Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Zuixianlou

Just when the young man's musket and Zhang Jingwei's sarcasm almost froze the air, the window on the second floor that had been closed was gently pushed open.

A calm yet undeniably majestic voice came from above, clearly reaching the ears of everyone downstairs:

"Hahaha...yo, that's a good scold! Your words are rough, but the logic is there. You've really woken up this old man's pedantic mind!"

The laughter and words made all the officials and soldiers downstairs shudder. They all looked up, then hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to even breathe.

The voice continued, with a hint of laziness and casualness: "Yanzhi, Zhang Jingwei, the two of you come up. Everyone else, please go back to your positions. Lift the ban on this street. I don't like silence when I read. I like to hear the lively sounds of the city. It makes it seem more lively."

Liu Yanzhi immediately bowed and said respectfully, "I obey your command!"

Soon, the long, hushed street quickly regained its vitality. The soldiers removed the roadblocks and withdrew, and vendors cautiously pushed their carts out again. Gradually, more people arrived, and the clamor and cries of hawkers rose again, as if the tense scene had never happened.

Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and walked over to Zuo Shiyi, whose expression was still grim. He bowed solemnly and said, "Just now, my general, Bi Bao, was ignorant of etiquette and acted recklessly, causing much offense! He is a warrior with a rough and unruly temperament. I hope that Master Zuo Shiyi will forgive him and not take it personally."

The young man snorted coldly and glared at Zhang Jingwei fiercely. It was obvious that he was still angry. However, since the Prime Minister had already spoken, he did not say anything more and just put away the pistol in a sullen manner.

Zhang Jingwei and Liu Yanzhi looked at each other, and walked into Zuixianlou with slightly heavy steps, one in front and the other behind, and went up to the second floor.

In the private room, Zhao Mingcheng was still sitting by the window, with a cup of tea and a book at his side. He looked calm, as if all the commotion downstairs had nothing to do with him.

Seeing the two people come in, he first looked at Liu Yanzhi and said in a gentle tone: "Yanzhi, how are you? Judging from your complexion, you seem to have lost some weight. Yunzhou has a lot of affairs to deal with, so you should take care of your health."

Liu Yanzhi bowed quickly and said, "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your concern. I am deeply ashamed to accept it. This little official business is part of my job."

Zhao Mingcheng nodded, his gaze shifting to Zhang Jingwei, a half-smile on his face. "My friend, we meet again. Last night I told you we'd see each other again soon. So, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Zhang Jingwei no longer had the arrogance he had yesterday. His face flushed crimson, and he bowed deeply to the ground. His voice was filled with fear: "Last night, I was blind and didn't realize that it was the Prime Minister himself who came here in disguise. My words were arrogant and rude, and extremely absurd! I beg the Prime Minister to punish me severely!"

Zhao Mingcheng picked up the teacup, blew on it gently, and said slowly, "Punishment? That depends on you...what do you plan to do to atone for your sins?"

Zhang Jingwei's heart tightened, and he said stiffly, "It's up to the Prime Minister! As long as I can do it, I won't hesitate!"

Zhao Mingcheng suddenly raised his eyes, looking at him sharply, and said in a half-serious tone: "Oh? In that case... then use your 'Junhang' business to atone for your sins. How do you think?"

"Ah? This..." Zhang Jingwei looked up suddenly as if struck by lightning. The blood instantly drained from his face, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a word. The military was the foundation of his hard work and the money bag for realizing his many plans. This was simply a threat to his life!

Seeing Zhang Jingwei's terrified look, Zhao Mingcheng suddenly burst into laughter and waved his hands: "Hahaha! Just kidding, look how scared you are! County Master Zhang is now wealthy and powerful, as rich as a state or county. I am too old to take over your business."

Zhang Jingwei finally breathed a sigh of relief, but a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. He felt that this Prime Minister had a deep and unfathomable mind. One sentence could make him feel like he was falling into an icy cave, and the next sentence could make him return to the human world. He was simply speechless because of this.

Seeing this, Liu Yanzhi hurriedly stepped forward, changed the subject, and respectfully asked, "Prime Minister, I wonder what important business has brought you to this small place like Gaoyang in disguise? If you have any instructions, I will be happy to serve you!"

Zhao Mingcheng glanced at him and said calmly, "Didn't Mr. Chu write to tell you?"

Chu Sheng was Liu Yanzhi's good friend in the capital and also his classmate at the Imperial College. Now he served in the court and was well-informed.

Liu Yanzhi suddenly realized and said quickly: "Brother Chu did mention in the letter...that the emperor admires Zhang Jingwei's talent and intends to recruit him as an exception, and has specially sent you, the Prime Minister, to...um...'test' him." He chose his words carefully.

"The emperor is recruiting", "examination"... these words hit Zhang Jingwei's heart like a hammer. His nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again in an instant, and he trembled subconsciously.

Zhao Mingcheng took in his reaction and softened his tone, "Don't be afraid. The tests I made the past two days don't count. From now on, I will officially 'test' you."

Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and asked respectfully: "May I ask... Prime Minister, what... the exam questions are?" He was very nervous and had no idea what the prime minister was thinking.

Zhao Mingcheng's tone was calm, but every word was weighty: "It's very simple. Governance, ruling the people, and making a living!"

Zhang Jingwei was stunned when he heard this, and subconsciously said: "But...but these are almost all included in the items of official performance assessment..." What he meant was that the scope of this assessment was too broad.

Zhao Mingcheng shook his head, looking at him penetratingly. "I don't want to read those cold, paper-covered rules and figures from the Ministry of Personnel. I'm curious, deeply curious. Why do the people of Gaoyang hold you in such high regard? It even made me wonder, for a moment, if you, Zhang Jingwei, are some kind of sorcerer with magical powers, capable of deceiving the people."

Zhang Jingwei felt a little embarrassed by what he said and quickly said, "I'm so ashamed... I was just doing my duty."

Zhao Mingcheng leaned forward slightly and asked, "Then tell me, what is your way of governing? What is your 'policy'?"