Chapter 276: Unconventional Censor

Chapter 276: The Unconventional Censor

His entire body stiffened abruptly, his heart clenching as if squeezed by an invisible hand, nearly leaping out of his chest.

Focusing, he saw a figure in black hanging upside down from the rafters, his jet-black hair loose from the upside-down position.

A face with a teasing grin was nearly pressed against his nose, those eyes shining startlingly bright in the dim candlelight, crinkling as they smiled at him.

"Ha—!" Shen Chongzhuo gasped sharply, his soul fleeing in fright, and he opened his mouth to call out: "Hel—"

But before the word "help" was fully out, another head suddenly shot up in front of his face from a different direction.

This face was completely expressionless, staring straight at him, mere inches away.

Two heads, one on each side, both dangling upside down, like two deathly apparitions.

Shen Chongzhuo felt a chill shoot up from his tailbone all the way through his body, his scalp prickling.

His chest constricted sharply, the cry catching in his throat, turning into a short gasp.

Then his eyes rolled back, he didn't even manage another grunt, and his body slid off the chair like a limp noodle, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Cheng Ge remained hanging upside down, turning his head to glance at the expressionless Wufeng beside him.

Pointing at Shen Chongzhuo, he blinked innocently and asked, "What happened to him?"

Wufeng's head swayed slightly due to the inverted position. He glanced at the unconscious Shen Chongzhuo on the ground and said flatly, "He must have fainted."

Cheng Ge said, "Oh," and almost simultaneously, both of them flexed their core muscles, nimbly flipping over and landing on their feet.

"Oh dear... oh dear..." As he spoke, Cheng Ge walked over to the collapsed Shen Chongzhuo, reached out, and pressed hard on the spot between his nose and upper lip.

His technique was rough, and after a few presses, a deep red mark appeared on Shen Chongzhuo's philtrum.

Wufeng stood by, silently watching Cheng Ge's so-called "rescue operation" that was more like torture: "..."

But fortunately, the crude method seemed to work.

Shen Chongzhuo let out a vague moan, his eyelids fluttered, and he slowly regained consciousness.

As soon as he opened his eyes, before his vision was fully clear, two enlarged faces were pressed almost against his own.

"Uh!" Shen Chongzhuo flinched in fear, instinctively ready to faint again, his eyes rolling back and his body beginning to go limp.

Luckily, Cheng Ge was quick-witted this time. Seeing his eyelids about to close, he immediately extended two fingers and pried his eyelids open, forcing him to look at them.

"Magistrate Shen! Magistrate Shen! Wake up, look at us, don't fall asleep yet!" Cheng Ge said while propping his eyelids open, even shaking his shoulder.

Shen Chongzhuo, forcibly "rebooted," his eyelids stretched painfully, wanting to pass out but unable to.

"You... you... what... do you want? I... I am an imperial official!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ge quickly fumbled in his chest and pulled out a bronze talisman, flashing it directly in front of Shen Chongzhuo: "See this clearly?"

Shen Chongzhuo squinted at it for a long moment, staring intently, then said, "Move it back a bit, I... can't see clearly."

Cheng Ge: "..."

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he muttered in annoyance, "Tsk, why didn't you say so earlier? I've been holding it up for ages, my arm is tired."

Despite his complaint, he did as told and moved the bronze talisman farther away so Shen Chongzhuo could see the whole thing.

When he saw the characters on it, he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes fixed firmly on Cheng Ge's face.

Finally, he took a deep breath and said word by word, "Do you know that impersonating a censor is a capital offense?"

Cheng Ge: "..." Are you out of your mind?

He nonchalantly dragged over the chair Shen Chongzhuo had been sitting on and plopped down.

He raised his chin towards the county magistrate still sprawled on the ground, a hint of teasing in his tone.

"Magistrate Shen, look at me. Do I look like someone who'd go to all that trouble to fake a credential just to mess with you?

I, Cheng Ge, Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, am on a mission from the Emperor to inspect Yuanzhou Province."

As he spoke, he casually tossed the bronze talisman over to Shen Chongzhuo, who caught it frantically.

He brought it close to the lamp, turning it over and over. The official markings, the engravings... it seemed genuine.

He had indeed heard some rumors earlier about a censor coming down on a tour of inspection; he just hadn't expected the censor to be, well, so... unconventional.

Cheng Ge's gaze fell on the soup jar. He very naturally pulled it closer to himself.

He craned his neck and peeked inside, then said to Shen Chongzhuo, "Lord Shen's soup smells great... Ahh..."

Shen Chongzhuo: "..."

Seeing Cheng Ge's undisguised interest in the soup, Shen Chongzhuo's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Forcing a somewhat decent smile, he followed the cue and said, "This... this is chicken soup made by my wife. Lord Censor, if you don't mind, you can... try some."

Cheng Ge's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked up at Shen Chongzhuo, his face showing a perfectly moderate "surprise."

"Really?" Then, as if a bit embarrassed, he lowered his eyelids and mumbled softly, "Oh, you shouldn't have..."

But his actions showed no sign of embarrassment whatsoever. Before his words even faded, his hand had already very naturally picked up the clean spoon that originally belonged to Shen Chongzhuo, scooped up a spoonful of still-warm chicken soup, and put it into his mouth.

"Mmm..." He savored it, and praised sincerely, "Delicious! Your wife is a wonderful cook!"

With that, without waiting for Shen Chongzhuo's response, he took another spoonful.

While sipping slowly, as if making small talk, he continued the conversation with Shen Chongzhuo.

"Lord Shen has been in Wei County for quite some years now, hasn't he? What are the local customs like?"

"The commoners are mostly simple and honest, but it's a remote area with scarce resources."

"The fields outside the city look decent. Did the spring plowing get enough rain this year?"

"By your grace, the weather has been favorable. The spring plowing went smoothly. Barring any mishaps, the autumn harvest should be considerable."

"What about the county's commercial taxes? Any major fluctuations recently?"

"Commercial taxes are always collected according to the law. They've been fairly stable for the past half year, with no major fluctuations."

Cheng Ge asked casually, ranging from agriculture to commerce, even touching upon the county school's student situation.

Shen Chongzhuo was on full alert, answering every question cautiously and clearly. On the surface, there didn't seem to be any obvious mistakes.

Cheng Ge didn't press. He just listened, nodding occasionally or taking another sip of soup. The atmosphere seemed quite "harmonious."

When the bowl was empty, Cheng Ge gently set down the spoon with a crisp *ding*.

He picked up a clean cloth and wiped the corner of his mouth, and his relaxed demeanor from earlier gradually faded.

He raised his eyes and looked calmly at Shen Chongzhuo. "Lord Shen, have you ever heard of Luoying Ridge?"