Chapter 104: I Don’t Have Many Friends, But You Count as One (Second Update)

It was not just Zhuge Jun and Murong Fu who were stunned; even Shangguan Lian was taken aback.

"Brother Fang, can it be that you are also interested in this Jade Linglong?" Zhuge Jun asked, furrowing his brows slightly as he looked at Fang Xu with a hint of confusion.

It was evident that Zhuge Jun had heard the conversation between Fang Xu and Shangguan Lian earlier. Since Fang Xu understood his objective, why would he choose to stand up now?

"I don't have much personal interest in it, but I simply do not wish to see certain people obtain it," Fang Xu said, looking at Zhuge Jun with a smile.

Fang Xu naturally realized that Zhuge Jun might have misunderstood his intentions, so he smiled to clarify. Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jun immediately grasped the meaning, and the slight frown on his face smoothed out.

"May I ask, young master, what you intend to add to your offer?" the owner of the Jade Linglong asked. Seeing someone raise the bid was, of course, a welcome development. After all, maximizing profit was the ideal outcome.

"Hmph! I wondered who it was! What could you possibly offer, a mere Jiuqing official?" Murong Fu had recovered his composure by now, his lip curling in disdain.

"Jiuqing?" The owner of the jade frowned upon hearing Murong Fu's words. Everyone knew that the Jiuqing were the highest-ranking officials beneath the Chancellor, but that did not necessarily mean they possessed anything of significant value.

"Indeed, the status of a Jiuqing might not catch the eye of Young Master Murong, but that does not mean it cannot catch the eye of others." Fang Xu treated Murong Fu's sarcasm as nothing more than a passing breeze.

"May I ask, my lord... what is the amount you intend to add?" the young man asked curiously. Upon learning of Fang Xu's status, his address had shifted from "young master" to "my lord."

"Let me introduce myself. I am Fang Xu, one of the Nine Ministers of Justice. This is my official seal." As he spoke, Fang Xu produced the seal from his robes and placed it on the table.

The surrounding scions of officialdom and noble families couldn't help but frown. If Fang Xu had been any of the other eight ministers, he might not have piqued their curiosity, as the others held little sway over them. However, the position of the Minister of Justice was different; it held the power of life and death, granting him the authority to execute members of these very families if he saw fit.

Although these families were protected by powerful clans, one must not forget that even those clans dared not openly defy the Great Qin Empire. Thus, the weight of Fang Xu's status had increased significantly. Fang Xu noticed the shift in the gazes around him; in his view, this was exactly the change he needed.

"I am willing to stake the safety of your life and livelihood on my position as Minister of Justice! I guarantee that no lawless scoundrels will dare to touch you. Of course, this is provided that you accept the friendship of the Zhuge family," Fang Xu said, smiling at the young man.

Everyone present now understood that Fang Xu was standing with Zhuge Jun. Upon hearing this, Zhuge Jun looked at Fang Xu with gratitude. He knew full well that the owner of the jade had been tempted by his offer of a hundred gold pieces, but had been held back by fear of the Murong family’s influence. Fang Xu had effectively cleared away those concerns.

"Might I, Shangguan Lian, also join in the fun by offering the friendship of the Shangguan family?" Shangguan Lian said, remaining seated. Everyone stared at her in disbelief. She held the same social standing as Zhuge Jun and Murong Fu, and as the leading figure of the Shangguan family, her word was as good as gold.

"If that is the case, then my Wu family shall also get involved!"
"And my Sun family!"
"My Li family will join as well!"

Following Shangguan Lian's lead, the surrounding family scions—all eager to curry favor with the Zhuge family—hastened to declare their support. If they didn't act now, when would they? Adding flowers to a brocade is never as valuable as providing charcoal in the snow, especially since these families were already beneath the Zhuge family in influence. What did it matter if they offended Murong Fu? What could Murong Fu really do to them? They rushed to demonstrate their loyalty to Zhuge Jun.

Unfortunately, these lesser scions ultimately served only as window dressing. They were acting out of necessity because their families were under the protection of the Zhuge clan, whereas Fang Xu was different. In the eyes of Zhuge Jun, he had truly found a friend in Fang Xu.

Fang Xu, however, had not anticipated these developments, nor was he aware of Zhuge Jun's inner thoughts. At that moment, he was looking at Shangguan Lian in disbelief, unable to fathom her motives. Yet, Shangguan Lian ignored his questioning gaze. To Fang Xu, it no longer mattered; the goal had been achieved, hadn't it?

"Well? Are you willing to make the exchange?" Fang Xu asked the young man with a smile. The youth could hardly believe his ears. The onlookers watched with envy, many silently cursing themselves for not owning such a piece of jade. If they had, would all this not be theirs?

"Is it... is it really... is all this really true?" the youth stammered, swallowing hard as he looked between Zhuge Jun and Fang Xu.

"It is absolutely true," Fang Xu said, nudging the emotionally moved Zhuge Jun, as only he could give the final confirmation.

"Good! I have decided! This Jade Linglong belongs to Young Master Zhuge!" the youth exclaimed, fearing Zhuge Jun might change his mind.

As Zhuge Jun took the heavy jade, he felt as though he were in a dream. He had thought this treasure was slipping through his fingers, but thanks to Fang Xu stepping forward, he had secured it after all.

"Brother Fang! I, Zhuge Jun, have few friends in this life! You are counted among them!" Zhuge Jun said earnestly. Fang Xu looked at him, feeling slightly bewildered.

"Were we not friends before this?" Fang Xu asked with a smile. Zhuge Jun paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! Quite right! Quite right! Brother Fang! You shall always be an honored guest of the Zhuge family! The friendship of the Zhuge house is yours forever!" Zhuge Jun laughed heartily, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of Fang Xu's lips.