilight approached; Fu Jun was sitting under a willow tree at a stone table, sipping fragrant tea. Xiao Ji only drank plain water, sitting on a stone stool writing “Ode to New Willows.”
Wei Wanlan excitedly approached him, pursuing the question of the corrupt official’s weakness:
“I’m done washing! Do I look clean? Tell me now!”
Sweet and fragrant. Fu Jun’s eyebrows moved slightly. He hadn’t broken his promise, and revealed everything to Wei Wanlan:
“Every corrupt official’s biggest weakness is the account books.”
“Account books?”
Wei Wanlan sat down. He repeated it silently, not wanting to appear stupid, carefully pondering the meaning of the words. Perhaps because these corrupt officials needed to be paid to do things, they would keep records of who paid how much. They would also record how much money they spent.
Therefore, the more money, the more detailed the records, right? The larger the corrupt official’s estate, the more extensive the account books, right?
Account books represent financial transactions, also Yuan Xizai’s network of contacts, clues that could lead to Yuan Xizai’s assets.
—Find the account books!
Wei Wanlan remembered it.
Wei Wanlan said, “Then we need to get the account books, but Yuan Xizai wouldn’t admit where they are…”
Fu Jun rotated his teacup: “Then what do you suggest?”
For a moment, he felt like he was being questioned by a teacher. Wei Wanlan considered for a moment:
“I don’t think he would keep records of every single transaction himself, that’s too troublesome. Yuan Xizai has many officials who manage and record for him, and those people would have flaws.”
“Well said,” Fu Jun said, putting down his teacup and continuing, “The person he trusts most among his officials is surnamed Bai. This person enjoys beautiful men. We bribe a pretty boy to get him drunk, and without even leaving the branch temple, we’ll extract the information, and the location of the account books will be revealed.”
Wei Wanlan mostly understood what “enjoys beautiful men” meant – he liked pretty boys.
But bribing a pretty boy, Wei Wanlan was against it because he felt it was too risky and impractical. He couldn’t guarantee what the other party would say. They might not be able to improvise, and could expose their intentions, causing the informant to lose their life.
Wei Wanlan politely expressed his concerns to Fu Jun.
Fu Jun remained noncommittal: “You have too many concerns.”
That tone made Wei Wanlan feel suffocated.
Fu Jun’s imposing manner often made Wei Wanlan feel uneasy. Wei Wanlan quickly clarified: “No, I’m just afraid that we won’t get the clues about the account books and we’ll alert the snake. I’m being thorough, really.”
He emphasized “really” to show his thoroughness.
Fu Jun seemed to believe him slightly, handing the initiative back: “It’s merely a suggestion. Heaven Sword Manor provides the manpower; you strategize.”
“I’ll personally dress as a pretty boy to complete the mission; I’ll get him drunk and extract information.”
“No!!!”
“Impossible!!!”
Two voices suddenly rang out in the courtyard.
Fu Jun spilled his tea, and Xiao Ji dropped his pen.
Both of their expressions turned ugly.
Seeing each other’s unusual expressions, they both frowned, each with their own thoughts, their expressions even uglier.
Wei Wanlan tilted his head: “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Ji advised, realizing the emperor’s stunning appearance, he couldn’t imagine letting the emperor go to such a smoky place: “Bai has a strong lust for beautiful men. Getting him drunk is just to make him slip up, but in reality, it’s probably more than just getting him drunk.”
Wei Wanlan obediently reasoned: “With people from Heaven Sword Manor protecting secretly, I’ll also find a way to protect myself, and I’ll use make-up, I can sing and dance, no one can impersonate me better…”
He had indeed played a courtesan in a club before. His senior had said that a courtesan’s gaze should be alluring, but only seemingly so.
With a seemingly alluring gaze, Wei Wanlan raised his cup to offer tea: “Please consider it.”
How dare Xiao Ji accept tea from the emperor? He quickly bowed.
Fu Jun swallowed, taking the cup and taking a large gulp. His sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes met Wei Wanlan’s burning gaze:
“No.”
Wei Wanlan was confused. Was my acting bad? “I can also give a shoulder massage; I’ll be very convincing.”
Fu Jun’s jaw clenched. His jaw muscles twitched. His breathing became heavier.
Only then did Wei Wanlan sense the danger. Goosebumps rose on his skin, but he didn’t know why, but couldn’t explain himself to these two.
Are they worried about me?
The little dove stood obediently behind Fu Jun, skillfully massaging his shoulders.
The strong heart and deceptive skills honed by the Great Wei Regent King became his confidence in dealing with scheming people:
“Don’t be angry. Let’s try a different approach. I’ll pretend to be a pretty boy, Mr. Xiao will pretend to be a patron, and you’ll protect us secretly. The two of us will meet Mr. Bai…”
Bang!
A surge of energy seemed to strike the stone table. Cracks appeared on the table. Tender willow leaves fell from above.
Wei Wanlan was confused. Why did he seem even angrier?
Fu Jun was as unpredictable as the Regent King.
Okay.
It seemed he had made a mistake, and had to give the Manor Lord a chance to appear.
Wei Wanlan corrected himself: “I’ll pretend to be a pretty boy, you pretend to be a lecherous patron, and the two of us will meet Mr. Bai. That way, we don’t need Mr. Xiao, alright?”
That was better.
Fu Jun calmed down slightly.
But he suddenly became angry again. Making him take Xiaowan to a brothel and pretending to be a lecher wasn’t acceptable; he had principles:
“I have never frequented brothels, nor do I have wives or concubines.”
Staying away from places of debauchery was a Su family rule.
“Uh…”
Of course, he didn’t understand that as self-justification, Wei Wanlan scratched his head. This won’t work, that won’t work, how can he come up with a plan now?
The confused Wei Wanlan turned his gaze to Xiao Ji.
This is his good friend, good strategist, his scholar! Come up with a plan and save me! I can’t do the mission anymore! QAQ
The scholar was truly a scholar, and there was such tacit understanding between them.
Xiao Ji naturally received Wei Wanlan’s hint.
From the conversation, he had sensed that Fu Jun wanted to keep the emperor by his side. The mission still had to be carried out, and he couldn’t tolerate this lackey lecher either.
Xiao Ji quickly stated his plan: “How about this…”
He spoke quickly, practical and concise, his words like a dragonfly skimming the water.
When he finished, Wei Wanlan was stunned, moved to exclaim, “Scholar, are you serious? Scholar, you’re amazing! Scholar, you’re so loyal!!!”
Fu Jun: Rivals are so shameless to compete for favor!
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