In the end, Shen Ruhui agreed to Zhao Zhongyu’s request.

So Zhao Zhongyu began arranging his departure. Of course, it wasn’t just him alone. Besides Shen Ruhui, there were also two of his subordinates and an official from the Water Department named Cao Ping—four people in total, along with their families and servants.

Aside from Shen Ruhui who only had one servant beside him, the others all had families. However, they didn’t have many servants. Two families didn’t even have servants and handled all their daily needs themselves.

They held minor positions and worked in departments like the Sinong Temple and Water Department that had nothing to do. The Emperor couldn’t even remember them. Now that the palace hadn’t been built yet, they didn’t even have a yamen office to report to for duty.

Each month, only when salary rice was distributed did they have the fortune to see their colleagues and obtain some inside news.

But because they had nothing to do, they only received inadequate salary rice—there was no salary silver.

After coming to Yuncheng, they had to spend money to buy or rent houses, and purchase other necessities. Between this and that, the money in their hands was nearly spent.

Even Shen Ruhui, who was alone with no one to worry about, could only eat wheat porridge. The situation for the others need not be mentioned.

When everyone assembled, their faces were somewhat sallow from hunger.

Not all officials and aristocratic families were like Zhao Zhongyu and Gou Xi, with abundant family wealth and the ability to maintain money and influence after experiencing so many wars.

In these years, some had gone bankrupt and become farmers, or even descended to lower social classes. Having reached this point, pride and such things were no longer worth mentioning—staying alive was most important.

Among the four officials, Shen Ruhui had the greatest ability and was also the hardest to persuade. The other three families all had dependents, making them easy to sway.

Zhao Zhongyu personally escorted them outside the city. He divided half of the guards Zhao Hanzhang had given him and had them escort Shen Ruhui and the others back to Luoyang.

Oh, right—all four left without resigning from their positions. They just ran off.

However, the court wouldn’t care much about this. During this period, quite a few officials had abandoned their seals and left.

Some couldn’t survive in Yuncheng and wanted to seek refuge with relatives and friends elsewhere. Others were utterly disappointed in Gou Xi and unwilling to see him and the Emperor anymore, so they abandoned their seals and departed.

The departure of these four was like a small pebble tossed into water—aside from Yan Heng, who had been watching Zhao Zhongyu, no one noticed.

No sooner had Zhao Zhongyu sent the people off than Yan Heng wanted to send men to intercept them. He wanted to see why Zhao Zhongyu was sending these four away.

Then he discovered he could no longer command anyone.

“The General said that Mister Yan’s health isn’t good. These trivial matters should be left to subordinates. The Mister should just stay home and nurse his health.”

Yan Heng was furious upon hearing this and immediately stormed into the General’s mansion to see Gou Xi.

Gou Xi was enjoying song and dance in a waterside pavilion. He reclined on a wooden couch with four beauties surrounding him. He was in the center of the pavilion, while musicians occupied the open halls on all four shores—some playing music here, others dancing there. When they stopped, another group of singing dancers would perform from another direction…

Yan Heng was one of Gou Xi’s most trusted advisors. The servants and soldiers didn’t dare stop him, so he barged right up to the pavilion’s edge. Seeing how corrupt Gou Xi had become, he stamped his feet repeatedly in anger.

He called to a soldier, “Punt the boat over. I want to cross and see the General.”

The soldier didn’t dare obstruct him and punted the boat to take Yan Heng across.

Gou Xi saw him and frowned, turning his head aside. He asked, “Didn’t the Mister fall ill? How did you come here?”

Yan Heng had never actually taken sick leave. This was merely Gou Xi making him “fall ill” and stay home. He suppressed his anger and addressed the main matter first. “General, early this morning Zhao Zhongyu sent guards to escort Shen Ruhui, Cao Ping, and two others away. I don’t know where they’re going or what they’re doing.”

Gou Xi thought for a moment but couldn’t recall who these people were, so he asked, “Who are they?”

Yan Heng took a deep breath. “Shen Ruhui is the Sinong Minister, Cao Ping is a Clerk in the Water Department…”

“Agriculture and water conservancy. Zhao Zhongyu is the Minister of Affairs. Isn’t it natural for him to assign people from these two departments to do work? Why pay such close attention?”

“But they’re taking their families and considerable luggage. They’re clearly leaving Yuncheng! General, I suspect he’s sending them to Zhao Hanzhang in Luoyang. We should intercept them now…”

“General,” a colonel came up to the pavilion carrying a box of memorials, kneeling and saying, “These are memorials submitted in the past two days. Among them is Minister Zhao’s memorial about deploying Shen Ruhui and others.”

Gou Xi extended his hand. The colonel immediately found the memorial and respectfully handed it up.

Gou Xi flipped through it, then with a slap closed the memorial and tossed it at Yan Heng’s feet. “Yan Heng, when Zhao Zhongyu wants to mobilize my troops or make contact with His Majesty’s personal guards, then come tell me. Don’t bother me with such trivial matters.”

He said, “Zhao Zhongyu is the Minister of Affairs. He draws the court’s salary, so he must do work for the court. What’s there to report about sending two minor officials to inspect local agriculture and water conservancy, to encourage farming? “

Yan Heng bent down to pick up the memorial, read it through, then closed it expressionlessly and looked down at Gou Xi reclining on the couch with slightly lowered eyes. “General, this memorial is from two days ago, yet you haven’t processed it until now. Zhao Zhongyu didn’t wait for your approval before deploying the people. Aren’t you afraid that one day he’ll handle even greater state affairs without your consent?”

Gou Xi said arrogantly, “Would he dare? Even if he dared, could he command this general or the people around His Majesty? Mister Yan, I think you’re just getting old, which is why you’re always so suspicious. Someone, escort Mister Yan home to rest properly.”

“Yes!” The colonel immediately stepped forward and grabbed Yan Heng’s arm, forcefully dragging him toward the boat, pressing close to his ear and whispering, “Mister Yan, this subordinate will escort you!”

Yan Heng suddenly turned his head to look at him, narrowing his eyes. “You’re one of Gou Chun’s men…”

Before he could finish, a great force pushed him. Yan Heng was shoved off the pavilion and fell into the water with a splash.

Gou Xi immediately stood up, frowning, about to order someone to rescue him when he saw Yan Heng surface from the water, pointing at the colonel and shouting, “General, there’s a wolf standing beside you—a wolf placed there by Gou Chun! How can you sleep peacefully?”

Gou Xi saw this and turned his head away, refusing to look at him.

Seeing this, Yan Heng’s heart went cold. He couldn’t help cursing loudly, “General, when did you become so blinded by beauty, so partial and unjust? If this were before, with such an insolent subordinate, how could you let him live until now…”

Gou Xi frowned. Seeing that the musicians had all stopped and were looking over, he felt embarrassed and pointed at the water, ordering, “Pull Mister Yan out and send him home. He’s ill and can only speak deliriously now.”

“Yes.” The colonel looked at Yan Heng triumphantly and snorted. Still want to kill their general? Look at who he is and who their general is—their general is the Great General’s own younger brother!