Chapter 51 The Female Strategist of the Xie Family

He was fond of Princess Changping, and the princess had already made her feelings known to him.

As long as Xiao Zhi wished it, becoming a royal son-in-law would not be a difficult task. As for keeping a mistress on the side, in this era, one could even keep them right at home.

The late emperor had a fair number of children, and regardless of whom those princesses were married to, none of the imperial sons-in-law remained idle. At worst, they could visit the imperial music academies or pleasure quarters, and the princesses would simply turn a blind eye; after all, how many men could actually keep themselves in check?

"What is my happiness?"

Xiao Zhi felt somewhat lost. He put down the vernacular novel, parted the fluttering carriage curtains, and gazed through the gap at the flickering blue sky.

He Qing naturally did not understand why Xiao Zhi had suddenly grown so profound. In her perception, someone superior like Xiao Zhi—who ate well, dressed warmly, and had servants attending to his every need every single day—could not possibly have troubles; he should only know happiness.

"Who are you people? Why are you here?"

An angry shout from the captain rang out from outside.

Xiao Zhi parted the curtain. They were passing through a village where three men dressed as commoners were kneeling on the ground beside a mule cart laden with six or seven corpses.

"What is going on here?"

The captain replied, "My lord, this subordinate found these three suspicious. They were searching house to house."

In this turbulent era, people engaged in all sorts of livelihoods. The captain suspected they were up to murder and plunder.

"My lord, we have been wronged! We are all law-abiding citizens!"

A commoner's voice trembled as he kowtowed incessantly.

"Are you from this village?" Xiao Zhi asked.

"This humble one is not; this humble one is a tenant of the Xie family. The Xie family gave us silver and instructed us to collect the dead from house to house. If we encounter anyone still living, we are to ensure they do not starve to death."

Xiao Zhi offered a silent word of praise. Putting aside whether the Xie family's rise to prominence involved bullying the weak, this single act alone was truly impeccable.

Xiao Zhi's instruction to the Xie family had been that within a hundred-li radius, no one must starve to death. Whether people actually starved in reality was something no one bothered to investigate too deeply.

Unexpectedly, they were currently a full hundred and fifty li away from the Xie family estate, yet the Xie family had extended their disaster relief all the way to this region.

It seemed the Xie family was genuinely providing relief, pouring their entire fortune into saving lives.

Acting in such a manner, the Xie family could certainly be considered a benevolent household—even a profoundly charitable one.

After this major disaster, the common people would hardly be undeserving if they erected shrines in honor of the Xie family while they were still alive.

Suddenly, Xiao Zhi felt a twinge of shame. Quite a few lives belonging to the Xie family had been lost directly at his hands.

Xiao Zhi gave a subtle gesture to the captain, and the carriage resumed its journey.

"Qian Tang, how far is it to Jinan Prefecture?"

The driver of the carriage was a platoon commander named Qian Tang.

Qian Tang turned around, raising his hands in a casual salute. "Reporting to my lord, we are still about a hundred and twenty to thirty li away from Jinan Prefecture."

Based on their current pace, they would only arrive by the following day, and even then, they would only reach Jinan Prefecture in time for the evening meal.

However, Xiao Zhi was not in a hurry. He reclined once more on He Qing's lap and asked, "Have you ever been to Jinan Prefecture?"

He Qing shook his head. He had never even stepped outside of Tai'an.

Under normal circumstances, young ladies of good families never stepped beyond their inner and outer courtyards; aside from the daughters of merchants, most women rarely showed their faces in public.

"Once we reach Jinan, get a serving of braised pork belly first."

Braised pork belly could hardly be considered refined cuisine, but that was precisely the flavor Xiao Zhi was craving.

Layers of fat and lean meat combined, a single bite filling the mouth with rich fragrance.

He only wondered if such a dish existed in this era.

If not, Xiao Zhi intended to open an establishment in the capital, and braised pork belly would definitely be featured on the menu.

One hundred and fifty li away in Jinan Prefecture, the Xie family's carriages pulled into the courtyard of an inn.

This journey to the capital was for an imperial audience, and Xie Renfeng had to make the trip in person.

Although he appeared vigorous, he was advanced in age after all, and after being jostled in a carriage for an entire day, his old bones felt as though they were about to fall apart.

Having requested the finest rooms, Xie Renfeng took a sip of hot tea and cast his gaze over the several younger members of the Xie family he had brought along.

"The capital is not our Xie family estate; officials are as numerous as ox hairs, and even the gatekeepers of official residences are not to be trifled with lightly. Remember to watch your words and conduct yourselves with caution."

The juniors all chimed in with respectful assents.

Xie Renfeng continued, "Even here in Jinan Prefecture, there are people our Xie family would rather not offend. Take the prefect of Jinan Prefecture, for instance; he is a paternal cousin of the Minister of Works, Shi Weigong."

"Patriarch, you needn't preach such grand principles anymore. Several of these elder brothers were watched by you as they grew up; they know the weight of matters."

Chuyu brought over a basin of hot water, moistened a towel, folded it, wrung it out, and handed it to Xie Renfeng with both hands.

Xie Renfeng took the towel and nodded.

"Chuyu, do you think that person will agree?"

The person in question was naturally Xiao Zhi.

Yet what Xie Renfeng was asking was not whether Xiao Zhi would consent to this marriage alliance.

Before setting out, Xie Renfeng had made another decision: to select a few promising youths to accompany them, hoping to have them serve by Xiao Zhi's side.

In this way, they could enter officialdom without needing to pass the imperial examinations. In the future, they could also leverage Xiao Zhi's connections to ensure these young men enjoyed smooth and prosperous official careers.

Chuyu replied, "Several of the elder brothers are already holders of the xiucai degree; I imagine he will likely not refuse."

Ever since Xiao Zhi looted the Xie family, Chuyu's status within the household had risen steadily. Whenever the clan faced any matters, Xie Renfeng would seek his opinion.

The younger male members of the Xie family would secretly refer to him with sour envy as a "female strategist," though in their hearts they remained unconvinced and resentful.

A mere young girl was being elevated to the heavens. The males of the Xie family naturally refused to accept this, but because Xie Renfeng favored him, they could only bury their dissatisfaction deep within.

At this moment, seeing Xie Renfeng once again consulting Chuyu, the expressions of several young men turned somewhat awkward.

It was as if they were thinking: He is merely a young miss who never steps outside, what grand principles does he understand? Only the patriarch treats him like some priceless treasure.

The expressions of these youths were naturally not lost on Xie Renfeng.

However, he did not grow angry. Instead, he smiled good-naturedly and asked, "I know you are all unconvinced in your hearts. Today, I will give you a chance. Tell me, why did Chuyu say that person will not refuse?"

The young men looked at one another. If it came to guessing Xiao Zhi's thoughts, how could they possibly know what was going on inside Xiao Zhi's head?

Besides, they had only ever seen Xiao Zhi's mask. How many noses or eyes did this man have, what was his temperament, and how would he choose—how could they possibly guess?

"No idea?"

"And you?"

"You don't know either?"

Xie Renfeng questioned them one by one before finally slapping the table. "Then let Chuyu tell you, so that you may finally learn who the real frogs at the bottom of the well are."

"Chuyu, speak your mind."

Chuyu cast a cautious glance at his elder brothers. Knowing discretion and how to advance or retreat, he had not wanted to show off in front of them.

Yet since Xie Renfeng insisted, Chuyu tidied a stray lock of hair behind his ear and began to explain in a measured tone.

"We possess a general understanding of Xiao Zhi's life. The things he has done are known to everyone in the capital; there is no need to elaborate further.

"To our Xie family, who he is does not matter, nor do we understand him particularly well.

"We only need to know one thing: he is an isolated minister without factional support.

"The reason I believe he will not refuse is precisely because he is an isolated minister."

The young men of the Xie family exchanged glances, completely failing to understand.

"What of it? Does being an isolated minister mean he needs us?"

Perspective was something that often did not rely entirely on how much one had seen or contemplated.

Xie Renfeng let out a derisive chuckle and shook his head inwardly.

At the same time, a sense of lingering regret stirred within Xie Renfeng's heart. If only Chuyu had been born a boy, how wonderful that would have been.