Chapter 54: The Big Shot

Could flattering and pleasing others really be life-threatening? Liu Liwa was puzzled, thinking Yang Xiaosi was afraid he would steal the spotlight. But after hearing Yang Xiaosi’s explanation, he was also quite frightened.

As it turned out, the person arriving today was truly a big shot. He was the Military Supervisor of Linyu County. While his official rank seemed low—only a seventh-grade military officer—he commanded not just an ordinary unit, but the Imperial Guard!

Linyu County’s geographical location was very special. It was the only route from east to west leading to the Capital City. To the south lay the sea, while mountains rose behind it. To the north of the Dongning Kingdom was the powerful enemy Beiyan, and on the sea lay the strong nation Nanchuan. If Beiyan’s army crossed the high mountains and captured Linyu County, they would have direct access to the Capital City. The same went for Nanchuan—once they landed from the sea, they would be unstoppable.

Therefore, the Emperor stationed his Imperial Guard here. They were under the Emperor’s direct command, led by his most trusted general. And this trusted general was the big shot arriving today. He carried heavy responsibilities, enjoyed the Emperor’s deep favor, commanded a powerful army, and had the Imperial Family’s trust. Such a person was even more influential than the high officials at court.

This big shot was named Wen Jun. He was just over thirty years old. Ten years ago, he was the personal guard of the late Emperor. At twenty-five, he was ordered to join the army on an expedition. He was brave and skilled in battle, leading from the front. Once, he led a few hundred men to annihilate an enemy thousand-man unit, achieving great military merits. Of course, there were also crushing defeats. In one battle, the main force was scattered by the enemy. He led less than a hundred men to break through an encirclement of a thousand enemies. In the end, all hundred men died, and he himself was severely wounded. He struggled for five days and nights among piles of corpses and seas of blood before being rescued by reinforcements, barely surviving.

No one knew how he survived those five days and nights. Aside from his severe injuries, the lack of food and water alone could have been fatal. So it could only be called a miracle. Whether you believed it or not, the late Emperor certainly did. Wen Jun, who had started as a personal guard, received lavish rewards from the late Emperor. Even before the late Emperor passed away, he left a decree ordering Wen Jun to guard this vital route to the Capital City for life, protecting the Royal Family’s last gate. This showed the late Emperor’s deep trust in him.

When the New Emperor ascended the throne, although he did not promote Wen Jun’s rank, he expanded his troops by five thousand. Truly, he now commanded a mighty army and stood firm like a tiger in his domain!

Yang Xiaosi spoke with great excitement, treating this war hero as his idol. But heroic legends really could make one’s blood boil. In our vast land, over five thousand years of history, how many emperors were forgotten, while how many heroes were remembered for eternity? Like Li Guang, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Xue Rengui, Ultraman, Edison Chen, Liu Jiannan—through the ages, legendary figures emerged one after another!

The big shot Wen Jun, mentioned by Yang Xiaosi, was the heroic model of this era. However, Yang Xiaosi then shifted the topic to Wen Jun’s connection with the Intoxication Pavilion.

Five years ago, when Wen Jun was first stationed in Linyu County, he heard that the wife of a comrade who had died in battle had been trafficked to the Intoxication Pavilion. Wen Jun flew into a rage, leading over a thousand soldiers to surround the Intoxication Pavilion. The County Magistrate of Linyu County was too scared to show his face. After rescuing his comrade’s wife, Wen Jun nearly burned the Intoxication Pavilion to the ground. Fortunately, the Madam, Wu Liniang, pleaded with him repeatedly, which resolved the crisis.

From then on, everyone knew that Wen Jun was a true hero who valued loyalty and righteousness and disdained to argue with women. Moreover, Wen Jun had spent half his life in the military and had never married. Later, the Madam Wu Liniang invited him many times and finally moved him with her sincerity. Supervisor Wen would visit once a month, and the Madam would arrange for special girls to accompany him in a room on the Fourth Floor. Shen Zuijin personally attended to all his needs.

All this was because the first time Wen Jun visited, no one knew the situation. The previous floor manager, Yang Xiaosi’s predecessor, served Wen Jun in the usual way. No one thought anything was wrong, but Wen Jun ended up cutting off the manager’s hands and ordered his men to nearly demolish the entire Intoxication Pavilion. At that time, almost all the male servants were caned, and the girls on the first floor were confined to their rooms, forbidden to go out. In the end, it was only after the Madam’s desperate pleas that the matter was settled. From then on, whenever Wen Jun visited, the entire Intoxication Pavilion was extremely careful, with the Madam and others personally attending to him.

Even now, Yang Xiaosi still felt a lingering fear when he talked about it. Back then, he was confusedly given forty cane strokes. The pain of his flesh splitting open was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Liu Liwa listened, also feeling secretly shocked. If Wen Jun had flown into a rage to save his comrade’s wife who had fallen into a living hell, that showed he valued loyalty and righteousness. But for him to visit a pleasure house, have a brothel steward serve him, and still fly into a rage—and even forbid the girls to show their faces—what kind of weird habit was that? Did he also need to have gongs and drums sounded, water sprinkled on the streets, and a special announcer shouting, “The great lord is visiting the brothel! All idlers, step aside!”

No one knew how that previous floor manager had offended him, but he shouldn’t have taken it out on all the men. Maybe he didn’t like the girls on the first floor, but he couldn’t make them avoid him either. What kind of person was Wen Jun, really? It seemed that Qin Wan’er would be the one accompanying him today. Given his strange temperament, the situation was looking worse and worse.

“Alright, brother, I just wanted to remind you to be extra careful. It’s going to be very busy today. I’ll go ahead first to attend to things. After you eat the buns, come quickly.” After saying this, Yang Xiaosi didn’t dare delay. He put down the things and turned to leave, calling out to the still-sleeping young masters and misses to head to the front.

Today was a matter of life and death. How could Liu Liwa still have an appetite? Especially since the buns were greasy and filled with pure meat. Just looking at them made him feel irritated. He’d force himself to eat ten or twenty just to relieve some of the tension!

Outside, there was a lot of commotion, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. But Little Loli Xinying was still sleeping soundly. Liu Liwa covered her with new, dry bedding, and she slept even more comfortably.

There were also two pounds of soybeans… The Intoxication Pavilion’s benefits were quite good. Employees were provided meals, and the food was decent, though the portions were small. “Making the donkey turn the millstone but not letting it eat its fill” was a business philosophy that had lasted a thousand years. So, secretly getting some food was crucial. And in these times, resources were limited. As the weather grew colder, getting two pounds of soybeans was already quite good. You could fry them to eat with rice, or soak them in water until they sprouted, then stir-fry the bean sprouts. They were a multi-purpose ingredient.

After packing his things, Liu Liwa dressed neatly, freshened up, and folded the bedding with the Blood Plum Blossom pattern. He would keep it as a family heirloom to pass down through generations, so future descendants would know that even in difficult and hard times, marital affairs were not neglected!

Once everything was ready, Liu Liwa set off with his head held high and chest out. Today would be a severe test, but after enduring the successive torment by Furong and Yufeng, what could possibly stump him? Whether you’re a big shot, a big animal, or a big monster—brother is coming!