In her heart, Song Chuyi held even greater expectations for Han Zhi. This venomous snake had traveled thousands of miles to specifically choose Fujian, deliberately became a pirate, and painstakingly endured hardship under Wang Lun, the great pirate leader—oh, for Han Zhi it probably couldn’t be called enduring hardship. Painstakingly rising to prominence under Wang Lun’s command, becoming a pirate with even more prospects than Wang Lun himself—he definitely wasn’t doing this simply to be a pirate. This person’s ambition was limitless. In his previous life, he wanted to become someone above the clouds. In this lifetime, given his nature and having experienced such a great setback, his thirst for power would only be heavier.
And such a power-hungry person would absolutely be unable to tolerate those who had once betrayed him. When he first came to Fujian, it was for Fan Shikun, who served as Commander-in-Chief in Fujian. Now that he had painstakingly worked his way up and had everything, perhaps his old hatred had gradually become less intense. And Song Chuyi now wanted to stir up these resentments of his, making him reignite his blazing fury toward the Fan family.
This wasn’t only for the Fan family’s previous inaction when they wanted to kill her at the Chen family and Huangjue Temple, nor only because the Fan family had made a move against Zhou Weizhao. More importantly, if no one came forward to take responsibility for Zhou Weizhao’s matter, the Emperor would naturally place this account on the Eastern Palace Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was, after all, Zhou Weizhao’s biological father. His unstable position brought no benefits to Zhou Weizhao as the Imperial Grandson. Thinking of this, Song Chuyi couldn’t help but sigh. She actually quite disliked this biased and obstinate Crown Prince. Not only was he incompetent, he was extremely weak and obeyed the Fan family’s every word. Yet toward his own biological son and legitimate Crown Princess, he was cold and indifferent. This wasn’t something an enlightened ruler would do.
Thinking this far, she frowned. This was, after all, a matter for the future. Moreover, the Crown Prince was said to be too easily influenced. Perhaps after the Fan family members who had such deep influence over him all fell, he might change?
This also wasn’t something she could worry about now. She simply set it aside and stopped thinking about it. She looked at Luo Gui for a long while, then shook her head—Luo Gui was clever, familiar with the capital, and was from the Earl of Changning’s household. He wasn’t suitable for going to Fujian.
Luo Gui looked somewhat confused by her scrutiny. He scratched his head and asked her, “Miss, is there something you want to entrust to me?” Luo Gui very much enjoyed handling matters for Song Chuyi, not because the rewards were generous, but because handling matters for Song Chuyi often allowed him to learn many things. This time when he went to Fujian, during his free time while gathering information, he had obtained many good items and learned much about maritime trade.
“Originally I planned to send you, but thinking about it, your identity might be easily investigated. Better forget it.” Song Chuyi told him honestly. Seeing him respond with an “oh,” she continued, “It’s actually good that you’re not going. Follow me back to the capital. I want to open several tea houses, and when the time comes you can be a manager. You’re young and clever—you should certainly be able to handle these matters.”
Luo Gui naturally hastened to agree repeatedly. Being able to stay close to home while doing such respectable work was truly unimaginably good fortune. Moreover, given his age and experience, probably only Song Chuyi alone had the courage to dare give him an entire shop to practice with. He solemnly agreed.
Song Chuyi then called in Sun Ergou and the others. People like Ma Wangkun and Ma Changjiang had all been seen by Han Zhi, so they couldn’t serve as backup candidates. But Sun Ergou and Sun Yuan—though these two had been under her command for as long as Ma Wangkun and the others, she had used them less often. It wasn’t that Song Chuyi was unwilling to use them or overlooked them. It was really that they looked somewhat too frightening. People who saw them would have a deep impression. Such distinctive people were always inappropriate to use too often in the capital, lest people with ulterior motives remember them and connect them to her.
What had seemed like a disadvantage in the past had now become an advantage. They were naturally frightening-looking, so becoming pirates would be perfectly natural. These two were both Fujian natives and spoke the Minnan dialect. No matter how suspicious Han Zhi was, he probably wouldn’t suspect them.
Song Chuyi thought for a moment and asked if they were willing to go to Fujian to seek refuge with Han Zhi. “You should all have heard of this person, right? He was originally the heir apparent of the Jinxiang Marquis Estate. He was forced away by our schemes. He’s currently working under the pirate Wang Lun.”
Wang Lun had already made a name for himself on the seas eight or nine years ago. Leading Japanese, he had committed no small amount of burning, killing, and pillaging along the coast. When Sun Ergou and the others followed Cui Shaoting as officials, they had wished Wang Lun could be executed by slow slicing. Now hearing Song Chuyi speak this way, though they didn’t know what she meant, they both nodded.
Song Chuyi picked up the hot tea at hand, took a sip, and looked at them both with burning eyes. “I want you two to go seek refuge with Han Zhi.”
The Sun Ergou and Sun Yuan brothers looked at each other, both dumbfounded for a moment. After a while, they hesitantly asked her, “Seek refuge with Han Zhi?”
Song Chuyi wasn’t joking. Though her voice wasn’t loud when she spoke, what she said was always difficult to change—both of them knew this. But why go seek refuge with Han Zhi? Seek refuge with a pirate? And this pirate was even a madman who had once fought bitterly with the Sixth Miss. They hesitated for a moment but still patiently waited for Song Chuyi to answer.
“If you go, this time you might be able to help Governor Guo greatly.” Song Chuyi didn’t keep them in suspense. “Rest assured, of course I’m not really having you genuinely join Han Zhi as pirates. I want you to go as undercover agents, stay by Han Zhi’s side and first gain his trust.”
So that was it. Both relaxed and understood with sudden realization, continuing to prick up their ears to listen to Song Chuyi speak.
“I want you to stay by Han Zhi’s side, find his weaknesses, and incite him to go find his younger sister—that sister who went out as an accompanying dowry servant. He now hates his family members thoroughly. Perhaps only Han Yueheng can make him recover some conscience.” Song Chuyi told them the purpose of their going. “Han Zhi was originally ambitious. That he could step on the other ten brothers to uniquely gain Wang Lun’s favor shows he put in great effort. I also want you to constantly sow discord between him and the other ten. At the appropriate time, you should leak to the other ten the information that he is the biological nephew of Fujian Commander-in-Chief Fan Shikun.”
Wang Lun was always someone for whom profit came before all else. Once he knew that Fan Shikun was Han Zhi’s biological uncle, he would certainly force Han Zhi to extract some benefits from this uncle. Dealing with him would already be difficult for Han Zhi then. Having also fallen out with the others, perhaps he would resolve to strike out on his own.