Chapter 90: Carrots and Sticks

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard had departed, the female laborers of the Sixth Bureau remained trembling with fear; after all, Supervisor Leng, who had stolen the elixir pills, was their direct superior.

Because Hua Changxi had stopped the Embroidered Uniform Guard from searching them and saved them when Supervisor Leng made her move, everyone in the Sixth Bureau now regarded her as their mainstay.

After Hua Changxi returned to her quarters, the supervisors of various groups gathered outside her room; seeing that Hua Changxi had gone to sleep, Du Ruo was just about to step forward and tell them to disperse when Eunuch Fu, an attendant of Eunuch Jia, arrived.

"Changxi, Eunuch Fu is here."

Hua Changxi had not fully sunk into cultivation; hearing Du Ruo's call, she immediately opened her eyes, rose, walked out, and looked at Eunuch Fu.

Eunuch Jia had three adopted sons: Fu, Lu, and Shou; compared to the harshness of Eunuch Lu, Eunuch Fu wore a kindly expression.

Seeing Hua Changxi emerge, Eunuch Fu displayed no arrogance, smiling as he said, "Hua Changxi, Godfather says you are to take over Leng Xiangru's position; from today onward, you are the Second Supervisor of the Sixth Bureau."

Seeing that Eunuch Jia had promoted her again, Hua Changxi was not overly surprised.

First, she had exposed her identity as a cultivator today.

Second, she had Lady Ten behind her; clearly, in Eunuch Jia's eyes, she was someone with powerful backing.

Previously, when Eunuch Jia promoted her to Third Supervisor, it was with the intent of using her; now, making her Second Supervisor, needless to say, stemmed from the same motive.

Becoming Second Supervisor meant managing more people, which would better facilitate her teaching of pharmaceutical knowledge; this was a good thing for Hua Changxi, so she smiled and said, "Please convey my gratitude to Eunuch Jia for his high regard; I will work diligently and not disappoint his expectations."

Du Ruo and the other Third Supervisors present all wore happy expressions.

Previously, when Hua Changxi served as Third Supervisor, many in the Sixth Bureau had harbored objections.

But now, with Hua Changxi appointed as Second Supervisor, no one in the Sixth Bureau objected; on the contrary, they were eager for her to take the post.

Eunuch Fu indicated he would convey her message, then continued, "Just now, Little Lu was taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard; with his departure, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Bureaus under his charge are left without supervision."

"Godfather says he cannot temporarily find a suitable person to replace Little Lu, so the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus will also be temporarily placed under your management."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi looked utterly astonished.

Taking over the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus was something she had never imagined.

"Eunuch Fu, did Eunuch Jia truly order me to manage the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus?"

Eunuch Fu nodded affirmatively: "Yes, that is exactly Godfather's instruction; this order has already been conveyed to the Second and Third Supervisors of the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus."

"Godfather said that if anyone refuses to obey your orders, you may deal with them as you see fit provided it complies with the regulations; if there are matters you truly cannot handle, you may go directly to him."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi's face showed little joy; on the contrary, she appeared somewhat serious.

Authority and responsibility are commensurate; taking over the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus meant she was to help Eunuch Jia stabilize these three bureaus.

Although Supervisor Leng had escaped, the matter of her stealing elixir pills was not concluded; with the Embroidered Uniform Guard now involved, the Medical Bureau would surely pursue accountability.

As the head of the Third Department, Eunuch Jia would absolutely be held responsible for such a major failure occurring under his command.

Even before this incident, some had set their sights on the Third Department under Eunuch Jia, wishing to bring him down; now that Eunuch Jia faced trouble, those watching him would surely seize the opportunity to strike.

With Eunuch Lu arrested, the four bureaus he managed were undoubtedly the best point of breakthrough.

Eunuch Jia was shrewd enough to have her manage these four bureaus.

She feared no trouble, possessed strong martial abilities, and had backing; was she not the perfect candidate for a shield?

Hua Changxi fell silent for a moment, then spoke: "Tell Eunuch Jia that I will properly manage the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus."

Had it not been for the need to teach pharmaceutical knowledge, she certainly would not have agreed.

Four bureaus meant four hundred people; they were worth her taking over.

Seeing that Hua Changxi had indeed agreed just as Eunuch Jia predicted, Eunuch Fu immediately smiled and said, "Very well, I shall return at once to report to Godfather."

"Wait a moment."

Hua Changxi called out to him: "Eunuch Fu, since I am taking over Eunuch Lu's position, does the courtyard where Eunuch Lu resided now belong to me?"

Eunuch Lu's small courtyard was complete on all four sides; once she moved in, she would have a private space, allowing her to both cultivate and refine pills.

Eunuch Fu raised his eyes to look at Hua Changxi, feeling she was pushing her luck; taking over four bureaus was not enough, yet she even dared to covet Little Lu's courtyard.

Did she think Little Lu would never return?

Hua Changxi noticed Eunuch Fu's frown but paid it no mind.

On the surface, Eunuch Jia had promoted her, but internally, one could say Eunuch Jia needed her favor; naturally, she would seize the opportunity to make demands.

"I cannot decide regarding Little Lu's courtyard; I must ask Godfather before giving you an answer."

Eunuch Fu departed quickly, returning to the courtyard where Eunuch Jia worked, and recounted his entire conversation with Hua Changxi.

"Godfather, your judgment of people is truly accurate; that Hua Changxi actually agreed to take over the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus."

Eunuch Jia held a stack of papers in his hand, all recording details of the Hua family: "The Hua family owns its own pharmacy; although Hua Changxi claimed she wished to take the Medical Bureau's apprentice examination, she ultimately chose to become a laborer rather than return home; what does this indicate?"

"It indicates there is no place for her in the Hua family."

"Children who are generally not valued by their families mostly desire recognition from their kin; such people will not refuse power."

"The higher they climb, the more they can retaliate against their family's neglect, proving that their family's disregard for them was wrong."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fu looked suddenly enlightened, then expressed concern: "Male laborers are difficult to manage; Hua Changxi is merely a young woman; the male laborers of the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus may not submit to her."

Eunuch Jia glanced at him: "Do you and Little Shou think our household should hand over the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus for you to manage?"

Eunuch Fu made no sound, which counted as tacit admission.

Eunuch Jia sneered: "Although Little Lu is rather lecherous, in many aspects he is far superior to you and Little Shou."

"Do you think the power we hold was given to us how?"

Eunuch Fu timidly replied: "It was granted by the nobles above."

Eunuch Jia shook his head: "That statement is both right and wrong; in times of peace and prosperity, power indeed relies on grants from nobles above, but in times of turbulent change, power is seized by oneself; whoever has the bigger fist can control others."

"Hua Changxi stayed in a medicinal manor filled entirely with male laborers for nearly a year and returned safe and sound; what do you think she relied upon?"

"If the laborers of the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus obey obediently, well and good; if they do not, Hua Changxi will teach them how to be human."

Eunuch Fu dared not speak further.

Eunuch Jia had no intention of continuing the discussion, merely instructing: "Let Hua Changxi reside in Little Lu's courtyard if she wishes."

Hearing this, Eunuch Fu hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Seeing this, Eunuch Jia knew he was thinking of Little Lu; after all, the boy was his adopted son, and his expression turned somewhat sorrowful: "Little Lu... will not be returning."

Eunuch Fu froze; knowing that the brother he had grown up with since childhood would die filled his heart with great grief, and he looked at Eunuch Jia as if pleading: "Godfather, is Little Lu truly beyond saving?"

Eunuch Jia rubbed his forehead in distress: "What kind of place is the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Imperial Prison? Even high court officials cannot interfere there, let alone someone like me."

"Leng Xiangru was Little Lu's lover; regardless of whether Little Lu was deceived or not, he cannot extricate himself from this."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fu's face was filled with sorrow.

Eunuch Jia sighed: "I have warned him countless times, yet he simply would not listen. People like us, who have lost our roots, have no business wanting women; it is nothing but self-deception. Now, look—he has even thrown his life away."

When Eunuch Fu went to tell Hua Changxi she could move into Eunuch Lu's courtyard, she had already gone to the Fourth Bureau.

Having lived in the Great Jin Dynasty for nearly fifteen years, she knew that the expectations for women in this era were to stay at home, assist their husbands, teach their children, and become virtuous wives and good mothers.

Now, asking a young lady like herself to manage male laborers would surely cause them to feel resentful and unconvinced.

She also knew that in the world of men, strength is revered above all.

Upon entering the Fourth Bureau and facing the male laborers who were too lazy to pay her any mind, Hua Changxi wasted no words; she directly released her spiritual pressure, enveloping the entire Fourth Bureau.

In an instant, all the male laborers in the Fourth Bureau collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.

One minute later, the spiritual pressure was withdrawn.

"Continue performing your duties exactly as you did before; I am a person who dislikes trouble, so do not cause disturbances or stir up trouble."

"Those of you who serve other masters behind the scenes should also restrain yourselves and not provoke trouble for me; if I truly decide to act against you, even the Great Luo Immortals cannot save you."

"Who among you can read and paint?"

Hua Changxi resorting to force to suppress them immediately upon arrival was something the people of the Fourth Bureau had not anticipated; not knowing what she intended to do and not daring to ask, they could only stare at each other in silence.

Finally, a youth of fifteen or sixteen stood up: "I can."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "From now on, every morning, I will spend half a two-hour period teaching you how to identify medicinal herbs and how to clean them quickly; at that time, you will be responsible for recording everything."

In truth, she did not understand how to manage people, but she did know the theory of the carrot and the stick.

Using force to suppress them would make the male laborers fear her, preventing them from looking down on her or causing trouble; this was the stick.

Imparting knowledge of pharmacy to the male laborers was the carrot.

Men need to earn money to support their families and face great pressure; their desire for skills and knowledge might even be greater. With this carrot dangling before them, it should make them exercise some caution.

Indeed, after hearing this, the people of the Fourth Bureau began to whisper among themselves.

"Steward Hua, do you truly intend to teach us knowledge regarding medicinal herbs?"

"As long as you perform your duties well and do not cause trouble for me, for as long as I manage the Fourth Bureau, I will teach you."

"Steward Hua, rest assured, we will all listen to you."

Everyone responded in agreement; even those who did not wish to learn or had ulterior motives dared not say much under the pressure of the majority's eagerness to improve their money-making abilities.

Having settled matters with the Fourth Bureau, Hua Changxi followed the same pattern and went to the Fifth Bureau and the Seventh Bureau, preliminarily completing her first confrontation with the male laborers.

As for how the male laborers would behave afterward, she could only take it one step at a time and deal with each challenge as it arose.

When Hua Changxi returned to the Sixth Bureau, she saw Du Ruo.

"Eunuch Fu just came again; he said that Eunuch Lu's courtyard now belongs to you."

Hua Changxi nodded: "Good, I understand. By the way, since you are familiar with Sister Zhou, go tell her to return to her original group and continue serving as steward." Having said this, she went back to her room to pack her belongings.

After learning this news from Du Ruo, Zhou Ran laughed until she nearly burst: "My luck is truly excellent; in just one month, I have become a steward again."

Saying this, she nudged Du Ruo with her elbow.

"Is Steward Hua moving out? Then I will continue sharing a room with you."

Du Ruo also felt a sigh of emotion; after all these twists and turns, her friend had returned.

Thinking of Hua Changxi, who had become the Second Steward and now managed the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus, her expression was somewhat poignant.

This girl had risen too quickly; she wondered if she would be able to secure the promotion permanently.

Hua Changxi did not have many belongings left outside; they were all used as a cover, so she packed up very quickly. Before moving into Eunuch Lu's courtyard, she called Zhou Qiuyu over.

"Qiuyu, I have reviewed the medicinal herb records you kept; they are very detailed, and your illustrations are drawn well."

"I now manage four bureaus, and I will visit each one to teach pharmaceutical knowledge. I am assigning you a task: from now on, you will be responsible for organizing and summarizing the types of medicinal herbs I have taught you, recording all their medicinal properties. Are you willing?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiuyu immediately agreed with delight: "Steward Hua, I am willing."

Seeing her agreement, Hua Changxi smiled: "In the future, regarding pharmaceutical matters, if there are things you do not understand, you may come to ask me at a fixed time."

Zhou Qiuyu quickly asked Hua Changxi when she would be available.

Hua Changxi thought for a moment: "On the afternoons of every fifth and fifteenth day of the month, you may come to find me."

Compiling the medicinal herb knowledge she possessed into a book was an idea that only occurred to Hua Changxi after visiting the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Bureaus.

Her time was limited after all; personally appearing every time to teach pharmacy would definitely delay her cultivation, and not many people would hear her teachings.

By compiling the medicinal herbs into a book for people to read, she could benefit far more people without having to repeat her lectures over and over.

Feeling that she had accomplished a good and significant deed, Hua Changxi happily lifted her bundle and moved into Eunuch Lu's former courtyard.

In the courtyard, Eunuch Lu's belongings had already been removed; Hua Changxi cast a Spotless Technique, and instantly, every room in the courtyard looked brand new.

Hua Changxi chose to reside in the eastern room of the main house; after arranging a Spirit-Gathering Array and an Isolation Array in the room, she went to the west wing.

Eunuch Lu had originally used the west wing as an alchemy room, and all the necessary alchemy tools were complete.

The pharmacy over at Feng'an Fang had finished renovations; now, they only waited for Hua Changxi to refine a sufficient variety and quantity of pills before opening for business.

The Second Steward had more freedom than the Third Steward; mainly, the Second Steward did not need to perform manual labor personally, only needing to supervise the subordinates to ensure they performed their duties well.

For the four bureaus, Hua Changxi spent two two-hour periods each morning teaching pharmaceutical knowledge, then returned to the courtyard to refine pills.

With the Isolation Array in place, the movements and scent of the alchemy would not leak out; undisturbed by anyone, the speed and quality of her pill refining soared.

Half a month later, she had refined a batch of pills sufficient for the pharmacy's opening.

Hua Changxi brought the pills to the pharmacy; together with Pu Cao and A Niu, she placed the pills into the medicine cabinets, and soon, the pharmacy counter was filled to the brim.

"Changxi, you still haven't chosen a name for the pharmacy."

Pu Cao reminded Hua Changxi.

After hearing this, Hua Changxi, recalling that her alchemy inheritance came from the Shennong Cauldron, said, "Shennong Hall."