Your Majesty, You Still Have to Pay Me When You Ask for a Favor

In Shannan Circuit, academy student Yi Liu is in class when the court's Black Guards, clad in armor, suddenly seize him.

In the courtroom, the official asks, "Yi Liu, did you kill the top swordsman of the Northwest?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"He didn't want to pay me."

"Did you also kill the Grand General of the Shang Kingdom?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"He led people to steal some of my provisions and wouldn't stop chasing me, so..."

"Did you also kill the chancellor of the Dongyi?"

"Yeah, that was me. You know how it is, sir. My family is poor. If I don't take on enough jobs, I'll starve."

"Sir, would you like a promotion and a fortune?"

"What?"

"Would these many unsolved cases be enough to get you promoted a few ranks?"

"Sir, is that not enough? Then... how about destroying a few kingdoms?"

"Sir, what did you say? The Emperor wants to hire me too? I can do that, but... my rates are steep."

"Your Majesty, don't tell me you also want to skip paying me?"

"No, no. I just heard the Emperor of Shang hired you for a job too, and wanted to know how much he paid you."

"Uh... I didn't have the nerve to ask."

"Why not?"

"Because the Empress was rather... well, you know what I mean, right?"

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.