Chapter 57: I haven't read much, don't try to trick me!

Qin Feng stepped into the main hall of the newspaper office, but not a single soul was in sight.

What are these old foxes up to? Are they trying to wear down my patience?

Just as a flicker of annoyance stirred within Qin Feng, he spotted a guard-like figure entering the newspaper office. The man cupped his fists and said, "Director Qin, the Duke of Wei invites you to step inside his sedan chair for a conversation."

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes and looked toward the entrance.

Parked outside the newspaper office was a grand sedan chair carried by eight bearers, accompanied by a substantial retinue of guards and attendants.

Qin Feng knew at once that these old foxes had sent someone to rope him in, though he wasn't yet certain which faction this one belonged to!

Judging purely by the pomp and circumstance, whoever was inside certainly carried immense clout—at the very least, of ducal rank.

During the early Ming Dynasty in the Hongwu era, a total of only six individuals had ever been enfeebled as dukes.

The most illustrious among them were Xu Da, the Duke of Wei, and Li Shanchang, the Duke of Han!

Originally, Chang Yuchun, the Duke of E, held a status no lower than theirs, but unfortunately, he passed away shortly after the founding of the dynasty, leaving even his title to be inherited by his son.

It was utterly impossible for the Duke of E, who leaned toward the Crown Prince, to collude with that faction of entrenched nobles.

Xu Da, the Duke of Wei, had always walked on thin ice and acted with utmost caution at court. Given his monumental contributions, he surely would not stoop to mingle with those corrupt aristocrats.

Li Shanchang, the Duke of Han, was notoriously crafty and old. After throwing a wrench in Qin Feng's plans during the canal affair last time, he had gone completely silent, so he certainly wouldn't show his face in person.

Li Wenzhong, the Duke of Cao, was Old Zhu's own nephew. If he dared to get mixed up with those nobles, Old Zhu would have flayed him alive long ago.

Analyzing it this way, the person inside the sedan chair at the entrance could only be either the Duke of Wei or the Duke of Song.

Since Qin Feng was not particularly familiar with either of them, he actually had no底 (confidence) regarding this attempted recruitment and negotiation.

He said to the guard, "If the Duke of Wei truly wishes to see me, why doesn't he come inside the newspaper office and take a seat?"

The guard replied in a deep voice, "The Duke of Wei said there are too many eyes and ears inside the newspaper office, making things rather inconvenient. He requests Director Qin to step into the sedan chair for a talk."

Qin Feng scoffed, "Since he has come to my territory, he must abide by my rules. Otherwise, tell the Duke of Wei to turn back."

A single sentence left the guard completely speechless, his eyes wide with astonishment!

Good grief!

No one had ever dared speak to the Duke of Wei in such a manner!

Furious, the guard snapped, "Audacious scoundrel! You actually expect the Duke of Wei to come and see you? What is your status? What is the Duke of Wei's status?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Qin Feng replied, "Since there is such a vast disparity between the Duke of Wei's status and mine, then let him go back. I still have matters to attend to in my newspaper office. You can go back and deliver my message to the Duke of Wei."

The guard was utterly dumbfounded.

Who on earth played cards so completely against convention?

Whenever others heard of a duke's arrival, they would rush out on horseback to welcome him. Yet Qin Feng, mere director of a humble newspaper office, was putting on such an exorbitant display of arrogance.

"Just you wait! I'm going back to report this to the Duke of Wei." The guard stomped back to the sedan chair to brief Deng Yu.

Deng Yu had been resting his eyes inside the sedan chair, but upon hearing the guard's report, he instantly lost his composure.

He snapped his eyes open, frowned, and demanded, "Did he really say that? His territory, his rules? Who does he think he is?"

The guard answered, "This fellow is utterly arrogant, showing such utter disrespect to a Duke! This subordinate will dispatch men right now to drag him here to see you."

Deng Yu scoffed, "What use is dragging him here? If we alert His Majesty, the loss will outweigh the gain."

"But... but this subordinate simply cannot swallow this intolerable insult!"

"Humph! He who achieves great things must not bicker over petty trifles! I shall go in myself and have a proper measure of this fellow, to see where on earth he gets the audacity to be so discourteous!"

With a gloomy expression, Deng Yu stepped down from his official sedan chair and walked step by step toward the newspaper office.

His guards and attendants all fell in behind him, slowly closing in on the newspaper office.

Just as Deng Yu reached the entrance of the newspaper office, Ren and Gui suddenly materialized, blocking their path entirely.

"Director Qin has given orders: only you alone may enter. No one else is permitted to step inside the newspaper office."

Seeing a gleaming, exquisite sword barring his way, Deng Yu came perilously close to flying into a rage.

Yet, remembering his old brothers among the Huaixi nobility who were all waiting for him to bring back the good news of successfully roping in Qin Feng, he was forced to swallow all of Qin Feng's discourtesies.

"You all fall back."

The guards and attendants all clenched their fists with stern expressions, and Deng Yu was led into the newspaper office by Ren and Gui.

The moment Deng Yu stepped inside, the Embroidered Uniform Guards who had been spying on the scene from not far away vanished like ghosts, speeding swiftly in the direction of the imperial palace.

When Deng Yu arrived at the main hall of the newspaper office, he found Qin Feng seated in the master's chair, looking at him with a beaming smile.

It was as though Qin Feng had assumed the posture of a host welcoming a guest—and doing so from a position of absolute superiority!

Deng Yu was so angry his teeth itched.

He was a Duke, after all, yet the fellow before him didn't show even the slightest bit of respect. This was starting to test his limits.

"Qin Feng! You have quite some nerve! You see a Duke, yet you refuse to kneel? Do you know nothing of propriety between superiors and subordinates?"

Rolling his eyes, Qin Feng retorted, "I rarely even kneel to His Majesty; why on earth should I kneel to you?"

Deng Yu laughed out of sheer fury.

This fellow was clearly nothing more than a pampered and hot-headed ingrate!

Why on earth were his old brothers so wary of this person?

Wasn't he merely relying on His Majesty's favor to act so haughtily?

Now that His Majesty had withdrawn his favor from him, he was still acting so unbridled and arrogant.

At this rate, this fellow wouldn't last long; one day, he would inevitably become a discarded chess piece in His Majesty's hands.

At this thought, Deng Yu's mood suddenly cleared up again.

This person had courage but no strategy; he was nothing to worry about!

"Very well, very well! I'd long since heard of your reputation in the palace, even dubbed the little king of trouble. Seeing you today, you're indeed just like the rumors say."

"So that's what you all call me behind my days? I wonder what brings the Duke of Wei here today? Surely you didn't come just to shoot the breeze with me, did you?"

"Shall we speak in private?" Deng Yu glanced to the left and right, smiling.

Qin Feng chuckled.

So these people were all cut from the same cloth after all?

"Then please step inside, Duke."

Once they entered the inner chamber, Deng Yu got straight to the point: "Qin Feng, oh Qin Feng, do you not realize that you are facing a catastrophe?"

These people's methods of recruitment truly grew more bizarre by the day.

Huwei Yong had used pleasantries, closeness, and both carrots and sticks, while the Duke of Wei before him used scare tactics.

How interesting!

Feigning astonishment, Qin Feng gasped, "What? A catastrophe has befallen me? Where did the Duke of Wei hear this news? How come I know nothing about it?"

"You have been away from court for a long time, so naturally you are completely in the dark regarding court affairs. Do you have any idea what His Majesty's current attitude toward you is?"

Qin Feng laughed inwardly: You surely don't think Old Zhu has actually given up on me, do you?

Furthermore, Qin Feng had his good brother Zhu Biao to help him keep abreast of court matters.

Even though Qin Feng wasn't in the palace, his flow of information had never been interrupted.

On top of that, he frequently communicated with Old Zhu via confidential memorials.

All of this was completely unknown to the Huaixi nobles!

Feigning a look of panic, he shook his head and said, "I have no idea. The Duke of Wei, please enlighten me!"

"His Majesty is merely squeezing the last drop of value out of you. Once the newspaper earns enough treasury silver for the imperial court, your days will be numbered!"

Pretending to be shocked, Qin Feng widened his eyes in utter disbelief and exclaimed, "What? His Majesty wants to kill me? Really? Duke of Wei, I haven't read many books, don't try to trick me!"