Chapter 36: Just Kidding, I’m Extremely Brave

"Ah? Your Majesty, this..." Superintendent Li said, looking somewhat troubled. "There are still many memorials in the palace that need to be discussed at tomorrow's morning court session..."

"Hmph, I have been an emperor for a lifetime; am I not even allowed to enjoy myself? Go! Drive the carriage immediately, and enough with the nonsense!"

With a sweep of Emperor Wu's majestic gaze, Superintendent Li had no choice but to obediently drive the carriage toward the General’s Mansion of the West, ready to join the onlookers. Once you get hooked on watching the spectacle, who cares about those tedious, meaningless memorials? At worst, one could just stay up all night to read them!

"Old Li, regarding that bet we made on the duel between Tang Qi and that lad Li, there was a wager involved, remember?"

This time, it was Superintendent Li’s turn for his mouth to twitch.

"Your Majesty, how would this old servant dare to forget such a thing? I will naturally find a way to scrape together the settlement money for Centurion Li as soon as possible."

"The capital is a place where land is expensive, and housing prices are even higher. Won’t you feel under pressure?" Emperor Wu suddenly began to show concern for Superintendent Li.

Superintendent Li felt ashamed. "Your Majesty, this old servant was castrated and became a eunuch at the age of ten. I have saved a bit over these forty or fifty years; it is enough to help Centurion Li settle down."

"If you calculate it that way, haven't you wasted forty or fifty years of work? Li Wenxuan isn't your son, Old Li. I feel it is a great injustice to you. How about you break the agreement? I won't blame you."

Hearing Emperor Wu’s generous words, Superintendent Li broke into a cold sweat. *Your Majesty, are you trying to send this old servant to his grave? Who would dare to break an agreement with you!*

Wait.

That’s not right. What is His Majesty implying?

"This old servant is a broken man, and all my relatives have passed away. Since I have wasted half a lifetime of salary on this boy, it might be better to adopt him as a godson." Having been by the Emperor’s side for so long, Superintendent Li was quite adept at deciphering the Emperor's thoughts.

"Hmm, since you have this idea, go talk to the lad yourself. As for whether he is willing to be your son, that is up to him." Emperor Wu wore a mischievous smile. "Look, you both share the surname Li; there is no need to even change his name. Hahaha..."

Superintendent Li felt a headache coming on... *Your Majesty, oh Your Majesty, could you please not be so mischievous?*

***

At the General’s Mansion of the West!

Li Siming was currently speaking with Lady Cui.

"Mother, rest assured. I have followed your instructions and deliberately said some provocative words in front of Tang Gong. He has already declared that he will have his older brother, Tang Qi, teach that little beast Li Wenxuan a lesson. He didn't return last night; he might have already had his limbs broken by Tang Qi and frozen to death by the roadside!"

Lady Cui’s face was full of smugness. "My son, have you learned it now? This is what we call killing with a borrowed knife."

"Mother, I have truly learned it!" Li Siming nodded excitedly, feeling that his mother was the smartest person in the world.

"Mother! Big Brother! This is terrible! That little beast didn't die! Instead, he became an official, and he’s wearing official robes, acting all high and mighty at our front gate!" Li Sicheng ran in, flustered and shouting in terror.

"Second Brother, what did you say? The little beast became an official? How is that possible?" Li Siming looked utterly disbelieving.

Lady Cui was also stunned. "Cheng'er, you didn't mistake him for someone else, did you?"

"Mother, how could I be mistaken? He is now a Law Enforcement Centurion of the Eastern Depot. That crimson cloak is as eye-catching as can be; how could I be mistaken?"

"Hahaha..." Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Li Siming couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Second Brother, you are truly foolish! A Law Enforcement Centurion of the Eastern Depot—though the rank isn't high, it’s a role for ruthless characters that even our father has to be careful with. Li Wenxuan is just an illegitimate son with no background and no connections. How could he possibly obtain such a position? You are going to be the death of me with your jokes."

Lady Cui also felt there was something fishy about the situation. Now, hearing her eldest son say this, she felt the problem was even more serious.

"Cheng'er, go to the study and call your father. Tell him that the little beast Li Wenxuan has gone insane—he’s so obsessed with being an official that he actually went out and stole the official robes of an Eastern Depot Law Enforcement Centurion!"

Lady Cui pinned this heavy accusation on Li Wenxuan and sneered, "Tell your father to send this scoundrel, who is going to get our whole family killed, to the authorities immediately!"

"Mother, I’m going right now!" Li Sicheng, who never had much sense, heard his mother say this and actually believed that Li Wenxuan had gone insane and stolen the robes.

"Come, let's go out and take a look!" Lady Cui stood up, assuming her airs as the General's wife, and led Li Siming outside.

***

Outside the main gate of the General’s Mansion of the West.

Tang Qi and the group of dissolute youths with him now felt as if they were riding a tiger—it was impossible to get off.

*You are actually a Law Enforcement Centurion of the Eastern Depot?*

*Why didn't you say so earlier?*

*Why didn't you say so earlier?!*

If you had said earlier that you were a Law Enforcement Centurion of the Eastern Depot, we brothers would have taken a wide detour the moment we saw you!

Among these rich second-generation brats, which one of them didn't have some legal trouble hanging over their heads? The more serious ones even had deaths on their consciences!

Now, not only were Tang Qi's calves trembling, but the other, more timid youths were so weak in the knees they looked ready to kneel down at any moment...

Li Wenxuan looked at the two hundred or so people behind him and cast a look of gratitude toward Tang Qi.

"Young Master Tang, my thanks to you!"

These words came from the bottom of his heart.

Tang Qi didn't dare to accept it; he hurriedly dismounted and had to lean against his saddle to stand steady.

"As a subject of our Great Wu, assisting the Eastern Depot in handling cases is a duty. Furthermore, since I hold the rank of Captain, I have an even greater obligation to assist the Centurion in investigating cases."

How humiliating! A Captain commands two or three thousand men, and there are twenty or thirty centurions under him. However, when faced with a special agency like the Eastern Depot, don't even talk about a Captain—even if a General came, it wouldn't matter! It is no exaggeration to say that tigers must crouch and dragons must coil before them.

None of the other youths felt that Tang Qi was losing face by bowing his head. On the contrary, they thought "Brother Tang" was mighty for being able to face a Law Enforcement Centurion of the Eastern Depot and still speak so fluently!

"Oh, Captain Tang, you misunderstand. This is my private matter," Li Wenxuan said warmly. "I have already noted everyone's names. If you wish to leave now and not get involved in this mess, I would be most grateful!"

*Hiss—*

Many people gasped in their hearts. *You really know how to talk—you've already noted our names; who the hell would dare to leave now?*

Tang Qi’s scalp went numb. When Li Wenxuan arrived, seeing the crimson cloak on him, his brain had completely shut down... So, when Li Wenxuan asked him to introduce everyone, out of fear for the Eastern Depot, he hadn't thought, and had just introduced everyone around him one by one...

Looking back now, he really wanted to slap himself twice.

"Centurion, you joke. Whatever you are doing must be for the sake of justice. It is our honor to contribute a small effort to the cause of justice in the Great Wu!"

Li Wenxuan gave a thumbs up to Tang Qi. "Good! Well said! The Eastern Depot is in need of talents like you. Are you interested in joining the Eastern Depot and working as a Law Enforcement Centurion together?"

Looking at Tang Qi's pale face, Li Wenxuan patted his shoulder warmly. "Forgot to introduce—my superior is Lou Wanxi."

"Lou... Old Demon Lou?"

The many youths present almost wet their pants. A man's name is like the shadow of a tree. Lou Wanxi, the Law Enforcement Thousand-man Commander of the Eastern Depot, was a man who killed without blinking, handled cases with blood-iron methods, and feared no power. In the capital, from first-rank officials to lowly clerks, anyone who could hear the three words "Lou Wanxi" without turning pale could be called a "hero."

After the Emperor ascended the throne, Lou Wanxi—then still a Law Enforcement Centurion—was ordered to thoroughly investigate a rebellion plot by a member of the Wu royal family. As a result, the case involved three Princes losing their heads, and in the end, over ten thousand people had their heads severed. For several years, not a single smile could be seen in the capital's official circles. This case was also known as the greatest case since the founding of the Wu Kingdom, historically recorded as the "Rebellion of the Three Princes."

Since then, the name of Lou Wanxi had shaken the world. Many secretly speculated that if he were willing to "castrate himself," the position of Superintendent of the Eastern Depot would surely be his! Lou Wanxi had naturally heard such rumors, but besides investigating cases, his greatest pleasure was contributing to the population growth of the Great Wu.

However, Li Wenxuan didn't know much about this. After hearing a lecture from "Fatty Sun," he understood that working under "Boss Lou" carried extreme risks—to the point where colleagues would go broke just from paying for the funeral expenses of their peers.

This information flashed through the minds of Tang Qi and his friends in an instant. For a moment, everyone's gaze toward Li Wenxuan became increasingly fearful. Only now did they realize what kind of monster they had provoked!

*Brother Tang, you are truly brave! To challenge a person like this to a duel... If this got out, you could brag about it for a lifetime, right?*

Tang Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Centurion, you joke. My talents are insufficient for such an important position..."

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore." Li Wenxuan pointed toward the slowly opening gate, a grim look appearing in his eyes. "The people from the General’s Mansion are coming out."