The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 55 Lord Lu

"Stalking?"

Shen Lang chuckled, "I think you're just taking this opportunity to slack off, aren't you?"

Liu Baichuan leaned back, pointing his index fingers at Shen Lang with one in front of the other: "Brother Shen, you see through me but don't say it!"

Shen Lang couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Judging from Brother Liu's appearance, it seems you're quite content and don't want to leave."

Liu Baichuan sighed, "I've heard people say that Princess Jing'an has a strange personality, is very cunning and mean, and is extremely difficult to get along with."

"Only after seeing the real person do I realize how harmful rumors can be!"

"I merely noticed that the guards impersonating the Imperial Guards were behaving improperly, and casually offered a few words of advice. For the Princess's response is truly overwhelming!"

Shen Lang laughed and said, "You learned about this but didn't report it. Instead, you helped cover it up. Given the princess's personality, she certainly won't treat you unfairly."

Liu Baichuan stroked his mustache: "What's there to report? Yujing City is in such chaos right now, and the Jing'an Prince's Mansion is left unattended. They have to find their own way, right? A fake Imperial Guard? That won't fool anyone!"

Shen Lang turned and looked around, then asked, "Where are your colleagues who came with you?"

Liu Baichuan said, "I accompanied the Princess and the County Princess to distribute porridge in the East City. Judging by the time, they should be back soon."

Shen Lang laughed and said, "You guys really put your hearts into it."

Liu Baichuan said, "The Princess Consort treats us to the best food and drinks every day, and we can't just accept it without giving anything in return!"

He pulled Shen Lang aside and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Shen, it seems that Commander Zhou is serious this time."

Shen Lang raised an eyebrow and asked, "So many days have passed, and his anger hasn't subsided yet?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Baichuan seemed to have thought of something amusing and suddenly burst into laughter.

"His anger didn't subside; in fact, it grew even stronger!"

"You have no idea... he's become like this."

As he spoke, Liu Baichuan winked and grinned, making an extremely strange expression.

"What does this mean?" Shen Lang was completely confused.

"Zhou Baihu has caught frenulum; his mouth and eyes are crooked!"

"Because of this, he was severely reprimanded by Commander Wen Kai yesterday!"

Liu Baichuan was overjoyed, his shoulders shrugging.

"Commander Zhou is an eighth-rank military officer. How could he have suffered a stroke out of the blue?"

"It's all because of you. I've been like this ever since that night. They say my true energy was disordered during practice, which damaged the meridians in my face."

Liu Baichuan laughed until tears streamed down his face, wiping his eyes:

"It's not that I disrespect my superior, but you didn't see how Commander Zhou looks right now."

"His eyes are slanted, his mouth is crooked, and the corners of his mouth keep twitching upwards; it's really unbearable!"

"Wen Kai, the commander, was unaware of the situation and flew into a rage on the spot, rebuking him for his sneer and disrespect towards his superior..."

"Oh my god, I can't take it anymore, I'm about to die laughing!"

Shen Lang said with a gentle smile, "Commander Zhou's mentality still needs to be tempered."

"At present, it seems that there is still a considerable gap compared with the county magistrate of our Lin'an County."

Liu Baichuan said, "Commander Zhou cares most about his reputation; he probably wants to eat you alive."

"This matter has become a knot in his heart. Every day when he comes to the yamen, the first thing he does is ask you."

Shen Lang asked curiously, "Why is Commander Zhou so concerned about me?"

Liu Baichuan said, "He ordered us to keep an eye on you, to record your every move in the Prince's residence, and then use that to charge you with dereliction of duty!"

"Don't worry, everyone who took on this job is one of our own."

"We've kept it a secret for you perfectly, but this can't go on forever."

"You can't possibly never go back to the government office again, can you?"

After a moment's thought, Shen Lang suddenly realized this was a good opportunity to test the Embroidered Uniform Guard's stance, so he said:

"There's no need for that. Since Commander Zhou is so eager to know, Brother Liu, just tell me directly."

"Please trouble Brother Liu to tell Commander Zhou that I have visited the outer city brick kiln and the Zhengxi Ward these past few days..."

Liu Baichuan paused for a moment, then stroked his beard and pondered:

"If Commander Zhou finds out that you, Brother Shen, are investigating the flower thief's case on your own, he'll probably be more than just angry!"

Shen Lang smiled and said, "It's alright, I have my own considerations."

Liu Baichuan was stunned for a moment, his expression turning somewhat surprised.

Shen Lang, however, didn't offer much explanation, but instead asked:

"Brother Liu, you joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard a year earlier than me. You have a wide circle of friends and are well-informed. In your eyes, what kind of person is Lord Lu?"

Liu Baichuan scratched his beard: "How should I put it..."

"Lord Lu never showed his emotions, and no one could understand his thoughts."

"Lord Lu only obeys the emperor's orders and does not give face to anyone. He is ruthless and vicious. Even if he is a recognized good official who has been framed by the Yan faction, he will not let him go."

"But when facing the weak, he shows a strange kind of care."

"During the locust plague a few years ago, he defied the ban and forcibly opened the city to accept tens of thousands of refugees. He also ordered the Imperial Guards to come to the city with knives and persuade the wealthy merchants and nobles to donate money and grain."

"For this, he was severely punished by His Majesty and offended many people."

A strange light flashed in Shen Lang's eyes, and he nodded slightly, as if deep in thought.

Liu Baichuan thought for a moment and then added, "If it's because of investigating a case privately, you don't need to worry."

"Lord Lu is busy with official duties. As long as there is no major trouble, this news will not reach him."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Liu."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Shen Lang said goodbye to Liu Baichuan and headed to the back garden.

......

"You've gotten even rounder since I last saw you."

"It seems you're having a pretty good time at the Prince's residence?"

When Shen Lang found the Golden Clan Ancestor, it was lying sprawled on the grass, sunbathing.

Upon hearing Shen Lang's voice, it jumped up instantly as if in response, arching its back and looking at Shen Lang warily with its amber eyes.

"What business do you have with me?"

Shen Lang lifted it by the neck, then examined it carefully, exclaiming in amazement:

"You're fully recovered so quickly? How do you have such a strong recovery ability?"

The chubby orange cat proudly raised its head: "I am a spirit cat with nine lives. How could a mere minor injury possibly trouble me?"

A glint of blood flashed in Shen Lang's eyes, and he asked without warning, "Have you ever eaten a person?"

The orange cat paused for a moment, then immediately raised its head and said, "Of course I've eaten it!"

"Back when I lived in the mountains, I couldn't go without a single meal!"

Shen Lang nodded almost imperceptibly.

You lied.

He put the orange cat down, his expression softening slightly.

He was originally unwilling to waste his energy on such matters, since adjudicating cases was not within his job scope.

Judging from the orange cat's appearance, it is clear that it is very much loved by everyone in the mansion, and now it even lives in a private courtyard.

If this is the result of its intentional deception, it may cause further trouble in the future.

Now it seems that he is just a stupid demon who has not done anything evil, so there is no need to pay too much attention to him.

Meanwhile, the orange cat's answer confirmed his earlier guess.

This monster is indeed not very intelligent, comparable to an adult goldfish.

After all, anyone with even a little bit of intelligence wouldn't tell him a lie that could get them killed.

"Tell me everything that happened after that woman brought you here, from the beginning, in detail, without omitting any details."