Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 349 The Number One Licking Master

"Have they been driven away? Have all the sparrows been driven away? Zhao Tingwei dislikes sparrows the most, and he has driven them all away, not allowing a single one to remain."

Zhang Qi, what kind of incense are you using? It smells like bedbugs! Change it right now. And who are the people at our Xin Tingwei Temple? They're all refined gentlemen!
And these fallen leaves on the ground, make sure to sweep them up clean, make sure they're spotless, otherwise it'll be unsightly to get your shoes dirty."

The next day, Zhou Zhao, inhaling the aroma of sesame seeds from the small canteen, entered the Court of Justice with high spirits.

It was still early, but the Court of Justice was already packed with people. A group of scholars, their sleeves dangling, were working busily and energetically.

Xu Jin stood in the middle of the avenue, hands on his hips, pointing and shouting.

"Oh, Master Xu, you're here crowing so early in the morning! Don't worry, with you making so much noise, unless you're deaf, what bird would stay?"

As Zhou Zhao spoke, she clicked her tongue twice and looked around. "It looks quite clean to me, but I don't know if it's spotless. Why are you all so slow-witted? Why don't you ask Lord Xu to take a proper look?"

Will this get the soles of my shoes dirty? I'll just lick it and we'll know. Gentlemen, don't worry. In this regard, Lord Xu is absolutely the best in the Court of Justice. Right, Lord Xu?"

Upon hearing the familiar female voice, Xu Jin stiffly turned his head.

One hand was still on his hip, his expression was somewhat distorted, and his eyes were full of terror. He looked completely different from his previous arrogance.

He bowed slightly, smiled ingratiatingly, and said through gritted teeth, "Zhou Tingshi... Lord Zhou, you're joking! I'm just trying to do my best for our Left Court and make the new Chief Justice look good in front of him!"

Zhou Zhao looked at Xu Jin with amusement, "Such a prestigious matter should naturally be handled personally by Lord Xu."

As Zhou Zhao spoke, he glanced around at the people holding brooms who looked aggrieved and embarrassed. "I remember, you are officials from the Court of Justice. What are you here for?"

As she spoke, she walked straight toward the small canteen without stopping.

The group of people, who had been scolded by Xu Jin until their faces turned red, gripped their brooms tightly. Some put their things down in the corner and left silently, while others looked left and right, unsure of what to do.

After saying what he wanted to say, Zhou Zhao paid no attention to the feelings of the group of people.

Those who can stand up, and those who want to stand up, will naturally be able to stand up.

Those who don't want to be bullied and enslaved by Xu Jin can continue to do so. Maybe some people just like to suffer. Zhou Zhao is so kind-hearted, how could she stop them?
Today's breakfast in the small canteen was sesame seed cakes, which were fragrant and sweet. As soon as Zhou Zhao entered, he saw He Tingshi waving and leaving afterimages.

"Come quickly, come quickly, I've already taken your flatbread."

Zhou Zhao looked at the beaming old man and chuckled. She quickly stepped forward and sat down opposite He Tingshi. "Look at you, all smiles. When the Right Court welcomed the new Minister of Justice, everyone was grinning from ear to ear?"

He Tingshi saw through Zhou Zhao's teasing. He raised his hand, pushed a small pottery jar in front of Zhou Zhao, and then rolled his eyes.

"Where's the spirit of scholars? They're all the same, with one nose and two eyes, what's there to welcome them with? I, too, am a man of refined taste. My wife's specialty health-preserving soup..."

As He Tingshi spoke, he stroked his beard.

"She says it's her specialty, but actually she only learned this one thing when she was still a young lady. I've been drinking it for decades and I'm tired of it. Since you look even weaker than the corpses in the mortuary, why don't you drink it for me?"

Seeing He Tingshi's feigned disgust, Zhou Zhao felt a warm glow in her heart. She readily took the spoon and drank a sip of soup.

The soup was delicious but not greasy; just from the taste, you could tell that someone had put a lot of thought into it, probably simmering it over a low flame since last night. How could He Tingshi get tired of such a gesture? It was clearly made for her.

"Could it be that I was actually switched at birth, and you are actually my grandfather?"

He Tingshi laughed and nodded at Zhou Zhao's teasing, "Exactly, exactly!"
I'd like to, but unfortunately, my ancestral graves are not up to par. I'll drink it while it's hot; I'm just happy. Zhao Tingwei told me that His Majesty has approved the abolition of corporal punishment, and the Prime Minister didn't say much. The imperial edict will be issued in the next couple of days.

My long-cherished wish has been fulfilled; I have no regrets even in death.

As He Tingshi spoke, he looked at the little girl in front of him.

He had originally planned to retire and return to his hometown after finishing this matter, but now he couldn't bear to leave. He still wanted to stay at the Court of Justice and watch Zhou Zhao rise step by step to become the Minister of Justice.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhao was also overjoyed. She leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "What do you think, Prime Minister?"

He Tingshi was taken aback, his gaze shifting. Although he didn't understand why Zhou Zhao was asking these questions, he still whispered, "He's cunning and shrewd, almost demonic in his wisdom, but his clan is too numerous, which might bring trouble upon him. He's not someone you can afford to offend right now; His Majesty trusts him greatly."

Zhao Yizhou resembles him to some extent; don't let him fool you.

If there were truly so many virtuous gentlemen in this world, why would people yearn for Zhou Yan? They're all just using handsome appearances to deceive young girls!

As He Tingshi spoke, he couldn't help but earnestly admonish, "In my opinion, Zhao Yizhou is not a good match for you. If you become the Minister of Justice one day, people will still say that you benefited from the Zhao family's influence. You have real abilities and don't need their help."

And what kind of east wind is that? If you're going to become the Minister of Justice, wouldn't this new official have to make room for you? I'm afraid it might become a stumbling block, so they'll secretly get you pregnant and then use that baby to keep you confined at home..."

Upon realizing this, He Tingshi's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

How could he allow someone to break the saplings he had his eye on?

Seeing that he was getting carried away with his thoughts, Zhou Zhao chuckled, "He Tingshi, how did something that's not even made a fuss turn into a ghost story?"

He Tingshi shook his head. "The road for women is full of ghost stories. I've seen plenty of them."

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this made sense. Just as he was about to criticize Su Changying as well, he felt a shadow fall over his head. When he looked up, he was met with Su Changying's exceptionally handsome face. However, although his face was beautiful, his eyes were sharp and had a sinister air about them. He felt that if he said "Su Changying is not a good match", he would probably immediately return to his ancestral grave.

“He Tingshi is truly wise,” Su Changying smiled, sat down next to Zhou Zhao, and placed the long sword in her hand on the table.

The crisp thud sounded like a tap on He Tingshi's heart.

He couldn't help but curse inwardly: Military officers are so brutal! The fact that they would beat someone up for a single unpleasant word was written all over his face.

He Tingshi steadied himself. "General Su is also a young talent. I will make good use of him. There are many files today, so I will take my leave first."

As he spoke, he stood up with trembling hands, dusted off the wrinkles in his robes, and glanced at Zhou Zhao.

Upon seeing Su Changying, he remembered the young girl in front of him who evoked such pity in him. She was not a pure-blooded civil official; like Su Changying, she was a ruthless expert.

If there were truly ghost stories, she would be unstoppable, killing gods and ghosts alike.