Chapter 26: Personality Test

The ninth prince, the newly appointed monarch of Great Xu, claimed he knew nothing of military affairs.

Yet, regarding whether the General of the Imperial Guard would agree to personally lead the mobile cavalry, he had used a "three-if" framework to outline three options.

"If he agrees without a word and accepts the command readily, it shows he has a straightforward character."

"You may work closely with him, with no distinction between yours and mine!"

"If he remains silent for a long time, unable to select candidates, and wishes to consult with you, it shows he is at least composed."

"You may deliberate with him immediately!"

"But if he is first smug, then demurs, using the excuse of overseeing the whole to let you serve as the commander of this mobile cavalry..."

"Then you shall accept it with pleasure!"

"But thereafter, you must be wary of him!"

Seeing Yao Jin looking bewildered, the monarch offered an explanation.

"Actually, I do not know if this General of the Imperial Guard is an introvert or an extrovert, inward-looking or outward-looking."

"Whether he accepts readily or remains silent, these are merely reflections of his personality and do not signify anything else."

"But as long as he does not shirk his duties, it shows he is trustworthy!"

"As for the third type, his smugness suggests he looks down upon the monarchy. His refusal suggests his loyalties lie elsewhere. Letting you take the role shows he does not want to bear the responsibility."

"Such a man must be guarded against!"

"Great Qi is in trouble, and the Xu State cannot even muster three thousand troops. Does he perhaps have a share of the 'credit' for that?"

Aside from not understanding "introvert" or "extrovert," Yao Jin understood everything else.

Thus, when faced with Xiang Shouyue choosing the most terrifying of the three options the monarch had laid out, he was deeply moved.

But since the monarch had already deduced this, he simply accepted it with grace.

"Since General Shouyue has commanded it, how could I refuse?"

"Please assemble one hundred elites and hand over the roster to me!"

"I will immediately assemble the hundred guards and set the mission for the mobile cavalry!"

"In a word, General Shouyue guards the promise, and I shall guard General Shouyue!"

Xiang Shouyue nodded, though he paused for a moment upon hearing the final sentence.

"General Yao, rest assured. I am recording them now; please wait a moment!"

With that, he ordered the roster to be brought and prepared to select men from it. He then ordered tea and began to joke with Yao Jin.

"Old Yao, you've skipped a grade and reached the ninth rank."

"Once appointed, things will be completely different from before!"

"By the way, let me ask: that sentence you just said—'I guard General Shouyue'—was that your own idea, or did the monarch or the junior tutor tell you to say it?"

Yao Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"That sentence was my own!"

Xiang Shouyue clapped his hands.

"See? I told you things were different! Your speech and your actions are already those of a thoroughbred general!"

"Most importantly, you have won the favor and trust of the monarch!"

"It seems that the eighth rank, or even the seventh or sixth, are all within your reach!"

Yao Jin picked up his teacup.

"Old Xiang, you keep teasing me; is there any point in that?"

"How about this: you said when you walked in that I owed you a drink. After these ten days are over, we shall make up for it properly, alright?"

Xiang Shouyue took a sip of tea, smacking his lips and chewing on the tea leaves.

"Right! That is the Old Yao I know!"

"It was hard enough to take off the label of 'Yao the Eighteenth' and put on the ninth-rank cap; are you really going to be stingy with a treat? Haha!"

"Wait, Old Yao, what did you just say—ten days?"

"Isn't it a ritual to heaven? It should be finished in half a day; why drag it out so long?"

Yao Jin was startled.

He realized he had let something slip, accidentally revealing that this "ritual" was also a "celebration" meant to last ten days.

But then he thought, there was no way to hide these ten days from this General of the Imperial Guard. After all, the defense of the entire city depended on him.

So, he simply smiled and continued to "leak" the details.

"This was decided by the junior tutor and the monarch together!"

"A normal ritual lasts a day, or at most three!"

"However, as the junior tutor said in his broadcast from the Drum Tower."

"The fact that Great Xu was spared from the flood is entirely due to the heavens' blessing, and the harmony between heaven, earth, and man."

"If it hadn't been so, when the flood came, all the soldiers and civilians in the city and the surrounding counties would have had to abandon their homes and livelihoods to guard the dikes and build dams, right?"

"So, these ten days of rituals and celebrations are not just to thank the heavens and the earth, but above all, to thank the people!"

"In this way, the officials are surely pleased, and the people are certainly pleased, aren't they?"

Xiang Shouyue tilted his head, thought for a moment, and nodded.

"That's true indeed!"

"If the flood had targeted us specifically, let alone ten days, even guarding for half a month or a month would be a small price to pay!"

"What's more, if we can hold out, all is well. If we can't, everything is ruined!"

"Since the junior tutor helped the monarch decide this, it must be correct!"

"Then, ten days from now, I shall wait to drink the wine of General Yao, the Great Protector!"

Yao Jin bowed.

"It is settled! It is settled!"

"At that time, I will certainly send a formal invitation to your residence in advance!"

"And so, General Shouyue..."

Xiang Shouyue took the roster from his deputy and checked off names with a brush.

"Done! General Yao, take the top sixteen or seventeen elite warriors from each of the six Imperial Guard units; they are yours from this moment on!"

Yao Jin took it with both hands.

"Many thanks, General Shouyue!"

"I wish to work with you to protect the monarch and ensure the peace of our borders and people!"

Xiang Shouyue paused and cupped his hands.

"That is only natural! Let us guard the monarch and protect the people together!"

...

Yao Jin pulled together the one hundred guards and joined them with one hundred elites from the Imperial Guard to form the mobile cavalry.

When he returned to the Prince's Mansion to report, he found the monarch already dressed in his ritual robes, pacing in the garden accompanied by He Yun, Lan Zhi, and his guards.

Yao Jin hurried forward, pressed his left fist to his heart, knelt on one knee, and performed a solemn military salute.

"Your subordinate, Yao Jin, reports! Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Chai Xiao saw Yao Jin return and nodded slightly.

But soon, he noticed a subtle change in his head guard's eyes.

They were brimming with hidden tears, yet his gaze was like an arrow, possessed of a firmness never seen before.

He smiled slightly.

"It seems, Yao Jin, you already know you are about to advance!"

In an instant, Yao Jin's eyes filled with tears, and he bowed in gratitude.

"Please forgive your subordinate, as I am in uniform and cannot kowtow to thank Your Majesty!"

"I am willing to use this body, with all my heart, to repay the trust shown by your promotion!"

Chai Xiao gestured.

"Rise!"

"By the way, which option did the General of the Imperial Guard choose?"

Yao Jin took out the tiger tally and presented it with both hands.

"Returning to Your Majesty, he chose the third!"

"Is that so?"

Chai Xiao took the tiger tally, tucked it into his robes, and frowned, falling into deep thought.

He had originally thought that changing the weak Great Xu only required him, as its monarch, to shed his incompetent habits and govern with diligence.

Now it seemed it was not nearly so simple.

This was a complex systems engineering project.

Raising money, hoarding weapons, and recruiting people was for strengthening the interior!

Dealing with the Second Prince was for defending against the exterior!

As for purging officials like the Palace Attendant Huang Zhongyong, that was cutting the "poisonous thread" between the inside and the outside!

Now, this General of the Imperial Guard could not yet be confirmed as a "poisonous thread," but he was at least a suspect.

Getting up early today, leading the morning exercises, and reorganizing the meals—all were to better protect this "inner courtyard" of the home.

And to better stimulate the vitality of the "family members."

Hosting the heaven, earth, and human events was not just about making money, but also about maintaining the "hearts of the people."

This was already the "state"—though it was the "outer courtyard," it was a larger "home."

With this, future decrees, economic development, trade, and even conscription could proceed logically and smoothly.

But he hadn't expected this disobedient "leader of the Imperial Guard" to emerge as an X-factor standing between the "home" and the "state."

One must know that although the Xu State called itself "Great Xu," it was not great at all.

It was like some small modern nations, where a single brigade or even a battalion of the garrison could easily seize power and control the entire military and government.

These six units of the Imperial Guard had a full twelve hundred men, equivalent to a full-strength battalion.

Seizing the royal city and its surroundings would be a matter of mere minutes!

To always expect the best-case scenario was wishful thinking!

But to plan for the worst-case scenario was true wisdom!

Therefore, if one prepared for the worst, that was exactly where the General of the Imperial Guard was most dangerous.

It would be that he appeared to submit to him, the monarch of Great Xu, while actually taking orders from the ninth prince.

Although the Second Prince had left, he had left behind an Imperial Guard that could still firmly control the royal city of Great Xu.

This was more terrifying than the man being here himself!

Thus, the key now was to use personality testing to determine whether this General of the Imperial Guard was truly loyal to the "second" or the "ninth"?