Threat

"Unlike here, the most important files and accounts in this government office are nowhere to be found; it's a complete mess. I used to hear my senior brother say that Lord Liu was capable, sigh!"

She shook her head and sighed, with an expression that said, "Meeting you is not as good as hearing about you."

Liu Hongyu: "..."

Please forgive him. He had been an official his whole life and had never seen anyone like Zhao Ruxi.

Is this a girl? Is this the famous scholar, painter, and calligrapher of the Great Jin? She's a complete scoundrel! When she speaks, she's incredibly outspoken, incredibly blunt, incredibly sarcastic, and incredibly cynical.

He had no idea how such a simple sentence could convey so many hidden meanings in her words.

Liu Hongyu's feelings were quite complicated at that moment.

After saying this, Zhao Ruxi stood up and greeted Liu Hongyu, "Then I'll head back now. Have someone inform me once Lord Cai has found the items."

As she spoke, she walked out, but stopped abruptly at the door, turned around, and said, "Oh, right, that Guan Jian'an, and the yamen runner Qin Wang —one's in poor health, and the other's a complete novice who knows nothing and can't do anything. In that case, there's no need to send any more clerks or runners to me. I can just use my own servants."

Without waiting for Liu Hongyu's reaction, she turned around and left.

"Hey..." Liu Hongyu wanted to call out to her, but Zhao Ruxi walked too fast and in the blink of an eye, she went down the steps and headed out of the yamen gate.

Liu Hongyu took a deep breath and told himself, "Don't get angry, don't get angry, anger is bad for your health."

After catching his breath for a while, the frustration that had welled up inside him finally dissipated.

"Zhong Liang, what do you think I should do?" he asked his advisor.

He was quite capable, but he only ever reached the position of prefect, because he had no powerful backing. Without a powerful backing, he was not well-informed and had a fear of officials who had connections with the emperor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Cai Yaozong to run rampant under him by relying on his relationship with the crown prince.

When a new official takes office, he usually keeps a low profile in front of his superiors and seniors, behaving obediently for a period of time and trying to suppress any temper. Even if he has ambitions, he needs to adapt to the environment for a while before they are revealed.

Especially since Zhao Ruxi was a woman, and a young girl not yet sixteen, everyone would look down on her and not take her seriously.

So even though Liu Hongyu knew Zhao Ruxi was coming, and that she was someone with a powerful background, he didn't take Zhao Ruxi seriously. He knew Cai Yaozong wasn't a fool, and given the power behind Zhao Ruxi, he wouldn't go too far. That was enough for everyone to live in peace.

He never expected Zhao Ruxi to be such a troublemaker, more troublesome than any new official he had encountered in his decades in office. As soon as she arrived, she tried to seize power, and when she couldn't, she threatened him, and when that failed, she went on strike.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad.

In any case, the one preventing Zhao Ruxi from gaining power was not Liu Hongyu, but Cai Yaozong. As his soon-to-retire superior, he only needed to sit back and watch the two tigers fight.

He would support whoever won, as he wouldn't offend anyone. Although there was a world of difference in status and position between him and Qin Wang, their thoughts were surprisingly similar: they sought no merit, only to avoid making mistakes.

But now, Zhao Ruxi is clearly not letting him stand idly by any longer, but forcing him to take sides.

Liu Hongyu felt a vague unease in his heart.

He felt that if he had chosen the wrong side, it would be difficult for him to retire peacefully.

"Do you think Zhao Zhiwei's backing is really that strong? Otherwise, she wouldn't dare to be so arrogant, would she?" he added.

Zhong Liang was Liu Hongyu's classmate. He failed the imperial examinations repeatedly and only passed the first level, becoming a student. However, his family was too poor to afford his schooling, so he gave up the idea of pursuing further education. Zhong Liang was insightful and quick-witted, and the two got along well, so Liu Hongyu invited him to be his advisor.

Liu Hongyu came from a small landlord family with several hundred acres of land. After passing the imperial examination, he served as a county magistrate for more than ten years and then as the prefect of Nanyang for six or seven years. Zhong Liang had been with him ever since he became an official, and the two supported each other for most of their lives.

Zhong Liang knew that Liu Hongyu wasn't asking for his opinion, but rather wanted him to analyze the current situation for him.

He said, "Cai Hongyu passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty. Because his mentor was a member of the Crown Prince's faction, he also joined the Crown Prince's faction. He served as a county magistrate for three years, and then was promoted to assistant magistrate of Nanyang, where he has served for ten years."

"Zhao Zhiwei became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of fifteen, and immediately became the Assistant Ministry of Personnel of Nanyang Prefecture upon taking office. His master, Mister Kumu, was the Emperor's cousin, and his eldest brother, Wu Huaisi, the Minister of Personnel, his second brother, Gong Cheng, the Vice Minister of Ministry of Works, and his third brother, Wu Zongxin Wu Huaisi, the Prefect of Linjiang Prefecture, were all members of the royalist faction."

He paused, looked at Liu Hongyu, and continued, "Zhao Zhiwei's connections go far beyond these. Her grandfather was the Duke of Sui, and her father, Zhao Yuanxun, inherited the title and became a marquis, later demoted to earl due to the Wei Family's influence. He is currently the prefectural judge of Gusu Prefecture. Leaving aside the complex and intertwined power behind these aristocratic families, Zhao Zhiwei, as a noblewoman, possesses outstanding beauty and exceptional talent, earning high praise from the emperor, who personally selected her as the top scholar. Her status is extremely high. A woman like her, whoever marries her, will not be an ordinary person; only royalty can do so."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hongyu's pupils contracted.

Seeing this, Zhong Liang knew that Liu Hongyu understood his meaning.

He concluded, "Comparing the two, I need to say more; I believe you, sir, already know which choice to make."

Finally, he added, "The Crown Prince is merely the heir apparent; the Great Jin is currently still in the Emperor's hands, and the Emperor is in his prime and in good health."

By stating this explicitly, Zhong Liang's meaning couldn't be clearer—he was suggesting that Liu Hongyu side with Zhao Ruxi.

"Furthermore..." Zhong Liang stroked his beard, "Your Excellency supports Lord Cai solely for the sake of your descendants. If Zhao Zhiwei hadn't come to Nanyang, Your Excellency's actions would have been perfectly justified. But now that Zhao Zhiwei come to Nanyang and is at odds with Lord Cai, Lord Cai's future is uncertain. Zhao Zhiwei was appointed the top scholar, and she's also a master painter and calligrapher. Does Your Excellency think she's a fool?"

Liu Hongyu shook his head.

"Since she's not stupid, why did she confront Lord Cai and you, sir, as soon as she arrived in Nanyang, and even act so aggressively? Is there some deeper meaning behind her actions?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Hongyu's expression changed.

He asked, "Could she be someone from another prince's faction?"

Zhong Liang shook his head. "I don't know if she's someone from another faction, but I do know that if you, sir, continue to defend Lord Cai and oppose Zhao Zhiwei, even if you don't take sides, you'll still be seen as an official of the Crown Prince's faction."