The Empress’s Gigolo

Upon listening to what the other party said, Ren Baqian didn’t rush to respond. Instead, he held up his tea cup and sniffed it before placing it back on the table. He looked carefully at the three men before asking with slight curiosity, “You guys aren’t ordinary people in the Yun Nation, I suppose?”

“Although the Zhang family isn’t some large and influential family, we do have some reputation,” Zhang Junzheng boasted a little.

Not only did the Zhang family have some reputation, they were in fact pretty well known.

Many people assumed that in the Yun Nation, controlling a city was how a family would be able to settle down and progress. However, over the last few centuries, the families in control of the cities had been replaced many times. Even though the Zhang family didn’t control any cities, they had always remained stable and had talents in every generation of the family.

It wasn’t that they didn’t have the opportunity to take control of the cities, but that they had abandoned the thought every single time.

Like what an elder in the Zhang family once said, water is formless, and nothing can change that.

From the Zhang family’s perspective, even though establishing the family in a city would give them status on the surface, they would in fact be restricted by it as well. As such, apart from being a family that stayed out of the spotlight, their people were scattered and ventured into different trades and professions.

The Zhang family had always only been a general name. On the surface, they seemed like a group of people who weren’t tight knit and were scattered among different trades.

Even though they might seem unrelated to each other, if one were to trace back the roots of their bloodline, they all hailed from the Zhang family.

Even enemies who wanted to give them problems would find it difficult to do so.

Both of Zhang Junzheng’s nephews encountered problems in Lan City several times a year. At the same time, the war between Dayao and the Yun Nation spread like wildfire. Zhang Junzheng felt that the Yun Nation had no chance of winning the war and hence time was running out. In order to get in Ren Baqian’s good books, Zhang Junzheng divulged some information that very few people knew about.

Simply hearing all of this had already greatly surprised Ren Baqian. He had never thought that there were actually such aristocratic families in this world.

According to Ren Baqian’s understanding of Earth’s history, the Zhang family were something like the Huizhou merchants. They shared a general name, but all hailed from the same ancestry.

“Why have you thought of seeking help from Dayao?” Ren Baqian asked with great interest. Everyone else shunned the aboriginals at all costs, but this Zhang family had instead called on them voluntarily. This made Ren Baqian feel extremely interested.

“The monarch of the Yun Nation is young and frivolous, and all important matters of the imperial court are controlled by Prime Minister Zheng Hangmian. Zheng Hangmian is obstinate, self-opinionated, and wildly ambitious. Currently, people in the imperial court have either stuck to him, been banished to prison, or have resigned and returned home. In a few more years, I’m afraid that even the monarch will probably have to change his name.

It would be fine if that was all of it, but unfortunately, Zheng Hangmian is lecherous and greedy for wealth. He is ambitious, but he lacks the capabilities.

Not to hide from you, Sir Ren, but even though the Yun Nation is currently at war with your distinguished nation, the imperial court is still trying to eliminate dissidents. However, it’s simply a small matter in the middle of this war.”

“What has that got to do with you? Why don’t you seek help from him?” Ren Baqian questioned. Regardless of whatever the imperial court was like, a family like the Zhang family should at least have the right to speak out.

Ren Baqian wouldn’t buy their story if they came to seek asylum simply because they disapproved of their imperial court’s monstrosity.

“It’s a long story. Zheng Hangmian is ambitious, but incapable, and really isn’t a good person. There has always been a feud between him and the Zhang family, and also, he knows a lot about us. Even though everything is fine at present, we can’t put the safety of thousands of our family members at stake… As a result, we have no other choice.”

Ren Baqian understood most of it after hearing this. The Zhang family was afraid that Zheng Hangmian would create trouble for them,and decided to find an alternative way out.

An ordinary person might not have much understanding of the Zhang family, but the Zhang family had already existed in the Yun Nation for a few hundred years, even before the nation was founded. There were still people who knew of their background. The larger and more influential families definitely knew about the Zhang family, but they probably did not know it entirely.

Yet, this Zheng Hangmian probably knew too much about them. There is a saying that your enemy is the person who knows you best.

However, the Zhang family seemed to be overthinking it.

Regardless of whether it was the Yun Nation or Zheng Hangmian, they would probably be disappearing soon.

“What can you provide?” Ren Baqian asked unhurriedly.

“The Zhang family has dipped into all trades and professions, and this is exactly what your distinguished country lacks the most. We will probably be of some use to you, Sir.” Zhang Junzheng smiled. He was very confident in the Zhang family’s capabilities.

“We know everything that you know. We know things that you don’t as well!” Ren Baqian laughed casually, while his words carried some rumination.

“Sir, nobody is omnipotent.” Zhang Junzheng laughed. He suddenly felt a little odd. Based on Ren Baqian’s accomplishments after merely a year and also on the establishment of the Black Bamboo Academy, he shouldn’t be an ignorant person. How daring was he to say such a thing?

The deep penetration into all trades and professions was the root of how the Zhang family succeeded in making a living. This was where their confidence lay.

As long as someone from the Zhang family was still alive, he would be able to carve out a path for himself no matter where he went.

“Indeed, nobody is omnipotent, but in your eyes, I should probably be close.” Ren Baqian was rather blunt with his words. The abilities of the Zhang family were considered pretty important to others and especially so to the present Dayao. However, with Ren Baqian around, they didn’t really seem like much.

Ren Baqian was capable of achieving more advanced and scientific manufacturing methods, possessed superior business management, and knew of all sorts of administrative methods. Even though they might not be well suited for the situation of this world, with simply more time, Ren Baqian believed that he could bring about a thorough transformation to Dayao.

Naturally, this Zhang family did have their usefulness, but it wasn’t as great as they thought it was. From Ren Baqian’s perspective, their greatest use would be to save on time.

As such, this group of people could still be useful, but they still had to be beaten down a little first.

After listening to Ren Baqian’s words, Zhang Junzheng seemed to be a little unhappy. The two young men behind him seemed to despise Ren Baqian a little.

Whoever it was, no one would be able to stay calm if the fundamentals of what he did for a living were questioned, let alone a family like the Zhang family.

Ren Baqian was immediately labeled by them as careless, superficial, and someone who had an exaggerated opinion of his own abilities.

The Zhang family was indeed looking for an alternative way out, but Dayao wasn’t the only option. There was also Great Xia as well—it was just that their establishments were already very deeply rooted in all aspects. If the Zhang family were to move everyone there, they would easily attract negative repercussions from the local powers.

As such, Zhang Junzheng, the man with the best foresight in the family, was inclined toward relocating part of their group to Dayao.

However, they had already been consistently facing obstacles here in Dayao. If Ren Baqian was really such a shallow person, then there probably wasn’t a need to come here and relocate anymore.

Upon seeing the trio’s expressions, Ren Baqian knew that it was all playing out as he had predicted.

Ren Baqian let out a slight laugh before replying faintly. His words were full of confidence.

“Salt, I have already created. Glass cups and mirrors—not sure if you have ever heard of them? I have also produced them as well. I can also produce that soap of yours, maybe even better than you. I call it perfumed soap. Wine, I know how to brew, probably nicer and stronger than yours. Flavoring? Soy sauce? Bean paste? I know all of these too. Essences as well. Wrought iron? Manufacturing weapons? Same goes for these, and they are even more advanced than yours. Agricultural equipment, I know a little about that too, even to the extent of how to farm. Clothes? Weaving? Not a problem for me. Besides history, I know everything else, like mathematics, principle studies, the art of war, poetic verses, and governance.

You see, what else do you know? Tell me about it? I’ll see if there’s anything that I do not know!”

A few people beside him, including Zuo Leng, were raising their eyebrows incessantly and left speechless because they didn’t know what was real or fake. After all, the amount of time that they had followed Ren Baqian around was pretty short. As Ren Baqian had always been in Tianjing Basin, they would believe it if he claimed that he knew about the art of war and governance.

After all, they could see a slight hint of the art of war in some of the things that Ren Baqian did. The Rearguard Commandery was also established by him; everything from recruitment to promotion, secrecy, rewards, and penalties. The regulation of all aspects was done up rather comprehensively, which wasn’t something that an ordinary person would be able to accomplish. Zuo Leng and the others also truly believed that Ren Baqian was well-versed in this regard.

As for the other things, they weren’t exactly sure. Just based on his words, they felt that it was a little too exaggerated.

Needless to say, from the start, the trio from the Zhang family already didn’t believe what Ren Baqian was saying. Toward the end of the speech, their expressions became rather odd, as if they were looking at a lunatic talking in his sleep.

Regardless of whatever trade or profession, one might not be able to reach the pinnacle even if he had invested the effort of his entire life.

You can do all of that alone?

You think you’re a deity?