Cooperate?
How?
“We officials have traveled all the way from the capital and are truly exhausted, but this post station happens to be fully occupied. Of course, we could forcibly drive these people out, but it would still feel somewhat heartless…” the man said with a sigh.
“What’s there to be heartless about? This is a post station, not an inn. Hurry up, chase them out. I’ll pay for two of your best rooms,” interrupted Wang Shi’qi-lang.
The man shook his head with a smile.
“You jest, young master. We wouldn’t dare do that,” he said. “These elderly, weak, women, and children are far too pitiful.”
“Pitiful? If you pity them so much, then go sleep in the wild yourselves,” Wang Shi’qi-lang snorted.
“But then our officials would also be pitiful,” the man replied with a laugh.
“Then what exactly do you want?” asked Wang Shi’qi-lang.
“It’s a bit hard to say,” the man said. “We have an official warrant but no money. How about this—I’ll use my authority to secure the rooms, and you give some money to those who are being driven out. That way, we can still show some compassion.”
Wang Shi’qi-lang’s eyes lit up.
The old servant also couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
This idea was truly excellent.
Both reasonable and fair.
“Then I want two superior rooms,” Wang Shi’qi-lang said immediately. “I have female family members with me.”
The man let out an “oh,” his expression troubled.
“Superior rooms are, by regulation, reserved for officials…” he said. “How about this—two single rooms?”
That would do—at least they wouldn’t have to sleep in on a large dormitory bed.
Begrudgingly acceptable.
Wang Shi’qi-lang nodded.
“Fine. Uncle Gu, go with them to settle it,” he said cheerfully, waving his hand.
The old servant hastily assented, then studied the man.
“Might I ask where you serve, honored official?” he inquired politely with a smile.
“You flatter me—just a minor clerk under the Fiscal Commissioner’s Office of the Taicang Circuit,” the man replied modestly, smiling.
The Fiscal Commissioner’s Office! The old servant was astonished. That was a critical government office overseeing regional finances and grain supplies—a lifeline of the court. It was always headed by officials renowned for administrative excellence, and even its clerks were no ordinary men.
The old servant felt a flicker of delight. Who would have thought they’d forge such a connection on the road? Control over finances and grain was precisely the kind of leverage the Wang family, engaged in waterway trade, could use.
“You humble yourself too much, sir,” he said with even greater deference.
The man offered no further modesty and nodded.
“Then we’ll trouble you for the expense,” he said, then glanced at the guards behind him and signaled with his eyes. “Go with this elder to handle it—quickly. His Excellency’s carriage will arrive soon.”
The guards responded with a respectful “Yes,” and the old servant quickly followed them. Wang Shi’qi-lang, already in high spirits, hurried outside to share the news but suddenly turned back as if remembering something.
“Honored official, please also have the kitchen prepare wine and dishes,” he called out loudly.
The man nodded with a faint smile, watching as Wang Shi’qi-lang walked away.
By the roadside outside the post station, the Zhou family’s attendants had already set up their tents, and campfires were lit. Three or four others were carrying meat, vegetables, and two jars of wine purchased from the kitchen.
“This little post station even has good wine tucked away…” Steward Cao remarked to Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Have some to ward off the chill at night, but don’t drink too much,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
“Of course, of course,” Steward Cao nodded repeatedly.
“See? Even drinking can’t be fully enjoyed when you’re stuck in the wild,” Wang Shi’qi-lang said, swaying slightly as he approached with a hint of smugness.
“When traveling far from home, one can never indulge too freely on the road,” Steward Cao replied.
What an insolent servant!
“Who gave you the right to speak to me like that?” Wang Shi’qi-lang shouted, glaring, then turned to Cheng Jiao-niang. “Alright, I’ve secured the rooms. Pack up your things and go settle in. As for the rest of you—”
He glanced at Steward Cao and the others and snorted.
“The dormitory bed won’t fit you all, so you might as well sleep here. No point wasting the tents you’ve already set up.”
“Where did you get the rooms from?”
Cheng Jiao-niang, seated on a stool while fastening her cloak and pulling up its hood, lifted her head to ask.
Wang Shi’qi-lang grew even more pleased with himself, tilting his chin up with a self-satisfied hum.
“I have my ways,” he declared.
Just as they were speaking, a commotion erupted inside the post station.
“Scram! Didn’t you hear what I said?” Two guards viciously lashed out with their whips.
An old man clutching a child couldn’t dodge in time and had to twist his body to take the two lashes squarely on his back, shielding the child in his arms.
The child wailed, the woman screamed, and the already crowded hall descended into chaos.
“Honored soldiers, we’ve already allowed them to sleep on the floor here…” The postmaster stepped forward, his face pale and drenched in sweat, trying to mediate.
“Sleep on the floor my ass! Get them out! We’re eating and sleeping here!” the guards roared, raising their whips again before jerking their heads toward the side. “You lot—give them money and kick them out to find somewhere else!”
The old servant and several attendants stood frozen in shock.
At the guards’ words, everyone in the hall turned to glare at them, their eyes burning with undisguised fury.
“No, no—this isn’t what we meant—” the old servant hastily protested, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Something seemed to have gone terribly wrong…
But it was already too late. No one was listening to him.
“We don’t want your money! We have the right to stay here!” a man who had been driven out shouted angrily.
Once one person took the lead, others quickly joined in.
“That’s right! We refuse your money!”
“Who wants your dirty coins?!”
“Bullying the weak with your power—is there no law left in this land?!”
Seeing the crowd’s defiance, the guard scoffed and cracked his whip sharply.
“What’s this? Planning a rebellion? Listen well—our lord is on imperial orders to Taicang on official business! If you delay his mission, who among you can bear the consequences?”
An imperial envoy?
The crowd’s expressions faltered. Anger gave way to resignation and lingering resentment.
The postmaster’s face twisted with conflicted emotions, and he couldn’t help but step forward.
“Even so… to drive these people out like this—many are women, children, and the elderly. In the dead of night, isn’t this too harsh…?” he murmured.
“Don’t act like I’m unreasonable,” the guard said with a mocking half-smile, then glared at the old servant and his group. “Hurry up and hand out the money!”
The old servant’s forehead beaded with sweat as he steeled himself and stepped forward under the circumstances.
“Here’s some money for you all to find another place to stay…” he said, handing out coins one by one to the people in the hall.
No one accepted his money, and some even spat in disgust. Young men supported the elderly, women carried their children, and the crowd filed out of the hall in a disorderly yet eerily silent procession. Meanwhile, from the backyard, a few others emerged noisily, grumbling curses under their breath.
“…This is pure abuse of power!”
“…What kind of damned official…”
At that moment, the sound of carriages and horses came from outside the post station as a dozen guards dressed identically to those inside escorted a carriage into view.
“Master Feng has arrived!”
The guards inside the post station shouted loudly, punctuating their words with sharp cracks of their whips to drive the people out faster.
“Get out now! Don’t delay His Excellency’s rest!”
The whipping only worsened the chaos. Children who had just been soothed began wailing again, and the post station descended into complete disorder.
Watching the chaos unfold, Cheng Jiao-niang stood up.
“Are these the rooms you secured—by doing this?” she asked.
“We paid them—it’s not like we drove them out for nothing,” Wang Shi’qi-lang replied, glancing at the disorderly courtyard with a flicker of surprise before his expression brightened again.
Who knew paying them off would clear out so many people!
“Ah, never mind the small-minded folks. Since we’re traveling together, you all might as well come inside too,” he said with a haughty sniff toward Steward Cao and the others.
Cheng Jiao-niang gave him a look.
“Who are those people?” She pointed at the guards in the courtyard.
“Oh, they’re on our side—they helped arrange things…” Wang Shi’qi-lang said, oozing smugness.
Before he could finish, Cheng Jiao-niang strode forward without another word.
“Hey—hey! What are you doing?” Wang Shi’qi-lang shouted, baffled.
But Cheng Jiao-niang ignored him, stopping in the middle of the road outside the gate.
“Attendants,” she called.
Though Steward Cao dared not stand too close, he always positioned himself within earshot to respond immediately. Hearing her, he answered at once.
“Beat these reckless brutes who dare to harass innocent people!” Cheng Jiao-niang commanded, her gaze fixed on the courtyard.
Steward Cao immediately barked an order, and seven or eight attendants grabbed their wooden staffs and charged into the courtyard.
“How dare you bully common folk? You deserve this beating!”
Amid the shouts, the four whip-wielding guards were immediately surrounded by the Zhou family’s attendants. Without another word, they rained down blows on them.
The beating came too suddenly for the guards to react. Moreover, the Zhou family’s attendants had been carefully selected by Old Master Zhou for their combat skills. In just a few strikes, the four guards were knocked to the ground—even the old servant and his men couldn’t escape the thrashing.
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned. When they processed what had happened and heard the attendants’ words, someone—no one knew who—shouted, “Well done!” Soon, cheers erupted one after another.
Wang Shi’qi-lang was also dumbfounded.
“Have you lost your mind?! What are you doing?!” he screamed, finally snapping out of his daze and hopping in agitation.
Cheng Jiao-niang ignored him and strode toward the gate, where a man was just stepping down from the carriage parked outside.
The sudden clamor of screams and chaos startled the man. He pulled off his hood and looked around, his face a mask of shock.
“What—what is going on here?” he shouted.
The clerk from the Taicang Circuit Fiscal Commission, who had come to greet him, was also stunned. Watching the figures in the courtyard wielding their staffs with ruthless precision, he couldn’t help but shiver.
Thankfully, he had stepped out just in time to welcome the official—otherwise, he’d be lying beaten on the ground right now…
Who were these people?
Most who passed through post stations were officials. Had they somehow provoked some high-ranking figure?
High-ranking figures were terrifying—but he wasn’t afraid.
“Sir, I have no idea,” the clerk replied, his face twisted in bewilderment. “These people must be stirring up trouble on purpose!”
With that, he hastily signaled to the nearby guards.
“Quick, arrest those troublemakers!”
The guards immediately raised their weapons and shouted in unison.
“Wait, wait—let’s first ask what’s—” the lean official hurriedly interjected.
“Sir, what’s there to ask? They attacked without a word—clearly, they’re outlaws!” the clerk yelled, urging the guards again.
Before his voice had even faded, a woman’s voice rang out from behind them.
“Attacking without a word—these soldiers are indeed outlaws!”
The clerk and the official both turned their heads to see a lady wrapped in a large cloak standing firmly behind them in the night.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Who are you?” the clerk snapped, his brows furrowed in anger.
“A passerby upholding justice,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
A passerby upholding justice?!
Was she insane?
Upholding justice? Did she think this was some opera performance? What business was it of hers to meddle like a dog chasing rats?!
Wang Shi’qi-lang, standing behind her, rolled his eyes and nearly stomped his feet in frustration—this girl really was a fool!
