novelden Chapter 169 Cleansing Up and Getting Back on Land
Chapter 169 Cleansing Up and Getting Back on Land
“I’ve already said I don’t know any of those. If Your Excellency wants to see magic tricks, there are plenty of people who can perform for you.”
After emphasizing one last time that he couldn't, Lin Fan almost wanted to pick up a stick and give this marquis two slaps.
"Didn't many militiamen see it?" Duan Ye was still struggling to stay awake.
This shows that some people prefer to believe rumors rather than the person in question. After all, Liu Feng himself is here, yet some people still firmly believe the rumors.
In the end, it was Zhan Peng who persuaded Duan Ye to stop, but he always stared at Lin Fan's hands and head, hoping to find something interesting.
Because of this phone call, Zhan Peng and Duan Ye simply moved their cases next to Lin Fan's, and the three small cases were put together to form a triangular table.
Seeing this, Duan Ye spoke up, "Imitating the ancients also has its downsides. Being so far apart from each other, it's not very convenient to talk."
Zhanpeng used to say he was a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world), but now he's become cultured, saying, "Didn't the ancients also sleep side by side? Lord Marquis, don't take appearances too seriously."
Lin Fan then realized that the three of them were almost touching each other, and quietly moved his buttocks back.
This world is too dangerous. We must guard against evil spirits, curses, women, and even men.
So the three of them poured wine, and Lin Fan called out to Yue'er again, and the wine pot flew up by itself and poured more wine into Lin Fan's wine cup.
Zhan Peng got closer this time, staring with his round eyes, trying to figure it out. Even with his eyesight and alertness, he couldn't find any mechanism. The only sound was that Lin Fan's sword, which was in its black sheath, moved slightly.
Zhan Peng withdrew his gaze, raised a glass of wine, and continued, "So my commander is truly wise and brave, talented and handsome. He only slightly changed the contents of the wanted poster, and he scared the tax collectors of Daqian into trembling with fear. When I came here, I passed by several places where taxes were being collected. I could clearly see those tax collectors lifting their feet and then putting them down. It was really satisfying."
Lin Fan realized that Zhan Peng was a brainless fanboy of his commander, praising the troublemaker's capricious behavior to this extent. As he spoke, Zhan Peng took something out of his luggage and placed it on his small table.
It was a statue of the 'Two-Bomb Immortal Lord'.
"I just grabbed one, and it's actually quite interesting," Zhan Peng said, looking at Lin Fan.
Lin Fan's lips twitched. "Stolen?"
"Well, I'm a proper seventh-rank captain, after all. After taking it, I just put a silver ingot in that shrine," Zhan Peng explained.
Goodness, if you hadn't told me, I would have thought he was one of those tomb raiders.
Duan Ye, seeing the statue, picked up on the story. "It's like this, as soon as the wanted poster was issued, rumors about Liu Feng started circulating among the people." He glanced at Lin Fan before continuing, "He's a celestial lord who can't stand tax collectors exploiting the people. So if a tax collector kicks a dendrobium, he might just be struck by lightning. It's quite a coincidence, but it's also a beneficial thing."
Lin Fan was completely stunned. It really had become like this: the people were worshipping, the tax collectors were terrified, and he himself had been turned into a clay statue.
However, after calming down, he still said something discouraging, "It's only temporary. Once those tax collectors realize that this is all nonsense, everything will go back to normal. Those who worship me... cough, the Immortal Lord will also be disappointed."
Upon hearing this, Duan Ye and Zhan Peng stopped smiling, lowered their heads to drink, and ate another bite of the now-cold food.
However, after a while, Lin Fan's opinion of the two people in front of him did change considerably; their views and ideas actually aligned quite well with his own. Were they faking it? They were just pretending, of course; there's always a time when they can't keep up the act.
So Duan Ye suggested that he wanted to hear the real secrets and what Lin Fan had actually done.
Lin Fan pondered for a moment before speaking, saying that there was actually nothing to keep secret. In fact, he wanted the truth to be revealed, while the imperial court was the one that wanted to conceal it.
Avoiding parts related to the present world and the uses of the Soul-Suppressing Pearl, Lin Fan jumped around in his story. The two simply assumed that Lin Fan wasn't good at organizing his thoughts, since he had drunk quite a bit, and his drunken narration was naturally not very coherent.
"So it was the registrar of Baishi County who made Brother Lin take the blame." Duan Ye only said this much. This truth was not as satisfying as the killing of the tax official, and it further revealed the darkness of the Daqian officialdom. Duan Ye, who was a person in the court, could only sigh.
"Indeed, there are quite a few registrars who deceive their superiors and cover up their mistakes. I dealt with one last year." Zhan Peng, perhaps having had too much to drink, forcefully took over the conversation and began to talk about his usual work-related trivialities.
Zhanpeng told one crime-solving story after another.
Lin Fan finally understood that, at least if what Zhan Peng said was true, then he really was a capricious and capricious chief of the Criminal Investigation Division.
The Criminal Investigation Division, located in the capital, handles the most difficult cases in the country. Although the commander is only a sixth-rank official, once a case falls into the hands of the Criminal Investigation Division, he has the power of an imperial censor.
The general is supposed to lead fifty division commanders, but according to Zhan Peng, he is unwilling to cooperate with others, and because that grumpy deputy commander cheated and borrowed his men and refused to return them, he always travels alone when handling cases.
From Lin Fan's perspective, when power is absolute, coupled with a lack of restraint and his own willfulness, Zhan Peng almost entirely decides the fate of wanted criminals based on his own whims. He lets those he deems heroes off the hook, while also making the local officials suffer.
In an orderly society governed by the rule of law, someone like Zhan Peng would be nothing short of a willful, lawless troublemaker. But in the Great Qian Dynasty, Lin Fan genuinely felt that such a person was a rare breath of fresh air.
After recounting his long story, Zhan Peng poured himself another drink and returned to Liu Feng's topic. "So, Brother Lin, I initially thought you were mostly wronged, and now, after hearing this, I know even more clearly that you are greatly wronged. But your case is truly difficult to resolve. Killing a tax official is one thing, but the registrar and the county magistrate are both legitimate government officials, and the academy's headmaster is also on the government's register. Even if I help you clarify the matter, you killed an official while being a commoner, and no matter how many reasons you have, it is still an unforgivable crime."
Seeing his sincerity, Lin Fan offered him a toast for the first time, saying, "Thank you, Brother Wanli, I understand."
Zhan Peng nodded. "At most, I can only let you pass through, and try to stall for time so that the higher-ups won't send anyone else."
At this point, Zhan Peng's hand holding the wine cup froze in mid-air. He was stunned for a while before suddenly saying, "Brother Lin, you know what, I actually have a way to help you get out of trouble and live a clean life!"
Lin Fan remained calm, honestly not holding any expectations. Duan Ye, however, was very interested and urged, "Brother Wanli, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me quickly."