Chapter 362: How mighty is the tiger's gaze!

The envoy from Guangzhou Zhoufu arrived......

Demanding a bribe?

Demanding a bribe?

Du Shanü heard this and was utterly stunned——

It wasn't that she didn't hear clearly; she heard it clearly and simply couldn't believe it.

That's Guangzhou Zhoufu, Guangzhou Zhoufu!

It's far richer than her godforsaken Yongzhou!

The other party's master is a prefect; casually squeezing money at home should already be enough to enrich a locality, so why is he reaching out to her for money?

Besides, who openly tells others they're demanding a bribe?

Is that right?

Du Shanü was puzzled, but Chen Weifang had another thought and abruptly interjected:

"The Guangzhou Zhoufu prefect……could he be surnamed Bai?"

Chunri Jian hadn't heard that voice in ages; upon hearing it, his very bones and blood instantly recalled the terror etched into his heart that day.

However, however.

Only this dread could make a disciplined person's blood beneath the skin boil and surge, like a dam‑bursting ant nest, bursting forth.

The more disciplined one is, the more one craves to shock the world.

This has always been the case.

Chunri Jian lowered his gaze, pressing his head down a fraction, until he could no longer see the neat‑made surface of his black leather boots.

"Exactly, surname White, given name Liren, courtesy name Renyi."

"The teacher must have seen him too; back when I took the children's exam, you hadn't been demoted, he hadn't been promoted, so you were chief examiner and he assistant examiner……

Bai Liren, Bai Renyi.

Chen Weifang somewhat realized, repeating it several times; not only did she recall that name, but she also clearly remembered many unpleasant episodes, her expression shifting.

Du Shanü looked left and right, her mind holding only one thought——

Fortunately Chunri Jian and Ouyang An are both proper; otherwise, seeing their lord's blank expression would have left them disillusioned.

Thankfully, her private self‑indulgent, money‑loving, lustful side is known only to Chinu and Afang......

Du Shanü's thoughts raced; when she came to, Chen Weifang was already speaking with a dark face, cursing ill fortune:

"……How did we just happen to run into this disaster."

"That's the sort of corrupt official who squeezes every examinee entering the exam hall; now that they've sent someone, nothing good will come of it."

Du Shanü kept her ears perked; hearing this, she was somewhat startled.

Even someone as unpleasant as Chen Weifang calls him a disaster—just how disastrous must Bai Liren be?

No wonder he dares to come demanding bribes with such fanfare......

Wait, wait!

Speaking of which, why is it money again!

Lately, is she drowning in money‑eyes?!

Could it be that the dream of being hounded by accounts wasn't a nightmare but a premonition!

Everyone had their own thoughts; the hall fell silent until Chinu hurried back, clutching the box.

Chen Weifang rose to make way; a faint, elegant fragrance drifted and floated into Chunri Jian's nostrils.

Only then did Chunri Jian suddenly recall that he had not yet received instructions:

"My lord, the envoy is still waiting outside the manor; I don't know……"

Du Shanü waved her hand casually, indicating no rush, then opened the box and picked through its contents.

She clinked and clattered while searching for a while; when the sound faded, she seemed to recall something and called out to Ouyang An, who had been kneeling on the ground for a long time:

"Xiao An, you said you don't want to spend a lifetime reading the Tai Xuan Jing in the small study, and earlier you claimed to know a moneymaking path—so you must have some great ambition, right?"

Ouyang An had his forehead on the ground for so long that his neck and arms were numb, yet upon hearing Du Shanü call him, he steadied his mind and said:

"I dare not claim great ambition; I only wish to ease my lord's worries."

"My brother's talent is mediocre, and I too cannot escape being dull, but I believe I am more decisive and daring than he, and I also want to quickly gain the means to protect myself in this chaotic age……"

Du Shanü played with the object in her hand, nodding now and then in agreement.

Yet anyone who could see her face could tell she was offhand.

Du Shanü gave no reply, and Ouyang An dared not stop.

The boy lying flat on the ground in a full‑prostration posture strained to lower himself further, nearly level with the blue‑stone tiles.

"……I actually intend to return to An Nan to contend for the throne; I ask my lord to lend me a hand."

"If I someday ascend the throne, I will mobilize An Nan's strength to submit as a vassal, forever serve the Great Yin, and eternally guard the southern seas for you, with no divided heart."

"By then, whether it's wealth, soldiers, or fine steeds, I can……"

Although I had long guessed that Ouyang An wouldn't mention a moneymaking scheme unless he wanted to see her, there was still a problem with it.

But when he actually spoke those words, Du Shanü couldn't help bursting into laughter.

Her laughter cut off the boy's earnest words and shattered the hall's silence.

Ouyang An had been preparing to seize this moment and go all out.

When he arrived, he thought he'd either be reprimanded or kept under house arrest for life.

Or he'd undergo a trial, then be controlled by the female lord, sent back to An Nan, and act cautiously under the watch of her retinue……

But he never imagined that after speaking, he would merely receive a burst of laughter.

What does that mean?

What exactly does that mean?

Ouyang An was like a clay figurine drenched with a bucket of cold water, his whole body cracked layer upon layer; although his heart still boiled, he also knew this round he was likely to lose everything.

Will I be imprisoned?

Or perhaps, be mocked with cold words, overestimating myself?

Ouyang An didn't know, and he also didn't dare to raise his head.

He was merely a twelve-year-old boy, having racked his brains for hundreds of days and nights, yet could only think of this one life-risking method.

If this method fails......

He truly didn't know how to free himself and his elder brother.

Is this life just going to end like that?

Must this life end only this way?

Ouyang An's chest heaved violently, his whole body almost drowning on the ground.

However, however.

In the next instant, the person on the main seat unexpectedly restrained a smile; her voice, like heavenly music, finally reached Ouyang An's ears:

"Afang, give him two hundred taels—no, one hundred taels in banknotes, and also send two sets of matching clothing, hire a carriage to send him to the border."

"Little An, I can only help you this much; how you proceed from here is up to you."

As these words landed, Ouyang An snapped his head up, incredulously gazing at the person on the main seat——

He actually agreed?!

How could she agree?

He himself didn't believe he could win the throne, yet she actually believed he could do it?!

She was willing to help him, yet she didn't even send anyone to follow him—what, what is she preparing for?

Ouyang An, being young, having obtained this unexpected favorable outcome, his mind went blank in an instant, and he asked the question that would make him regret for a lifetime:

"You, you're just letting me go? Aren't you afraid I'll run away and never come back?"

Du Shanü smiled and gestured for him to come closer, then lightly looped something around his neck, quietly closing it——

After only this slight "click" sound, heaven and earth constricted.

Ouyang An still hadn't reacted to what had happened, so he only felt a tightness in his throat, all things feeling light.

Du Shanü lightly brushed her fingertip over the person's overly tender neck bone, and said softly:

"Silly child, I'm certainly not afraid; on the contrary, you...... that's not certain."

"The collar I've placed on you is made of tungsten steel; ordinary people cannot remove it. As you grow older, it will only tighten further, making you taste the pain you deserve."

"If you fear pain, that's fine. Each year you come back to see me once, I'll replace it with a slightly larger collar, giving you another year of breathing room."

A chill spread from the neck bone to the jaw, then climbed upward, sweeping across the cheeks until reaching a stray hair at the corner of the eye.

Ouyang An trembled slightly, yet he still heard that voice faintly echoing in his ear.

That fierce tiger lowered its head slightly, as if lightly sniffing the scent of its prey, or perhaps just to let him hear more clearly.

She said, she said:

"Of course, it's fine if you don't come back to see me."

"It's just that this collar will remain on your neck, that's all."

"Even if you later achieve fame and success, as long as this collar remains on your neck for a day...... you will fear me for a day, that's all."

?? How mighty is the tiger's gaze? — from Li Bai's 'Qin Wang Sweeps the Six Harmonies'.

? In fact, most people in this story actually have courtesy names.

? First, because of the need for smooth prose, occasional courtesy names and given names are easily confused, so most are not shown.

? Second, main characters like Shasha and Chinu, for various reasons, lack courtesy names, so they have never been mentioned. (Shasha is a transmigrator and a woman, with no habit of taking courtesy names; Chinu is of low status, thus has none; some people also avoid using them for special reasons.)

? Bai Liren is a special case; he also has a courtesy name, but hardly anyone calls him Renyi, so later texts also refer to him as Bai Liren.

? That's all the explanation here; I won't explain further!