"Five thousand taels?"
Wei Heng stared blankly at the hall bench for a moment, then, bursting with anger, he grabbed Shen Fa by the collar and yanked him forward, "Why don’t you just go rob someone?"
Shen Fa sneered and slowly pried off his large hand, "Just say if you’re giving it or not!"
Wei Heng turned his head and scrutinized the hall bench closely. Indeed, in an inconspicuous corner, he saw the dragon pattern and his old face instantly turned the color of liver, "Are you scheming against me?"
Shen Fa replied innocently, "Familiar as we are, if you talk nonsense, I’ll still sue you for defamation! Did I invite you, an old scoundrel, to come to my door causing trouble? Or did I permit you, an old scoundrel, to slap this hall bench?"
Wei Heng was so angry that he turned and walked away, "Fine, you win, let’s see how this plays out—I’m watching closely!"
Shen Fa watched him walk towards the exit, only when he had stepped over the threshold did he speak softly, "Come back!"
Wei Heng, with his face flushed and ears red, responded loudly, "Now you think of apologizing? Too late!"
His mouth was relentless, but his body honestly stopped in its tracks.
Shen Fa calmly picked up his teacup and drank, speaking unhurriedly, "The door is right under your feet, as you please!"
Wei Heng’s expression fluctuated uncertainly for a long time, but eventually, he turned around and strode back into the hall, "Speak if you have words, fart if you have to!"
Shen Fa’s lips curled up... "Old scoundrel, can’t I handle you?"
He spoke at a leisurely pace, "First, I too am a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Next time you have something to say, talk to me properly, don’t try that tantrum-throwing act on me, it really won’t work!"
"Second, you are after all the head of the Western Factory. Next time you have something to say, talk properly, don’t bring that hoodlum act upon others, it’s disgraceful!"
"Third, my Embroidered Uniform Guard is not subordinate to your Western Factory. If there is a case that requires the assistance of my Embroidered Uniform Guard, you should have the attitude of asking for help. Helping you is a favor, not helping is within my rights!"
Having said this, he lowered his head to drink tea, "I’m done talking, do you agree or disagree?"
Wei Heng’s old face turned from green to purple, and after a long time, he managed to spit out, "You make sense!"
Shen Fa’s lips twitched up again—got him!
"Good!"
He set down his teacup, "Now let’s talk about the case... Are you seeking the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in your capacity as the head of the Western Factory, or are you seeking Shen in your capacity as Eunuch Wei Heng?"
Wei Heng furrowed his brows and stared at him for a long time before asking, "If I came in the capacity of the head of the Western Factory, what then?"
Shen Fa answered with nonchalance, "Nothing in particular, please take a seat, Director Wei. I shall command someone to transcribe a copy of all files related to Louwailou from the archives of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and hand them to you, Director Wei. Without a decree from the Emperor, to go to such lengths is already beyond my authority, please forgive my presumption."
Immediately, Wei Heng changed his tone and, with a salute, said, "Lord Shen jests, we have been acquaintances for many years. Surely Lord Shen wouldn’t stand by idly in the face of death, right?"
The smile on Shen Fa’s face finally broadened, "Now that’s the attitude to ask for favours... However, I’m afraid I may disappoint you. The previous commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Ma Dai, was a good-for-nothing. During his tenure, he loved to take credit for things, was slack in his duties, and as a result, the files regarding Louwailou in the archives are at least ten years out of date!"
Wei Heng’s face changed instantly, and he yelled, "You little bastard..."
Shen Fa: "But I have three strategies, high, middle, and low, that can help you settle this matter!"
Wei Heng’s expression changed once more, and he said with joyful laughter: "I’ve long said that you, Shen, have the talent of Zhuge, truly a pillar of Wei, a mainstay of our country!"
Shen Fa forced a light "heh" without a smile and continued on his own: "The high strategy involves another enforcement by the Six Bureaus, requesting the Imperial Horse Supervisor’s ancestors to take action, sweeping the courts and driving out that group of dead remnants, killing chickens to scare monkeys, deterring the whole of China, and incidentally recovering the face Wei Imperial Court lost in Huai’an. Although this method requires mustering troops and a significant expense, it remedies both the symptoms and the root cause, offering a permanent solution!"
Wei Heng’s eyes flickered: "If I remember correctly, isn’t the chief of those dead remnants achieving Grandmaster status not much later than the Ming Sect Hierarch?"
Shen Fa dropped his smile, speaking solemnly: "Exactly because the Taoist Master achieves Grandmaster status not much later than the Ming Sect Hierarch, we should spare no expense in dealing with him. With the fifth master of the Imperial Horse Supervisor gone, even with the Emperor’s grace upon Quanzhen Feiyun Taoist and the Shaolin walking monks, firmly holding their position, leaving that old schemer alive is still a great menace!"
After a pause, he spoke with emphasis: "The more unfavorable the situation, the less we can afford to show weakness. If we retreat, the enemy advances; if this goes on, minor problems will turn into disasters!"
Wei Heng hesitated and asked: "Are you saying... we should go and petition the Emperor together?"
Shen Fa nodded: "Eastern Factory is but a loose sand; this responsibility, neither you nor I can shirk!"
Wei Heng pondered for a long while, noncommittally continuing to ask: "Speak of the other two strategies."
Shen Fa was not disappointed, for this was not something the two of them could decide alone: "The low strategy, if the enemy can make a move, so can we. Does that ’Pavilion Outside the Pavilion’ like launching challenges to stir up trouble? If they can issue such challenges, why can’t the Wei Imperial Court? If they can set their remaining challengers on stage, we can as well set ’Pavilion Outside the Pavilion’ on stage. Nearly two hundred years since the fall of Zhou Tang and the unity of the whole world under Datong, it’s time to turn these dead remnants from the shadows out into the light for everyone to see. No matter what schemes they have, as long as the heroes of the world are on guard, the effects will be greatly diminished!"
Wei Heng slowly furrowed his brows, asking in a deep voice: "You must understand the repercussions of such actions, right?"
Shen Fa: "Naturally, we are soldiers, and they are thieves. They can cause chaos without fear of breaking any pots or pans, but we must be mindful of maintaining peace and tranquility in China."
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Wei Heng: "And yet you propose this extremely dangerous strategy?"
Shen Fa: "Isn’t this a last resort in extraordinary times? During an emergency, extraordinary measures are necessary. With our defeat at the Huai’an Bian River already a reality, if we continue to hesitate and bind our own hands, we will only become more passive. If this continues, they will lead us by the nose, and we will be exhausted from constantly putting out fires!"
Wei Heng thought for a moment, then spoke again: "You mentioned high, middle, and low strategies. What about the middle one?"
Shen Fa paused for a few breaths, sighing lightly: "The middle strategy... to untie the bell, one must still tie it on. ’Pavilion Outside the Pavilion’ placed heavy bets on that wretched toad, intending to use him to crush the balance of power between the court and the jianghu. We only need to persuade that wretched toad... not to ask him to be loyal to the court again, just to express that he won’t be hostile towards the court. Then this matter can be easily resolved, and the heavy bets ’Pavilion Outside the Pavilion’ placed on him can be turned to the court’s advantage."
Wei Heng pondered, feeling it was indeed as Shen said, and helplessly said: "I understand in principle... but who will go? Let me be clear, I dare not see that little bastard’s face again!"
"If the Emperor is willing to agree..."
Shen Fa sighed again, speaking wearily: "I’ll make the trip myself. Fang Ke of the Lu Ting could have gone, but he’s too partial to that wretched toad over me or the court. Sending him would probably just antagonize the toad against the court even more."
Wei Heng pondered for a few breaths, speaking softly: "Think it over carefully, that little bastard has killed so many official envoys, he might not be able to hold back from drawing his sword."
Shen Fa replied with a faint smile: "You worry too much, he’s reasonable in both matters and people. You don’t have to worry he’ll extend his hatred from the wooden beam to the house, implicating you..."
Wei Heng also couldn’t help but sigh: "To be honest, if Master Wei hadn’t harbored killing intent toward Yang Tiansheng and Li Jincheng that day, I truly don’t think he would have attacked me. But after what happened with Master Wei that day... I’m afraid it’s not wise to meet again."
Shen Fa slowly leaned back in his chair: "Life hardly ever goes as one wishes... eight or nine times out of ten..."
Wei Heng looked at him, smiling as he gave a cupped fist salute: "Alright, for this matter, I owe you, Shen, a favor. My Western Factory will certainly repay. I will return to the palace immediately to report to the Emperor and seek his judgment!"
Shen Fa responded with a listless gesture of returning the courtesy: "Then fare you well, for I shall not see you out."