92This person is abnormally arrogant.
AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 92 This person is unusually arrogant
Song Hu heard this and immediately grabbed his neck.
Hu Jingsheng was lifted up by Song Hu like a little chick.
Hu Jingsheng's face changed dramatically; he never expected Shen Yulou to be so bold!
He was the Prefect!
The local emperor here!
Did Shen Yulou really intend to kill him?
A few seconds later, the fear of suffocation came, and Hu Jingsheng's two legs thrashed weakly in the air.
A few words squeezed out of his throat.
"Lord Shen, spare my life..."
Shen Yulou said, "Put him down first!"
Song Hu threw him casually, and Hu Jingsheng fell to the ground like a puddle of mud.
He gasped for air for a while before recovering a little.
At this moment, his neck was already bruised from Song Hu's grip; if it had been a few seconds later, he would have been dead.
Shen Yulou, a steward of the Imperial Heirs Residence, was, to put it plainly, an imperial physician specializing in pediatrics. How dare he be so bold?
While he was pondering this,
Shen Yulou slapped Hu Jingsheng across the face again.
Slap!
"Are you more sober now?"
Hu Jingsheng covered his face, gritting his teeth, realizing that a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him.
"Lord Shen, if you have any instructions, just say them. Why bother scaring me like this?"
Shen Yulou sneered, "Scare you?"
"imperial edict, command flag, token – which of these things is meant to scare you?"
Shen Yulou showed them to him for a glance, then put them away, standing before him and speaking from a superior position.
"You think I'm just a deputy steward of the Imperial Heirs Residence. Why would the Emperor give me a command flag and token? Why would he let me execute first and report later? Use your pig brain and think carefully!"
Hu Jingsheng frowned, his expression slightly changing.
Shen Yulou was a bit too arrogant.
Unusually arrogant!
As soon as he said this, Hu Jingsheng's heart sank, and his clever mind began to race.
On the surface, Shen Yulou was here to detoxify the soldiers, but if detoxification was his only mission, he would never have been given so many things.
Moreover, Shen Yulou's behavior was a bit too abnormal.
Hu Jingsheng's pupils suddenly contracted, and a possibility flashed through his mind.
Could Shen Yulou be an investigator sent by the Emperor?
Specifically to secretly investigate whether they had engaged in corruption?
Hu Jingsheng instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
If that were truly the case, then he absolutely could not offend this Lord!
The matter of the rebels was minor; Hu Jingsheng hadn't even exerted his full strength to suppress them.
If he had suppressed them with full force, these rebels would surely have fled.
That would have meant losing some opportunities to get rich.
When there were rebels in a locality, according to protocol, the imperial court would certainly send troops to suppress them, followed by a series of policies to appease the people, such as tax exemptions and allocation of silver.
Most of this money would end up in his pocket, a small portion would go to the officials below him, and then a tiny bit would trickle through their fingers to the common people, who would still be grateful.
So, as the Prefect, he actually hoped for some natural disasters or man-made calamities in the locality, but the scale couldn't be too large.
This time, the rebels were just right—a very good opportunity to make money.
He understood this principle, and the officials above him naturally understood it too.
Many times, everyone turned a blind eye; as long as it wasn't too excessive, it was an unspoken understanding.
To put it bluntly, everyone was collectively deceiving the Emperor.
But if someone messed things up and reported it to the Emperor, the Emperor would absolutely not tolerate it.
It was not impossible for someone to be sent down to secretly investigate this matter!
Connecting this with Shen Yulou's arrogant attitude, Hu Jingsheng became even more convinced that this matter was confirmed!
The reason Shen Yulou treated him this way was to warn him; he had to properly placate Shen Yulou!
After a brainstorm, Hu Jingsheng's attitude changed drastically.
"Lord Shen, this subordinate knows his mistake! This subordinate left in a hurry and didn't have anything on him. Tomorrow, this subordinate will definitely express his sincerity. Please, Lord Shen, do not blame me!"
Qingqing looked bewildered.
What was Prefect Hu imagining?
Why did his attitude change so drastically all of a sudden?
Did Shen Yulou just slap him twice and make him stupid?
Shen Yulou nodded with satisfaction, "At least you have some brains.
Tell me about the rebels. How many rebels are there?"
Hu Jingsheng said, "There are three thousand rebels in total. Their leader is named Bai Fan, who calls himself the King of Shun Tian. Under him are two generals, one named Fan Rui and the other named Jiang Zhanpeng."
Shen Yulou asked some more detailed questions and gained a lot of insight.
Shen Yulou said, "That's enough for today. Tomorrow, go prepare some arsenic for me; I have a great use for it."
"Yes! Tomorrow, this subordinate will respectfully welcome Lord at my residence!"
"You may go."
After Hu Jingsheng left, Qingqing said,
"Fan Rui is the Princess's maternal uncle!"
Shen Yulou nodded, finally understanding the other party's situation.
"Earlier, when you wrote to your maternal uncle, was it you or the Princess who wrote it?"
"I wrote it."
"Good! Bring paper and pen. I'll dictate, you write!"
Song Hu asked, "Should I follow that person?"
After all, Hu Jingsheng was the Prefect. If he was just let go, and he brought troops back, then Shen Yulou and the others would be in trouble.
Shen Yulou shook his head, "No need, he wouldn't dare."
...After Hu Jingsheng walked out of the inn, he looked back three times, and only after he reached his own government office did he confirm that no one was following him.
He hurried home, where his wife was waiting for him in the room.
Seeing Hu Jingsheng return, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"My Lord, are you alright?"
Hu Jingsheng frowned and said, "Wife, go get me a 10,000 tael silver note."
His wife was a little nervous, "What's wrong, my Lord? What do you need so much money for?"
Hu Jingsheng said, "The Emperor has sent down an investigator, and I must make arrangements."
His wife frowned, "My Lord, are you sure the other party is an investigator?"
If the Emperor really sent down an investigator, he certainly wouldn't let the local officials know.
An investigator and a circuit supervising censor were completely different.
An investigator conducted secret investigations, usually with another official position as a cover.
Only then could they uncover the true situation of these officials here.
If the investigator revealed his identity, it meant he was soliciting bribes.
Hu Jingsheng said, "It's almost certain. That person has great charisma and full confidence. He slapped me twice the moment we met.
If he lacked confidence, how would he dare to do so?
Moreover, when I left the inn, there wasn't even anyone following me.
If I were to mobilize troops and return now, he would surely die.
But why is he not afraid at all? It means he has confidence!
As long as he dies here, I won't have a way out either.
In other words, this investigator was specifically sent by His Majesty to investigate me!"
His wife was a little confused, "My Lord, why investigate you at this time?"
Hu Jingsheng said, "Someone probably complained to His Majesty, fearing that I would use the suppression of the rebels to amass wealth. No, 10,000 isn't enough. Wife, get 20,000 taels of silver notes. I must properly placate this Lord Shen!"
His wife nodded, "My Lord, you are truly brilliant!