Chapter 270: Wen He Joins the Ranks!

Wen He looked at the smiling young man before him and felt the strength in his grip on his arm growing stronger, as he considered the young general's own martial prowess, legends, and unmatched ferocity.

Can't beat him. Absolutely can't beat him.

A scholar whose internal energy and physique were only equivalent to a Second Heaven martial cultivator made this judgment.

Wen He's lips slowly curled upward; he顺势 supported his arm, gripping Li Guanyi's, smiling warmly:

"I was just coming out to welcome my lord!"

"The wine is warmed. Please."

Li Guanyi: "…………"

Li Guanyi's lips twitched. "Mr. You're too kind." He grew sharply alert, entering the courtyard to fetch appetizers and fine wine; Ling Pingyang guarded outside, blocking the back gate. Wen He feigned ignorance, pouring wine:

"I've long heard of my lord's deeds. Did the strategy you devised for Xu Tiange still hold any value?"

Li Guanyi flicked his wrist, dusting a layer of Ma Fei San onto his fingers, then flicked it into Wen He's wine. Though his martial arts followed the military path, he had spent the past year in daily company with Elder Murong.

Under the direct tutelage of a martial legend, his foundational skills and techniques had become exceedingly refined, with virtually no weaknesses. Wen He did not notice: both men smiled as they raised their cups and clinked them.

Then they drank.

Li Guanyi's lips touched the cup and felt a faint numbness.

To make him—whose physique was nearly invincible within Fifth Heaven—feel even a slight reaction merely by contact, this poison must be tied to Qi Laogui, the Seven Old Ghosts beneath the Fire Qilin, and he had once studied Hou Zhongyu's pill formulas. Li Guanyi's lips curled.

"Fierce poison: Ma Fei San?"

Wen He sniffed the wine. The scholar, versed in Yin-Yang, Medicine, and Fangshi arts, lifted his eyes slightly:

"Compound Ma Fei San?"

The previously warm, harmonious atmosphere between host and guest froze instantly. Li Guanyi enveloped the poison with internal energy, tilted his head back, and drank it all—appearing to drink, but actually transferring it to his Dharma Form.

The Black Tortoise Dharma Form emerged, enveloping the poison and drifting away.

The Black Tortoise Dharma Form carried it directly into the pond.

All the koi in the pond fell asleep.

They froze in the water.

Mosquitoes by the summer pond collapsed, numb across the entire surface.

Wen He drank deeply, in the classic scholar's posture: one hand holding the cup, the other held before his face, sleeves falling to obscure his features; as he tilted his head, the wine slid down.

A hidden pocket within the sleeve caught it—lined with ultra-absorbent material.

Not a single drop touched his lips.

After finishing the wine, both men turned their cups toward each other, showing they were empty. Wen He smiled warmly; Li Guanyi remained casual. He paused, observing the other's utterly clear, calm expression.

One breath. Two breaths.

Three breaths…

Fall!

Nothing happened as expected.

Silence.

Wen He smiled warmly. "Fine wine."

Qin Wu Hou laughed heartily. "Fine wine!"

Both strategist and sovereign thought the same thought.

This fellow… won't be easy to handle…

Wen He smiled, picked up chopsticks, ate two bites himself to show the food was harmless, then said: "Please. To be frank, my lord, why have you come here? Duan Qingyu likely already knows."

Wen He's courtesy name is Duan Qingyu.

He invoked the grace of the crane—calling himself thus made it sound as if he were quite familiar with Li Guanyi. He smiled: "It's about the noble clans, isn't it?"

Li Guanyi said: "What are your thoughts, Mr.?"

He ate a bite himself, felt a tingling numbness, then felt his blood surge—the poison vanished. The boy smiled: "I'm immune to all poisons."

Wen He: "…………"

The strategist's smile brightened. "What are you saying? This has nothing to do with the noble clans." Each dish contained different herbs—only eaten in sequence could one avoid being knocked out.

He's a body immune to all poisons.

So deceitful, Qin Wu Hou.

Inside, as Wen He realized this Qin Wu Hou had prepared everything before arriving, he felt a headache. Outside, a twelve-year-old page sat with his chin propped on one hand, gazing outward, sighing with worry.

"Will Master leave the mountains?"

Ling Pingyang noticed the page. "You wish your master to leave the mountains?"

The page replied:

"Master is an excellent, kind man. Even here, he's not safe."

Kind?

Ling Pingyang couldn't imagine it. Yuan Zhi, Xiao Zhi, Po Jun, Wen Lingjun—the most outstanding young strategists of this generation—all independently agreed: this man must be brought back, even if bound.

Could he really be kind?

To Ling Pingyang, these strategists of the Fire Qilin had already reached the baseline of first-tier strategists in this chaotic age. Though not yet matches for elders like Zu Wenyuan or Dan Tai Xianming, they had time.

They were growing at an astonishing pace.

Yet all of them wanted this man bound.

How could such a man be kind?

The page muttered under his breath, kicked a stone, and said resentfully: "You've all been fooled by Master."

Ling Pingyang said gently: "Where is his kindness?"

The page replied: "Master saved my life. When he traveled outside, he protected two towns from marauding armies, and cleverly toppled a corrupt official in another city."

"The governor of that city liked to beat people. Once he saw a thorny bush by the roadside and thought, 'This thing is full of spikes; if dipped in saltwater, it would make a perfect whip.' So he grabbed a passerby to test his idea."

"The man said he had committed no crime."

"The governor replied, 'Next time you commit a crime, I'll pardon you—first beat you, then decide.' He beat the man nearly to death. Later, the man truly broke the law and was captured again."

"He claimed he had been pardoned before. The governor said, 'Before, you hadn't committed a crime, yet I beat you. Now that you have, shouldn't I beat you even more freely? Promises? Hahahaha—who heard them?'"

"He was beaten nearly to death again."

This was just an ordinary tale of a cruel official. Ling Pingyang said, 'Hateful, but then what?' The young page kicked a small stone and said, 'At that time, a scholar was sent there as Chief Secretary. Fearing humiliation, he refused to go.'

'It was said the Emperor Your Majesty decreed that if the Chief Secretary received more than ten lashes, the court must be notified. The former governor was furious, calling it a child's trick to humiliate him.'

'He constantly harassed him, never exceeding ten lashes per beating, but forced him to be whipped once after every meal. At that time, Mr. and I were traveling through the area; the Chief Secretary was imprisoned, given no food or drink.'

'The Chief Secretary swallowed cotton from his clothes mixed with dirty water to keep himself alive.'

'He showed the fierce integrity of a true scholar.'

'The common people suffered terribly—everyone was guilty. Guilt meant immediate whipping; sometimes they were beaten a thousand times and died outright. Mr. devised a brilliant scheme to resolve the matter. In the end, the governor was taken back and ordered to commit suicide, and the former Chief Secretary replaced him.'

This was a fine tale of chivalry, of slaying corrupt officials.

Ling Pingyang praised: 'In such circumstances, the Chief Secretary was trapped, surrounded by entrenched power. As a mere traveling scholar, to overthrow the governor—unthinkable. He truly possessed great talent.'

Must be bound and taken back!

The Dragon of Yue's Army, now Commander of the Fire Qilin Cavalry, Ling Pingyang, gripped the rope.

The page answered, 'But the story isn't over.'

'The Chief Secretary took over governance.'

'Even crueler.'

Eight words made Ling Pingyang's expression grow tense.

The underlying darkness of this chaotic age suddenly tore through the gentle glow of the earlier tale—'talented scholar travels, upholds justice'—plunging it back into reality. Even the summer cicadas' song now carried the withering chill of autumn approaching. The young page sighed and said:

'Mr. sat there for a long time, then suddenly laughed.'

'Some common folk brought him gifts—silk brocade, plaques, things like that.'

'Mr. said, 'I saved them, yet they want me dead.'"

'He tore the silk, smashed the plaques, and boiled them into porridge.'

'Yet I saved them, and they still cursed me. Mr. once said: In this chaotic age, from commoners to officials to warlords, there are no absolute good people—everything is muddled.'

'And then he became this.'

Ling Pingyang said:

'Inner brilliance concealed, divine things hide themselves—that is the way of wise self-preservation.'

Mr. had reasons after all.

Must be bound and taken back!

The page sighed.

He thought to himself: I've finally completed Mr.'s task.

Earlier, Mr. had quietly told him:

If anyone came looking for him, and he didn't avoid them, he must tell this story.

What good would telling it do?

Didn't Mr. dislike this memory?

In the courtyard, Wen He smiled: 'Lord, though you've just seized Jiangnan and hold great prestige and legitimacy, since ancient times, imperial authority has never reached the countryside. Moreover, though all nations have aristocratic clans, Jiangnan is especially unique.'

'This land is the very hub of waterways, thick with entrenched power. After more than a decade of chaos, Master Jiankuang's Wu Gong was peerless, yet in the Jianghu, one, he was ill-equipped to handle the aristocrats' greed; two, the Murong clan is small.'

'With few people, it's hard to control the eighteen prefectures of Jiangnan.'

'Over these years, city after city gradually became self-governed by clans, who intermarried or fought among themselves, entangling love and hatred into an extremely complex web.'

'Under such conditions, though the clans fight each other, they are fiercely exclusive. Naturally, they harbor deep hostility toward the arriving Fire Qilin Army.'

Wen He said:

'They know their comfortable lives over the past decade came from holding power. Now, the Fire Qilin Army has overwhelming force and righteous cause—and seeks to reclaim that power. You cannot befriend the clans. This is a fundamental, life-or-death conflict.'

'Moreover, Lord, you are a man of extraordinary talent and grand vision, determined to accomplish great deeds. The land lies in ruins; you need silver and gold, and must prevent the clans from scheming within. Amid internal and external crises, the clans are the first to be dealt with.'

Li Guanyi said: 'Does Mr. have any good strategy?'

Wen He thought a moment, then said: 'I wonder how the Lord thinks?'

Li Guanyi outlined his directions: spreading knowledge and selecting capable officials through examinations. When Wen He heard this, his lips curled slightly.

'He's revealed such core internal policies—today, he won't let me leave.'

Wen He reluctantly thought and replied: 'Selecting talent by merit, not recommendation; preparing to spread knowledge—you've understood where the clans' problem lies. But this won't change the concrete reality.'

The seemingly plain-faced strategist said:

'Lord, you still don't understand the contemporary clans deeply enough.'

'Originally, the clans weren't such entrenched aristocratic houses. Back then, peasants tilled fields. The Mohists and Agrarians hadn't yet developed as they are now. Working alone led to disarray and ruined harvests, so respected elders in villages and towns directed the people.'

'Over time, these men gained power. They owned larger lands; people respected them more. Of course, their own characters didn't change—but their descendants grew up surrounded by flattery.'

'As time passed, this lineage expanded locally.'

'Land, public esteem, reputation, status.'

'The official system was recommendation-based. Under such a system, families with local influence naturally pushed their own forward. Once one of their own became an official, the family prospered further locally.'

'Then came the third step: court officials recommended new officials. Between an ordinary man and their own kin—who would they choose? Obviously, their own family's son.'

'Past emperors tried to curb this, but only made things worse.'

'One was a stranger; the other, a man from another clan.'

'Which man would an official recommend?'

"At this point, something new appears—【Human Favor】."

Wen He pushed his wine cup forward slightly and said softly, "The Jia family uses human favor to get the Yi family to recommend their own sons; in return, they offer something back—doesn't this make their relationship closer?"

"Such things have happened repeatedly over these eight hundred years."

"Only then do we arrive at today's aristocratic youths."

"Commoners can never become officials. When an aristocratic youth becomes an official, before entering court, he must first pay respects to his uncle, his great-uncle, his maternal uncle—one by one—taking nearly half an hour."

"This is how today's aristocratic clans came to be."

"The true power of the aristocracy lies in the court; their ancestral lands are merely a fallback. While commoners struggle to survive, the aristocracy can serve as officials or retreat to occupy thousands of acres of fertile land, indulging freely without ever suffering loss."

"If I may say…"

"Your Jiangnan aristocracy is complex, but if you think carefully, due to the past decade's circumstances, it's actually less deeply entangled than before—easier to handle. That cluster of aristocracy has been peeled away from the eight-hundred-year-old aristocratic system."

Li Guanyi said: "Mr., what advice do you have regarding these aristocratic clans?"

He truly did not understand the intricate aristocracy of this era.

Wen He said: "It depends on how far you wish to resolve it."

"Do you want the aristocracy to feel fear, then coexist peacefully with you—or…"

Li Guanyi answered: "All of it."

Wen He was surprised, thought for a moment, and said: "Earlier I said your pace is too fast—and there's another reason. Your imperial examination system, selecting talent by merit, is excellent—but…"

The plain-faced young man lifted his wine and said calmly:

"Why do you think aristocratic youths, who have spent eight hundred years inheriting privilege and being nurtured with the best resources, will lose to today's commoners? Believe me, Lord—starting examinations without a foundation will only let aristocratic youths enter court even faster."

"The recommendation system, with its quotas—no single family can send everyone up."

"But you've opened the quotas for examinations."

"Then, the aristocratic youths educated within these clans will overwhelmingly outnumber commoners. An aristocracy that has endured nearly a thousand years will adapt to your new rules faster than you expect."

"If this were already a unified golden age, opening the examination system would be a compromise—granting the aristocracy partial benefits while opening a path for commoners to ascend. But your current situation requires no such restraint."

"You can go much further."

Li Guanyi grabbed Wen He's arm, certain this man was precisely the talent he and the Fire Qilin Army needed most—his eyes nearly sparkled—and said: "Mr., please speak!"

Wen He said: "Why not start by testing your hand on the Jiangnan aristocracy?"

"Do you know? Between aristocratic clans, there exists a clear hierarchy—upper-class clans look down on lower ones; lower-class clans are even regarded as humble families, with strict thresholds, steps, and a whole set of rules separating them."

"The height of these steps represents different ranks and classes."

"You don't need to confront every aristocratic clan."

Wen He smiled warmly: "Win over some, divide some, suppress some—offer them benefits, make them fight among themselves and spill gold outward, while still praising your name."

Li Guanyi nodded firmly.

Wen He said: "But this is merely a last resort. The aristocracy will recognize this tactic and quickly unite—this is why past dynasties struggled to handle aristocratic clans; they are all tied by marriage."

"Shared interests make them hard to break."

"You don't understand the aristocracy."

"Inside the aristocracy, things are even crueller than outside: legitimate sons, illegitimate sons, second sons of illegitimate lines—even with the same bloodline, their treatment differs. The family estate passes only to the legitimate heir; illegitimate sons are treated like hired laborers."

"With a single word from the patriarch, you must die—even if you're brilliant, you must serve as a stepping stone for the legitimate heir. You don't think those treated as laborers and stepping stones are happy, do you?"

"All people harbor resentment."

"If they show no resentment toward the status quo, it's only because they've never seen anything better."

Wen He leaned forward with a gentle smile, his eyes warm yet cold, his voice smooth as jade: "Win them over—offer them opportunity, rescue their parents, bless their wives and children."

"Make them leave the clan, sever their names from the genealogy, and come to you. Then, the aristocracy will fracture from within."

"More and more aristocratic youths will think: if even illegitimate sons can receive such treatment, why not me? This thought will be a tiny spark, easily smothered by the aristocracy's glory."

"But they will eventually face setbacks. Once they compare their own treatment in the clan with the treatment illegitimate sons receive under you, that flame will grow."

"Then, in an instant, it will consume their reason."

"Those lower-tier illegitimate sons, once they break away in emotional fervor, become traitors to the aristocratic class—they cannot return. Nor can they integrate into the common people. Their only refuge is you."

"How perfect!"

"Perfect loyal ministers."

"They will strive to prove their talent to build their own families, filling the talent gap in Jiangnan. Rest assured—under the twin pressures of longing and fear of clan revenge, they will be utterly loyal."

"They can handle administrative duties until your literacy campaigns bear fruit. Years later, once those campaigns take effect, open the merit-based imperial examinations—and the aristocracy's advantage will be utterly shattered."

Wen He advised: "You don't need to face the 【Aristocracy】."

"You face 【People】. And 【People】 have many weaknesses. When they fight among themselves, the so-called 【Aristocracy】 will collapse like a sandcastle."

"Using brute force against the aristocracy will only injure you."

"Let them fight among themselves. We need only sit aside, sip tea, watch them tear each other apart, grow weak, collapse bleeding, and then bow before us with gold and silver."

Li Guanyi: "…………"

He suddenly felt the Fire Qilin Army was the world's ultimate villain.

"Besides, I don't understand Jiangnan's financial problems."

Wen He asked, puzzled: "Why do you insist on imposing rules on the aristocracy?"

Li Guanyi: "Huh??? Ah???"

Wen He frowned and said: "You can simply accept their gestures—take their gold and silver. They're used to giving gifts anyway. Accept the gifts, do nothing in return. Besides, treat the aristocracy as they treat the commoners."

"The aristocracy devours the commoners to grow stronger; you devour the aristocracy to grow stronger."

"They did it to the commoners—so you do to them what they did. I doubt they'll complain."

"Isn't this very simple…"

Wen He paused, seeing the young man's stunned expression.

Then he smiled faintly, his expression warm and harmless:

"I was merely jesting just now."

"Just a joke."

"You're a lord of very high moral standing—I like you."

Wen He's smile was mellow; he grabbed Li Guanyi's arm and squeezed tightly:

"Because I, too, am a person of very high moral standing!"

Li Guanyi sighed: "People like you are exactly what we need."

Wen He had deliberately displayed his tactics to make Li Guanyi retreat in despair, but Li Guanyi's reaction surprised him slightly.

Li Guanyi placed the Ma Fei San and ropes on the table, stood up, and bowed: "I won't use any other methods—you must already know them. Please, Mr., enter Jiangnan."

"If you ever feel this place is dangerous, you may leave at any time."

Wen He was astonished, fell silent for a moment, then laughed and sighed: "My lord is so sincere—I can no longer hide anything." He reached out and pulled across the table—clatter, clatter—bottles and jars fell, three times as many as Li Guanyi had prepared.

Li Guanyi's temple twitched.

Wen He bowed: "I am willing to follow Qin Wu Hou into Jiangnan."

He smiled sincerely.

But inside, he thought: Hold steady now, then slip away later.

Go to Jiangnan?

Ridiculous—impossible!

Li Guanyi was overjoyed and turned to call out for Generals Ling Pingyang.

Wen He also smiled and said: "Today is joyful, but all my wine is drugged—let me share a cup with my lord today." He spotted a bottle of wine on the table, poured a goblet, and bowed respectfully.

Li Guanyi had just turned to call for Generals Ling Pingyang; now he turned back and saw the goblet full.

He drank with Wen He.

The moment it went down his throat, he realized something was wrong.

This is—!!!

Boom!!!

The young strategist had collapsed, face flushed with drunkenness, slumped on the table, looking stunned, then bewildered, staring at his own hands: "What… is this…?"

Li Guanyi said: "Thousand-Day Drunk."

Wen He's eyes widened: "Thousand-Day Drunk?"

"The Thousand-Day Drunk that makes you drunk for a thousand days after a full jug?!"

Li Guanyi helped him up.

But the scholar suddenly burst into loud laughter, slapping Li Guanyi's shoulder and cackling drunkenly: "Hahahaha! Despicable, treacherous, conspiracy upon conspiracy! Hahahaha—I've never lost on this path before!"

"I admit it. Interesting. Interesting."

"Li Guanyi, I'll go with you to Jiangnan!"

He reached out, swaying, pointing at Li Guanyi:

"Despicable! Despicable!"

"I—submit!"

Wen He shut his eyes and collapsed forward, fully drunk.

Li Guanyi caught him, when suddenly a series of rhythmic claps of admiration came from behind. Li Guanyi froze, turned, and saw Wang Tong's senior disciple Fang Ziqiao and several others staring at him with full admiration.

Li Guanyi: "………………"

He took one step forward.

The entire Imperial Academy group stepped back in unison by half a step.

Li Guanyi's mouth twitched.

He felt his reputation had been ruined.

At that moment, a low voice spoke:

"I heard Li Guanyi has arrived?"

"Hmph, where is that little Fire Qilin?!"

?? Recommend a book, friends!

?"What? This god demands we cultivate seven hours daily, offers top-tier scriptures for free, requires prayers only during rest time, and even distributes pills?"

? …

?"Great Xuantian Fuzun, grant us your divine decree!"

?"I command you: attain the Martial Saint!"