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

The next day.

Morning at the government office

Just as the daylight filtered through the windows of the government office, still carrying the coolness of the early morning, a burst of clearly angry arguments broke the tranquility of the county government office, attracting the attention of several clerks and yamen runners who had arrived early. However, they did not dare to approach and could only stretch their necks to look from afar.

Dianshi Huang Liang stood in front of Zhang Jingwei's case, his face flushed red, his chest heaving slightly, obviously very angry: "Sir! I dare to ask, why was a suspect who had not been convicted and tried thrown directly into the jail yesterday?!" His voice trembled with excitement, and his fingers subconsciously grabbed the hem of his official robe.

Zhang Jingwei was leisurely arranging the files on his desk without raising his head: "Oh? You mean that little beggar? He committed a crime in front of me and attempted to assassinate Shi Jincheng but failed. There are witnesses and evidence. Isn't that enough? What's wrong with throwing him into jail awaiting trial? Are we going to ask him to live in the inn?" His tone was full of nonchalant sarcasm.

"This... this is against the rules, sir!" Huang Liang said anxiously. He always attached great importance to rules. "According to the law, those who have not been tried and convicted should be detained in the detention room awaiting trial! The prison is where convicted felons are held! Procedurally..."

"Rules are dead, but people are alive." Zhang Jingwei finally raised his eyes, interrupting his long speech, with a lazy arc on the corner of his mouth, "Huang Dianshi, just treat your prison as your home... Well, a higher-end hotel, okay? Anyway, I have given the order, don't give him food or drink, as long as he doesn't starve to death. It won't cost the county government a few coppers, why do you feel bad?" He waved his hand, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

"Sir!" Huang Liang was so angry that his beard stood up. "This is not a matter of money at all! This is a law and regulations! This is the court's etiquette! This is..."

"Alright, alright!" Zhang Jingwei interrupted him again, clearly not wanting to dwell on the issue. He picked up a newly delivered document and tossed it to Huang Liang. "Dianshi Huang, instead of wasting time arguing, why don't you get down to business? Look, Inspector Yang raided several secret kilns in the Shi Mansion last night and apprehended several alchemists who brewed the Five Stone Powder. They're all high-ranking criminals. Go and interrogate them!"

Huang Liang took the document, his expression still grim, but he subconsciously replied, "...Yes."

Just as he was about to turn around, Zhang Jingwei added, "Oh, by the way, there's one more thing. Pay for Xiao Zhubu's medical expenses. He got beaten up pretty badly by that little beggar, and the doctor prescribed some good medicine."

The anger that Huang Liang had just suppressed suddenly rose up again, and he turned around abruptly: "Sir! How, how come I have to do this reimbursement of medical expenses myself?!" He couldn't believe his ears.

Zhang Jingwei said as a matter of course: "Aren't you temporarily acting as the chief clerk? Aren't the reimbursements of money and grain and account transactions the responsibility of the chief clerk? Do you think I have to go to the household office with the documents in person to handle such a small matter?" He raised his eyebrows with an expression that said, "You don't even know this?"

Huang Liang was choked up, and he suppressed his anger and said, "The county staff has their own clerks to handle these matters! Where is Secretary Hu?"

"Hu Tu has gone to the countryside to return food coupons. He won't be back for three to five days." Zhang Jingwei counted on his fingers. "Zhao Peixin? Look, over there," he pointed at Zhao Peixin, buried in a corner among a pile of military household rosters. "He's checking the military household food allowances. This is a matter of great importance and can't be interrupted. Fang Yue... hasn't reported for work yet. Tell me, who else should I look for if not you?"

Huang Liang felt a surge of anger rushing to his head. "Then... then I remember that your Excellency has a servant boy by his side? These errands..."

"Qian Ming?" Zhang Jingwei sounded as if he'd heard something funny. "Even if he wrote down every word he knew, he wouldn't even be able to string it together into a coherent sentence! You're asking him to handle the expense claims. Do you think the accounting office is too idle, or do you think I haven't lost face enough?" He leaned forward slightly, staring at Huang Liang, his tone carrying a subtle hint of pressure. "Dianshi Huang, as your superior, I'm asking you to do something within your purview. What's the matter? You're so hesitant and evasive. Do you think I can't make you do what you want, or do you think this Dianshi position is too comfortable?"

This almost direct beating caused Huang Liang's face to turn from red to white, and then from white to blue. His chest heaved violently, his lips trembled, and after a long pause, he finally squeezed out two words filled with resentment, not loud but unusually clear:

"Humph! Lazy official!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and strode out without looking back, his footsteps so heavy that it seemed as if they could wear through the floor tiles.

A dead silence fell in the government office. Zhao Peixin looked up from his account book, stunned. Several yamen runners were so frightened that they shrank their necks and dared not breathe.

Zhang Jingwei was also taken aback by Huang Liang's sudden outburst. He watched Huang Liang's furious figure disappear without getting angry. Instead, he stroked his chin, revealing a playful smile, and whispered to himself:

"Huh... Why is Huang Liang getting more and more irritable? It seems that he didn't sleep well last night? Or... Is it... The burden of acting as the chief clerk has made him really angry?" He shook his head and picked up another file, but the smile on the corner of his mouth deepened.

This dull county government office seemed to have gained some unexpected liveliness because of Huang Liang's comment "lazy official".

A voice, tinged with a hint of teasing and indifference, suddenly rang out from the doorway, like a piece of ice thrown into the water that had just calmed down:

"Haha, Lord Zhang has such great authority!"

This voice! Zhang Jingwei looked up suddenly and saw that the shopkeeper Shen of Gaoyang Tower had quietly stood at the door of the government office without anyone noticing! He was still wearing the brocade robe made of high-quality material but not ostentatious, with his usual smile on his face.

Zhang Jingwei's heart was filled with alarm and he asked, "Manager Shen? This is a restricted area of ​​the county government, no entry allowed! How did you get in?!" His hand subconsciously pressed on the token at his waist.

Shopkeeper Shen seemed oblivious to the overwhelming pressure and strolled in leisurely, his steps as leisurely as if he were strolling in his own garden. His gaze swept over the clerks, their heads bowed, and finally landed on Zhang Jingwei's tense face. The smile on his lips deepened, and he uttered four words lightly:

"Money can make the world go round."

These four words, like a bolt from the blue, exploded in Zhang Jingwei's mind!

"hiss……"

He almost instinctively gasped, a chill running up his spine and into his head! These were exactly the words he had said to Wang Ergou in the study yesterday! How could... how could Manager Shen say such words?!

Wang Ergou...betrayal?

This thought instantly bit his heart like a venomous snake. No, it couldn't be! He slammed down this horrible thought. It had to be a coincidence! Was it that old fox Manager Shen had a keen sense of smell, or...he had spies nearby eavesdropping? Yes, it had to be like this!

Zhang Jingwei forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, and kept a calm expression on his face, but his eyes were fixed even colder on Shopkeeper Shen.

Shopkeeper Shen seemed pleased to see Zhang Jingwei's momentary loss of composure. He waved his hand with a casual air, his smile still impeccable. "Oh, it was just a joke! Please don't take it as an offense, Master Zhang." He glanced around the government office, as if admiring the scenery. "I heard quite a commotion inside, and curious, I couldn't help but come over to take a look. Actually, I'm here to handle some paperwork." As he spoke, he pulled a document from his sleeve and respectfully presented it with both hands. "According to your previous instructions, the prohibited rooms in Gaoyang Tower have been completely demolished. The remodeler needs to report the formalities at the workshop."

Zhang Jingwei took the document, threw it on the table without even looking at it, stared at Manager Shen with a hawk-like gaze, and a cold arc appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Well, be good." This word carried a condescending meaning, almost like admonishing a pet, deliberate and sharp.

The smile on Shopkeeper Shen's face faltered slightly, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He bowed and said, "Since the documents have been submitted, I will now proceed..."

"Wait." Zhang Jingwei's voice was not loud, but it carried an irresistible force.

Manager Shen paused and leaned slightly to the side. "What else do you want, sir?"

Zhang Jingwei leaned forward slightly, his hands folded on the table, his eyes scrutinizing and a hint of amusement as he slowly said, "Manager Shen, I helped you with a favor, and you won't even say 'thank you'?"

Shopkeeper Shen stood quietly, his back to Zhang Jingwei. After a few breaths, he slowly and perfectly turned around, bowing deeply in Zhang Jingwei's direction. He raised his head, his round smile returning to his face, even brighter than before. His voice rose a few notches, echoing clearly in the silent government office: "I am Shen Kaiyang, and I would like to thank Master Zhang!"