Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

On the second floor of the inn, at the east corner, is a guest room with two courtyards.

Pang Jiyi leisurely picked up the boiling teapot on the clay stove and leaned forward to pour Zhu Biao a cup of tea.

Thank you.

Zhu Biao accepted it with both hands.

"Heh, Zhu Tuanlian is so young, yet he has already gained the favor of Lord Murong. He must have extraordinary abilities. But I wonder what brings you here to me so late at night?"

He took a sip of tea himself and smiled.

"I wouldn't dare!"

Zhu Biao clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Pang Jiyi is busy with official duties, and I should not bother you. However, Jing County is under lockdown, and I am afraid that I will delay Lord Murong's orders."

"Oh? I wonder, what is Lord Murong's mission?"

Zhu Biao hesitated for a long time before finally gritting his teeth:

"To be honest, Pang Jiyi, Zhu's ostensible mission is to buy horses, but in reality, he's going to Tokyo to prepare a birthday gift for Consort Murong!"

"I didn't expect Zhu Tuanlian to take on such an important task?"

Pang Jiyi appeared calm, but in reality, the tea in his hand had already spilled, wetting his sleeves, yet he was completely unaware.

"Indeed! There is a letter written in Murong's own handwriting here!"

Zhu Biao, as if in a fit of pique, reached into his pocket, making a gesture as if to grab something.

"No, no!"

Pang Jiyi panicked, jumped up, grabbed him, and even overturned the teacup.

"I wish you success in the militia training; I trust you."

Zhu Biao did indeed have a letter in his arms; it was something he had just scribbled down haphazardly, completely nonsensical and riddled with errors.

He was gambling that even if he did take it out, Pang Jiyi, a nobody official, wouldn't dare to look at the private letters between the empress's relatives and the imperial concubine.

Let alone him, even that Vice Envoy Lu who lost his seal, hey, that kind of old-fashioned official wouldn't, and wouldn't dare to, look at him!

"Pang Jiyi, due to the continuous heavy snow, I have already missed my appointed time. I must leave the city tomorrow, or I will lose my head!"

As they were talking, Zhu Biao seized the opportunity to grab his arm.

His hand was like an iron clamp; Pang Jiyi tried to pull it out several times but couldn't. He was in pain and frightened, and sweat beaded on his temples.

"Zhu Tuanlian, you, you let go of me, let's talk this out."

Yes!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao seemed to realize something and abruptly released his grip, nearly causing Pang Jiyi to fall to the ground.

He looked up as if to rebuke, but saw Zhu Biao seemingly possessed, his eyes glazed over, muttering to himself.

"The Imperial Concubine is magnanimous and always easy to talk to. I don't think she will blame me, much less implicate others."

Pang Jiyi shivered.

A few dozen breaths later, he hurriedly pushed open the door and went out, as if a dog was chasing him.

Call ~

Zhu Biao let out a long sigh, slumped into a chair, loosened his collar, picked up the already cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

"This is fucking exhausting!"

After an incense stick had burned, Zhu Biao slowly walked out of the post station, with Pang Jiyi following closely behind.

"I hope the training session goes smoothly."

"Thank you for your help, Pang Jiyi."

At this moment, Zhu Biao had an extra copy of the city exit order personally signed by Vice Envoy Lu, which allowed him to leave the city not only during the day but also at night.

Just as he had expected, the deputy envoy didn't even bother to verify the message's authenticity and readily allowed it to pass.

After all, his act of losing the seal was just a performance and couldn't stand scrutiny. At this critical juncture, there was no need to offend other powerful figures.

Even if it's fake, he doesn't want to cause any more trouble.

Pack your bags. We'll leave the city at dawn tomorrow.

Back at the inn, Zhu Biao managed to utter only one instruction before collapsing onto the bed fully clothed. It would be more accurate to say he fainted than slept.

On the other side, the main room of the north wing of the post station.

An elderly man with a refined appearance, wearing a vermilion official robe and a fox fur cloak, was sitting cross-legged under the lamp, flipping through the register of soldiers of the Cangzhou Military Command.

It was Lu Tingji, the Deputy Pacification Commissioner of Hebei East Circuit.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. He closed the register and looked up. Pang Jiyi strode in, bowed, and said:

"My lord, I have already checked. Zhu Biao entered the city at dusk yesterday and collapsed from a cold this morning. He came looking for me as soon as he woke up."

"Um."

Lu Tingji nodded noncommittally.

Pang Jiyi suddenly stepped forward two steps and lowered his voice:

"My lord, his identity as a militia commander might be real, but he's just using the excuse of preparing the birthday tribute for the Imperial Concubine."

Pang Jiyi wasn't stupid; after thinking it over, he realized he'd been fooled by Zhu Biao.

He is a vengeful person, and he used to be arrogant back in his hometown. Thinking about his outburst just now, he was furious.

"Heh~"

Lu Tingji waved his hand to interrupt him.

"Pang Ji, whether it's true or false, what does it matter to me? Helping others is helping yourself."

"Yes, my lord, I understand."

Pang Jiyi bowed and replied respectfully, but his lowered face was contorted beyond recognition, and his fingers were digging into his palms.

No, you don't understand.

Lu Tingji curled his fingers and tapped the roster in front of him, raising his voice slightly.

"Pang Ji, remember, this is not your old home in Shexian County. Keep your tail between your legs and let this matter end here. Don't cause any more trouble."

"Yes, yes."

Pang Jiyi shuddered and retreated in a huff.

Lu Tingji pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve, on which were densely covered with tiny characters:

The hay storage yard was set on fire by someone. The guard, Lin Chong, is missing. He had a grudge against Qiu. The three corpses near the fire site also had a past relationship with Qiu.

He read it again, crumpled up the note, and threw it into the brazier.

"Traitor to the nation!"

The next day, after riding out of Jingxian County, Zhu Biao, who was still sickly, suddenly felt a sense of exhilaration, like birds flying in the forest and fish swimming in the sea, and his nose cleared up.

Pang Jiyi was not a concern, but he was somewhat intimidated by Vice Envoy Lu, whom he had never met.

Don't underestimate him just because he's only a fifth-rank official. One step up, and he becomes a Pacification Commissioner, a powerful regional official in charge of military affairs. And the next step up, he becomes a Privy Councilor.

Such high-ranking officials are often unfathomable and their actions are prone to being unexpected.

If he gets interested, he only needs to make a slight move, such as sending troops to escort you, and you will instantly become a fish on a chopping board, powerless to resist.

This feeling of being unable to control his fate drove him crazy!

Qinghe County is only about 70 li away from Jing County. The terrain is flat and the roads are wide. We did not encounter any more bandits along the way.

No mountains, no water, no thieves.

As dusk fell, Zhu Biao and his group entered the city.

"Second brother, we've arrived at your hometown. Do you know any familiar inns, taverns, or maids?"

Doctor Shi's medicine was very effective. By this time, Zhu Biao had recovered to about 60-70% and even had the energy to tease Wu Song.

He had traveled all day in the freezing cold. If he had rested properly, he would probably be fully recovered by now. He's a real talent, and we must recruit him in the future.

"Ooh, ooh, ah~"

At this moment, Wu Song covered his head and face completely, as if possessed by a mute spirit, gesturing wildly with his hands, his eyes filled with an unusual panic.

Returning home brought not the excitement or tears he had imagined, but only endless fear. He even dared not approach the streets and alleys near his home.

"Stop making a fuss."

Zhu Biao dismounted, handed the reins to Zhu San, and pointed to a grand two-story tavern across the road.

"Zhu San, you and your second brother find an inn nearby, then come here and order a table of food and wine. Zhu Wu, come with me."

As he finished speaking, he was about to turn around when Wu Song suddenly jumped off his horse, grabbed him, and his strong hand, capable of subduing a tiger, was now trembling like a leaf.

"Don't worry, Second Brother, I'll take care of everything."

Zhu Biao patted the back of his hand. Wu Song didn't say a word, but nodded heavily with red eyes.

Wu Song was a "city dweller" who lived in Mishifang, Qinghe South City. As the name suggests, there were three grain shops on this street, and his house was right next to Li's Grain Shop.

A neat, detached courtyard, a large jujube tree, with several branches extending out of the courtyard wall.

It's clear that Wu Song's family was well-off, at least enough to make ends meet; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to raise such a strong, alcoholic man.

Everyone says that Wu Da is short, ugly, and poor, but that's nonsense. He may be short and ugly, but he's definitely not poor.

If he were truly poor, Pan Jinlian would surely be pale and thin, dressed in tattered clothes. How could she possibly win the heart of Ximen Qing, a man accustomed to the pleasures of the world?

Naturally beautiful? Pshaw! Beauties are cultivated.

"Tsk, I wonder if Wu Da is still home, and what kind of allure does the legendary Pan Jinlian possess?"

Standing at the door, Zhu Biao hesitated, a rare occurrence for him.

If Wu Da were at home, things would change, and it would be difficult for him to seduce Wu Song again, since he is reluctant to leave his homeland. If he had already married Pan Jinlian, it would be even more troublesome.

Zhu Biao had no intention of bringing this vixen to the Zhu family. His two older brothers were both lecherous and lacked self-control.

creak~

Suddenly, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the inside, and a woman came out.

She was probably in her thirties, with ordinary features, high cheekbones and thin lips. She wore a dark brown silk dress and carried a willow basket on her arm.

"The age doesn't match, the appearance doesn't match either, she's not Pan Jinlian."

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Biao had scanned her from head to toe.

"Who are you looking for?"

The woman was startled to suddenly see two tall men standing in front of her door.

"Don't be afraid, sister-in-law. Is your husband surnamed Wu?"

Seeing that the young master remained silent, Zhu Wu volunteered to step forward, mimicking Zhu Biao's mannerisms, clasped his hands together, and asked in a high-pitched voice.

The woman patted her chest:

"Looking for Wu Da? He's gone. This courtyard is mine now."

"Where did they go?" Zhu Wu hurriedly asked.

At that moment, a series of footsteps sounded in the courtyard. The sound was heavy, and it belonged to a man, who was quite strong.

The woman immediately straightened up, raised an eyebrow and glared at Zhu Wu, her tone rising:

"Who do you think you are? Why should I tell you?"

"Um?"

Zhu Wu was stunned, his hands still clenched, but his eyes narrowed.