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Chapter 23.1

Jiang Suizhou busied away at the Ministry of Rites until it was completely dark. Afterwards, he returned to the royal residence.

He didn\'t forget about Xu Du\'s matter and went to Xu Du\'s courtyard as soon as he returned.

Gu Changyun didn’t know of his visit beforehand, so he was absent —— This was precisely Jiang Suizhou’s purpose for not informing him. There were some things that he needed to discuss with Xu Du in private.

Xu Du had just prepared dinner in his courtyard, and when he saw Jiang Suizhou, he acted very calmly, asking the serving maids to add a set of bowls and chopsticks, and then dismissing them all.

Once the servants withdrew, only the two of them were left.

Xu Du\'s residence was quite quiet, with bamboo shadows swaying outside the window and the fragrance of ink lingering in the room. There was a chess game on the table in front of the window, with an unsolved game on top.

Jiang Suizhou sat at the table and looked at Xu Du, and saw Xu Du smiling gently.

"Master actually knows that there are matters to be handed over to me on the 15th of every month," he said. "I am not as resourceful as Changyun, and was thinking of what method to use to see you in case you were unaware."

Xu Du said this bluntly, laying Jiang Suizhou’s identity on the table.

Jiang Suizhou didn’t dodge the accusation. Relying on the lack of audio and video equipment in ancient times, he stated outright, "There are a number of records in the study from which I glimpsed a clue or two from, and know that I have a transaction with you today."

Xu Du froze, not expecting him to be so blunt.

"I have only seen this kind of spirit possession in books since childhood. I never imagined that this speculation was true," he said slowly.

Jiang Suizhou gave a faint smile: "I didn’t want to be here either. It was a coincidence, so I really had no choice."

Xu Du laughed.

"It is fascinating. Witnessing this unheard-of phenomenon makes my birth and walk in life worthwhile,” he said.

Xu Du acted open-minded and natural. Jiang Suizhou looked at him for a moment and said, "Now then, I still don\'t know what the scheme with you is.”

Xu Du smiled and asked, "Which aspect of the plot is Master talking about?"

Jiang Suizhou replied, "You already know. Although I became King Jing, I am not him. You all have your own purposes for being his wingmen. I know now that Gu Changyun’s family is under duress, so what about you?"

A momentary surprise flashed across Xu Du’s face.

“Master even found out about this?” Xu Du asked.

Jiang Suizhou regarded him quietly.

After a while, Xu Du burst into laughter and nodded.

“It’s indeed because of this for Gu Changyun. His parents died early, so he, his grandmother and younger sister depended on each other. At that time, our Master approached him, but he did not want to get involved in the strife of the court, so our Master used some tricks," he said. "Unexpectedly, you’re so astute that you even discovered this."

"What about you?" Jiang Suizhou asked him.

Xu Du paused and raised his eyes to look at him, his gaze clear and bright.

"I come from a merchant background and had no way to enter the officialdom," he answered, "But I aspire to be part of the country’s annals. All I want in life is fame and fortune."

Jiang Suizhou knew that the Jing Dynasty had just started the imperial examinations, and the requirements for the family background of those who entered the service were extremely strict. Within the five categories, as long as you were a merchant, opera singer, or prostitute, you were barred from participating in the examination.

Jiang Suizhou paused and then asked, "So, you then joined King Jing\'s command?"

Xu Du laughed a couple of times.

"I’m a nobody, and apart from His Highness King Jing, who is in a tight spot, I really had no other means," he said.

"Moreover, although I want to achieve fame and fortune, I shouldn’t stoop to low levels. If I join Pang Shao\'s sect, won\'t I have to do something that will leave a dirty mark for years to come?" He stated frankly.

Jiang Suizhou believed 80% of his words. He pondered for a moment and asked, "So, what is the money given to you on the 15th of every month used for?"

He knew that the credibility of a person\'s words depended on his actions. Whether Xu Du was honest with him or not depended on these important matters.

Jiang Suizhou quietly looked at Xu Du, then saw him turn around. Xu Du went to the hidden compartment in the bookshelf and took out an account book. He returned to the table and handed it to Jiang Suizhou.

"His Highness has saved up money over the past few years and raised a batch of dead soldiers," he informed. "There are a few with a total of ten or so. Since dead soldiers need to be personally trained for many years before they can be used with confidence, His Highness sought me out and handed the matter of raising and training dead soldiers to me."

Jiang Suizhou was inwardly surprised, but nothing showed on his face as he took the record and flipped through it carefully.

He committed each man\'s serial number and expenditure to memory, along with the date. The detailed notes in a month accumulated into a thick book.