My daily cultivation progress is calculated.

Chapter 16 "Official Loans": Resolving the Dilemma

Shen Yan invited Sun Fugui to a tavern.

After a few rounds of drinks, Sun Fugui was already slightly drunk.

Shen Yan remained calm. The wine had a low alcohol content, and he drank it just like drinking water.

When he first arrived here, he even thought about bringing some things from his previous life here, thinking that he would become rich in no time.

Soap, liquor, gunpowder, sugar, and salt—given time, he could figure them out quickly.

However, Shen Yan soon abandoned the idea, thinking that "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

Before he could even make a fortune, he'd probably be kidnapped and become a floating corpse in the moat.

"Brother Sun, do you know who was behind that incident in Cell C?"

Sun Fugui pondered for a moment: "I heard from the brothers that Da Niu and Er Gou, those traitors, are very suspicious. Give me some time, I should be able to find some evidence."

Shen Yan waved his hand: "No need. I'm not an official, what's the point of talking about evidence? Do you even know anything about Hu Youtian's family situation?"

"Hu Youtian isn't a gambler, but he's a womanizer. He keeps several concubines, and his wife doesn't even know. His wife is quite a formidable character; Hu Youtian really has guts."

Upon hearing Sun Fugui's words, Shen Yan began to ponder.

"Sun Fugui's information does suggest a possible path, but the results are unlikely to be quick. Hu Youtian has repeatedly caused me trouble; I wonder how long he can hold out?"

Actually, he had a plan in mind on the way here, but he couldn't make up his mind for a while.

He told Sun Fugui what he had said the night before with the advisor and Ma Danian at Chunfeng Tower, and told him not to worry.

Upon hearing this, Sun Fugui's expression relaxed considerably.

He then thought of the trouble he was facing and wondered if Sun Fugui had any ideas.

Unexpectedly, Sun Fugui actually pointed him in the right direction.

It turns out that there were money shops in Bianjing that specifically lent money to officials who were in dire straits but had no money to bribe officials.

The interest rate wasn't high either, and Sun Fugui happened to know someone who could introduce him to Shen Yan.

After the two parted ways.

The next day, Shen Yan went to the money exchange and brought back two IOUs.

He wasn't sure if it would work out.

Having come this far, they had no choice but to give it a try and arrived at Zhou Cunren's prison cell.

"Lord Zhou, you must have had a hard time in prison all day?"

Zhou Cunren looked at Shen Yan outside the cell with a displeased expression, already knowing his purpose.

"Don't waste your time, I don't have any money. Go try somewhere else!"

Shen Yan ignored his words and continued speaking to himself.

"In the twentieth year of Xuanwu, Lord Yuan was the top scorer in the provincial examinations of Guangdong and Guangxi. In the same year, he also won second place in the palace examination, which can be described as a glorious achievement."

"As far as I know, Lin Ruhai, who passed the imperial examination in the same year as you, is now the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Have you lost all your ambition and are content to wait to die in this prison?"

"Easier said than done. I'd like to be reinstated, but do you have the ability?"

He was overjoyed when he heard Zhou Cunren's words. He wasn't afraid of Zhou's scolding, but he was afraid of Zhou's expressionless face.

As long as you still have this thought, that's enough. As long as your heart isn't dead, you're still willing to try.

"You jest, sir. I have no such ability, but you do! If you're willing to spend some money to grease palms, someone will pass you a note. Once it gets approved by the cabinet, you'll be out of there, won't you?"

"Money? Where would I get money? It was all squeezed dry by you guys the moment I got into prison."

Upon hearing his tone soften, Shen Yan thought to himself, "There's hope."

"Of course you're rich. The name Zhou Cunren is worth a fortune."

As he spoke, he took out the IOU from Huitong Money Shop, and Zhou Cunren cursed loudly after reading it.

"You want me to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates? Forget about it! I won't lend it to you."

"My lord, do not be anxious, listen to me. If you can pull some strings after borrowing the money, you can naturally get out and pay it back quickly. If you can't pull some strings after getting the money, you'll be stuck in prison for life, so why should you be afraid of them chasing you for repayment?"

Zhou Cunren fell into deep thought upon hearing Shen Yan's words. It did indeed sound as he said; borrowing money seemed to have only benefits and no drawbacks.

Shen Yan understood, of course, that it wasn't that simple; the money wasn't so easy to borrow.

When they lend money, they also examine the officials; they don't lend to just anyone, they only lend money after careful consideration.

If he borrows money and can't get out, the money lender will come after Shen Yan. He wouldn't do that unless he was desperate.

However, according to his investigation, the chances of Zhou Cunren being released are still quite high.

Those who were imprisoned for speaking out were usually locked up for a year or two, and once the emperor's anger subsided, they were out of trouble.

Zhou Cunren's failure was entirely due to his own misguided efforts. When he first entered the prison, he desperately tried to bribe officials. He spent a fortune, but accomplished nothing.

The emperor was furious at the time, so who would dare to do such a thing? By the time the emperor calmed down, he had no money left.

Without receiving the money, naturally no one would help him pull strings.

I've thought about it for a long time.

"Breaking a contract is not the act of a gentleman. If there is truly no way to reverse the situation, I, Zhou Cunren, will repay them in my next life."

Zhou Cunren finally signed the document.

No official doesn't want to advance; as long as they're alive, their ambition hasn't died.

Shen Yan gave him a chance, and he would try it no matter what.

Seeing that he had signed, Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The rest would be simple. She even helped him figure out who to give the money to.

Naturally, it was his fellow graduate, Lin Ruhai, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who was in charge of the promotion and appointment of officials.

He completed the task that same day and delivered the money to Lin Ruhai.

A total of five thousand taels were borrowed, but Shen Yan didn't dare to take a single tael of silver.

Having borrowed the money, Zhou Cunren used it to pay off all the bribes he had owed over the years, and then gave the prison five hundred taels of silver directly.

Now, Shen Yan's performance next month will basically meet the target.

He succeeded this time and doesn't plan to do it again.

Officials are all ruthless; if you help them get things done, not only will you not receive a reward, but you'll also have to bear the risks.

Zhou Cunren probably already had this idea in his mind.

The jailers, however, did not understand the minds of the scholars. They said no, but they were actually looking for a way to make someone else take the blame for them.

That's how these civil officials are; they want it all, yet they stubbornly refuse to let go of their pride.

After the matter was settled, Shen Yan kept quiet, keeping this under wraps so that Hu Youtian wouldn't cause him any new trouble.

Shen Yan naturally wouldn't be idle; he had many things to do in the next few days.

First, someone was sent to inform Jin Guihai, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang, of the true cause of Zhu Zhengyang's death.

They also revealed that the murderers were Da Niu and Er Gou.

Gangs in the martial arts world value loyalty above all else; if someone dies on the execution ground, there's nothing more to say.

He could be murdered by the jailers in prison. If he didn't offer some reward, how could he ever make a living on the docks and canals again?

As for Hu Youtian, he didn't say anything; he planned to take matters into his own hands.

A single punch can prevent a hundred more. He now understands this principle.

Weakness and concession will only lead to further demands, not gratitude and cessation.

Shen Yan first went to the black market and bought poison and sedatives.

I also bought some disguise items, just in case.

For the next few days, he performed his duties as usual.

Hu Youtian saw this and noticed that as time went by, he still hadn't gotten the money, yet he pretended to be calm.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"If I had known Shen Yan was such a good-for-nothing, why would I have made that foolish move?"

"The turmoil has subsided somewhat, and it's about time they made their move. Every day Shen Yan is in prison, I feel terrible. It's a good opportunity to send him and his family together, so he can go to the underworld to keep his dead father company."

His face was fierce; from the moment he took away Shen Changqing's job, he had no intention of letting things go peacefully.

If Shen Yan hadn't come to the prison, things would have been fine. But now that he's here, there's no possibility of reconciliation in his mind.

These days, a job is more valuable than a human life.

Little did he know that while he was watching Shen Yan, Shen Yan was also observing him.