Fairy, I really am a villain!

"Him... Come to think of it, I should have seen him from afar a long time ago."

While they were chatting, the waiter brought up two jars of wine, opened them, and said, "Enjoy your meal."

He took it in his arms and drank a sip. Liu Dazhu exhaled and said:

"That happened a few years ago. At the time, there was a Black Panther Hall in the city. It was a martial arts school on the surface, but secretly it was engaged in human trafficking and was very hated by people."

"Then one day, their hall was burned to the ground, and even the powerful hall master died in it. I heard that the body was cut into pieces, and it seemed that he died in great pain."

"People all said that it was the 'cold judge' Jiang Xingchu who did it, and that she must have an accomplice, otherwise she wouldn't be able to set fire and kill people quietly at the same time;"

"Later, I found out that the helper was Feng Liujian. That's when the ill-fated relationship between the two began."

After a pause, Liu Dazhu continued, "If you want to know what this guy is like, I think he's pretty good. I also heard that he did those things to vent the anger of ordinary people, which is very good."

"Do you believe?"

"Yes, he has rejected even the emperor, how can he deceive us? If it were me, I would have agreed long ago."

Hearing this, Xue Ruyu fell silent, knowing that his attempts to defend himself were useless.

The fact is that Fang Xiwen had done good things here before, and he didn't do anything bad after he left. Instead, he severely disgraced the court. Such a reputation cannot be changed by just talking.

So he didn't talk about it anymore, and chatted with Liu Dazhu about the canal transportation, the boat people, and the tax.

After several rounds, the food on the table was almost ready.

"Speaking of which, didn't someone recently say that he was going to increase your salary? What did you call him..."

"The boat people all called him 'Master Wen San'."

After finishing all the food on the table, Liu Dazhui licked the plate for the last time, then swept the crumbs on the table into his hands and swallowed them in one gulp.

"Yes, do you know where he came from?"

"He seems to be a businessman, in his 30s or 40s, very wealthy, with a lot of goods. He has negotiated with the Dajiang Gang, saying that he must raise the wages of the surrounding trackers, sailors, and boatmen before they will cooperate."

"Why did he do that?"

"Who knows? I don't believe a businessman would think well of us."

"Has your salary increased?"

"It's a few more coins, but there's a price to pay... Oops, I have to go."

Liu Dazhui accidentally made eye contact with the gang members and his eyelids jumped. He quickly grabbed the bamboo hat beside him, lowered his body, and slipped out along the wall.

"It's you? Brothers, he was the one who took the lead last time!"

"Someone, block the door for me!!"

Before he could finish his words, there was a bang, and the tables and chairs in the lobby were overturned, and the dishes and chopsticks fell to the ground. The group of muscular men rushed towards the door.

But at the critical moment, Liu Dazhui still escaped and slammed the door back, knocking a group of people unconscious.

~~

At dusk, Xue Ruyu was walking on the way to the yamen.

Today can be said to be another day of gaining nothing.

He was still a dozen steps away when he heard two red-robed constables squatting at the door, talking with their sleeves rolled up:

"Old Li, do you know who is the most powerful official in our state?"

"Isn't it Hu Churen, the governor of Hu?"

"Wrong. I just found out this morning that after that incident, the imperial court has become more wary of the sect. For this reason, the saint even specially established an official position to serve as eyes and ears to investigate the situation in the local area - now they are the most powerful."

"What rank? Hu Taishou is leading the governor now, which means we are used to calling him that."

"Hey, no manners! This position is called 'Inspector General', and is held exclusively by the scholars in the Shendu Academy. Although they are not of rank, they have great power. In an emergency, they can act at their own convenience. Even Governor Hu has to listen to them."

"You mean to let these armchair strategists command us? How ridiculous! Do you think the inspector of Jiangzhou has arrived?"

"It should have come a long time ago, but for some reason, there has been no movement so far..."

Xue Ruyu stopped early in the distance, and now he sighed again after listening.

In fact, he was the inspector appointed by the saint.

After receiving the mission, he set out from Shendu, went downstream, went to Yangzhou, crossed the river, and entered Jiangzhou. It has been more than ten years since then, but he has not accomplished anything and only has a vague understanding of the situation here.

This place is too messy.

Taking Zhoushan as an example, the forces entrenched here include several gentry headed by the Jiang family, several gangs affiliated with the Dajiang Gang, civil organizations spontaneously formed by the boat people, and so on, and the relationships are complicated.

Also, due to the large number of docks and developed water transport in the early years, there were many conflicts of interest before the emergence of the Dajiang Gang. Some of them have not been resolved to this day and have remained as historical issues.

Not only that, these forces all have one thing in common, which is that they have a very bad attitude towards the imperial court. Many of them are hostile to it, and some are even worse, to the point of hatred, which causes many actions to be declared failure before they even begin.

Even so, as an inspector, he had to try to investigate the matter thoroughly and report it truthfully - otherwise, losing his job would be a small matter, but if Jiangzhou received a one-size-fits-all decree, that would be a lot of trouble.

"Saint, this is too much for me."

Resisting the urge to sigh, Xue Ruyu did not go to the government office again, because he knew that posting another proclamation would have no effect and would only make the people hate the court even more.

If he wanted to break this situation, he knew there was someone who could play a key role... Even if he didn't want to ask for help, he had no choice but to go now.

~~

The night was dark and the river surface was gleaming with gold. He walked on the street for a while and stopped in front of a shop.

Looking up at the plaque with "Pingshafang" written on it, Xue Ruyu first straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and then stepped in.

Although it was already night, the lights were still on in the shop. A young lady in simple clothes came up to him, poured him a glass of water, asked him to wait, and then went in to deliver the message.

Looking around, you can see some items on the shelf behind the counter, such as musical instruments like the yaoqin, pipa, and flute, and the side is separated by a landscape screen, making the whole place look elegant.

This is a piano store.

There were several cushions in front of the counter. Xue Ruyu sat on one of them, and the others had a more or less fishy smell, probably because they had been sat on by many boatmen, canal workers and the like.

'He seems like a really nice guy,' he thought.

The person he wanted to meet this time was a wealthy businessman nicknamed "Wen Sanye". It was said that he had made his fortune in Longchuan before and had recently stayed in Jiangzhou to do some business. Many forces in the city respected him.

The man was about thirty or forty years old. He was fond of literature and art, had a kind heart, and often helped the poor. Last month when there was a food shortage, he sent people to distribute porridge at the city gate. This month he was arranging a raise for the boat workers, so he had a very good reputation.

If we can win this person over to the court, there will be a chance to pry open the muddy water in Zhoushan and see some things clearly.

After waiting for a while, the young lady said that the master asked him whether he wanted to go in and talk or stay outside; so Xue Ruyu got up.

Walking around the screen, there is a very simple and elegant room inside, with clean windows and an oil lamp lit on the table.

The host sat on the ground with a guzheng in front of him and his fingers on it.

Xue Ruyu subconsciously sized him up:

His black hair was tied up, his eyebrows were straight and sharp, his features were handsome, but his face was wrinkled and his temples were slightly frosted.

She was wearing a satin robe and a jade ring on her hand as she plucked the strings of her zither. She looked up and asked, "Master Xue, why are you visiting so late at night? What's the important matter?"

"It's not a big deal, I just want to avoid being seen by others." Xue Ruyu frowned slightly as he answered.

This man did not give him the feeling of a businessman. Rather, he was a scholar like him. His voice was gentle and mellow, like a spring breeze, and he did not have that sense of impatience at all.

"Why do we need to hide from others?"

"I want to discuss a cooperation with you, Master San," he said, his eyes becoming serious, and he leaned forward, "or in other words, a business that will bring you great wealth."

Without giving an immediate reply, Mr. Wen San just put the guzheng aside and started fiddling with the tea set.

"Third Master?"

"Have some tea to moisten your throat first. I don't think your story can be explained in a few words. There's no rush, right?"

"...Yes." Xue Ruyu seemed to have punched into nothingness.

Before coming, he had thought of many ways of speaking, including how to persuade him to agree and what benefits it would bring. However, the other party seemed to not care at all, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Watching the pair of slender hands ordering and dispensing tea, a pot of tea was soon brewed.

He was first poured a cup, and just as he was about to reach out to take it, Mr. Wen turned around and handed it to someone else.

It was a beautiful maid kneeling with a sword in her arms, who had been beside the latter from the beginning, without saying a word;

He took the cup in his hand and drank it in one gulp. After finishing, he frowned and said, "It's so unpalatable." Then he put the cup back with a ding.

...is there anyone who treats guests this way?

"Mr. Xue treats people with sincerity, so it's unnecessary for me to do this." Seeing his subtle expression, Mr. Wen flicked the teapot and chuckled.

Seeing this, Xue Ruyu realized that this meant "no poisoning", and immediately felt a little embarrassed, "No, thank you, Third Master."

He drank the tea in one gulp and said straight to the point, "Master Wen San, I'm here to ask you for a favor."

Chapter 418: Reunion with the Sword Immortal

The person in front of him was very humble and even used the word "beg"... This inspector was very polite, which was a little beyond Fang Xiwen's expectations.

——He had connections in the court and had arrived in Jiangzhou early, so it was not difficult for him to guess the identity of the other party.

"I wonder what Master Xue needs me for?"

"To be honest, Third Master, I am actually the Minister of Works of the imperial court, and I am under the order of the emperor," Xue Ruyu said half-truthfully, "The emperor ordered me to lead people to build a ferry north of Zhou Mountain and at the foot of Goddess Peak."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"The Third Master cares about the people of Zhoushan. I think he understands that the water transport here is the basis for the people's food and clothing. They will not allow the ferry to be built. As long as the construction starts, it may cause a civil uprising."

"I see. You want me to appease these boatmen?" Fang Xiwen smiled. He didn't expect that he would be brought up again. "I can give them a job for a while, but what about the future?"

"It will only take this time. When the ferry is completed, I will report to the court and ask the saint to appoint you as the Jiangzhou Transport Envoy to be in charge of the grain transport here. I think that with the character of the Third Master, he will not treat these people unfairly and will still give them a way to survive."

"Hmm..." Touching his chin, Fang Xiwen pondered.

In fact, he could see that Xue Ruyu had good intentions. If this could really be accomplished, he would be able to make a lot of money by taking the post of transport envoy. If he could also go to Longchuan to exchange what he had, the people's livelihood would probably not be a problem.

Not only that, this official position is also a "golden ticket to immunity from death". Once he surrenders to the court, when the local factions are cleared up in the future, the fire will not burn his head.

But unfortunately, these words sound like a blank check, and secondly, he is not a real businessman.

"The deal itself is good, but I don't trust you."

"That's okay. I can make a written contract, in black and white..." Xue Ruyu saw that he seemed to be persuaded, so he took out paper and pen and was about to sign the contract.