Sometimes, some things really shouldn’t be talked about.

The next day, Zhou Shuren’s carriage was stopped just before he was about to go home. Zhou Shuren squinted his eyes; how blatant!

The carriage curtain opened, and Zhou Shuren sized up the man who boarded. The man was in his thirties, dressed in truly extravagant attire. Zhou Shuren sneered inwardly, “What do you mean, sir?”

The man cupped his hands in greeting. “My surname is Bai. I am a jǔrén. Greetings, Zhōu dàrén.”

Zhou Shuren toyed with a jade pendant in his hand. “They dare to stop my carriage like this? No need for formalities; I cannot accept such courtesy.”

Bai Jǔrén adjusted his cloak. “I wish to invite you to a restaurant, Lord Zhou, but you are unpredictable, and I am intimidated.”

Zhou Shuren put down the jade pendant. “I don’t see any fear in you, Bai Jǔrén. It should be me who is intimidated. Lizhou Prefecture, in broad daylight… oh right, it’s dark now. No wonder you’re so bold.”

These people were truly infuriating. They didn’t respect him in the slightest. Fine. Right now, I don’t have much power, but I’ll remember every last one of you. I’ll help the old man sharpen the Emperor’s blade and have him cut you all down. And if that doesn’t finish you off, once I rise to power, I’ll deal with you myself.

Zhou Shuren was truly furious. He had considered all sorts of possibilities, but he hadn’t expected anyone to dare blatantly enter his carriage. Arrogance was a bad thing.

Bai Juren watched Zhou Shuren’s smile deepen and felt a chill run down his spine. But then he thought he had the Second Prince backing him; the Second Prince currently held the most power, so there was nothing to fear. Even with the Emperor’s support, so what? He hadn’t even entered the capital yet!

Bai Juren smiled. “Zhou Daren is a clever man. I sent someone to contact you before, but you were slippery and unreliable. My master was furious, which is why he sent me.”

If Zhou Daren didn’t accept being courted, there was no need for him to return to the capital, and he would have nothing to fear.

Zhou Shuren laughed. “Your master, isn’t the Emperor the ruler of the world?”

Bai Juren squinted. “Let’s not beat around the bush.”

​​He held up two fingers and continued, “Zhou Daren is a smart and capable man. My master greatly admires him.”

Zhou Shuren stared at the fingers—the Second Prince! Daring to tell him so directly was essentially a threat: either agree or shut up forever.

Zhou Shuren laughed, a particularly bright laugh.

Bai Juren frowned. “Why is Zhou Daren laughing?”

Zhou Shuren pointed to the coachman outside. “One of the Emperor’s men, and a master at that. Would you be interested in meeting him, Bai Juren?”

Since being frequently courted, he no longer used his family’s Wanjiu carriage. The current coachman was from the government office. He had observed him for a long time and confirmed he was one of the Emperor’s men. Although he didn’t know martial arts, he knew how to test people. He carried things effortlessly; he was clearly a master. He had deliberately bought a cartload of heavy goods, and the coachman had carried them all.

The Juren’s face froze, then his hands trembled, and finally his face turned pale. He managed to say it with a semblance of composure.

“Why must Zhou Daren frighten me?”

Zhou Shuren’s smile vanished. “Only the Jǔrén is allowed to frighten me? You rely on your master’s influence; I am an official of the Emperor; naturally I rely on the Emperor’s.”

The Jǔrén’s heart sank. From the moment he boarded the carriage, Zhou Daren had been unusually calm. Zhou Daren was capable of governing Lizhou City well, and he had never dared to underestimate him. He had initially thought Zhou Daren was merely feigning composure, but now it seemed he had anticipated the constant attempts to win him over and threaten him. Did this mean the Emperor had foreseen it?

The Jǔrén broke out in a cold sweat; getting on the carriage was easy, but getting off was difficult.

Zhōu Shūrén said coolly, “Why is Bai Jǔrén trembling?”

(End of Chapter)

---