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Jia Qu entered the main tent with his hands tucked into his sleeves, gave a brief salute, and stood silently to the side.
Fei Qian looked up at Jia Qu's demeanor and smiled. "Liangdao, is it that no one is willing to come?" Fei Qian had tasked Jia Qu with reaching out to people from humble backgrounds, figuring that someone of similar origins could connect more easily. The task was originally meant for Du Yuan, but with Du Yuan in Beiqu, Jia Qu's arrival made him the ideal candidate to try.
Jia Qu nodded. "It's not that they're unwilling, but they dare not."
Fei Qian raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
Jia Qu was silent for a moment before explaining, "The Wei clan of Hedong plans to open their library. Any gentry in Hedong, regardless of status, can visit on the third and seventeenth of each month to copy scrolls."
Fei Qian understood immediately.
The seventeenth was three days away—a clear move to undermine him.
Jia Qu's situation was unique. With both parents deceased and only an elder sister, he had rushed over excitedly upon hearing Fei Qian's offer without much thought. His peers, however, had elders to consult. These older family members, more cautious, had discussed among themselves and learned of this news.
The Wei clan's patriarch conveniently fell ill just as Fei Qian arrived…
If the earlier news of the patriarch's illness left some room for doubt about the Wei clan's stance toward Fei Qian, their announcement of opening their library was an unmistakable blow.
The Wei clan hadn't opened their library earlier or later, but precisely after Fei Qian announced his initiatives…
Moreover, the Wei clan's collection numbered in the thousands, while Fei Qian had only a handful of scrolls.
The comparison was stark.
As for the offer of Cai Yong's critique, it was certainly enticing, but it was a once-a-year opportunity. There was no rush—people could first copy scrolls at the Wei clan's library…
Fei Qian chuckled. "Liangdao, any regrets?"
Jia Qu clasped his hands. "Whether I regret it depends not on me, but on you, Lord Fei!" He bowed again and left the tent.
Fei Qian was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, finding himself growing fond of this stubborn young man.
The Wei clan's move was clever. Fei Qian hadn't held high hopes for recruiting from Hedong's prominent families, focusing instead on attracting those from humble backgrounds. But with the Wei clan's intervention, his plan to draw in talent was effectively derailed.
And there was no way to protest. If Fei Qian objected or tried to obstruct, the Wei clan could smoothly shift blame, claiming, "We're not denying access to our library—it's that Fei Qian who's stopping us!"
Wouldn't that make Fei Qian the enemy of every humble scholar in Hedong?
This was a classic tactic of the gentry: striking a silent blow that hurt without allowing the victim to cry out.
Fei Qian stood, preparing to visit Huang Xu at the recruitment post by Anyi's south gate. Since the Wei clan had made their move, this wouldn't be their only action…
At the south gate, Huang Xu was sweating profusely, frantic.
Plenty of people had shown up, but the problem was they weren't coming to his side—they were flocking to the opposite one…
Fei Qian had entrusted him with this task out of trust, yet he hadn't recruited a single soldier!
How could Huang Xu not be anxious?
The wandering knights who had been helping with the recruitment, seeing the situation turn sour, approached Huang Xu with sheepish expressions. "Uh… Chief Huang, my old mother suddenly fell ill… I need to check on her. Farewell, farewell…"
"Oh… uh, my nephew fell into a ditch… I have to go save him. I'm off!"
"Ha, uh… something came up at home… you know, stuff. Farewell, farewell…"
Huang Xu was furious but knew the knights weren't to blame. They had shouted and worked hard earlier. The issue was the other side…
With a wave of his hand, Huang Xu dismissed them without a word.
The knights, as if granted amnesty, scurried away.
Huang Xu slumped onto a stool, so dejected he didn't even notice Fei Qian's arrival.
"Zichu, tired?"
Huang Xu looked up, startled to see Fei Qian before him. He jumped to his feet, stammering, at a loss for words.
Fei Qian patted his shoulder, smiling. "Stay focused on recruiting here. Even if no one comes, it's fine, but you mustn't lose your spirit, understand?"
"Yes!" Huang Xu straightened, answering loudly.
"Come, let's go see what's happening across the way."
Fei Qian led Huang Xu to the opposite side, where Wei Feng, Wei Ji's cousin, was overseeing recruitment.
Seeing Fei Qian approach, Wei Feng hurried over with a beaming smile, offering a deep bow. "Oh, Lord Fei! I failed to greet you properly—please forgive me!"
Fei Qian returned a salute, smiling. "Greetings, Mengluan. What's this? The Wei clan of Hedong is recruiting today as well?"
Wei Feng, clearly prepared, replied with a smile, "The world is unsettled, and our clan feels uneasy. We're recruiting a few guards, just for a few days. If we've caused any disturbance to Lord Fei, please be understanding."
A few days?
Fei Qian chuckled inwardly, thinking, I bet you'll stay as long as I'm recruiting here.
But like the Wei clan's library opening, this was another move he couldn't openly oppose. He couldn't exactly say, "I'm recruiting here, so get lost, Wei clan!"
Their reasoning was sound, leaving no room for fault. Crucially, the Wei clan hadn't explicitly discouraged people from joining Fei Qian or sent anyone to block him. They simply raised their banner high, stealing the spotlight.
Reputation was such a powerful tool…
So effortless!
Fei Qian looked at Wei Feng, his smile ambiguous. "Your household's recruitment of guards is, of course, perfectly proper. But might I ask if you're also procuring military grain?"
Wei Feng's smile froze for a moment before he laughed again. "Well… haha, military grain is beyond us, but stocking some daily provisions is routine…"