My brother will marry a hundred wives someday

Lin Pingzhi was an earnest young man.

Before long, he had set up the grill and charcoal stove and had people prepare all kinds of vegetables, beef, and lamb. Then, without waiting for Song Xuan to ask, he cheerfully began grilling.

Song Xuan praised him. "You know how to make a good life for yourself. I imagine you'll make a good husband someday."

The praise left Lin Pingzhi a little embarrassed. Blushing, he said, "Anyone can tell you're no ordinary man, Brother Xuan. You must be very popular with the girls in the Imperial Capital, right?"

Song Xuan patted his shoulder. "You've got a good eye, young man. When we have time, I'll treat you to some music at a pleasure house."

"How could I let you pay, Brother Song? My treat. It absolutely has to be my treat!"

After saying that, he sensed something was wrong and noticed that Song Qian and Lin Daiyu were looking at them with undisguised disdain.

He immediately panicked a little and hurried to explain. "Well, that wasn't what I meant. Actually, I've never been to a place like that myself..."

"You care too much about what other people think!"

Song Xuan smiled. "Your Lin Household may be in business, but an escort agency isn't like an ordinary merchant establishment. You have to deal with people on both sides of the law. You're halfway between commerce and the martial world.

"In your line of work, you can listen to other people's advice, but you can't believe all of it. You can consider what they think, but you shouldn't care too much about it.

"If you care too much about others, you lose yourself. If the way you live and deal with people is always swayed by their opinions, what's the point of living that way?"

Lin Pingzhi looked thoughtful, but eventually shook his head. "I don't quite understand."

Song Xuan smiled. "Put simply, just follow your heart when you act. As for right and wrong, sometimes they're hard to judge."

"Follow my heart? Does that mean doing whatever makes me happy, and hitting back whenever someone provokes me?"

"More or less." Song Xuan smiled.

Lin Daiyu spoke up. "Cousin, you say we should follow our hearts. That's easy to say, but hard to do. How can anyone live in this world without any restraints?

"Even the emperor must have things he wants to do but can't, right?"

"Just because the emperor can't do something doesn't mean my brother can't!"

Song Qian took a bite of her skewer and spoke indistinctly as she swallowed. "Let me tell you, little cousin, my brother is going to become the strongest under heaven. Once he's invincible, he can do whatever he wants. Even if he marries a hundred wives, nobody will dare say a word against it!"

Song Xuan looked at her, torn between irritation and amusement. "Even food can't stop your mouth. Even if my kidneys were forged from iron, I couldn't marry that many wives."

"Mm-hmm!" Song Qian nodded. "A hundred really is a bit much. Three or five would do. But our family has only had one son in each generation for generations, so the great duty of carrying on the family line rests on you, Brother."

Watching the siblings joke with each other, Lin Pingzhi felt a little envious. "Brother Song, you must have quite a standing in the Imperial Capital, right? May I ask what you do?"

"We work at a government office," Song Xuan replied casually, taking a sip of wine.

"So you're government men." Lin Pingzhi smiled. "My father always tells me to get to know more people in government. I never expected to meet you by such a coincidence.

"Brother Song, if I run into trouble in the Imperial Capital in the future, can I ask you for help?"

"We're friends. There's no need to be so formal."

Song Xuan pointed at Song Qian. "If anything happens in the Imperial Capital, just mention your Sister Qian's name. It'll work like a charm."

"Huh?"

Lin Pingzhi froze. "Sister Qian is that impressive? Does she work at the government office too?"

"Yes!"

Song Xuan tore off a piece of lamb leg and took a bite. "Actually, we're on our way to take up posts in Jiangzhe Prefecture. We probably won't be staying in the Imperial Capital for the next few years.

"I'm afraid we won't be much help in the Imperial Capital, but we'll have some influence around Jiangzhe."

Lin Pingzhi said excitedly, "Our Lin Household has quite a few businesses in Jiangzhe Prefecture too, and it isn't far from the Fortune and Prestige Escort Agency's headquarters. If you're taking up posts there, Brother Song, it'll be much easier for us to keep in touch."

"Oh, right, Brother Song, where is your office? Once this escort job is finished, I'll come visit you."

"I doubt you'll want to go there."

Song Qian laughed. "The Black Robe Guard Office. Would you dare visit?"

"Huh?"

Lin Pingzhi went blank, then gave an awkward smile. His previously relaxed body immediately straightened, and he looked at Song Xuan with a touch of awe.

"Brother Song, you're a member of the Black Robe Guard?"

"That's right! Scared?"

"A little." Lin Pingzhi's smile was strained. "I always thought the Black Robe Guard all looked like savage gods and vicious demons. I never imagined there'd be someone as gentle as you, Brother Song."

"The Black Robe Guard are people too. We're not as frightening as you think. Relatively speaking, our main targets are people in the martial world and the official ranks.

"We don't go out of our way to make trouble for ordinary folk."

"I see..." Lin Pingzhi smiled. "I don't know much about the Black Robe Guard. All I knew was that its name could stop a child from crying. Hearing you explain it, Brother Song, it sounds easier to deal with than the other government offices."

Song Xuan waved a hand. "What I say isn't necessarily right either. Whether we're good or bad is something you need to judge for yourself. You can't simply believe whatever someone tells you.

"Sometimes what you hear isn't necessarily true, and what you see isn't necessarily true either.

"Before doing anything, try to think through its causes and consequences. Don't let a rush of impulse bring disaster down on you and your family."

Lin Pingzhi felt that Song Xuan's words held another meaning, as though he was hinting at something.

But after thinking it over and carefully recalling recent events, he hadn't impulsively caused any trouble lately. He had also begun trying to take over the family business and learning how to deal with people. He shouldn't have made any mistakes.

He merely smiled, deciding that since Brother Song worked in a government office, he probably just liked lecturing people. He wasn't necessarily hinting at anything.

Perhaps he was simply overthinking it?

River City Commandery.

The commandery governor stared at the corpse laid out in the courtyard, his eyes so cold and sinister that he looked ready to devour someone.

His son had only gone to one of the counties under his jurisdiction for a few days of amusement. Yet after just a few days apart, he had been brought home as a corpse.

The white-haired had to bury the black-haired. Even with his lofty position, the pain of losing his son made his entire body tremble.

"Have you found anything?" Wiping away his tears, he turned to question the chief constable behind him.

"My lord, the rain was rather heavy that day and washed away all traces. We couldn't find anything at the scene."

The chief constable continued, "The young master and all his guards died this time. Even an expert like Old Zhou fell to a sword. Whoever did this must be a renowned expert in the martial world.

"My lord, this is beyond our office's ability to handle. We must report it to the Black Robe Guard and let them deal with it!"

The commandery governor clenched his fists and said bitterly, "People from the martial world again! These warriors use their strength to flout the law. His Majesty is simply too merciful. Those lawless people of the martial world should be slaughtered to the last!"

Taking a deep breath, he ordered, "Write down everything you've found. I will report it to the Black Robe Guard Office tomorrow."

"I may be unable to do anything about those martial-world bandits, but someone else will deal with them!"