Chapter 110: The Best Aphrodisiac in This World!

Zhang Zhiji was evidently very satisfied with Li Yuanjing’s supportive remarks and burst into laughter.

"I wonder if you have heard, sir, that in our Liaodong region, there is an elite among elites, a force known as the 'Yi Ding Cavalry'?"

"The Yi Ding Cavalry?"

Li Yuanjing was jolted, suddenly alert. As a seasoned history enthusiast, how could he not have heard of the famous Yi Ding Cavalry? Wasn't that the core force of Wu Sangui, the Earl of Pingxi in later history, rumored to be the most elite cavalry of the late Ming Dynasty?

Legend had it that the backbone of the Yi Ding Cavalry consisted of those die-hard personal retainers who had followed Wu Sangui to save his father on the battlefield, earning him the reputation of being "the bravest in the three armies, renowned for filial piety across the nine borders."

Could it be... that this really was a parallel world? A distorted, new plane of existence?

Li Yuanjing had no time to ponder too deeply. He quickly feigned excitement and said, "Young Duke, are you referring to the legendary Yi Ding Cavalry of our Great Qian, the force capable of facing the Tartars head-on without defeat, the one that has rendered great service and saved our Great Qian in its times of crisis?"

"Hahaha!" Seeing that Li Yuanjing knew of the Yi Ding Cavalry and was so stirred by the mention, Zhang Zhiji felt a great sense of pride and laughed heartily.

"Exactly!"

"General Zhang Wuwei is the current Left Sentry Officer of the Yi Ding Cavalry! He has been my companion since childhood, a brother as close as any blood kin!"

"And this time, in order to protect me, General Zhang Wuwei specifically brought along fifty-eight of the elite Yi Ding Cavalry!"

Hearing this, Zhang Wuwei and the dozens of cavalrymen around him straightened their backs, their faces filled with pride. That sharpness was evident in their very bearing.

Li Yuanjing, however, couldn't help but shiver, swallowing hard. Although he didn't know the specific military hierarchy of the Great Qian in Liaodong, he was well-versed in the late Ming system. According to wartime regulations, a "Left Sentry Officer" was essentially a vanguard commander of the left flank. While not the supreme commander, they were a crucial core figure—if not in the top five, certainly in the top three.

Following this logic, the 1,500 elites under Zhang Zhiji’s command must surely be the capital that the old Duke of England, Zhang Wen, provided to protect his precious son. This realization made Li Yuanjing gasp. Some people were truly born in Rome; even if a common nobody tried their entire life with all their might, they might never reach the starting point of these people.

But then, if Zhang Wuwei was part of the Duke of England’s family, how did he manage to enter the ranks of the "Yi Ding Cavalry"? Li Yuanjing felt a bit confused. Fortunately, he held onto the main thread: flattering Zhang Zhiji and keeping him in good spirits was the absolutely correct move.

Following Li Yuanjing’s series of compliments and flattery, Zhang Zhiji truly began to treat him as one of his own, divulging many secrets. He had come specifically to wipe out the remnants of the Wenxiang Cult. All the arrangements made so far were aimed at dealing with them. However, he had not expected the assassination attempt by the cult to be so vicious, precise, and violent. If not for Li Yuanjing’s quick thinking tonight, he might have truly met his end in this small Fengcheng County.

***

After hearing Zhang Zhiji out, Li Yuanjing quickly understood his predicament. It was much like the presidential office in Nanjing back in the day: "The orders sent out from here were of the highest genius, yet the execution was..."

Logically, Zhang Zhiji’s plan of using himself as bait was quite sound. But the execution, including the composition of his retinue, left much to be desired. This was not hard to understand. Someone like Zhang Zhiji, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, would naturally trust those who flattered him and bragged until he had experienced some real hardships.

Li Yuanjing couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. It was good. It was very good. He had bet correctly this time!

"Report—"

"Magistrate Zhao Bingchun of Fengcheng requests an audience!"

Just as Li Yuanjing and Zhang Zhiji were chatting, a personal guard came to report from outside.

"Zhao Bingchun?"

"Hmph!"

"A creature like an ant. Look at what he has turned this Fengcheng County into! Does he still have the nerve to see me?" Zhang Zhiji sneered repeatedly and spat out a curse. Clearly, his experience tonight left him with no fondness for Zhao Bingchun.

However, when he turned to Li Yuanjing, his expression quickly softened into a smile. "Sir, I have no desire to see that useless dog. Would you mind seeing him on my behalf? See what the dog has to say!"

Li Yuanjing was stunned for a moment before he recovered and bowed. "As you wish."

***

Not long after, Zhang Zhiji’s elites had already occupied the central and front courtyards of the county office. Li Yuanjing met the long-absent Zhao Bingchun in the warm gatehouse at the entrance.

However, the Zhao Bingchun standing there now was clearly not the same man Li Yuanjing had seen before. His eyes were swollen—whether from crying or rubbing, it was hard to tell. His official robes were stained, lacking the dignity of an imperial official, though it was unclear if this was intentional.

"Thump!"

The moment Zhao Bingchun saw Li Yuanjing, he dropped to his knees, pressed his forehead to the ground, and began to plead desperately. "Brother Yuanjing, Brother Yuanjing, you must help your old brother, you must help me. If not, I fear I won’t survive this..."

"Magistrate, what are you doing?"

"Please, stand up quickly! How can this be allowed?" Li Yuanjing was startled, never expecting such a display from Zhao Bingchun, and hurried forward to assist him. After all, despite his disheveled state, Zhao Bingchun was still a government official representing the face of the imperial court, not to mention that he was a man of such advanced age.

But it had to be said, human nature has its flaws... As Li Yuanjing reached out to help the trembling Zhao Bingchun, a curve he couldn't control tugged at the corner of his lips. It was no wonder a great sage once said: "Power is the best aphrodisiac in this world..." And there was that famous saying from the Vice Commander: "To have power is happiness; to be without it is suffering..."

"Brother Yuanjing, Brother Yuanjing, if you don't help your old brother, I will not get up. If I cannot obtain the Young Duke’s forgiveness, I fear I will die without a burial place..."

Although Li Yuanjing was putting on a bit of an act, wanting to enjoy the feeling of Zhao Bingchun kneeling before him, and hadn't used much strength to help him up, Zhao Bingchun was clearly truly desperate. He exerted his own force, bypassed Li Yuanjing’s assistance, and continued to kneel on the ground, kowtowing frantically.

This made Li Yuanjing calm down instantly. Zhao Bingchun was, after all, the Magistrate of Fengcheng, an imperial official! Moreover, Ouyang Mubai had been in mourning in Fengcheng for three years, all during Zhao Bingchun’s term. The connections here were enough to make one suspicious. Furthermore, Li Yuanjing knew Zhao Bingchun’s character well. The old man might not have much talent, but he was a seasoned bureaucrat—a qualified old bureaucrat, at that. One could not afford to ignore his tactics.

Li Yuanjing stepped aside, avoiding the direction of Zhao Bingchun's kowtowing, and said, "Magistrate, what is this for?"

"I don't quite understand what is going on. Given the relationship between us, why would I remain indifferent if I could do anything to help?"

"I only fear that my capabilities are shallow and I may not be of any help to you."

"Hm?" Zhao Bingchun, kneeling on the ground, suddenly became alert. He forced a bitter smile and said, "Yuanjing, Brother Yuanjing, at this point, do we still need to hide things and speak in riddles? If I didn't know that you saved the Young Duke’s life, why would I have come to beg you first thing?"

"Yuanjing, I know I have wronged you in the past. But you know, Brother, I am in the world of bureaucracy—I am not the master of my own actions. As long as you can help me get through this crisis, I will surely reward you handsomely!!!"

As he spoke, he prepared to kowtow to Li Yuanjing again.

Li Yuanjing finally calmed down completely. He squatted down, looking Zhao Bingchun straight in the eyes, and said in a low voice, "Magistrate, even if I want to help you, we must speak plainly, do you understand?"

"Furthermore, while I can protect myself for now, if you try to feed me false information or trap me, then I will be powerless to help you!"

"This..." Zhao Bingchun was struck by a jolt of alarm.