Everyone stared intently at the bronze pot holding the wine. Sure enough, everything was just as Li Qingxian had described. Steam rose, entered the condenser tube, cooled rapidly, and turned into clear droplets that slowly gathered into a clean, transparent liquor.
"Everyone, have a taste." Liu Muwa slapped his Qi Fortune Silver Fish Pouch and distributed the liquor to the crowd.
Li Qingxian only sniffed it and took a small sip. It was so strong it burned his throat.
The others’ eyes widened after they drank.
"Such a strong spirit! It’ll be a huge hit with the High Grades!" Luo Jing said gleefully.
"This liquor is every bit as good as the imperial wine from the palace, and even clearer," Yan Shixiao said.
Zhou Chunfeng smiled. "That’s because it was originally brewed by an Evil Sect that stole a secret palace recipe."
Yan Shixiao and Liu Muwa thought for a moment, then both smiled and said, "Excellent."
Zhou Chunfeng then asked, "So, is our business deal settled?"
"It’s settled. Regardless of the Ministry of Works, our Civilian Equipment Department will give it our all! Tomorrow, I’ll send men to set up a distillery in the Imperial Prison Department. Once we can produce it on a large scale, we’ll establish a bigger distillery elsewhere," Liu Muwa said.
Yan Shixiao covered his mouth with a sleeve and chuckled. "Whatever Brother Chunfeng says, goes. I’m merely the one who manages the Emperor’s purse. As long as it makes money for the Emperor, I’ll support it. By the way, Brother Chunfeng, I hear you’re quite fond of this boy, Li Qingxian?"
Yan Shixiao’s "beautiful eyes" darted toward Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian took the cue and ran with it. "Uncle Zhou treats me like a nephew. Why else would he have troubled all of you to come here?"
Zhou Chunfeng sighed, pointed at Li Qingxian, and said to the others, "With that shameless spirit of his, I couldn’t get rid of him even if I wanted to."
Yan Shixiao laughed gleefully and studied Li Qingxian with great interest.
Li Qingxian felt there was a subtle dynamic between Yan Shixiao and Zhou Chunfeng, yet Zhou Chunfeng had mentioned during a previous chat that they hadn’t known each other before.
Just then, a Guard shouted from outside the main gate, "Disciplinary Officer Wei, please wait!"
"Haha, Lord Zhou, my apologies for being late. When it comes to a business deal for our Night Guard, my Finance Department will certainly give its full support!"
The words had barely faded when a figure appeared in the doorway.
Li Qingxian stared at Wei Yong, his mind reeling with questions.
’What is going on?’
’We couldn’t find you when we were looking, and now you walk right into the line of fire?’
Li Qingxian and Luo Jing looked toward Zhou Chunfeng, who gave a slight shake of his head.
"Your subordinate, Wei Yong, greets Lord Yan and Lord Liu. It has been a while. Rest assured, gentlemen, even if it costs me my official robes, I, Wei Yong, will support this matter with all my might! I support Lord Zhou!" Wei Yong stood beaming in the doorway, glancing at Zhou Henn, who had both hands on his swords.
Liu Muwa gave a slight nod.
Yan Shixiao looked Wei Yong up and down, then smiled. "Ah, so it’s Lord Wei. We have met before. With your Finance Department involved, this collaboration is sure to proceed even more smoothly."
Wei Yong said with a grin, "Junior Director Yan is correct. The Finance Department will certainly ensure your satisfaction, milord. Lord Zhou, once today’s discussions are complete, I will have Room Leader Tao personally take charge of this matter. There will be no negligence."
Zhou Chunfeng stared quietly at Wei Yong, saying nothing.
Wei Yong’s face was all smiles, showing no sign of being unsettled.
"Then let’s sign the documents today to avoid future disputes," Liu Muwa said.
Yan Shixiao also nodded. "I think that’s a good idea."
Li Qingxian looked at Zhou Chunfeng and saw he was still silent. After a moment of thought, it dawned on him: Wei Yong was retaliating for what happened before, and in an extremely clever way.
The Finance Department held a high and powerful position within the Night Guard, managing all its funds, provisions, and salaries. If Zhou Chunfeng were to turn hostile now, it would be an open declaration of conflict between the Divine Capital Bureau and the Finance Department. If the situation escalated, even if Yan Shixiao and Liu Muwa agreed to the deal, other high-ranking officials in the Inner Treasury Bureau and the Ministry of Works would never consent.
Now, Zhou Chunfeng was caught in a dilemma.
If he chose to make a scene, the deal would be ruined.
But if he chose to swallow his anger and say nothing, he would suffer a major loss.
Crucially, Zhou Chunfeng’s style was on the softer side; he rarely sought direct confrontation.
’These officials are more venomous than the last,’ Li Qingxian thought. ’But since you walked right into it, don’t blame me for what happens next.’
Li Qingxian cleared his throat. "Logically speaking, we should cooperate with the Finance Department on this matter. However, I’ve spoken privately with Uncle Zhou, and we’ve decided it’s not quite suitable this time. Next time, for sure."
Wei Yong chuckled and reminded him, "Captain Xiaoli, this is a meeting of Middle Grade officials. It’s one thing for you to speak out of turn, but addressing him as ’Uncle Zhou’ instead of by his official title is an offense worthy of a caning."
Yan Shixiao’s almond-shaped eyes glared as he shrieked, "He can call him whatever he wants! What right does an outsider like you have to butt in? A dog trying to catch mice—mind your own damn business!"
The smile froze on Wei Yong’s face, leaving him with an awkward expression.
Li Qingxian smiled. "Thank you for the reminder, Lord Wei. However, the official meeting was already over. This is just a casual chat. As the Disciplinary Officer of a department, your tardiness shows you don’t consider this matter important. What’s more, everyone in the Night Guard knows you’re incapable of managing your own subordinates. The Divine Capital Bureau can handle this on its own; we won’t trouble the Finance Department."
Wei Yong took a deep breath, his smile vanishing. He shook his head. "Ah, Captain Xiaoli, you truly misunderstand me. The issues with Pang Mingjing and that other team captain were private grudges between you and them. You shouldn’t mix personal grievances with official business."
Li Qingxian was surprised that Wei Yong couldn’t even be bothered to mention Hong Cheng’s name. ’Truly cold-blooded,’ he thought.
"If it were just one person, perhaps it could be considered a private matter. But both of them happened to be from your Finance Department, both happened to be close to you, and both happened to want to harm me and target my Divine Capital Bureau. That... is no longer a private matter. Uncle Zhou, I’ve advised you many times, but you kept hesitating to protect the Finance Department’s reputation and maintain harmony in the Night Guard. Now, he shows up late, ready to collect the profits without doing any work. It’s time for you to be more assertive."
Zhou Chunfeng nodded slowly. "He’s right. Lord Wei, please leave."
Realization dawned on Yan Shixiao, who sneered, "So, he’s an uninvited guest."
Liu Muwa also finally understood, frowning as he sized up Wei Yong.
Wei Yong sensed their animosity and thought, ’I’ll have to play hardball to force Zhou Chunfeng’s hand.’ He turned to Li Qingxian and said in a flat tone, "Captain Xiaoli, you harmed a Night Guard team captain—that is your first offense. You interrupted a Disciplinary Officer’s conversation—your second offense. Those two can be overlooked, but you’ve now used baseless speculation to publicly frame a Senior Fifth-Grade Official as being incapable of managing his subordinates. For this matter, even if it were brought before the Emperor in Jinluan Hall, I would be in the right. If you continue to be so aggressive, we can go before the Guard Commander and clear this up!"
Yan Shixiao was about to speak but instead just watched the two with a grin, enjoying the show.
Liu Muwa spoke up. "Lord Wei, why squabble with a child? I can see he has clear eyes; he’s not a malicious person, just blunt."
"The Imperial Court has its own laws! For slandering a superior, the lightest punishment is being stripped of one’s rank, and the heaviest is exile! Lord Zhou, you are the master of the Divine Capital Bureau. Tell us, what is the proper punishment for slandering a superior officer?" Wei Yong demanded.
Zhou Chunfeng remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
But Li Qingxian let out a long sigh. "Ah, Lord Wei, Lord Wei. We are all colleagues in the Night Guard. I was originally trying to save you some face, but who knew you would be so aggressive, even threatening to have me exiled. Since it has come to this, I have no choice but to speak the whole truth."
Wei Yong stared at Li Qingxian, a vein throbbing in his temple. ’Even a fool can see my threat was a bluff and that I just want a piece of the pie,’ he thought. ’What is wrong with this Li Qingxian? Why does he pick a fight with everyone he meets? Does he really want to burn everything to the ground?’