A Pawn's Passage

When Shen Mingshu led Shen Yugui out of the brothel, an ordinary carriage was already waiting outside.

The father and son went into the carriage one after the other, while the rest of his entourage walked. An old servant acted as the coachman.

This carriage looked ordinary from the outside but was lavish inside, as seen by the sandalwood interior and furnishings. At this time, a beautiful maid was kneeling on the side, skillfully preparing expensive tea for the masters.

Shen Mingshu and Shen Yugui sat opposite each other. Shen Mingshu casually took a book from the small bookshelf in the carriage and placed it on his knees.

It was a Confucian classic from the School of Principle that had been thoroughly criticized by the Daoist Order.

Shen Mingshu opened a page at random and silently recited the sage’s mottos, like a monk chanting sutras. His mood became increasingly calm.

Shen Yugui sat with his head bowed and his knees together, nervously placing his hands on his knees.

After a while, Shen Mingshu finally spoke. “Just because I turn a blind eye to some things doesn’t mean that others will do the same. Next time, use your brain when you encounter problems like that. Do you think people who dare find fault with you will be ordinary civilians? Even if you want to throw your weight around, you must first understand your opponent’s background.

“Learn to act according to your ability. I can’t believe that you’ve never learned one bit from me after all these years. You’re worse than a cow! Also, why did you get involved in usury and rape? Is that all that you’re capable of?”

Shen Yugui mumbled, “At least I get to live longer if I’m not capable, unlike Shen Yuzu. To this day, we still don’t know how Shen Yuzu died.”

“Shen Yuzu was too flamboyant, so it was just a matter of time before he ended up offending people he shouldn’t. That is why he’s now dead,” Shen Mingshu said bluntly.

“Since you mentioned Shen Yuzu, I might as well tell you the truth. He died in the hands of the Qingping Society. I told you before. As members of the gentry or the Daoist Order, we shouldn’t challenge lunatics, cult demons, and terrorists. Don’t gamble your life away just because of dignity or pride. After all, fine porcelain shouldn’t be knocked against earthenware.

“How could you just show your temper and kick the person who barged into your room without first checking to see who he was? Did you think he was a mere servant who wouldn’t dare to fight back? Didn’t you see the Divine Dragon Pistol hanging on his waist?!”

Shen Yugui was not surprised that his father would know so many details despite not being at the scene. He asked, “Father, where are those two people from?”

Shen Mingshu lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced outside. “One of them seems to be part of the Black Robes, but I haven’t yet found out his background. The other one, named Xu Kou, was part of the Green Phoenix Guard. But he left the Imperial Court and joined the Daoist Order, first working in the Qizhou Daoist Mansion before transferring to Tiangang Hall. He’s well known as the Little Yama because his ruthless tactics were worthy of competing with the King of Hell. Do you know why he managed to live even after leaving the Green Phoenix Guard? It’s because Sage Qingwei took him under his wing.”

Shen Yugui was rendered speechless.

Of course, he knew who Sage Qingwei was.

That was a true big shot.

Even if Xu Kou was not Sage Qingwei’s direct confidant, no one would dare touch him as long as he had some sort of relationship with the second-in-command of the Taiping Sect.

Shen Mingshu closed the Confucian classic on his lap and ordered, “This matter ends here. Be more open-minded and stop bothering that girl.”

Shen Yugui immediately apologized. “I know my faults, Father. I will correct my mistakes.”

Shen Mingshu stopped talking and just stared at his son intently, making Shen Yugui tremble in fear.

“You should correct yourself.” After a long time, Shen Mingshu added, “From tomorrow on, you will live in the county jail, and you will not be allowed to step out without my command.”

Shen Yugui was stunned. After digesting his father’s words, he kneeled on the floor and hugged his father’s legs. “Dad! I don’t want to go to jail!”

“Get up.” Shen Mingshu was authoritative.

“Dad...” Shen Yugui trembled and climbed up.

Shen Mingshu said expressionlessly, “There is no room for negotiation on this matter.”

At this moment, the carriage stopped in front of a luxurious mansion. Shen Yugui got out of the carriage obediently and returned home. He would have to go back to his room and pack up for his stay in the county jail starting the next morning.

Meanwhile, Shen Mingshu stayed in the carriage.

The maid, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. “Wang Baoyue didn’t get to leave.”

“What happened?” Shen Mingshu frowned.

The maid reported, “Old Qian’s people are at the 11th checkpoint, so Old Qian arranged for Wang Baoyue and his people to board a cargo ship and a passenger ship. They were supposed to disembark at the 6th checkpoint. Unexpectedly, there was a mishap at the 9th checkpoint in our territory, and everyone except Wang Baoyue died. Now, the Black Robes have been alerted, and many traps have been laid out. Wang Baoyue had no choice but to reach out to us.”

There were 1,875 kilometers of waterway from Jinling Prefecture to the Imperial Capital, with 12 customs checkpoints spread out in between. To facilitate the management of these checkpoints, the Ministry of Grain Transport named these checkpoints with numbers, with the first checkpoint starting from the Imperial Capital.

Shen Mingshu said nothing.

The maid continued, “Wang Baoyue and his people are to blame for this. First, they killed a gentry, then they met someone from the Black Robes. Wang Baoyue wanted to assume the identity of the Black Robes, but he failed to kill the soldier and even exposed his identity.”

“The Black Robes?” Shen Mingshu murmured, “Could it be that man traveling with Xu Kou? Are they testing us?”

The maid hesitated for a moment before saying, “I think it’s him, but I’m not sure whether those two have noticed anything.”

“These pirates are useless!” Shen Mingshu snorted coldly. “Where is Wang Baoyue now?”

The maid replied, “We have arranged for him to stay at the City God Temple for the time being.”

Shen Mingshu nodded slightly. “Let’s make preparations and see if we can send him away by land first. If we can’t send him away, then we have no choice but to keep him in Luzhou forever. We mustn’t let him fall into the hands of those Southerners[1].”

The maid nodded and silently left the carriage while it was still moving.

After she left, Shen Mingshu raised his voice slightly and ordered the coachman. “Go to the City God Temple.”

The City God Temple was located outside the city, which was a journey of several hours. By the time the carriage returned to the city again, the sky was already dark.

Only the old servant who steered the carriage knew what Shen Mingshu did when he was at the City God Temple.

After getting off the carriage and returning to the house, Shen Mingshu, who acted friendly in front of Qi Xuansu and Xu Kou, ignored the many servants who saluted him as he walked through the hall to get to his study.

At this time, a woman dressed in luxurious clothes was waiting outside his study. Although she was old, she still retained her beauty.

This woman was none other than Shen Mingshu’s first wife and Shen Yugui’s biological mother.

Based on appearance alone, they were a match made in heaven, even now that they have aged. Shen Mingshu looked elegant and mature, while this woman looked charming.

However, Shen Mingshu’s attitude toward his first wife was cold. “What are you doing here?”

“Are you really sending our son to the county jail? What are you trying to do?” The woman questioned Shen Mingshu.

Shen Mingshu signaled all the servants and maids to retreat. His face was still expressionless as he said, “A loving mother will only raise spoiled brats. I have just been accused of neglecting to discipline my son and that it’s my fault that our son has turned out like this. So this time, I want to fulfill my duties as a father and teach my son a lesson by letting him reflect on his poor behavior in jail.”

The woman tried hard to suppress her anger, but she still blurted out. “Have these two outsiders scared you so much? Have you only learned to be a coward in the past 20 years?!”

Shen Mingshu’s expression remained unchanged, as if he did not hear the insult.

“You don’t know that the infighting between Daoist sects has reached a critical moment. Both sides are itching to poke at each other’s sore spots. The higher-ups are the ones fighting, but the ones getting hurt are the people down below. The Yuan family in Jiangling Prefecture is a good example of that. Although we are in-laws with the Li family, no one will protect us if something goes wrong. Got it?”

The woman was still unwilling to give in. She wanted to rebut, but Shen Mingshu suddenly slapped her hard in the face, so much so that she fell to the ground.

Shen Mingshu said condescendingly, “I will lecture my son publicly and discipline my wife behind closed doors.”

1. Most likely alluding to the Nanhai (South Sea) Navy, which is heavily influenced by the Cihang lineage (Zhengyi Sect). ☜