"No, what I meant was the two of us. Just... just him and me."
The guard pointed at the other guard who had been arrested with him.
The pale-faced guard nodded desperately.
"So the two of you were behind this whole enormous affair?"
Suotu narrowed his eyes. "You certainly don't look it. Who knew you two were so capable?"
"But what I really want to know is, what connection do you have to Wei Sizhong?"
"Ch-Chancellor Wei? My lord, surely you're joking! How could someone of his stature have any connection to nobodies like us?"
One guard waved his hands repeatedly. "Besides, even if we wanted to claim ties to someone influential, we wouldn't go about it like that! We've heard that the chancellor..."
At this point, the guard glanced around, cautiously edged closer to Suotu, and whispered, "The chancellor displeased His Majesty, and he's locked up in prison right now!"
"Who would dare try to claim a connection to him at a time like this?"
Suotu sneered. "You're remarkably well informed."
"You flatter us, my lord. We only picked it up through hearsay."
The guard gave a guileless smile. "My lord, you see, we only started fighting in the street because we lost our heads for a moment. After that talking-to you gave us, all the fight's gone out of me."
"My lord, you're a magnanimous man. Please spare me! I swear I'll never act like a fool again! If anything like this happens again, have your men tie me up and hang me upside down at the city gate! Would that do?"
"Now you realize what a scoundrel you were being?" Suotu raised his eyelids slightly.
"Yes, yes! What good could come of keeping my head so muddled?"
"You've got a nimble tongue and a quick mind. Unfortunately,