Chapter 24 Be prepared Ⅱ

　　In the early afternoon of the third day of the lunar month, a figure sauntered down the bustling street of Muyang in the setting sun.

　　Upon closer inspection, this individual stood less than five feet tall and appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His head was adorned with a simple cloth cap, while his body was clothed in a grayish-blue robe that had not been washed in years. Had it been cleaned, one might have discerned its original off-white color and the crushed stone emblem on his chest. Beneath the robe, he wore a pair of black trousers held up high, secured by a length of twine around his waist.

　　The sleeves of his robe and trousers were rolled up, revealing a stone bracelet on his left wrist. This bracelet was comprised of variously colored pebbles - red, yellow, blue, and white.

　　As he ambled along with his bandy legs, he carried a wooden staff over his shoulder, from which hung a small bundle. Another bundle, of unknown contents, was strapped to his waist.

　　Inquiring about the directions to the prefect's mansion, he encountered a mix of reactions from the locals. Some shunned him for his apparent dirtiness, while others, more compassionate, offered guidance.

　　Eventually, he made his way to the gates of the prefect's mansion, where the guards greeted him with disdain.

　　"Get lost, beggar!" one guard sneered.

　　The man's face darkened. "Cluck-cluck-cluck...who's a beggar? You're the beggar! Do beggars dress this well?"

　　The bystanders wondered where the chicken had come from, as his speech was interspersed with clucking sounds.

　　"What are you doing here if you're not begging? Speak up or I'll run you off!" another guard taunted.

　　"Cluck-cluck...it's just how I am. Can you handle it?" he retorted, reaching into his robes and producing a letter. "This is for prefect He Xin!"

　　The guard took the letter, which bore the words "Courtesy Note" on its face.

　　"From whom?" he demanded.

　　"Tell him it's from Tang Li, the new leader of the bandits on Fangding Mountain!" the man declared proudly.

　　The guards' eyes widened in surprise at the audacity of this supposed bandit leader to show his face at the prefect's mansion.

　　"Alright, alright...what's your name and what do you do on the mountain?" one asked.

　　The man puffed out his chest. "Cluck-cluck...I just arrived yesterday and haven't been assigned a position yet. But remember this name well: I am Dang Liaoze, newly appointed the water robbery sickle master and personally sealed by the great Master Ming Yi!"

　　The guards looked at each other in confusion. "Never heard of him," they muttered in unison.

　　"Cluck-cluck...how disappointing. Go tell the prefect," the man said with a shrug.

　　One of the guards asked, "What was that name again?"

　　"Dang Liaoze," the man repeated.

　　"Dang...Liao...ze...Dang the Thief? Got it. Guys, be on the lookout. Don't let just anyone in," the guard instructed, taking the letter and heading into the mansion to inform the prefect.

　　Prefect He Xin read the letter and nearly exploded in anger. He had tolerated the mischief of his third cousin's child and the ignorance of his eighth uncle's direct disciple, but this was too much. Now, even a distant relative had the audacity to show up at his doorstep.

　　"Where are my household guards?" he bellowed.

　　The guards, who had been waiting nearby, quickly donned their armor and gathered their weapons, presenting themselves before the prefect.

　　Meanwhile, the prefect's daughter, upon hearing the commotion, hastened to the reception hall to inquire about the matter. She too was incensed and immediately set out to find Ji Yanshi and Zhou Ge.

　　Fortunately, Shen Huan had just returned.

　　Once the necessary parties had assembled, the prefect gave the order to bring in the visitor.

　　The mansion staff scrambled to prepare, and the guards went to fetch the man. Upon their return, they found the area around the gates permeated with a foul odor.

　　Holding their noses, they announced, "The prefect will see you now."

　　The man, Dang Liaoze, was pleased with this invitation and followed the guards into the mansion, his eyes darting about curiously. He marveled at the trees, the buildings, and the furnishings, fantasizing about taking some of them back with him. The servants and maidservants couldn't help but giggle at his antics, wondering who this oddball was and what his relationship with the governor could be. Some of the more informed whispered among themselves that he was from Fangding Mountain.

　　As they crossed into the inner courtyard, Dang Liaoze shook his head and wiggled his hips, remarking, "So big! No wonder everyone wants to be a high-ranking official."

　　The guards ignored his comments and continued leading the way.

　　Soon, they were approached by a man who appeared to be the mansion's steward, He Chong.

　　He Chong eyed the scene and asked, "What's going on here?"

　　One of the guards explained, "This is the visitor from Fangding Mountain who came to pay his respects to the prefect."

　　"Hmph, how daring of him," He Chong muttered. "We can't have him meeting the prefect like this. He'll just dirty up the place. Take him to be cleaned up."

　　Dang Liaoze bristled at this suggestion. "What do you mean by that? What's wrong with me?"

　　He Chong ignored his protest and instructed the servants, "Take him away and give him a good wash."

　　Dang Liaoze tried to resist but was quickly overwhelmed by the servants who proceeded to douse him with buckets of cold water.

　　Splashing and sputtering, he managed to get out a few words between clucks. "You...you...I'll remember this!"

　　He Chong watched as the man's robe revealed its original off-white color and the circular crushed stone emblem on his chest.

　　"Give him another couple of buckets!" he ordered.

　　Just as Dang Liaoze was trying to wring out the water from his clothes, two more servants appeared with buckets and drenched him again.

　　After five buckets of water, he was left dripping wet but noticeably cleaner.

　　Now that he was somewhat presentable, He Chong ordered the servants to clean up the mess and led Dang Liaoze to the prefect's reception hall.

　　Prefect He Muyu, who had been waiting impatiently, nearly burst out laughing when he saw the state of the visitor. It looked like he had fallen into a river or something.

　　Curious about what had happened, he stepped forward to inquire, only to catch a whiff of the foul odor emanating from the man. Wrinkling his nose, he quickly retreated back into the hall.

　　"Father, Dang Liaoze has arrived," he announced, trying to suppress a giggle.

　　Zhou Ge sniffed the air and wondered why the young lady had suddenly acquired such an odd smell when she returned from the hall.

　　Shen Huan furrowed his brow slightly but quickly composed himself, remaining silent.

　　The household guards stood behind the prefect, ready to follow his commands.

　　Upon hearing that the man had arrived, Prefect He Xin slammed his fist on the table and barked, "Bring him in!"

　　One of the guards relayed the order, and moments later, Dang Liaoze was ushered into the reception hall, still dripping wet and smelling faintly of river water.