Chapter Ten: It is the will of the elders to give; it cannot be refused.
There was a clever local thug who did not dare to tackle Tang Lin's formidable fists and kicks. Instead, he waited until Tang Lin had beaten people almost to the point of being incapacitated, then grabbed the money bag that the head thug had thrown to the ground and ran off.
"Don't run!" Tang Lin knocked down the last thug and then chased after the fleeing one with all her strength.
When Emperor Shengjun pushed through the crowd, he glanced at the scene before him and then looked toward the now-distant Tang Lin, but could only see her cold back. Her face remained unseen, and it inevitably stirred a sense of loss in him. He knew very well that nothing could make him feel disappointed, but because he had not seen the face of the owner of that green silhouette, he... felt a slight sense of loss.
Scanning the scene, Yu Zichen walked up to the old strong man. "Old sir, what happened here? Why are there so many people lying here?"
The old strong man's eyes instantly ignited with anger as he pointed to the thugs lying on the ground, crying out in pain. "These bullies specialize in harassing ordinary people like us, collecting taxes at the slightest provocation, and even stealing our money bags. If it weren't for the young lady with exceptional martial arts skills who came to our rescue earlier, I would probably be beaten senseless by this group right now!"
Emperor Shengjun's icy brows furrowed tightly, and a hawk-like gleam passed through his cold eyes. "To dare harass the weak under broad daylight, right under the emperor's nose, is sheer rebellion!"
Yu Zichen understood the meaning behind Emperor Shengjun's words and asked the old strong man, "Who is the local government officer here?"
"It's Zhang Shichong, Officer Zhang!" the old strong man replied.
"Mm, thank you, old sir. This is for you," Yu Zichen said, taking a silver ingot from his sleeve and placing it in the old strong man's hands.
Seeing that it was a silver ingot, the old strong man's eyes widened in fear and delight at the honor, and he pushed it back with both hands. "No, no, no, I cannot accept this. Please take it back, young master!"
Yu Zichen gently insisted, exuding the demeanor of imperial nobility. "Old sir, it is a gift from the younger generation; it cannot be refused!"
The old strong man smiled bitterly, "If it is given by the elders, it cannot be refused. There is no such thing as a gift from the younger generation that cannot be refused. Young master, please take it back; I absolutely cannot accept this silver!"A middle-aged woman dressed in plain clothing, with a flower basket hanging from her waist, walked in and went up to the old strong man. "Old Mr. Liu, just accept it. That young lady may not be able to recover your money bag, but your wife is still waiting for your money to buy medicine. Please take it and don't let this young master's kindness go to waste."
Hearing the middle-aged woman's words, Yu Zichen again took out one ingot of silver, then two ingots of silver, from his sleeve and placed them into the old strong man's hands. "Old sir, don't refuse, accept it, and allow us to show a bit of our intention!"
"This—" the old strong man looked troubled, not daring to accept the silver, and pushed Yu Zichen's hands away again. "No, it's too much, I really can't accept it!"
Yu Shengjun stepped closer, took the two ingots of silver from Yu Zichen's hands, then held the old strong man's thick, calloused hands, and personally placed the silver into them. He then closed the old strong man's fingers around the silver, his black-and-white eyes fixed on the old man, with an expression that brooked no refusal. His voice was firm: "Old sir, take it. This is the money returned to you on behalf of those who illegally collected the hard-earned money of common people. You should accept it!"
With Yu Shengjun's firm reasoning, the old strong man indeed no longer hesitated. He did not feel gratitude toward those ruffians, but he was truly thankful to the two young men in front of him. "Thank you, thank you, young masters, I sincerely thank you!"
A warm curve appeared on Yu Shengjun's lips as he patted the old strong man's shoulder. "Old sir, there's no need to be polite. Take the silver and use it to get medicine for your wife."
"Alright, I will go right away," with the middle-aged woman's support, the old strong man left.
"Let's go too!" After glancing at Yu Zichen, Yu Shengjun headed toward the street where Tang Lin had disappeared.
