Chapter Thirty-Six: The Storm is Coming

  Qin Kan naturally did not know that the third and fourth rank officials in the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue's grand hall were fighting and killing each other because of him, and even if he was beaten to death, he would not have thought that Ming dynasty officials had such a wild and unruly side.

  Young Master Xu Pengji was tired of eating beggar's chicken and Kentucky fried chicken, and should have returned to Nanjing with a lack of interest. However, this young master didn't know what medicine he had taken wrong, but insisted on staying in Shaoxing and refused to leave.

  Every day, a large group of guards would surround the young master, shouting and making a ruckus as they entered and exited inns and streets. The Shaoxing prefect, Tong Zhen, and the Shanyin county magistrate, Du Hong, had naturally already discovered the young master's identity. However, since the young master insisted on thinking that his identity had not been exposed, the two officials pretended to be unaware of it, making things easier for everyone involved.

  The officials of the Ming Dynasty, from top to bottom, still attach great importance to the two words "qi jie". Few officials would fawn on the powerful without regard for their dignity. Once they do such a thing, the saliva of scholars can drown them. Any official who cherishes his reputation will avoid the powerful if possible.

  …………

  …………

  Qin Kan should be considered one of the laziest and most unprofessional masters in history.

  Three days and two heads were pulled out by Du Yan, either climbing trees outside the city to dig bird eggs or making slingshot mud balls, looking northwest, shooting sparrows.

  To be honest, Qin Kan himself had never done such childish things in his childhood, but he has done them all in the past few days. And yet, Du's family is still not satisfied and keeps causing trouble in various ways.

  Qin Kan found that Du Yan had been acting more and more abnormal in the past few days, playing more and more wildly, as if she wanted to exhaust all the joy of her remaining life. When asked, she didn't say anything, just sighed, then recovered her brightness and was cheerful again.

  Qin Kan had no choice but to accompany her in her revelry, quietly watching her frantic appearance, and somehow feeling a pang of sorrow for her, because Du Yan's behavior was really like that of a terminally ill person, desperately grasping at the last moments of life.

  The prince finally defeated the witch and met the princess in the castle, they were tearfully reunited, the prince picked up the princess, spinning happily on the top of the castle, the world in the princess's eyes was spinning, she shed tears of happiness...

  As Qin Kan spoke in a soft tone, Du Yan's eyes gradually turned red, being moved by the fairy tale. After a long silence, Du Yan glanced at Qin Kan unintentionally and let out a faint sigh: "The princess is happy, she finally stays with her beloved prince..."

  "What made you say that, Du Niang?" Qin Kan was somewhat astonished: "My story isn't finished yet, this is actually a very sad and tragic tale."

  Du Yan exclaimed: "Where is the tragedy in this story?"

  "Isn't the prince supposed to be spinning around with the princess on the rooftop?"

  "Hmm." Du Yan's apricot eyes revealed a look of urgency.

  Later, because the princess was too heavy, the prince lost his grip and threw the princess down from the building... The princess met a tragic end.

  Du Yan's delicate face suddenly turned purple, and a faint mist of heat could be seen rising from the top of her head: "…………"

  Qin Kan sighed and said with a somewhat melancholic tone, "This story tells us a very profound life philosophy. If women want to be happy, it's best not to get too fat, otherwise they'll easily become dead fat..."

  Du Yan: "..."

  Qin Kan himself had to admit that sometimes he was quite annoying.

  Du Yan apparently saw things similarly with his hero, so he didn't disappoint the crowd and used him as a sandbag to practice some punches and kicks, feeling refreshed in body and mind afterwards.

  When Qin Kan returned to his inn room rubbing his sore and numb shoulders, he unexpectedly ran into a stranger.

  Strangers were not strangers to him.

  His eyes staring at Qin Kan were very cold, like a poisonous snake staring at its prey, his pupils had no emotional color, only icy.

  "Qin Xiūcái, it's been months since we last met, and you're still pretending to be a superior master. Should I admire your unyielding stubbornness?" The newcomer sneered.

  Qin Kan slightly furrowed his brow and cupped his hands in a salute: "May I ask your distinguished name..."

  The newcomer was taken aback, and then the cold light in his eyes grew stronger: "So Qin Xiuzai doesn't recognize me after all. Is it that the lesson I taught you back then wasn't severe enough, or have you become even more arrogant and disdainful of others nowadays?"

  This sentence hints very clearly that Qin Kan, apart from being cheated by Xiao Ba Po for twenty taels of silver that time, the only lesson he got was the one that made him lose his official title and pay compensation to the point of bankruptcy.

  He pointed at him in surprise, Qin Kan exclaimed: "You are the son of Tong Zhifu!"

  Tong Yinglong sneered with a smile: "Not easy, finally recognized me."

  Qin Kan looked at him with a somewhat bewildered gaze, to be honest, he really couldn't remember what had happened between his predecessor and this official's second generation, however, since he was already attached to this person named Qin Kan, then everything about Qin Kan should be borne by him, debts of gratitude and revenge would come knocking on the door, and he would take them all in stride.

  "What did you come here for?" Qin Kan's tone was no longer friendly.

  Tong Yinglong stared at him, his tone as cold as a thousand-year-old iron: "I don't know if you're doing it on purpose or really don't know, Du Yan is my fiancée, our families arranged the marriage last year. Qin Kan, remember this, don't casually approach her, because I don't like it!"

  Qin Kan was secretly shocked. The little wife actually had a family? Was Du Hong planning to bring disaster to the Tong family? What a deep plan!

  Qin Kan suddenly burst out laughing: "Is Master Tong's meaning that I should keep a distance from Du Yan, and never see her again until the day we die?"

  Tong Yinglong narrowed his eyes: "What's wrong?"

  "If I don't agree, are you going to scold me again?"

  "Qin Kan, you are now a nobody without any official title. If I were to deal with you, it would be like slaughtering a dog. Today, I'm treating you with courtesy not because I don't want to make things known throughout the city and tarnish my father's and Yan'er's reputation. Qin Kan, don't misjudge yourself!"

  Qin Kan looked up at the beam and muttered: "This is why I don't like you kind of imperial clansmen, no talent of your own, relying on your father's power to bully and swagger, yet still so self-satisfied, thinking you're superior. Why have these imperial clansmen been so arrogant for hundreds of years, never changing?"

  Tong Yinglong's face suddenly changed color. The conversation had reached this point, and it was considered a complete breakdown in relations; anything further would be pointless.

  Tong Yinglong's expression became increasingly cold and sinister, his eyes gleaming like a knife edge as he swept them back and forth over Qin Kan, until finally, he smiled.

  "Good, good, Qin Xiuzai's courage is indeed no less than before. Tong certain has learned a lesson and bids farewell."

  Tong Yinglong turned around and left after finishing speaking.

  Qin Kan stood dazed in the house, his heart feeling as heavy as a lead block.

  Originally, yielding and bowing one's head could turn bad luck into good fortune, but for some reason, Qin Kan felt uncomfortable from the moment he saw Tong Yinglong, this head, no matter how hard he tried, just couldn't be lowered.

  His face was torn apart, and Tong Yinglong's revenge would surely come soon. How could he deal with it? One had the power of the officialdom in his hands, with sufficient connections and resources, a second-generation official, what did he have to fight him with?