WWC | Chapter 9

Lord Lu, wipe your drool

Xie Zheng also seemed to sense something, and just at that moment, he turned back.

Their gazes collided across the bustling flow of people.

The system, afraid the world was not chaotic enough, chimed merrily: [You have encountered a target of the strategy[[1]] “Xie Zheng”. Random event “chance meeting in the marketplace” triggered. Please seize the opportunity, player. Interacting can earn you charm points!]

Su Tingyan said, “Am I not still on leave, damn it?”

The system gave a playful smile: [Dating does not interfere with rest. It does not use your brain!]

Su Tingyan: “…………”

Dating my ass.

He would rather go attend court.

And also…

Su Tingyan could not stand it any longer. “Turn off the romance BGM you stuck in my head!!!”

No wonder his brain had been such a mess just now, with someone singing in his ear, “Could it be that I, could it be that I, have had my first love again!”

System: [I was just trying to set the mood for you…]

Su Tingyan: “Thanks, no need.”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, two powerful court officials happened upon each other. Turning away and leaving now would obviously be lacking in decorum.

Xie Zheng could not do the sort of thing where he simply ignored someone either. He put down the archaic-looking crossbow in his hand and called from several steps away, “Su Zhao.”

Good grief. Last time he had merely reminded this man to call him Su Daxueshi, and not forget the da in the title.

What, were the words Su Daxueshi too hot to say? Now he was just calling him by his name!

Su Tingyan was, in essence, a Libra, the textbook champion of never taking a loss lying down. He shot back immediately, “Xie Zheng, do I really offend you that much, that you can barely stand to call me by name?”

Xie Zheng’s thick brows furrowed. Seeming to understand his own rudeness, he said bluntly, “I am a military man. Outside the court, I am not so formal.”

Su Tingyan did not bother arguing further. He walked over, glanced at the crossbow Xie Zheng had just been holding, and asked lightly, “Shao’an has an interest in this crossbow?”

That malicious, tangled, perfectly calm Shao’an made the big general, who was usually so unconcerned with etiquette, practically bulge his eyes in alarm.

His throat caught. Looking at Su Tingyan’s slightly upturned face, at those beautiful eyes like a new moon reflecting on a lake, he saw the slanted glance come flying over, not soft and boneless like a civil official’s, but carrying a stubborn kind of backbone and dignity.

Xie Zheng thought that Su Tingyan really was the sort of person who would repay even the smallest grievance, unwilling to suffer the least loss. He, a dignified Marquis of Anxi, had been called by his style name in the middle of the street by a mere civil official, and yet the other man had done it so openly and naturally, as if they were longtime close friends.

But were they that familiar?!

Xie Zheng drew a deep breath and forcibly dragged his attention back to the crossbow. His tone was even harder than the weapon itself. “Military equipment, yet it ends up in a market shop. Already absurd.”

“The shape of this crossbow imitates the military zhuozhang crossbow[[2]], but the workmanship is crude, the mechanism weak. Its range and power are not even one tenth of what they should be.”

“And the bow arms are wrapped in gold thread. It looks ornate, but it affects resilience and force. It only adds weight, which is a grave taboo on the battlefield.”

“It’s nothing but a useless object meant to look nice, good enough to fool you young masters in Yujing who don’t know any better.”

There was in his words the military man’s particular disdain and dissatisfaction toward civil officials.

Su Tingyan pretended not to hear the hidden insult tucked into that sentence and asked casually, “Then it sounds like Shao’an knows quite a bit about military equipment. In Shao’an’s view, how is the standard zhuozhang crossbow currently issued to the northern frontier army? If it needs improvement, where should one begin?”

The way he kept saying Shao’an made Xie Zheng barely catch the rest of the long question, and only made his temper flare higher.

Yet the tone was so naturally unassailable, as if he were just making casual conversation and asking in modest curiosity.

These questions looked ordinary, but in fact they were extremely sensitive.

They concerned the strength of the frontier army, the allocation of military equipment, and military spending. They were by no means something an ordinary civil official would concern himself with, much less discuss in the middle of a street market.

Xie Zheng looked at Su Tingyan deeply. The other man was dressed very simply today, but the simpler the clothes, the more extraordinary he seemed, as if cloud ridges and mountain passes had collapsed onto the edge of a blade.

A thin moon carrying snow, while hiding its sharpness and restraining its light.

Was this a probe? An attempt to pry into military intelligence? Or did he have some other purpose?

Seeing Xie Zheng’s battle-ready expression, Su Tingyan could not help but laugh. “Just asking offhand. If you don’t want to say, that’s fine.”

He sounded easygoing, but inwardly he could not help muttering to himself: Had Su Zhao himself ever screwed Xie Zheng over before? Why was he so guarded against him?

In the end, perhaps the bottle of wound medicine from before had helped a little. Or perhaps it was the pride ingrained in Xie Zheng’s bones, that air of, even if I tell you, what can you, a civil official, do about it. Or maybe he simply wanted too much for someone to pay attention to the actual difficulties facing frontier military supplies.

Xie Zheng said in a low voice, “The standard military crossbow is only barely usable.”

“Its range and force are indeed far superior to this kind of trash, but the body is heavy, and drawing the string takes great effort. In battle, the number of shots is limited.”

“Most crucial of all, the sighting peg and tooth of the trigger mechanism wear down very quickly, especially after repeated firing. Once accuracy drops, the weapon is practically useless. But replacement and repairs are cumbersome, and the cost is no small matter…”

As he spoke, a pained expression appeared in his eyes. It was the sort of expression only a true commander would have, one who genuinely cared about the lives and deaths of his soldiers, and knew that the quality of equipment meant survival or destruction.

Su Tingyan listened quietly, and the picture in his mind had already become crystal clear.

Xie Zheng’s words were half complaint, half plea for help. At the very least, they pointed him toward a highly likely opening for corruption, namely the procurement, manufacture, and replacement of crossbow components.

System: [Interaction with Xie Zheng was pleasant, the atmosphere has eased, charm points +5!]

Su Tingyan: “Huh? Where exactly did you see pleasant?”

System: [Xie Zheng not cursing you already counts as very pleasant.]

Su Tingyan: “…………”

And look at this. The big corrupt official Lu Xuan and the sixth prince Yan Che, with a random interaction, could add several hundred charm points, but every time it came to Xie Zheng, it was either 0.5 or 5.0. It was worse than begging for scraps!

Su Tingyan’s impression of Xie Zheng plunged straight down.

Having learned a bit of basic information, Su Tingyan felt that was enough, and he did not linger any longer. “Then thank you, Shao’an, for clearing that up today.”

“I still have matters at the residence, so I’ll take my leave first.”

With that, he gave a slight nod to Qingbao, turned around, and merged once more into the crowd.

That stretch of white seemed like a halo of light, slowly swallowed by the colorful bustle of the marketplace until it disappeared completely.

All that remained was Xie Zheng still standing where he was, staring at his back for a long, long time.

–

The emperor had handed the matter of auditing the Qingli Si[[3]] over to Su Tingyan in full, asking nothing further and waiting only for the result.

Su Tingyan entered the palace with his own plan in mind. The moment he appeared, the gazes of the ministers and generals fell on him, some open, some hidden.

That dark-purple rank-one immortal crane roundel court robe made him seem even more like a refined gentleman, his brow bones lush and bright.

All across court and palace, everyone knew that two days ago, His Majesty had personally issued an edict establishing the Audit Qingli Si, a bureau directly under imperial oversight, and put Su Tingyan in charge.

This seemingly new office was in fact a sharp blade aimed straight at the Lu faction and its power.

And today was the first day Lord Su officially took office, and the first day he would select specialists from the three ministries.

The various factions had long been rolling up their sleeves. Some wanted to insert their own people so they could spy and manipulate from within, while others wanted to push out some annoying thorns. Underlying currents surged, waiting only to burst.

Su Tingyan had absolutely no awareness that he had become the center of the storm. He cleared his throat and said, “My lords, His Majesty has graciously approved the establishment of the Audit Qingli Si, and has ordered this subject to oversee the examination of the flow of allocations from the imperial treasury.”

“The audit bureau has only just been established, and every kind of task awaits us. We especially need capable personnel to handle practical affairs.”

“However, today, this subject will not be selecting talent yet. I merely ask that all my colleagues cooperate in carrying out an anonymous mutual nomination process in this hall.”

Anonymous mutual nomination?

At those words, a low murmur instantly spread through the hall, and many officials exchanged looks, each with different thoughts.

Su Tingyan explained, “By anonymous mutual nomination, I mean this: please have all officials of fifth rank and above from each ministry write one vote anonymously. Write down who you believe in your department is most likely to be involved in embezzling money and grain, or who has the worst conduct and should be prioritized for investigation.”

“Absurd!”

“Lord Su, this is really inappropriate!”

“How could this be allowed?!”

The hall erupted in argument. Many officials’ faces darkened terribly. Was this not openly encouraging them to expose each other’s faults and frame their colleagues?

What exactly was Su Tingyan trying to do?!

This method was far too underhanded. Mutual nomination within the same department would easily breed resentment, and there was no avoiding the suspicion of settling private scores.

Facing the uproar, Su Tingyan’s expression did not change. His voice was as faint as the morning mist at dawn, indistinct and pale. “This vote is only for reference, not for conviction.”

“The audit bureau has only just been established, and there are many old accounts. I have no way to begin either. My lords have all spent years in official circles. Who among you does not know how to stir trouble with a wagging tongue? As for other people’s reputations, I am sure everyone here has a scale in mind.”

“Whoever is written down by the most people, whether or not the accusations are true, at the very least means there is something about their conduct worth questioning, or that they already carry many suspicions.”

“If we first place the most suspicious among them onto the inspection list, and I personally examine and question them, then if they are truly guilty of embezzlement, they will be severely punished according to the law. Would that not establish the authority of our audit bureau and serve as a warning to others?”

The hall fell silent all at once.

The officials who had just been indignant now all sank into eerie quiet.

They all understood. They all grasped it. And they had to admit how brilliant this move was.

This Lord Su was not trying to catch corrupt officials at all.

He was clearly using the name of catching corruption to do the opposite, filtering out all those thorns in each ministry who had been pushed aside and isolated, who were too upright or too unwilling to curry favor to fit in with the pack!

The most suspicious people selected by these ink-stained, mediocre officials were very likely exactly those oddballs in a slick bureaucratic system, the clear waves amid the turbid currents, the people they disliked most and could not get rid of for the moment!

The audit bureau needed exactly this sort of lonely official.

Lu Xuan had come early this morning. Standing behind his faction members, he watched from afar that handsome figure with those charming eyes like purple butterflies.

Ever since Su Tingyan entered, his gaze had not shifted even once. It was as still as a mirror, yet undercurrents roiled beneath.

He forcefully suppressed the blade-light and sword-shadow in his eyes and brows, smiling faintly. “Lord Su, what if this official simply cannot think of whom to write?”

Su Tingyan smiled. “Then write yourself.”

“Everyone else is also welcome to nominate themselves. If your conduct is upright, you need not fear investigation. This subject admires that kind of courage.”

System: [Because the player fired back, the攻略对象[[1]] Lu Xuan’s affection dropped by 50, but charm points increased by 100.]

Su Tingyan: ……..

…What, does Lu Xuan have a problem?

Did he really have some sort of split personality, thinking Su Tingyan was annoying and yet also very charming?!

Soon, paper and ink were distributed.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of War, and the Censorate who were of sufficient rank all wrote down their choices in uneasy suspicion.

Xie Zheng looked at the ballot in his hand, then glanced at Su Tingyan not far away, still as calm as a deep pool. In the end, he also wrote down a name with a solemn face.

It was a deputy minister who had repeatedly fought the Ministry of Revenue over military equipment quality issues and funding procedures, a man who had enraged the Lu faction to the point that they wished to skin him alive.

Voting concluded. Eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial received the ballots on the spot, called out the names, and recorded them.

The results were quickly tallied.

The person most frequently named in the Ministry of Revenue was a chief clerk named Cui Hong. Rumor had it he was rigid by nature, nitpicky to a fault, repeatedly butted heads with superiors, and was extremely strict when checking accounts. He was known as Little King Yama Cui.

The person most frequently named in the Ministry of War was a deputy minister named Wei Heng. Born into poverty, he had once personally denounced a superior from the Lu faction over military pay distribution and was fearless in the face of death. If Xie Zheng had not protected him both openly and covertly, he would already have lost his life.

The person most frequently named in the Censorate was a censor named Zhao Shuyan. He was famous for speaking plainly and daring to remonstrate, targeting anyone and everyone in his memorials. He had offended countless people, and even within the Censorate he was regarded as an oddity.

These results almost perfectly confirmed what Su Tingyan had thought.

Looking at those three names, he already had a clear idea. He put the list away and said, “The results are out. Thank you, my lords, for your cooperation. This subject will immediately suspend these three men, and then personally lead people to detain them and investigate their conduct and past dealings.”

“If corruption is verified, they will be dealt with according to law.”

On the way out of the palace, Lu Xuan quickened his steps until he came beside Su Tingyan. Those flirtatious peach-blossom eyes made Su Tingyan’s head hurt.

Lu Xuan smiled and asked, “Lord Su, guess whom I just wrote?”

Su Tingyan looked straight ahead. “Lord Lu, I am not very interested in that.”

It was already winter. The wind made the palace road even colder and more desolate. Strong gusts billowed their official robes, and their hair looked like great swaths of ink wash spreading out.

The space was too broad and too open. The wild wind, together with the small fragrance bottle hanging and swaying at Su Tingyan’s waist, carried out a trace of cool scent that felt both pitying and faintly distant.

Lu Xuan inhaled deeply. “Could it be that Lord Su doesn’t want to investigate properly?”

“Take it as the first gift for your new appointment. Lu is sending it with all sincerity.”

Su Tingyan only said, “The person I most want to investigate is far away at the horizon, and yet right before my eyes.”

The two of them used their brows as swords and their eyes as spears, trading blows back and forth for several rounds.

At last, Lu Xuan lost with a light laugh. “Since Lord Su wants to investigate me, then come investigate me as much as you like. This official’s humble gate stands wide open to welcome you.”

The flower path had never before been swept for a guest, and today the humble gate was only just opened for you.

This was an extremely obscure dirty joke.

Su Tingyan understood it.

He paused, barely restraining the urge to slap the man with a skill, then shot several more knife-like glances from his phoenix eyes.

Lu Xuan was the sort of person whose eyes seemed to drip semen, always giving off the vile feeling of some drugged-up scoundrel ready to kill the whole world.

Looking at that wolfish, ravenous gaze, Su Tingyan hesitated for a moment, then finally could not help saying, “Lord Lu, your drool’s coming down. Could you wipe it off?”

Lu Xuan froze, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

His wild laughter echoed back and forth among the palace walls, startling several officials who had not yet gone far ahead into turning back in surprise.

He paid it no mind at all. He laughed until the outer corners of his eyes reddened faintly, like drunken blush, and he even lifted a hand to wipe the corner of his mouth with his knuckles, the motion effortlessly elegant and rakish.

Su Tingyan could not be bothered to continue the verbal sparring, and he quickened his pace with a blank expression.

At that moment, the system’s voice drifted up again in his head. [Affection for攻略对象[[1]] Lu Xuan is fluctuating, affection -30, but it has been detected that he thinks the player’s hip curve is beautiful, charm points +500, special status “Raging Fire” effect is continuing to strengthen.]

Su Tingyan stumbled again and nearly fell.

He finally understood. Lu Xuan’s route was the whole enemies-are-spouses routine, wasn’t it?

The more he hated him, the more he wanted to screw him.

Damn it, if his hardware wasn’t inadequate, who would be screwing whom was still up in the air! Just look at that pretty-boy face of his!

As Su Tingyan seethed inwardly and hurried forward with his head lowered, he had only gone a few steps when he realized that Xie Zheng was also looking at them from a distance.

That gaze carried nine parts disgust, seven parts dislike, three parts irritation, two parts confusion, and one part resentment.

Su Tingyan could almost imagine exactly how the other man was cursing him inside.

In broad daylight, in the imperial palace, laughing and chatting pleasantly with a treacherous corrupt official like Lu Xuan, speaking so lightly and flirtatiously. It was simply a disgrace to propriety, unbearable to behold!

Noticing Su Tingyan’s gaze, Xie Zheng immediately looked away, as if one more glance would stain his eyes. Then he turned and strode off.

Su Tingyan: “…”

Fine. This lord’s affection probably dropped too.

But the system reminded him at that moment: [攻略对象[[1]] Xie Zheng’s affection +100! Hint: The player’s intimate interaction with Lu Xuan, at least in his eyes, seems to have triggered jealousy!]

Su Tingyan was really starting to understand less and less of this broken game.

Author’s note:

———————-

Just a quick note for the babies, this story’s romance line is definitely sweet, but it may show up a little later.

It’s a firm 1V1 sweet story, and when the actual top appears, it will be very obvious. If you’ve read this far and feel like the people who have appeared so far don’t have the vibe of the real top, then they aren’t, haha. I’ll keep that as a little tease for now.

Also, updates this week will be every other day, and the posting time has been changed to 6 p.m.