IDWBE -Chapter 507 Selling the Boy and Patting His Head

“You’re such a bastard!”

Jiao Zhong was truly furious!

He was the commander of the palace guards at the Wang residence—not that his position was immensely powerful or that his authority was absolute—but no one dared lay a hand on him.

Unless they didn’t want to live!

Yu Xiaoshi and A-Dai had become the “Heng-Ha Generals” in the eyes of Lord He because of the prince’s favor, and Jiao Zhong had never interfered with them. He didn’t expect gratitude, but swinging a hammer at him was too much!

They had completely disregarded him!

Cui Gengren snatched the hammer from A-Dai’s hands and hurriedly apologized to Jiao Zhong.
“Sorry, sorry! You know my brother’s temper—he’s a little slow in the head. Please be magnanimous and don’t take it to heart.”

Even he was terrified by his brother’s behavior.

Although they didn’t respect Jiao Zhong much, he was still technically their superior. Disobeying orders from above was a serious crime!

They weren’t like his brother—ignorant of the rules.

If Jiao Zhong decided to assert his authority, these two would be done for.

“Slow in the head?”

Jiao Zhong laughed through his anger. “Why doesn’t he dare swing a hammer at a blind man, or at a monk, or anyone more skilled than him—but he dares to make a show of it in front of me!”

Cui Gengren had no retort and glanced nervously at the growing crowd of colleagues at the door, fearing the situation would spiral out of control. He said cautiously, “Commander Jiao, please calm down. I promise this won’t happen again.”

“‘Won’t happen again’? You still have the nerve to say that?”

Jiao Zhong sneered coldly. “Let’s get through this first before talking about next time!”

Yu Xiaochun, who had been silent until now, spoke up, “If he really wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.”

A-Dai followed in his booming voice, “I could crush you with one swing!”

“Eat shit!”

Jiao Zhong gave A-Dai a side-eye. How could he not know that? A-Dai was a Grandmaster; he himself was only ninth rank.

If A-Dai had truly intended to kill him, he wouldn’t have had a single chance to react—the hammer would’ve pulverized his head.

Even so, if Yu Xiaochun hadn’t acted quickly, he would have suffered serious injuries, needing at least ten days to two weeks to recover.

“Thank you for saving me. A great favor cannot be expressed in words.”

Jiao Zhong bowed slightly in gratitude toward Yu Xiaochun.

“I’ll still hit you!”

A-Dai tried to lift his hammer again, but Cui Gengren stopped him.

Cui Gengren forced a smile. “Please, be understanding this time.”

Jiao Zhong’s tone was cold. “Do you think this incident can stay hidden from the Commander or Lord He? Do you think you’ll get away with it?”

Unlike Lord He, Commander Hong and Lord He Jixiang were strict about rules. Especially Lord He Jixiang, who oversaw the Five Army Command—he demanded obedience. Disobeying orders would not be tolerated!

If provoked, he might just make an example of them.

“Commander Jiao… Lord Jiao!”

Cui Gengren turned pale at Jiao Zhong’s words. “Your Excellency, please forgive us this time.”

Previously, he could never have been so polite to Jiao Zhong. But he had no choice—Jiao Zhong was his brother’s superior.

Jiao Zhong said impatiently, “You still don’t understand me? So many people are watching—do you think pretending I don’t know will make it okay?”

“I still beg Your Excellency for mercy.”

Cui Gengren knew well that disobeying orders was a serious offense. But whether to officially punish them was another matter.

Was it not normal for subordinates to spar with their superiors? Even if Commander Hong or Lord He Jixiang were told, they could only investigate properly—they wouldn’t fabricate things.

Jiao Zhong said grimly, “Old Cui, you’re an official now—you know that everyone carries the palanquin, right? I’m in high spirits today. The fact that I haven’t reported you already is giving you face. Don’t overstep your bounds.”

Did they think he was made of clay—malleable at will?

Wang Tuozi, standing at the threshold, glanced at the silent Chen Xinluo beside him. Seeing no reaction, he stepped forward. “Lord Cui, Commander Jiao hasn’t consummated the marriage yet. A night of bliss is priceless—we shouldn’t delay.”

In his heart, he sided more with Jiao Zhong. Only a fool would like someone as blunt and reckless as A-Dai. He was eager to see some punishment delivered!

“Sorry, sorry,” Cui Gengren said, bowing to his colleagues. Once everyone had gone inside, he turned to Fang Pi, who was standing in the corner with his arms crossed. “Good brother, we have to rely on you.”

They were childhood friends from the same village, so their bond was strong.

Unexpectedly, Fang Pi shook his head without thinking. “You overestimate me. I don’t have the courage to face the Commander or Lord He. Besides, they might not even see me.”

He was being honest. Although he was the Palace Guard Officer, he didn’t have much face in front of the two. If things went wrong, he would take the fall too.

Cui Gengren sighed. “Then give me advice. What should I do?”

“Meet force with force, cover water with earth,” Fang Pi said nonchalantly. “What else can you do?”

Cui Gengren shook his head. “If it were that simple, it would be fine—but these two are strict, and we might lose our positions.”

If his foolish brother lost his job at the Wang residence, where else could he go? Only Lord He could both control and tolerate his brother.

“He won’t lose it,” Fang Pi said firmly. “They’re both the prince’s Heng-Ha Generals. He’s proud of them—no one would dare cause trouble for the prince.”

“Ah, hearing you say that, I feel somewhat relieved,” Cui Gengren said. “Are you sure about this?”

“Death penalty can be avoided, minor punishment is inevitable,” Fang Pi said slowly. “It’s best to go to Lord He Jixiang first to admit fault.”

Cui Gengren hesitated. “Wouldn’t it be better to report first to the Commander?”

Fang Pi glanced at A-Dai whispering with Yu Xiaoshi. “The Commander never delegates when punishing. He handles it personally.”

Cui Gengren twitched. “If we get beaten by the Commander, even if we survive, it’ll be ten days to two weeks of lying in bed.”

Fang Pi explained, “Better to go to Lord He Jixiang first. He’ll at most dock your salary, spank you a few times, or fine you. Once that’s done, it’s over. Commander Hong won’t go behind Lord He’s back to reopen it.”

Cui Gengren scratched his head. “If the Commander finds out we tried to play tricks, won’t there be consequences?”

Fang Pi sneered, “You deal with the present first, then worry about later.”

Cui Gengren sighed. “Damn it, that actually makes sense.”

Wang Xiaoshuan suddenly ran out the main gate. “What are you two still discussing? Get inside and drink!”

“Brother Wang, don’t rush,” Cui Gengren grabbed him and repeated the plan he discussed with Fang Pi. “You’ve seen the world, give your input.”

Wang Xiaoshuan laughed. “We were elementary classmates. Teacher Mingyue once said in math class: if the process is wrong, the result doesn’t matter. I remember it clearly to this day.”

Cui Gengren laughed bitterly. “Brother, give us guidance.”

Wang Xiaoshuan smiled proudly. “Don’t think your rank is higher than mine—you still have a lot to learn from me.”

He was serving in the army alongside Wei Yishan, same rank as Wang Tuozi. The army and Palace Guards were separate, so there was no need to be polite.

“You see,” Fang Pi shook his head wryly.

Cui Gengren and Wang Xiaoshuan went inside arm-in-arm. Zhou Jing and Shan Sanguan appeared at Fang Pi’s sides.

Zhou Jing said coldly, “My lord, Wang Xiaoshuan is becoming more shameless. Should we—”

Fang Pi shook his head. “He’s speaking freely because he trusts me, not as an outsider. If I get upset over a few words, that’s petty.”

Shan Sanguan bowed. “Your generosity is admirable.”

“Stop flattering me,” Fang Pi snapped. “I’ve passed on all the techniques I know. How do you make no progress? If you reached Grandmaster level, would I be so slack?”

In both Sanhe and the army, many had learned basic skills, but few had complete techniques.
He was one of the few.

He had little talent for martial arts himself—he was a salted fish no matter how hard he tried—so he passed the “Star-Absorbing Technique” and the “Complete Technique” to trusted subordinates.

They were talented, already at ninth-rank peak. But compared to Yu Xiaoshi, A-Dai, and Yu Xiaochun, these two subordinates were nothing.

“My subordinates acknowledge their fault,” they said in unison.

“Stop talking nonsense,” Fang Pi snapped. “Now, what’s the problem this time? Shan Sanguan, last time I asked the blind man for you—you only needed a final push. Why didn’t you get it?”

“Disappointing my lord,” Shan Sanguan said with embarrassment. “I’ve been practicing the Bridal Robe Divine Skill but can’t master it.”

Fang Pi frowned. “It’s hard. Even I haven’t fully grasped it, so it’s not your fault.”

“My lord always said: if your sword moves leave a trace, the enemy will exploit it. But if you have no moves, how can the enemy counter?”

Zhou Jing respectfully said, “I’ve been studying the essence of the ‘Nine Solitary Techniques’.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Fang Pi said anxiously. “That’s Lord He’s teaching, not mine. If anyone hears, it’ll be a joke!”

“Understood, my lord,” Zhou Jing quickly admitted his mistake.

Fang Pi thought for a moment. “The blind man is busy with his wedding. When he’s free, I’ll ask him to guide you. You must also work hard!”

“Yes!” they replied excitedly.

A single tip from a Grandmaster could equal a lifetime of effort.

Moonlight shimmered.

Zhou Xun shook off the pursuing constables and finally caught up with Cao Xiaohuan by the North Canal.

Seeing her crouched by the water, Zhou Xun said, “My lady…”

After a long pause, Cao Xiaohuan replied, “Were you worried I’d jump in?”

Zhou Xun hurriedly said, “You are a heroine, not someone who would act recklessly over love.”

Cao Xiaohuan replied calmly, “Exactly.”

“My lady,” Zhou Xun hesitated, “Commander Jiao is ridiculous. There’s no need to be angry. Shall I get some wine and drink with you?”

Cao Xiaohuan said softly, “I’m just glad I didn’t marry him. I, Cao Xiaohuan, lost my mother at three, father at seven, left alone in the world, enduring suffering. As Lord Xie said, I remain unmoved by honor or disgrace. Jiao Zhong underestimated me. He thought I’d act like an ordinary woman and make a scene. Since he doesn’t understand me, marrying him would have been pointless.”

Zhou Xun whispered, “My lady is right.”

Cao Xiaohuan continued, “Such rotten men are not worth it. I will find someone who understands me. I am not a shrew nor someone who can’t let go.”

“My lady…”

Hearing her lament, Zhou Xun couldn’t hold back tears.

“Why are you crying?”

Cao Xiaohuan laughed suddenly, “Our family saying is true: a foolish man sells lemons, a foolish woman sells pineapples. If a man doesn’t leave, it’s because he has no money.”

“My lady is wise,” Zhou Xun said, laughing. “‘Sell the boy, pat the head.’”

Cao Xiaohuan turned, and they shared a smile.

The next day, Lin Yi woke up, and everything—what should be known and what shouldn’t—was clear.

“On someone’s wedding day, causing trouble is inevitable. A-Dai is becoming more unruly. The stick in a kind mother’s hand strikes the wandering child,” Lin Yi yawned while washing his face.

Hong Ying smiled and said, “The prince is wise.”