Chapter 67: Troops at the Gates of the Cui Estate

The Cui Residence!

Cui Yuanhai had just returned from his shift at the capital's yamen that morning when he felt his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

The steward was currently reporting to him the message brought back by Li Hu from the West-Pacifying General's Mansion.

"General Li went to see Centurion Li. Centurion Li's stance wasn't entirely absolute, yet it remained elusive. He said that if the Second Young Mistress goes to his birth mother's grave to kowtow and repent once more, and also has the tomb renovated, he might consider the matter of sheltering the two young masters."

Cui Guangwu was Cui Shanling's son, and Cui Guangzheng was Cui Shan岳's son.

Hearing these words, the two brothers could not help but furrow their brows.

"Father, this Li Wenxuan is simply treating us like monkeys!"

Cui Shan岳 could not help but jump out and shout indignantly.

Cui Yuanhai sighed, "A phoenix in distress is worse than a chicken. Given our current situation, do we even have a choice?"

"That beast Li Hu! Over all these years, Father has shown him every kind of consideration, yet he turns his back on us at the critical moment!"

Cui Shan岳 began to curse again.

"Enough, Third Son. You are no longer the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. As a commoner now, if words cursing a high-ranking official of the current dynasty spread, and someone decides to take you to court—given the ugly nature of other officials eager to kick a man when he's down—you'll lose a layer of skin even if you manage to survive!"

"Father, look at Eldest Brother—"

Cui Shan岳 protested with dissatisfaction.

Cui Yuanhai chided, "Your eldest brother is entirely right. With how undisciplined and unbridled your mouth has always been, it would be a miracle if you didn't bring disaster upon our family!"

The fury on Cui Shan岳's face instantly froze, and then he immediately sat back down, silently digesting his sullen anger.

"Reporting—Master! A Thousand-Man Commander of the Eastern Depot has arrived at our front gate with a hundred armored Imperial Guards, saying he wishes to pay a visit to the master!"

At that moment, a servant, pale-faced with fear and trembling as he spoke, ran in to report in a quivering voice.

"A Thousand-Man Commander of the Eastern Depot has arrived at our front gate with a hundred armored Imperial Guards?"

Cui Shan岳, who had been making a fuss just moments before, instantly turned as pale as a sheet. He asked nervously, "Which Thousand-Man Commander from the Eastern Depot? Let it not be Lou Wanxi!"

The old fiend Lou's terrifying reputation was well-known far and wide; who wouldn't be afraid of him?

The servant trembled and shook his head, "It's not Lou Wanxi. According to the announcement, he is a Centurion Li."

"Centurion Li? Doesn't the Eastern Depot only have three Thousand-Man Commanders? When did another Centurion Li pop up?"

Cui Shan岳 hurriedly turned his gaze toward his father, Cui Yuanhai.

Cui Yuanhai also wore a puzzled expression before looking at his eldest son, Cui Shanling.

Cui Shanling pondered for a moment and shook his head, saying, "Father, regardless of all else, let us welcome them inside first. In our Great Wu Nation, no one dares to impersonate a Thousand-Man Commander."

Hearing this, Cui Yuanhai's expression turned somewhat unnatural. He stopped the servant who was about to turn and leave, saying, "Wait."

With a face full of helplessness, he glanced at his eldest son,崔山岭, and his second son,崔山岳.

"A Thousand-Man Commander holds the prestigious rank of fifth official rank. Yet the highest official rank in our household right now is merely your City Gate Captain rank, which is the lower sixth rank. When a superior arrives with such a grand display, it is only proper for our entire family to go out and welcome him respectfully!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the father and his three sons fell silent for quite a while.

Back in the day, when Cui Yuanhai was a first-rank senior official, a fifth-rank official would have been nothing more than a sesame seed in his eyes.

Yet today, he had no choice but to treat the situation with utmost caution.

Within the hearts of the father and sons, a complex myriad of emotions welled up.

It truly fulfilled the old proverb: For thirty years the river flows east, for thirty years the river flows west!

In front of the main entrance.

After waiting for a short while, Li Wenxuan saw a thin and shrewd old man of around fifty years of age, dressed in the official robes of a seventh-rank county magistrate. Flanking him on the left and right were two robust young men who came forward to greet him.

The man on the right was tall, sturdy, and possessed a steady gait; at a glance, he was clearly an expert martial artist.

As for the man on the left, although similarly tall and imposing, he exuded a frivolous and clamorous aura, possessing merely the outward appearance of strength without the substance.

"Your humble official, Cui Yuanhai, bringing along my eldest son, Cui Shanling, and second son, Cui Shan岳, respectfully greets the Thousand-Man Commander."

Li Wenxuan walked forward slowly and said, "Lord Cui, please rise. Let us go inside and have a proper chat."

"This official obeys!"

Cui Yuanhai found it exceedingly strange in his heart: how could someone so young attain the position of a Thousand-Man Commander?

Yet, looking at the hundred armored Imperial Guards behind him... such things were certainly impossible to fake!

Coupled with those dozen or so fierce and malevolent secret agents...

Since when did an Executive Thousand-Man Commander of the Eastern Depot become so common?

While Cui Yuanhai's mind was filled with doubt, the group had already entered the main hall, where fragrant tea was served.

Li Wenxuan sat in the seat of honor, looked at Cui Yuanhai, and smiled, "Does Lord Cui not recognize this official?"

Hearing this, Cui Yuanhai's doubts deepened even further. He scrutinized Li Wenxuan from left to right.

In that brief span of time, Lord Cui recalled almost every talented young hero he had ever laid eyes on in his entire life...

"I am ashamed; this official is dim-sighted and truly cannot recall where I might have seen the Thousand-Man Commander!"

Cui Shanling and Cui Shan岳, seated nearby as companions, also felt a secret sense of wonder in their hearts. With how aggressively this Thousand-Man Commander had arrived, how was it that he... still seemed to have the leisure to engage in casual conversation?

"Hahaha... It's quite all right. It matters not if Lord Cui does not recognize me; then surely you must recognize these people!"

Li Wenxuan smiled as he put down his teacup and waved his hand. "Crazy Donkey, bring the prisoners up!"

"Understood!"

Crazy Donkey acknowledged the command, and immediately the sound of clanking armor echoed through the air.

A group of Imperial Guards pressed forward a dozen or so individuals who were either bruised and battered or bore slash wounds on their bodies.

The man at the very front had a head that was swollen almost like a pig's head, and his lips were beaten to a pulp.

In an instant, the previously spacious main hall of the Cui Residence instantly became crowded.

"M-Master!"

Feixiong raised his head with a feeble breath and cried out weakly.

Cui Yuanhai was startled and instinctively shivered, unwilling to respond to Feixiong.

However, Cui Shan岳 immediately stood up, walked over, and cried out in shock, "Feixiong! How could it be you?"

"Oh? Since you still recognize him, then you must surely understand why this official has brought him here, right?"

Hearing these ambiguous and sarcastic words, Cui Shan岳 immediately realized that he had been too impulsive just now—he should have pretended not to recognize him!

At the very least, pretending not to recognize him now would have left some room for maneuvering—such as stalling for time, figuring out what had happened, and then coming up with a countermeasure.

However... things had reached this point, and denial was no longer an option.

"Reporting to the Commander, this man is a servant of my household, responsible for guarding the Xiamapa mine. I wonder what grave offense he has committed?"

Cui Yuanhai took the initiative to acknowledge him.

"It's not much of a major crime, really. He simply withheld half a year's wages from the miners."

Upon hearing this, the three members of the Cui family were nearly dumbfounded.

What?

Just for withholding half a year's wages, you made such a grand display, nearly bringing the Imperial Guards to ransack our home and execute us?

If... if you were truly that idle, you might as well have gone to a pleasure house to listen to music and expended your energy on those young maidens instead!

Li Wenxuan took in the expressions of the three Cui men and broke into a grin. "Withholding wages is not a capital offense in itself, but they shouldn't have arrested the workers, beaten them, and locked them up in dark cells.

"Furthermore, they also arrested this official's informant..."

Li Wenxuan picked up his teacup and splashed a cup of scalding hot tea directly onto Feixiong's unrecognizable face, causing him to shriek in agony.

"They even attempted to humiliate this official's informant!"

Cui Shan岳 bared his teeth. *Damn it, Feixiong, you really don't want to live anymore!*

*You actually dared to arrest the Eastern Depot Commander's informant?!*

*You—you—you!*

*You even dared to think about humiliating the Eastern Depot Commander's informant?*

*You truly have the guts of a male leopard; even I wouldn't dare harbor such audacity!*

"Not only that, but when this official led men to arrest them, not only did they refuse to surrender, but they even dared to attack this official!"

"Lord Cui, you are the magistrate of the capital; surely you are well-versed in the law. Illegal imprisonment, attempted rape of an Eastern Depot informant, and assaulting imperial officials of the court—adding all these charges together, tell me... how should they be sentenced?"

A bead of sweat the size of a mung bean instantly formed on the tip of Cui Yuanhai's nose. As he hesitated, Cui Shan岳 had already stood up, cupped his fists in a salute, and blurted out:

"If it please the Commander, although this scoundrel is a servant of our household, we had no idea he was committing atrocities at the mine!"

Hearing these words, the heart that Cui Yuanhai had been holding suspended in his chest finally plummeted to its death.

Third Son, Oh Third Son, you really do not know how to speak, and yet you rushed to talk!

Just sitting there quietly, would anyone have taken you for a mute?

If the man didn't have evidence, would he have brought the Imperial Guards to make arrests directly?

Your sophistry... is simply far too incompetent!

"Oh? Is that so?" Li Wenxuan smiled brilliantly. "Zhou Long, read out loud the confessions we worked through the entire night interrogating yesterday!"