Le charme d'une femme puissante se répand à travers le monde

Chapitre 18

As soon as the fox finished speaking, the two guards immediately bowed to me and said in unison, "Mo Wen (Mo Xing) greets Master."

I nodded coolly and pushed the door open first, walking in.

What's going on? When did Qianzui Residence become so bustling with people? Suddenly, many people who looked like servants appeared in the courtyard, moving about quietly and orderly. They were clearly experienced servants. Although the courtyard had no owner, these people were still doing their jobs methodically: some were sweeping the courtyard, some were tending to the flowers and trees, and others were busy with something else—everything was orderly.

I stared at everything in disbelief, unable to recover for a long time. When I came to my senses, I saw that there were more than twenty people in front of me. The middle-aged man in the lead bowed respectfully to me and said, "Master, I am Mo Yan, the steward here."

Then the long line of people following behind him also rattled off their introductions. I was completely bewildered, only knowing that they all came and went like the name of a mo family. Apparently, this place could all be renamed "Mo Mansion".

I looked at Longhu and Erlinzi behind me in surprise. The two of them had God-like faces. One of them said awkwardly, "These people were found by my second brother and me. This garden is so big. Even if you're not here, someone has to look after it." The other said with a twitch at the corner of his mouth, "Don't worry, my eldest brother and I will pay for these people's wages. You won't have to spend a penny."

I see. What the fox said makes sense. After all, this isn't an empty garden; it's where I keep my secret stash of money. Although my money is hidden in a secret room, making it difficult for ordinary people to find, it's still safer to have someone guarding it. Besides, didn't Erlinzi say that although these people work for me, they are under their jurisdiction and paid by them? Why wouldn't I be happy to do that?

"Thank you, big brother and second brother." Realizing I had gotten the better deal, I immediately acted ingratiatingly and then said to the group of people who didn't know what to do, "Well, you can all go down now and do whatever you need to do."

The crowd bowed and withdrew in an orderly fashion. Wow, these people are so well-trained!

"What's going on?" I screamed, pointing at the plaque that read "Weimian Villa".

"I think this little place is quite nice, so I'm keeping it for myself. In case I need to stay at Qianzui Residence for a rest or overnight in the future, I'll have my own private place. I've already told the servants that no one except the two of you can freely enter or leave this Weimian Villa. I don't like having unauthorized people coming and going in my place." The fox said matter-of-factly.

"Small place? This small place already takes up a quarter of my garden, and you call it small? This is my garden. When did you decide it belonged to you? Staying overnight? Why don't you go back to your palace to sleep? Why are you staying overnight in my little place?" I was furious and spoke without thinking. I don't care if you're the emperor or not, this is my private territory. I own all the rights and usage rights. You stinking fox, you don't regret giving me this garden, do you?

"Actually, it's not just me; my second brother also found himself a small place," the fox said casually, completely disregarding my anger.

"Mu Qinglin!" I yelled. So it wasn't just the fox, but also you, you rascal, daring to point fingers at my things. Let me tell you, whoever touches my cheese, I will not let them off easily.

I strode across half the garden and was shocked to see another plaque that read "Qinglin Villa". I was so angry that I trembled all over, pointing at the fox and Erlinzi, but I couldn't utter a word.

"My eldest brother said that the three of us brothers should share our good fortune. Since my third brother got this house, of course the two older brothers should get a share too. So I also picked a place that I like. You are welcome to come and visit more often when you have time." Erlinzi was just like a fox. The two of them must have conspired together.

"If my brother is so loyal, why doesn't he share his palace with us?" I swear, when I'm angry I say things without thinking, and most of the time I don't even know what I'm saying.

Erlinzi's face darkened upon hearing my words, and he frantically blinked at me. The fox, however, seemed unconcerned and still smiled, saying, "Alright, if Third Brother likes it, let's move into the palace tomorrow. All my harems are empty."

Damn, you fox, you were just dumped by your brother Erlinzi not long ago, and you're already looking for me as your emotional support? You're ruthless!

"Get out, all of you, get out!" I desperately pushed Dragon Fox and Erlinzi out. 5555, my poor private residence! You were originally so complete, belonging only to me, but now you've been forcibly divided into three parts. It's because your master is useless; I couldn't protect you. Those two people—one is my boss, he's the one who gave me this house, and the other is my good brother, who hired cleaning and management staff for you and even sent you many treasures to decorate it. I simply couldn't refuse their requests.

"Where are we going?" Erlinzi walked out somewhat unwillingly. "I thought we were going to have lunch here."

"Eat, eat, eat! Eat my foot! Let's go eat at Lancai Pavilion and see the students who have come to take the imperial examination." The provincial examination is the day after tomorrow, and I originally planned to take advantage of today's rest to go and see the candidates for the first imperial examination in Longyao Kingdom.

Clouds Drunk, Moon Slightly Sleeping (Revised Edition) Volume One: When We Met, We Were All Joyful and Appreciated Each Other's Talents

Chapter word count: 2814 Update time: 08-12-20 15:53

Recruiting talent

Lancai Pavilion is a restaurant that combines dining and lodging. Although it is not as famous or as large as Yaoyue Pavilion, it is still clean and tidy. It is located on the edge of the bustling city, quiet and elegant, but not too remote.

The imperial court provided the funds, and I personally arranged for the Lancai Pavilion to be rented out for twenty days to solve the food and lodging problems of candidates from all over the country who had come to take the imperial examinations. Since it was clearly stated when the imperial examinations were implemented that everyone, regardless of social status, could participate, it was natural to consider the plight of poor scholars. If someone had gone through all that trouble to travel to the capital and didn't even have a place to stay, having to divide a single steamed bun into three meals, it would severely impact their performance on the day of the examinations. Using the Lancai Pavilion as a dormitory served two purposes: firstly, it solved the problem of food and clothing for impoverished students; secondly, it facilitated the management of the candidates, and since everyone was from the same hometown, they could help each other out.

Stepping into the main hall of Lancai Pavilion, I gestured to the manager not to bow to me or reveal my identity. I found a table at random and sat down with Long Hu and the others. We ordered a few dishes and ate while watching a group of students discuss things in the center of the hall.

The focus of the discussion was actually me; I was sweating bullets.

"Brother Shen An has lived in the capital for a long time, his talent is renowned far and wide, and he is also one of the wealthiest men in the region. How come you have never met Young Master Qian Zui?" A man in blue robes with clear features asked the man in white robes opposite him.

The man in white shook his head and said with a sigh, "Brother Mu Zui, you may not know this, but since becoming prime minister, Young Master Qian Zui has held a high position, yet he never forms alliances with anyone. So, although there are countless visitors every day, no one has ever been able to enter the Yun residence."

Hey, don't tell me that Mu Zui chose that name because he admires me. Being so blatantly worshipped makes even a 21st-century person like me a little embarrassed, hehe.

"Oh, is that really true?" Mu Zui was clearly incredulous.

“Indeed. I have visited the Yun residence more than once, but have been politely refused entry each time. The steward of the Yun residence only said that if there was anything to discuss, I could leave a letter. As for the gifts, if I left them, the Prime Minister would certainly donate them to the national treasury.” The white-robed man, Chen An, seemed to be lost in deep reminiscence as he spoke, his face filled with admiration, respect, and a slight regret.

Oh dear, Uncle De, you're wrong, terribly wrong. I did collect all the gifts from those families and confiscated them for the national treasury, but I also picked out my favorites and sent them to Qianzuiju. You know, I've always had a great love for rare and precious things, hehe.

"In that case, Young Master Qianzui truly lives up to his reputation as a wise and virtuous prime minister. I, Muzui, originally thought that by coming to the capital this time, I could at least meet Young Master Qianzui, and even if I didn't pass the imperial examination, I would have no regrets in this life. However, according to Brother Shen'an, apart from the high-ranking officials in the capital who can attend court, not many people know Young Master Qianzui. It seems that I, Muzui, will have to study hard by lamplight these next few days, enter the palace examination, and enter the main hall before I can catch a glimpse of the emperor's face, and most importantly, see Young Master Qianzui." As soon as Muzui finished speaking, he drew a chorus of agreement from those around him. Everyone was filled with high spirits and determined to enter the palace examination, and most importantly, to see the face of this wise and virtuous prime minister who was unprecedented and unparalleled in history.

Being admired like this greatly satisfied my confidence and vanity. I was overjoyed; these future elites of the Dragon Kingdom actually felt that seeing me was more worthwhile than seeing Dragon Fox. Wait, the fox is sitting right next to me. Is he jealous that I'm more popular than him? I glanced at him and saw that the fox was also smiling at me, with no displeasure in his eyes or face. I immediately relaxed, and my smile almost stretched to my ears.

"Is there any official who isn't corrupt? And which member of the imperial family doesn't abuse their power? When one person attains power, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven—it's always been this way. My family lives in Hezhou, more than a thousand miles from the capital, yet this mere Han family, simply because they're related to Han Xuanqi by a distant name, commands respect even from the prefect. They've run rampant in Hezhou for years, and no one has been able to control them. If it weren't for Han Xuanqi's death sentence, that family would likely have continued their tyrannical ways for the rest of their lives, with no one daring to speak out. Young Master Qianzui's power is short-lived, but his reputation is widespread. Who can guarantee that in a few years, the Yun family won't become another Han family?" A man in gray said calmly. Judging from his attire, he clearly wasn't from a wealthy family. His voice wasn't loud, but because his tone was so out of place with the previous atmosphere, it drew the attention of the entire audience, including me.

Hey, Little Grey, even though you're not bad looking, what you're saying is still a little hard to hear from me, the person involved.

"Young master, you have great insight!" I smiled and rose, slowly walking towards the crowd in the center of the hall. Hearing my words, everyone shifted their gaze from the gray-robed man to me. I casually glanced around at the dozen or so people before me, still smiling, and said, "May I ask, young master, what you just said about the Han family of Hezhou running rampant in the countryside—was it at Han Xuanqi's behest? Or was he condoning it? Or was Han Xuanqi simply unaware of their evil deeds?"

The student in gray was clearly taken aback for a moment. After thinking carefully, he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I'm afraid I cannot answer your question, brother."

"Heh." I chuckled softly and continued, "Since you, young master, know that Hezhou is more than a thousand miles from the capital, and that the Han family is only a distant relative of Han Xuanqi, you can be sure they don't have much contact with each other. Han Xuanqi might not even know he has such a distant relative. For an official, the power in his hands is meant to serve the court and the people. If it becomes a means for his family to indulge in evil, it is wrong, whether he knows it or not. But whether this wrongdoing is a crime or a mistake is different. The higher the official, the more relatives he has. Anyone who can be related within a few generations will inevitably come to rely on him. With so many people, varying in kinship and distance, how can one person manage them all? If someone commits evil, and if he instigates it, his intention is despicable, a grave crime; if he turns a blind eye and condones it, and is angry at his lack of restraint, that is also a crime; if he is unaware of such things, that is a mistake; but if he doesn't even know that such a person exists, that someone is committing evil in his name a thousand miles away, how can you, young master, rashly condemn this official based on this?"

The student in gray and the others all looked thoughtful.

“What this young master says makes sense, but wouldn’t this make it even harder to quell the trend of fearing power and condoning evil?” It was another unfamiliar voice. I turned my head and saw the speaker sitting at a table in the far left corner of the hall, with a few small dishes on the table. Although he had an ordinary appearance, he was dressed in snow-white clothes, and his black eyes were exceptionally clear. Even from a distance, one could clearly and strongly feel the purity in his eyes. Looking at him, one could sense a free and easy temperament.

"The key to curbing this trend lies not in the high-ranking official or his family, but in the people and local officials." I paused briefly, my gaze sweeping over the future elites of the Dragon Yao Kingdom before me. I then turned and smiled at Fox and Er Linzi before continuing unhurriedly, "The country has laws that clearly stipulate: the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. If even the emperor is subject to this, then who has given those officials even greater privileges than the emperor? His Majesty's rewards and punishments for officials must be based on reason, with rewards for merit and punishments for crimes, not solely on personal whims. Those who abuse their power and commit evil..." What reason could anyone have to be more reckless than the current emperor? In truth, all of this stems from the human tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong, and from officials who, either out of fear of power or to curry favor with superiors, have forgotten their duty—to speak up for the people and advocate for them. The laws of the nation are the foundation of its stability and security; both good and evil have legal recourse. If officials can fulfill their duties and not fear authority, and if the people can unite to protect their rights, where will there be room for evildoers? If someone is wronged and doesn't even try to seek justice, others can only pity their misfortune and be angry at their lack of resistance.

I smiled as I watched everyone fall into deep thought. Very good, it seems that everyone understands what I mean. Although it is a bit too early for me to instill the idea of equality and individual autonomy in them, why not do it if they can gain some understanding?

"All of you present here today are the young talents of the Dragon Yao Kingdom. After this imperial examination, some of you will embark on your official careers. Whether you serve in the court or remain in the government, I only hope that you will remember these words." After saying this, I gracefully returned to Fox and Er Linzi's side, satisfied to see the amazement in their eyes. Then I raised an eyebrow at them, indicating that our purpose for today had been achieved and we could head home.

The three of them had just stood up when the student in gray strode over. He stood before me, gave me a deep bow, and said, "My name is Lu Chengli. May I ask your name, sir?"

“Lu Chengli? A promising future, a good name. My name is Wei Mian.” I smiled and lowered my head. I couldn’t say Yun Feng, I couldn’t say Qian Zui, and I didn’t have time to make something up, so I had to borrow the fox’s name to fill the gap for now. “Yue Wei Mian.”