Chapter 256 - 254: Recruitment
More than ten eunuchs, all of whom looked quite young, were also present in Feng Tianbao’s residence.
While the others were clearly identifiable as eunuchs, Feng Tianbao, apart from his lack of a beard, showed no other outward signs of being one.
After they were seated, Feng Tianbao got straight to the point without any preamble.
"Master Chen, you said you could help me procure warhorses?"
Chen Yuan shook his head. "To be precise, this isn’t about procuring warhorses. It’s about dealing with Wei Chaoge of the Vigorous Martial Army."
Feng Tianbao’s brow furrowed slightly. "Master Chen, Master Guan must have told you about the conflict between our institutes.
Although the Vigorous Martial Army broke the rules this time and is trying to usurp the authority of my Flying Dragon Institute, that doesn’t mean I must have a complete falling out with them."
"We are all under the Court’s command. Even if we have political disagreements, we cannot resort to mutual destruction."
Chen Yuan laughed at Feng Tianbao’s words.
"What are you laughing at, Master Chen?" Feng Tianbao asked, somewhat displeased.
Chen Yuan shook his head. "Forgive my bluntness, but I never imagined the Steward of the prestigious Flying Dragon Institute, the man in charge of the Great Xia Court’s horse administration, could be so naive."
"Steward Feng, do you truly believe the Vigorous Martial Army is merely vying for power with your Flying Dragon Institute? They want to tear down the entire Imperial Secretariat system!"
"Today, the Flying Dragon Institute is short on horses, so the Vigorous Martial Army finds an excuse to procure warhorses on its own, bypassing you."
"Tomorrow, if the Vigorous Martial Army lacks weapons and armor, will they simply manufacture their own?"
"And when that happens, will they still hand over their spoils of war to the Court, or will they simply keep them for themselves?"
"Once it reaches that point, what’s the difference between the Vigorous Martial Army and an independent Vassal Town?"
"Steward Feng, I have just one question for you. Are you, the Steward of the Flying Dragon Institute, a man of the Court, or a man of His Majesty, the Emperor?"
Feng Tianbao’s expression shifted uncertainly before he finally let out a long breath. "I am His Majesty’s man, of course! Thank you for making me see the light, Master Chen."
"I come from a poor background. I was once just a beggar on the streets of the Capital City, nearly frozen to death one winter. Fortunately, an old master from the palace found me and took me in, saving my life."
"Later, I was fortunate enough to earn His Majesty’s favor. He allowed me to serve him personally and then entrusted me with the great responsibility of overseeing the Flying Dragon Institute. I will spend the rest of my life repaying His Majesty’s kindness."
Chen Yuan had figured out before he arrived that the Steward of the Flying Dragon Institute hadn’t initially intended to have a complete falling-out with the Vigorous Martial Army.
When the Vigorous Martial Army partnered with the Nine Swords Alliance to procure warhorses, he simply went to Yandang Mountain to look for other sources.
He hadn’t grasped the severity of the situation at first, assuming it was just another case of court infighting. He was, as they say, too close to the situation to see clearly.
But Chen Yuan’s words today had finally made Feng Tianbao understand the true gravity of the situation.
The Imperial Secretariat was established precisely to act as a check on powerful commanding generals like Yuwen Tai.
Thus, only two kinds of people held power within the Imperial Secretariat: the Emperor’s trusted eunuchs and attendants, and members of the Royal Family.
If Feng Tianbao were merely a man of the Court, all that would matter is that the Court continued to function. The Vigorous Martial Army’s actions weren’t an outright rebellion, so why burn bridges?
But Feng Tianbao was the Emperor’s confidant. The Vigorous Martial Army’s actions were undermining the very foundation of the Imperial Secretariat, an attempt to seize power from the Emperor and establish their own independence, taking on the airs of a Vassal Town. How could Feng Tianbao tolerate such a move?
Feng Tianbao composed himself and asked, "Master Chen, what grudge do you have with Wei Chaoge of the Vigorous Martial Army? Why are you so eager to join forces with me against him?"
Chen Yuan shook his head. "I have no grudge against Wei Chaoge. My grudge is with the Nine Swords Alliance."
"But now the Nine Swords Alliance is working with Wei Chaoge on the warhorse trade. Wei Chaoge has even publicly declared that the Nine Swords Alliance is under the protection of the Vigorous Martial Army."
"Under these circumstances, my only choice was to seek you out for an alliance, Steward Feng. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Feng Tianbao frowned slightly. "In that case, how many men can you field, Master Chen? I didn’t come here intending to clash with the Vigorous Martial Army, so as you’ve seen, I didn’t bring many people."
"Of the men I have with me, only two are at the Condensing Truth Realm; the rest are just here to run errands. How many men can your White Tiger Hall field?"
"It won’t work if our numbers are too low. Wei Chaoge is an Eagle General with two thousand soldiers under his command. While it’s impossible for him to have brought all his troops, I know for a fact he brought a hundred-man Personal Guard with him."
"Within that hundred-man Personal Guard, there are over twenty Deputy Generals at the Condensing Truth Realm, and the rest are all battle-hardened elites. Can the forces of your White Tiger Hall match that?"
Chen Yuan shook his head. "I’m afraid not. The White Tiger Hall suffered serious losses during the recent raids by the Hu Yan Tribe. We can’t assemble that many elites right now."
"I heard about that. If the horse-producing lands in Ning Province hadn’t also been affected, I wouldn’t be in such a rush. Was the Hu Yan Tribe dealt with?"
Chen Yuan nodded. "The previous Hall Master of the White Tiger Hall, Feng Wushang, was killed. Afterward, I joined forces with the Po Jun Guard and the Celestial Martial Guard to encircle and annihilate the Hu Yan Tribe. We killed every last one of those Grassland People at the border. The Grassland border should be peaceful for some time."
"A good kill!"
Feng Tianbao suddenly exclaimed in admiration, "You may be young, Master Chen, but your methods are sharp and decisive. Those Barbarians of the Grassland deserved to be killed! Coveting the lands of our Great Xia is simply courting death!"
Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected the eunuch Feng Tianbao to be so fervent.
But after his burst of passion, Feng Tianbao frowned slightly. "In that case, if your White Tiger Hall lacks the strength, and my own forces are insufficient, how can we possibly take on the combined forces of Wei Chaoge and the Nine Swords Alliance?"
Chen Yuan pointed toward Yandang Mountain. "The Twelve Blade Halls of Yandang Mountain are over there. With them, we should have enough men."
"The horse bandits of the Twelve Blade Halls are mostly defiant outcasts, rejected by both the Murong Family and the Sun-piercing Alliance. While many of them started as Loose Cultivators, their strength is considerable."
"Furthermore, the leader of the Twelve Blade Halls, Duan Hengshan, the ’Hundred-Piercing Demon Saber,’ is a Grandmaster who has condensed a Primordial Pill. He once coolly escaped an ambush by several Primordial Pill Realm Grandmasters from the Murong Family. His power is undeniable."
"After we take care of the Nine Swords Alliance, the power vacuum at the Border of Youning will need to be filled. The Twelve Blade Halls would be a perfect fit."
"There’s nothing wrong with the way the Nine Swords Alliance acquires warhorses. You Province doesn’t lack horses; as long as you have enough manpower to round up the ones scattered about, the numbers will be substantial."
"And while Master Guan’s Celestial Star Ranch was plundered and destroyed by the Hu Yan Tribe, it’s currently being rebuilt and will soon be able to supply a large number of warhorses as well."
"When the time comes, by combining these two sources, not only will the Vigorous Martial Army be unable to get their hands on the warhorses, but your Flying Dragon Institute will also gain a new supply channel. What do you say, Steward Feng?"
"The Twelve Blade Halls of Yandang Mountain are indeed powerful, and they control a source of warhorses. I’m not saying I haven’t considered recruiting them, but those horse bandits are completely untamable. They don’t even respect the Court. I couldn’t even get a meeting with their leader."
Feng Tianbao said, frustrated.
As the Steward of the Flying Dragon Institute and a close aide to the Emperor from the palace, even First Grade Officials and great Court generals in the Capital City had to treat him with courtesy.
But the moment he left the Capital City, it seemed every faction he encountered was eager to give him a cold shoulder. Absolutely nothing was going his way.
Chen Yuan shook his head. "Forgive my bluntness, but the Court’s name carries weight in the Capital City, in the Central Province, and even in some of the other Central Plains Provinces."
"But here in the Land of Youning, a remote border province where ’the heavens are high and the emperor is far away,’ it’s not nearly as effective."
"This is especially true for the Twelve Blade Halls. They’re a fearless and defiant bunch. They even dare to provoke the strongest local powers in You Province—the Murong Family and the Sun-piercing Alliance. Why would they be afraid of the Court?"
"So when you try to recruit them in the Court’s name, Steward Feng, it just triggers their defiant streak."
"Then how should I approach them?"
"You don’t. With people like that, fists are far more persuasive than words."
"First, you have to show them you have the strength to meet them as equals. Only then can you negotiate. Once that’s established, you lay out the terms and benefits. As long as this deal is good for the Twelve Blade Halls, they won’t refuse."
"Let me handle it. Steward Feng, with your background in the Court, your status is inherently sensitive. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to use such methods."
Having come from the Capital City, Feng Tianbao was accustomed to dealing with court officials. Suddenly having to deal with Jianghu people, his mindset hadn’t yet adjusted.
Hearing Chen Yuan’s explanation, he had a moment of sudden clarity.
Feng Tianbao nodded, then suddenly looked at Chen Yuan. "Master Chen, have you any interest in joining the Imperial Secretariat?"
"Technically, the Zhenwu Hall was granted amnesty by the Court, so there would be no conflict if you were to join the Court directly."
Chen Yuan froze, then shot Feng Tianbao a strange look.
’I go out of my way to form an alliance with you, help you strategize, and in return, you want me to become a eunuch?’
Seeing Chen Yuan’s odd expression, Feng Tianbao knew exactly what he was thinking, and his own face darkened.
"What are you thinking, Master Chen? You don’t need to be... castrated to join the Imperial Secretariat. Not all of His Majesty’s attendants are eunuchs."
"I just think that a man of your talent—astonishingly powerful at such a young age, with such masterful methods—is truly being wasted in a place like the Zhenwu Hall."
"The Court is desperate for talent. If you were to join the Imperial Secretariat, I could guarantee you a brilliant future!"
"You may not know this, but the current Chief Eunuch and Secretary of the Secretariat, the man known as the top master of the Inner Court, ’Vengeance’ Gu Chaoyen, is my adoptive father."
"Just say the word, and I guarantee there will be a Steward position in the institute waiting for you in the future."
At that moment, Feng Tianbao felt the same way about Chen Yuan as Zhi Shilang had. Both of them thought the young man was an exceptional talent, and that it was a genuine waste for him to remain in the Zhenwu Hall.
Chen Jiutian’s strength was one thing; after all, each generation’s Hidden Dragon Rankings had its fair share of brilliant prodigies. That wasn’t so rare.
What was truly rare was his meticulous mind and shrewd methods. Whether in strategic planning or in analyzing people’s hearts, he was nothing like those other young men who were either reckless or insufferably arrogant.
With a temperament like that, he was destined for greatness.
The Grand Commandant of the Zhenwu Hall, Chao Hongtu, was nothing more than a watchdog. For Chen Jiutian to stay in the Zhenwu Hall was a real waste. If he could join the Imperial Secretariat and have the Court’s backing and resources, he too was destined for greatness.
𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Feng Tianbao was simply admiring talent; he truly had no ulterior motive.