bookmarkrole Chapter 1483 Coenko
Chapter 1483 Coenko
The crowd parted automatically, and a young man walked in. He looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a faded blue robe, carrying a large book box on his back, with a scholarly air about him, but his eyes were sharp.
He walked up to the question, looked at it carefully three times, then turned around and looked at Zhu Qiwu.
"Is this the Seventh Young Master?"
"It's me. And you are?"
The young man cupped his hands in greeting: "My name is Chen Zilong, from Qingtian, Zhejiang. I heard that the King of Wu is holding a special imperial examination, so I have come to take it."
Zhu Qiwu used his talent appraisal technique to take a look—Name: Chen Zilong. Literary talent: Top-notch. Political skills: Top-notch. Character: Top-notch. Loyalty: Top-notch. Abilities: Top-notch.
Another top-notch one.
"Young Master Chen, you've come from Qingtian? Was the journey there not peaceful?"
Chen Zilong smiled. "It's not peaceful. On my way here, I encountered three groups of bandits, two groups of Yuan soldiers, and a group of Zhang Shicheng's men. But I managed to evade them all."
Are you alone?
"Alone." Chen Zilong patted the box of books on his back. "The books are here, and so am I."
Zhu Qiwu looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Young Master Chen, you've come at the perfect time. The special examination has been moved up to the eighth day of next month; if you'd like, you can register now."
Chen Zilong nodded, took out a scroll from his book box, and handed it to Zhu Qiwu.
"This is my travel permit and letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation was written by Mr. Liu Bowen."
Zhu Qiwu was taken aback. He took it and saw that it was indeed Liu Bowen's handwriting.
"Was it a letter of recommendation from Mr. Bowen?"
"Yes. When I was in Qingtian, I met Mr. Bowen once. He said there was a special imperial examination in Yingtian Prefecture and asked me to give it a try."
Zhu Qiwu carefully put away the letter of recommendation and said to Tang He, "Take Young Master Chen to register and arrange the best accommodations."
Tang He led Chen Zilong away, and Zhu Qiwu stood at the door, looking at Zhang Shicheng's recruitment hall across the street, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
Lu Wenzhao, I welcome your spies to take the imperial examination.
But the person you sent, once they pass the exam, will be one of my men.
He turned and went back to the examination hall, where Han Shangu was still copying the questions. The old man wrote faster and faster, but not a single stroke was out of place.
"Sir, have you finished copying?"
"Just one more card to go." Han Shangu said without looking up. "Young Master Qiwu, I have a question for you."
"You said."
"Are you really going to send the candidates to Liujia Village for an internship in that third practical exam?"
"real."
Han Shangu paused for a moment, then continued writing.
“Alright,” the old man said. “For this alone, I, Han Shangu, am willing to risk everything.”
As Zhu Qiwu watched the old man's retreating figure, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
He walked to the table, picked up his pen, and continued writing down what he needed for tomorrow.
Outside the window, the sky over Yingtian Prefecture slowly darkened. In the distance came the sound of the night watchman's clapper, once, twice, three times.
The red lanterns of the Zhaoxian Hall across the street lit up, illuminating half the street in red.
Zhu Qiwu glanced at the red area, then lowered his head and continued writing.
Twelve days.
He has twelve days left.
The white figure holding a folding fan opposite him was also looking at him.
The two people were separated by a street, by a special imperial examination, and by an entire world.
Whoever blinks first loses.
Zhu Qiwu wrote until the third watch of the night, burning three candles and changing two pens in his hand.
The sheet of Xuan paper spread out on the table was more than half full of writing, all about what he would need for tomorrow—the exam room layout, the seating arrangement for the candidates, the list of invigilators, and the marking process. He had to go through each and every one of them by hand; even a single mistake could cause a major disaster.
Han Shangu left sometime ago, leaving a note on the table with four words written on it: "The question is finished."
Zhu Qiwu carefully put the note away and was about to write another one when the door was pushed open from the outside.
Tang He poked half his head in, his expression strange.
"Seven Five, you're still awake?"
"You weren't asleep either?" Zhu Qiwu asked without looking up. "What is it?"
Tang He walked in, closed the door, and then took an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Someone just slipped this to the entrance of the examination hall. The guards there found it and asked me to bring it to you."
Zhu Qiwu put down his pen, picked up the envelope, and looked at it. There was no signature on the envelope, only a drawing of a folding fan.
Lu Wenzhao.
He opened the envelope; inside was a thin sheet of Xuan paper with a line of words written on it—
"To the esteemed Seventh Prince: We shall meet at Drunken Immortal Pavilion tomorrow at noon. Respectfully yours, Wenzhao."
After reading it, Zhu Qiwu put the Xuan paper on the table and smiled.
"He wants to see me?"
“Exactly!” Tang He plopped down in a chair. “Seven-five, what do you think Lu Wenzhao’s intentions are? Sending you a greeting card in the middle of the night, like a weasel offering New Year’s greetings to a chicken?”
“It might not be a weasel,” Zhu Qiwu said. “It could also be that they genuinely want to talk.”
"What are we going to talk about? How do we poach our people?"
Zhu Qiwu didn't answer. Instead, he turned the sheet of Xuan paper over and looked at the back. The back was completely blank, with nothing written on it.
"Tang He, go and investigate something for me."
"What's up?"
"When Lu Wenzhao was in Suzhou, did he have any dealings with our people?"
Tang He was taken aback: "Our people? You mean... someone has dealings with him?"
"It's hard to say," Zhu Qiwu said. "But this person delivering the invitation to me in the middle of the night doesn't seem like they're here to cause trouble. Someone who wants to cause trouble wouldn't be so polite."
Tang He thought for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, I'll check. What about you? Are you going to the appointment?"
Zhu Qiwu folded the Xuan paper neatly and stuffed it into his bosom.
“Go. Why wouldn’t you go?”
Tang He's eyes widened: "Are you crazy? That's Lu Wenzhao! Zhang Shicheng's most cunning strategist! You're going alone, what if he's set a trap..."
“If he wanted to set a trap, he wouldn’t have used such an obvious method,” Zhu Qiwu said. “The invitation was sent to Zuixianlou, the largest restaurant in Yingtian Prefecture, always bustling with people. Would he dare to make a move there? If he really dared to, tomorrow the entire Yingtian Prefecture would know that Zhang Shicheng’s strategist attempted an assassination on our territory. He can’t afford to lose face.”
Tang was taken aback by what he was being said, and finally scratched his head: "Fine, you say you'll go, then I'll go. But I have to come with you."
“No need,” Zhu Qiwu said. “If you come with me, he won’t tell the truth. Go investigate your matter and give me an answer by noon tomorrow.”
Tang He wanted to say something, but seeing Zhu Qiwu's expression, he knew it would be useless, so he stood up and walked out.
He turned back as he reached the door.
"Seven-five, be careful."
"knew."
After Tang He left, Zhu Qiwu sat alone at the table and opened the system panel. *Ding*, today's check-in completed. Claim your reward?
Receive.
Ding, check-in successful. Reward: One Truth-Telling Pill. After taking it, you can make the other person tell the truth within one hour, no matter how firm their will is. Bonus: A map of Yingtian Prefecture's defenses, marking all secret passages and weak points.
Zhu Qiwu looked at the small black pill in his hand, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
True Word Pill.
This is exactly what I need tomorrow.
He carefully put away the True Word Pill and then looked at the city defense map again. The map was very detailed, clearly marking every street, every city gate, and every section of the city wall in Yingtian Prefecture, and even the underground passages were drawn.
Zhu Qiwu's gaze fell on a section of the city wall in the south of the city, where a red circle was marked and two words were written next to it - "weak".
He carefully put away the city defense map, blew out the candle, and lay down on the bed.
Before closing his eyes, he thought of something.
Why did Lu Wenzhao want to see him?
I thought about it for a while, but couldn't figure it out, so I went to sleep.
The next morning, Zhu Qiwu was awakened by a knock on the door.
"Seven-five! Seven-five! Get up!"
It was Song Lian's voice.
Zhu Qiwu rubbed his eyes and opened the door. Song Lian stood outside, holding a stack of papers, his expression a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
"Jinglian, what's wrong?"
"Look at this!" Song Lian shoved the stack of papers into Zhu Qiwu's hand. "This morning, a man came to the entrance of the examination hall, saying he wanted to register for the special imperial examination. When I saw his travel permit, I almost dropped my pen."
Zhu Qiwu took it and looked at it. The travel permit read: Name: Lu Wenzhao. Place of Origin: Suzhou. Recommender: Zhang Shicheng.
Zhu Qiwu's hand stopped.
Lu Wenzhao.
Zhang Shicheng's top strategist personally came to take the imperial examination.
"Where are the others?" Zhu Qiwu asked.
"He's standing at the entrance of the examination hall, saying he'll wait for you to arrive before registering." Song Lian lowered his voice. "Seventh Young Master, what does this mean? Didn't he invite you to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion last night? Why is he here to register again?"
Zhu Qiwu thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
"I see."
"What do you understand?"
"He invited me to Zuixianlou, not to discuss business," Zhu Qiwu said, "but to test me. If I didn't go, it would mean I was afraid of him. If I went, it would mean I had guts. He came to register for the special imperial examination to see just how prestigious it was. If even he came to take the exam, it would prove that our special imperial examination was truly attractive."
Song Lian gasped, "Then...should we let him take the test?"
"Yes," Zhu Qiwu said decisively, "not only will he take the exam, but he'll pass it."
Song Lian's eyes widened: "Passed the exam? The Seventh Prince, he's Zhang Shicheng's man! If he passes the exam and gets an official position, that's...!"
"What isn't that?" Zhu Qiwu looked at Song Lian. "Jinglian, let me ask you, can a person's birth determine their entire life?"
Song Lian opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
"Lu Wenzhao is Zhang Shicheng's man, that's true. But his participation in the special imperial examination shows that he's already dissatisfied with Zhang Shicheng. A strategist who's dissatisfied with his master, bringing him over is more useful than defeating an entire army of Zhang Shicheng."
Song Lian thought for a while, then slowly nodded.
"I understand. Shall I go and register him?"
"Go ahead. Arrange the best seat and the best writing materials for him. Let him feel our sincerity."
Song Lian accepted the order and left.
Zhu Qiwu stood at the door, looking in the direction of the examination hall, a slight smile on his lips.
Lu Wenzhao, you want to test me, and I want to test you too.
Let's see who reveals their hand first.
Tang He returned in the morning.
He closed the door as soon as he entered, and his expression was even stranger than last night.
"Seventy-five, found it."
"explain."
“When Lu Wenzhao was in Suzhou, he did have dealings with some of our people,” Tang He said in a low voice. “Not our people, but Fourth Brother’s. Last winter, Fourth Brother sent a merchant named Shen Wansan to Suzhou to do business, and he secretly met with Lu Wenzhao.”
Zhu Qiwu raised an eyebrow: "Shen Wansan? That richest man in Jiangnan?"
"Yes. It was him. Nobody knows what Shen Wansan and Lu Wenzhao discussed. But after their meeting, Lu Wenzhao began to distance himself from Zhang Shicheng. He didn't participate in several of Zhang Shicheng's important decisions."
Zhu Qiwu remained silent for a while.
Shen Wansan. He had read this name in books; Shen was the wealthiest merchant at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, and later even helped Zhu Yuanzhang repair the city walls of Nanjing. He never expected that Shen Wansan had already established a connection with Zhu Yuanzhang at this time.
"Did Fourth Brother send Shen Wansan to meet Lu Wenzhao to try and win him over?"
“It should be,” Tang He said. “But later, for some reason, the matter was dropped. After Shen Wansan returned, Fourth Brother never mentioned Lu Wenzhao again.”
Zhu Qiwu nodded. He could roughly guess the reason. Zhu Yuanzhang had his own standards for employing people. Lu Wenzhao was Zhang Shicheng's strategist, and even if he wanted to win him over, he would have to wait for the right opportunity. The current opportunity was the imperial examination.
"Tang He, go and fetch Shen Wansan. Tell him I want to see him."
"Now?"
"Now."
Tang left without saying a word.
Zhu Qiwu sat alone at the table, reviewing the exam room layout plan he had written yesterday. The exam was moved up to the eighth day of next month, leaving eleven days. He needed to arrange everything in those eleven days.
Less than half an hour later, Tang He returned, followed by another person.
The man was in his forties, wearing a silk robe, plump, with a smile on his face, twirling two walnuts in his hand. He bore a resemblance to Chen Fengnian, the grain merchant he had seen in the council hall yesterday, but their demeanor was completely different. Chen Fengnian had the air of a shrewd merchant, while this man exuded the air of a nobleman.
"Young Master Qiwu, this is Master Shen Wansan," Tang He introduced.
Shen Wansan cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Qiwu, smiling broadly: "I have long heard of Young Master Qiwu's esteemed name. Meeting you today, I can see you are indeed a young talent."
Zhu Qiwu stood up and returned the greeting: "Master Shen, you're too kind. Please have a seat."
After the three sat down, Zhu Qiwu got straight to the point.
"Master Shen, I heard from Tang He that you met Lu Wenzhao in Suzhou last winter?"
Shen Wansan's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.
"Seventh Prince Lu is well-informed. Indeed, it was His Highness Prince Wu who sent me. However, the meeting didn't yield any results. Lu Wenzhao is too cunning; I can't fathom him."
"So what do you think is the meaning behind his coming to take the exam now?"
Shen Wansan thought for a moment and said, "There are two possibilities. First, he genuinely wants to pledge allegiance to the King of Wu. Second, he's here to probe the situation, to see just how significant the King of Wu's imperial favor really is, so he can report back to Zhang Shicheng."
Which one do you think it is?
Shen Wansan glanced at Zhu Qiwu and then said something that surprised Zhu Qiwu.
"I think it's the first one."
"Why?"
"Because of Lu Wenzhao, I've dealt with him before. He's not the kind of person who'd willingly be someone's dog. Although Zhang Shicheng treated him well, Zhang Shicheng's vision was too narrow. He thought he was the ruler of the world just because he was only holding onto that little territory of Suzhou. Lu Wenzhao looked down on that kind of person." (End of Chapter)