Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Chapter 432

#432

Taejonbirok Volume 18, Episode 7

Chapter 99: Lazy Man, Intimidated (2)

Zhuge Liang looked at Wei Yanhu with blank eyes.

'The kids who are being held captive?'

Why do you ask that?

First of all, I don't really like the idea of being caught.

How did you catch this?

Don't you take in children who have nowhere to go, children who are starving on the streets, feed them, give them a place to stay, and even give them a job to do for the rest of their lives?

Of course, I admit I didn't pay them their fair share, but if I hadn't, they would have suffered even worse. How can feeding them be considered a crime?

Why did you take the hostage?

Otherwise, wouldn't these ungrateful people who don't even know this favor run away?

I can understand running away.

If you don't take the hostage, the informants will spill the beans on the secrets of the Zhuge family if they are captured by the enemy.

That's how informants are treated in the first place.

Even if Zhuge Liang were captured by the Zhengwu Alliance, he would not be tortured. If he were killed in battle or captured, he would simply enjoy a life in prison.

Because if rumors spread that you tortured someone, public opinion would turn against you, so it would be difficult to make a choice.

However, an exception applies to informants.

Dealing with information always means hiding in secret places the other party most fears to reveal. Those caught in such places are often unable to even reveal their capture. Even if they could, infiltrating for information is a tacit agreement to be prepared for any consequences if discovered.

So, isn't it inevitable that we should prepare for the eventuality?

But you keep hanging on to that.

“No, little brother. That’s not it….”

“My father is a pretty upright person.”

"huh?"

"It's a bit baffling, though. I sometimes go around saying I'm from a rural, backwater family, but in Guangdong, when the Guangdong Committee says something, people recognize it."

“Huh?”

Zhuge Liang made a blank expression.

Why does this guy always fall for Samcheonpo?

"He became the head of the Guangdong Wei family at a young age, and he's quite handsome. He also had the cool nickname of "Jeonghyeopgeom," so how many women would have been drawn to him?"

“What do you want to say?”

“However, I respect the fact that you are single-minded towards your mother, who does not look away from anything else and only harasses you every day. So please do not create a useless sibling relationship.”

“That’s not what the word ‘little brother’ means!”

“Then what is it?”

“No, that’s…….”

When Zhuge Liang hesitated, Wei Yanhu shrugged and said.

"No need to elaborate. Pay the overdue salaries of those currently held captive by the Jegal family and used as informants. One nyang a year should be sufficient."

“Ha, one nyang.”

Zhuge Liang was terrified and shouted.

Giving ten nyang of gold to one person is no big deal. But are you saying you should give that amount to all those informants?

No matter how much wealth the Zhuge family had secretly amassed, the expenditure was so great that it was almost like uprooting the foundation.

“I’ve been working you without paying you anything up until now, so isn’t that something to be expected?”

“Who in the world would pay that kind of money to hire an informant?”

“Who are you, the benevolent Zhuge Liang?”

Wi Yeon-ho chuckled.

"It's better to be an example than to be criticized. Or maybe we should just enforce it? That would be better than having the head of the household dragged away. I think the bribes the higher-ups would have to pay would be even more than that. Oh dear, if I step forward, that squeamish old man will definitely show up, and then there'll be no answer."

“A meticulous old man?”

“I am the Minister of Justice.”

“……Wh, is this even possible?”

"yes."

Now that I'm here… … .

Zhuge Liang was so dumbfounded that he laughed.

The Iwangya that guy is talking about isn't that Joo-ryun, right?

“Are you talking about the Dochalwonju, who is as strict as a sword and is like a grim reaper to the officials?”

"Oh, right. You're not a Censor anymore, you're a Dochalwonju. I'm not used to it, so I keep making mistakes. That's right, that gentleman."

Wi Yeon-ho laughed with joy.

"Come to think of it, this is exactly what the Dochalwon is supposed to do. I've been given the position but haven't done anything, so I'm sure the Dochalwonju will be pleased if I can take this opportunity to bring in a major project."

“…….”

Zhuge Liang's eyes trembled.

A temple official!

Not many people know the name yet, but those who do know will know how scary it is.

After a struggle between the Dongchang and the Censorate, which divided the imperial power, the Censorate emerged victorious and absorbed the Dongchang, giving birth to the Dochalwon. The Dochalwon is the sole and trusted inspection agency of the emperor.

Moreover, the head of the temple, Yi Wang-ya, was like a messenger of the underworld to the officials.

He was famous for running a thousand miles to punish officials who caused harm to the common people.

“Are you also a member of the Dochalwon?”

"yes."

I guess so.

It was common knowledge that Wi Yeon-ho enjoyed the trust of the Censor-General. So, from now on, he should be called the Chief of the Office of the Inspector General.

So… … if Wei Yanhui tells the Sacheonseong Commander in Seongdo that there is a human trafficking incident going on in the Jegal family, a major accident will occur.

In order to avoid the inspection of the inspectors, who are so cold that they feel like their necks will fall off just by looking at them, the commander of the province will completely strip the Jegal family of their belongings until not a single speck of dust remains.

Although the corruption in the Jegal family is not as severe as that of other sects, honestly, where can you find a place that doesn't have dust on it?

If you start nitpicking over things that have happened regularly, it won't just end with one or two people getting their heads cut off.

'No, what are you talking about!'

Zhuge Liang was able to realize anew how difficult a man Wei Yanhu was to deal with.

The world is a fair place, in a bad way.

Heaven is so temperamental that it doesn't bestow everything upon one person. For every strength, there's bound to be a corresponding weakness. In particular, it doesn't grant power.

Isn't that true even if you just look at the Zhuge Liang family?

If the Zhuge Liang family had even half the intellect they possessed, their physical strength would have made them the undisputed kings of the martial arts world. But the reality was that their frail bodies were barely sustained by martial arts.

If the ancestors of the Zhuge family had not devoted themselves to martial arts from an early age and instead tried to remain as scholars, the Zhuge family line might have died out by now.

Their frail bodies were their fate. Sometimes, they felt dissatisfied with their bodies, but knowing that heaven doesn't give everything, they tried to live gratefully for what they had been given…

'What the hell is this guy!'

Muhak single-handedly confronts the Zhuge clan, and with his wealth, he single-handedly exploits them. And on top of that, his power reaches the heavens.

I'm so upset.

If an elderly man possessed all these powers, Zhuge Liang would have humbly respected him. But seeing someone younger possess such powers is abhorrent.

Moreover, the things Wei Yanho had acquired had nothing to do with his family. He had amassed them solely through his own efforts. This fact was even more irritating.

“What are you thinking about?”

“……No.”

“Don’t think too much about it. Are you going to do it or not?”

“…….”

Zhuge Liang sighed deeply.

'They say the most terrifying force in the world is not wealth or violence, but power… … .'

Even if they were the Zhuge Liang family, it would be difficult to survive in the Central Plains if they caused friction with the Taoist Temple. In another era, it might have been possible to overcome this, but now, the Taoist Temple was at its peak of power and its ambitions were brimming.

There is no need to throw yourself at a pack of hungry lynxes.

“I’ll pay.”

“You’re hot.”

"step!"

Zhuge Liang set a condition.

"This isn't something I can decide on my own. I'll make sure to convey your wishes to the Lord."

“Yes, that’s fine. And instead!”

"hmm?"

“Don’t even think about giving the money away yourself. Just bring it to me.”

“……Is this for you?”

“Yes. I need to make sure I pay accurately.”

"Are you saying you don't trust us? I'm the son of the Zhuge family. Do you think I'd be able to say two things in one go?"

“No.”

“Huh?”

Wi Yeon-ho said with a smirk.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust anyone. I even manage my own money and the family's money separately. My father told me to bring him the money, saying he'd waste it if I left it to him, but he didn't give me a single penny. You're not saying I should trust you more than my own father, are you?"

I have nothing to say.

What on earth do you say to a guy who doesn't even trust his parents?

Honor should be judged by those who deserve it. What honor can one have from such a noble?

"So, don't leave a single penny out, and bring it to me. I'll make sure to pay the bill. You know what I mean, don't you?"

“…….”

Jegal Hui's shoulders slumped.

It's a complete defeat.

It was good that they came in with such force. But in the end, this is what happened.

‘It wasn’t like this… … .’

Jegal Hwi clenched his fist. This wasn't the picture he had drawn. He might have appeared to have stormed in fury, but his heart was calm and composed.

The Zhuge family had already reached a point of no return. Wi Yeon-ho, whom he should have kept under surveillance and restrained, had escaped and turned the family upside down, leaving him no longer able to intervene. Furthermore, rumors were spreading that the family had been ravaged by a mysterious stranger.

There was only one way to turn this situation around: for the owner of the cow to attack him himself, be struck by Wei Yanho, and be carried away with injuries.

Then, public sympathy would instantly flow to them. If the identity of the assailant were revealed to be Wei Yanho, it could lead to the entire Sichuan martial arts world simultaneously targeting Wei Yanho.

Those who don't want to put a bell on a cat's neck are hesitating now, but if the Heavenly Alliance gathers its strength, removing that one Wiyeonho wouldn't be a big deal.

That's what happened… … .

'Why don't you hit me, Inma!'

Wei Yanhu's temper is extremely violent.

On the outside, he may seem like a lazy person who moves slowly, but if you look closely at his actions, you will see that he is a person who does not look back when he sets out.

Rather, it was Wi Yeon-ho who possessed such a reckless attitude that it made one wonder if it was even okay to rush things like this. So, I assumed he'd naturally attack at the slightest provocation, but how did it come to this?

With Wi Yeon-ho determined to mobilize the government to resolve the situation, any further provocation would only lead to a handshake. There are those in this world who sympathize with the weak who have been beaten, but no one sympathizes with those who enslave the homeless. And there were even hostages…

“……I’ll step aside for today.”

As Zhuge Liang turned around to reorganize, a cold voice was heard from behind him.

"and……."

The voice sounded like the voice of an evil spirit coming from a married couple. Zhuge Liang's body froze.