I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 480 A True Performance

Chapter 480 A True Performance

"Sir, what do you want?" Wang Wenzhou asked.

"Haha!" Shen He said with a laugh, "Wang Wenzhou, Lord Wang, you can call me Shen He from now on."

"Hmm?" Wang Wenzhou frowned. Could this old man have seen him before? Impossible! If he really knew he was Wang Wenzhou, why would he let the prisoner torture him like this?

Shen He asked, "What's wrong? You wanted to go out just now, but now you're scared?"

Wang Wenzhou suddenly understood: Shen He wanted him to impersonate him. Playing himself was, for Wang Wenzhou, a perfect fit. The key question was: what if someone knew his true identity but refused to recognize him and tried to harm him?

Wang Wenzhou thought about it and decided that this was a good idea. By impersonating himself, he could test whether anyone in Smida was trying to harm him.

“Old Shen, I’ve never been afraid in my life! But the Prefect has already seen through me. No matter how well I act, the Prefect won’t believe me!” Wang Wenzhou said.

"Haha!" Shen He laughed loudly, "Brother, what a talent! Lord Wang should have this kind of spirit! That's not a problem, watch me later. But we need to discuss how to perform this scene properly."

Wang Wenzhou and Shen He discussed how to commit fraud. An expert's skill is immediately apparent. Judging from Shen He's appearance, Wang Wenzhou was certain that this old man was probably a conman.

After the two swindlers, one old and one young, had agreed on their plan, Shen He knocked on the door and shouted, "Quickly inform the jailer, I have urgent news to tell you."

In modern terms, Shen He was a prison bully, someone with vested interests in the prison guards and wardens. Shen He was responsible for extorting money from newly arrived prisoners, and then using the extorted money to bribe the prison guards and wardens.

A moment later, the jailer came over and asked, "What is it?"

Shen He quickly stepped forward and said, "Lord Li, as you know, I have been to the Ming Dynasty. I knew from his accent that this man who just came in was a Ming person. So, when we were following the usual procedures, we didn't treat him too badly. Who knew he would say that he was some kind of Ming envoy who had accidentally fallen into the water."

Shen He cursed and said, "Isn't this just asking for a beating? The brothers beat him up quite a bit, but the more they beat him, the more he insisted he was an envoy from the Ming Dynasty. At first, I thought he was crazy, but look at him, even after being beaten like this, he still won't change his story. I'd guess he really is an envoy from the Ming Dynasty. It's just that I don't quite understand..."

Before Shen He could finish speaking, the jailer hurriedly said, "Old Shen, keep a close eye on him and make sure nothing happens to him. I'll be right back."

As soon as the jailer left, Shen He said with a smile, "How was it, my good brother? With me in charge, they definitely won't suspect your identity. Just be careful not to give yourself away!"

Wang Wenzhou curled his lip: "Don't worry! I am Wang Wenzhou now!"

"Yes!" Shen He nodded, and said with satisfaction, "I saw it long ago, my brother is a talented person!"

"Pah!" Wang Wenzhou cursed inwardly. "Old bastard, don't try to flatter me. I'll definitely get my revenge for that beating you just gave me!"

A short while later, the jailer and a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar hurried over.

This middle-aged man, named Shen Maowei, was an advisor to Park Seong-woo, the prefect of Gongju. He had studied in the Ming Dynasty in his early years and was considered a returnee in South Korea. However, he was unlucky and failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, which is why he became an advisor under Park Seong-woo.

Shen Maowei looked down at Wang Wenzhou and asked softly, "May I ask your honorable name, young master?"

Wang Wenzhou quickly cupped his hands in apology and said with a wry smile, "Grandpa, grandpa, please don't hit me! I'm really not Wang Wenzhou!"

Shen Maowei broke out in a cold sweat instantly. As soon as Wang Wenzhou opened his mouth, he could tell that Wang Wenzhou's accent was definitely that of the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

“Young master, don’t be afraid! With me here, no one will dare to hit you. May I ask how your father is?” Shen Maowei asked.

Without hesitation, Wang Wenzhou replied, "My father is the Earl of Xinjian, Wang Xianda."

"Slap!" Wang Wenzhou's expression suddenly changed, and he slapped himself hard across the face, hurriedly saying, "Sir! Don't tease me, I'm really not Wang Wenzhou!"

Shen Maowei was now certain that this person was most likely Wang Wenzhou. After all, even ordinary people in the Republic of China era wouldn't know the name of Wang Wenzhou's father.

Shen Maowei cupped his hands in greeting and said respectfully, "Lord Wang, please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

Shen Hechong gave Wang Wenzhou a thumbs up, saying, "My dear brother, you acted very well!"

Wang Wenzhou curled his lip in disdain. "Don't say I was just being myself. Even if I wasn't really Wang Wenzhou, I'm still a professional conman. If I were an actor, I'd definitely win an Oscar."

In no time, Park Seong-woo hurriedly ran over, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "Your humble servant Park Seong-woo greets the Imperial Envoy of the Great Kingdom, Wang Wenzhou, and Lord Wang!"

"Hmph!" Wang Wenzhou snorted coldly and said in an annoyed tone, "This official, no! I am not Wang Wenzhou, I am a swindler! You see, as a swindler, I am being beaten like a rat in the street."

Park Seong-woo was terrified. Ever since the King of Joseon issued the decree to find Wang Wenzhou, he had heard some rumors about him. This man had two nicknames in the Ming Dynasty officialdom: Mad Dog and Butcher. This gave him an idea of ​​his character. Now that he had done this to him, how could he not be afraid?

"Bang, bang, bang!" Park Seong-woo kowtowed vigorously, saying as he kowtowed, "Lord Wang, please forgive my poor eyesight for not recognizing you! You are a magnanimous official, please don't hold it against me."

Shen He gestured to Wang Wenzhou, "Brother, that's enough! If you keep acting like this, the play will go too far. This is the dignified Prefect of Gongzhou, and he's already kneeling and begging for mercy. You're just a liar, don't be so unforgiving!"

Wang Wenzhou ignored Shen He and slapped Park Seong-woo across the face.

"Slap!" The sound of the slap was loud.

Shen He immediately broke out in a cold sweat. "Brother, are you looking for death?"

"Bang!" Wang Wenzhou kicked Park Seung-woo, who fell to the ground.

Wang Wenzhou pointed at Park Seong-woo and cursed, "You, Park, I've never been treated like this before. Tell me, how can I vent this anger?"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Park Seong-woo scrambled to his feet, kowtowing and begging for mercy: "This humble official will obey Lord Wang's orders!"

Wang Wenzhou pointed at the prisoners in the cell and cursed, "These bastards, every single one of them, knock out all their teeth! No matter who they are, as long as they have one tooth left, I'll knock it out!"

Park Seong-woo turned around and ordered, "What are you waiting for? Didn't you hear Lord Wang's orders?"

"Yes, sir!" The jailer waved his hand, and the guards rushed forward, striking the prisoners' mouths with sticks.

"Lord Wang, I'm a good man!" Shen He quickly said, "Lord Wang, you can't be so ungrateful. If I hadn't recognized you, you would still be suffering!"

Wang Wenzhou rolled his eyes at Shen He. "Old man, I'll keep you by my side for now. I'll deal with you when I don't have to play myself anymore!"

“Old Shen is a friend I just made, so let’s skip him,” Wang Wenzhou said with a smile.

Shen He quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Lord Wang."

Shen He thanked him verbally, but in his heart he cursed Wang Wenzhou. "You little bastard, if you dare to betray me after using me, don't blame me for revealing everything. You'll be in big trouble then!"