Little Constable, Don't Make Me Beg You on My Knees

County Lieutenant Qin sprang to his feet in a fury, then switched to a fawning smile. His once-straight back bent considerably.

He hurried out and invited in the brat he'd just called a loudmouth with no upbringing.

Xiao He.

At the sight of that face, Xiang Yuan's eyelid twitched. He'd known today would be his unlucky day, but he hadn't expected it to be this unlucky.

"Brother Yuan, why didn't you come get the umbrella when I asked you to? Did you forget?"

Xiao He grinned as he circled Xiang Yuan, who said nothing and ignored him. County Lieutenant Qin circled Xiao He with a broad smile, but Xiao He didn't even turn around, treating him like air.

They were so alike!

Old Liu watched the scene in astonishment. A shrewd man like him immediately guessed that Xiao He came from an extraordinary background. He just couldn't understand when Xiang Yuan, a fellow peasant, had gotten to know someone like him.

And it looked like Xiao He had made the first move.

How strange!

If Old Liu had been in Xiang Yuan's shoes, he'd have latched onto Xiao He without waiting for Xiao He to come to him.

Old Liu glanced at Xiang Yuan, who gave a slight shake of his head and stayed silent.

Xiao He's friendly overtures had met with a cold shoulder, but he wasn't angry or disappointed. He turned to County Lieutenant Qin and looked down his nose at him. "Who are you, and why are you yapping away?"

"Your humble servant is Qin Yun, County Lieutenant of Fengxian County. Do you remember me, young master? When you first arrived in our county, Lord Sima and Lord Wu held a welcome banquet for you. I even toasted you twice!" County Lieutenant Qin's back bent even further.

"Oh, so it was you. I vaguely remember something like that."

Xiao He blinked, looking as if he couldn't remember who Qin Yun was. "Important people forget things easily. Please forgive me if I've offended you, Lord Qin."

"You jest, young master. There's no lord here," County Lieutenant Qin said ingratiatingly.

"Save your laughter. I heard you clearly just now. You asked who had come and what kind of family had raised a brat like me, didn't you?"

Xiao He narrowed his eyes. "My father is Xiao Yan. He raised me to be this good-for-nothing. If you don't believe me, go to Zhendian Prefecture in Guan Mountain Circuit and ask him yourself."

In an instant, County Lieutenant Qin broke into a cold sweat. He trembled, his face as white as paper, and stammered, "Your humble servant spoke out of turn. Please go easy on me, young master. Whatever you do, don't let King Zhao hear of this."

King Zhao!

The lord of eight prefectures, head of the Guan Mountain Circuit Grand Secretariat.

This kid came from such a powerful family?

Xiang Yuan could hardly believe it. Xiao He didn't look like a prince's son from head to toe. Was this a classic case of a mighty father raising a useless son—a hero's child turning into a little monster?

Old Liu was just as shocked. He knew more than Xiang Yuan and had heard about the situation at the King Zhao Residence. He even knew an amusing story about the prince.

Years ago, a Daoist had read Xiao Yan's fortune and said he was destined to have ninety-nine sons. Only when the nine nines returned to one would his fate be complete.

Xiao Yan had fathered children at a furious pace. Finding that too slow, he'd also taken in a great many adopted sons. By now, he must have had at least eighty, if not ninety.

In that case, sending his most troublesome, most unruly son to Fengxian County so he wouldn't have to see him was perfectly understandable.

What astonished Old Liu wasn't Xiao He's background. It was, as he'd wondered before, how Xiang Yuan had gotten connected with someone like him—and even managed to charm him senseless.

Why had Old Liu never run into such good luck?

Meanwhile, Xiao He had County Lieutenant Qin firmly under his thumb. Relying on his father's power over the eight prefectures, he toyed with the county lieutenant until the man was beside himself.

Only after he'd had his fun did he slowly ask, "Little Qin, who are you hosting this banquet for? This constable and Brother Yuan?"

"Brother Yuan..."

County Lieutenant Qin shot Xiang Yuan a resentful look. If you had powerful connections, why didn't you say so earlier? What a mess. He'd have to punish himself with three cups later, and he'd certainly be more careful in the future.

Little constable, don't make me beg you on my knees!

Noticing County Lieutenant Qin's look, Xiang Yuan had no choice, however unwilling, but to accept Xiao He's help. He said slowly, "Young Master Xiao, Old Liu and I worked hard on a case and made a great contribution. County Lieutenant Qin specially arranged this banquet to reward us."

"Exactly, exactly." County Lieutenant Qin nodded repeatedly, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

Old Liu was a nobody and had no right to speak. He nodded along, confirming that County Lieutenant Qin was hosting them today.

"I knew it. Brother Yuan's such a good-tempered fellow; there's no way he'd offend anyone..."

Xiao He stepped forward, hooked an arm around Xiang Yuan's, and loudly prattled on. "Why call me Young Master Xiao? We hit it off at first sight and share the same rotten tastes. It's like we're long-lost brothers. What do you say? Want to become sworn brothers tonight?"

That's called sharing interests. If you can't use an idiom properly, don't use one.

And who said we shared the same interests?

Xiao He kept chattering away. "My old man still needs a few adopted sons to fill out the numbers, and there are still spots among my sworn brothers. You'd be perfect. I'll write him a letter. He's always annoyed with me, so he'll definitely agree just to get some peace and quiet. Then we really will be brothers."

That was a lot to take in. Xiang Yuan didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent.

Xiao He's friendly overtures had met with a cold shoulder, but there was always someone else ready to fawn over him. County Lieutenant Qin stepped forward, gave Xiao He the seat of honor, called over the waiters, and spent a fortune.

Before they took their seats, Old Liu tugged Xiang Yuan's sleeve and told him this was a golden opportunity. He should seize it and not end up like Old Liu, no more than dust and weeds.

Old Liu had already made up his mind. No matter how many sons King Zhao had, Xiao He was still his flesh and blood. If Xiang Yuan latched onto him, he'd surely rise to great heights one day. The five taels of silver could wait. Old Liu would ask for a favor once Xiang Yuan became someone important.

If Xiang Yuan never paid him back, that was fine too. It was only five taels. Old Liu could grit his teeth and treat it as a bet he'd lost.

It really was a golden opportunity, but...

Xiang Yuan glanced at Xiao He and County Lieutenant Qin, who were raising cups and exchanging toasts. He couldn't help thinking the whole thing was suspicious, as if someone had set it up.

Suppose Xiao He and County Lieutenant Qin had known each other all along. Suppose Xiao He had noticed that Xiang Yuan was no ordinary man, failed to return the umbrella, and deliberately waited for him outside the county office. Then, after Xiang Yuan came out, he'd called over two servants... And so on, and so forth. That would explain how they'd ended up at this table.

At the thought, Xiang Yuan laughed at himself.

Sure, he'd studied under a renowned master and learned a divine art, but who knew that?

Someone as uneducated as Xiao He couldn't even use idioms properly. How could he have figured it all out?

Come on. Heartless Daoist had covered his tracks perfectly, leaving not a trace behind. Xiao He didn't have that kind of ability, let alone the cunning.

Xiang Yuan laughed at his own wild imaginings. He'd learned a little skill and already grown arrogant, thinking everyone had to indulge him, flock around him, and curry favor with him. The truth was simple: Xiao He was just a goofball. Goofballs thought in strange ways, and everything that had happened today was merely a coincidence. They'd just happened to cross paths.

If there was any deeper meaning, it was this: the umbrella had brought them together. Xiang Yuan had held it for Xiao He, and that was the cause; Xiao He had come to his rescue, and that was the result.

At that thought, Xiang Yuan's mind suddenly cleared. Xiao He was indeed someone destined to cross his path during this transitional period. The umbrella had brought them together, and through Xiao He, he'd be introduced to Xiao Yan, King Zhao.

That was the future Heartless Daoist had spoken of.

Master, your disciple understands! I'll cross through a thousand troops and find a way to reunite with my adoptive father!

And as it happened, there was a little path right through the middle of the banquet.

"Heh heh heh..."

After several rounds of drinks, Xiao He clamored to find some girls. County Lieutenant Qin hurriedly paid out silver and called over several women who sang and played instruments.

The respectable kind.

He was only a low-ranking ninth-grade official. Even if he had ten times the nerve, he wouldn't dare take the son of the head of the Grand Secretariat to a brothel. If word got out, forget Zhendian Prefecture—even Sima Changhui, who represented the Noble Families' interests, wouldn't let him off lightly.

Xiang Yuan hadn't been drinking. At his age, he wouldn't have looked out of place at the children's table. He kept his head down and ate, responding to everything Xiao He and County Lieutenant Qin said with, "Yes, exactly."

"Little Qin, ever since I came to Dezhou's Fengxian County, I've studied hard every day. I don't even have a playmate in my spare time. It's driving me crazy."

"What does Young Master Xiao mean?"

County Lieutenant Qin's eyes lit up. He flattered him, saying, "Given your noble status, the county office should assign someone to protect you. Older men may know the rules, but they're rigid and can't adapt. They might easily displease you."

"Sounds reasonable."

"I think Brother Xiang would be perfect. He's sharp, eloquent, highly skilled in martial arts, and upright. With him protecting you, he could also keep you company in your spare time."

"Brother Yuan's a constable, and he has official duties. That wouldn't be appropriate... would it?"

"Of course it would. It couldn't be more appropriate! I'll go back and issue the order right away, assigning him to protect you personally."

With a few words, public office had been turned to private use.