From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

Three days passed in a flash.

Three days of leisure.

Since Jiang Feng was imprisoned, Clerk Gu had been missing for several days until this morning when he returned to the office to handle affairs.

"Zhu Hong, come with me."

As soon as Zhu Hong entered the second class, Wang Zhenshan called him to the police station.

"Gu Zhangbo will be speaking to me today."

Have you thought it through?

The journey wasn't long, but it was enough for the two of them to have a conversation.

"I've made up my mind."

"Aren't you going to ask what it is?"

"It's nothing more than what the Jiang family and Jiang Feng have done and what they want."

Wang Zhenshan nodded: "We received the news that Jiang Boyong, Jiang Yannian, and the others have secretly paid their respects to the Prefect."

"Fu Zun."

Zhu Hong paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you mean, sir?"

Wang Zhenshan raised the corners of his lips slightly, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense, "The sky will clear up on its own, and the water will naturally flow into its channel; you'll know when the time comes."

Zhu Hong chuckled lightly:

"It's good to guess; it's rare for the boss to be in such a good mood."

"Hahaha……"

Before long, the two arrived at their destination while chatting and laughing.

"Gu Zhangbu" (顾掌簿).

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

They saw a man sitting on a chair in the room, looking down at a book. Zhu and Hong immediately bowed with their hands clasped in greeting.

Hearing the cries.

Gu Huai'an snapped out of his reverie from the pages of the register, slowly raising his head. "You've arrived." Before he finished speaking, his gaze fell entirely on Zhu Hong, and he said slowly:

"I've heard about everything you've done."

Zhu Hong stood with his hands at his sides, neither humble nor arrogant: "It's all part of my duty."

"It's my duty?"

Gu Huai'an raised the corners of his mouth slightly, placed the booklet in his hand on the table, and gestured with his hand: "Sit down, don't be shy."

Seeing this, Zhu Hong and his companion did not stand on ceremony and sat down.

"Have you had a few days of free time?"

Gu Huai'an said slowly, "I heard that you locked Jiang Feng up deep in the prison and even ordered people to 'take good care of him'?"

Zhu Hong smiled faintly:

"Young Master Jiang is of noble status, and your subordinate dares not neglect him."

Gu Huai'an put down his teacup, looking at him with a half-smile. "I heard he has several bruises on his face and has lost a tooth. Is this what you call 'taking good care'?"

"Young Master Jiang has a fiery temper, and this was caused by his own impulsive actions."

Zhu Hong answered confidently and righteously.

Gu Huai'an stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled. The laughter wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of pleasure.

"Fine, whatever."

He shook his head, pulled a book of calligraphy from the table, and casually tossed it over: "Take a look."

Zhu Hong took it and unfolded it.

It was a letter written by Jiang Yannian himself:

"A Letter of Apology"

The writing is neat and the wording is humble and gentle; the general meaning is:

The Jiang family has been a family of integrity for generations, always mindful of their duties and never daring to overstep boundaries. Now, Jiang Feng, young and ignorant, has momentarily lost his way. We earnestly request Your Excellency to be magnanimous, considering the Jiang family's contributions to the local area, and to grant him leniency.

The Jiang family is willing to donate a thousand Yang stones and a huge sum of 100,000 taels of silver.

To help fund public funds.

From now on, we must be even stricter in disciplining our children, punishing any transgressions without any leniency.

"A thousand Yang stones, ten thousand taels of silver..."

atmosphere."

Zhu Hong gently placed the document back on the table, pondered for a moment, and asked, "What is the registrar's intention?"

Gu Huai'an did not answer directly.

He extended only one finger and tapped lightly on the table. The tap was as light as a feather, yet it contained profound inner strength. The rolled-up love letter on the table suddenly trembled, and a wisp of almost imperceptible white ash rose from between the pages, instantly dissipating into nothingness with the wind, leaving not even a trace of debris.

The subtlety of force, the precision of force control.

So terrifying.

He then slowly spoke: "Does the Prefect mean that it is still up to you?"

"It's still up to me."

Zhu Hong was slightly surprised: "What are the limits?"

"There's only one condition," Gu Huai'an's tone turned serious, "to silence the Jiang family completely as quickly as possible." He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife:

"Even if the Jiang family were completely eradicated, it would not be impossible."

However, you don't have much time left. And the only people you can deploy are the head constables of the Sixth Squad.

Zhu Hong frowned slightly after hearing this.

With time running out and only the head constables of the Sixth Squad available, this task was far too difficult. It wasn't that the men of the Sixth Squad were incompetent, but Jiang Boyong and Jiang Yannian were both martial artists of the Third Realm, and it would be difficult to restrain them if the constables and their men didn't move.

Wang Zhenshan and his gang could barely handle one person.

The two of them working together have virtually no chance of winning.

"What, you can't do it?"

Gu Huai'an glanced at him indifferently, "If you're not up to the task, I can take over. But..." He paused briefly, his gaze landing on Zhu Hong's face, a meaningful look in his eyes:

"The Prefect has high hopes for you."

Zhu Hong was slightly taken aback, then said seriously, "May I request an audience with Your Excellency?"

"You're quite clever."

Gu Huai'an rose, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, gazed at the deep night outside, and slowly said, "You cannot see the Prefect yet; the time is not right. When everything is settled, the Prefect will summon you." Having said that, he turned to look at Zhu Hong:

"But you can rest assured."

"If you take this gamble and gain the favor of the Prefect, you'll rise to great heights."

Zhu Hong understood.

"value."

Only by demonstrating one's value to the point of complete satisfaction to one's superiors can one be qualified to meet with the Prefect.

But isn't this threshold a bit too high?

He fell into deep thought. "Using a powerful clan like the Jinyangjiang family as a stepping stone, who exactly is that Prefect? ​​He has quite the appetite."

It's strange, really.

Since joining the yamen, I have never seen the Prefect's face. It's understandable that he hasn't been there long. But even when I chat with the older folks like Lin Jizhi and Gu Shu, they are all vague about the Prefect. Most of the yamen's affairs, big and small, are handled by Clerk Gu, and the Prefect seems to never show his face.

Everyone has only one long-held prejudice against him:

It is terrifyingly strong.

Its power is enough to awe people's souls.

No one knows the extent of his power. All that is known is that the Prefectural Lord remains hidden behind the scenes, neither heard nor seen, yet he can control the entire situation in Jinyang with just a few words.

Truly mysterious and unpredictable.

It is difficult for people to discern its depth from its appearance.

Thinking of this, Zhu Hong's expression hardened, and he bowed, saying:

"Your subordinate obeys."

After a brief pause, he asked in a deep voice, "Gu Zhangbu, the deadline is tight, but do you know roughly when the deadline is?"

"No one knows this."

Gu Huai'an gently shook his head: "When the time limit is up, it's up."