As soon as Shang Jingchuan arrived, the two guards knew well enough to greet him as Lord.
Shang Jingchuan nodded, entered the hall, and first had a cup of tea before continuing to review the case files.
These were mostly dusty old cases, many of which involved people who were long dead, revealing their antiquity.
So Shang Jingchuan categorically organized these files, placing the ancient ones aside and the relatively recent ones on the other side.
Through his investigation, he discovered that roughly ten years ago, complaints against the Four Seas Gang began to increase, peaking eight years ago, before rapidly declining, with no further complaints to this day.
This certainly did not mean the Four Seas Gang had reformed; rather, it indicated that the populace had lost hope and dared not complain further.
The more this happened, the more Shang Jingchuan felt a suffocated anger in his heart.
He refused to believe that the Four Seas Gang could really have the power to cover the sky with one hand.
So he began to meticulously organize the files, preparing to consolidate them.
In the midst of his busyness, he noticed a figure swaggering into the hall, casually greeting him with a hand over his fist.
"Subordinate Liu Qi, meeting Lord Shang."
In general, constables usually have no official rank.
But it is different in the Capital Prefecture, due to the proximity to the Emperor and the numerous nobles; without an official rank, a constable would find it extremely difficult to handle cases.
Thus, the constables in the Capital Prefecture do have ranks, and not low ones at that; they hold the rank of Right Fifth Class.
This is why Liu Qi referred to himself as a subordinate when he met Shang Jingchuan.
Shang Jingchuan looked up to see Liu Qi with a plump head, big ears, and a large belly, looking every inch a wealthy merchant, with no trace of a constable’s demeanor.
Especially with his arrogant tone just now, he clearly did not regard him seriously.
Thinking of this, Shang Jingchuan felt a hidden anger but remembered Zhao Ya’s instructions, forcibly suppressing it, and smiled slightly.
"So it’s Chief Liu, please have a seat."
"Thank you, Lord."
Someone brought a chair, Liu Qi carelessly sat down, then wiped the greasy sweat from his face.
"Yesterday, I didn’t know Lord Shang had assumed office. I drank a lot of wine and couldn’t come; I beg for your pardon."
"Hahaha, a small matter, a small matter. It was my fault for not giving prior notice, but I wonder what business Chief Liu is managing outside now?"
Liu Qi did not avoid the topic, proudly saying, "Just a small business, I opened a restaurant in Changping Square."
A restaurant in Changping Square!
Upon hearing this, Shang Jingchuan inwardly sneered.
This talk might fool a ghost; everyone knows what Changping Square is. To put it bluntly, the restaurants there are all brothels.
And for Liu Qi to manage a brothel in such a place, it shows how deep and wide his connections are.
On the surface, Shang Jingchuan remained calm, nodding slightly, "I will have to see it someday then."
"That can certainly be arranged. If Lord Shang wants to visit, just let me know anytime, and I’ll have my people prepare in advance."
The two then exchanged pleasantries, engaging in typical, unproductive bureaucratic conversation, before Liu Qi finally got up to leave.
Shang Jingchuan personally escorted him to the hall’s steps before they parted.
After leaving the Capital Prefecture, Liu Qi’s smile slowly faded, accepting a towel from a subordinate before climbing into a sedan chair, sternly ordering, "To Prince Qi’s Mansion."
Upon reaching Prince Qi’s Mansion and meeting Yan Sifu, Liu Qi kneeled on the ground and recounted his meeting with Shang Jingchuan that day.
After listening, Yan Sifu was quite surprised.
"Oh? Is that really what he said?"
"Yes, how would I dare deceive the Prince, every word of it is true."
Just yesterday, Liu Qi was summoned to Prince Qi’s Mansion and upon meeting Yan Sifu, he realized immediately that his opportunity had come after just a few words, hence he clung to this golden thigh, behaving as a servant everywhere.
Yan Sifu didn’t refuse either.
Though at first, he didn’t take Liu Qi seriously, he later found out Liu Qi was quite skilled, even operating a flourishing brothel in Changping Square.
With someone like this willing to be his dog willingly, Yan Sifu was naturally pleased to accept.
"It seems that Shang Jingchuan is not entirely stupid. It is apparent that he knows you have roots, so he doesn’t dare act against you, but his immediate consultation of the files indicates his ill intentions, plus his previous conflict with the Four Seas Gang suggests he plans to move against them."
Yan Sifu had some intelligence, quickly guessing Shang Jingchuan’s intentions.
"Going against the Four Seas Gang? Just him?" Liu Qi was somewhat incredulous.
"Of course not just him alone; he has a young expert beside him!" Yan Sifu sneered.
"However, this matter doesn’t necessarily harm me. I, as the Capital Prefect, am his superior. If he indeed achieves something, it’s my credit. If not, it’ll be his own fault."
At this point, Yan Sifu suddenly remembered something, calmly saying, "Liu Qi!"
"Here, master," Liu Qi replied humbly.
"For being able to run a brothel in Changping Square, you must have ties with the Four Seas Gang; inform them of this matter, tell them that this Lord Shang plans to target them from the onset."
"Yes!"
Liu Qi just acquired a more vivid understanding of the tactics of these high-ranking individuals.
In just a few words, they placed Shang Jingchuan in a no-win situation.
If there’s a benefit, it’s Yan Sifu’s; if there’s a problem, it’s Shang Jingchuan who takes the blame.
One cannot deny it is brilliant.
After Liu Qi left, Yan Peng emerged from behind a screen, frowning, "Father, Liu Qi is notoriously infamous, why would you use such a person?"
Yan Sifu smiled, "Peng’er, you’re still too naive. What does notoriously infamous mean? Just because he’s ruthless, forcing good people into prostitution? No one really cares about that."
"Also, am I using him? Wasn’t it his own voluntary offer?"
"I’m just having him relay a message to the Four Seas Gang about Shang Jingchuan, then wait and see what happens."
"But father, I don’t think the Four Seas Gang would dare provoke Shang Jingchuan just because of a few subordinates’ deaths, after all, he is a court official unless they plan to rebel."
"Hehe, you don’t know the inside story. Now the Wei Family and some people from the Demon Sect are clandestinely associating, with the Profound Sun Sect and other sects intensifying their expansion."
"In these circumstances, pressure on the Four Seas Gang has suddenly increased. Huangfu Zhen cannot afford the consequence of being tightly watched by a Capital Prefect." Yan Sifu said confidently.
But Yan Peng was still somewhat uneasy.
Especially seeing his father sitting calmly as if on a fishing platform, he couldn’t help but recall something his senior sister Yan Xizhao had once said.
There are always people in the world who think they’re players at the chessboard, but in the end, they will find that even the chess pieces can kill.
Shang Jingchuan was not worrisome, but Yan Peng felt uncertain about Zhao Ya.
Meanwhile, in the Four Seas Building, a high-level meeting was underway.
Huangfu Zhen, who had not appeared for a long time, was furious.
"It’s been almost a month, yet there’s no sign of that Yaksha Masked Man who killed so many of our members. What have you been doing?"
Sheng Lianhua, Lang Songbai, and Xiong Kun all remained silent.
Huangfu Zhen, still angry, pointed at Xiong Kun, "Xiong Kun, you’re the only one who’s fought with that Yaksha Masked Man, tell me what’s going on!"
"Yes!"
Xiong Kun recounted the events, exaggerating the Yaksha Masked Man’s strength and describing his own injuries as extremely serious.
Huangfu Zhen was naturally aware but didn’t expose him.
He just coldly commented in the end, "After all that, this Yaksha Masked Man should be a Half-Step into the Fifth Realm?"
"Yes!"
"Nonsense, someone like that, no matter how skilled, how strong can he be? The three of you Sea Lords working together should definitely be able to root him out. But all you are good for is scheming against each other, what else can you do?"
After another outburst, Huangfu Zhen finally calmed down.
He knew that yelling wouldn’t help, but the pressure from the sect was increasing day by day.
The elusive Yaksha Masked Man further fueled his paranoia, making him suspect interference from other sects.
This was driving him somewhat to distraction.
"Now, tell me about this suddenly appointed Capital Prefect, who the hell can tell me what the hell is going on?"
"Why was the vacant position of Capital Prefect suddenly filled at such a critical time?"