Chapter 598: Chapter 208 Heart in Turmoil_2
Lu Tong paused, "Why..."
She remembered that Minister Shen was full of ambition and loved to make connections everywhere, which was quite incongruent with the hustling figure now busy at a street stall.
Shen Fengying rubbed his hands, walked under the colorful canopy in front of his stall, and invited Lu Tong and Pei Yunmeng to sit down at a small table. He poured each of them a cup of mung bean water and grabbed a handful of spiced peanuts, then straddled a small stool to sit.
"That thing at Fengle Building, you should know about," Shen Fengying popped a peanut into his mouth, "The fire at Fengle Building, the incident with Young Master Qi of the Grand Preceptor’s family, to be honest, I was the first to discover it."
Lu Tong exchanged a glance with Pei Yunmeng.
Unaware, Shen Fengying just patted his chest, his tone proud, but with his soot-dusted face, the pride also revealed a hint of pity.
"I was the first to discover it, and also the first to be unlucky. The Military Patrol Shop had to find someone to take the blame, and since I had neither status nor backing, naturally, I became the scapegoat."
Lu Tong frowned, "You discovered Young Master Qi and saved his life, you should’ve been credited for your actions."
"Doctor Lu, ah, you clearly don’t understand officialdom!" Shen Fengying slapped the table, "Life and death are small matters, losing face for the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion is a big deal, they had to vent their anger somehow, didn’t they?"
After speaking, he slapped his own cheek, "Just look at me, why am I so meddlesome? If I hadn’t interfered in that extra business..." He choked briefly, then mused, "If I hadn’t interfered in that extra business, and something had happened to Young Master Qi, right now, I might not even be able to sell lamb."
His words carried a certain bitterness.
Lu Tong stayed silent for a moment, then said, "I’m sorry."
Shen Fengying looked at her, puzzled, "What are you apologizing to me for?"
He sighed.
"Actually, I stayed in the Patrol House for over ten years, and in the end, all I got was a petty job. They wanted me to fawn, I fawned; they wanted me to flatter, so I flattered. In the end, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, well done! "
He laughed loudly, "Over the years, I spent quite a bit of silver to honor those above me, always pretending to have resources when I had none, and look at this ridiculous outcome. Years ago, my mother had my fortune told; she said my fate was never to hold an office seal, and I didn’t believe it. Now it seems, one really ought to believe in fate."
"Forget it, too tired to struggle," he waved his hand, seemingly nonchalant, "If I had known earlier that all those years of honoring those above me would amount to nothing, that I wouldn’t get anything in return, I might as well have gone home earlier to sell meat. With this face, who knows, maybe while selling, I could become another ’meat seller Pan An’."
He joked, as a customer behind him called out, "Boss, slice two lǐang of lamb!"
Shen Fengying responded with an "ai" and hurried to retrieve and slice the beef from the warming vat. Lu Tong sat and watched him smile and serve the sliced lamb to the customer, feeling quite conflicted inside.
The fire at Fengle Building had started because of her, and ultimately, it was because of her that Shen Fengying had lost his job.
She finished the mung bean water, left some money for the drink on the table, and without saying goodbye to the busy Shen Fengying, she slipped away quietly.
The streets were bustling with people, and Pei Yunmeng walked beside her, glancing at her, "Are you feeling guilty?"
He lost his job because of me," Lu Tong answered, "I didn’t expect the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion would take out their anger on the Patrol House."
After all, it was Shen Fengying who had saved Qi Yutai from the fire.
But a small figure in this absurd world, seeking "justice," was simply laughably foolish.
"The Qi family wouldn’t specifically target a Patrol Shop, but the Patrol House would try to guess the superiors’ thoughts. Such is officialdom," Pei Yunmeng said.
Lu Tong stopped in her tracks.
"Could the Marshal help him get back to the Patrol House?" she asked.
Pei Yunmeng was the Commander of the Palace Front Office, and now that Lu Tong was gradually seeing through the Shengjing officialdom, she realized that selling positions and titles was just a charade.
"It wouldn’t be difficult. But it’s best not to."
Lu Tong looked at him, "Why not?"
"Do you really think, letting him go back to the Patrol House now is a good opportunity?"
Pei Yunmeng said lightly, "He has no background, no status, and the relationships he has climbed up to through flattery are not firm. In the Shengjing officialdom, there’s no opportunity for him to pursue ambitions, and if something else happens next time, he will still be the first one pushed out."
"Those who reach the high places of officialdom must either be clever or ruthless; honest people can’t survive here. He’s not suitable, at least not now."
Lu Tong asked, "What about you?"
He paused, then smiled, "I am one of the ruthless ones."
Lu Tong said nothing.
She understood that Pei Yunmeng made sense, but her heart still felt disappointed.
"Don’t worry too much," Pei Yunmeng spoke, "After some time passes, I’ll figure out a way to help him find another job. The Military Inspection House might not be suitable for him."
"Really?"