Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“There are no talents in this world that can’t be poached. There are only people who don’t make the effort to poach them.” Jiang Pengji readily accepted his view and retorted good-naturedly to Feng Zhen’s words. “Turn your thoughts around and think about Wanzhou in its entirety. The land is big but the people are scarce. We do everything by ourselves. Sooner or later, we’ll die from exhaustion over a pile of official documents…”

The only thing that Jiang Pengji stopped short of telling Feng Zhen was, “And you still want a vacation, women, good wine, and fine food? Hurry, get to work and procure the people we need!”

Even if she didn’t say it in those words, with Feng Zhen’s IQ, he was immediately able to understand the deeper meaning behind her words.

It was precisely because he understood her that he felt even more regret over the choices he’d made in the past.

He should never have gone running over so eagerly back when he received Wei Ci’s letter.

How wonderful it was that he had plunged head-first into the bottomless pit of working overtime and enduring Jiang Pengji’s exploitation. He hadn’t had a proper vacation in an entire year.

For a wastrel, no personal time meant that ha had no chances to live licentiously or come into contact with various women.

He had nothing to live for.

“It’s just that fate plays a role in this matter too! You can’t force it….” Feng Zhen weakly justified himself.

It was useless to poach ordinary, run of the mill talents. Top talents were not mere radishes with legs that could be purchased at wholesale prices. Acquiring them depended on fate.

Furthermore, for the sake of harmony within the internal group administering to the whole of Wanzhou, Feng Zhen couldn’t possibly let just any sort of person into his family, could he?

Even if Feng Zhen dared to do this, would Jiang Pengji dare to accept such a mixed bag of talents?

“Ahh, sometimes I envy those who have a good foundation and background. They have many assets, a lot of people in their families, and hugely profitable businesses at their disposal… At the very least, they don’t have to expend a great deal of effort to get talents.” Jiang Pengji looked pit at the somewhat desolate and deserted street and complained in a low voice. “I wouldn’t mind if it was just the brothers of the Xu family, but I can’t even be compared to Bogao…”

Jiang Pengji would never admit defeat when it came to anything else, but when it came to her standing in terms of personal charisma, she was like a lonely wildflower by the side of the road. No matter how much she blossomed, she could never be compared to the flowers and plants like the tree peony or the herbaceous peony. The others were simply more attractive to butterflies and bees… This was motherf*cking frustrating.

Feng Zhen was two steps behind Jiang Pengji. When he heard her complaints, he gave a shallow, squawking laugh.

“Clearly, it’s because you’re willfully hiding your real abilities and how shrewd you are. How are you worse off than others?”

Feng Zhen did not speak to comfort Jiang Pengji. Everything that he said was nothing other than the truth.

Jiang Pengji’s current situation was of her own making.

If they were to talk about foundations and backgrounds, even if the Liu family was not really considered one of the top aristocratic families in Hejian, they still belonged to the middling gentry. To have such an impressive father as Liu She, who had laid a solid foundation for the next generation, the resources and advantages that Jiang Pengji possessed were far greater than she realized.

As long as Jiang Pengji was willing to use Liu She’s name, draw support from the Liu family’s capabilities, and use the resources at her disposal, there would be no need to worry about the scarcity of talents.

Leaving aside the possibility of overtaking the Xu brothers, she was more than capable of surpassing Huang Song.

In this day and age, wasn’t it all about relying on one’s father or one’s ancestors’ wealth and prestige to get ahead?

His lord held quite a few powerful trump cards in her hand, but she just refused to show them. If that was the case, what else could she do?

Naturally, if she didn’t bring out these trump cards to show the real picture, she wouldn’t be able to attract enough attention. As such, the scholars in the world didn’t know much about her. They didn’t see the slightest hope that she had any ambitions or even anything to show off. Which fool would actively go over to her side?

To speak plainly, she obviously had the good luck of being able to rely on her father’s wealth and prestige to get ahead, but she just had to insist on starting from scratch. Wasn’t she torturing herself?

Not only was his lord torturing herself, but she was also dragging the employees under her through this torture with her. It was very heart-breaking.

Although Feng Zhen seemed unreliable, he had a keen sense of judgment and could see through everything very clearly.

By refusing to draw on the strength of her father and his clan, his lord undoubtedly wanted to achieve something big.

She was born into the gentry but she wanted to attack them. Wasn’t she a bully?

Jiang Pengji waved her hand weakly and frowned. “I know what you’re going to say. Since this is the path that I chose, even if I have to kneel, I’ll have to crawl through it to the end. It will take a lot of energy if I do this alone, but I can rely on you guys, right? Anyway, we’re short of people now. Go poach some people for me!”

She had talked for a long time, but the topic had still taken a detour back to the original point.

Feng Zhen said that he was feeling weak and had no energy to poach anyone.

Jiang Pengji was angry but amused at the same time. She stood firmly and asked him, “What do you want to do then?”

Feng Zhen hesitated before saying, “Since you asked, there are many places in the imperial city that provide fun and relaxation for the body and mind. It’s rare for us to come here. Isn’t it a waste if we don’t enjoy the scenery? I really have no other meaning, I just want to see and experience the city.”

Jiang Pengji chuckled.

“You’re like an old mast of a sailboat that has been through thousands of voyages, yet you’re saying that you want to expand your knowledge and experience… this is definitely the coldest joke I’ve ever heard.”

Well, since she wasn’t letting him go, Feng Zhen put on an attitude that screamed, “I already have a candidate, but since you are not allowing me to go and play, I’ll slack off on my work.” Jiang Pengji’s molars ached as she noticed this. If she let him go, who knew if the Feng Zhen would remain there to enjoy himself and forget to go home once he’d had a taste of women?

The two of them confronted each other in the streets, attracting much attention from the commoners.

It was impossible for them to not pay them any attention when they were so attention-grabbing.

Jiang Pengji wore women’s clothes, but she was taller than all the men on the entire street. Her entire body gave off a domineering and powerful aura that caused the street urchins to tremble in fear when they passed by.

Feng Zhen was wearing a cyan colored scholar’s costume. He did look a little like a proper scholar, but he also looked unhealthy and weak, seemingly from physical overexertion. He just looked like an indecent sort.

Wouldn’t the unsuspecting commoners become curious about the two facing off in the street?

“My lord, please allow it. The time and place have been agreed on. If I don’t go, the talent might just fly away.”

Feng Zhen just looked like an annoying troublemaker now. What else could Jiang Pengji do?

“Act first and report later? You’ve grown up! Deal! Let’s go together, lest you have to meet them at another time after you’ve already coaxed them over to our side.”

Feng Zhen responded without thinking. He looked at his lord’s slender, tall, and graceful back, and immediately stood rooted to the spot.

“My lord, you’re going dressed like this?”

He hadn’t known that Jiang Pengji was a woman before. When he was still quitting the bad habit of taking five mineral powder, the two would often go out to drink together, cultivating a revolutionary friendship.

It was different now that his lord was a woman. Wasn’t it unsuitable for her to go to the red-light district now?

Jiang Pengji replied, “Who would foot your bills if I don’t go? Don’t give them my name if you’re detained there.”

Feng Zhen secretly touched his shriveled purse and clicked his tongue…

Even after Jiang Pengji became rich, she never treated her people unfairly in terms of wages. However, it just couldn’t compete with his spending ability. Naturally, his wages were always frittered away before the end of the month.

He had actually wanted to con another person into footing the bills.

Feng Zhen muttered, “I still feel like it’s weird…”

He wasn’t the only one who felt weird. Even the courtesans receiving them thought that the two were a very weird pair.

It didn’t seem like a male master who had brought his concubine out to experience some dissolute and rakish fun. What kind of concubine would have such a scary aura about her?

It didn’t seem like a male master who had brought his wife out to experience some dissolute and rakish fun. Whose wife would be more familiar with the pleasure quarters than with her own husband?

They were more like… a tough as nails mother who had brought her greenhorn brat of a son out to experience some dissolute and rakish fun.

But…

The veteran courtesan shot a glance at Feng Zhen secretly. Based on her ten years of experience traversing this dissolute industry, Feng Zhen was definitely no virgin. He was an old sausage that had experienced countless women. It just felt so weird for such a pair to appear here.