I Am Merely a Groom

"As I just stated, I will allow all you talented individuals to refuse this matter. Now that Martial Master Fu wishes to withdraw, I certainly won't go back on my word..." Prefect He's expression turned angry for a moment, but then he suddenly smiled. Instead of punishing Fu Zhizhou for insubordination, he said this.

The Martial Masters in the hall heard this and looked surprised, a wave of murmurs spreading through them.

They hadn't expected Prefect He to be so accommodating. If they had known, they would have stood up with Wei Tu and the others to refuse directly.

Aside from a few Martial Masters blinded by greed, the remaining Martial Masters agreed to go to Wu Yun Tower not out of willingness, but out of fear of Prefect He's oppressive power. They worried that refusing would offend the prefectural official before them.

"But—"

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

The Martial Masters fell silent, their gazes turning towards the main seat where Prefect He was.

At this moment, Prefect He, who had spoken, picked up a tea cup from the tea table and stood up.

Dressed as a scholar, with a scholarly demeanor, he stood among the Martial Masters, appearing extremely frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

Yet Prefect He showed no signs of stage fright. He surveyed the Martial Masters around him, his gaze cold. Those who met his eyes instantly felt a chill and lowered their heads, bowing their bodies, daring not to look up.

This was the power of an official.

One word.

One movement.

It was enough to plunge the atmosphere in the hall into instant oppression and tension.

At this moment, everyone in the hall remained silent, seemingly hearing only their own heavy breathing...

Finally, Prefect He's gaze swept over the topknots of the Martial Masters in the hall, then over Fu Zhizhou's face, before landing on Wei Tu, Wei Fei, and Kou Liang.

All the pressure in the room.

At this moment.

Shifted onto the three of them.

The Martial Masters, who had been holding their breath, let out a sigh of relief.

"But... Fu Zhizhou is different from you three. His uncle is a battalion commander in the Xiao Yi Prefecture's garrison troops, a seventh-rank official..."

"Even if he gives up this opportunity for promotion today, he can still receive his uncle's guidance tomorrow. What about you three?"

Surprisingly, Prefect He's words were gentle, like a kind teacher instructing a disobedient student.

He didn't utter a single word of blame towards Wei Tu and the others. All that was present were earnest words as if he were lecturing.

However.

These words sent a bone-chilling coldness through the Martial Masters.

This statement confirmed their suspicions: refusing this task could lead to Prefect He's suppression and targeting.

Prefect He's implied meaning was—

Fu Zhizhou could refuse.

That was because Fu Zhizhou had the protection of his uncle, a seventh-rank military official. Even if suppressed, he would only endure a few years of hard labor before being promoted.

But what about Wei Tu and the other two?

After being suppressed, they might never be promoted and would die at the bottom.

"This..."

Hearing this, Fu Zhizhou's throat bobbed. He wanted to speak urgently, to advise Wei Tu and the others not to be swayed by Prefect He.

But under Prefect He's scrutinizing gaze, he had to swallow his words, hold them back, and remain silent.

Besides.

What Prefect He said was also the truth. The reason he dared to stand out and refuse immediately was directly related to his uncle, a seventh-rank military official.

—Having a background gave him the ability to be 'willful.'

"Martial men are just martial men. A few words... and they back down." After waiting for a moment and seeing that Wei Tu and the other two hadn't replied, Prefect He sneered in his heart, thinking to himself.

"Behind me, there is no Fu family, nor Fu Zhizhou's uncle who is a seventh-rank military official..."

"But I, Kou, am clumsy... I fear I might mess up Prefect Lord's plans. I beg the Prefect Lord's forgiveness."

At this moment, a voice unexpectedly broke the silence in the hall, spoken by Kou Liang, who stood beside Fu Zhizhou.

Instantly.

The atmosphere in the hall once again fell into a deathly silence.

No one dared to speak loudly.

Not even to breathe heavily.

However.

Before anyone could react.

Half a breath later, Wei Tu, standing alongside Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang, also spoke.

Compared to Kou Liang, Wei Tu was much more polite. He cupped his hands towards Prefect He and said, "My status is humble. Before participating in the Martial Arts Examination, I was merely a groom, looked down upon by others. Now... even as a low-ranking military official, I believe... it will be much better than my previous life..."

It had been less than half a day since they met, so he didn't feel any brotherly affection for Fu Zhizhou and the others yet. However, he knew he had to do everything he could to avoid this "disaster"... even if it meant being targeted by Prefect He.

To be subjected to this again...

Could it possibly be worse than the day he redeemed himself?

Very soon.

After Wei Tu finished speaking.

Wei Fei also gritted his teeth and spoke. However, unlike Wei Tu and the other two, he only said, "Me too."

But this single sentence already showed his stance. The number of words didn't matter.

After hearing the words of the three.

Prefect He understood the intentions of Wei Tu and the other three. He didn't try to persuade them further. He secretly noted down the names of the four in his heart, then turned his gaze to the other Martial Masters and said, "Your concerns... are merely about the secrecy of this mission, aren't they?"

"You were all invited by this official, so you all have clean backgrounds and bright futures as Martial Masters... I don't expect any of you would easily leak the secrets here. As for the maidservants and servants in the house, they are all my trusted confidants and won't gossip..."

As his voice fell.

The Martial Masters who had intended to imitate Wei Tu and the other three by defying Prefect He immediately began to waver. They stopped in their tracks, not daring to take the "second step."

Prefect He's words did have some reason. The Martial Masters present were not ordinary people; why would they easily leak secrets?

And the maidservants and servants, as confidants who had been with Prefect He for a long time, were even more trustworthy in terms of keeping secrets than other Martial Masters.

Wei Tu and the others were unaware of these subtle thoughts of the Martial Masters. After exchanging glances, they cupped their fists and bid farewell to Prefect He.

Under the gaze of all the Martial Masters.

The four of them walked out of the living room together and left the Prefectural Yamen of Qing Feng Prefecture.

"That was close..."

"I almost let Prefect He persuade me and didn't dare to refuse again..."

Outside the Prefectural Yamen, Kou Liang patted his chest, took a few deep breaths, and then smiled.

"Brother Kou, thank you," Fu Zhizhou said, patting Kou Liang's shoulder with a grateful expression.

If Kou Liang had backed down just now and hadn't spoken up in time, he, Fu Zhizhou, would have been "ruined."

"And Brother Wei, Brother Wei!"

"Great kindness needs no thanks."

Then, Fu Zhizhou turned around and looked at Wei Tu and Wei Fei behind him. He chuckled a few times, and his rough hands immediately clasped theirs tightly.

He and Kou Liang had a friendship from their hometown.

But with Wei Tu and Wei Fei, it was only their first meeting.

This time, Wei Tu and Wei Fei had accompanied him, a "young master," on this risky endeavor—although a considerable part of the reason was for their own benefit, there was also a kindness shown to him.

"Back at the yamen, we said that after leaving, we'd become sworn brothers and help each other when in trouble!"

"Prefect He can suppress us brothers for at most a year. Once this newcomer leaves, I'll use my connections to help you both out."

Fu Zhizhou patted his chest and said heartily.

"Let's go to Xuan He Tower for a drink first."

"When dawn arrives, the Dao Examination results will be posted. We'll see then what tricks Prefect He can play..."

Kou Liang smiled and said.

Having gone through this hardship together, the four of them, despite meeting for the first time, had undoubtedly gained more trust in each other than with other acquaintances.

"The Dao Examination is the grand selection of talents for Shannan Dao. What influence can a mere prefect have? The Martial Arts Examination is not the civil examination; the winner and loser are obvious at a glance."

Hearing Kou Liang's words, Fu Zhizhou immediately chuckled, expressing his disdain for Prefect He's capabilities.