The Empress’s Gigolo

“In that case, Dayao isn’t the place for the Zhang family to settle in. We have troubled you today and will bid you farewell now,” Zhang Junzheng said calmly as he suppressed his anger.

He had assumed that the principal of the Black Bamboo Academy would be a wise man because he had set up the school and established his position in such a short time.

His current perception was that Ren Baqian was a presumptuous person.

Obviously, he wasn’t an aboriginal. He might have learned some stuff from somewhere else and developed an arrogant attitude due to his interactions with the stupid aboriginals.

Such a presumptuous person wasn’t a good choice for a friend.

“Hold it!” Ren Baqian gestured with his hands as the three prepared to stand up, and a few guards immediately pushed them back to their chairs.

Of these three men, only Zhang Junzheng was at the Earth Wheel level. The other two were Man Wheel experts, so the three were simply unable to resist the palace guards.

Zhang Junzheng grew even angrier when he was not allowed to leave even after he was told of their unworthiness.

“At this point, what else does Sir Ren want? Since we are of no use to Dayao and Sir Ren, why don’t you let us leave?” Zhang Junzheng asked coldly.

“It isn’t that the Zhang family can’t settle in Dayao, but your expectations are too high. Brass can be sold as gold to those who have not seen it before, but if I do that here, I will be made into a laughing stock.”

“If the Zhang family wants a peaceful life in Dayao, this isn’t a problem—you can even live like how you used to in the Yun Nation,” Ren Baqian said with a smile as he already knew what they had in mind when they started talking. He needed some manpower, but he didn’t want these people to think too highly of themselves.

“Since Dayao has Sir Ren, why do you still need us?”

“Well, although I can do it, I am only one person with limited energy, and I need some assistants. You can learn something here to serve as a foundation for the Zhang family,” Ren Baqian said bluntly.

Zhang Junzheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he heard this.

“I wonder what Sir Ren can teach the Zhang family?”

Zhang Junzheng emphasized the word “teach” very strongly.

The other two men, Zhang Heqi and Zhang Heju, weren’t as well-bred as Zhang Junzheng and would have jumped up if the guards weren’t holding them. Even so, a layer of ice could seemingly be scraped off their faces.

“How about making a bet? I will let you choose three, five, or seven types of industries or manufacturing processes to compete in. If I lose one round, I will concede defeat, introduce you to Her Majesty, and guarantee that she will not chop your heads off. What do you think?”

Zhang Junzheng wasn’t happy to hear this. He was angry that this guy was extremely conceited.

He was allowed to choose the industries for the competition, and Ren Baqian would concede defeat if he lost even one round. A lot of confidence was needed to say this. Was Ren Baqian regarding the Zhang family as nobodies?

As one should know, the background of the Zhang family wasn’t linked to the court or to a particular industry. Most of the hundreds of industries and core businesses in the Yun Nation were influenced by the Zhang family. It could be said that apart from a few industries controlled by some other families, there were none that didn’t involve the Zhang family.

The Zhang family wasn’t well known to the outside world as they had continued with this tradition of passing their knowhow through each generation. Even if they were to meet a catastrophe, they would always rise again.

However, this didn’t mean that the Zhang family had no power.

“Sir Ren, since you have said so, I would be guilty of being diffident if I declined. There isn’t a need for quantity, and three should be enough for this competition.” Zhang Junzheng laughed coldly. He didn’t even bother to find out the conditions he would have to comply with in case he lost.

“Why not challenge in a few more? Is three enough?” It didn’t matter to Ren Baqian as there was no difference between three or 30 types.

“Three types are enough,” Zhang Junzheng said smugly. If he couldn’t beat this man in front of him, then the Zhang family would be considered incompetent. Furthermore, he was certain of victory.

“It is fine if you think this is enough. If you lose, bring the Zhang family to Dayao to work for us and learn. If you are thinking of escaping, you should have heard of the Nine Pavilions,” Ren Baqian said slowly.

“The Zhang family definitely won’t do such a thing because honoring our word is fundamental to the Zhang family,” Zhang Junzheng said.

“Anyway, we will not lose!” Zhang Junzheng continued resolutely.

“It’s best to be confident.” Ren Baqian laughed. He was thinking that ignorance limited their imagination, but didn’t say so.

“The date will be set for one month later! As for what we will bet on, I will tell Sir Ren when the time is up,” Zhang Junzheng said. He was cautious as he was afraid that the aboriginals would capture craftsmen from the Yun Nation if he mentioned the industries he was going to bet on.

As long as he didn’t reveal them, the aboriginals couldn’t possibly catch craftsmen from all the various industries.

Furthermore, for many products, a single craftsman wouldn’t know everything about making the product.

For example, in the dyeing of cloth, the process of making the various colors of red, orange, green, blue, and purple might not be known by one single craftsman.

Therefore, as long as he informed the other side just before the competition, the possibility of cheating would be eliminated.

In that case, the Zhang family certainly would not lose.

“Let me be notified when you are ready,” Ren Baqian said coolly. He stood up, nodded at the other party, and walked out of the restaurant.

The food and wine were just for show, and he wasn’t in the mood to eat anyway.

On the contrary, he was somewhat happy to meet such a fool. If everything went smoothly, he would gain a group of skilled workers.

If they broke their promise, they would all be executed after the conquest of the Yun Nation.

After Ren Baqian had left, Zhang Heqi and Zhang Heju said angrily, “This guy is too arrogant. Fifth Uncle, do you really want to compete with him?”

Zhang Junzheng snorted.

“A contest is just a contest and can also show them our abilities. As for what will happen next, it will depend on Qi Zixiao. As the ruler of the country, she has her own opinions. Whatever excuses he can give in victory or defeat will not deceive her easily. Anyway, Dayao isn’t really a good place. We shall take two roads when the time comes. One will lead to Dayao and one to Great Xia,” Zhang Junzheng said while thinking.

…

After returning to the palace, Ren Baqian sat in the garden with the empress and jokingly referred to the recent incident.

“I met some people who unexpectedly want to bet with me. It’s rather interesting.” Ren Baqian chuckled.

The empress looked at him seductively and said, “You went to see Li Fu and encountered this incident.”

“Li Fu isn’t a problem because he is good-tempered. As for this Zhang family, they are skilled workers and can easily do many things competently due to their knowledge.” Ren Baqian directly conveyed the identity of the other party.

“Aren’t you afraid of others learning from you?” the empress asked in response.

When Dayao wanted to learn from the other countries, the other countries blocked the transfer of technology and knowledge. This had been deeply ingrained in the memories of three generations of rulers.

In this respect, it was very difficult for the empress to let go.

“It doesn’t matter if we let them learn a bit. At any rate, what they learn will be past knowledge and will be related to the people’s livelihood. The real core lies in science and technology. Furthermore, it’s easier to occupy the Yun Nation with their help,” Ren Baqian said.

There was so much knowledge on Earth that he could afford to spread it freely and without worry.

Furthermore, the energy of a person was limited. Even with more knowledge, it was useless without the energy to harness it.

Plus, the other party also had another use after the conquest of the Yun Nation. They could play a very big role in appeasing the people by becoming role models.

“I promised to send the Messier 87 some secret documents, but I have been too busy to take care of it,” Ren Baqian said.

Although he was back in Lan City, he was still remotely controlling the Rearguard Commandery and couldn’t let go in the short term. Even the time spent with the empress watching the flowers was much less.

“Go and get it,” the empress said.

These secret documents were stored in a room in the Qingxin Palace Hall, and the room was packed to the brim.