Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 46: Five-year veteran, eighth-rank soap guard
Zhang Yuan ignored Chen Wu, who was in a state of confusion, and stopped in front of a large house with five courtyards.

There are large golden characters "Tang's House", five-foot-high stone lions on both sides below, three levels of stone steps, and two gatekeepers on duty.

With such grandeur, they are considered a big family in Luyang Prefecture.

Chen Wu was not wearing a white robe, but Zhang Yuan was wearing a black robe, holding a whistle stick, and had two swords on his waist.

The doorman knew at a glance that he was from the Wuwei Yamen from the attire.

"Please announce that Zhang Yuan from the Wuwei Yamen brought Chen Wu to the Tang family to apologize."

Standing in front of the door, Zhang Yuan spoke loudly.

The two doormen, who were about thirty years old, looked at each other. One of them turned around to report to the mansion, while the other stood at the door with his arms folded, his eyes falling on Chen Wu.

"It was you who beat up my Seventh Young Master last night?"

Contempt flashed in his eyes, and the doorman tutted his tongue a few times: "One against eight, you're quite capable. Don't be a coward if you have the guts."

"Why don't you ask about the status of my Tang family?"

Chen Wu clenched his fists tightly, his face tense.

Zhang Yuan brought him to the Tang family to apologize, and he couldn't cause trouble for Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan's face was calm. He stood there holding the whistle in one hand without saying a word.

The doorman felt bored, chuckled twice, and stood in front of the door with his arms folded.

A moment later, there was a chaotic sound of footsteps in the house, and a group of young men with bruised faces and noses rushed to the door.

"it's him!"

"Didn't they say they would lock him up for three to five years?"

"Come on, I'll break his legs today!"

Several people were yelling loudly and rolling up their sleeves, but no one really stepped forward.

The beating I got last night is still hurting.

The middle-aged man standing in front, wearing a gray-black brocade robe and with three strands of green beard on his chin, glanced at Zhang Yuan and Chen Wu and said in a deep voice: "Since you are here to apologize, let's go in and talk."

It's not nice to block the door and people will see it.

After all, the Tang family members suffered a loss last night.

Everyone in the mansion walked inside, and Zhang Yuan and Chen Wu also followed them up the stairs and entered the house.

"Hey, how do you think the Third Master will deal with these two?"

"Don't tell me, I might actually break your legs and throw you out."

"Not really. After all, they are from the Wuwei Yamen."

"So what? Our master is a seventh-rank official. These black dogs will kowtow to him when they see him."

From behind, the voices of the two doormen came with anticipation.

The Tang family members who were huddled aside also looked excited, but as soon as they smiled, their faces hurt again.

In front, the middle-aged man who walked onto the stone steps outside the hall turned around and looked at Zhang Yuan.

"What is your position in the Wuwei Yamen? Why did you bring him to my Tang family to apologize?"

Zhang Yuan stopped and said, "Five years of service, eighth-rank official."

That's it?

The middle-aged man in front was slightly stunned.

These words made the Tang family members in the back stunned for a moment, and they couldn't help but show mocking expressions.

"Third brother, you thought the Wuwei Yamen was giving face to my Tang family, but you didn't expect them to send an eighth-rank soap-robed guard."

"That's right. They didn't even have a seventh-rank leader present. It's clear that they look down on my Tang family."

"Third brother, you see, the Wuwei Yamen is no longer the down-and-out yamen that begged for support from the families in the city. Now it has four or five hundred soldiers and is highly respected."

Several members of the Tang family with injuries on their faces were adding fuel to the fire.

The middle-aged man known as the Third Brother twitched his face and did not enter the hall. He stood on the stone steps, staring at Zhang Yuan for a long time. With his hands behind his back, he said condescendingly, "I am Tang Wenbo, the third child of the second generation of the Tang family. Everyone outside calls me Third Master Tang."

Raising his hand to stop Zhang Yuan from bowing and greeting him, Tang Wenbo didn't bother to be polite. His face was tense: "If you hit someone, you must be punished. This is only natural."

Pointing at Chen Wu, Tang Wenbo said in a deep voice, "You hit a member of my Tang family, do you admit it?"

Chen Wu took a deep breath and shouted, "I was the one who beat him."

The Tang family members who were following nearby rolled up their sleeves, swearing, but didn't dare to come forward.

Tang Wenbo raised his hand to silence the commotion and turned his gaze towards Zhang Yuan. "My Tang family is a prominent family in the prefectural capital, and we won't argue with a mere guard."

"But there are some things that my Tang family cannot lose face for."

Looking at Zhang Yuan, Tang Wenbo said calmly, "Can you be his home and be his master?"

"Since I came here with him, I can naturally make the decision." Zhang Yuan held the whistle in his hand, stood straight, and spoke loudly.

"I brought him here to apologize. Mr. Tang Sanye, please feel free to ask for anything you want."

Chen Wu lowered his head and said nothing.

The Tang family members next to them looked excited and proud.

Tang Wenbo glanced at Chen Wu and said coldly, "My Tang family's request is simple. We don't want you to go to jail. Just kneel outside the Tang family's door for a day and leave at sunset."

"Young man, relying on your martial arts skills, dares to do whatever you want. My Tang family will discipline you on behalf of the Wuwei Yamen and your elders—"

"Don't even think about it—" Chen Wu's angry shout interrupted Tang Wenbo's words.

With his fists clenched, Chen Wu felt his blood surge.

He could come to the Tang family with Zhang Yuan to apologize, but he would never kneel!

Tang Wenbo looked at Zhang Yuan with a sneer on his face.

Zhang Yuan just said that he could make the decision for Chen Wu.

"Change your request. Don't kneel."

Zhang Yuan's expression was calm, and his words were firm and unquestionable.

"His father died for his country. Your Tang family is not qualified to discipline his father."

"As for the supervision of the Wuwei Yamen, your Tang family is even less qualified."

Tang Wenbo's expression turned completely cold.

The Tang family members standing by no longer made any noise to add fuel to the fire.

no need.

Is this an apology?
The two people who came here didn't seem to be sincerely apologizing at all.

Several people were ready to go, waiting for Tang Wenbo's order.

There were also two clever ones who had already stretched out their hands to beckon the guards in the yard to gather around the hall door.

"Haha, fine, fine." Tang Wenbo sneered, his face full of indifference and contempt, looking at Zhang Yuan: "Then strip him of his clothes and pay him a hundred taels of silver for the medicine."

"This is the request of our Tang family. If he fails to do so, our Tang family will send him to the government prison to celebrate the New Year."

Stripping off the black clothes means being expelled from the Wuwei Yamen.

The children of wealthy families looked down on the monthly salary of one tael and five cents, but ordinary families of military guards relied on this salary to support their entire families.

If the clothes are stripped off, the whole family will starve to death.

As for the one hundred taels of silver for the medicine fee, that was even more impossible to afford.

A ninth-rank official could not save up a hundred taels of silver in his entire life.

Both of Tang Wenbo's requests were intended to push Chen Wu to death.

How dare a mere guard like you disrespect the Tang family?
He just wanted to control Zhang Yuan and Chen Wu so that Chen Wu would have no choice but to kneel down outside.

The elites of the Wuwei Yamen and the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the country all had to kneel down in front of his Tang family.

"it is good."

Zhang Yuan's answer stunned everyone in the courtyard.

Okay, what does that mean?
accepted?
Such harsh conditions, yet you agreed?
Tang Wenbo's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.

The Tang family members all looked bewildered.

Even Chen Wu was a little at a loss.

He couldn't agree to either of these two conditions, so how could Zhang Yuan agree?
Zhang Yuan reached into his pocket, took out the folded paper roll, and unfolded it.

"This is the letter of expulsion from the Wuwei Yamen, ordering him to hand over the property within three days."

"According to your Tang family's request, the Wuwei Yamen stripped him of his clothes."

Expulsion letter!
Will Chen Wu really be expelled from the Wuwei Yamen?

Will the Wuwei Yamen agree to such conditions?

(End of this chapter)