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

The carriage jolted along for two days and two nights, and finally arrived at Gaoyang County at night.

Yuan Liang opened the car curtain and looked out the window at the unfamiliar yet destined street scene. His voice was tired, yet also filled with a sense of relief: "Mom, Ash, we're here."

Ash was the first to jump off the carriage. He stretched vigorously, twisted his body, which was almost broken by the shaking, and complained with a grimace, "Finally, we're here! If I sit down any longer, my bones will really fall apart on the road!"

Yuan Liang carefully helped his mother out of the car. Looking at her haggard face, he felt guilty. "Mom, I'm such an unfilial son. I've made you suffer this ordeal at such an old age with me..."

Yuan Liang's mother shook her head, "looking" at her son with her sightless eyes, and patted his arm with her rough hands. "Silly Liang, what nonsense are you talking about? As long as you and Ash are safe, what does this little hardship mean to me? It's all right now, it's all right now."

At this moment, a voice with a certain expected familiarity sounded from the side: "Tang Jing! I knew you would come back!"

Yuan Liang turned around and saw Qian Ming standing not far away, his hands folded, smiling, as if he had come here specially to wait. Yuan Liang immediately straightened his robe, took a few steps forward, and bowed respectfully, "Master Qian!"

Qian Ming waved his hand as a return gesture, and said simply, "That's perfect. It saves me from running errands. My young master is looking for you. Come with me."

Yuan Liang's heart tightened, but he remained expressionless. "Master, you're looking for me? What's the urgent matter?" He subconsciously glanced at his mother and younger brother behind him. "Could I please let me take care of my mother and younger brother first..."

Qian Ming followed his gaze and said straightforwardly, "Oh! What's the big deal? Old Madam and little brother, right? Don't worry, I'll have someone arrange for them to go directly to the official post station. I guarantee everything will be handled properly!"

Yuan Liang looked troubled and whispered, "Um... Master Qian, we... we don't have a travel permit, so I'm afraid we can't stay at the official inn..."

Upon hearing this, Qian Ming laughed heartily, with full confidence in Gaoyang: "Travel permit? In Gaoyang, in my young master's territory, that thing is just a decoration! If I say we can live here, we can live here! Don't worry!" He turned around and called over a policeman, and whispered a few words to him.

Although Yuan Liang's mother couldn't see, she heard clearly and said quickly, "Liang'er, business is more important. Go with Master Qian. I'm fine. Little Ash is with me."

Yuan Liang felt relieved when he saw Qian Ming's thoughtful arrangements. He said to his mother, "Then please bear with it for a while and rest at the official post. I will be back soon."

……

Qian Ming led Yuan Liang through the streets and alleys, all the way to the county magistrate's residence. On the way, Qian Ming briefly explained Zhang Jingwei's recent busyness and fatigue, but he was vague about what it was.

Arriving at the residence, compared to the grandeur of the Prince of Jin's Mansion, it seemed simple and even a little deserted. After Qian Ming reported, he led Yuan Liang into the study.

Zhang Jingwei was hunched over his desk, rubbing his brow over a pile of files. There was a noticeable dark spot under his eyes, and his face was covered in fatigue. Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw Yuan Liang. He forced a weak smile, "Tang Jing, you're here. Welcome back." His voice was a little hoarse.

Yuan Liang quickly glanced at the bare-as-naked study, feeling surprised, yet his expression remained respectful, even with a touch of appropriately appropriate emotion. "Your Excellency is truly a rare talent among officials of the Celestial Empire, for maintaining a county magistrate's residence in such a beautiful way...returning to simpler and more natural ways, and eschewing extravagance."

Zhang Jingwei seemed in no mood for polite conversation. He simply waved his hand, interrupting his flattery. "Let's talk about the niceties later. I called you here because I have something serious to ask you." He leaned forward slightly, staring sharply at Yuan Liang. "You handled many cases in Jinzhou. Let me ask you, have you ever handled... one of those cases where a rich young man abused a decent woman and got her pregnant?"

Yuan Liang's heart skipped a beat, and countless guesses flashed through his mind, but he didn't dare show any of it on his face. He just answered cautiously: "I have handled many cases of this kind. I don't know why you suddenly ask this, sir?" He tried to find out.

Zhang Jingwei frowned, his tone somewhat impatient: "Don't think too much, I just want to ask how this kind of case is usually handled."

Yuan Liang calmed down a bit and immediately, drawing on his experience in handling such matters, replied fluently, "Your Excellency, cases like these usually don't make it to court. They're usually settled privately. Giving the victim's family a sufficient sum of money will usually settle the matter."

"Give money? How much is appropriate?" Zhang Jingwei asked.

"It depends on the situation," Yuan Liang explained, his tone as professional as if he were analyzing the market price of goods. "If the woman is already married, the money should naturally be given to her husband to buy his silence. If she is still single, it should be given to her parents as compensation and hush money."

"What if... this woman has no parents and is not married yet?" Zhang Jingwei's voice became a little deeper.

Yuan Liang smiled a barely perceptible, almost grim smile. "This kind of thing is actually easier to deal with. Most of them are prostitutes from brothels or maids in the Imperial Music Bureau. They're already of low status. With a powerful abortion drug and double or triple the 'head wrapping fee' (the price of the prostitute), there's almost nothing we can't deal with."

Zhang Jingwei's brows furrowed even more, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. "What if...what if there's something that can't be handled? What if she insists on suing the authorities, or insists on having the child?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liang's professional indifference became even more pronounced, even taking on a sinister tone. "Sir, if you encounter such ungrateful and stubborn individuals... I've used extraordinary measures in the past to appease patrons." He lowered his voice. "For example, feign concern by treating them to a meal. Tamper with the food, using more cold ingredients that can easily cause miscarriage. Or... even more straightforward, simply put a sufficient amount of abortion drugs in their teacups or wine glasses. As long as the child is gone, their desire to sue the authorities will at least be reduced by half. After all, there's no evidence after death."

"You're so fucking..." Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath when he heard this, and an undisguised disgust and contempt appeared on his face. He seemed to have forced himself to hold back the last word.

Yuan Liang seemed not to notice his reaction. Instead, he raised his head, looking at Zhang Jingwei calmly and even with a certain sense of matter-of-factness, and said word by word, "Sir, if you want to win, if you want to completely solve the problem for your client, sometimes you have to do whatever it takes. The process is not important, it is the result that counts."

Zhang Jingwei stared at him for a long moment, his eyes as complicated as if he were looking at an extremely useful yet extremely dirty tool. Finally, he waved his hand in disgust, his tone icy, "If it weren't for the fact that you're still somewhat useful, I really wouldn't want to stay under the same roof with someone like you for a single moment!"

A strange smile slowly emerged on Yuan Liang's face, even a hint of self-confidence. "If Your Excellency truly hated me, why would you go to all this trouble, resorting to self-torture and asking General Gao to save me? Since Your Excellency saved me, naturally... you're willing to 'stay' with me, aren't you?"

Zhang Jingwei was choked by his words, his expression becoming even uglier. In the end, he just snorted coldly and ordered him to leave: "Hmph! You're so sharp-tongued! Go back and wait! I'll call you when I need you later!"

Yuan Liang said no more, bowed respectfully, and left the study. The moment he turned around, the smile on his face disappeared completely, leaving only a bottomless calm.