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

The alley in front of the clinic was already narrow and dark, and with a few burly men blocking the way, not even a bit of light could get in.

The burly man in the lead, with a face full of flesh and arms folded, looked Yuan Liang up and down and said in a gruff voice, "Are you Yuan Liang?"

Yuan Liang's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly thought that something was wrong. He forced himself to remain calm and bowed, trying to act like a lawyer: "It's me. I wonder what you gentlemen want from me? Is there any legal dispute that you need to represent me in?" He hoped to scare the other party with the title of "lawyer".

The burly man spat and grinned, "Lawsuit? I won't argue with you today, I'll just fight with my fists!"

Before he could finish his words, the other people had already surrounded him tacitly, trapping him in the middle. The cold and rough touch of the alley wall pressed against his back.

Yuan Liang broke out in a cold sweat instantly, his voice tense: "My...my dear men! Let's talk it out! A gentleman uses words, not fists! If you want money, I...I still have a few coins on me..." He subconsciously touched the few remaining copper coins in his arms.

"Who the hell calls you a gentleman? Beat him up!" The burly man didn't give him a chance to talk nonsense and punched him in the face!

Yuan Liang was so frightened that his soul was about to leave his body. His survival instinct made him throw the two greasy black plasters he had just bought at the eyes of the man in front of him. At the same time, he lowered his body and squeezed out from the gap between the two people like a loach, and ran towards the entrance of the alley!

"Fuck! You dare to fight back! Chase him! Don't let this jerk get away!" The strong man wiped off the ointment on his eyelids, yelled in anger, and chased after him with his men.

Yuan Liang had never run so fast in his life. His lungs burned with pain, and the sound of footsteps and curses followed him like a shadow. He panicked, choosing only narrow, winding alleys. He was filled with fear and anger: This was most likely Zhou Yaoxian, that vengeful villain! It had only been a short while, and already, revenge was coming!

But he underestimated their physical strength and familiarity with the terrain. Before long, he despairingly discovered he had been cornered in a dead end! A high brick wall stood before him, completely blocking his way.

Yuan Liang leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. He looked at the burly men approaching with a fierce grin and shouted in a weak voice, "Who... who are you?! In broad daylight, in the open! How dare you commit violence in the street! Do you know who I am? I'm a lawyer with a good reputation! You dare to touch me? Aren't you afraid of the law? Be careful or I'll sue every one of you!"

The leading burly man acted as if he had heard a ridiculous joke. He pulled out a gleaming dagger from his waist and weighed it in his hand. "When you die, I'll cut off your eloquent lips and see if they're made of stone! Don't you know who you've offended? And you're still playing dumb in front of me!"

Seeing that the other party was about to kill him, Yuan Liang panicked and shouted at the top of his voice: "Help! Help! Someone is killing someone——!"

At this critical moment, a burst of hurried and orderly footsteps suddenly came from the alley entrance, accompanied by a majestic shout: "What are you doing! Gathering to fight! Catch them all!"

I saw a team of soldiers in helmets and armor descending like gods from the sky, rushing into the narrow alley quickly, with swords and guns drawn, and in an instant they twisted the arms of those strong men who were caught off guard and pinned them to the ground.

Yuan Liang collapsed, sliding down the wall and sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. Still in shock, he bowed repeatedly to the leading officer, "Thank you so much, General! Thank you so much for saving my life!"

The officer didn't look at him, but only glanced at the subdued criminal. Then he turned his gaze to Yuan Liang, looked him up and down, and said in a flat tone: "Are you Yuan Liang, Yuan Tangjing?"

Yuan Liang was stunned for a moment, then nodded subconsciously: "It's... it's me."

The officer nodded and said, "Well, my master invites you to his house for a chat."

Yuan Liang's heart was suddenly filled with anxiety, and he asked cautiously, "Excuse me, sir, who is the master in your family?"

The officer's face was expressionless as he uttered a few words: "Jinzhou's deputy commander, Gao Fei, Lord Gao."

Gao? The deputy general known for his honesty, taciturnity, and even a slight stutter? Yuan Liang's heart was in turmoil. He had never met General Gao before, so why would he suddenly come to him? And at this time? He asked tentatively, "Uh... General, I've just been frightened. Can I visit General Gao another day?"

The officer looked at him as if he were a fool, sighed, and said with a tone of disappointment: "Alas... Mr. Yuan, you seem to be a smart man, how come you don't have such good sense? Did you really think you just happened to run into us patrolling the streets?"

He kicked a burly man who was being held down nearby. "Look closely! The thick calluses on their knuckles, fingertips, and palms! They're the result of years of wielding swords, slashing with bows, and shooting arrows! What servant in a wealthy family could have those? They're clearly soldiers! They're out to take your life!"

Yuan Liang heard this and took a closer look. It was indeed the case! He had previously thought they were thugs sent by Zhou Yaoxian, but now he was startled and a layer of cold sweat instantly formed on his back. "This...this..."

The officer waved his hand impatiently: "There's no need to waste time. The Gao Mansion is not far ahead. You'll understand once you see the master. Let's go. Don't keep the master waiting."

……

高府

The house was indeed as Yuan Liang had heard, even simpler than he had imagined. The front was small, with gray walls and black tiles, much like the surrounding houses. The only difference was the large, formal plaque above the door that read "Gao Mansion," with its black background and gold characters. It seemed out of place against the otherwise modest entrance, as if stubbornly asserting some unquestionable identity.

Yuan Liang muttered in a low voice: "I've heard that Lord Gao is honest, but I didn't expect... that he actually lives in a place like this." The officer leading the way glanced at him and didn't respond.

Entering the courtyard, the interior was even simpler, with almost no decent furnishings, only a few hardy trees and an old well. The officer led him to the main door: "Master Gao is inside, please go in."

Yuan Liang took a deep breath, straightened his messy robe, and then pushed the door open and walked in.

The furnishings inside the room were equally simple, but meticulously kept. Jinzhou's deputy general, Gao Fei, sat in the main chair, two steaming cups of coarse tea on the small table before him. He wore an old, homely robe, his face resolute and his eyes calm, devoid of the usual arrogance often associated with military commanders.

Yuan Liang hurried forward and bowed, "I am Yuan Liang, your honor to meet General Gao."

Gao Fei raised his hand, his voice indeed stuttering, but in a calm tone: "No...no need to be polite. Sit...sit." He pointed to the seat opposite.

Yuan Liang sat down halfway nervously and asked cautiously, "I wonder... General Gao summoned me here. What is his purpose?"

Gao Fei didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up his cup of tea and blew on it. Then he took out a letter from his sleeve and pushed it in front of Yuan Liang. He said concisely: "For... for my... my brother."

"General Gao's younger brother?" Yuan Liang was even more confused. He had never heard that Gao Fei had any younger brother in Jinzhou.

"Read it yourself." Gao Fei gestured for him to read the letter.

Yuan Liang picked up the letter with suspicion. The letter was made of common rough-edged paper, but the handwriting was so powerful that it pierced through the paper, carrying a familiar, bold tone that made him itch:

"Brother Gao, how are you these days? I've been dealing with a tough case in Gaoyang, and I've been so busy with other things that I haven't had time to write. I have a favor to ask of you: Today, I had my subordinate Mu Tou beat up one of the disciples of that old fox Wang Lian. Wang Lian is a meticulous and suspicious person, and this might make him think of the "torture scheme" and then kill Yuan Liang to silence him. Although this boy has some bad character, he does have great talent and will be very useful to me in my future plans. If he gets into trouble, I hope you can protect him and persuade him to come to Gaoyang to help me. - My brother Zhang Jingwei"

"Zhang! Jingwei!" After reading the letter, Yuan Liang was so angry that he was shaking all over, his knuckles cracking, and the letter crumpled in his hands! All the grievances, anger, and fear burst out at this moment! "It's all because of him! It's all because of him! I'm in this situation because of him! He still has the nerve to ask you to save me?! What does he think of me?!"

At that moment, the curtains of the inner room were lifted, and Gao Xiaolan slowly emerged in her wheelchair. Her face was still pale, but her eyes were clear and calm. She looked at the agitated Yuan Liang and said in a low voice with weight: "Mr. Yuan, today in the staff room, I rescued you once. Just now in the alley, my father saved you again. Are you sure you want to lose your composure like this in front of my father in my Gao family's house?"

Yuan Liang was choked by Gao Xiaolan's words. Seeing Gao Fei sitting silently, he suddenly realized that he was still in someone else's house. It was like being poured with a bucket of cold water. He forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, but his chest was still heaving violently. He gritted his teeth and said, "Miss Gao... I..."

Gao Xiaolan pushed the wheelchair closer, her tone softening slightly, but still firm. "Zhang Jingwei and my father are close friends. He read his letter and acted accordingly. Now, considering my Gao family's two interventions, Mr. Yuan, could you calm down and consider going to Gaoyang to lend him a hand? That's where you might be of real use."

Yuan Liang was so overwhelmed by anger and humiliation that he stiffened his neck and blurted out, "I...I won't go! I'd rather starve to death or be beaten to death on the streets of Jinzhou than go to Zhang Jingwei!"

Gao Xiaolan looked at him quietly for a moment, without getting angry or trying to persuade him. She just nodded gently, her tone still calm: "Everyone has their own aspirations. Since this is the case, it is not convenient to force it." She turned to the door, "Beta!"

The officer just now came in.

"Send Mr. Yuan back." Gao Xiaolan ordered, and added, "Be sure... to send him home safely." The word "safely" was slightly emphasized.

Yuan Liang looked at Gao Xiaolan's calm face, then at Gao Fei, who was as silent as a mountain. He opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. He grabbed the crumpled letter, turned around, and followed the officer out. His back was filled with resentment, anger, and a hint of confusion that he himself was unwilling to admit.