Wuya County possessed no restaurants, inns, or places of entertainment.
But the townspeople often found corners and alleyways where they could erect simple awnings, brew a few cups of tea, and invite eloquent storytellers to entertain them over plates of fried peanuts. It counted as one of the few pleasures during the farming off-season.
Today, more than a dozen people had gathered beneath one such shelter, all carrying little stools from home while cracking sunflower seeds and listening to Old Liu, the man who sold twisted sugar candies near the north gate, tell stories.
Smack!
Old Liu slapped a worn straw sandal onto the ground and spat out the tea stems from his mouth with a “ptui.” Shaking his head dramatically, he drew out his voice: “That Young Magistrate Zhao, they say, is none other than the reincarnation of the Shen constellation west of Heaven’s Gate! With seven openings in his heart, beauty surpassing Pan An, courage burning crimson within his chest, and sincerity pure as gold and jade. Today, by the Emperor’s command from the Ninth Heaven, he descended to rescue the people of our county from suffering and misery.”
This storyteller was himself an old licentiate who wrote cheap novels on the side while selling twisted sugar candies, and he possessed exceptional eloquence.
The townspeople listened in absolute fascination, even forgetting to crack their sunflower seeds.
The storyteller narrow his eyes mysteriously, he continued: “As for Young Lord Zhao’s origins, no one can guess or understand them. But judging by those apricot eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, with fire hidden in his gaze, I say he must surely be descended from the Heavenly King Li himself, the reincarnation of Third Prince Nezha!”
At this, someone immediately protested, slapping his stool and standing up. “Our lord possesses the strength of an ox! If you ask me, he must be the reincarnation of Erlang Shen!”
Another person shook his head leisurely. “All wrong. If you ask me, the most fitting would still be the Star of Literature himself, ”
The crowd instantly began passionately debating Young Lord Zhao’s divine origins.
People in this remote region were largely uneducated. Whenever something unexpectedly wonderful occurred, the shock and excitement led them to believe the gods and bodhisattvas had bestowed blessings upon them. Thus they instinctively elevated Zhao Baozhu into something divine.
It was, in its own way, a simple and sincere form of admiration.
Meanwhile, inside the yamen, Zhao Baozhu had no idea he had already become a god in the eyes of the people.
At that moment, he was busy losing his temper. “What utter nonsense!”
The magistrate’s striking block slammed sharply against the desk. Zhao Baozhu shot to his feet and glared furiously at the man kneeling below. “Go wash that sh*t-eating mouth of yours clean before coming back to speak to me!”
Below the hall, the defendant trembled violently. Frightened by the overwhelming fury raining down upon him, he shrank back, but still stubbornly insisted: “M-my lord! Wh-what this lowly one said is truly the truth…”
Both hands braced against the desk, Zhao Baozhu saw that the man still dared to argue back. His eyes practically blazed with fire.
“Bullsh*t!”
The sharp roar frightened the man so badly that he immediately hunched his neck and lowered his head, no longer daring to speak. Yet even then, his eyes still shifted restlessly beneath lowered lids.
The moment Zhao Baozhu saw him acting like a cowering quail, his anger surged straight to the top of his head.
He pointed at the man repeatedly from across the room, so furious he sputtered out three consecutive: “Y-you, you, !”
Then he lowered his head and fumbled around atop the desk. Grabbing hold of a brush stand, he hurled it with all his strength straight at the man, “You still dare court death?!”
Bang!
The brush stand struck the man squarely on the forehead.
“OW!”
He immediately curled up and clutched the split skin on his brow.
Yet Zhao Baozhu still wasn’t satisfied.
He strode rapidly down from the dais and delivered a savage kick straight to the man’s chest, sending him sprawling onto the ground.
Only then did the fellow finally understand how serious things were.
Clutching the wound on his forehead, blood streaming freely, he stared at Zhao Baozhu in terror.
“O-Old M-master, ”
Zhao Baozhu’s eyes flashed like lightning, his gaze sharp enough to pierce straight through the man’s skin. “You think your sneaky little tricks could fool me?”
“The law clearly states that neighboring courtyard walls may not exceed five finger-widths in thickness before construction! But you secretly built a wall ten fingers thick. From the outside it looked normal, but inside you hollowed it out completely!”
“You used it to forcibly seize your neighbor’s land!”
The man clutched his forehead.
He had thought he could conceal everything from heaven and earth alike, yet Zhao Baozhu had seen through every hidden detail with perfect clarity.
What he did not know was that Zhao Baozhu himself came from a farming family. Ever since childhood he had seen countless disputes in the village, people stealing a few feet of land here, encroaching upon half a courtyard wall there.
Even as a child, Zhao Baozhu had dared to smash bricks over other people’s heads.
Now that he was an official, how could scum who bullied widows and orphans possibly escape his hands?
His eyes still blazing, Zhao Baozhu pointed toward the plaintiffs, a thin, haggard mother and daughter.
“Now that the husband is dead, you’ve become even more outrageous!”
“You actually dared push the wall outward another two feet!”
At this point Zhao Baozhu became too angry to endure it any longer. He grabbed the man by the collar, hauled him upward, and delivered three resounding slaps across his face.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
“I’ll teach you what it means to run wild and tyrannize others!”
“I’ll teach you what it means to bully widows and orphans!”
“You conscience-less b*stard! Maybe today I should just peel that shameless skin right off your face!”
The slaps sent stars bursting across the man’s vision.
He spat out a mouthful of blood immediately and no longer cared about his forehead wound. He collapsed forward on the spot, repeatedly banging his head against the ground toward Zhao Baozhu.
“M-my lord! Young Lord Zhao! Please spare this lowly one! Spare this worthless life of mine!”
Blood streamed all over his face, tears pouring down as well.
Now he truly regretted everything.
If he had known the new magistrate was such a terrifying figure, he never would have dared commit such stupidity!
He might have gained a tiny advantage, but now he would end up dragged into the yamen and lose far more in the process.
Straightening up, he grabbed desperately at Zhao Baozhu’s pant leg while begging: “Please spare me, honored magistrate! I still have elderly parents above me who depend on me for support—”
But the instant Zhao Baozhu heard him making excuses, he became even angrier.
Whirling around, he glared with wide eyes and seized the man’s collar with both hands, actually lifting him bodily off the ground.
“When you committed evil, why didn’t you think about your parents then?!”
“Maybe I should simply finish you off right now and spare your mother from bearing further sinful karma!”
Facing Zhao Baozhu’s fury directly, the man finally lost the ability to speak altogether.
His face turned white as paper, trembling uncontrollably. “M-my lord–”
Zhao Baozhu snorted coldly, no longer willing to waste words on him. He tossed the man back onto the ground and barked sharply at the court runners standing nearby: “Beat him!!”
Only then did the waiting runners finally let out a breath of relief.
Some hurried to fetch benches, others rushed forward to restrain the prisoner.
Over the past several days, the townspeople who had come to work at the yamen had gradually signed contracts under Zhao Baozhu. Several strong young runners now stood within the hall, some even a full generation older than Zhao Baozhu himself.
Yet at this moment every single one of them remained silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to utter a word.
The more beautiful Young Lord Zhao looked, the more terrifying he became when enraged.
Other magistrates ordered runners to administer beatings.
Here, before the runners even touched anyone, Zhao Baozhu had already beaten the criminal half to death himself.
When he tried cases, torture was hardly necessary at all.
One roar from Young Lord Zhao and the criminals practically pissed themselves in fear.
After only a few days working in this yamen, the runners were already utterly convinced by him.
It wasn’t merely his temper.
More than anything, it was because Zhao Baozhu saw through every matter with penetrating clarity, judged cases with uncanny brilliance, and possessed unwavering integrity. Every thought in his heart was devoted entirely to the common people.
The runners all saw this clearly.
After returning home, many sighed to their wives that their county truly had obtained a good magistrate.
Now that punishment was about to begin, it would not do for children to witness it.
So Zhao Baozhu instructed Ah Long to take the mother and daughter into a side room to rest temporarily.
The widow looked at Zhao Baozhu as though gazing upon a living bodhisattva. She thanked him over and over again, even swearing that she would build a shrine to Young Lord Zhao in her home and burn incense daily in worship for the rest of her life.
Only after much persuasion did Ah Long finally manage to help the woman to her feet and escort them to the back room.
But when he returned, Zhao Baozhu had disappeared.
After searching everywhere, he finally found him lying on a couch inside one of the side chambers.
Zhao Baozhu lay face-down upon the couch, his little face somewhat pale, brows slightly furrowed.
Ah Long walked over worriedly.
“Master, what’s wrong?”
Hearing his voice, Zhao Baozhu gave a faint grunt. He couldn’t even be bothered to lift his eyelids, merely turning his face weakly to one side.
“I’m so angry my chest hurts.”
Ah Long’s brows knit even tighter.
Quickly helping Zhao Baozhu sit up against the couch, he gently patted his chest. “Old Master gets angry every single day. How could your chest not hurt?”
Ever since Zhao Baozhu’s shocking execution of Fan Yaosan, the entire county had seemingly found its backbone. Everyone flocked to the yamen seeking justice.
All the accumulated grievances of previous years exploded forth at once, and the sound of the magistrate’s striking block echoing through the hall never ceased.
Zhao Baozhu himself possessed an especially soft heart.
At first he could still sit calmly.
But the moment he encountered true injustice, within a few sentences he would start slamming tables and glaring furiously.
As he patted Zhao Baozhu’s back, Ah Long continued persuading him:
“Those criminals are all filthy scum. Why should Master waste anger on them? If someone needs beating, just let Tao Zhang and Tao Rui do it. Those two are bursting with brute strength and only worrying they’ll never get to use it.”
The farm boys indeed had powerful hands.
Zhao Baozhu hummed comfortably beneath the massage and coughed twice. “My throat hurts too.”
“Your throat hurts?”
Ah Long instantly became anxious.
“You must’ve caught a chill from getting soaked in the rain that day. And Master never watches what he eats either, plus you’re angry every single day. Now look, you’ve definitely fallen ill.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu looked somewhat guilty.
People from Yizhou loved spicy food. Previously Ah Long had not known how to cook spicy dishes, but Cuiniang did.
Ever since she arrived, Zhao Baozhu had eaten spicy meals every single day to his heart’s content.
Ah Long shot him a reproachful look.
“I’ll go ask Sister Cuiniang to make a bowl of white fungus soup.”
With that, he turned and left.
Yet after giving instructions in the kitchen, the moment he turned around, he discovered Zhao Baozhu had already returned to the main hall once again.
At this moment he was mediating a family dispute, painstakingly trying to persuade an old woman dressed in coarse cloth.
“Oh come now, what’s the big deal? A real man ought to roam the world! If he wants to join an escort caravan, just let him go!”
Ah Long stood by the doorway holding tea meant to soothe Zhao Baozhu’s throat and listened for a while.
Only then did he realize it was a conflict between mother and son.
The son wanted to leave and work for an escort agency, but his elderly mother refused to let him go. After arguing endlessly, they had actually brought the dispute all the way to the yamen.
The son was tall and broad, his face flushed bright red, fists clenched tightly at his sides, looking deeply unwilling.
The mother was a thin, withered woman, yet equally stubborn.
Mother and son stood on opposite sides of the room, neither willing even to glance at the other.
Zhao Baozhu hurried back and forth between them trying to mediate, sweat covering his forehead.
Seeing that neither side would soften, he grew so anxious he actually began bowing repeatedly to the old woman. “Auntie, how about this? I’ll be your son!”
He bent over again and again in deep bows. “I’ll be your son! I’ll take care of you!”
Seeing him behave this way, the old mother finally could no longer maintain her stern expression.
A smile slowly appeared upon her gaunt face.
Ah Long watched as Zhao Baozhu coaxed and pleaded and softened his voice, practically employing all eighteen martial arts just to reconcile the pair.
Only after tremendous effort did the mother and son finally make peace.
Watching Zhao Baozhu escort them all the way outside the yamen doors, a wave of warmth suddenly surged through Ah Long’s chest.
He had never studied books and could not speak elegant words. But he simply felt that Wuya County would never again obtain a better magistrate than Zhao Baozhu.
By dusk, Ah Long absolutely refused to allow anyone else inside.
Bang!
He shut the main gates firmly, and only then did Zhao Baozhu finally get to rest.
But after eating dinner and going to sleep, he woke the next morning burning with fever.
When Ah Long came to wake him and received no response, he pushed open the door and found Zhao Baozhu’s cheeks flushed scarlet from heat.
Reaching out to touch his forehead, he discovered it was hot enough to fry an egg!
Ah Long immediately panicked like a headless chicken, running around the yamen screaming that the old master was dying.
In the end, it was Cuiniang, who had come to prepare breakfast, who steadied him and went into town to fetch a doctor.
When Zhao Baozhu finally awoke, he saw a long-bearded physician standing beside him, pouring bitter medicine into his mouth.
Frowning, Zhao Baozhu weakly turned his head away, eyes full of confusion. “I… what happened to me?”
Seeing him awake, Ah Long immediately took the medicine bowl himself and frowned at Zhao Baozhu. “Master, you’re sick. You’ve got a fever.”
As he spoke, he scooped up a spoonful of medicine and held it toward Zhao Baozhu’s mouth. “Master, drink your medicine. Only after drinking it will you get better.”
So Zhao Baozhu obediently opened his mouth and swallowed.
The thick medicinal broth flowed into his mouth, astonishingly bitter, with bits of herbal residue still floating inside.
After the very first mouthful, Zhao Baozhu choked.
“So bitter!”
Ah Long coaxed him: “Good medicine tastes bitter, Old Master.”
Zhao Baozhu pressed his lips together, his entire face wrinkling from the bitterness.
This was the countryside method of preparing medicine: all the herbs thrown into a clay pot and boiled down thick and strong, without even a bit of licorice to soften the taste.
Though bitter enough to make people unable to swallow it, the medicine worked quickly.
Better short pain than long suffering.
Frowning deeply, Zhao Baozhu took the bowl himself, pinched his nose shut, and gulped the entire thing down in one breath.
Setting the empty bowl aside, he flopped backward onto the couch with a heavy thump.
The medicine had been brewed extraordinarily concentrated. Even lying there, Zhao Baozhu felt waves of bitterness bubbling endlessly up his throat.
His head hurt.
His throat hurt.
His cheeks burned red.
Leaning weakly against the bed, he frowned and whimpered softly.
Watching him, Ah Long’s heart softened painfully. He crouched beside the couch and whispered: “Old Master’s suffering.”
Dizzy and feverish, Zhao Baozhu only frowned tighter and gave two weak humming sounds in response.
Seeing how miserable he looked, Ah Long’s heart ached terribly.
Inside, he cursed heaven for being unfair.
Why was it that good people who exhausted themselves for others always ended up falling sick instead?
Just then, the doctor packed up his medicine box and was about to leave when Zhao Baozhu suddenly opened his eyes and said, “Wait. Since the doctor is already here, go take a look at the man in the rear room too.”
The person he meant was the unfamiliar handsome man they had carried back from Cuiniang’s house that day. No one knew what illness he had; he had remained unconscious the entire time.
The moment Ah Long heard this, most of the sympathy in his heart vanished. He glared at Zhao Baozhu and said, “Master! You’re already like this, and you’re still worrying about other people?”
Zhao Baozhu frowned. “Quit the nonsense and take the doctor over there.”
Ah Long could not argue with him, so he resentfully led the doctor toward the back courtyard. If he ever pitied Zhao Baozhu again, then he’d be a dog. What a miserable fate, working himself to death without a moment’s rest!
The doctor left, but the bitter scent of medicinal herbs lingered in the air.
Qingzhou had endless rain and year-round dampness. Even wrapped tightly in blankets, Zhao Baozhu still felt the cold, wet air seeping through the cracks into his bedding. Lying on the couch bed, he smelled the firewood smoke from the kitchen mixed with the bitter medicine and felt the bowl of medicine he had just drunk ache painfully in his stomach.
His fever was burning fiercely. Even his eyelids felt hot, his temples throbbed painfully again and again, and no matter how he lay down, he could not get comfortable.
Since he could not sleep anyway, Zhao Baozhu simply sat up and reached for the letter by his bedside. Ever since taking office, one matter after another had piled onto him. Cleaning up the mess that was Wuya County had left him with no chance to properly read Ye Jinghua’s letter.
Counting the days now, it had already been nearly three months since he left the capital. Ye Jinghua had surely entered the Hanlin Academy by now.
Half reclining on the couch, Zhao Baozhu read the letter sentence by sentence. It must have been written immediately after the palace examinations. The handwriting was slightly rushed, proof that Ye Jinghua’s heart had not been calm when he wrote it.
The very first line asked whether Zhao Baozhu had arrived safely at his post. After that came questions about how he was living, how he was eating, and whether anyone was attending to him.
I’m living well, eating well too, and people are serving me. Young master, don’t worry.
As he read, Zhao Baozhu answered silently in his heart. He thought that once he felt a little better, he absolutely had to find time to write a reply.
Just the part asking after his food and lodging filled two entire sheets of paper. Only upon reaching the third page did Ye Jinghua ask why he had left without saying goodbye, and why he had not taken more silver with him. He asked whether he still had enough money now.
Looking at those lines, Zhao Baozhu could practically picture Ye Jinghua standing before a desk with a furrowed brow. Young master was a good person. Though Zhao Baozhu had his reasons, leaving for such a distant place without a word had surely made him worry.
Reading the letter and breathing in the familiar scent of the Ye family’s ink, Zhao Baozhu felt unexpectedly at ease, as though he were not in damp and chilly Qingzhou at all, but back in the Ye residence where the heated floors burned day and night.
Even someone as strong-willed as Zhao Baozhu became especially fragile when sick.
Thinking of the Ye residence, his eyes suddenly reddened and his nose stung. His long curled lashes trembled once, and bean-sized tears rolled down.
If he had fallen ill back at the Ye residence, young master would definitely have coaxed him gently into taking medicine. And after drinking bitter medicine, there would always be candied fruit to eat.
Not thinking about it would have been fine, but once he thought of Ye Jinghua, things became even worse. Tears poured uncontrollably from Zhao Baozhu’s eyes like spring water.
A drop landed on the letter paper at once, smearing the ink. Zhao Baozhu hurriedly set the letter aside, rolled over, buried his face in the bedding, and secretly cried.
As he cried, he thought of the people in the Ye residence, then of his father, and finally circled back to Ye Jinghua again.
When he left the capital, his heart had been full of lofty ambitions. Though it had been regrettable that he failed to see Ye Jinghua one last time, he had not truly felt much pain then.
Only now, after falling sick, did the ache arrive belatedly.
All that reluctance and attachment seemed like tiny vines growing out from the cracks in his bones, winding around the tip of his heart until it hurt so badly that he could not stop crying.
In the end, he still could not bear to part with Ye Jinghua.
Not because of the Ye family’s wealth or power, but simply because of the man himself. Ye Jinghua had shown him kindness as deep as a mountain and cherished him like a real younger brother. Now Zhao Baozhu had been appointed as an official, yet who knew in what year or month they would meet again?
Burying his head in the bedding, Zhao Baozhu bit his lip and cursed himself for being pathetic. It was only a minor illness, yet he had become so weak and sentimental, and at the same time, he simply could not stop crying.
Right then, a clear male voice sounded behind him. “What are you crying for?”
Zhao Baozhu’s sobbing halted abruptly. He whipped around and saw a tall, slender man leaning against the doorway. His complexion was somewhat pale, and his phoenix eyes carried a smiling gleam as they rested on Zhao Baozhu.
Seeing him turn around, the man let out a soft “oh,” the curve of his eyes deepening. “Look at you, poor thing.”
Zhao Baozhu shot upright on the bed. “You’re awake?!”
The man standing at the door was precisely that unconscious handsome stranger.
Seeing Zhao Baozhu awake, he smiled faintly, tugged at the outer robe draped over his shoulders, and staggered slowly inside. Pulling over a chair, he sat beside Zhao Baozhu’s bed with complete familiarity.
“I must’ve slept quite a while,” the handsome man said. His face had a bluish pallor, and there was a wound on his forehead, but none of it diminished his stunning appearance. Smiling with narrowed eyes, he looked exactly like a jade-faced fox spirit. “What family does the little one belong to? Was it your family that picked me up?”
At this point Zhao Baozhu had completely forgotten about crying. The man had been unconscious for so many days that he had thought he was done for. Who would have expected him to wake up today?
At that moment, a furious shout came from outside the door. “Who are you?!”
Ah Long stood at the doorway holding medicine. The instant he saw a strange man inside, he dropped the bowl and lunged over. “Stay away from our old master!”
Like a charging bull, he rushed forward ready to hit someone. Yet the handsome man merely turned around, caught him in one hand, and effortlessly flipped him around.
Ah Long stared up in disbelief after being subdued so easily.
Zhao Baozhu frowned. “Ah Long! No hitting people randomly.”
Holding up the arm the man still had in his grip, Ah Long sounded even more aggrieved.
“Old Master—” Who exactly was hitting whom here?!
The handsome man’s gaze shifted fluidly between the two of them before he released Ah Long’s hand.
“Old Master?” He narrowed his eyes slightly at Zhao Baozhu. “What sort of old master are you?”
Ah Long was rubbing his sore arm when he suddenly lifted his head and snapped, “Our old master is the magistrate of Wuya County, the people’s parent official, a living blue-sky magistrate! And who are you? So rude—”
This unlucky brat!
Zhao Baozhu’s face burned even hotter from embarrassment. He glared at Ah Long and said, “Stop talking!”
Ah Long shut his mouth resentfully.
But upon hearing those words, the handsome man’s expression grew more restrained, and a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes as he looked at Zhao Baozhu. After examining him up and down twice, he rose and cupped his hands politely.
“So you are the county magistrate old master.” His gaze paused briefly on Zhao Baozhu’s flushed face, still marked with tear tracks, and a hint of hesitation entered his voice. “I never expected the magistrate to be so young and accomplished. I have been disrespectful.”
The moment Zhao Baozhu remembered how the man had seen him secretly crying in the bedding, his face burned with shame. Clearing his throat, he said:
“There’s no need for such courtesy.” Seeing how poor the man’s complexion looked, Zhao Baozhu guessed his illness had not fully recovered yet and hurriedly added, “Please sit.”
The handsome man glanced at him, then sat down on the stool while holding the robe draped over his shoulders.
Zhao Baozhu instructed Ah Long again, “Ah Long, go pour tea. And check whether the doctor has gone far yet. If he hasn’t, ask him to come back.”
Seeing Zhao Baozhu still worrying about others while sick himself, Ah Long unwillingly curled his lips. “Old Master worries too much. You still haven’t drunk your medicine yet.”
Zhao Baozhu glared at him. “Quit the nonsense and go already!”
Only then did Ah Long leave reluctantly.
The room was left with only Zhao Baozhu and the man.
Zhao Baozhu glanced at him and saw the man looking around the room, seemingly studying what the county office looked like. Zhao Baozhu quickly lowered his head and used his sleeve to wipe his face and eyes clean before raising his head again once he felt he would not embarrass himself.
“Ahem.” Zhao Baozhu coughed lightly. “It wasn’t this official who picked you up. One of the county villagers happened to rescue you from the back mountain. If you wish to thank someone, another day I can take you to visit them personally.”
The man turned back and smiled faintly. “That would be excellent. Thank you for your trouble, My Lord.”
Seeing how terrible the man’s complexion truly was, Zhao Baozhu asked, “You were unconscious for many days. What illness do you have? What medicine do you normally take? When the doctor returns, I’ll have him prescribe some.”
Zhao Baozhu had assumed the man suffered from some serious illness.
Unexpectedly, the man only curled his lips slightly and raised his brows. “It’s not an illness. I came from Zixian County. On the way, I chased a rabbit into the woods and ended up encountering a black bear. I fought with it, slipped, and hit my head, which is why I slept for so long.”
He spoke as lightly as though it were nothing at all.
Zhao Baozhu stared at him dumbfounded, so shocked he could not speak for a long while. Several breaths later, he finally said: “Y-you encountered a black bear?”
The man nodded. “That’s right.”
Then, as though remembering something, he reached into his robes and somehow pulled out a bundle wrapped in cloth. “Speaking of which, since Old Master is ill, have your people stew this. It’ll help nourish your body.”
The moment Zhao Baozhu saw what he had taken out, his eyes nearly fell from their sockets,
It was unmistakably a severed bear paw!!
“Th-this—”
It took Zhao Baozhu a long time to find his voice. His eyes shone brightly as he exclaimed: “Brother, you are truly a hero!”
Encountering a black bear alone in the wilderness was a near-certain death sentence for anyone. A single paw from a bear was as large as a person’s head; one slap could smash a human skull like a dropped watermelon.
The handsome man smiled at those words, set the bear paw aside, and rubbed the back of his head.
“It’s not that impressive. The situation was genuinely dangerous. If not for some kindhearted people helping me, sooner or later I would have been eaten by the wild beasts in the mountains.”
Zhao Baozhu’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the man with entirely newfound admiration. “There’s no need for modesty, brother. In ancient times there was Wu Song slaying the tiger; today there is you fighting a bear single-handedly. That is truly extraordinary.”
Anyone would feel delighted being looked at with such admiration by a handsome young man like Zhao Baozhu. The man smiled, a flicker passing through his phoenix eyes as he asked: “I have yet to ask how old the Lord is?”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu realize that he had not even asked the man’s name. The two of them had chatted aimlessly for quite some time without knowing each other’s names at all.
He truly was muddleheaded from illness.
Zhao Baozhu rubbed at his throbbing temple and said to the man, “My illness has muddled my brain. My humble name is Zhao Baozhu, magistrate of Wuya County.”
At this, the man lifted his brows slightly. “If My Lord does not mind, may I ask which characters make up ‘Baozhu’?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Zhao Baozhu replied. “Bao as in gold, silver, and treasures, and zhu as in pearls and jewels.”
“Baozhu.” The man lowered his lashes and softly repeated the name. Then he looked up at Zhao Baozhu. “My Lord describes it with vulgar worldly objects, but in truth it is an excellent name.”
He said quietly, “Your parents must have treasured you dearly.”
Zhao Baozhu smiled sheepishly at those words and modestly replied, “My father never studied. He just picked it casually.”
The man smiled as well. This county magistrate was not only good-looking, but also exceptionally easygoing. He felt the two of them got along very naturally.
“This humble one’s surname is Liu,” he said. “My Lord may call me Shanyi.”
The moment those two characters were spoken, Zhao Baozhu froze.
Shanyi? He seemed to have heard that name somewhere before.
