To solidify his position, the Prince of Lu, now Emperor, dispatched envoys to appease the various vassal kings, leaving no one, not even Huangfu Xingchen, out of his reach.
The envoy sent was the former steward of the Prince of Lu’s estate. Upon seeing him, the steward immediately bowed, "My Young Lord, are you well? It has been a long time, and this old servant misses you dearly."
"Looking at your attire, you've clearly been promoted. Congratulations," Huangfu Xingchen said. After all, it wasn't that hard to exchange pleasantries.
He, who was once the steward of the Prince of Lu's estate, was now Lord Li. The biggest mistake of his life was misjudging people. He believed the Young Lord was truly on his deathbed and had let his guard down.
When the Imperial Guards arrived, the Young Lord had already fled, leaving him to face the repercussions alone. Although his master had become Emperor, he would still complain from time to time, feeling that his performance was inadequate, otherwise, he would have achieved an even higher position.
Seeing the lack of warmth in his smile, Huangfu Xingchen knew he wasn't taken seriously. The steward’s mind began to ache as he considered the purpose of his visit.
Having known each other for so many years, he could tell the Young Lord was a shrewd individual, at least capable of deceiving him.
Adjusting his demeanor, he smiled and said, "I'm sure the Young Lord can guess my purpose. Regardless, he is your father. I hope, at this time, the Young Lord will not cause trouble for His Majesty. I believe that father and son working together will surely break through any obstacle."
"Listen to what Lord Li says. I am the most filial. I will do whatever my father asks. However, as you know, I have been confined to the estate for many years and rarely go out. I lack funds. There are so many vassal kings, and I need to protect myself. Raising an army is an expensive affair. Please, convey this to my father when you return." Huangfu Xingchen agreed readily, as he needed time to recuperate.
Lord Li felt a pang of frustration. The imperial court was currently facing a severe shortage of funds. No wonder the Emperor disliked this one; he truly lacked foresight, asking for money from the Emperor at such a time.
However, he dared not refuse outright and could only say awkwardly, "The Young Lord knows that His Majesty has just ascended the throne and his foundation is unstable, with many expenses. I can only reflect this matter to His Majesty for you. Whether it is approved is beyond my control."
"Lord Li has followed His Majesty for so many years, and His Majesty promoted you as soon as he took the throne, which shows your extraordinary standing in His Majesty's heart. Your words are exceptionally effective. I await Lord Li's good news. I have already agreed to His Majesty's conditions, and I believe His Majesty will also fulfill my small wish." Huangfu Xingchen said meaningfully.
Lord Li truly wished he could slap himself. He used to think this one was too foolish, but now he realized he was the clown.
These words were a naked threat, implying that agreeing to the conditions was acceptable, but only if accompanied by money.
"The Young Lord overpraises me. I dare not guarantee this matter; I can only return and report to His Majesty." He did not dare to fall for his provocation. Although he knew his standing in the Emperor’s heart was exceptional, this was the Emperor's own son. Even if their relationship was strained, he believed they wouldn't act ruthlessly against each other. What was he in between them?
Having said what he wanted to say, Huangfu Xingchen ordered his subordinates to escort him out for a tour. Their relationship, after so many years, was not as harmonious as it appeared on the surface. After all, he remembered how the original host died and how they had mocked him behind his back.
Later, when he wished to speak with the Young Lord, he found him impossible to locate. The Young Lord was either out or not in the estate. At first, he thought the servants were making excuses. Later, he tried to corner him personally but could never find him, which made him truly believe it.
How could Huangfu Xingchen spend all his time with him? He had many other things to do. Only by observing their training of new recruits daily and correcting some of their mistakes could he feel at ease.
Finally, bored, the steward requested permission to leave from An Yun. He thought that upon his departure, the Young Lord would at least come to see him off. However, he realized he had thought too highly of himself.
At this moment, he regretted not having gotten along with the Young Lord better in the past. Given the Young Lord’s astuteness, it was uncertain who would eventually inherit the throne. If he had cultivated a good relationship with him back then, perhaps he would have had an extra option.
To show goodwill to Huangfu Xingchen, upon his return, he spoke to the Emperor about the poverty of You Province and how difficult the Young Lord's life had been over the years. Consequently, the Emperor's dissatisfaction with his request for money had subsided considerably. After some thought, he allocated hundreds of thousands of taels to him.
He even wrote a letter to Huangfu Xingchen to boast of his achievements.
Upon receiving the letter, Huangfu Xingchen skimmed through it and chuckled. To him, those hundreds of thousands of taels were tangible. It was possible the steward had played some role, but for Huangfu Xingchen, it was too late to mend their relationship now, as the original host could not return.
Recently, Old Master Bai had been troubled. Although his daughter had been forced to kill the bandits, the news had somehow spread outside.
Every time he heard people privately discussing Wu Caiwei as a ruthless demon, he couldn't help but argue with them, his neck turning red.
Later, as rumors grew, Old Master Bai felt powerless. Some people even avoided him from a distance, thinking that a father with such a formidable daughter must also be formidable. The Bai manor was suddenly isolated.
Bai Shuming was the first to be unable to bear it. Seeing his classmates looking at him strangely, he knew he had been implicated by his sister and harbored resentment in his heart.
Every time he saw Wu Caiwei, he would glare at her with annoyance. However, remembering the ferocity with which she had killed someone last time, he would immediately back down.
Wu Caiwei scoffed at his demeanor. In her eyes, he wasn't a man at all.
Recently, Bai Shuming met a girl and fell in love at first sight. He asked his mother, once she recovered, to propose marriage. Madam Bai sent someone to probe, and the family had only one request: to marry off Bai Yulan. After all, any family with such a formidable sister-in-law would be someone they couldn't afford to offend.
Bai Shuming was aghast. Initially, he wanted his mother to speak to his father, but Old Master Bai was utterly disappointed with Madam Bai and refused to see her.
Bai Shuming had to take matters into his own hands. "Father, you don't know how bad the rumors are outside. To avoid dragging down the Bai family's reputation, I think we can find a husband for my sister and marry her off quickly."
Old Master Bai was enraged. In fact, after the last incident, he had seen through his son and had no great expectations for him. He said with disappointment, "Reputation? How laughable! Without your sister, would you still be standing here talking to me? Have you forgotten the tragic state of the neighboring household? So many people, from top to bottom, not a single one survived."