Chapter 122 (A Sponsored Bonus Chapter for “Laughing Drunkard”)
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The moment Zhu Hao finished speaking, Xiao Jingao hurried forward with an ingratiating smile.
“Your Highness, Prince Xin, may I ask how these two yamen runners have offended you? You need only tell me, Your Highness, and leave them to me. Rest assured, I shall educate them properly and show them no leniency!”
Hearing this, Zhu Hao frowned slightly before replying coldly, “Lord Xiao, you would deal with them? Do you know what crimes these two have committed? I advise you not to interfere in this matter. I appreciate your goodwill, but there is no need for you to trouble yourself over this affair.”
He sighed, then continued, “These two have committed grave offenses. I shall deal with them personally. Lord Xiao, you should attend to your other administrative duties.”
Xiao Jingao frowned as well. His tone turned distinctly unpleasant.
“Your Highness, I am the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang, appointed by the imperial court. These two men are runners under the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission. Regardless of what crimes they may have committed, I should have the authority to deal with them. As for Your Highness, may I ask in what capacity you have ordered your guards to seize runners belonging to my office at the very gates of the Provincial Administration Commission? Surely you must realize that this is inappropriate.”
Zhu Hao understood perfectly well what Xiao Jingao meant: he was accusing him of overstepping his authority, of meddling where he had no business.
The instant Xiao Jingao finished speaking, Zhu Hao gave a cold snort and retorted irritably, “Lord Xiao, I am an imperial commissioner appointed by His Majesty. Naturally, I may inquire into any matter I encounter. Let me ask you this: what is improper about my arresting these two men?”
Xiao Jingao was usually a smooth and accommodating man, but Zhu Hao’s words had provoked his temper. No longer mindful of Zhu Hao’s status as a prince, he spoke in a sharp, severe tone.
“Your Highness, that is not correct. His Majesty appointed you imperial commissioner to investigate the matter of the civil examinations; he did not authorize you to interfere in local administration. I am the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang. Affairs in Zhejiang are mine to decide. It is not for Your Highness to advise me not to interfere. Rather, I should be the one advising Your Highness not to interfere. If Your Highness truly wishes to intervene, then please ask His Majesty to issue another imperial decree, expressly granting you authority to supervise local affairs. When that happens, I certainly would not dare obstruct you. But until then, I must ask Your Highness to hand these two runners over to me.”
Hearing this, Zhu Hao cursed inwardly:
Damn it. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were no good. And now you have confirmed it. You only stepped forward to say all this because you were behind these two men insulting me. If I handed them over to you, I would be the greatest fool alive. Fortunately, I came prepared; otherwise, I truly might not have been able to take them away today. Now I shall show you exactly what I can do.
His face turned icy, and he said coldly, “Lord Xiao, you are right. The imperial decree does not authorize me to supervise local administration. But do not forget my other identity. Besides being an imperial commissioner acting under His Majesty’s orders, I am also the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
Xiao Jingao believed the two runners had done no more than offend Zhu Hao. He could not understand why Zhu Hao had invoked the title of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
He answered instinctively, “I am aware of that. But what of it? This is merely a minor matter of local administration. What does it have to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Surely Your Highness does not intend to use the Guard’s reputation to frighten me?”
Zhu Hao gave a cold snort and shouted angrily, “Outrageous! You are the Provincial Administration Commissioner of an entire province, yet you would say something as foolish as claiming that I intend to frighten you. I truly cannot imagine how you ever became a provincial commissioner!”
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After reprimanding Xiao Jingao, Zhu Hao paused briefly before continuing.
“Since you wish to know what this matter has to do with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I shall tell you. You should know that, in major cases, the Embroidered Uniform Guard may arrest, interrogate, and execute suspects independently, without going through the ordinary judicial authorities. I now suspect that these two men were plotting rebellion. A moment ago, they also spoke insultingly of His Majesty and of me. Therefore, I intend to hand them over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for punishment.”
Xiao Jingao had never imagined that these two men, who normally seemed so worldly and adept at dealing with people, could have committed such a brazen offense. Yet, for the sake of preserving the dignity of the Provincial Administration Commission, he forced down his shock and pleaded on their behalf.
“Your Highness, these two men have served at the Provincial Administration Commission for years. How could they possibly be rebels? There must be some misunderstanding. Why not hand them over to me? I shall interrogate them strictly and get to the bottom of the matter. There is no need to involve the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
Zhu Hao could hear the concession hidden in Xiao Jingao’s words, but he had no intention of sparing the two runners. He wanted to extract the name of the person behind them. Although he was now convinced that Xiao Jingao was the mastermind, he had no evidence and could do nothing to him. But if these two men confessed, everything would be different. By then, Xiao Jingao would be a fish on the chopping block, entirely at Zhu Hao’s mercy.
With this in mind, Zhu Hao naturally refused Xiao Jingao’s proposal.
“Lord Xiao, I have already said that this matter will be handled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and that I shall personally oversee it. This is the second time I have told you. I do not wish to say it a third.”
Hearing the ironclad resolve in Zhu Hao’s voice, Xiao Jingao realized that he was determined to punish the two runners. He sighed inwardly.
In truth, Xiao Jingao did not care whether the two men lived or died. What concerned him was the dignity of the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission. If Zhu Hao were to take the two runners away from the commission’s gates, right before Xiao Jingao himself—the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang—the commission’s reputation would be utterly ruined.
Since he could not recover the men from Zhu Hao now that the prince had invoked the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xiao Jingao settled for second best.
“Your Highness, since your mind is made up, I shall say no more. However, there are no members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard here at present. In my view, why not place the two men in my custody for the time being and hand them over to the Guard when they arrive?”
Hearing this, Zhu Hao thought to himself:
Hand them over to you for safekeeping? By the time the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrives, they would probably receive only two corpses. Do you take me for an idiot, or do you think yourself clever? You dare contemplate silencing them in front of me. How naïve. Fortunately, I made thorough preparations; otherwise, I truly would have had no good reason to refuse you.
He then said aloud, “There is no need to trouble yourself, Lord Xiao. I have already sent word to the Zhejiang Thousand-Household Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They should be here shortly.”
Xiao Jingao still refused to give up and was about to plead once more, but before he could speak, Zhu Hao cut him off. Seeing that Xiao Jingao was about to open his mouth, he said coldly,
“Lord Xiao, you have obstructed me again and again from taking these two men away. Could it be that you have some improper connection with them? Perhaps, when the time comes, I should invite you to have a cup of tea at the Embroidered Uniform Guard as well.”
Xiao Jingao shuddered and hurriedly explained, “N-no, Your Highness. I have no connection whatsoever with these two men. I ask Your Highness to investigate carefully. I was merely concerned about the dignity of the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission. Since Your Highness puts it that way, I shall no longer interfere.”
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Hearing this, Zhu Hao began to wonder:
Could it be that these two men truly have nothing to do with Xiao Jingao? If they were connected, why would Xiao Jingao retreat merely because I suggested taking him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for a cup of tea? As a senior court official of the second rank and the head of an entire province, he has the authority to mobilize part of Zhejiang’s military forces. In the event of an armed confrontation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard might not have the advantage. He may not dare to engage us openly, but he should at least be capable of exerting forceful pressure. Why, then, did he give up? Was he really telling the truth—that he only obstructed me for the sake of the Provincial Administration Commission’s dignity? Or is he merely pretending to be relaxed, having already made every possible preparation, which is why he no longer dares oppose me?
Zhu Hao remained uncertain whether Xiao Jingao had instructed the two runners to act against him. Yet precisely because of that uncertainty, he was even more determined to obtain their confessions and discover who stood behind them. Since someone had ordered the two men to humiliate him, that person was clearly connected in some way to the Zhejiang examination scandal. It might even be the mastermind behind the entire affair.
Just as Zhu Hao was thinking this, a squad of Embroidered Uniform Guards approached the gates of the Provincial Administration Commission. They wore flying-fish robes and carried embroidered spring sabers at their waists. Zhu Hao nodded in satisfaction as he watched them stride forward with erect, imposing bearing.
A moment later, the squad’s leader came before Zhu Hao and knelt on one knee.
“Your subordinate Feng Gongcheng, Thousand-Household Commander of the Zhejiang Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, pays his respects to Your Highness, Prince Xin!”
Zhu Hao looked Feng Gongcheng over. He appeared to be around thirty, with a resolute face and a powerful, well-muscled build. One glance was enough to show that he was a trained martial artist. Zhu Hao’s first impression of him was excellent.
Looking at Feng Gongcheng, who was kneeling before him, Zhu Hao said with a smile, “Commander Feng, thank you for making the journey.”
As he spoke, he pointed toward the two runners kneeling on the ground, who were now so terrified that they had lost all awareness of what was happening.
“These two men spoke insolently and insulted His Majesty and me. I suspect that they harbor criminal intentions. Commander Feng, take them to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and interrogate them thoroughly. Be sure to make them reveal who instructed them to speak against His Majesty and me.”
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