Qin Haoyu was instantly furious.
If Chen Jinzhao were still an official, it would be one thing, but what right did he have to order Qin Haoyu around now?
He said with a cold face, "Chen Jinzhao, don't push your luck! You no longer have the right to speak to me in that tone based on your status."
Chen Jinzhao exuded a chilling aura, making Qin Haoyu shiver.
"If you don't leave, do you want me to throw you out?" Chen Jinzhao said.
Qin Haoyu gritted his teeth.
Then he said, "Fine, I really won't serve you."
With that said.
Qin Haoyu turned and left Chen Jinzhao's home.
Yu Mengzhi walked out of the room and saw Qin Haoyu's retreating figure. She asked, "Qin Fengwu is looking for you. I don't know if it's good or bad, but I think he wouldn't dare to make a move on you in the capital. Unless he wants my cousin to catch him in the act."
"What I mean is, you can go and see. Perhaps Qin Fengwu has something important to discuss."
Chen Jinzhao chuckled, "How good can someone be who wants to steal my wife?"
Yu Mengzhi let out a light scoff, "I knew you'd tease me."
Chen Jinzhao laughed heartily.
Then he said, "Just you wait and see, Qin Haoyu will come back."
"Oh?"
Yu Mengzhi was not convinced.
Chen Jinzhao smiled without saying a word, offering no further explanation.
About ten minutes later, a knock sounded at the door, making Yu Mengzhi gasp in shock.
What shocked her even more was that it was indeed Qin Haoyu standing outside.
Qin Haoyu stood awkwardly at the door, as if waiting for Chen Jinzhao's permission to enter, his previous arrogance completely gone.
Chen Jinzhao's face was cold as he asked, "What are you back for? Didn't I tell you to get lost?"
"This..."
Qin Haoyu's face showed difficulty.
This time, Qin Fengwu had sent him here with the primary mission of inviting Chen Jinzhao for a meeting, and the secondary mission of using Chen Jinzhao to temper Qin Haoyu's arrogance. Therefore, when Qin Haoyu told Qin Fengwu that he failed to invite Chen Jinzhao, Qin Fengwu had only said one thing:
"If you can't invite Chen Jinzhao, you're fired."
Qin Haoyu, terrified, immediately ran back to fawn over Chen Jinzhao.
"Mr. Chen, I apologize for my previous disrespect. I implore you, for my brother's sake, to accept the invitation for a meeting at Jingyuan."
Jingyuan was located in the western suburbs of the capital.
In ancient times, Jingyuan was a royal garden of the imperial family and was only transformed into a 4A-rated tourist attraction in modern times.
Chen Jinzhao scoffed, "I am merely a commoner. I am not qualified to visit Jingyuan with your brother."
Qin Haoyu knew that Chen Jinzhao was seeking revenge for the earlier offense. Anxious, he quickly said, "What do you want me to do to agree to my brother's invitation?"
Chen Jinzhao lightly tapped his foot, "Oh dear, it's truly an unfortunate coincidence. I got my shoes dirty when I went out today, and I can't possibly meet Young Master Qin in this state."
"Pfft—"
Yu Mengzhi couldn't help but laugh.
Sometimes, Chen Jinzhao could be quite wicked when he toyed with people.
Qin Haoyu could only brace himself and say, "How about I buy Mr. Chen a new pair? Mr. Chen just needs to wait for me for half an hour."
Chen Jinzhao shook his head, "That won't do. I'm a sentimental person; I don't like new things over old."
"This..."
Qin Haoyu was even more distressed.
Yu Mengzhi, standing aside, said with a gentle smile, "What he means is, he wants you to help him clean his shoes."
"What?" Qin Haoyu exclaimed in disbelief.
"You want me to clean his shoes? You, you..."
Yu Mengzhi first glanced at Chen Jinzhao, then at Qin Haoyu and said, "He also wants to say that he's not one to make unreasonable demands. If you find it difficult, then forget it. As for the meeting with Qin Fengwu, we can discuss it after your shoes are clean."
Qin Haoyu's face turned almost green.
Chen Jinzhao, while verbally refusing, was acting otherwise.
Qin Haoyu was also a proud person. How could he possibly clean someone's shoes? If word of this got out, wouldn't he become a laughingstock in the capital?
For a few moments, Qin Haoyu considered leaving.
But then he remembered Qin Fengwu's instructions. Qin Haoyu gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "I'll risk it. A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. If even my brother can voluntarily leave the capital and go south for tempering, then today I can humble myself to invite Chen Jinzhao out of seclusion, and perhaps in the future, this can become a beautiful tale."
"I understand, and I know what needs to be done."
Qin Haoyu smiled, took out some tissues, and then crouched on the ground to clean Chen Jinzhao's shoes. Now he finally understood Qin Fengwu's well-intentioned plan.
He had been too arrogant in the past, looking down on everyone.
If it weren't for the backing of the Qin family in the capital, Qin Haoyu would never have achieved what he had today. He might have even been killed long ago due to his foul temper.
After a short while.
Qin Haoyu had wiped Chen Jinzhao's shoes clean. "Mr. Chen, is this acceptable now?"
Chen Jinzhao and Yu Mengzhi examined the shoes. "You know, you did a pretty good job. I didn't expect Qin Haoyu to have this skill."
"Lead the way."
Qin Haoyu put on a subservient smile, but inwardly he was cursing profusely.
There was nothing he could do.
His brother insisted on meeting Chen Jinzhao.
Qin Haoyu begrudgingly acted as Chen Jinzhao's temporary driver, taking him all the way to Jingyuan in the western suburbs.
Jingyuan in winter was already covered in ice and snow. Qin Fengwu was waiting for Chen Jinzhao in a pavilion. Seeing Chen Jinzhao and Qin Haoyu arrive, he stood up with a smile to greet them.
"Brother, I've brought Chen Jinzhao," Qin Haoyu said sullenly.
Qin Fengwu saw Qin Haoyu's unhappy expression and immediately understood what had happened. He chuckled, "Haoyu, you've worked hard. Go down and rest first."
Qin Haoyu gave Chen Jinzhao a deep look and turned away from the pavilion in frustration.
Inside the pavilion.
Qin Fengwu said to Chen Jinzhao with a smile, "Please sit."
Chen Jinzhao sat down and then said, "I don't like beating around the bush, so let's get straight to the point."
"I know you are a straightforward person, so I don't intend to play games with you. I invited you here today, first to congratulate you on your upcoming marriage, and second, to recruit you into my inner circle and assist me in achieving something great."
"First, thank you for your congratulations. However, I have no intention of joining any small cliques, so please abandon this idea," Chen Jinzhao said calmly.
Qin Fengwu seemed to have anticipated Chen Jinzhao's refusal and was not discouraged or angered. Instead, he smiled and said, "You no longer hold any military positions. If you agree, I can restore your military rank immediately."
"Don't forget, there are more than just Xu Hanchen and Li Buyan in the army."
Just as Chen Jinzhao was about to say something, Qin Fengwu quickly added, "Do you think Li Buyan stripped you of your military posts to protect you? You are greatly mistaken. In reality, he did this to pave the way for Li Tiannan. Half a year is enough for Li Tiannan to achieve great success, and by then, your position will no longer be yours."
"As for Xu Hanchen, he is already feared by aristocratic families like the Li and Qin families due to his previous campaign to encircle and suppress the Wu family, a top aristocratic clan. How much longer he can live depends on his vigilance."
"By the time you return, the world will have already changed."