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

Chapter 593 Fear of Being Able to Talk

Pei Yuan's face darkened; he almost had the urge to have someone drag this little hater away.

Fortunately, he remembered the important matter at hand and knew that this was not the time to cause any unforeseen complications.

So he whispered to the little black-haired girl, "When will His Majesty arrive?"

The haters were very enthusiastic, showing absolutely no sense of secrecy when it came to their idols.

"His Majesty sent the Grand Master of Ceremonial to court today to discuss matters on his behalf. He went to the Yongshou Earl's residence early this morning and will probably arrive around noon."

Pei Yuan said "Oh," knowing that there was still a wait ahead.

So they chose a quieter table, asked Yan Song to sit down, and they waited patiently together.

Previously, the large influx of candidates to the capital diverted much of the political influence of the Great Ci'en Temple.

Many of the failed candidates had no interest in politics and mostly went to various markets to patronize prostitutes.

As mentioned earlier, according to the "Wuzazu" (a collection of miscellaneous writings), there were only four types of people in Yan and Yun: eunuchs outnumbered officials, women outnumbered men, prostitutes outnumbered respectable women, and beggars outnumbered merchants. As for the dust and grime of the marketplace, the clamor of carriages and hooves, the rampant thieves and swindlers, and the frequent appearances of merchants, all of these represented the unsightly customs and despicable people of the world, and all of them existed in the capital.

Faced with thousands of new consumers, the girls exclaimed, "It's raining down in a second!"

However, no matter how charming the girls were, the candidates immediately realized the potential benefits they could gain from the special imperial examination that could potentially expose corruption.

Many scholars who were knowledgeable about politics in the capital had already spontaneously gathered at the Great Ci'en Temple.

The Great Ci'en Temple was a gathering place for the families of many nobles and officials, thus possessing a strong social character.

For those scholars without official positions who wanted to amplify their voices, coming to the Great Ci'en Temple to create public opinion was clearly the best option.

Pei Yuan arrived early to greet the emperor and managed to secure a good spot.

However, before long, quite a few scholars began to sit in the teahouse.

Pei Yuan, having nothing better to do, overheard a few words and actually heard that "someone had made connections with treacherous members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and thus made it onto the list."

Pei Yuan remained calm.

Yan Song, who was also eavesdropping out of boredom, was so engrossed in listening that his heart was practically pounding out of his chest.

Because although those rumors sound nonsensical, if they are applied to a specific person, they hit the bullseye perfectly.

If it weren't for Pei Yuan's cheerful and nonchalant attitude, Yan Song would have made an excuse to go back to his hometown in Jiangxi long ago.

Perhaps because the imperial examination is tomorrow, these candidates who failed the exam are all a little anxious.

Many people felt that if the palace examination could be prevented from taking place, their chances of success would greatly increase. If the palace examination were to proceed as scheduled tomorrow, the court might, for the sake of its own reputation, protect those involved in the case after the results were announced.

Many people were going back and forth between the teahouses outside the Great Ci'en Temple, hoping to find a powerful official's relative or an imperial censor who could listen to the people's grievances.

Pei Yuan's own name was not mentioned; he was simply described as a treacherous member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. However, Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang, who were at the eye of the storm, were thoroughly exposed.

Much of the firsthand information about the three came from their fellow travelers at Chongwu Water Station.

Seeing that the young man in plain clothes was listening with great interest, Pei Yuan had an idea and beckoned him over.

"Chieftain," Little Blackie greeted him in a low voice with delight.

Pei Yuan also asked in a low voice, "Did His Majesty ask you to gather some intelligence while you were at it?"

The little black-faced man replied, "His Majesty said he hasn't been here for quite a few days, so he asked us to find out what interesting things have happened recently."

Before the four armies entered Beijing, Zhu Houzhao was still seeking a political breakthrough.

To broaden his thinking, find talent, and incidentally have some fun, the Great Ci'en Temple has always been a key focus for him.

This is also why Pei Yuan was able to successfully lure Zhu Houzhao to the Great Ci'en Temple by taking advantage of Yan Song's identity.

Pei Yuan drew a half-circle with his finger in front of him, gestured with his gaze, and said calmly, "What did you hear these people saying?"

The hater couldn't help but laugh, "These guys actually said that our Embroidered Uniform Guard is secretly manipulating the imperial examinations. Are they crazy for a chance to pass?"

After Pei Yuan and the other haters finished laughing, he calmly said, "They were talking about me."

The hater was somewhat shocked. "Qianhu, you?"

Pei Yuan explained, "There's been some misunderstanding. When I went to Shandong on business, I encountered heavy rain on my way back to the capital."

"At that time, I happened to meet a group of candidates on their way to the capital for the imperial examinations at Chongwu Water Station. I, a chiliarch, took a good look at three of them and brought them back to the capital. Unexpectedly, all three of them passed the examinations."

"It's such a simple matter, but I never expected that those who weren't helped by me would hold a grudge and come to slander me."

The light in the little black-faced boy's eyes dimmed slightly, and he even said with a hint of regret, "It's not real?"

Pei Yuan was speechless.

The saying "one fan is worth ten haters" is perfectly exemplified in this person.

Pei Yuan called Xiao Heifen over, naturally not to waste time talking about these things.

He said directly, "If His Majesty asks about you..."

Faced with his idol, Chih-hu, the anti-fan decisively betrayed the emperor, saying, "I can't say."

Pei Yuan said, "There's no need for that. This matter has already caused quite a stir, and His Majesty will likely find out soon. When someone asks who it is, just report it directly to your superior."

"I have a clear conscience about what I did in this matter. Rather than being unjustly suspected and investigated for some unfounded things, it is better to be open and tell the truth."

"Tang Gao, Huang Chu, and Cai Ang are currently staying at Longhua Temple. However, the imperial examination is tomorrow, so even if the Embroidered Uniform Guard wants to investigate, it's best not to disturb them, lest I lose face and disrupt the grand ceremony."

"If this matter is handled well, it might even benefit you."

The little hater was very tempted.

Although the dog emperor was no match for his idol, the commander, in his heart, if it could help him rise from a seventh-rank minor officer to a seventh-rank general, what did it matter if he sacrificed his idol for this half-step advancement?

The hater even asked, "I heard that the commander promised the three of them the best of the best in the imperial examination, and gave each of them a slip of paper with their rankings on it? He even said he'd show them all together after the palace examination to verify their results?"

Pei Yuan said solemnly, "Nonsense. At that time, I was just trying to encourage these three men to work hard for this. Such things are not uncommon. In military affairs, there are often instances of using divination and prophecy to boost morale."

The little hater silently remembered it, and even shamelessly asked Pei Yuan to repeat some of his previous words.

Commander Pei patiently taught them one by one.

Yan Song was suddenly moved by the serious look on the face of the Imperial Guard officer and the calm demeanor of Commander Pei.

Now, as an outsider, he has a clearer perspective and can clearly sense the strong sense of conspiracy involved.

Even though Yan Song was confused and couldn't figure out what Pei Yuan wanted, he was terrified that he could speak. Yan Song could clearly feel the chills running down his spine.

He looked at the two of them and thought to himself that if he replaced the Jinyiwei flag with himself, it wouldn't seem out of place.

and so……

Yan Song finally understood where his fear came from.

After the Jinyiwei junior officer left excitedly, Yan Song held back for a long time before finally asking Pei Yuan, "Commander, I feel that my previous idea was not quite mature enough, could you...?"

Pei Yuan didn't even glance at Yan Song, calmly observing the candidates coming and going, and casually asked, "So you plan to leave the Emperor here and go ahead?"

"Or should I tell the emperor, who came all this way to see you, that I was exaggerating all along, and that you're just an indecisive good-for-nothing?"

Yan Song's expression changed, but he ultimately remained silent.

The two waited for a long time, bored, before Zhu Houzhao finally arrived, accompanied by two attendants.

Yes, of course, that's the public side of things.

The area outside has already been heavily guarded.

Pei Yuan pretended to lead Yan Song to stand up and pay his respects, but Zhu Houzhao naturally waved his hand as usual to indicate that it was alright.

Once Zhu Houzhao sat down, he immediately noticed Yan Song's unusually tense demeanor.

Zhu Houzhao smiled and looked at Pei Yuan, "Is this the great talent you introduced to me?"

Pei Yuan said, "This person is Yan Song, the former compiler of the Hanlin Academy."

Upon hearing his name mentioned, Yan Song instinctively tried to stand up again to bow to Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao quickly stopped them again, then smiled and said to Yan Song, "I am outside the palace, you don't need to stand on ceremony. Minister Pei has never been polite to me."

Pei Yuan was taken aback. Had he been making it so obvious all along?
Just as he was thinking of how to make an excuse, he heard Zhu Houzhao look at Pei Yuan and laugh, "Who told him to be my good third brother?"

Hearing Zhu Houzhao's teasing tone, Pei Yuan knew that the sworn brotherhood they had formed last time was now a thing of the past.

Zhu Houzhao suddenly rushed out and became sworn brothers with the two men, but during his subsequent recovery, he didn't even send a single eunuch to visit him.

According to Pei Yuan's intelligence, this Brother Zhao took advantage of Jiang Bin's absence to tighten his control over the four external armies.

Pei Yuan naturally knew what to say at this moment, and quickly replied, "I am a member of the Emperor's personal guard, a henchman and lackey of His Majesty, so I have never considered myself separate from His Majesty."

"Your Majesty, I need not be overly reserved."

Zhu Houzhao laughed and said, "I don't blame you. It is precisely because of your loyalty and honesty that I have heard many things that I could not hear before, and I have benefited greatly from it all along."

Pei Yuan quickly declined the offer, then said to Zhu Houzhao, "Your Majesty, Yan Song previously requested to have a private audience with you, but I request permission to leave."

"I see." Zhu Houzhao glanced at Yan Song, then looked at Pei Yuan. "Alright then."

Pei Yuan then got up and slowly left the teahouse.

Pei Yuan did not participate in this matter for two reasons. First, Yan Song's target was a bit too serious, and Pei Yuan was afraid of getting himself splattered with blood.

Another reason is that if one is there, it is easy to mislead the entire pairing.

For example, if the secret key vault memorials were mentioned, it would be clear that Yan Song would not be able to obtain such information through his channels.

In this situation, it could only be that Pei Yuan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, learned about it by chance, and then Yan Song, a great talent, discovered the clues and found an excellent opportunity by peeling back the layers, which is why he came to report to the emperor.

If I were there, Zhu Houzhao would definitely press me for details about the memorials from the Siyue Treasury, as well as a series of other related matters.

Pei Yuan, who only knew the general outline, couldn't even fabricate something out of thin air.

But once Yan Song finished his entire argument, who the hell cared whether the intelligence sources of the Siyueku memorials were reliable or not?

Even if he didn't receive the memorial from the Imperial Key Repository, Zhu Houzhao would still have to find a way to send someone to submit it himself.

Just like Pei Yuan's plan to sell roasted goods in Huai'an, although Commander Han immediately seized on the loopholes in Pei Yuan's words and saw through Pei Yuan's lie, Pei Yuan's idea was indeed constructive and could really bring huge profits.

Therefore, even though he knew that Pei Yuan's plan was not entirely true, Commander Han still chose to support Pei Yuan in pushing that opportunity forward.

Since the logic behind this is sound, there's absolutely no harm in giving it a try.

Moreover, Zhu Houzhao, being a person with the ability to make judgments, could almost control the direction of events on his own.

In this situation, why would he care about those trivial details?
The short-term benefit of the whole affair was that Zhu Houzhao could use his informational advantage and decision-making position to make a fortune in the process of cryptocurrency speculation.

The related long-term benefit is that as the value of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes rises and confidence in them is restored, the notes printed on blank paper will have the value of real gold and silver.

On the point of protecting the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes and promoting their appreciation, Pei Yuan and Zhu Houzhao held an unambiguous consensus.

Pei Yuan stood in front of the tea shop for a while, and his gaze swept around, spotting the little black-faced girl from before.

Pei Yuan waved to him, then walked to the side.

The hater hesitated for a moment, then decisively followed.

Pei Yuan thought that chatting like this would be abrupt and attract more attention, so he went to another shop and ordered a pot of new tea.

Not long after I sat down, the little hater followed me over.

Pei Yuan smiled at the little black fan and said, "I was thinking about something before and didn't have time to ask your name."

When the young man with dark hair heard that Commander Pei had taken the initiative to inquire about his name, he became somewhat excited and said, "Commander, my name is Chu Jie."

Pei Yuan gave an "Oh," casually skipping over the topic, and instead asked, "Did you report what I told you about before?"

The little black fan named Chu Jie hurriedly said, "Our centurion personally reported to Eunuch Yin Sheng, who follows His Majesty. When Eunuch Yin heard that the matter involved candidates gathering and causing trouble, he dared not neglect it at all and immediately reported back to His Majesty."

"Later, His Majesty even summoned me and asked me a few questions in person to inquire about the relevant details."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan felt inexplicably gratified.

Houzhao has matured; he didn't show it at all just now.

In any case, one of the targets of the rumors was Pei Yuan himself, and Pei Yuan had even deliberately leaked some information to Chu Jie beforehand.

As a result, Zhu Houzhao, who usually enjoys having fun and never cares about such trivial matters, was surprised to see that Pei Yuan acted as if nothing had happened and did not ask Pei Yuan any questions at all.

Pei Yuan's straight hook finally caught this heartless man.

(End of this chapter)