Alright,
Mr. Guo had just received a reward,
and he was feeling rather pleased with himself.
His storytelling, which had been about war and iron-clad cavalry, suddenly drifted back to the romantic clichés he used to favor.
"Is that true?"
"Yeah, is it true?"
So in the audience began to voice their doubts.
So, Mr. Guo, you're like a spittoon, right? Just there to catch all the gossip? You were on the scene and saw everything, were you?
Mr. Guo imdiately adopted a serious tone, "Allow to inform you, gentlen, the Emperor of the Situ Family has always been frail. He returned from Snow Sea already injured. Therefore, those concubines in the rear palace have long been starved for affection. With whom would they share that brimming passion?"
"HAHAHA!"
"Great!"
"A reward for him!"
"The Eldest Prince is mighty!"
"Magnificent, our Prince of Yan!"
Street storytelling, if not a bit risqué and exaggerated, how could it build such an atmosphere? Without this atmosphere, how could it earn rewards?
This street livelihood caters to the working masses. If it tried to be overly refined, it would lose its essence and seem out of place.
As long as everyone is happy, the audience is happy, and our patrons are happy, then all is well!
"HEHEHE."
Head Constable Yan chuckled softly as he listened.
Truth be told,
he was rather looking forward to the upcoming plot developnts, which he suspected would involve his elder brother and so scandalous tales from the Cheng State's imperial harem.
However, just then, a constable hurried over. "Big Boss, there's trouble at the governnt office."
"What's happened?"
"Soone's dead."
Upon hearing this, Head Constable Yan quickly thrust the remaining lon seeds into the hand of a man who, like him, was pressed against the doorfra, eavesdropping.
Then, he rushed towards the governnt office with this subordinate.
Soone had indeed died at the governnt office. When Head Constable Yan arrived at the main hall, he saw a man in black sitting on the ground, a roast chicken in his left hand and a wine jug in his right, eating and drinking with gusto.
The county magistrate was seated on the high platform, and the governnt servants and constables who had rushed over were gathered around the man in black, yet no one dared to approach him.
Oh, right, there was a corpse lying in the hall below. Head Constable Yan recognized the deceased: Hou San, who ran a gambling den and practiced usury on the backstreet.
At this mont, Hou San was well and truly dead.
"What happened?" Head Constable Yan asked a nearby constable.
"Boss, you're here! You won't believe what happened today. This man owed Hou San money and refused to pay. So, Hou San dragged him here to report to the magistrate. Our magistrate was just about to open the court session when this fellow suddenly pulled an iron ingot from his pocket and smashed Hou San to death with it, right here in the hall!
"Killing soone in court was one thing, but then the man sat down and started eating and drinking. He says he won't run or hide. After he finishes his al, he'll willingly be shackled and sent to the army as a prisoner soldier."
"Did he bring his own food and wine?"
"Nah, the people over there gave it to him. They're all his sworn brothers, quite a few of them."
Head Constable Yan looked over and noticed that among the crowd of onlookers gathered at the entrance of the county yan, a group of sturdy young n were kneeling.
"TSK. TSK."
Head Constable Yan pushed through the crowd, walked directly up to the man, squatted down, and asked, "Brother, is the wine enough?"
The man looked up at Head Constable Yan, smiled, and said, "Enough. If I get too drunk, I won't be able to walk. It's a long way from here to Cheng State, you know."
Head Constable Yan sat down cross-legged, pointed at the breathless Hou San, and asked, "An old grudge?"
"I had just returned from delivering so goods when I learned that the mother of one of my sworn brothers had been scamd by this Hou San. He tricked her into selling her house and land for a re hundred wen. When the old woman realized what had happened, she had nowhere to turn for justice and threw herself into a well, dying.
"That brother of mine died young. When we were just starting out, his mother often fed us. When I returned and heard about this, well, it had to be a life for a life. I killed Hou San to avenge my deceased brother and his mother. Afterwards, I can go to the front lines as a prisoner soldier and fight the wild people or those Gan dogs."
Hou San's reputation was terrible. He engaged in unscrupulous dealings and had ruined many families, causing countless deaths. However, his backer was the county registrar, so no one had dared to touch him.
Now that Hou San was dead, it could be considered "eliminating a scourge for the people."
Head Constable Yan recalled what his friend, Zheng, had once said: the street world, though not respectable, still fascinates many. That's because people from the street will sotis do things that those "well-dressed scoundrels" in high positions would never do.
Head Constable Yan had been in Nan'an County for so ti and knew of Hou San's misdeeds. He hadn't rushed to deal with him because he hadn't yet sorted out his own relationship with the county registrar.
Of course, the most significant reason was that no matter how vile Hou San was, he wouldn't dare try any tricks on Head Constable Yan. That was the fundantal reason for the lack of urgency.
"Brother, would you tell your na?"
"HEHE. I'll have to sign a confession and accept my punishnt later anyway. But since you ask, I'll tell you. I am Ran Min of Nan'an. People call Ran the Big Beard."
"But where's the beard?"
"Shaved it off beforehand. Saves the trouble of it getting infested with lice on the road to exile, since I wouldn't be able to groom it."
Saying this, Ran Min turned to the group of n kneeling outside the governnt office.
"Don't stand there with long faces! We're enlisting together. You're signing up as civilian conscripts and laborers; I'll start as a prisoner soldier. As long as there's a war to fight, it won't take long to rise again. When that ti cos, I'll still lead you to kill our enemies!"
Then, Ran Min turned back to the county magistrate on the high platform.
"My apologies, Your Honor, for disrespecting you by killing soone in your court. But Your Honor should co down and share a cup of wine with . This incident will surely spread and beco a celebrated tale. HA HA HA! I'm offering you this favorable wind, Your Honor. If you don't ride it, my good intentions will truly be wasted!"
The county magistrate remained seated, refusing to co down. His face twitched; he was visibly furious.
Seeing this, Head Constable Yan felt a sense of helplessness. No wonder this county magistrate was being undermined by his subordinate registrar and assistant magistrate; he had no backbone at all, even refusing such a freely offered chance to boost his reputation.
If that fellow Zheng were here, he would have rushed down, first toasted Ran Min three tis, then tearfully recited the sentencing docunt in a loud voice. Finally, covering his face, he would have embraced this man and wept dramatically. He wouldn't have stopped until he had thoroughly cented this benevolent image.
Ran Min shook his head, then looked at Head Constable Yan seated before him and sighed.
"It's a pity. Although His Majesty doesn't forbid minor functionaries from becoming officials, it's still too difficult for a brother like you, a constable, to climb the ranks. If you're not an official, having a good official reputation is useless. But how about a street na, brother? Do you want one?"
"I'll take it."
Head Constable Yan never refused anything offered.
Ran Min took the wine jug first, drank a large gulp, then handed the jug to Head Constable Yan and shouted, "Brother, bottoms up!"
Head Constable Yan wasn't put off by it and took a large swig directly from the jug's mouth.
Ran Min laughed heartily. Then, projecting his voice for all to hear, he asked Head Constable Yan, "May I ask your honorable na, brother?"
Head Constable Yan, feigning slight drunkenness, bood, "Yan Xiaoliu of Nan'an, at your service!"
"Good! Making another brother before I'm exiled is a joyous occasion. Wait for ! Wait until your big brother has accumulated military rit on the battlefield and made a na for himself. A Captain won't cut it. I need to be at least a Commander, or maybe snag a position as an Assistant General! HA HA HA HA! After the war, if I have a chance to return, you'll work with . A true man of our Great Yan, why be a re constable? Killing those enemy dogs on the battlefield—that's real exhilaration! Brother Xiaoliu, wait for . In the future, your big brother will protect you!"
To speak of fighting on the front lines and risking one's life for military rit as if it were as easy as taking sothing from a pocket—such words were undeniably arrogant. However, the street world, though seemingly insignificant, can often produce extraordinary individuals. What the future holds remained to be seen.
Head Constable Yan chuckled upon hearing this. "Funny you should say that. A brother of mine said the sa thing years ago, also before he joined the army."
"Haha, he was just bluffing! I'm different!"
Head Constable Yan looked up and let out a long sigh. "Truth be told," he murmured, "I really miss that brother of mine. It's been almost a year."
"Did he die in battle?"
"......" Yan Xiaoliu remained silent.
Seeing Yan Xiaoliu's silence, Ran Min's expression turned solemn. "He was a true man. If he died fighting for our Great Yan, he deserves respect. Co, Brother Yan, let this cup of wine be a toast to your departed brother!"
"HEHEHE." Yan Xiaoliu laughed until his stomach hurt, but he still nodded. He reached out, and together with Ran Min, they held the sa wine jug, tilted its mouth downwards, and poured the wine onto the ground.
"Brother, go well. May your journey be peaceful."
「...…」
"ACHOO!"
General Zheng, who had just been helped by Siniang to sit up in bed and was drinking chicken soup, let out a massive sneeze, nearly spilling the soup in his hands.
"Heh, soone must be thinking of ."
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