Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Zhang Jingwei hurriedly supported him with a delicate gesture of modesty, saying, "Captain Pang, this is truly an insult to me. You are a sixth-rank captain, how dare I, a seventh-rank county magistrate, accept your gift?"

"What are you talking about, son-in-law!" Pang Lu laughed roughly, and the flesh on his face trembled with laughter. "Thanks to General Huangfu's support, isn't it my duty to take care of my own son-in-law?" As he spoke, his eyes kept glancing at the mahogany box in the corner.

Zhang Jingwei followed his gaze, the corners of his mouth rising slightly: "Brother Gao mentioned the captain a few days ago, saying that if he has any problem, he can ask you for help." He said this without changing his expression or heartbeat - this was clearly nonsense, Gao Fei had never mentioned this at all.

Pang Lu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he patted his chest and said, "Since it's Master Gao's order, I will do my best!" He rubbed his hands and lowered his voice, "In fact, I came here today, in addition to paying my respects to my son-in-law, there is another thing..."

Zhang Jingwei took a sip of his teacup, a knowing smile in his eyes: "You've come with such a generous gift, so I'm sure you're not just here to greet me, right?"

Pang Lu chuckled twice, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. "To be honest, I should have been outside the city gate to greet you yesterday, but some trivial matters in the camp delayed me." He wiped his sweat off his forehead and continued, "Your Highness is hearing a case today, and I've specially come to observe from outside the court. He's truly a clear-sighted judge! When the old man of the Shi family heard about it, he specifically asked me to invite you to Gaoyang Tower for a chat tomorrow."

"The Shi family?" Zhang Jingwei narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "The captain has a close relationship with the Shi family, eh?"

Pang Lu's expression froze, then he forced a smile: "I wouldn't say we're very familiar with each other, but we have some dealings in housing, transportation and purchasing." He hesitated, his eyes wandering.

Seeing this, Zhang Jingwei suddenly smiled. "Okay, thank Mr. Shi for me." He stood up and pretended to see him off, a meaningful smile on his face. "I will definitely keep the appointment tomorrow."

……

After Pang Lu left, the smile on Zhang Jingwei's face gradually faded. He stared at the mahogany box, tapping his fingers lightly on the lid, making a dull sound.

"Open the box." He ordered in a deep voice.

Zhang Liu carefully opened the box and saw three items neatly arranged inside: a gold-embossed account book, a roll of cowhide documents, and half a bronze token - the token of the Zhengyan Gang.

Zhang Jingwei's pupils narrowed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He picked up the account book and flipped through it. It detailed the cooperation between the Jingjun Bank and the Salt Gang last year, as well as Mo Lang's loan account. Every transaction was recorded clearly. He flipped to the last page, where a note in cinnabar was written: "Mr. Zhang, you have excellent management skills. I admire you. If you are willing to cooperate, all past events will be forgiven."

"Young Master, this..." Zhang Liu's voice trembled a little.

Zhang Jingwei didn't answer, but unfolded the cowhide document again. It was a copy of the contract for Li Yi to purchase butter from Rongdi. At the end, there was also a line of small words: "The benefits of Rongdi can be shared."

A flash of lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating Zhang Jingwei's thoughtful face. He gently stroked the half bronze token and suddenly chuckled, "The Shi family is extending an olive branch."

Zhang Liu looked at his young master with a worried look on his face, muttering involuntarily, "Young Master, what do you mean..."

"Since they were able to find out about the Salt Gang and Rongdi's business, but didn't report it directly to the teacher or the Inspection Office..." Zhang Jingwei put the token back into the box, "They must be negotiating terms."

Zhang Liu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Then should we..."

"Prepare a generous gift." Zhang Jingwei suddenly turned around, a gleam in his eyes, "Since Old Master Shi invited me, I have to comfort him."

Raindrops began to beat against the window lattice. Zhang Jingwei stood in front of the window, looking towards the distant Gaoyang Tower, a meaningful smile on his face. "I want to see how much this old man Shi knows."

……

Zhang Jingwei dragged his exhausted body towards the wing room, his shadow stretched long by the moonlight on the bluestone corridor. He unconsciously hummed the tune of "Ice Rain", and the song sounded particularly sad in the empty corridor. "The cold ice rain hits my face randomly..." The words were really appropriate at this moment. He pulled the corners of his mouth in self-mockery, and his heart felt heavy as if it was filled with lead. He thought that with Ergou, a capable spy, he would be able to thrive in Gaoyang County, but who would have thought that today he would be caught in the weak spot of the Shi family. Those secret accounts that he thought were flawless now became swords hanging over his head.

Just as I was daydreaming, a figure suddenly appeared behind the pillar.

"Master!"

"Ouch!" Zhang Jingwei suddenly took half a step back, and his back hit the porch pillar. He was so frightened that he even blurted out his hometown dialect, "Gouzi! You scared me!" He stroked his pounding heart, and in the moonlight he could see clearly that it was Wang Ergou's angular face.

Wang Ergou clasped his fists and saluted, his face stern. "Master, the first batch of goods has been delivered to Yunzhou. Although the quantity is not large, it can at least sustain the order volume for a month."

"Thanks for your hard work." Zhang Jingwei breathed a sigh of relief and patted Ergou's shoulder. It was cold to the touch. He didn't know how long he had been waiting in the dark. He suddenly felt a little guilty. "I feel much more at ease when you are by my side."

The night wind, carrying moisture, passed between them. Wang Ergou's hesitation was particularly evident in the candlelight. His rough fingers unconsciously scratched at the thorn in his flesh, and his Adam's apple rolled up and down several times.

"What's going on?" Zhang Jingwei raised an eyebrow. "Is there something going on in Yunzhou?"

"Master..." Wang Ergou's voice suddenly became hoarse. "There's big news in Yunzhou..."

Zhang Jingwei's heart suddenly skipped a beat, but he forced a laugh: "Could it be that my father-in-law has found me a new mother-in-law?" Looking at Wang Ergou's serious expression, he regretted what he said as soon as he said it. This joke was really inappropriate.

Wang Ergou's expression turned even uglier: "Maybe...it's even worse than this."

The lanterns in the corridor were suddenly shaken by the wind, and the light and shadow flickered on Zhang Jingwei's face. He put away his joking expression, and his voice unconsciously tightened: "Okay, I won't talk nonsense anymore, go ahead."

"The head of the Ma family..." Wang Ergou took a deep breath, "He's dead."

Zhang Jingwei frowned and seemed to be thinking about something. He said, "Which Ma family? Tian Miao's father?!" His voice suddenly rose.

Wang Ergou nodded gravely: "When I received the news, the young master had already set off to Gaoyang to take up his post."

Zhang Jingwei stumbled back to the railing, the wood creaking under his grip. He muttered, "Such a big thing... and there wasn't even a whisper..."

"The Ma family has blocked the news." Wang Ergou whispered, "Young Master Ma didn't announce his death either. He was buried in secret."

"Tian Miao, he..." Zhang Jingwei's throat tightened, and Ma Tianmao's face, always with a cynical smile, appeared in front of him. "Is he okay?"

Wang Ergou shook his head: "I am incompetent and failed to see Young Master Ma. Even the spies planted in the Ma family didn't see Young Master Ma."

Zhang Jingwei let go of the railing and found his palms were covered in cold sweat. He looked towards Yunzhou, but could see nothing in the dark night.

"I see." Zhang Jingwei's voice was hoarse. "You've been exhausted recently. Go down and rest. We can talk tomorrow if there's anything."

Wang Ergou hesitated to speak, but finally clasped his fists and saluted: "Yes."

When Ergou's footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor, Zhang Jingwei returned to his room in a daze. The rain splashed on his body, soaking his clothes, but he was completely unaware.