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

The lingering chimes of the Spring Festival ceremony still seemed to echo over Gaoyang City, while the Gaoyang Tower was already abuzz with clinking glasses and noisy laughter. The annual Spring Banquet brought together nearly all of Gaoyang City's leading figures. In the hall, decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, tables were filled with delicacies. The melodious sounds of stringed instruments filled the air, and the air was filled with the aroma of wine, food, and precious incense.

The main table, perched at the very top of the hall, boasted the best view and was covered in a scarlet velvet rug. Seated around it were Gaoyang City's true leaders: Shi Jincheng, representative of the Shi family; Zhou Lun, patriarch of the Zhou family, Gaoyang's largest grain merchant; Old Master Chen, patriarch of the highly respected "Longchang Trading Company" Chen family; along with the newly appointed county magistrate, Zhang Jingwei; Huang Liang, the prefect; and Yang Zhao, the Yunzhou inspector. Shen Kaiyang, the owner of Gaoyang Tower, also sat nearby, a flawless, respectful smile plastered across his face.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table seemed harmonious, but undercurrents were stirring. Shi Jincheng swirled the luminous glass cup in his hand, causing the amber wine to ripple. His narrow eyes swept over Yang Zhao and Huang Liang, who sat below him, and a hint of undisguised contempt curled up at the corner of his mouth. Finally, his gaze fell on Shen Kaiyang. His voice was not loud, but it was clear enough to drown out the sound of stringed instruments, with a condescending question:

"Shen Kaiyang," he spoke slowly, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter, "You are becoming more and more ignorant of the rules of the main table. Since when did even a ninth-rank official become qualified to sit at this table? There are no rules at all!" He directed his words at Yang Zhao and Huang Liang. The green robes that symbolized low-ranking officials were particularly dazzling in his eyes.

Yang Zhao, sitting next to Zhang Jingwei, frowned upon hearing this. He put down his wine glass, raised his thick eyebrows, and met Shi Jincheng's gaze fearlessly. His voice was loud and clear, with the toughness of a military background: "Young Master Shi, are you saying this because you can't stand us sitting here?"

Shen Kaiyang's heart tightened, and he hurriedly tried to smooth things over. His smile became even wider, with a bit of flattery: "Mr. Shi, you are joking, just joking. Inspector Yang and Dianshi Huang are both officials appointed by the court. Since they have official status, they should sit at the main table. This is courtesy and decency..." He tried to use "courtesy" to ease the situation.

"Official?" Shi Jincheng sneered, as if he had just heard a huge joke. He raised his hand and pointed at the dark blue seventh-rank county magistrate robe on Zhang Jingwei. "Look, this guy in the blue robe can barely be considered an official! As for you guys in the green robes..." He drew out his words, his eyes lightly sweeping over Yang Zhao and Huang Liang with extreme humiliation. "Oh, to put it bluntly, those bigger, more lucrative clerks in the city could crush you to death! How dare you sit at the same table with me, Shi Jincheng, and drink?"

These words were like dropping a huge rock into a calm lake! Not only did Yang Zhao and Huang Liang's faces turn pale, but even the usually smooth-talking Zhou Lun frowned, and Old Master Chen stroked his beard and shook his head slightly.

Zhou Lun put down his chopsticks and said in a low voice, but with a forceful tone: "Mr. Shi, what you said is wrong. So what if they are green-robed? So what if they are clerks? As long as they enforce the law impartially, if anyone dares to 'obey the stone' again, or commits crimes and violates the law, these 'green-robed' and 'clerks' will be arrested and punished just like us! Under the king's law, how can we allow people of different status to overstep their bounds?" His words were obviously alluding to some of the not-so-clean deeds of the Shi family in the past.

Shi Jincheng's face darkened instantly, as if he'd been poked in a sore spot. He turned sharply towards Zhou Lun, a cold glint in his eyes. "Master Zhou, are you trying to point fingers at me? What a show of authority!"

At this tense moment, Zhang Jingwei, who had been drinking silently and with an elegant demeanor, suddenly moved.

He didn't slam the table or yell. He was calm, even with a faint smile on his face, as he slowly raised the full glass of wine in front of him. Then, under everyone's astonished gaze, he gracefully raised his arm—

Wow!

A full cup of clear and spicy wine was poured without warning and with incredible precision onto Shi Jincheng's face, which was filled with arrogance and anger!

The wine flowed down Shi Jincheng's carefully styled bun, his high nose bridge, and his well-maintained cheeks, dripping onto his luxurious brocade robe, leaving dark stains. The entire main table fell into a momentary silence! The sound of stringed instruments had ceased at some point, and even the distant clamor seemed frozen by this sudden scene.

Zhang Jingwei remained seated, his posture barely altered. Only the gentle elegance in his deep eyes had vanished, replaced by a piercing coldness and undisguised disgust. His voice was quiet, yet resounding clearly in the hall, where a pin drop could be heard. Every word rang like ice beads hitting the ground: "Eat if you can, and get out if you can't."

"Zhang! Qi!" Shi Jincheng stood up abruptly, wiping the wine off his face. He was shaking with anger, pointing at Zhang Jingwei's nose, his voice distorted with extreme anger. "Do you fucking think this is your lousy county government office?! Open your dog eyes and look! This is Gaoyang Tower! It's my Shi family's property! It's my territory!"

"Your territory?" Zhang Jingwei sneered, his eyes looking at a clown. "Manager Shen, I'm giving you a favor. Before I really lose my temper, clear out those flies buzzing around the table, disturbing everyone's peace."

"You! Dare!" Shi Jincheng's eyes were bloodshot and he almost pounced on him.

Shen Kaiyang was sweating profusely. He knew if he didn't intervene, the situation would spiral out of control. He suddenly stepped forward, placing himself between Shi Jincheng and Zhang Jingwei. He bowed deeply to Shi Jincheng, his voice rapid and low, filled with unprecedented pleading: "Master! Master, calm down! Calm down! Have you forgotten... the host specifically instructed... that at today's Spring Banquet, harmony is paramount. Do not..." He didn't dare to say "Do not provoke Zhang Jingwei" outright, but could only hint at it.

"Master?" Shi Jincheng was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and he was furious. "Do you still know who your master is?! Shen Kaiyang, I think you've been a little bit arrogant lately!"

"Young Master!" Shen Kaiyang's voice was stern. He knew he had to cut the Gordian knot. Without hesitation, he winked at the black-clad woman who had been standing silently in the shadows behind Shi Jincheng, like a statue. "Mute girl! Young Master is drunk! Help him to the elegant resthouse to sober up! Quick!"

The woman known as the "Mute Girl" flashed by, as fast as a ghost, and instantly appeared beside Shi Jincheng. Her face was expressionless, her eyes cold, but her movements were filled with irresistible force. She seemed to be supporting him, but in fact she was half-forcing him to hold onto Shi Jincheng's arm.

Shi Jincheng was restrained by the "mute woman" and struggled for a few moments before being unable to move. He felt the undeniable strength coming from the other woman's hands. He looked at the stunned, complicated, and even somewhat spectacle-filled eyes of the guests in the room, and thought of his father's stern warning. A huge feeling of humiliation and powerlessness washed over him. He stared at Zhang Jingwei, who remained seated as still as a mountain, his eyes icy cold. His chest heaved violently, and he finally squeezed out a "Hmph!" through his teeth.

Then, he violently shook off the "mute girl's" hand (of course, it was more like the "mute girl" let go of him), swung his wide brocade sleeves fiercely, and with wine stains all over his body and anger rising to the sky, he strode away from the main table without looking back, with the "mute girl" following silently, and walked towards the back hall.

The main table was a mess, with wine and water spilling everywhere, and the atmosphere had reached freezing point. Shen Kaiyang quickly called for the waiter to clean up, repeatedly apologizing to everyone.

Zhang Jingwei, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He picked up the wine jug, refilled his own glass, and raised his glass to Zhou Lun, Old Master Chen, and the others. His gentle smile returned to his face. "A little incident, I'm sorry to have disturbed your leisure. Come, Jingwei, I'll drink a glass as punishment. Everyone, please."