Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 574 Look, I have one too.
Pei Yuan hesitated for a moment, then decided he still had to meet her, otherwise she would be even more arrogant next time.

Pei Yuan asked the flag bearer and learned that Song Chunniang was waiting in his courtroom.

Fearing he might look foolish later, he ordered, "No one is allowed to come along if Commander Song has any confidential military intelligence to report."

Everyone secretly grimaced upon hearing this.

Only after Pei Yuan had gone far away did the crickets begin to chirp softly.

When Pei Yuan arrived at the hall, he saw Song Chunniang still sitting in her seat, arrogantly placing her officer's boots on the table.

Pei Yuan's face was tense, and he said with some displeasure, "Why is Commander Song not at home enjoying his honeymoon? What is he doing here?"

Song Chunniang tilted her head and saw that Chen Xinjian, who was following behind, had not come over.

She smiled, gently pulled open her shirt a little, revealing red marks deep in her collar, and said, "Look, I have them too."

Pei Yuan held his breath, then gritted his teeth, "Don't go too far!"

This is truly killing someone and then destroying their spirit!
Pei Yuan was incredibly envious. They were so wild on their wedding night; if he had been there last night, he would have been even happier.

Song Chunniang raised an eyebrow and gave her a provocative look. "Isn't your good thing with Commander Han coming up soon? We're such good friends, why don't you let me see yours then?"

Pei Yuan felt a little uncomfortable.

Although the mind and matter are two different things, Song Chunniang used her venomous tongue to inflict physical damage through mental attacks.

Pei Yuan is feeling unwell all over.

If Pei Yuan could get Han Qianhu to suck a few red marks on him so obediently, he would let her suck on him all night long.

Pei Yuan feigned a cold laugh, afraid that he would lose face.

Song Chunniang didn't argue. She gracefully took her leg off the table and said smugly, "I'm leaving. My wife is still waiting for me at home."

But Song Chunniang was utterly wicked; when she passed by Pei Yuan, she even tried to finish him off with a knife.

Her hands wandered off, and she asked with a mischievous grin, "Did you regret it all night yesterday?"

But Pei Yuan's reaction surprised her a bit.

She glanced down, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "Looks like Commander Pei hasn't been idle either."

Pei Yuan then realized that although he had been completely drunk the night before, it seemed that he had not wasted his time.

No wonder I feel much calmer right now.

Since I woke up at Puxian Temple in the morning, it must have been Jiao Yan'er who comforted me when I was feeling down.

Pei Yuan felt a surge of emotion as he thought about it.

My dear Yan'er is still the most considerate.

My Yan'er.

Thinking of this, Pei Qianhu straightened his back with a firm resolve.

Those two wicked people, Song Chunniang and Zhang Yunjun, are best left alone these days.

Pei Yuan watched the arrogant Song Chunniang leave, then summoned Chen Xinjian.

The two first went to see Yun Buxian, who was recovering from his injuries, and found that Yun Buxian's condition was much better than before.

Yun Buxian has always been known for his extensive network of connections and unconventional ways, and he has a wide circle of friends within the Qianhu Office as well.

A few days ago, when Pei Yuan held a meeting to unify thinking, he mentioned Chen Xinjian's transfer to another region. Some of his underlings who came to visit him then informed Yun Buxian about the matter.

Yun Buxian was even more quick-witted than Cheng Leixiang. After careful comparison, he found that there were almost no capable fighters in the same ecological niche.

Even setting aside the candidates, Cen Meng, who has already secured a spot, is not exactly a capable subordinate.

Cen Meng became a captain by serving under Commander Pei. Although he was loyal and brave, he lacked ability.

Although Yun Buxian caused quite a bit of trouble this time, he clearly brought back 30,000 taels of silver.

Moreover, this time he was able to stand alone and bring back more than half of the troops, despite being pursued by the Datong guerrillas.

Furthermore, when Yun Buxian heard from his father, Yun Weilin, that Pei Yuan had transferred him from Yuanen Temple back to Zhihua Temple, Yun Buxian realized that his opportunity had arrived.

When Cheng Leixiang was transferred to another post, Cheng Zhihu went to help Pei Yuan guard the house.

When Chen Tou Tie was transferred to a post outside the capital, he also sent his younger brother Chen Xin Jian to live with him.

Although nothing was apparent about Chen Xinjian's upcoming assignment to a post outside the capital, the two brothers had earned Pei Qianhu's trust after serving him for so long.

Yun Weilin's return to Zhihua Temple to take up his post is very likely a signal that Yun Buxian will fill the vacancy.

When Yun Buxian was on a mission before, he was stalked by Datong guerrillas and almost had his internal organs disemboweled by guerrilla general Pan Hao.

He managed to escape only by relying on his rudimentary Taoist skills.

Now that the injury has basically stabilized, the wound should be cut open to properly eliminate any potential risks.

But Yun Buxian knew that this was a crucial moment to secure a position, so he disregarded the hidden pain in his internal organs and did his best to suppress his injuries.

When Pei Yuan saw Yun Buxian, who had been on the verge of death not long ago, now able to sit and lie down as usual, it was as if he had witnessed a miracle.

Pei Yuan glanced at Chen Xinjian and said to him, "You should also pay attention to Yun Buxian's situation. After you've explained your work to him, you can go and take care of your own business."

Upon hearing Pei Yuan's implied meaning, Yun Buxian was overjoyed.

Pei Yuan didn't try to keep him in suspense. He turned to Yun Buxian and smiled, "Once you've recovered from your injuries, come work for me."

Upon receiving this honest remark, Yun Buxian quickly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Your subordinate will certainly not disappoint the commander."

After leaving Yun Buxian's place, Pei Yuan went to check on the 30,000 taels of silver that had been transported back from Tianguang Temple.

Chen Xinjian remembered something and reminded Pei Yuan, "Commander, the banknotes will be arriving in the capital in the next couple of days. Should they be transported to Zhihua Temple or the old house in Dengshikou?"

Pei Yuan pondered for a long time before saying, "Let's bring it to Zhihua Temple instead."

Bringing Zhihua Temple here means that it might be accepted by Commander Han who is coming to visit. However, the value of these banknotes is very uncertain. If they were to be sold on the market, it would be difficult to know how much money they could get back.

Whether these papers will demonstrate a high valuation depends on Pei Yuan's subsequent actions.

Moreover, such a huge amount of precious paper money itself represents a great danger. Pei Yuan would rather have Commander Han keep an eye on it than keep this great danger by his side.

As the garrison of the Thousand Households Office, Zhihua Temple was usually garrisoned by more than two hundred Imperial Guards.

Even though these Imperial Guards were far less combat-effective than the elite troops of Xuzhou back then, they still had the ability to hold their ground and defend their territory.

Pei Yuan initially chose Zhihua Temple because it was a stronghold with high gates and thick walls. In case of an emergency, it could not only hold its ground and await reinforcements, but also had a bell tower and a drum tower to warn the city.

Now that the precious paper money is almost in hand, it's time to tell my good friend Li Shishi about this good news.

Pei Yuan's staunch ally, Zhu Chenhao, has always been a reliable trading partner. Pei Yuan would feel embarrassed not to inform him about such profitable deals.

Moreover, Pei Yuan was hoping to use this good news to get his underlings into the Censorate. Hearing that Pei Yuan wanted to find Li Shishi again, Chen Xinjian took the initiative to say, "Commander, please rest and recuperate first. I will send someone to the Censorate to check on things."

The Censorate hadn't closed yet, so it was a good time to deliver a message to Li Shishi, so that Pei Yuan wouldn't have to make a wasted trip that night.

However, Chen Xinjian returned with a strange expression not long after he left.

Pei Yuan asked with some confusion, "What happened? Didn't you see anyone?"

Chen Xinjian said, "I saw Jiang Bin blocking the door of the Censorate and cursing. I was afraid things would go wrong, so I didn't go forward. I just had someone keep an eye on things over there."

Pei Yuan felt somewhat guilty when he heard that it was Jiang Bin's matter.

After a while, he complained to Chen Xinjian, "They say you shouldn't wash your dirty linen in public, but is Jiang Bin trying to make it known to everyone? How can anyone do things like that?"

Chen Xinjian said nothing.

He is also a person with a conscience.

To be honest, Jiang Bin was really at his wits' end with his third brother, a rascal who was "too tough to beat and too dangerous to mess with."

According to the information Jiang Bin had gathered these past few days, he heard that the people from the Northern Garrison had even used tripwires and ballistae to deal with this guy, but they still managed to give him a thorough beating.

Jiang Bin did not want to raise the flag of rebellion, so he naturally could not do something like gathering troops to attack Pei Yuan's official residence.

Therefore, if there were any other way, Jiang Bin would not have resorted to the legal means to solve the problem.

So early in the morning, Jiang Bin, all bandaged up like a rice dumpling, waited at the entrance of the Censorate, asking someone to feed him peanuts.

Unexpectedly, the censors coming and going ignored Jiang Bin's injustice and even kept their distance with suspicious looks.

—This person is sick!

Jiang Bin was so angry that tears streamed down his face, and he finally couldn't help but start cursing loudly in front of the Censorate.

Feeling guilty, Pei Yuan didn't dare to approach Li Shishi and could only put the matter aside for the time being.

That evening, Pei Yuan returned to Puxian Temple to stay.

Jiao Yan'er and Pei Yuan had dinner together.

During their casual chat after dinner, Jiao Yan'er didn't cling to Pei Yuan as usual. Instead, she casually shared her insights on managing accounts, describing the daily operations of the Qianhu Office through the flow of money.

Pei Yuan closed his eyes and soaked his feet, enjoying the maid's massage while listening to Jiao Yan'er's words.

In Jiao Yan'er's description, Pei Yuan seemed to see the entire Qianhu Office as a bloated machine, starting up, running, consuming, collecting, storing, streamlining, and extending little by little.

Even Pei Yuan, the nominal head of the Northern Bureau, felt he gained a lot after listening to the lecture.

Pei Yuan thought to himself, "Isn't this even more effective than Chen Xinjian and Zhang Song's group?"
So he said, "From now on, all kinds of intelligence from the Thousand Household Office will also be sent to the Hundred Household Office of Puxian. I will reserve a separate courtyard for you here. You can come and take a look from time to time. Maybe it can be of some help to me."

Jiao Yan'er's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't dwell on the matter and instead asked, "So, I can move back to the old house?"

Pei Yuan said, "Now that the situation has stabilized, of course it's possible."

Of course, the truth is that Dou Yu was willing to contribute his own house, so Pei Yuan no longer had to worry about finding a new house to marry Han Qianhu, and Jiao Yan'er no longer had to live in seclusion at Puxian Courtyard.

Jiao Yan'er is involved with Jiao Fang's faction, which is still lurking and is a very important part of Pei Yuan's power structure.

Pei Yuan didn't want to upset her.

The two chatted for a few more minutes before heading to Wushan together.

When Pei Yuan groggily woke up, he heard Chen Xinjian shouting outside the courtyard, "Commander! Commander!"

Before the maids could report back, Pei Yuan woke up.

Touching the side of the bed, I saw that Jiao Yan'er had just woken up.

She hadn't slept all night, and the little girl's face was still flushed.

Autumn was gradually deepening, the weather was getting a bit chilly, and the warm blankets made it a very comfortable time to be in bed.

Pei Yuan was reluctant to get out of bed, but he knew that Chen Xinjian wouldn't be so tactless as to bother him unless it was something important.

Pei Yuan got up with a familiar aches and pains in his back, and then wrapped himself in his clothes as the maids quietly knocked on the door.

Hearing the noise from the bed, a maid who was sleeping in the outer room came over to help Pei Yuan get dressed.

Pei Yuan walked to the door, opened it, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Before the maid could report, Chen Xinjian shouted from outside the courtyard, "The commander is awake? The results of the special imperial examination have been released! All the successful candidates from our side have gone to see the results!"

Pei Yuan immediately shook off his drowsiness and said, "Come on, let's go see the list."

When the results were posted, the place was already packed with people.

Not only were there scholars anxiously searching for their names with their servants, but there were also those who fantasized about finding a son-in-law after the exam results were announced and sharing the power pie.

In the usual practice at that time, the subsequent palace examinations would generally just be a matter of rearranging the order, and it was rare for anyone to be eliminated in a discouraging manner.

If one can pass the imperial examination and become a tribute student, one can at least become a fellow graduate student in the future.

Moreover, even those who achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations can have a bright future. Once these graduates are appointed to official posts outside the capital and excel in their examinations, they can be transferred to the position of censor, embarking on a fast track to advancement in their official careers.

Basically, the provincial examination determined the future prospects of these candidates, while the palace examination only made a slight distinction.

The palace examination and the subsequent selection of candidates were all for one purpose: to divide all candidates into those who could enter the Hanlin Academy and those who could not.

Those who could enter the Hanlin Academy were the first-class Jinshi (进士) and the second- or third-class Shujishi (庶吉士) selected from the Hanlin Academy.

These people enjoy tremendous policy benefits, not only having high-experience sect missions such as serving as a tutor or lecturer, but also additional missions that increase prestige such as compiling history or going on diplomatic missions. Their future ceiling is directly up to the cabinet.

Aside from those who could enter the Hanlin Academy, the starting lines for everyone else were not much different, and their future success depended on their own efforts and scheming.

Pei Yuan came here mainly to see Huo Tao's ranking.

As long as Huo Tao, the locomotive, remains standing, then my targeted demolition of Enke will be a great success!

If Huo Tao's ideology fails to resonate with those who influence the outcome of this imperial examination, then Pei Yuan and his underlings will all be doomed.

Seeing the crowd, Chen Xinjian wanted to scold and shove them.

Pei Yuan, however, remembered his intentions.

Once Pei Yuan successfully propels his subordinates onto the political stage, he will face entirely new battles and need to seize new benefits.

Among these people, it's unknown whether any of them passed the exam this time. Even those who failed might become powerful figures who later enter the cabinet.

Offending these test takers at this time is not a smart thing to do.

Pei Yuan didn't want someone to suddenly jump out and yell at him, "Don't underestimate a young man's potential, blah blah blah!"

He quickly reprimanded Chen Xinjian, and amidst shouts of "I won!", he slowly pushed forward.

(End of this chapter)