Chapter 61: The Corrupt Official Has Taken Office!

Qingchun Pavilion!

As soon as Xue Yuan and Jian Qi stepped through the doors, someone immediately shouted, "Run, the Prince is here to burn down the brothel again!"

The affection that the commoners of Ningzhou held for the Prince had even spread into the realm of prostitution. After all, whenever the Prince made an appearance, everyone could openly bolt outside and enjoy a free meal.

Sure enough, following this shout, everyone except for a few face-saving gentry frantically sprinted toward the main entrance with glee!

Unfortunately, upon reaching the front door, they discovered it had already been blocked by a group of sturdy estate guards.

Once, twice, but not a third time; clearly, Qingchun Pavilion had prepared an emergency contingency plan.

As the madam escorted Xue Yuan upstairs, she whispered a reminder, "Your Highness, if you come to see Miss Shishi next time, please use the back door. Wouldn't that help avoid drawing unnecessary attention?"

Xue Yuan nodded and gracefully complied, saying, "Alright."

Using the back door or whatever—as long as Lin Shishi agreed, he had no objections.

Jian Qi took his usual post guarding the entrance, while Xue Yuan stepped into the room.

Upon entering, he found that Lin Shishi was already seated by the round table, brewing tea and waiting for him.

Today she was wearing a long purple dress that reached the tops of her feet and had a high collar that rose right up to her neck.

The tailoring was undeniably superb, perfectly outlining her exquisite curves, yet she was wrapped up so tightly that—forget about her cleavage—not even a sliver of her arm was visible. Xue Yuan decisively gave her outfit a failing grade.

Where had that transparent gauze shawl paired with fair, bare arms, that high-slit skirt revealing fair legs, and that corset-style top half-exposing her jade-like chest gone?

What kind of brothel was this? There was zero atmospheric vibe!

"Why is Your Highness staring at me like that?" Lin Shishi asked.

"Well, aren't you hot wearing all that?" Xue Yuan asked as he sat down, expressing his comradely concern.

Although Lin Shishi was not a genuine woman of the demimonde, she had spent enough time in brothels to immediately grasp Xue Yuan's underlying intent.

Yet she merely offered a light, breezy smile, devoid of the shyness or blushing cheeks typical of other women.

After pouring Xue Yuan a cup of tea, she replied calmly, "I do indeed prefer to dress rather coolly, but I have no desire to dress that way in front of men. As I've said, the men who enter my room never truly get to see me. And the only reason I didn't change my clothes the first two times you came was because I was severely injured."

Xue Yuan said earnestly, "Why not wear them? Back in our hometown, many women wear far less in the summer than you do! For instance, they'll wear tops with no backs and skirts so short they barely cover their bottoms."

A flash of astonishment crossed Lin Shishi's beautiful eyes as she said, "Even genuine courtesans would not dress like that. Aren't they afraid of bringing shame upon their parents? Or perhaps they are also driven to it by the hardships of life?"

Xue Yuan shook his head. "No, no, no. They just like dressing that way and walking down the street. However, if any man looks at them, some of them will curse that man for having a distorted mind and being full of filthy thoughts."

Lin Shishi grew even more puzzled. "If they dress like that, aren't they doing it for people to look at? If they don't want people to look, why dress that way in the first place? Where in the world is your hometown, that it should be so strange?"

Xue Yuan chuckled. "Our hometown is very far from here. I'm afraid I... I'll never be able to go back."

A sudden wave of sorrow tugged at his heart, so he quickly reined in his emotions and added, "Never mind, let's not talk about that. I came to ask you, how is that branch leader position of yours coming along?"

"The Grand Branch Leader has already agreed, and the Branch Leader token should arrive within three days," Lin Shishi said, taking a gentle sip of her tea.

"Good, that went smoother than expected. I thought I'd have to kill a few more people."

"The branch leader position is settled, but the main headquarters has sent someone else over to serve as the deputy branch leader, a man originally from the former state of Nan Shu." Lin Shishi's tone carried a hint of disdain, as the former state of Nan Shu had shared a border with the Ye Liang State, leading to frequent warfare between the two.

Xue Yuan said indifferently, "Then let's wait and see. If we can cooperate, we cooperate; if we can't, we'll get rid of him. Ningzhou is our territory, and we will not allow anyone to meddle here."

Instead of taking up that thread, Lin Shishi arched her delicate eyebrows slightly and asked, "Do you know why they decided to dispatch a deputy branch leader from the main headquarters?"

"Why?"

"Headquarters is putting this man in charge of cooperation with the Northern Yan merchant syndicate!"

Xue Yuan frowned slightly and remarked, "So it turns out that Northern Yan isn't just colluding with the Ningzhou branch, but with the entire Association of Loyalists?"

"I only just heard of this myself. My guess is that Northern Yan wants to use us to fuel internal chaos within Da Qian, allowing them to reap the benefits as the fisherman who catches the clam.

And since our Association seeks to restore the Seven States, we do indeed need Northern Yan's help. Therefore, their cooperation is only natural."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Xue Yuan smiled and said. "It's no longer a secret that Northern Yan harbors ambitions to annex Da Qian. If they truly succeed, then tell me, do you think they will spare the Seven States?"

Lin Shishi nodded. "It's merely mutual exploitation. Whether we are inviting a wolf into the house or they are nursing a tiger that will eventually turn on them, who can tell until the very end?"

"The real question is, why does this matter require a special envoy to be sent to liaise with Northern Yan, instead of leaving it in the hands of you, the branch leader?"

Xue Yuan twirled the teacup in his hand, watching the colorful, glazed luster at the bottom of the cup as he said, "Unless the Northern Yan merchant syndicate has another purpose in coming to Ningzhou besides making money. It's just that the headquarters doesn't trust you Ye Liang people, which is why they didn't tell you!"

"Another purpose?"

"That's right. You are the branch leader; I'm sure you'll find a way to investigate."

Lin Shishi nodded and suddenly asked again, "Then does Your Highness intend to sabotage our Association's cooperation with Northern Yan?"

Xue Yuan chuckled softly. "No, my idea is this: that deputy branch leader can handle the cooperation with Northern Yan, taking the silver, grain, and armaments they provide, while you ensure all of these resources remain right here in Ningzhou for our own use. As for me, I will be responsible for disrupting the cooperation so that Northern Yan gets absolutely nothing!"

"Your Highness... have you planned all along to milk both sides?"

"Back in our hometown, that's called free-riding!"

It was Lin Shishi's first time hearing the phrase "free-riding." At first, she didn't understand what it meant, but seeing the roguish smile on the corner of Xue Yuan's mouth—resembling a deadbeat patron who had just dined and dashed—she understood.

From the standpoint of a top courtesan, Lin Shishi ought to have been irreconcilably at odds with him, but at this moment, her lovely eyes curved into crescents, and the allure at the corners of her eyes deepened.

She finally understood: he had known about the cooperation between Northern Yan and the Association of Loyalists far earlier than she had!

It was unimaginable what kind of terrifying sphere of influence this feigned-mad prince had already built up.

At this point, Xue Yuan produced a document and placed it on the table.

"I've found a military talent," he said, "and I intend to have him secretly whip the elite forces of the Ningzhou branch into shape. This is his background information. Before that deputy branch leader arrives, you must add him to your roster and make it look as though he has been a member of the Association for a long time. That way, it won't arouse the deputy's suspicions."

When Lin Shishi heard this, a trace of shock finally flickered uncontrollably in her eyes!

"Your Highness means to..."

"That's right, we need troops! If we want to firmly control Ningzhou, and perhaps control the entire Jiangnan region in the future... we must have an army of our own!"

Xue Yuan looked at Lin Shishi and suddenly smiled again. "With just ten thousand elite troops, we'll be able to take a seat at the banquet of this turbulent era!"

Lin Shishi's heart trembled!

So he had planned everything out long ago!

Feigning madness, enduring humiliation, and advancing step by step—if my Ye Liang had such great talent, why worry that the grand cause of restoring the nation would fail?

However, the membership of the Ningzhou branch was extremely complex; some were descendants of the old aristocracy of the Seven States, while others hailed from backgrounds of starving refugees and bandits. Could he truly whip them into a disciplined military force?

Lin Shishi kept her thoughts to herself, though in her heart, she did not hold high hopes for this plan.

***

After wrapping up matters with Lin Shishi, Xue Yuan returned. After all, with her refusing to bare her arms or legs, there was nothing interesting to look at.

He might as well go home and tease CEO Su.

Returning to the Prince's Estate with Jian Qi, he saw musicians playing festive music at the gates, bailiffs smiling broadly, local gentry dressed in their finest attire lined up in rows, and a massive crowd of commoners surrounding the area three layers deep. It was exceptionally lively!

Once Xue Yuan stepped inside, he learned that the imperial edict of appointment for Qin Santhai from the Ministry of Personnel, along with an imperial decree personally bestowed upon him by the Emperor, had arrived.

The decree contained no specific directives, primarily praising Qin Santhai for his noble character and offering a string of words of encouragement.

Naturally, the Emperor hadn't had the time to meet Qin Santhai personally, and his understanding of Qin Santhai came solely from the memorial reports of Qian Zhongxian and Chen Zaidao. Thus, he could only bestow grace and win him over in this manner—after all, the special honor of an imperial decree of praise and congratulations upon taking office as a county magistrate was a rare sight indeed!

Kneeling on the ground, Qin Santhai shouted "Long live, long live, long, long live our Emperor" with deafening volume after Chief Eunuch Cao finished reading the decree.

As he received the decree, he said to Eunuch Cao, "Please convey to His Majesty on my behalf that bestowed with such heavenly grace, Qin Santhai could die ten thousand deaths and still not repay it in full; I can only devote my utmost loyalty until my dying breath."

As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes and his voice choked with emotion. At the same time, with a practiced flick of his wrist, a bank note of indeterminate denomination slipped out of his sleeve and precisely vanished into Eunuch Cao's sleeve in the blink of an eye!

Having served in the imperial palace for decades—his heart as cold as the crotch of a pair of trousers—Eunuch Cao was moved to tears on the spot, vowing to faithfully relay these sentiments back to the Emperor.

Qin Santhai then began handing out red envelopes to the bailiffs who had come to welcome him, followed by red envelopes to the children and elders among the onlookers, and finally bowed deeply to everyone in gratitude.

Every single detail and aspect had been flawlessly executed without a single omission!

The only omission was Xue Yuan!

On the way to the county yamen, surrounded by cheering crowds, Qin Santhai didn't even glance at Xue Yuan once, which actually left Xue Yuan feeling deeply gratified.

It seemed this old fox hadn't been blinded by joy.

After all, keeping their relationship under wraps made many things much easier to manage.

"That corrupt official actually managed to get the post!"

Xue Yuan cursed with a chuckle and entered the estate with Jian Qi. Spotting Su Ruowei walking toward him, he pulled her aside.

"Send someone to give some money to Santhai," he whispered. "Who knows if the bank note he slipped to Eunuch Cao was large enough? Besides, he's bound to have plenty of expenses for socializing and winning people over in the coming period."

Su Ruowei, however, gave a calm smile. "I've already given him thirty thousand taels in bank notes. The one given to Eunuch Cao should have been ten thousand taels—more than enough for him to return and speak well of him before His Majesty. I also told him he could come back for more if it wasn't enough."

Xue Yuan was delighted and couldn't help chuckling. "CEO Su is truly capable! But why can you always guess whatever I'm thinking? Do you sneak into my room at night to eavesdrop on my sleep-talking?"

Su Ruowei was momentarily stunned. "Can His Highness's sleep-talking express a complete meaning?"

"Huh?"

"I once read a book called *Sayings on Dreams in the Stream and Mountains*, which states that when people talk in their sleep, their speech organs are also in a dormant state, making their words vague and indistinct so that listeners cannot grasp the meaning. Even if there are a few clear syllables, the mouth will quickly blur out the rest for fear that the sleeper's ears might catch the meaning and be startled awake."

"..."

This time it was Xue Yuan's turn to be dumbfounded.

Wait, I was just trying to flirt with you, and you're lecturing me on academic research?

Xue Yuan finally figured out why he had always felt an intangible barrier between himself and Su Ruowei lately.

She possessed the natural constitution of an academic powerhouse!

Noticing that Xue Yuan's expression looked a bit off, Su Ruowei quickly asked, "What is it, Your Highness? Did I... say something wrong?"

Xue Yuan's mouth twitched as he said, "No, no... It's just that I haven't read enough books to discuss this with you."

"Then would Your Highness like to read that book? Reading is a wonderful habit!" Su Ruowei said with a smile and sincere earnestness.

Jian Qi, standing nearby, nodded silently.

Xue Yuan quickly waved his hands. "Not for now, I'll go back and think about it."

Think about how to chat with you at a normal rhythm!

Watching Xue Yuan's retreating back as he fled in defeat, Su Ruowei furrowed her delicate brows slightly.

"Why is he running away? Weren't we having a very pleasant casual chat?"

"Oh well, Chief Steward here is a busy person anyway. If he doesn't want to chat, we won't chat!"

***

Upon returning to his room, Xue Yuan was soon joined by Wang Yu'er.

Wang Yu'er was carrying a three-tiered food box. When opened, each tier contained a different kind of pastry—some shaped like flowers, others like little rabbits—looking exceedingly delicate.

Xue Yuan tasted a little rabbit steamed bun and discovered upon biting into it that it had a brown sugar filling, sweet, fluffy, and extremely delicious.

He praised it immediately, "Delicious! I bet even the master chefs at Qingfeng Pavilion couldn't make pastries with Sister Yu'er's skill!"

Even Jian Qi uttered a "delicious" after taking a bite.

Wang Yu'er smiled with utmost satisfaction and said, "Eat up, then! I spent the better part of the day making a huge batch!"

Once Xue Yuan and Jian Qi had eaten their fill, she spoke up, "Your Highness, the Northern Yan person you asked me to investigate—we seem to have found him!"

Xue Yuan instantly perked up, hurriedly shoved the last bite of the bun into his mouth, and asked, "Are you certain?"

"A tall foreigner recently moved into a secluded residential courtyard in the northern part of the city. His accent sounds like someone from the northern frontier, and our people noticed that he has calluses on the thumb and index finger of his right hand, which should be from years of archery!"

Xue Yuan was overjoyed. "Then that's most likely him! What has he been up to lately?"

"It's very strange; he does nothing at all except browse antique shops!"

Wang Yu'er said, "Word is that he's practically visited every antique shop in the city. His favorite thing is calligraphy and paintings, and he often discusses them with the shopkeepers."

"Antique shops? Calligraphy and paintings?"

Xue Yuan frowned slightly. "Isn't he here to assassinate me? Why is he running around playing with these things?"

"That's why we find it strange too. As an assassin, shouldn't he be keeping a low profile? He acts as if he's afraid the entire antique circle in the city doesn't know there's a foreigner like him around!"

"Interesting!"

Xue Yuan dismissed the thought of capturing the man immediately and said, "Keep watching him and find out what he's really up to! Remember, don't startle the snake in the grass!"

"Understood, Your Highness!"

With that, Wang Yu'er immediately departed to arrange the tasks with her subordinates.

Xue Yuan picked up another pastry, lay down on the wooden couch, and pondered as he ate.

"A Northern Yan assassin... antique shops... calligraphy and paintings. Things seem to be getting more and more interesting, don't they?"

"My friends on the other side, what on earth are you planning to play at?"