The Little Man Called Caigenhua

The men sent by Ren Tianye finally arrived. The gloom on Lu Qing's face vanished instantly. He immediately mounted his horse and galloped out. As he exited the mansion gates, he completely ignored Pei Jingzhi, who was standing respectfully to the side.

In fact, his horse was so fast that the ensuing gust of wind knocked Pei Jingzhi off balance, but Lu Qing did not care at all. He just focused on riding at top speed until he reached Ren Tianye's estate.

Upon entering the Grand Commandant's residence, his eyes scanned the massive front hall. He found that besides Ren Tianye, his deputy general Wang Ming, the clerk Su Jin, and some soldiers and guards, there was no sign of Ruyue—the woman he had been longing for and had not seen in three days, which felt like three years to him. He immediately demanded, "Ren Tianye, where is Ruyue?"

"I want to see her."

"She is cleaning the bedroom. She is serving as my maid now."

Su Jin chimed in from the side, "To be exact, she ranks at the very bottom of the General's maids. She is only allowed to sweep the General's room."

This was a clear threat. Hearing this, Lu Qing instantly flew into a rage, "Ren Tianye, Ruyue is my woman, how can she be treated so low? You actually made her the lowest-ranking of your maids? That is too much!"

"How about this? Haven't you always wanted my deputy general, Zhou Ze? I will give him to you, but you must make Ruyue rank first among your maids."

Sitting in the main seat, Ren Tianye swayed slightly.

Ranking first meant making his bed and folding his quilts.

This domineering CEO-style logic was truly unfathomable. However, he had indeed coveted Lu Qing's deputy general, Zhou Ze, for a long time. Being able to get Zhou Ze, he agreed without hesitation, "Deal."

"Su Jin, make the arrangements!"

"Yes, General. I will definitely arrange it."

While Su Jin went to fetch Ruyue, Ren Tianye revealed his next plan: he was going to wipe out the barbarian army stationed outside the capital!

First, for the sake of national and personal vendettas, those barbarians had to be eliminated to prevent future troubles.

Second, it would continue to provoke Tuoba Xiangtai, making Tuoba Xiangtai's blade fall on Xiao Mingzhao's head.

After all, from the memorials coming out of the Yuchen Palace, he had already noticed the emotional shifts in Tuoba Xiangtai. He believed that with just a little more push, his goal could be achieved.

"These are minor matters. Do whatever you want. As long as Ruyue and Lu Jun are fine, you can mobilize the Imperial Guards however you please. Just give the order, and I will arrange it for you."

Lu Qing's response was exactly what Ren Tianye expected. He immediately tossed the plan for the troop mobilization to Lu Qing.

He added, "I also need to place some of my own people in the Imperial Guards."

"No problem!" Lu Qing agreed decisively again, seemingly not caring at all.

This was also within Ren Tianye's expectations. However, this matter caused Ren Tianye some worry because... he did not have enough manpower.

To be exact, he lacked civil officials and functional military generals. This meant that for many key posts in the capital, he simply did not have suitable people to take over. He could only insert people to supervise in secret.

Whenever he thought of talents, Ren Tianye felt a massive headache.

Because he really could not recruit any!

This made Ren Tianye quite depressed.

Military generals, he had! Troops, he did not lack! But talents... he had none!

Other than a few talents who were grateful to the Ren Duke's estate, he had exhausted all his efforts these days, yet very few came to join him.

One must know, his methods were already extreme.

He issued recruitment edicts by forging imperial decrees.

He employed people regardless of their moral character or background, promoting solely based on merit!

For some highly respected veteran officials, he even visited their homes to invite them personally.

He was even willing to accept those who had previously opposed him but possessed great talent.

He especially targeted those who were frustrated in their careers.

He also established an aide system in the Grand Commandant's estate, meaning he could directly grant official titles from then on without going through the imperial court.

But even after doing all this, barely anyone came to serve him. This left Ren Tianye utterly speechless, making him almost suspect that the talented people in this world had something wrong with their brains.

He knew that the Great Zhou Dynasty had lasted eight hundred years, and there were still many loyalists, but did they all have to be this loyal? Besides, he was just a powerful minister right now, not a rebel traitor. Why couldn't they accept him?

It was so frustrating!

After all, conquering the world was easy, but defending it was hard!

From the history of his past life, especially the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, he knew this all too well. Countless people took the throne only to be quickly pulled down because they could not hold it, or they ended up implicating their descendants.

His path to promotion had been fast enough.

Naturally, he did not want to just enjoy a momentary glory; he wanted to establish a long-lasting dynasty as much as possible.

"General, Ruyue has been arranged."

Su Jin returned and bowed as he reported.

Seeing Lu Qing's excited expression, Ren Tianye waved his hand, letting him go see Ruyue. Lu Qing practically jumped three feet high and hurried away, even stumbling in his haste.

"General..." Su Jin's voice sounded again, "My second uncle in the Northern Frontier has found a renowned doctor for you. His family has specialized in treating incised wounds and rheumatic diseases for generations. I believe he is exactly who you need."

"Oh?" A look of joy appeared on Ren Tianye's face as he praised, "Your second uncle has repeatedly performed great deeds for me. Where is the person?"

"He has been properly settled and is ready for the General's use at any time."

"Good. Have him pack up a bit. Now, I will take him on a trip to the Eldest Princess's estate."

The Eldest Princess, Xiao Ruyi, performed very well the last time Wang Ming was hunting down Wen Cheng, which caught Ren Tianye's attention. He had no reason to let go of such a natural ally.

Especially now, with his difficulties in recruiting personnel, if he could get the help of Eldest Princess Xiao Ruyi, it would at least greatly alleviate his current predicament.

According to what he knew, the Eldest Princess Xiao Ruyi's husband, the Marquis of Changping, had suffered an arrow wound in the army in his early years, leaving him with a cold rheumatic disease. Because the arrow wound affected his internal organs, it had remained uncured for a long time. He had been bedridden for half a year, and even the imperial physicians said he would not survive past next spring.

Doctors from the Northern Frontier were the most skilled at treating cold rheumatic diseases and the like, so he had asked Su Jin to look for one, never expecting it to actually yield results.

He immediately got ready, preparing a lot of gold, silver, valuables, and the rouge and cosmetics that women love. Having the soldiers carry them, he personally led his guards to head over.

...

Being knocked down by Lu Qing, Pei Jingzhi felt no anger in his heart, only deep sorrow. He knew that Lu Qing could not be relied upon at all. This man, who had been appointed as the General of Agile Cavalry by the Empress and who was supposed to protect the Great Yu and ensure its peace, did not care about the life or death of the Great Yu at all.

In his heart, there was only that wretched woman Ruyue!

He did not linger any longer. Getting up from the ground, he turned and limped towards the Eldest Princess's estate. Given his status, Eldest Princess Xiao Ruyi would not stop him.

But just like last time, Xiao Ruyi was not happy to see him. Left with no choice, Pei Jingzhi took out the Empress's blood edict and handed it to Xiao Ruyi.

Xiao Ruyi took it and read it through. Her calm face showed no ripples of emotion; instead, she said indifferently, "You want to make a move against Ren Tianye?"

"There is a distinction between sovereign and subject. Since Ren Tianye is the Grand Commandant, how is your moving against him any different from treason?"

"Furthermore, the imperial clan is not allowed to interfere in politics. How could I step forward to issue a call to arms? Also, do not act under my banner."

Amidst Pei Jingzhi's face full of shock, Xiao Ruyi added, "Jingzhi, everything must follow the proper rules. How could you plot in secret?"

"If you ask me, you'd be better off finding a way to submit a memorial to Her Majesty. This matter must be left to Her Majesty's divine judgment."

After speaking, Xiao Ruyi didn't want to chat with Pei Jingzhi like last time, directly issuing an order for him to leave: "Jingzhi, I have some matters at home these days, so I won't keep you for a meal. You may leave."

Xiao Ruyi flicked her sleeves and left, leaving Pei Jingzhi stunned in place.

At this moment, he suddenly really wanted to cry.

He didn't know if the problem lay with Lu Qing and Xiao Ruyi, or if the Great Yu empire itself was sick.

These people held great power, yet when Her Majesty was imprisoned, they remained calm and indifferent, completely unconcerned. They were either thinking of their own women or trying to maintain their aloof, chrysanthemum-like detachment.

Are these the subjects of Great Yu?

Are all the subjects of Great Yu like this?

If Pei Jingzhi's visit to Lu Qing's Duke of Fuguo's estate was a blow to him, then meeting Xiao Ruyi now had struck him to the point of despair.

He was even a bit lost.

Lost as to whether this supposedly bright Great Yu court had always been shrouded in thick fog, and he had merely held onto a single beacon, mistakenly believing the world was clear and bright.

However, on the way back, Pei Jingzhi still mustered his strength. Her Majesty had written a blood edict to him; he would absolutely not fail her trust, nor would he fail his own integrity.

"Master, Lord Wei Chengye has been arranged for, right in the separate courtyard. Also, the old woman you asked us to find has been found; she is an old servant from a village."

Pei Jingzhi's spirits lifted. Finally, some good news. He immediately ordered the old woman to be brought in.

Indeed, she was a rural old woman, looking to be in her forties or fifties. She was plain-looking and stout, though her face was somewhat fair, likely naturally so.

"What is your name?"

"M-my lord, this humble one is named Zhang Li, but others call me Cai Genhua."

Cai Genhua?

What a good name!

Pei Jingzhi said, "I am having you go care for Lord Wei Chengye. You must be diligent and careful, understand?"

"Yes, yes!"

Pei Jingzhi nodded and personally brought her to see Wei Chengye. Upon meeting, he explained what needed to be done, and Wei Chengye already had an idea in his mind.

He immediately said, "You have shown kindness to me, and to my late father. Moreover, this matter concerns the state. I will certainly not fail your trust."

After offering a few words of comfort, Pei Jingzhi briefly introduced Cai Genhua to Wei Chengye, then turned and left. Returning to his study, he remembered that there was still an extremely important link in the plan he had with Chen Liang.

That was the singing and dancing girl his wife had bought for him, the most outstanding woman, Hongxiu.

Originally, he had planned to send someone to call her, but considering he needed Hongxiu to do such a monumental task, he went personally to show how much he valued her.

After walking a few steps, Pei Jingzhi almost got lost.

Because he hadn't seen Hongxiu in a long time. Calculating it, it had probably been half a year. After all, he was busy every day with the common people of the world; how could he pay attention to a singing and dancing girl he didn't even care about?!

It was only under the guidance of a servant that he finally arrived at the place.

Without even waiting to be announced, he pushed the door open and walked right in.

Immediately, a book was thrown right at his head.

"Get out!"

The book was thrown with great force, instantly making Pei Jingzhi dizzy. He quickly realized that Hongxiu might be changing clothes or something similar.

However, when he steadied himself and looked again, Hongxiu was fully dressed. She was merely sitting behind the desk, writing and painting.

Moreover...

Pei Jingzhi also realized that Hongxiu was just a singing and dancing girl. It was only by his grace that she held a status slightly better than a maid in his Pei estate. How dare she throw a book at him?

Anger surged!

Before he could even speak, he saw Hongxiu stand up first. Charming and enchanting, her face was even more beautiful than before. "Who allowed you into my boudoir?"

"Lord Pei, do you not know that when a woman is grown, you, as a man, should avoid suspicion?"

"Are you barging into my room without reason because you harbor improper intentions toward me? Hmph, although I am kept in your Pei estate, I, Hongxiu, am also a person with dignity and freedom."

"Your arrogance truly disappoints me!"

All the words Pei Jingzhi wanted to say got stuck in his throat. At this moment, he was a bit dazed, feeling that the Hongxiu before him was not the singing girl his wife gave him, but his wife, Madam Liu!

No, she was just a singing and dancing girl!

"Why aren't you getting out?"

"Hongxiu!" Pei Jingzhi finally snapped out of it, his tone cold and deep. However, thinking that he needed to use Hongxiu, he didn't say anything too harsh. "I have a matter to discuss with you."

"Then wait outside for a moment. I will come out after I finish dealing with Chancellor Han's letter."

Pei Jingzhi wanted to speak, but he held back.

Hongxiu's words did not stop, however: "Lord Pei, next time you come looking for me, please know to knock on the door."

"Go out!"

...

Ren Tianye arrived in front of the Eldest Princess's estate. From afar, he saw a person stumbling away. Looking closely, it seemed to be the Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Pei Jingzhi.

His heart stirred slightly, but he didn't pay it too much mind. It was true that dark tides were surging in the court today, but he had long since sent people to monitor them, so he wasn't afraid of these people trying any tricks.

Of course, since Pei Jingzhi had come to see the Eldest Princess, there was likely a bigger matter at hand. He shot a look at Wang Ming.

Wang Ming understood instantly and made new arrangements.

This time, they would focus their attention heavily on Pei Jingzhi.

As for Ren Tianye, he submitted his calling card and was invited into the estate by the Eldest Princess, Xiao Ruyi.

Ren Tianye didn't waste words and directly brought up what he had just seen: "Your Highness the Eldest Princess, I just vaguely saw someone who looked like the Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Pei Jingzhi. I wonder for what matter he came to see Your Highness?"

Xiao Ruyi said indifferently, "Jingzhi sought me out, naturally, to wipe out the treacherous sycophants in the court and welcome back the Empress."

"Treacherous sycophants?" Ren Tianye also said indifferently, "I wonder who the treacherous sycophants Lord Pei speaks of are? As the Grand Commandant, I absolutely cannot allow such treacherous people to exist in this capital."

Xiao Ruyi said, "He was speaking exactly of you, Grand Commandant!"

"Oh? Me? I didn't expect Lord Pei to have such a deep misunderstanding of me!"

"Whether it is a misunderstanding or not is not important to me." Xiao Ruyi seemed to have something on her mind, her face showing a rare trace of anxiety as she said, "I only know that I have always been noble and pure, and I will not taint myself with this bloodshed."

"I only wish to guard these chrysanthemums and ignore court affairs. Whatever the General wishes to do, do as you please, just do not come and disturb my peace."

This attitude surprised Ren Tianye.

After all, this was the Eldest Princess, entrusted with the heavy responsibility of looking after the orphaned sovereign. How could she be so indifferent? However, this was harmless to him; in fact, it was beneficial.

Thus, Ren Tianye wanted to take the opportunity to form an alliance with the Eldest Princess. He immediately brought out the gifts he had brought, especially the doctor Su Hong had found from the northern borders, and made clear his request for the Eldest Princess's help to support him and recruit talents from all over the world.

Unexpectedly, the calmness on the Eldest Princess's face had already taken on a look of impatience. She said, "General, I have already said, do not bother me with these messy matters."

"I am noble and pure, and I will not get involved."

"However, since words have reached this point, I would actually like to say a few words to the General."

She paused for a moment before saying, "The Emperor is a woman and requires the General's care. You should not keep her so strictly confined. Allow her to visit my Grand Princess's estate every now and then to admire these chrysanthemums and relieve her boredom."

"Furthermore, if the General wishes to investigate matters, then by all means, do so. Just do not trample the chrysanthemums I have planted. They are a rare breed left behind from the late Emperor's reign, and they are exceedingly delicate!"

With that, she cast a glance at the list of gifts Ren Tianye had brought and said, "These things are truly an eyesore. The General had best take them all back. Do not leave them piled up at my gates, dirtying my grounds."

She stood up abruptly. "Take care, General. I will not see you out!"

...