After staring blankly for two or three breaths, Zhao Baozhu finally remembered where he had heard the name.
Shanyi… wasn’t that Cao Lian’s…
His heart skipped violently. His first reaction was that he must have mistaken the person. The man before him was graceful and dashing, someone who could even fight a wild beast alone. How could he possibly be that sort of…
Yet “Shanyi” was not a common name. After hesitating for a moment and studying the man carefully, Zhao Baozhu still asked: “May I ask… Brother Liu, do you know Cao Lian, the son of Minister Cao from the Ministry of Personnel in the capital?”
The moment the words left Zhao Baozhu’s mouth, the man’s expression froze for an instant. After a pause, even his gaze changed. “You know Cao Lian?”
He had forgotten even the respectful form of address, showing just how shocked he was.
Zhao Baozhu’s heart immediately sank, and his own expression shifted as well.
The man noticed his reaction too. His brows lowered, and the smile in his expression vanished like flowing water disappearing downstream.
Nothing needed to be said.
This handsome man truly was that Shanyi from the Cao residence in the capital.
Awkwardly, Zhao Baozhu said, “I… I met Lord Cao a few times when I went to the capital for the examinations.”
Hearing this, Shanyi’s expression changed several times. Though Zhao Baozhu had spoken vaguely, Shanyi clearly assumed he was one of those scholars who flattered the powerful and chased after influence, and that was how he knew Cao Lian. His face immediately became several degrees colder.
Yet Zhao Baozhu was also his benefactor, and just moments ago the two of them had been talking happily.
Shanyi lowered his head in silence, while Zhao Baozhu had no idea what to say either.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Fortunately, Ah Long’s booming voice rang out just then: “Old Master! I brought the doctor back!”
Zhao Baozhu looked up and quietly let out a breath of relief. “Brother Liu should let the doctor examine you,” he said. “Hitting your head is no small matter.”
Shanyi glanced at him, awkwardness still lingering in his expression, then nodded slightly and rose to leave.
Only after watching his figure disappear through the doorway did Zhao Baozhu finally exhale deeply. Pressing a hand to his forehead, he felt his headache worsen.
Heaven truly loved playing tricks on people, letting him meet Shanyi here of all places. But shouldn’t he have been… shouldn’t he have remained at the Cao residence in the capital?
Zhao Baozhu still could not reconcile the image of that tall, elegant, extraordinary man with… with someone like that.
Raised in a small mountain village, Zhao Baozhu knew very little about relationships between men. What little understanding he had came mostly from storybooks. The more respectable versions spoke of “cut sleeves” and “sharing peaches”; the worse ones were romanticized tales of powerful nobles keeping actors and pretty favorites.
His impression of such men had always been deeply stereotyped. He imagined delicate men with painted faces and powdered cheeks like opera performers, completely unlike Shanyi.
Thoroughly confused, Zhao Baozhu sat on the bed thinking to himself for who knew how long before the door suddenly opened.
Shanyi walked in with his head lowered, carrying a bowl of medicine in his right hand. Looking up at Zhao Baozhu still dazed on the couch, he lifted the bowl slightly. “Cuiniang finished brewing the fresh medicine.”
Then he walked over and sat beside the bed. Lowering his head, he stirred the medicine before naturally scooping up a spoonful and bringing it to Zhao Baozhu’s lips. “Drink.”
Zhao Baozhu was horrified and immediately pushed back. “N-no need, I can drink it myself, ”
At those words, Shanyi’s hand paused. He looked up at him. “What? You dislike me?”
Zhao Baozhu choked instantly, his cheeks flushing bright red. He absolutely did not mean that!
To prove his innocence, Zhao Baozhu hurriedly opened his mouth and swallowed the spoonful of medicine.
Only then did Shanyi’s expression improve.
What he hated most was being looked down upon because of his identity. After calming down, he realized that his earlier attitude toward Zhao Baozhu had been disrespectful.
Lowering his head, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. After a moment of silence, he scooped up another spoonful and held it to Zhao Baozhu’s lips again.
“My Lord is my lifesaving benefactor. This little bit of serving is nothing.”
As he spoke, he fed Zhao Baozhu another spoonful of medicine.
Zhao Baozhu swallowed it with a face full of bitterness. Better a short pain than a long one, this was worse than simply drinking the entire bowl at once.
Unexpectedly, after feeding him three spoonfuls, Shanyi produced a candied fruit as though by magic and stuffed it into Zhao Baozhu’s mouth.
Caught completely off guard, Zhao Baozhu held it between his lips and immediately widened his catlike eyes at the sweet taste spreading across his tongue.
Shanyi smiled at him. “I took them from the kitchen. Green plums preserved in honey.”
Lowering his gaze, he stirred the medicine again. “With such good things already sitting in the kitchen, the servants still didn’t know to give some to My Lord.”
He was clearly someone accustomed to serving others. The medicine was at exactly the right temperature, not cold and bitter, nor too hot to drink.
For every three spoonfuls of medicine he fed Zhao Baozhu, he gave him another sweet.
After several preserved plums and the entire bowl of medicine were finished, Zhao Baozhu no longer felt as though his stomach had curled into a bitter knot like before.
Leaning against the couch, he closed his eyes and nearly hummed in comfort.
Shanyi set the empty bowl aside and turned back, curling his lips slightly in an awkward smile.
From that smile, Zhao Baozhu sensed a trace of goodwill.
He relaxed considerably as well.
Whatever relationship existed between Shanyi and Cao Lian was ultimately none of his business.
After a pause, he still voiced the question in his heart: “Brother Liu… if you’re not in the capital, why are you here?”
At this, Shanyi’s expression faltered. A shadow passed over his brows and eyes. After a long silence, he finally said: “It’s a long story… I was originally from Qingzhou.”
He looked up and smiled faintly at Zhao Baozhu. “I was born in Zixian County. I had no parents, and when I was young, a fortune-teller from the village raised me. Later, during a temple fair, I got separated from him and was carried off by traffickers. After being sold several times, I eventually ended up at the Cao residence.”
His tone was light, but in only a few sentences he outlined a life filled with hardship and suffering.
Zhao Baozhu was deeply shaken, his gaze softening with emotion. “So that’s how it was.”
Then he clenched his teeth. “Human traffickers truly deserve death!”
Kidnapping people’s children and selling them off for profit, such sins would never be cleansed even after eighteen levels of h*ll!
Zhao Baozhu silently marked the matter in his heart. He could not control other prefectures, but if such criminals ever appeared in his own county, he would seize them and execute them immediately.
Shanyi had no idea that the tightly frowning young magistrate before him was mentally planning decapitations. Seeing Zhao Baozhu look so righteously indignant amused him greatly, and he laughed softly. “They’re all matters of the past. My Lord needn’t dwell on them.”
He clasped his hands together, resting his elbows on his knees, and lowered his head slightly. The expression on his face shifted.
“I stayed at the Cao residence for more than ten years. You could say I’ve known that Cao fellow for a very long time.”
“That Cao fellow” naturally referred to Cao Lian.
Zhao Baozhu immediately fell silent and listened.
The handsome man’s expression grew complicated. His brows pressed low, shadows clouding his eyes. “In the past, I was immature. Being tangled up with him, all we did was indulge in pleasure. I never thought about the future.”
“But later, after his wife entered the household, I said I wanted to leave, yet he refused.”
“The things from before can be forgotten… but what he never should have done was try to keep me trapped in that residence!”
Shanyi bit down hard, anger flashing across his face. “I’m a grown man. If I can’t rely on myself to make a living, what face do I have left to continue living? And if I were forced to waste my entire life trapped in some tiny courtyard, I’d rather smash my head against a pillar and die cleanly!”
Every word landed with force.
As Zhao Baozhu listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. By now, seven or eight parts of the prejudice in his heart had already been overturned. He looked at Shanyi with admiration.
“A true man should indeed be like this,” Zhao Baozhu said approvingly. Then he asked, “So has Lord Cao finally come to his senses now?”
He had assumed Cao Lian had realized his own shame, understood Shanyi’s suffering, and finally agreed to let him leave.
Unexpectedly, Shanyi gave a cold laugh. “Him? He’s been a muddleheaded fool since childhood. If I waited for him to wake up to reality, I’d have turned into a pile of dry bones long ago.”
“I punched him once and ran away myself.”
Zhao Baozhu’s eyes widened in shock. His lips opened and closed, but no words came out.
Though he thought Cao Lian absolutely deserved it in this matter, after hearing that Shanyi could fight a black bear alone, Zhao Baozhu now rather wanted to ask whether Cao Lian was still alive.
Shanyi seemed to read his thoughts and smiled. “My Lord needn’t worry. I know my limits. He won’t die.”
Only then did Zhao Baozhu relax.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “In this matter, he truly brought it upon himself. But after what you’ve done, Lord Cao likely won’t let things rest. If he learns your hometown, he’ll definitely send people after you. Brother Shanyi, it’s best you don’t return to Zixian County anytime soon.”
Shanyi’s face showed surprise. “My Lord truly sees matters clearly. It’s exactly as you say. Earlier, I hid in the mountains precisely because the Cao family sent people after me. Unfortunately, that’s when I encountered the black bear.”
“So that’s what happened.” Zhao Baozhu frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then looked at Shanyi solemnly.
“This situation is not good. Brother Liu, please stay here for now. Lie low until the matter cools down, then find another opportunity to return home.”
“As for elsewhere, I dare not promise anything. But if people from the Cao family come chasing after you into my county, I will definitely think of a way to deal with them.”
Shanyi froze. He truly had not expected Zhao Baozhu to say something like this. After a moment of silence, he stood up, clasped his fists toward Zhao Baozhu, and bowed deeply. “Shanyi thanks My Lord for saving my life.”
Light flickered in his eyes as he said sincerely: “You and I are neither kin nor old friends, yet My Lord is willing to think this much for a mere rustic nobody like me… I truly, truly do not know how to repay such kindness.”
Zhao Baozhu hurriedly tried to get out of bed to help him up, but Shanyi stopped him at once.
“My Lord is still ill. Please don’t.”
Zhao Baozhu stopped struggling with him and instead comforted him, saying, “Though we didn’t know each other before, we can still be considered somewhat fated acquaintances. There’s no need for such courtesy.”
At this, Shanyi grew curious. “Speaking of which, how did My Lord hear about me?”
He truly was puzzled. First, Zhao Baozhu’s manner and conduct were upright and openhearted, nothing like the sycophantic sort who chased after the powerful. Second, although the matter between him and Cao Lian was not exactly a secret among the nobles of the capital, very few ordinary officials or commoners knew of it. The only people close to Cao Lian were a handful from a few families, and Shanyi was certain he had never seen someone like Zhao Baozhu before.
Since the subject had come up, Zhao Baozhu did not hide it. “When I went to the capital for the examinations, I received care from the Ye residence’s second young master and stayed there for some time. During that period, I happened to meet Lord Cao once or twice. As for those old matters, I heard about them from the people in the residence.”
Even while saying it, Zhao Baozhu felt slightly embarrassed. Though he had heard the story from Deng Yun, gossiping about other people’s private affairs behind their backs always felt improper.
Yet the moment Shanyi heard this, he froze.
After a long pause, he suddenly shot to his feet with a “teng,” his eyes blazing as he stared at Zhao Baozhu. “May I ask, My Lord… could you possibly be the servant from the Ye residence who was rumored to have passed the imperial examinations this year and become a jinshi?”
Zhao Baozhu blanked for a moment. It was the first time he had heard such rumors circulating outside.
“There are stories like that?” He thought about it and replied, “Then they’re probably talking about me.”
Shanyi parted his lips, astonishment and delight blooming across his handsome face. “So that’s it! To think there could be such fate in this world—”
Overcome with emotion, he grabbed both of Zhao Baozhu’s hands and said excitedly: “Before, I didn’t know it was My Lord. Even while trapped in that h*llhole that was the Cao residence, I had already heard of your deeds and long admired you! Who would’ve thought I would be fortunate enough to meet the real person today? I truly had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai.”
Zhao Baozhu was equally astonished. “There’s actually such a thing?”
Shanyi’s eyes shone brightly. “It was only because I was inspired by My Lord’s story that I finally resolved myself to fight for a future of my own. The fact that I now possess my freedom at all is thanks entirely to My Lord’s influence.”
Hearing such heartfelt words moved Zhao Baozhu deeply. He had already thought highly of Shanyi, but after hearing this, he felt even more that the two of them were kindred spirits.
“There’s absolutely no need to say such things,” Zhao Baozhu said. “Brother Liu has reached today entirely through your own courage.”
Thus, when Ah Long walked in, he saw the two of them clasping hands and chatting merrily, looking very much as though they were about to swear brotherhood before a statue of Guan Gong at any moment.
Raising his brows in surprise, Ah Long carried the tea inside. Before he could even speak, he heard Zhao Baozhu say: “Ah Long, when you have time, clean out the west wing room for Brother Liu to stay in.”
So Ah Long had barely set down the tea before turning around and leaving again to tidy the room.
At this point, Shanyi felt both admiration and gratitude toward Zhao Baozhu. He quickly said, “I’m used to rough living. My Lord need only give me a straw mat to sleep on.”
But Zhao Baozhu refused immediately.
“What are you saying? Don’t worry about it. There are plenty of rooms in this back courtyard, and they’d just be sitting empty anyway. Besides, though this yamen may look respectable from the outside, the inside still hasn’t been properly repaired. It isn’t worth much.”
At this, Shanyi paused and glanced at Zhao Baozhu, looking slightly hesitant. “Speaking of which, there is something I’d like to ask My Lord.”
Zhao Baozhu looked puzzled. “Go ahead.”
After hesitating briefly, Shanyi leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I escaped from this very place, so I know better than anyone what Qingzhou is really like. My Lord… how did you end up being assigned here?”
What he truly wanted to ask was how the Ye family could simply stand by and allow Zhao Baozhu to be sent to such a godforsaken place.
Having grown up in the Cao household, Shanyi understood the ways of officials and nobles fairly well. The court was full of people who formed factions, flattered superiors, and trampled those beneath them. The Ye family were among the highest-ranking imperial relatives in the current dynasty, so how had Zhao Baozhu been inexplicably dispatched to somewhere like this?
Zhao Baozhu was briefly stunned, then smiled. “What kind of question is that? Qingzhou may indeed be poor, but it’s hardly beyond saving. There are many problems, yes, but after one or two years of reform, the people’s lives will improve greatly.”
Hearing this, Shanyi paused slightly. He opened his mouth as though wanting to say something, then closed it again.
Noticing the strange expression on his face, Zhao Baozhu smiled. “Are you referring to the rampant tyranny of the You clan?”
Shanyi abruptly lifted his head.
He had assumed Zhao Baozhu simply did not know about the filth hidden within this prefecture, yet it turned out he understood everything perfectly.
“I know what you’re all thinking. In truth, when that Ministry of Personnel official first spoke to me about this appointment, I already sensed something suspicious.”
Zhao Baozhu’s gaze remained calm as he said quietly: “Though I didn’t know the details, I roughly guessed that everyone else feared the You clan and refused to clean up this mess.”
“But others may be afraid. I am not.”
Though his voice was low, it carried firm conviction. Slapping the table, Zhao Baozhu declared: “There is no logic in this world where officials should fear bandits!”
Looking at the now solemn-faced Shanyi, he continued in a deep voice: “I don’t mind telling Brother Liu this, I myself come from a poor background. Others may refuse to handle this mess, but I cannot!”
“If I watched the villagers suffer under those villains’ oppression, yet shrank back in fear and refused a court appointment, then I might as well take off this official hat and slit my own throat cleanly. Even if I died, I would have no face left to meet my ancestors.”
Shanyi listened silently to every word.
Though he did not speak, the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
When Zhao Baozhu finished speaking, Shanyi suddenly stood up without a word, then dropped to his knees with a loud thud and kowtowed heavily before Zhao Baozhu.
Zhao Baozhu jumped in fright. Before he could even speak, Shanyi looked up and said: “With such breadth of heart and courage, My Lord is truly an extraordinary man. Shanyi is willing to remain by My Lord’s side, serving before horse and after saddle, helping fulfill My Lord’s ambitions!”
Zhao Baozhu’s mouth fell open, his cheeks flushing bright red from the declaration. He hurriedly climbed off the couch to pull Shanyi back up. “Brother Liu! Th-this is far too much praise.”
Standing again, Shanyi’s phoenix eyes glittered. “My mind is made up. I only ask that My Lord not despise me… for being the kind of person I am.”
“What kind of person are you?” Zhao Baozhu immediately replied seriously. “I don’t understand such words. In my eyes, Brother Liu is an excellent person.”
Shanyi’s earlier sharpness disappeared completely. Smiling somewhat shyly, he met Zhao Baozhu’s gaze.
The two exchanged smiles, both understanding that all lingering reservations between them had vanished. The atmosphere became unexpectedly harmonious.
Shanyi helped Zhao Baozhu back onto the bed and carefully tucked the blankets around him.
Seeing how poor Shanyi’s complexion still was, Zhao Baozhu advised gently: “Brother Liu only just regained consciousness. You still need proper rest, so hurry and go sleep.”
Shanyi nodded. Having just poured out such heartfelt words, he now felt somewhat embarrassed himself, so he turned to leave.
But just as he was about to go, he suddenly remembered something and looked back. “Right, there’s one more matter My Lord should know.”
Shanyi said, “When I came from Zixian County, I saw the You family’s convoy in the distance heading southeast. Leading them was a man with a scar on his face.”
Zhao Baozhu had originally been reclining against the couch, but the moment he heard this, his expression tightened. Slowly sitting upright, he muttered: “Southeast?”
Then, as though suddenly realizing something, his face changed drastically. “This is bad!”
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