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墨書 Inktalez
Lu Ziquan, hailing from the Qin State in Jiangzhou, is a prominent figure in the ancient Huaxia realm. He serves as the leader of the Retainers, commanding a force of thirty-six thousand Retainers under his command. He is affiliated with the second division of the Qin State's external intelligence department, currently holding the position of Deputy Minister. Many of his subordinates operate undercover as Keepers of the Prosperity Record, gathering intelligence across various Feudal States. This so-called Prosperity Record is essentially the intelligence division of the Qin State.
Upon hearing that the Qin State has such a multitude of illustrious officials with grand titles, King Zhou She Ji Yan, who has been in power for fifty-five years and is now ninety-eight years old, couldn't help but sigh. In his memory, no official had ever received such honors, let alone hold so many titles. Since King Wu pacified the realm, there have been no records of officials like this in eight centuries.
He clicked his teeth to test his still sturdy old teeth and asked, "Surely Lu Ziquan's salary alone must be equivalent to that of several feudal lords combined?"
The civil official from the Ministry of Appointments, Tai Shi, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, that may very well be true!"
King Zhou She Ji Yan nodded. "If that's the case, he must be registered officially as well?"
Tai Shi quickly responded, "Your Majesty, I beg your pardon! I have thoroughly checked the registered officials of the Qin State, and it is not as such. There are a total of three hundred forty-one officials registered in the Qin State, and not one belongs to Jiang Lu Clan."
Upon receiving this answer, King Zhou She Ji Yan immediately understood that such official positions were likely absorbed internally within the Qin State. The reason for this was clear: it was a structure that could not be exposed.
However, this situation was not entirely unique; feudal lords typically granted visible official positions to key figures within this department. To outsiders, these individuals appeared to be senior officials within their respective states. This practice served not only to conceal their true identities but also to provide them with a prestigious title.
When King Zhou She Ji Yan voiced this concern, Tai Shi immediately pointed out that Lu Ziquan was indeed the Big Shopkeeper of thirty-six major chains and countless smaller ones under Prosperity Pavilion. Aside from Luoyi in present-day China, there are almost no branches of Prosperity Record anywhere else! It seems that King Zhao of Qin may have considered it unwise to grant Lu Ziquan an official position, thus allowing him to amass wealth rivaling that of nations.
Having ruled for fifty-five years, King Zhou She Ji Yan had seen it all! Now an old man himself, he clearly did not share this view but chose not to voice it openly. He looked down at Tai Shi's graying temples and said, "You Zhong! You have been with me for thirty years now, haven't you? I remember when you first entered my court; you were a dashing young man full of vigor. It feels like just a blink ago... sigh!"
Recalling past glories as they were mercilessly turned over page by page made You Zhong lament the passage of time as he wiped away tears. He cried out, "I have received Your Majesty's trust and favor but have failed to uphold our Zhou State's Unity of the Realm. I am unworthy of your trust; I deserve death a thousand times over!"
Hmph! Unity of the Realm!
King Zhou She shook his head at the thought of this term. Don't mention your guilt; this king also feels guilty towards the past kings! With a sigh in his heart, he said, "My dear minister, I ask you to answer truthfully. Since King Qin cannot grant Lu Ziquan an official position, can I bestow one upon him!?"
You Zhong was taken aback by these words. The king's intention... is he trying to win people's hearts? At this moment, the Qin State is poised to unify the land of China. Since Su Qin Su Qinzi implemented Alliance and Diplomacy, the only force that can currently contend with them is the Zhao Army, which is risking everything for battle.
If the Zhao Army wins, then the severely weakened Qin State will need at least fifteen years to recover. If the Qin Army ultimately secures control over Shangdang, then the pace of unifying China will be accelerated. If that truly happens, the eight Once in a century generations of the Zhou Royal Family will be in jeopardy!
"Your Majesty! As the Son of Heaven, you can naturally reward anyone you wish! Which feudal lord would dare to voice opposition!? However... however..."
King Zhou She only needed this one answer and signaled that the "however" from Tai Shi should be omitted!
If this were in the past, the words of the Son of Heaven would be seen as divine decree. Not to mention rewards; even promoting a feudal lord on a whim would not be an issue! At that time, Zhou Tianzi was revered throughout the land, and any dissenters would be attacked by all other lords. But now, King Zhou She has long since faded into obscurity; there are few lords who even bother to greet the emperor when he dismounts.
Now, regardless of what Zhou Tianzi intends to do, it is certainly not good news. Whether it is to win people's hearts or to sow discord between the rulers and subjects of Qin State, the end result will only serve to offend King Zhao of Qin!
Hearing the unfriendly tone from above, Minister Yu had no choice but to refrain from reminding the king about being cautious regarding this matter. What was meant to come would eventually arrive; that most terrifying decline was about to accelerate... As Tai Shi, You Zhong lowered his head and ceased to express any opinions, maintaining his last shred of hope through silence.
Along their route, without inquiring about directions, Luzi followed their predetermined path and accurately found their king amidst Sun Thirteen's confusion. Not far ahead of them stood a flag bearing the emblem of Great Qin, fluttering in the wind.
Having received news, Zhang Cheng had set out early to wait and was scanning his surroundings when he spotted two people strolling leisurely towards him. He hurriedly approached them, looking around for signs of carriages and warhorses. Upon confirming that these two had indeed come on foot, he asked with confusion, " Big Shopkeeper! How did you get here? Where's your carriage!?"
Upon hearing the question, Luzi couldn't help but smile wryly. He sighed heavily and said, "Ah! It's quite a long story!"
"Alright! Alright! We can discuss it later!" Zhang Cheng clearly wasn't in a hurry for answers and urged, "The king has been waiting anxiously! And you! You still dare to keep our king waiting! If it were someone else..."
Someone has been spreading rumors again, and Luzi quickly admitted his mistake. While acknowledging his error, he hoped that Manager Zhang would not hold it against the Scoundrel and suggested retracting his previous comments.
It seems Zhang Chengzhen was anxious, as he grabbed Luzi's arm and hurried towards the gate guarded by the Qin State's soldiers. He indicated for someone to take charge of Settle and Sun Thirteen, dragging Luzi into the Reception Hall.
At this moment, King Zhao of Qin appeared to be in a good mood, leisurely sipping tea and lost in thought. He had confidence in Luzi's abilities and no longer worried about Qi State. Among the various Feudal States, the one that troubled Qin State the most, Zhao State, was on the verge of collapse. It could be said that resolving the issue with this military power was merely a matter of time.
Now, with the Old King of Qin shifting his focus, Qi State and Chu State suddenly became priorities. As long as Qi and Chu did not unite, any other vassal state was manageable. If King Zhao of Qin had felt uneasy in Hanoi, he was now in high spirits in Luoyi.
"Your Majesty! The Big Shopkeeper from Prosperity Record requests an audience!"
With this good news coming from the entrance, King Zhao of Qin, feeling relaxed all over, set down his teacup and rose to greet him.
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