Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

Last night she figured it out: who else could bleed so much and not get hurt, besides this seemingly stupid but actually ruthless Third Master?

Those who serve him are either old women or maids; who would do such a foolish thing as stealing a kiss?

The bloodstains in front of her door probably meant that this guy had seen something he shouldn't have, got too excited, and had a blood vessel burst!

Thinking of this, she was so frightened that she got up in the middle of the night and almost rushed over to break down the door to check on the person.

Unexpectedly, Jia Yi then leisurely sat up, his eyes still sleepy, and pointed at her retreating figure, angrily rebuking her:

"You two are such a pair! Not only did you barge into my room first thing in the morning, but you also called me a lecher?!"

"Where is my conscience? Where is my morality? I'm a respectable person!!!"

He protested angrily, looking aggrieved as if the whole world had let him down.

*

The sun was high in the sky, and its warm rays filled the courtyard.

Jia Yi was squinting in the sun, enjoying a moment of peace.

Suddenly, they saw the mandarin ducks hurrying towards them, their expressions slightly tense.

"Third Master, the gatekeeper reports that a man claiming to be Shen Wansan is requesting an audience."

Jia Yi's eyes flashed, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

"Let him in."

The wind hadn't stopped, but the guests had already arrived.

Shen Wansan walked in briskly, carrying account books.

"My lord!"

He held his head high, his face beaming with undisguised pride, his eyes gleaming as if he had struck gold.

Jia Yi glanced at him, and seeing his expression, couldn't help but laugh: "Judging by your posture, did you perhaps bring back a mountain of gold?"

"Hehe, you flatter me, you flatter me." Shen Wansan said modestly, but his tail was practically wagging in the air. "Thanks to your good fortune, the net profit these days is—500,000 taels."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman serving tea trembled and almost spilled the whole pot of hot tea on the ground.

Five hundred thousand taels?!

Her eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat. Even if the entire Rongguo Mansion's treasury were turned upside down, they probably couldn't even scrape together 300,000!

Jia Yi simply smiled faintly, his expression calm and composed: "Well done, I believe you."

He paused, then lowered his voice slightly: "Next, we'll expand the shops to all the states of Daqian, the wider the better. Making money is secondary; the key is—to spread our informants far and wide."

His eyes flickered slightly, a trace of regret crossing his mind. The system had initially granted too few Imperial Guard slots; if there had been several thousand more, they would have already searched every inch of the Great Qian territory, and there wouldn't have been any issue of delayed information.

"Understood!" Shen Wansan replied, bowing his head, but his eyes were already burning with desire.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind: Is the Duke planning something big...? Could it be that he really intends to step on the throne?

"Let me show you this ledger first—"

"No need." Jia Yi raised his hand to interrupt, his tone casual yet undeniably authoritative. "I trust you to handle things. No need to pay the accounts, you can have all the power."

This is a product of the system, with maximum loyalty; this kind of person is more reliable than a biological son.

"Yes!" Shen Wansan felt a surge of warmth in his heart, clasped his hands in a fist and stepped back, his steps more steady than when he came, and his back more upright.

He couldn't suppress the smile on his face as he left—now he can roll up his sleeves and get to work!

Only Jia Yi and Yuanyang remained in the room.

Yuanyang stood to the side holding a teacup, but her gaze was fixed on Jia Yi, unable to look away for a long time.

She suddenly spoke, her voice as soft as the wind: "Third Master... I don't think you're stupid at all?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Yi looked up and laughed heartily, but did not reply.

傻？

Those who call him stupid are truly stupid to the core.

-

Meanwhile, outside the Prince Yizhong's residence.

A carriage sped out, its curtains drawn low, the atmosphere inside as somber as iron.

The prince's face turned ashen, and his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white.

Su Xing is dead, Luo Hong is also gone, and the Beijing garrison has completely fallen out of control. He is now like a tiger with a broken arm, possessing only his imposing presence, but unable to pounce on his prey anymore.

Just now, he personally went to the backyard of the Zhenguo Mansion and humbly asked to see Niu Jizong, hoping to recruit this old general and hopefully also to influence Jia Yi.

And what happened? Niu Jizong politely asked him to leave, but he didn't even get a cup of hot tea.

"Hmph! They don't know what's good for them!"

He sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice.

How hateful, how hateful!

-

Inside the Zhenguo Mansion, Niu Jizong sat on a stone bench in the Pear Fragrance Courtyard, gazing at the still-warm teacup in his hand, and sighed softly.

"These are turbulent times..."

The retired emperor was old and frail, and his health was deteriorating day by day. The waters of the capital city had long been turbulent, with wolves lurking around.

He didn't want to get involved in the mess; he only wanted to stabilize the Beijing garrison and preserve his own little bit of power.

"Forget it, let's get our own business up and running first."

He stood up, straightened his robes, and walked straight towards the Rongguo Mansion.

These days, following Jia Yi on his campaigns, he has personally witnessed the ruthlessness of that army—iron discipline, decisive killing, and on the battlefield, one of them is worth three!

Now he commands the Twelfth Army of the Beijing Garrison, which is nominally strong and well-equipped, but in reality, eighty percent of them are greenhorns who can't even hold a knife properly and would be easy prey in battle.

"We need to find a way to get some people from Yi-ge'er."

Ideally, they should be veterans who have been on the battlefield and seen blood.

Ten thousand, just ten thousand!

Even if it means shamelessly begging, we have to get them to come over!

-

"Yi-ge'er!"

As soon as Niu Jizong entered Lixiang Courtyard, he immediately put on a smiling face and sat down next to Jia Yi familiarly, just like a poor relative who came to beg for rice.

Jia Yi glanced at him, knowing perfectly well: This guy never comes here without a reason; he must have something to ask for today.

"Uncle is here?" he said slowly, his tone slightly teasing.

"Hey, Yi-ge'er," Niu Jizong rubbed his hands, smiling somewhat sheepishly, "You know, I just took over as the military governor of the capital garrison. The situation is huge, but the foundation is weak."

He sighed, his face full of worry: "Right now, the Twelfth Army is fully formed, but there are only 40,000 veterans who have actually fought in battles. The rest are all conscripted men. After two months of training, they can't even stand in formation properly."

"This can't go on! If the imperial court issues an order one day, what will I have to fight with?"

He turned to Jia Yi, his eyes suddenly lighting up, and his tone changed to earnest: "So... I want to discuss something with you."

"How about we...exchange troops? You give me ten thousand elite soldiers, and I'll give you an equal number of new recruits. You'll have complete control over the rations, pay, and organization—no delays whatsoever!"

After saying that, he looked at Jia Yi expectantly, just like a child waiting for candy.

Jia Yi pondered for a moment, then lightly tapped the table with his fingertips.

Ten thousand of their own men infiltrated the Beijing Garrison...

If anything changes in the future, it will be a knife buried in the central government.

Wonderful.

But he remained outwardly calm: "Did His Majesty... give his approval?"

"I haven't reported it yet." Niu Jizong chuckled. "I was thinking of asking you first. If you agree, then I'll report it to the emperor, so I don't end up disappointed on both sides."

Jia Yi stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"OK."

In short, it was decisive and efficient.

Niu Jizong's eyes lit up instantly, and he almost slammed his fist on the table: "That's awesome!"

"If His Majesty agrees, Uncle, you should go directly to Wu Sheng."

Jia Yi nodded slightly.

"Great! That's wonderful!"

"Brother Yi, thank you so much this time!"

Niu Jizong was overjoyed and turned around to rush into the palace, looking as if he had found a gold ingot.