Chapter 4: Making a Big Show of It

  Yang Bo saw himself with a majestic aura, intimidating the entire audience, and couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself, only this majestic aura lasted just a bit too long...

  The servant behind him coughed softly, and only then did Lord Zhou Guangbi come back to his senses. As someone who had been through the ups and downs of Andongwei for decades, he naturally had a deeper understanding of the situation than ordinary people. He cleared his throat and said calmly, "So it's Trial Officer Yang who has arrived..."

  "I don't dare, I don't dare... a humble person has seen Lord Zhou, Lord Wang and other colleagues..." Yang Bo heard this and quickly straightened up, his right hand secretly rubbing the numbness in his waist.

  Yang Bo gave a wink to the scholar, who then handed over the imperial edict and military registration documents, along with a letter of recommendation from the old governor, which contained a silver note slipped in by Yang Bo...

  Mr. Zhou finished reading the letter of recommendation and quietly handed it over to his servant behind him before clearing his throat and speaking up.

  "Since it's Old Master Du's strong recommendation, I suppose it can't be wrong, right? You're surnamed Yang, what's your full name?"

  "Can't you see that these are all leftovers from my games? Yang Bo suppressed his discontent, but his face still wore a foolish expression. He took another step forward and bowed again: "I am Yang Bo, courtesy name Zhiyan, from Xuzhou Prefecture."

  "Oh?"

  Master Zhou suddenly enlightened, said: "Oh, it's actually Young Master Yang Zhi Xian, why didn't you stay in Xuzhou to get promoted and rich, but instead ran all the way to our poor Shimo Village?"

  Magistrate Zhou intentionally emphasized the two words "knowing leisure" so heavily that it sounded like he was calling Yang "Magistrate Knowing". As soon as Magistrate Zhou finished speaking, a burst of laughter erupted from the onlookers around them, with some genuinely understanding and others just playing along.

  Yang Bo rubbed his head for half a day before he finally understood that Lord Zhou was teasing him with his courtesy name, and in his heart, he couldn't help but scold Bi Fangji, how could he forget the homophone of such a good courtesy name?

  Yang Bo smiled and made a courtesy to Zhou, who was standing with an iron plaque on his flag. Yang Bo's smile was so bright that it made Zhou hum a deep sound, and in the laughter, he stood out like a crane among chickens. Yang Bo didn't mind, and said with a smile: "My humble name is not good, but it makes you and everyone else laugh."

  Zhou Guangbi smiled slightly, but didn't continue the conversation.

  He had originally planned to let another trusted aide take over the Hu Baihu, but unexpectedly was preempted by this outsider. Wang Deputy Thousand Households was preparing to promote Hu Dahu's General Flag, although he and Wang Deputy Thousand Households had been openly fighting in secret, everyone was hereditary, and Andong Wei was a place where you couldn't see each other without bowing your head, so there was some incense relationship. Just as Yang Bo rushed in, he immediately became the target of everyone.

  It's just that Zhou Daren has a good grasp of the situation, and since he made fun of Yang Bo to show his stance to those native martial artists, he doesn't want to say more now.

  Seeing Zhou Guangbi refusing to answer, Yang Bo walked up to Vice Commander Wang with a smile and asked in a flattering tone, "I see that Vice Commander Wang is dignified and refined, surely he must be well-read in poetry and literature. Why not ask the Vice Commander to give me another one? If I fail again, it would make you lose face too, wouldn't it?"

  Wang Qianhu suppressed his smile, but in his heart, he felt a bit embarrassed. Although the difference between "Qianhu" and "Baihu" was only one word, the gap in power was more than just a thousand miles. Although he cursed Zhou Guangbi every day in his dreams, on the surface, he was extremely harmonious. This Yang Baihu didn't know whether he was really foolish or intentionally flattering, but he didn't notice that Lord Zhou's face had already turned black?

  Wang Qianhu looked at Yang Bo with a cold face, then looked at those who were eager to see Yang Bo make a fool of himself, and slowly said: "In my opinion, the two words 'knowing county' don't know who started it. It's too petty, if Yang Baihu is willing to change 'knowing county' to 'knowing prefecture', then..."

  Wang's deputy commander had not finished speaking when the surrounding laughter grew even louder.

  Yang Bo touched his head, somewhat perplexed, and said: "That person told me that the meaning of 'Zhi Yan' is - a wise and open-minded person. But now King Wang says this appellation is petty, which confuses people. How about this... you, come here!"

  The scholar responded with a sound and walked behind Yang Bo

  "Alright, you write down what Wang Qianhu said earlier and go back to Qingzhou Prefecture to confront Chen Cao face-to-face. Ask him why he chose such a petty and narrow-minded courtesy name for me, which only ends up making a mockery of me in front of Lord Wang?"

  Yang Bo pretended to be very angry and sprayed saliva wildly, saying: "Tell Chen Cao that I've decided to use the courtesy name given by Wang Qianhu. Next time, let him call me Yang Zhifu..."

  A few ignorant fellows were still teasing Yang Bo, with the mocking "Master of the Prefecture, Master of the Prefecture" not stopping in their mouths. Soon they discovered something was wrong under the pulling of their colleagues, and the hall fell silent again...

  The servant behind him coughed softly, and Zhou Guangbi, who had already sensed something was wrong, suddenly became furious. He hated that the stupid servant behind him didn't see Yang Baihu bringing their arch-nemesis Wang Yuanshan into the pit? At a critical moment like this, why are you coughing?!

  Wang Yuanshan's face was pale, but he still held onto a glimmer of hope and asked: "Yang Baihu, what is the surname and name of the person who gave you your courtesy name? Where does his family live?"

  Zhou Guangbi coldly snorted in his heart, what's the point of asking? Besides Governor Chen Jin of Qingzhou, were there any others with the surname Chen? Chen Jin and Old Du Ye had always been on good terms, so naturally this person who was recommended by Old Du Ye must have some connection to that Governor of Qingzhou. Seeing Old Jian's arch-nemesis being thoroughly defeated by a newcomer who seemed foolish, his heart suddenly surged with immense pleasure...

  Yang Bo continued to pretend to be foolish: "Ah? In response to the words of the Thousand Households, that person and I were originally close friends and often came and went. A few days ago, when he saw that I had finished paying my respects, he said he wanted to give me a courtesy name. I thought to myself, this person is only a fourth-rank official, but I am also a sixth-rank official, so it's quite proper for a fourth-rank official to give me a courtesy name..."

  The hall fell silent once again, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone who understood what was being said was cursing in their hearts, "A perfect match? You're kidding me? This guy is really something...".

  Tomorrow, with the literary controlling the military, the famous generals of the previous dynasty, Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang, met with Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng and called themselves "a humble one under your gate". This is still normal. A deputy general surnamed Niu met with Zhang Juzheng and called himself "a running dog"! A first-rank general of the Wanli dynasty, who held a position among the top three officials, actually called himself a running dog in front of a seventh-rank imperial censor, showing how high the social status of civil officials was.

  That second-rank official is still boasting about his sixth-grade position, let alone you, a mere trial hundred household who barely counts as a sixth-grade official. Even if you were the superior of your superior's superior, a regular second-grade commander-in-chief or a second-grade deputy commander-in-chief, when seeing this fourth-grade official, they would all have to bow their heads and show respect...

  Those who were deceived by Yang Bo's acting skills are envious of this foolish big man, who has unknowingly walked into a good fortune, having a close relationship with the prefectural governor, and yet they are scolding him loudly. This foolish big man is blessed but doesn't know it, if I were in his place, how great that would be...

  Wang Yuanshan licked his dry lips with difficulty, and forced out a few words: "This... this Yang Baihu, the official suddenly felt that the two characters 'Zhi Xian' are actually very good. The person who gave you these two courtesy names must have had deep intentions, and had high hopes for you. In that case, Yang Baihu, you don't need to go back to Qingzhou to question him..."

  Wang Yuanshan had no idea. Yang Bo was a dog-like person, and since he had bitten down on him, he hadn't gained any advantage yet, so how could Yang Bo be willing to let go?