After failing the imperial examination, he began to wield immense power after entering the palace!

Madam Zhang Xuan's expression changed, and she subconsciously took a step back.

Zhang Xuan's face also darkened, but he suppressed his anger and tried to keep his tone calm:

"Manager Huang, you've had too much to drink. Sit down and rest for a bit."

"Drunk? Who said I'm drunk?"

With a wave of his hand, Manager Huang staggered toward Madam Zhang Xuan and reached out to grab her sleeve.

"Madam, come, come, have a drink with me..."

"What are you doing?!"

Zhang Xuan suddenly stood up, grabbed Manager Huang's wrist, and pulled him back.

He was extremely strong, and Huang, the manager, was pulled so hard that he staggered a few steps and almost fell to the ground.

When Manager Huang was pulled back, he was first taken aback, then his expression changed and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

"Zhang Xuan! How dare you lay a hand on me?"

His voice rose a few decibels, taking on a sharp edge.

"I am the head of the Ministry of Revenue! You, a convicted general who has just been pardoned by His Majesty, dare to lay a hand on me?"

Zhang Xuan's face was ashen, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

He wanted nothing more than to punch that greasy face.

But he dared not.

Although this person was not of high rank, he was backed by the Minister of Revenue.

The Minister of Revenue was from a prominent family in Guanzhong.

If you offend him, you'll be in trouble.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing the anger in his chest, and said, word by word:

"Master Huang, please have some self-respect."

"Self-respect?"

Manager Huang scoffed, his drunkenness making him even more arrogant.

He shook off Zhang Xuan's hand, straightened his wrinkled official robe, and held his chin high.

"Zhang Xuan, listen to me clearly."

"My brother-in-law is the current Minister of Revenue!"

"All the provisions for your Liaodong army will have to pass through my hands!"

"If I'm in a bad mood and give you a slight delay, hehe, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."

He became more and more smug as he spoke, his finger almost poking Zhang Xuan's nose.

"What right do you, a convicted general who has just been pardoned by His Majesty, have to act so disrespectfully before me?"

"For me to take a liking to your wife is an honor!"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll obediently let your wife have a few drinks with me."

"otherwise……"

Zhang Xuan's face had turned ashen.

He was a military general who never retreated an inch in the face of tens of thousands of Tartar cavalry on the Liaodong battlefield.

But now, he found himself in a dilemma, forced into a corner by a good-for-nothing!

Zhang Xuan's wife stood in the corner, her face pale and her lips trembling.

Looking at her husband's ashen face and his clenched and unclenched fists, her eyes welled up with tears.

Zhang Miaozhen's phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent as she placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

But Zhang Xuan stopped her with a look.

You must not use your hands.

As soon as we started, the supplies were gone.

Just then!

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap echoed throughout the main hall.

Everyone was stunned.

Manager Huang's head was tilted to one side, and five bright red finger marks were clearly visible on his face.

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and half of his face swelled up instantly.

He was completely stunned, standing there blankly for a long time before he came to his senses.

"Who...who hit me?"

He covered his face and turned around in disbelief, only to see Li Fan standing in front of him, still in the gesture of slapping him.

A faint, ambiguous smile played on his young, handsome face.

"You...you hit me?"

"How dare you, a mere eunuch, strike me?"

"So what if I hit you?"

Li Fan shook his hand, his tone indifferent.

"Hitting you is too lenient a punishment."

His voice suddenly turned cold, and he said, word by word:

"I listened to it for ages, but I just couldn't take it anymore."

"You, a mere clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, a nobody, dare to threaten a general of the imperial court here?"

"How dare you lay a hand on the general's wife?"

"Do you think this is your backyard?"

Manager Huang's face turned pale and then red, and he sobered up considerably in an instant.

But he was from a prominent family in Guanzhong, and his brother-in-law was the Minister of Revenue. He was used to being arrogant and domineering, and he had never been so humiliated.

"Who...who do you think you are?"

His voice rose a few decibels, carrying a sharp edge that was both fierce and cowardly.

"He's just a eunuch! How dare he beat a court official?"

"Do you know who my brother-in-law is?"

"He is the current Minister of Revenue!"

"You lowly eunuch, you've offended me, and you've offended the Minister of Revenue. How many heads do you have to lose?"

"Let me tell you, I will remember this slap you gave me today!"

"Tomorrow, I'll have my brother-in-law file a complaint against you, and you'll be in deep trouble!"

Li Fan looked at his arrogant face and said nothing.

He simply smiled slightly.

then……

"Snapped!"

Another slap.

Heavier, more forceful, and louder than before.

Manager Huang was so badly hit that he spun around on the spot, staggered several steps before regaining his balance, and half of his face was swollen like a steamed bun, with his teeth loose.

"You...you still dare to hit me?"

His voice was trembling, and his mouth was full of blood and foam.

"Do you know...?"

"Snapped!"

The third slap.

This time, the other side of the face was slapped.

Manager Huang was hit on the left and right sides of the head, his face swelled up like a pig's head, and his eyes were seeing stars.

He collapsed to the ground with a thud, covering his face, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly, unable to utter a single word.

Li Fan crouched down to meet his gaze, speaking casually:

"Master Huang, you said your brother-in-law is the Minister of Revenue?"

"Then do you even know who our family is?"

Manager Huang was stunned for a moment, a hint of confusion flashing across his face, which was swollen like a pig's head.

"Aren't you just a lowly eunuch from the Eastern Depot..."

"A little eunuch?"

Li Fan took the gilded token from his waist and waved it in front of Manager Huang.

"My master is Gao Jin, the chief eunuch of the Eastern Depot, ordered by His Majesty to supervise all officials."

"Two days ago, Cao Mo, the Prefect of Jingzhao, was arrested by our family."

"You're just a lowly clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, a nobody, and you dare to act so arrogantly in front of us just because your brother-in-law is the Minister of Revenue?"

Huang immediately recognized who this person was; he was a truly ruthless individual, a trusted confidant of Consort Xie.

Ignoring the other person's rapidly turning pale face, Li Fan continued speaking.

"Manager Huang, we're giving you two choices."

"Either you kneel down obediently and kowtow to General Zhang and his wife to apologize."

"Or, let me take you back to the Eastern Depot and thoroughly investigate your accounts over the years."

"You're just a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue, how much is your annual salary? Can you afford such silk? Can you afford such fine wine?"

"We'll see if your brother-in-law, the Minister of Revenue, can protect you."

"thump!"

Manager Huang's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground.

His head slammed heavily against the blue bricks with a dull thud.

"Please spare me, Eunuch Gao! Please spare me, Eunuch Gao!"

His voice was as shrill as a pig being slaughtered, choked with sobs, and his face was covered in tears and snot.

"I know I was wrong! I was blind to your greatness! Please, Your Honor, have mercy!"

"I will never dare to do it again! I will never dare to do it again!"