Chapter 34: A Keen Eye for Talent

"Sir, we have consulted with County Lieutenant Cao. Apart from a few uniquely gifted experts who brought their families along and are currently registering, almost all other soldiers are locals from Pei County."

"The recruitment criteria are strict: no ruffians, no glib-tongued opportunists, no cowards, and no one with a paranoid personality..."

Listening to the guard's report, the Zhongli family shared a smile. Zhongli Wanxue, in particular, was overjoyed.

"Just as I suspected, this proves he is truly selecting elite soldiers, not merely seeking empty glory. Considering he is the descendant of Marquis Zhongwu, his literary and military brilliance goes without saying," Zhongli Qingfeng praised.

Zhongli Xiu, too, displayed a rare look of anticipation.

That evening, as Liang Xiao was writing in his room, a guard rushed in with an urgent report.

"Master, the head of the Zhongli family, accompanied by his son Zhongli Qingfeng, is here for a secret visit, saying there is an urgent matter to discuss!"

Liang Xiao immediately ordered the guard to summon Zhuo Zifang.

In the main hall, Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zifang sat opposite Zhongli Xiu and his son. Everyone else was sent out to patrol, ensuring no walls had ears.

Two wooden boxes sat on the table.

Zhongli Xiu spoke with sincerity. "Magistrate Liang, you are indeed a man of your word. Seeking the welfare of the people and bringing peace to the land is within reach! While the Zhongli family does not wish to offend the Sima clan, we are moved by your dedication to Pei County. We intend to send men to Jiangnan soon to transport grain for you."

Zhongli Xiu pushed the wooden boxes toward Liang Xiao. "Please accept these twenty thousand taels of silver notes. Ten thousand of which were contributed by my daughter to support your development of Pei County."

Liang Xiao, like Zhuo Zifang, was quite surprised. This gesture clearly signaled that the Zhongli family had decided to fully support him as the magistrate.

"Since you, Master Zhongli, have the heart to support me, I will certainly not let you suffer any losses. Land reclamation requires a vast amount of farming tools; the Zhongli family can take on the contract for their production and earn a profit. Furthermore, merchants like the Wu family will eventually leave Pei County, and I can support your family in absorbing their assets."

"In a few days, I will dispatch soldiers to escort your people, carrying these silver notes to the prefectural capital or Jiangnan to exchange them for real gold and silver, which will be used to recruit craftsmen, forge weapons, and support the suppression of bandits."

"From now on, as long as it is within my jurisdiction, I will not allow anyone to bully the Zhongli family. If there is any opportunity for growth, you will be the first I think of."

Zhongli Xiu understood and said, "Let my son be responsible for the silver exchange and grain transport. How about that?"

Liang Xiao observed Zhongli Qingfeng. Seeing his refined and easygoing demeanor, he nodded and said, "If Young Master Zhongli oversees this personally, I can rest easy. When he returns, I will not let his efforts go to waste. To ensure this journey proceeds smoothly, for the time being, the Zhongli family should maintain a low profile in their support."

Zhongli Qingfeng smiled and agreed. Without a doubt, once this task was completed, his standing within Liang Xiao’s camp would be second only to Cao Chen.

However, his true intention was to secure a future position for his younger sister. If Liang Xiao were to have wives and concubines in the future, even if Zhongli Wanxue could not become the primary wife, she must at least not be reduced to a mere concubine.

In their view, no matter how many titles Liang Xiao had been stripped of, he was still the descendant of the Marquis Zhongwu and a scion of a distinguished military family; he still had the chance to be restored by the state and rise to great heights. The Zhongli family, however, were mere merchants, and there was a clear divide in their political standing.

Moreover, Liang Xiao clearly had a boundless future and would likely marry into other prestigious families, which left Zhongli Wanxue's position in jeopardy.

Zhongli Xiu hesitated for a long time. Recalling the situation with Situ Luoyue, he ultimately decided against proposing a marriage alliance too hastily. His daughter was a heroine in her own right, but since she and Liang Xiao were not yet well-acquainted, a proposal now would seem too utilitarian—a mere political transaction. If that reminded him of the Situ Luoyue affair, it would be a disaster.

He needed to wait until their cooperation deepened. Ideally, Liang Xiao would propose on his own, with mutual affection between the two. In the meantime, Zhongli Wanxue could have more contact with Liang Xiao, and hopefully, they would fall in love, much like he and his own wife had. He only needed to keep an eye on Liang Xiao’s romantic interests; there was no woman in Pei County more outstanding than his daughter. He just needed to ensure no one else got there first.

Rather than waiting for the coming chaotic times and begging his father-in-law for protection, why not cultivate a capable son-in-law who could protect the Zhongli family, and set a better example for his own detestable father-in-law? A father-in-law ought to be like him!

Having realized this, Zhongli Xiu felt as if the clouds had parted, and he smiled knowingly.

Zhongli Qingfeng was currently discussing the grain transport with Liang Xiao. Besides transporting grain, they also needed to recruit craftsmen from various parts of Jiangnan to bring to Pei County—a task no less difficult than moving grain. Few were willing to abandon their lives in Jiangnan to go to the northern side of the Yangtze, where they might face the blade of foreign invaders at any moment.

Apart from the transport, the Zhongli family would also provide personnel to support Liang Xiao. Based on Zhongli Qingfeng's deduction, Liang Xiao had entered Pei County with only a few dozen men, and having unfortunately lost his parents and brothers, he urgently needed to cultivate his own core team. The Zhongli family's people were far more reliable than those recruited from the chaotic outside world, which was exactly what Liang Xiao needed.

After they finished discussing the details, Zhongli Qingfeng couldn't help but ask, "Magistrate Liang, have you thought through how you will develop from here on?"

Liang Xiao saw that the family was genuinely committed to cooperation, so he looked toward Zhuo Zifang.

Zhuo Zifang understood and said, "The Magistrate sent men to the capital immediately to bribe Wang Teng, to facilitate his future governance of Pei County. If all goes well, at the very least, it secures his long-term ruling power here. If the Emperor is wise and Wang Teng is willing to cooperate long-term to resist the great clans, it is not impossible to upgrade Pei County to a prefecture and eventually control the entire Xuzhou region."

The father and son gasped in admiration: "So there was a long-term plan all along, with such profound foresight!"

They had originally thought that Liang Xiao’s recruitment and pacification efforts were merely to protect Pei County from bandits and prevent civil unrest. Now they finally understood why Liang Xiao was fortifying the city, hoarding grain, and expanding his army. Everything was part of a grand design!

At that moment, the father and son were finally convinced that these two young men were unfathomable.

Before Zhongli Xiu could speak, Zhongli Qingfeng hurriedly declared, "In the future, I am willing to address you as my lord!"

Hearing this, Zhuo Zifang’s eyes lit up.

Liang Xiao smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "I will not let you down!"

After seeing the Zhongli father and son off, Zhuo Zifang returned to the courtyard and praised, "This Young Master Zhongli has a unique eye; he is a fine talent."

Liang Xiao sighed, "I am almost reluctant to send him away to transport grain. Unfortunately, this matter is critical, and it really must be him, as Master Zhongli needs to hold down the fort in Pei County."

The defection of the Zhongli family left Liang Xiao very satisfied. He stayed up all night with Zhuo Zifang, making slight adjustments to their future plans. The change in plans was favorable to him, which was an unexpected joy.

Deep within the Zhongli residence, the family of four gathered, not even inviting their other relatives.

"Father, I told you! He is surely a dragon among men!" Zhongli Wanxue said with a smile after learning of the meeting.

Zhongli Xiu sighed, "I know. You are just like your mother. Even if the family tried to stop you, you would follow him regardless. At that point, I would have no choice but to let you go. After all, your mother did the same back then. At worst, if he fails, you can just take him and hide from the Sima clan..."

"Father is truly broad-minded," Zhongli Wanxue said, deeply moved.

"I just don't want you to end up like your mother, suffering at the hands of your in-laws!" Zhongli Xiu pouted, then suddenly remembering something, he sighed again, "But... Xue'er, I always feel that Liang Xiao is extraordinary."

"Of course he is extraordinary~" Zhongli Wanxue replied with a proud smile.

Zhongli Xiu shook his head and said, "It’s not what you think... Xue'er, what if he carves out his own territory in the future, becomes a warlord, or even rebels against the court and becomes a traitor?"