High Rank and Handsome Salary 03

Fang Zhiyi was very cooperative. He smiled, nodded, and plumped himself down on a seat.

But when his chopsticks reached for the winter bamboo shoots on the table, Fang Hongyuan looked a bit puzzled. "Hmm? Yi'er, have your tastes changed recently?"

Fang Zhiyi paused for a moment but still picked up a piece of winter bamboo shoot. "I want to give it a try. I was reading last night, and the book mentioned that one should try to embrace various things. I found it quite reasonable."

Fang Hongyuan nodded, his furrowed brows relaxing. "So that's why. You two, you should learn from your younger brother and read more."

The two older brothers nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes." However, the disdain on their faces lingered.

What was the use of being able to read? Wasn't he still an idiot? The two of them were the legitimate sons. No matter how capable Fang Zhiyi was, wasn't he still a son born of a concubine?

Fang Zhiyi, however, felt a jolt of alarm in his heart. That was close!

For the first time, he scrutinized Fang Hongyuan seriously. No wonder he could use Fang Zhiyi to consolidate all the surrounding resources so tightly—this guy was indeed a wily old fox!

"This guy has a sharp mind. It seems taking him down won't be that easy."

During the meal, besides serving food to Fang Zhiyi, Fang Hongyuan casually talked about how the family business was doing recently. He still didn't breathe a word about their villainous deeds, yet his words consistently flattered and elevated Fang Zhiyi.

Fang Zhiyi behaved exactly like the original owner of the body. He smiled and nodded. "As long as the family is doing well, everything is well. After all, a harmonious family prospers in all things."

"Yes, yes, a harmonious family prospers in all things. My son has truly grown up." Fang Hongyuan was very satisfied.

By the end of the meal, Fang Zhiyi's train of thought had been completely disrupted.

"Why don't you be more direct and send someone to pin him down?" Little Hei said. "Beat him to the punch and execute him in the name of justice!"

Fang Zhiyi laughed. "You're too optimistic. From top to bottom, this entire estate is filled with his people. Believe it or not, if I expose the Fang family's evildoings today, he'd dare to make me die of a sudden, incurable illness tomorrow. Of course, I can protect myself, but what then? Become a wanted fugitive or an assassin?"

"Don't your human books say that even a vicious tiger won't eat its cubs?" Little Hei wondered.

Fang Zhiyi waved his hand and smiled. "That's a tiger. Even though it's a beast, it at least understands the bond of flesh and blood. But humans... are much more complicated. Some people are worse than beasts."

He sat at the desk, staring blankly out the window, his expression gradually turning eerie.

The next day, Fang Zhiyi woke up early, then sat in the main hall with a book in his hands. The original owner used to do the same, so the servants tactfully brought his meals to the hall.

"I don't know what our master is after. He reads those lousy books everywhere, and he insists on putting on an act by reading them in the main hall."

Another servant replied with a smile, "His Excellency has a good father. Are you jealous? Why don't you go ask Old Master Fang to be your godfather too?"

"Shoo, shoo."

The two of them whispered as they waited for Fang Zhiyi to finish his meal. It had always been like this. Their duty was to serve the prefectural magistrate well, keep an eye on his every move, and report back to the eldest young master promptly, just in case the magistrate saw something he shouldn't see or heard something he shouldn't hear.

They were chatting enthusiastically, but when they suddenly turned their heads, both were startled. Fang Zhiyi was standing right in front of them, looking at them with a gentle expression. They had no idea when he had approached.

The two servants broke out in a cold sweat. Had they just said something treasonous?

"Your Excellency, you..."

Fang Zhiyi suddenly raised his hand to stop the man from speaking.

"What is your name?" Fang Zhiyi paused. "I don't mean your nicknames, but your real names." How muddleheaded was the original owner? He only knew the nicknames of these two servants who waited on him until the day he died.

"Answering Your Excellency, this lowly one is named... Zhang Qi."

Fang Zhiyi nodded, muttered the name to himself, and turned to the other person. "And you?"

That person quickly answered, "Liu Mang."

Fang Zhiyi was taken aback. "Hooligan?"

Liu Mang smiled bitterly. "Your Excellency, my family was poor, and my parents were uneducated. I was born right during the busy farming season, so..."

Fang Zhiyi nodded in understanding. "Just now, I heard that you two seemed to have some brilliant opinions..."

Zhang Qi's face turned pale. He really heard them! Even though the prefectural magistrate in front of him was nothing but a figurehead, his status was still there. If he wanted to pursue the matter, Zhang Qi would be dead meat! His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees.

"Your Excellency..."

Liu Mang also reacted and immediately knelt down as well. "Your Excellency, I have a foul mouth! Please spare us this once!"

Watching the two kowtow loudly, Fang Zhiyi's expression remained unchanged. "Sigh, why do this? I'm asking sincerely."

The two looked up at Fang Zhiyi in confusion.

Fang Zhiyi said, "I know myself well. I might be decent at reading, but as for being an official... I'm not cut out for it."

The two servants were filled with terror. You talking like this is even more frightening, okay? Could it be that just because you heard us complaining a bit, you're planning to resign from your post?

Fang Zhiyi squatted down and looked at the two of them. "Tell me, besides reading, is there anything else interesting to do?"

Zhang Qi froze for a moment, then realized what he meant. "Your Excellency, do you mean... finding some entertainment?"

Fang Zhiyi looked a bit embarrassed. "As you know, besides reading books, I don't really understand much else..."

Zhang Qi breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest. "Your Excellency! I wouldn't dare boast about other things, but when it comes to finding entertainment, I'm an expert!"

"Me too!" Liu Mang also chimed in.

"Then, shall we go?" Fang Zhiyi stood up, looking slightly excited.

Zhang Qi quickly stood up. "Let's go!" He felt the joy of narrowly escaping death, as well as surprise—surprise that this bookworm of a magistrate hadn't gotten angry after hearing what he and Liu Mang said, but had instead decided to change his ways.

That day, Fang Zhiyi visited several places, from cockfighting arenas to music houses. Zhang Qi fully played the role of a lackey. Wherever Fang Zhiyi arrived, Zhang Qi would immediately put his hands on his hips and shoo people away to make room for him. At first, he didn't quite dare to do so, but seeing that Fang Zhiyi didn't seem to object to this behavior, he grew bolder.

"Move aside, move aside! Don't block our master!"

In this era, there were no short videos, internet, newspapers, or television. Moreover, Fang Zhiyi was a prefectural magistrate who stayed at home all day, so pitifully few people actually recognized him. However, seeing his attire and the arrogance of his two lackeys, many people simply stepped aside in silence.

They strolled through the cricket market and watched cockfights. Under Zhang Qi's instigation, Fang Zhiyi even placed a bet and won. Overjoyed, he rewarded all the winnings to his two lackeys, making Zhang Qi and Liu Mang ecstatic.

However, when they arrived at the music house, Zhang Qi's expression became somewhat hesitant.

Fang Zhiyi asked, despite knowing the answer, "This place ahead looks nice. Let's go in!"

"Master, this place is quite expensive..." Zhang Qi said in a low voice. He knew very well that Fang Zhiyi didn't have much money and only relied on his meager official salary. The truly wealthy ones were Old Master Fang and the eldest young master.