Chapter 9: Break a Leg First

"Money?"

The steward sent by Marquis Wanshun was stunned when Si Nan asked for money right off the bat.

What the hell?

He’d never heard you had to pay for this before.

"So, are you paying or not? If not, I’m leaving."

Si Nan had no intention of wasting time on this matter. He’d already delivered his lord’s message; whether they listened or not was their business.

As he spoke, Si Nan turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Seeing this, the steward’s expression was ugly, but he still called out to stop Si Nan.

The marquis had clearly instructed—he had to bring the young master back, or who knew if he’d live to see tomorrow.

"Will a hundred taels be enough!"

"Let me go back and ask." So they’re really giving money, huh.

Si Nan hadn’t expected to actually get cash out of this, didn’t think they’d succeed at all.

Sure enough, tagging along after his lord, there was plenty to learn.

Ye Liuyun hadn’t specified an exact amount, so Si Nan planned to go back and check. After saying this, he didn’t give the steward a chance to speak and just left.

Leaving the steward alone, standing there with an ugly look on his face.

"Damn it!"

This was supposed to be easy, yet somehow it ended up like this. Is Ye Liufeng really out of his mind?

When Marquis Wanshun sent him over, he didn’t hand out any cash. The money now was all from the steward’s own pocket, and he seriously doubted the marquis would reimburse him later.

If he hadn’t made plenty of dirty money these past years as the marquis’ steward, he really wouldn’t have had enough on hand now.

"When I get back, I have to tell the marquis about all of this."

No wonder they say King Yama is easier to deal with than the little devils.

Don’t underestimate these seemingly insignificant people. When they start tattling and making trouble, they can really make you sick.

...

"A hundred taels?"

"Marquis Wanshun’s people are this stingy?"

Something’s not right. Ye Liuyun felt like he’d gotten cocky—he didn’t even consider a hundred taels real money anymore.

Not long ago, he couldn’t even scrape together a single tael of silver.

Si Nan lowered his head and kept quiet, pretending not to hear. Some things Ye Liuyun dared to say, but Si Nan could never echo them.

He felt more and more that his lord had really changed—a lot. At the very least, he’d never heard him talk like this before.

Ye Liuyun was silent for a moment, then said,

"Break one of his legs. If Marquis Wanshun asks, just say it was because the steward hesitated too long and wasted time."

People like that, who treat human lives like grass, Ye Liuyun had nothing but contempt for them.

But the truth is, if he didn’t do it, someone else would. Better he handle it — at least he could just break a leg, let them rest up in their mansion, and stop them from going out and terrorizing women anymore.

"Uh! Whose leg do I break?"

Si Nan still looked a bit in shock.

"Of course, the marquis’ son. What, you thought I meant you?"

He could even ask that? Ye Liuyun shot him a glare. Does your ’reading the room’ skill only work in theory or what?

Si Nan wasn’t clueless—he was just too scared to guess that possibility before.

"Un-understood!"

...

Ye Liuyun didn’t know exactly how Si Nan relayed the order, but in the end, the steward did leave with the young lord—leg broken—and dropped off the hundred taels on his way out.

But as he left, he was still hollering about going to report to Marquis Wanshun, and vowed he’d never let the Embroidered Uniform Guard off the hook.

The shouting was loud enough for half the city to hear, but actually—

—no one cared much, except for a few who didn’t know the marquis’ standing and asked around. Once they learned the details, they dropped it from their minds.

It’s just some idle marquis with no real power—he couldn’t lay a finger on the Embroidered Uniform Guard even if he wanted to.

A hundred taels, in hand.

Ye Liuyun drew out ten taels and handed them to Si Nan.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Si Nan gratefully accepted them.

Even though his lord was getting a little scary, at least he was way more generous now than he ever was before.

In the old days, if Si Nan got even a single tael out of this, that’d be considered lucky.

"Keep up the good work. I told you, what’s yours will never be short-changed."

You want the horse to run but won’t feed it? Where’s that kind of good deal in this world?

Ye Liuyun never believed in "Kingly Aura" making everyone flock to his side, risk life and limb out of loyalty. People work for you because you can bring them some benefit—

If not, who’d love you for nothing?

"I swear absolute loyalty to my lord!"

Si Nan said it with all seriousness. Ye Liuyun nodded, satisfied, and waved his hand for Si Nan to leave.

Ye Liuyun didn’t care about Marquis Wanshun one bit. He didn’t care if the guy showed up or not. And if he did, Ye Liuyun wasn’t afraid in the slightest.

He just didn’t expect—

The day was getting late, and Ye Liuyun was planning to head back.

When, suddenly, Shi Sheng showed up.

"Ye Liufeng!"

As expected, Shi Sheng was full of temper, kicked open the door, and shouted angrily.

Ye Liuyun had just closed the files. He looked at the half-broken door and met Shi Sheng’s furious glare with a calm gaze.

That look made Shi Sheng—who’d been ready to interrogate—go uncharacteristically mute for a moment.

It wasn’t an illusion. The guy in front of him was really different from before.

"My lord!"

Si Nan was the first to rush in, hurriedly placing himself in front of Ye Liuyun, afraid Shi Sheng might do something rash.

Ye Liuyun didn’t explain. He just raised a hand and patted Si Nan on the shoulder.

"Don’t worry. Go outside and send everyone away."

That racket had already drawn a crowd.

"But..."

Si Nan was worried that if he left, Shi Sheng might start a fight and his lord wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Ye Liuyun didn’t bother to explain, just waved him away.

Si Nan hesitated, but chose to trust Ye Liuyun, and stepped out to disperse the onlookers.

"All right!"

Once everyone was gone, Ye Liuyun sat back down.

"You’d better explain yourself, or tonight I’ll come kick down your front door too."

"..."

Are you a child?

Shi Sheng was speechless, but went on anyway.

"Why did you let him go? Just because he’s the marquis’ son? The law is the same for nobles and commoners alike! Marquis Wanshun’s son snatched women off the street, am I seriously not supposed to arrest him?"

"When did I say you couldn’t arrest him? Did I stop you?"

"You..."

Shi Sheng was struck dumb.

Honestly, this time Ye Liuyun really hadn’t tried to stop him.

Ye Liuyun could tell Shi Sheng had an innocent heart—at least, it took courage for an average guy to talk about the law applying to prince and pauper alike.

Everyone had heard the saying, but no one ever took it seriously.

After all, who had the guts to actually arrest the emperor?

...