Su never ceases, literature never silent; history never hurries, Su never perishes.

A complete plan quickly formed in Ren Tianye's mind. After a brief moment of thought, he decided it was feasible.

Of course, this would require Su Jin's efforts. Given the monumental contributions she had previously made for him, Ren Tianye felt he must respect her opinion no matter what.

"Su Jin, I have a task I would like you to handle. I wonder if you are willing?"

Su Jin's body trembled violently.

Had this day finally come?

Ever since she first began following Ren Tianye, she had served as a clerk in his camp. Up until now, she remained a clerk, only the matters she handled were far more numerous and complex than before.

Her status and treatment, too, were vastly different now.

Since returning from Sifang City, though she was still nominally a clerk, her prestige in the army was quite high. Whether in the former Grand General's Manor or the current Grand Commandant's Manor, the various troops held her in deep respect.

Su Jin was actually quite satisfied. After all, even though her position was merely a clerk, anyone with half a brain knew she was the Grand General's confidante. Should the need arise, she would inevitably be promoted to a high position as one of his most trusted ministers.

But...

Remaining like this forever, she still harbored some inner desires.

Even a young woman yearned to establish merits and achievements.

Now... after enduring for so long, an opportunity had finally fallen into her lap.

"Grand General, I am willing."

Ren Tianye gave a half-smile. "You aren't even going to ask what I need you to do?"

"I will do whatever the Grand General asks of me."

"Excellent!" Ren Tianye nodded. Su Jin had followed him through countless battles and campaigns, and her vision and perspective had gradually broadened. Furthermore, her Northern Frontier Su family had nearly collapsed entirely because of all these chaotic affairs.

As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one fears a well rope for ten years.

He believed Su Jin knew what she was doing.

Therefore, he could settle on Su Jin.

Moreover, as his close aide, Su Jin taking on this great responsibility would demonstrate to outsiders how much he valued the Demon Suppression Department. This would lessen the resistance in suppressing demons, monsters, and evil spirits.

However, aside from Su Jin, he still needed one more person.

And this person was Deputy General Zhou Ze, whom he had requested from Lu Qing.

From what Ren Tianye understood, he was quite a talent.

Having served in the capital garrison for a long time, he was very familiar with capital affairs. Moreover, this man had accompanied Lu Qing to Yunji City, and it was he who persuaded Lu Qing to abandon the attack on the city. From this, it was clear he had a level head.

Handing the Demon Suppression Department over to him should not be a problem.

Plus, with Su Jin there to keep him in check, Ren Tianye felt even more reassured.

Sending someone to summon Zhou Ze, Ren Tianye then explained everything about the Demon Suppression Department to the two of them. Its main purpose was to cleanse the Great Yu Empire of the demons and monsters that had arisen due to the Empress.

As soon as Ren Tianye finished speaking, Su Jin dropped to one knee without hesitation.

"I accept the Grand General's military orders. This subordinate will definitely not fail your trust."

Zhou Ze, however, hesitated a bit and said, "Lord Grand Commandant, are we really doing this? As far as I know, there are too many monsters and evil spirits hidden in the capital, and many hold important positions. If we really take action against them, I am afraid rivers of blood will flow."

"Will this... really work?"

Ren Tianye immediately said coldly, "I am not afraid of rivers of blood, nor am I afraid of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. I am only afraid that these demons will not be completely eradicated. You two just go all out. Even if you poke a hole in the sky, I will be here to cover for you."

Zhou Ze's spirit was roused, and he fell to his knees.

Ren Tianye announced, "I appoint Zhou Ze as the Commander of the Demon Suppression Department, and Su Jin as the Vice Commander. I order the two of you to handle all the preparations. Report to me all the manpower, funding, and special privileges you require."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The two accepted their orders in unison.

Just then, Wei Shuo excitedly barged in: "Grand General, someone from the Su family is here."

Su Jin had been about to bow and take her leave, but upon hearing this, she immediately stopped in her tracks.

Someone from the Su family?

Did her second uncle send someone again?

Why had they not given her a heads-up?

Then, a person walked in from outside. His head full of white hair was combed neatly, and his face was covered in the deep wrinkles of weather and hardship. His eye sockets were sunken, but his gaze was steady and profound, exuding a sense of resilience.

He dressed quite poorly, wearing a half-worn brocade robe with dark patterns, its edges slightly frayed. He had no jade or pearl accessories on him, only a plain belt tied around his waist.

His entire being radiated a sense of poverty and coldness, yet he maintained an ingrained sense of propriety.

This made Ren Tianye slightly surprised.

He had thought the talent Wei Shuo recommended would surely have an extraordinary family background, coming from a prominent noble clan that could provide what he needed—especially the talent he required right now. But this slightly shabby appearance...

Even for a capital official, it should not be this bad.

"Commoner Su Pengcheng greets the Grand Commandant."

As soon as he said this, Su Jin, who had not yet left, let out a cry of surprise.

"Su Pengcheng, the patriarch of the Kyoto Su family?"

"You are Su Pengcheng?"

Ren Tianye was also slightly startled.

It was not that he knew this Su Pengcheng personally, but he had heard of the great name of the Su family. After all, there was a long-standing proverb in the world: As long as the Su family wields the brush, the realm's literature will not fall silent; as long as history is properly recorded, the Su family will not perish.

That is to say, as long as there was still someone in the Su family holding a brush, the literary spirit of the world would not fall silent or decline. As long as the world's history books could still be compiled normally and not abandoned, the Su family would not be destroyed.

This was the consensus of the world!

After all, at the founding of the nation, the Kyoto Su family served as imperial tutors, established court etiquette, drafted laws and decrees, and entered the inner court directly to discuss state affairs. Later on, for several consecutive generations, they served as the directors of the state academy, compiling official history and monopolizing the Hanlin Academy. Half of the Hanlin scholars hailed from this clan, and they frequently served as chief examiners for the imperial examinations. It could be said that their disciples and former subordinates filled the court and the countryside.

Such a prominent noble clan could truly be called a family of scholars.

How... did they end up in such a state now?

This was also what Su Jin wanted to ask.

Her Northern Frontier Su family, although sharing the same surname as the Kyoto Su family, had a reputation and status that were worlds apart. After all, how could a merchant family compare to a family of scholars?

Previously, before the world fell into chaos, her second uncle had tried every possible means to establish a connection with the Kyoto Su Manor.

But... how could such an illustrious family... look so miserable right now?

Wei Shuo had already seen through Ren Tianye's thoughts and said, "Grand General, the Su family is loyal and upright. They repeatedly admonished Xiao Mingzhao and were consequently demoted by her."

Ren Tianye suddenly understood. So that was how it was.

But then he thought of something else and asked, "Since they were demoted by Xiao Mingzhao, and I have been recruiting people of insight from all over the world, why have I not seen anyone from the Kyoto Su family come to pledge their allegiance?"

Su Pengcheng stepped forward, not shying away at all.

He said directly, "I did not dare to pledge allegiance to the Grand Commandant."

"Why?"

"Because I feared the Grand Commandant was a thief trying to steal the nation!"

Ren Tianye paused in surprise, then burst into loud laughter. "In the capital right now, you are the first one who dares to speak to me like this."

"This old man has already been dismissed from office, and my family has gradually declined. Even our library in the Northern Frontier's Shanhe City was burned to the ground by barbarians. I have nothing left to scheme for and nothing left to protect. The worst that can happen is death."

Ren Tianye nodded. A stubborn temper did not matter.

As long as he was not clouded by foolish sentimentality and could get things done, that was fine.

It was not as if he lacked the capacity to tolerate others.

He smiled and asked, "Then why are you willing to pledge your allegiance now?"

"Nothing else," Su Pengcheng spoke straightforwardly. "Firstly, General Wei Shuo invited me. Secondly, the Great General wants to annihilate the barbarian army outside the capital..."

When speaking the words "barbarian army," Su Pengcheng's voice visibly trembled, and his eyes shot out a profound hatred. "If the Great General is willing to wipe out the barbarians, then he is not the treacherous minister without regard for sovereign or father that Lord Pei Jingzhi sees him as. Even if he usurps the state, he is still a loyal subject who knows the difference between barbarians and our people!"

Ren Tianye caught his attitude towards the barbarians in these words, yet he still smiled and said, "This general has killed quite a few barbarians in the Northern Frontier..."

"That's different. In the Northern Frontier, the Great General killed barbarians for self-preservation, but now you are taking the initiative to attack. The meaning is different."

Ren Tianye roughly understood Su Pengcheng's thoughts and turned his gaze to Wei Shuo.

Wei Shuo was also smart. He immediately knew that Ren Tianye wanted to know the grievances between the Su family of the capital and the barbarians, so he said, "Great General, the Su family of the capital and the barbarians share a blood feud as deep as the sea!"

"The ancestors of the Su family once served as Hanlin scholars and held the imperial tally in the Northern Frontier, but they were beheaded by the barbarians, their corpses abandoned in the wilderness."

"For generations, the Su family has been in charge of the state history, writing truthfully about the crimes of the barbarians invading the borders. Because of this, they were hated by the barbarians, and the Su family descendants scattered in various places were all robbed and murdered by barbarian spies!"

"After the barbarians broke through the Northern Frontier and entered Shanhe City, a great fire burned down the library built by the Su family there, which included the classic collections left by generations of the Su family, many of which contained records of the grasslands."

...

Wei Shuo recounted the events one by one, every word weeping blood. Su Pengcheng's eyes had also turned red. When Wei Shuo had pretty much finished, he finally spoke, "My grandfather, father, and son were all robbed and killed by the barbarians."

"When the Third Prince of the barbarian tribe, Tuoba Xiangtai, entered the city, His Majesty even vainly attempted to ease relations, ordering our Su family to personally welcome him, saying it was to atone for our sins. Hmph, this commoner would rather die than comply!"

Su Pengcheng paused and said, "Grand Commandant, there is a barbarian army of thirty thousand outside the city. If the Grand Commandant can slaughter every barbarian taller than a cartwheel, my Su Manor of the capital is willing to serve you like dogs and horses from now on."

"We will definitely exhaust the power of our Su Manor to gather talents from all over the world for the Grand Commandant, bringing them under the Great General's command!"

Ren Tianye frowned and looked at Su Pengcheng.

He asked out of the blue, "If I also kill the barbarians shorter than a cartwheel, will it affect your Su Manor's recommendation of great talents for me?"

Su Pengcheng: "Huh?"

"Huh?"

"???"

...