Chapter 20: VIP Chapter (10,000 Words)

Chapter 20: Going Paid—Ten Thousand Words

"So what kind of person are you?"

Cheng Yi merely smiled faintly, without a trace of anger. Instead, he casually plucked a grain of rice from the corner of Shen Yichen's mouth.

"Surviving in a viper's nest of a household that chews people up and spits them out is already remarkable. Not to mention going toe-to-toe with your vicious stepfather. You dare to make a scene, you dare to fight—you've never been willing to back down."

Cheng Yi's words were sincere, with no hint of empty flattery.

What he didn't say was that Shen Yichen had even dared to go against the whole world by filing a lawsuit against his own father, seeking justice for his real father.

Even when he failed and was reviled by everyone, he still stood tall, unyielding and unbowed.

Cheng Yi still clearly remembered that when the entire Cheng family had been slaughtered and no one dared to go near the mass grave, it was Shen Yichen who had come alone, with his frail, stubborn frame, silently giving the Cheng family a proper burial.

"Your integrity and courage put you head and shoulders above countless others."

Looking at himself, despite his glorious military achievements and his power that made the court tremble, he had still ended up with his family destroyed and his own life in shambles.

Back then, he'd let his feelings blind him, misjudged people, and given his heart to the wrong person—in the end, he'd hurt himself and others.

Looking back now, it was laughable and pathetic.

But Shen Yichen was deeply shaken by what he said.

He'd called him remarkable. He'd said he was better than countless others.

So all these years, living like a madman, discarding his dignity, throwing away his pride, and scraping by just to survive—none of it had ever been "shameless" or "a cheap, low-born wretch."

He'd defied his father, refused to serve his stepfather, and ignored the rules of the world—none of that made him a "bastard" or a "mongrel," or "heartless, ungrateful, and twisted."

He just wouldn't give in. He wouldn't let fate break him.

He just... wanted to survive.

That was all.

The tears he'd held back just moments ago came flooding back, stronger than ever.

He hurriedly lowered his head to hide how pathetic he looked, but just happened to see the grain of rice Cheng Yi had plucked away.

He didn't have to guess how ridiculous he must have looked. But Cheng Yi hadn't laughed at him—instead, he'd quietly smoothed over the awkwardness.

At that moment, Shen Yichen was absolutely sure—he was different.

Cheng Yi was unlike anyone else.

His heart suddenly started fluttering with joy, but he held it in, not daring to let it show.

Cheng Yi had wanted to tell him there was no need to be so on guard around him, but before he could say anything, Shen Yichen clumsily changed the subject.

"There's still so much food left. It would be a waste to throw it away. Could Chuliu come in and eat some?"

Cheng Yi blinked in surprise.

Forget it. There'd be plenty of time later.

"Of course."

Chuliu had been nervous as hell, but the second he saw the table full of food, he was moved to tears.

Cheng Yi watched the happy smiles on the master and servant's faces and couldn't help smiling too.

He told Wei Xiao to stay with them and make sure they got back to the Minister's residence safely after they finished eating. He himself went straight to Drunk Capital Tower.

Fuzi should have already gotten things ready there.

Today, Cheng Yi was footing the bill, having invited Jiang San and the rest of the crew—especially Fang Qingbai—to eat at Drunk Capital Tower.

Just as Cheng Yi was heading to the private room on the third floor, a figure hidden behind a screen was staring hard at the spot where he'd vanished.

His eyes were dark and dangerous.

Lin Beixiao's fists were clenched so hard inside his sleeves that his knuckles went white.

He couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. Ever since the welcome dinner at Drunk Capital Tower that night, Cheng Yi had been dodging him.

For the past few days, he'd tried every way to see him, but Cheng Yi kept making excuses to blow him off.

He'd figured Cheng Yi was just busy with wedding prep—that it made sense he had no time. But then he found out Cheng Yi had privately made plans with that bunch of rich brats, deliberately leaving him out.

Why the hell?!

He'd spent two years working so hard to get close to him. Was it all for nothing?

Fuzi, who'd come out to greet his young master, happened to see all of this.

He was puzzled why his young master had suddenly started avoiding this friend, but he figured his young master had his reasons.

But why did that Young Master Lin's eyes look so scary?

Fuzi went and reported it to Cheng Yi.

After hearing that, Cheng Yi just gave a cold smirk, told Fuzi to have someone watch him, and then walked into the third-floor private room.

Good. Everyone who was supposed to show up had shown up.

The moment Cheng Yi walked in, all eyes were on him.

They were all curious and confused, none of them getting why Cheng Yi had suddenly invited them to dinner—and at Drunk Capital Tower of all places, a den of trouble.

It couldn't be that he was still sore about last time and was planning to teach them a lesson, right?

So, except for Fang Qingbai, the rest of them all looked a little shifty.

Cheng Yi's presence had become more and more imposing, like he was already a world apart from these childhood brothers of his.

No wonder they felt uneasy.

But Cheng Yi didn't mention that night at all. Instead, he started reminiscing about the old days.

In the dead of winter, Cheng Yi had led them all into the river to catch fish, and Zhou Chu had almost frozen to death in there. After barely surviving and dragging himself home, he'd gotten the beating of his life from his old man.

One New Year, a bunch of little brats that even dogs would run from blew up the academy's outhouse, scaring a teacher so bad he ran out of the school with his bare ass hanging out.

The whole capital had been talking about it for half a month straight.

Of course, every single one of them had gotten their asses whooped, and their families had dragged them to the academy to apologize.

Another time, a few of them went up the mountain to collect bird eggs but ended up stirring up a hornet's nest.

Everyone was stung so badly their heads swelled up like pigs' heads, especially Jiang Yunshan, whose big eyes had swollen to slits. When he got home, his mother nearly ran him off, thinking he was a beggar.

...

As they talked and laughed, those wild, chaotic days seemed like yesterday, yet also felt increasingly distant.

Even Fang Qingbai couldn't help feeling a pang of nostalgia.

After all, he was always the one getting dragged into trouble back then.

Time flew by, and the years passed in the blink of an eye.

Before they knew it, they'd all grown up.

At seventeen, Cheng Yi had already gone to the battlefield and earned merit, returning triumphant and full of swagger. Who wouldn't sigh and remark, "What a dazzling Little War God."

In contrast, they were still the same good-for-nothings, wasting their days in the same boring routine.

So as they reminisced, a sense of melancholy crept over them.

Especially with Cheng Yi right before them—the more they compared, the worse they felt.

Moreover, Cheng Yi's future was boundless, and the gap between them would only keep growing.

Until one day, they'd have to bow and scrape to their old friend, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Just thinking about it was suffocating.

And so, as they talked, they fell silent one after another.

Seeing that the time was right, Cheng Yi finally got to the point.

"I called you all here today for two main things."

"First, in half a month, I will marry Young Master Shen Yichen. You all have to come and back me up then."

Everyone was taken aback.

"So soon?"

"I thought the Young Marquis's wedding was coming up—shouldn't you come after your elder brother?"

"Yeah, is half a month even enough time to prepare?"

They were already feeling down, and now hearing Cheng Yi was getting married while none of them had even tied the knot, they felt even worse.

They were all a bunch of aimless slackers, and their families didn't expect anything from them, so even at marriageable age, no one was rushing to set anything up.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Cheng Yi smiled and explained why, also briefly told them what happened the day he went to propose.

Everyone present was sharp, and their families were no nobodies, so they were no strangers to the shady schemes going on behind closed doors. Add that to Shen Yichen's stunt yesterday, and they could roughly piece together what was going on.

Now hearing Cheng Yi's account, they realized they'd had the wrong impression of Young Master Shen all along.

And judging by Cheng Yi's attitude, he didn't seem against the marriage at all, unlike what the rumors said.

They looked at each other, then all chimed in with congratulations.

Cheng Yi gave a faint smile.

"And the second thing?"

Cheng Yi suddenly sat up straight, slowly looked around at everyone, and then spoke seriously:

"I want to ask you all—what are your plans for the future?"

They looked at each other, confused. Even Fang Qingbai had no idea, completely clueless about what Cheng Yi meant or what he was up to today.

"Plans? What plans? Why would we need plans?"

Liu Siming looked totally confused.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Cheng Yi's mouth as he decided to make an example of him.

"Siming, don't you want to raise your family's second branch up? Don't you want the old Marquis to see you in a different light?"

"Yes!" Liu Siming straightened up without thinking. "Of course I do."

"But... Brother Yi, what are you getting at?"

The others also looked at Cheng Yi expectantly.

Now, about Liu Siming—his grandfather was the Marquis Weiyuan, once a fearsome general with a stellar record, stationed at the northwestern frontier for years, commanding over a hundred thousand elite troops of the Weiyuan Army.

After he retired due to injury, his eldest son, Liu Chengyuan, took over the Weiyuan Army and now guards the northwest.

That's Liu Siming's eldest uncle.

As a result, the title of Marquis Weiyuan naturally went to the eldest son of the main branch, Liu Sien.

Liu Siming's father, from the second branch, had been ignored since childhood, and since he never amounted to much, the Marquis Weiyuan paid less and less attention to the second branch, completely ignoring Liu Siming too.

Everyone looked down on him, and he was the most useless of the bunch.

Liu Siming turned into a good-for-nothing playboy, even worse than his old man.

But in reality, Cheng Yi knew Liu Chengyuan was a total mediocrity. If it weren't for the lack of fighting in the northwest all these years, he wouldn't have been able to hold his position.

That's why, in his past life, Cheng Yi had easily taken over the Weiyuan Army.

Furthermore, Liu Chengyuan's eldest son, the current heir to the Marquis title, was a complete idiot.

The Marquis Weiyuan had been through a lot and valued ability above all else. If the second branch had shown even a little ambition, he wouldn't have been so petty as to ignore them.

With that in mind, Cheng Yi slapped him on the shoulder:

"So, Liu Siming, do you want to go to battle and fight the enemy?"

Liu Siming jumped, nearly knocked off balance by the slap.

But...

"Yeah... of course I've thought about it."

Who's born a playboy? Especially when his grandfather was once the famous General Weiyuan.

But his father was useless, and the main branch was domineering. For years, the main branch's principal consort had been managing the Marquis of Weiyuan's household, so their second branch had long been suppressed and unable to hold their heads up.

He had once tried to make a name for himself in the northwest, but his plans were stillborn. As soon as the main branch caught wind of it, they nipped his ambitions in the bud.

He didn't know what tricks they used, but Liu Siming not only failed to reach the northwest, but was also scolded by the old Marquis, who explicitly told him to never even think about it, claiming he feared Liu Siming would bring shame to the Weiyuan Army.

He tried a few more times afterward, but the results were always the same, so he gave up.

Anyway, as long as their second branch stayed quiet and obedient, the main branch wouldn't be stingy about keeping them fed.

But now that Cheng Yi brought it up again, his heart couldn't help but stir.

However...

Liu Siming showed a hesitant expression.

"But my grandfather has explicitly forbidden me from going to the northwest," he couldn't shoot first and ask questions later like Cheng Yi did, because... "my eldest uncle won't allow such a thing to happen either."

His cousin was a complete blockhead, with nothing but sawdust between his ears, so if he showed even a hint of ambition, it could threaten his status as the heir apparent.

The main branch wouldn't allow it.

But then Cheng Yi spoke up: "Why does it have to be the northwest?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You could go to the northern frontier instead."

Liu Siming's eyes lit up as Cheng Yi continued:

"If you want to, I'll explain the situation to my uncle and pen a letter of recommendation myself for you."

"Besides, the northwest has been relatively stable in recent years—it's not easy to win merit and establish yourself there. But the northern frontier is different. As long as you have the courage, it's only a matter of time before you make something of yourself."

The more Liu Siming listened, the brighter his eyes became.

"R-really?"

"Of course."

He gulped, excited—Cheng Yi's words were just too rousing.

Not only that, but the others also looked intrigued.

Among them, Zhou Chu had the most eager look on his face, but he wanted to speak yet had reservations.

Meanwhile, Fang Qingbai watched Cheng Yi with a thoughtful expression.

He felt that Cheng Yi was up to something today, but he couldn't quite read him.

Cheng Yi's gaze had already fallen on Zhou Chu, his voice gentle.

"What about you, Zhou Chu? What are your plans?"

Something was off. Fang Qingbai felt that the Cheng Yi standing before him was deeply off.

He looked just like a kidnapper luring little kids!

But what kidnapper would bother luring these dimwits?

Zhou Chu was a hell-raiser.

Despite his lazy, good-for-nothing air—spending his days goofing off—he actually came from a family of scholars.

His grandfather had been the head of Guanshan Academy, and though he had retired to his fields, his sons had all made something of themselves.

The eldest son served as a prefect in Yunzhou, the second son was now the head of Guanshan Academy, and the third and youngest sons both served in the Hanlin Academy.

You could say they were a whole family of literati.

Zhou Chu's father was the old headmaster's third son.

Unlike Liu Siming, his family had initially pinned their hopes on him. They all wanted him to take the civil service exams, and whether he became an official or took a position at the academy, they could pave a golden path for him.

But Zhou Chu was just an oddball. From a young age, he disliked scholarly pursuits, instead favoring swords and spears—he was the odd one out in the Zhou family.

Worst of all, his studies were a total wreck, so much so that his father once wondered if he was even his own flesh and blood.

After countless attempts and failures, Zhou's father finally gave up on this rebellious son.

In his father's words, he was "a lost cause, a hopeless case for life."

Zhou Chu couldn't care less. His family had so many men of letters—officials, teachers, Hanlin members, ministry staff—there were plenty of them, so even as a total waste, he'd never go hungry.

Besides, he had his brothers to keep him company.

They could all be wastes together.

But now, someone didn't want to stay a waste anymore.

Zhou Chu opened his mouth, but the spark of interest that had just been kindled quickly fizzled out.

He'd been a carefree good-for-nothing for over a decade, perfectly happy—why would he go looking for trouble?

Then he met Cheng Yi's burning gaze, those eyes like deep pools seeming to see straight through him.

"Do you want to be a good-for-nothing for the rest of your life?"

Everyone present felt something clench tightly in their hearts.

"Do you want to drift through life, and have your children grow up to be wastes like you, continuing the same aimless existence?"

Zhou Chu: !

Hell no.

"But my family would never let me set foot on a battlefield."

In his father's words, if he dared to take the martial path, he would disown him as a son. He also said that a rank amateur like him would either be a coward who runs from battle or even a sellout on the battlefield.

Though the elders' and his father's stubbornness was a bit inexplicable, he really didn't have it in him.

Now he was nothing but a good-for-nothing—if he left the Zhou family, he'd truly be a lost cause, quickly ground into the dirt.

Cheng Yi naturally knew the way his brothers were—without a push, they'd never make a move. But he'd also give them plenty of time to mull it over.

He made the same promise as he had to Liu Siming.

"I'll vouch for you, but you need to make up your own mind."

None of them were fools.

Cheng Yi understood them well—they each had their own talents; all they needed was someone to point them in the right direction.

Of course, Cheng Yi also had his own agenda.

While Zhou Chu was still on the fence, Cheng Yi turned his gaze to Jiang Yunshan and Zhao Quan.

Both were clearly itching to go, but Liu Siming had always harbored the desire to go to the battlefield and earn merit, and Zhou Chu was naturally fond of martial arts. The two of them, however, had no real skills and no interest in making a name for themselves that way.

Moreover, just the thought of flashing blades and blood splattering on the battlefield scared the hell out of them.

So the little spark of motivation they'd just felt died out real quick.

But Cheng Yi didn't bring up going to war at all, instead talking about something else.

Jiang Yunshan's father was the Minister of Revenue—Jiang Zongqi.

This guy had a whole harem of wives and concubines, and in his youth he'd been a real player back in the day. As such, his household was—to put it mildly—a total circus.

In Jiang Yunshan's words, his dad took in anyone who came his way—no discrimination, no taboos, nothing was off the table.

So Jiang Yunshan had over a dozen brothers and sisters.

He had six older brothers, four of whom were male consorts, which is why Cheng Yi and the others always called him "Third Brother." Below him were four younger brothers—three of them male consorts—plus three younger sisters.

He'd once shot his mouth off, saying his old man must be skimming off the top, or straight-up robbing the national treasury, because there was no way he could afford to feed that big a family otherwise.

Of course, that was a joke, but it was enough to show that in his household, without some real skills, you'd live no better than a commoner—and if you weren't careful, you might even get eaten alive, bones and all.

The reason Jiang Yunshan could afford to be a carefree rich kid was twofold: first, he was the legitimate son, and second, he had a formidable mother.

Before she married Jiang Zongqi, his mom had been a famous businesswoman, and her dowry was loaded.

It included a bunch of shops, and Madam Jiang had a real head for business. So Jiang Yunshan never had to worry about food or clothes growing up, and he threw money around like crazy.

Compared to his siblings who went hungry and froze their asses off, he felt this life was very good, and he was quite satisfied.

Therefore, he was only mildly intrigued by Cheng Yi's pitch, but not really sold on it.

So before Cheng Yi could even open his mouth, he gave him a wary look and said:

"Brother Yi, look at me—I'm so weak I can't even truss a chicken. I'd be dead before I even reached the northern border. So count me out."

Zhao Quan looked just as scared shitless.

"Same here. I'm just a useless piece of trash. If I go, I'd just be dead weight for Uncle and get myself killed for nothing."

Cheng Yi's mouth twitched. He had to admit, these two knew themselves pretty damn well.

They truly knew themselves well.

Cheng Yi shoved Zhao Quan aside. "Your turn later."

"Jiang Yunshan, Third Brother, making something of yourself isn't just about going to war. I'm asking you—do you want to make a name for yourself, earn some respect, live life on your own terms, or do you want to spend your whole life as a nobody everyone looks down on?"

The word "good-for-nothing" hit Jiang Yunshan like a sledgehammer, leaving him reeling. He stuck his neck out and yelled:

"Who the hell wants to be a good-for-nothing? It's just that I... ahem... I don't actually have any skills."

Books—he couldn't wrap his head around them; martial arts—he couldn't hack the grind. What else could he do?

Cheng Yi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you just learn from your mom?"

No wonder none of these guys ever got anywhere—opportunity was staring them in the face and they couldn't even see it.

Jiang Yunshan blinked.

"My dad's the Minister of Revenue, a second-rank big shot! If he found out I went into business, he'd beat me to death, wouldn't he?"

"Besides, my mom got screwed over precisely because she came from a merchant family. In the capital's high-society circles, she's always looked down on, treated like she's beneath everyone. Even my dad's side consorts and concubines have the nerve to look down on her. I... I..."

Cheng Yi sneered. "Ha, so you look down on merchants, huh? Third Brother, you really are the type to bite the hand that feeds you. You've got some nerve."

If his mom hadn't been running those shops all these years to keep the Minister's household afloat, the whole family would've been eating nothing but air on Jiang Zongqi's salary alone.

"I really feel sorry for Auntie—raising an ungrateful little shit like you. And you still have the nerve to blow money left and right, and you still dare to..."

Cheng Yi immediately launched into a thorough, scathing tirade at him from every angle.

Jiang Yunshan quickly begged for mercy.

"I'm wrong, I'm wrong, Brother, I'm sorry. Please stop scolding me."

He was wronged—he didn't look down on merchants, and he certainly didn't look down on his mother. On the contrary, he deeply admired her business acumen and had even secretly learned quite a bit from her.

But the social hierarchy placed scholars first, farmers second, artisans third, and merchants last. That alone showed how low merchants were regarded. And his father was a proper second-rank Minister of Revenue—wouldn't it be inappropriate for him to go into business?

He could handle people pointing fingers at him, but dragging his father into criticism was another matter.

Cheng Yi hadn't expected that this carefree fool actually cared so much about his philandering father deep down.

Jiang Yunshan also felt a bit embarrassed. With so many children, his father paid very little attention to each one. He was a good-for-nothing, and the look his father gave him was always one of disappointment and disdain.

But then again, the more you can't get something, the more you crave it.

In short, his fragile little heart had taken quite a beating.

Liu Siming and the others burst into laughter—so this kid had been faking his carefree attitude all along.

"You little... you really can put on an act."

"Heh heh."

Cheng Yi suddenly turned serious, cutting through the laughter.

"If that's the case, then you should walk the merchant's path even more."

"What do you mean by that?"

Jiang Yunshan was curious.

"The Ministry of Revenue manages the nation's finances—it's the foundation of the state and the key to maintaining the court's stability. For a dynasty to survive securely, it must first fill the national treasury, right?"

"Right, right."

"But those are things my father should worry about. What does that have to do with me?"

"To fill the treasury, first you rely on various taxes from the people, and second, you rely on trade and commerce."

"Merchants, traveling ten thousand miles, link the goods of every region. Not only do they bring prosperity and well-being to the people, but they also steadily provide the court with financial gains."

"From this, it is clear that trade and commerce are essential foundations for filling the treasury, strengthening the nation, and sustaining a prosperous era. They are also the most vital pillar of the Ministry of Revenue's efforts to enrich the nation."

The more fervently Cheng Yi spoke, the more his listeners instinctively sat up straighter.

"Still think merchants are unimportant now?"

Jiang Yunshan shook his head like a rattle.

"Suppose, in the future, you become a fabulously wealthy merchant, with the power to control the economic lifeline of the capital and even the entire Great Yao—who would dare sneer at you then? Who would still consider you inferior?"

The group stared, utterly dumbfounded.

"At that point, even the current emperor would have to show you some respect, let alone a mere second-rank minister."

A mere second-rank?

What kind of talk is that?

"Your uncle just happens to be the Minister of Revenue. By then, you could completely outdo your father—are you afraid he wouldn't finally look at you with respect?"

Clap, clap, clap—Fang Qingbai quietly applauded Cheng Yi.

He thought Cheng Yi was wasted on the battlefield; he should've been a painter.

Look, that fool Jiang San's already been won over by the picture he painted—his eyes are glazed over.

As if just going into business would automatically make him the richest man in the capital.

Jiang Yunshan was completely spellbound, a goofy grin spreading across his face, as if he could already see his high-and-mighty father bowing and scraping, fawning all over him.

"Heh... heh heh..."

Everyone else: "..."

Judging by the look of things, it'd be a while before they got an answer from Cheng Yi.

Even the timid Zhao Quan was getting fired up, eager to give it a shot.

"Brother Yi, what about me? What can I do?"

"You..."

Cheng Yi hesitated.

This kid Zhao Quan had some bad luck.

As a kid, he was often left out, and being naturally timid, he got even more withdrawn.

If it weren't for Cheng Yi bringing him along, Liu Siming and the others wouldn't have been willing to include him, and in fact, hardly anyone in the whole capital was willing to hang out with him.

All because of his venomous father.

Zhao Cen, the Deputy Chief Censor of the Censorate.

That mouth of his was truly vicious.

So vicious that he'd impeached five or six out of every ten civil and military officials in the capital. Not only that, he even went after marquises, dukes, princes, and imperial princes alike.

If the emperor pushed him too far, he'd even snap back at him.

That was the kind of man who'd offended every official in the capital, big or small. So Zhao Quan was completely caught in the crossfire of his father's actions—an undeserved calamity.

It was precisely for this reason that Zhao Quan's biological father absolutely refused to let him join the Censorate.

In fact, Zhao Quan had the best academic record of the whole group. He'd passed the imperial exam and placed in the top three.

But because of this, he still had no post to this day, and even his marriage prospects had been affected. Now past twenty, he still hadn't found a suitable husband.

"My father wanted me to do grunt work in the Censorate, but my dad absolutely won't allow it."

Zhao Quan scratched his head sheepishly.

Funny thing is, he and his father were complete opposites. His father would rail against heaven and earth outside, but at home, he was completely henpecked.

Scared of his wife.

"I honestly don't know what I can do or what I want to do. Brother Yi, you're smart—how about you help me figure it out?"

"Whatever you say, I'll do."

Because of his timid nature and fear of being left out, Zhao Quan always seemed a bit cautious.

The others looked at Cheng Yi curiously, and Fang Qingbai was just as eager.

They wanted to see what pipe dream Cheng Yi would sell Zhao Quan this time.

But Cheng Yi went straight to the point.

"Do you want to be an official?"

Zhao Quan was stunned.

Of course he did. He'd read the classics and placed in the top three, so he naturally had ambitions.

But...

His father expected him to become a remonstrance official like himself, but he was naturally timid and not eloquent, even scared when confronting others—how could he possibly be one?

His father was deeply disappointed in him, and with his dad threatening suicide to keep him from following in his father's footsteps, he'd given up.

As for other paths, he had no choice, because his father had offended too many people and was a lone minister. Many positions deliberately shut him out.

His father was also helpless.

"I..."

"Just say whether you want to or not."

"I want to."

"I also want to share my father's burdens, to support my dad, to leave a way out for my family, and to have the skills to stand on my own so my family won't worry about me anymore."

"That's enough."

Cheng Yi patted his shoulder.

He arranged a minor post for him as a clerk in the Bureau of Equipment and Transport under the Ministry of War.

Although it was only a minor sixth-rank official position, the Carriage and Horse Administration was involved in military horse management, transport of chariots, ships, and grain supplies, as well as military logistics.

In addition, it encompassed the national courier stations, military dispatch relay, and ceremonial escorts for envoys.

It was one of the most important positions within the Ministry of War.

Of course, Cheng Yi himself did not yet have the authority to recommend someone for such a post, but Duke Zhenguo could, and so could Marquis Zhongyong.

Cheng Yi could easily use his father's name to secure Zhao Quan a place in the Ministry of War.

Although Marquis Zhongyong had withdrawn from worldly affairs for years, Duke Zhenguo's prestige still carried weight, so even if they knew it was Cheng Yi borrowing his father's name, most would likely do Duke Zhenguo a favor.

That was exactly what Cheng Yi was going for.

Zhao Quan, clueless about all these behind-the-scenes schemes, was thrilled by the news and couldn't wait to rush home to discuss it with both his fathers.

Liu Siming and the others each had their own agendas, but none of them could make up their minds.

Cheng Yi didn't press them, just told them to think it over carefully before giving him an answer.

Once the room was empty except for the two of them, Fang Qingbai scrutinized Cheng Yi:

"What exactly are you up to with this move today?"

He couldn't shake the feeling that, though only a year had passed, an unbridgeable gap had opened up between him and Cheng Yi, and he couldn't read Cheng Yi's mind at all anymore.

But one thing was certain: Cheng Yi wasn't just doing this out of loyalty to his friends.

Cheng Yi smiled. Facing Fang Qingbai, his heart was a tangled mess—guilt and regret from his past life mixed with the joy of seeing an old friend again.

But he had to keep all those words buried deep inside, unspoken.

"I just... don't want them to keep drifting like this, don't want them to end up regretting it later."

Cheng Yi obviously couldn't tell him that in their past lives, none of them had come to a good end.

Back when he was stationed on the northern frontier.

Liu Siming had been framed by the main branch of his family, forced to take the fall for his useless cousin, branded a rapist and murderer, and ultimately beheaded.

Zhou Chu, because the Zhou family had been dragged into the struggle for the succession, the Second Prince, wanting the Zhou family's backing, had schemed to trap Zhou Chu, a known playboy, into racking up a massive gambling debt, ruining his reputation, and using it to blackmail the Zhou family into giving in.

To keep his family out of it, Zhou Chu chose to die to clear his name—he drank poisoned wine and died before he even turned twenty.

As for Jiang Yunshan, two years later his mother would die of illness, and her dowry, properties, and shops would be picked apart by the wolves and tigers in his father's household, and he himself would be stripped bare, devoured until not even a bone was left.

Zhao Quan, once again, would suffer because of his father.

Because the Third Prince was caught up in a case involving kidnapped children, Censor Zhao, by risking his life to speak out, offended the Third Prince, and in the end, all three of them died unnatural deaths.

Cheng Yi thought back to his past life: in just three short years, when he returned from the northern frontier, it felt like the sky had fallen in.

His eldest brother was dead, his mother had lost her mind, and his brothers had all met horrific ends—Liu Siming beheaded, Zhou Chu killing himself, Zhao Quan murdered, and Fang Qingbai, that sickly one, had cut ties with him.

The only one left, Jiang Yunshan, was tormented by his siblings until he was nothing but skin and bones, lost his mind, and died not long after.

Cheng Yi had ended up completely alone.

Despair, fury, grief—

Back then, he truly wished he were dead.

The only ones who stayed by his side were Xie Yulin and Lin Beixiao.

That was why he trusted them so wholeheartedly.

He figured that in the years that followed, his relentless efforts to put Xie Yulin on the throne and turn Lin Beixiao into the Grand General of the State were, in large part, because of that year they'd stuck by him through those unbearable days.

"Regret?"

Fang Qingbai caught the shift in Cheng Yi's expression, his dark eyes holding a sorrow he couldn't understand.

It felt like an invisible wall stood between them—Cheng Yi was right there, yet Fang Qingbai felt an inexplicable distance.

The Cheng Yi in front of him didn't seem like the Cheng Yi he used to know.

What had that year on the northern frontier really done to him, what had he gone through, to turn a spirited young man into this?

How could he know that Cheng Yi had endured not one year, but a full decade?

Cheng Yi forced a smile, and when he spoke again, he'd regained his composure.

"Just think of it as the insight I gained from seeing so much life and death this past year."

Fang Qingbai was still hesitant but finally dropped it, changing the subject instead:

"You've made arrangements for all of them. What about me?"

"Or are you still mad at me for badmouthing that new best friend of yours?"

Fang Qingbai's tone was a bit snarky.

Cheng Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry—this guy really knew how to hold a grudge.

He immediately apologized with the utmost sincerity, as if offering up a decade's worth of apologies from his past life.

"I was wrong. You were right all along. I was blind and got fooled. It won't happen again. Would Qingbai be willing to forgive me just this once?"

His attitude left Fang Qingbai speechless for a moment.

After all, Cheng Yi had been so adamant before about Lin Beixiao's noble character and how well they clicked.

"Cough, cough... Making mistakes is human, and correcting them is a virtue. I'll let it slide this time. If you're this dumb again, I'm cutting you off."

"Yes, yes, thank you for your generosity, Brother Qingbai."

"Alright, alright."

Fang Qingbai felt embarrassed, but inside he was even more surprised. The old Cheng Yi would never have bowed his head, let alone apologized.

Fang Qingbai was a sickly kid, sickly from birth.

It was said that when his father was pregnant with him, his father's concubine had slipped him poison. Though his father survived, Fang Qingbai was born with the poison in his system, frail and sickly from a young age, a real medicine jar.

Because of this, his father became disheartened, spending his days praying and fasting, no longer bothering with the messy affairs of his husband's household, and Fang Qingbai was handed over to his grandmother to raise.

Luckily, he was his father's first child, so his father felt some guilt toward him, and his grandmother doted on him endlessly, protecting him at every turn, treating him like a porcelain doll and forbidding him from doing anything.

The reason Fang Qingbai became friends with Cheng Yi was simply that Cheng Yi didn't treat him like an invalid, but like a normal person.

Every time they pulled some stunt, Fang Qingbai was always the one dragged along—he hadn't done a thing, but he was still guilty by association.

But he didn't mind in the slightest; in fact, it made life a little more interesting for him.

So even when he knew they were about to cause trouble, he still chose to indulge them.

And he was especially soft on Cheng Yi, just as he was at this moment.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?"

Cheng Yi then pulled a thick wad of banknotes from his robe and handed them over.

Fang Qingbai was taken aback—there were actually thirty thousand taels.

"That much?"

Even though he was prepared for something, the sheer amount made his eyes go wide.

"What's this for, and where did you get so much cash?"

Even if Cheng Yi came from a rich family, with the Old Duke spoiling him and Lady Marquis Zhongyong letting him do whatever he wanted, there was no way he could have that much money.

A terrible thought suddenly hit Fang Qingbai—could this guy have done something huge and be scrambling to set up an escape plan for the brothers?

He got anxious right away, and the more he panicked, the worse his coughing got.

Cheng Yi watched helplessly as he coughed his lungs out, feeling guilty and frantic at the same time.

It took a while for Fang Qingbai to finally settle down.

Cheng Yi quickly explained.

The amount was big, but it really was his own private stash.

Since he was a kid, the Old Duke gave him nice stuff, his mom spoiled him rotten and gave him anything he wanted, and his big brother was always handing him money, worried he'd run out.

Plus, both the Duke's estate and the Marquis's estate had put some shops and properties in his name, so he was actually loaded.

Of course, scraping together all this cash took some work—he'd even pawned a bunch of his nice stuff.

"So, what exactly do you need me to do?"

"Stockpile supplies."

"What—cough, cough—you—cough, cough—"

Fang Qingbai went into another violent coughing fit, his already weak body going pale as a ghost, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Cheng Yi's words really freaked him out.

"You're planning to—"

He almost blurted out "rebellion" but choked the word back down.

It took a long moment before he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Are you insane? This is a crime that gets your whole family executed!"

He never would've guessed his friend could come up with something so insane.

Cheng Yi had expected this reaction, so he stayed calm and waited for him to cool off before going on.

"Qingbai, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that Cheng Yi wasn't kidding, Fang Qingbai still couldn't wrap his head around it.

"What the hell happened to you this past year? What could make you think something so crazy?"

Cheng Yi pressed his lips together as the bloody scenes from his past life flooded back—the horrible things those princes and even the emperor had done, one after another.

He thought of his uncle's whole family dying with no one to help them, his big brother getting his bones broken and then buried alive, all his brothers dying horribly, the Duke Zhenguo's mansion full of bodies, and the Marquis Zhongyong's mansion soaked in blood...

He remembered the regret and pain of wandering the world all alone, and the burning rage with no outlet.

The private room went dead silent, and who knows how long passed.

Fang Qingbai never got an explanation from Cheng Yi, but he saw a once-bright-eyed, spirited young man now with bloodshot, ruthless eyes.

He saw Cheng Yi's body go stiff, his jaw tight, shaking uncontrollably.

His heart squeezed painfully, aching and suffocating.

Whatever Cheng Yi had gone through didn't matter anymore.

"I'll help you."

Cheng Yi turned back, dazed, and finally cracked a grin at him.

==========Author's Note:==========

We're finally on the paid platform! Thanks to everyone still supporting us. Watch our brother Yi start his dragon-slaying journey!