Three days later, the two methods Lu Huan mentioned truly proved effective!
The Third Division had already been short on manpower. To have their clerks’ workload reduced by delegating part of the Second Division’s affairs was something they naturally welcomed—not to mention, they even held a bit of a “kick them while they’re down” mentality, thinking that since the Second Division had taken on these extra duties, they would surely end up overwhelmed, tangled in chaos.
Yet against all expectations, the Second Division hired new stable hands to manage the horses.
They also had someone mediate behind the scenes, dropping hints to the grooms that this was a cooperative post between soldiers and civilians—a true iron rice bowl [secure lifetime job].
Those grooms were all well-trained. The monthly silver they received from the Second Division wasn’t much, but since they believed they were now working for the state, they didn’t mind the smaller pay—in fact, they were quite happy about it!
As a result, not only did the Second Division perfectly resolve this issue, but over time, it would also greatly reduce fiscal expenses.
As for the matter of weapons, that too was swiftly and smoothly handled.
After news spread from the Second Division, many wealthy merchants in the capital began to stir restlessly.
Lu Huan instructed his subordinates to hype up the talk of cooperation first, letting the merchants think it was a lucrative, fat assignment—so that they would secretly compete and maneuver among themselves.
When the merchants scrambled and schemed to snatch up the task, desperate to get a share of it, that was when Lu Huan appropriately compressed and shaved down the profit margin offered to them.
In this way, not only was the matter resolved successfully, but the Second Division also greatly reduced its consumption of manpower, resources, and funds.
These two matters had long been the Second Division’s chronic headaches.
Every year during recruitment, several officers had to be dispatched to handle them—
some visiting citizens in the capital to offer appeasement, others running around frantically tracing the whereabouts of weapons—in short, it was always a chaotic mess.
But now, since the new assistant official had taken office, he had swiftly cured the Second Division of its two long-standing ailments.
His efficiency was lightning-fast, and his achievements undeniable.
After this incident, the subordinates of the Second Division began to feel a subtle change in their attitude toward Lu Huan.
They had originally thought that this youth only entered the yamen thanks to his connections with Grand Commander Yun and Prince Ning’s manor.
But now, it was clear that he was resourceful and decisive, truly a man of exceptional ability.
Even if compared not with them, but with the scions of aristocratic families across the capital, he would still stand out as a rare, outstanding talent.
Seeing that these troublesome affairs were now resolved, the langzhong [official of fifth rank] of the Second Division let out a deep breath of relief.
He now looked upon his newly appointed young deputy with newfound favor.
If this youth continued serving as yuanwai lang under him, would there still be any worry about the Second Division’s annual performance?
Would he still need to fret about his own promotion?
Previously, he had even considered finding a way to remove Lu Huan and have his own son take the post instead.
Now that he thought about it, such a move would have been far too short-sighted.
The langzhong’s demeanor suddenly became warm and cordial.
He even instructed a few officers to place several pots of green plants on the desk behind Lu Huan’s screen, add more charcoal for warmth, and have the room swept and sprinkled with water more frequently.
The clerks, observing the fifth-rank langzhong’s attitude, kept their eyes to their noses and their noses to their hearts, and naturally, their own attitudes toward Lu Huan shifted as well…
───♡───
When Su Xi logged in again the next day, only three days had passed in the game—
but as soon as she opened her eyes, she was stunned.
Why did it feel like the Second Division of the Ministry of War, where her Zai Zai
was, had undergone a complete transformation?!
There he was, sitting behind the screen at his desk, reading a book.
From time to time, he lifted his brush to dip into the ink and write annotations.
Just as the ink was running out and he was about to get up to fetch more from the storeroom—suddenly, a miniature zhushi [bureau officer] rushed in, enthusiastically saying: “Yuanwai lang, please stay seated, I happen to be free—I’ll grind the ink for you!”
Without waiting for Zai Zai’s reaction, he eagerly rolled up his sleeves and plopped himself down beside the desk, diligently grinding the ink with all his might.
Above Zai Zai’s head: ……
Su Xi: ……
This was Officer C, whose obsequious flattery could not have been more obvious.
Outside, a fine, drizzling rain fell. Zai Zai held up an oiled-paper umbrella, intending to return to the official residence, when an attending officer hurried over with short, quick steps and opened his umbrella beside Zai Zai, politely saying, “Yuanwai lang, why don’t we walk back together?”
This person had spoken up for Zai Zai while the other officers were whispering—he defended Zai Zai.
This was Officer D, whose attitude of admiration was plainly obvious.
After Zai Zai cut the Second Division’s troubles with a swift blade, most of the officers’ opinions of Zai Zai changed and their attitudes shifted.
But there remained a faction who still sneered and thought Zai Zai had merely stolen some administrative tricks from the Imperial Academy and was merely showing off before the Ministry of War—nothing impressive. They believed that although this incident had been resolved, it didn’t prove Zai Zai could handle all future affairs of the Ministry.
Those unconvinced men still rallied around Officer A and Officer B, and from time to time snorted coldly at Zai Zai; they also feigned illness and skipped meetings on purpose, creating trouble for Zai Zai.
Officer A was hot-tempered and openly gave Zai Zai attitude, trying to make things unpleasant.
Officer B presented a peaceful, friendly front to Zai Zai, but behind his back repeatedly used words to sow discord, pretending to remain uninvolved.
Su Xi watched the two game characters’ faces and wanted nothing more than to stretch out a finger and press those two into the mud to beat them up on Zai Zai’s behalf.
These two had been stirring up the waters of the Second Division. Even though Zai Zai had solved the problem last time and earned most people’s admiration, if these two kept muddying the water, in the long run the Second Division would still not submit to Zai Zai’s authority.
Zai Zai told her to stay calm, then went on to do something.
First, he had the guards he’d brought from Prince Ning’s manor investigate Officer A’s and Officer B’s evening whereabouts after they left the yamen each day, and learned that Officer A often went to gambling dens, while Officer B lingered at poetry gatherings with friends.
Then, on the first day, when Officer B happened to pass by the marketplace, he had his guard loiter by Officer A’s mansion gate carrying some gold and jewels, making the guard appear furtive—only for Officer B to happen to see it.
Officer B’s face showed a subtle change when he saw it.
The next day, when Officer A arrived at the yamen half a day late, Zai Zai arranged for Officer A to unexpectedly witness him speaking privately behind the screen with Officer B, and to present Officer B with a book of poems.
Officer A happened upon the scene, his face immediately turning green.
After doing this—within three days, some subtle changes actually occurred! The relationship between Officer A and Officer B grew increasingly tense, while toward Zai Zai they suddenly shifted from former noncooperation to vying to curry favor with him!
Officer A and Officer B both began to cooperate with the work. As the saying goes, catch the ringleader first—how could the other officers still cause trouble for Zai Zai?!
At first Su Xi didn’t quite understand what exactly Zai Zai had had his guard bring to Officer A that day, or what he and Officer B had discussed that made the two of them suddenly scramble to win Zai Zai’s favor!
That day, leaving the yamen, Zai Zai explained to her: “In truth, on the first day I only had my guard loiter with the gold and silver at Officer A’s mansion gate for a while; I did not actually deliver the items into Officer A’s hands. And on the first day, my talk with Officer B was only casual conversation about the weather—I didn’t discuss any alliance.”
Su Xi tugged his left sleeve to show she was listening.
Zai Zai looked to the left with gentle brows and said, “But Officer A and Officer B have always been rivals, each afraid the other will get ahead. The doer acts without intent, but the watcher’s imagination runs rampant.”
“I only needed to use these two men’s psyches: give one person a benefit while the other watches, and he becomes anxious.”
“Officer B suspects Officer A has secretly been bought by me, fearing that if Officer A stands with me he will make things difficult for him. And Officer A fears Officer B will befriend me first and then, together with me, kick him out of the Second Division—then he is finished.”
“And these two have harbored resentment for years. Their long-standing grudges and rivalry can’t be easily dissolved. The two of them could never truly join forces—so there’s only one possible outcome: they’ll compete to curry favor with me. In that case, wouldn’t it become much easier for me to accomplish whatever I wish in the Second Division of the Ministry of War?”
Outside the screen, Su Xi understood. Not only did she understand—she couldn’t help exclaiming in awe.
Why was her Zai Zai so clever?!
She finally grasped Zai Zai’s method—wasn’t this exactly what their teacher had explained as the Prisoner’s Dilemma in game theory?
Since ancient times, the art of emperors in managing their ministers had always relied on balance—letting the officials fight among themselves, while the ruler maneuvered freely between them.
Though Zai Zai was only fifteen years old, he clearly had already mastered this principle.
He might not yet possess great ambition, but to the “mother watching outside the screen,” seeing him display the budding aura of a future ruler filled her heart with pride and emotion.
Lu Huan held up his oiled-paper umbrella.
On the stone-paved street, passersby saw only a lone figure walking beneath the drizzle—one person, one umbrella—yet half his shoulder was still damp from the rain.
Only he knew that she was beside him.
Sometimes, he didn’t wish for her to see the chaos of the Second Division—the hearts of men who mocked and scorned one day, then bowed and flattered the next. Such ugliness…
If possible, he wished her eyes never had to be tainted by it.
But the feeling of walking this long road together, facing and solving each trial side by side was so good. So good that he hoped this road would stretch endlessly, never reaching its end.
At some point, the fine drizzle ceased.
Feeling the gentle tug on his sleeve, Lu Huan’s brows and eyes softened.
In his heart, he thought—when this rain stops, may I find a way to let her, too, have legs that can take her anywhere she wishes to go, a mouth that can taste whatever she wants, eyes that can see this world.
