Appointed Deputy Workshop Master (1)

"Who are you...?"

Xu Lu looked at the young man and asked.

"The Taixuan Dynasty," the young man replied calmly.

"Can you represent the Taixuan Dynasty?" Before Xu Lu could ask this, Situ Daosheng spoke up from the side, "This is the Seventh Prince of our Taixuan Dynasty."

"Li Zongyi," the young man added, stating his name.

Li was the imperial family name of the Taixuan Dynasty.

"The Seventh Prince?"

Xu Lu was somewhat surprised. He sized up the Seventh Prince, Li Zongyi, not expecting him to be such a prominent figure.

Did the Taixuan Dynasty also want to meddle in the Hongyan system?

But it made sense. With a sharp weapon like the Hongyan system, it would be strange if the Taixuan Dynasty weren't tempted.

Fortunately, the Hongyan system belonged to the Heavenly Palace; otherwise, the Taixuan Dynasty would have surely confiscated it. How could such an item be allowed to remain in private hands?

"Mr. Fu, this Prince proposes such. What is your opinion?"

Li Zongyi had been enfeoffed as Prince Huai. As a current prince, his words carried immense weight.

"No..."

Fu Yuanhe was about to say there was no problem when Xu Lu stopped him with a glance.

"No!"

Fu Yuanhe's eyes darted around, and he spoke up.

"For this matter, you should speak with the Deputy Workshop Master of our Workshop No. 65."

Fu Yuanhe pointed at Xu Lu.

"Deputy Workshop Master?"

Li Zongyi and Situ Daosheng were both somewhat surprised. They had never heard of Workshop No. 65 having a Deputy Workshop Master.

According to the information they received, Fu Yuanhe was originally just an air force commander, and he didn't even have the qualifications to recommend people to the Heavenly Palace.

"Indeed. Xu Lu is my assistant, and also the Deputy Workshop Master of Workshop No. 65," Fu Yuanhe said.

"As far as I know, Mr. Fu should not have the authority to allow others to join the Heavenly Palace, correct?" Li Zongyi frowned.

"He isn't joining the Heavenly Palace," Fu Yuanhe replied.

"Then..."

Li Zongyi's face was full of doubt.

"Do you not understand? He is my assistant."

Fu Yuanhe said indifferently, "He helps me with some matters, but he is not joining the Heavenly Palace. Understood?"

Xu Lu glanced at Fu Yuanhe in surprise. This fellow truly did not play by the rules, actually coming up with such a method on the spot.

A temporary worker?

Or rather, a contract worker, not within the official establishment...

Li Zongyi was clearly bewildered. He was not an unconventional person like Fu Yuanhe.

"Your Highness Prince Huai, there is precedent for this," Situ Daosheng said in a low voice. "You can think of him as an advisor."

When officials took office, they would often bring their own advisors. These advisors were not officials, nor did they receive imperial stipends, but they were still considered part of the government office.

Li Zongyi nodded, barely understanding.

"Very well then. This..."

Li Zongyi looked toward Xu Lu.

"Xu Lu."

"Brother Xu, what is your opinion?" Li Zongyi asked.

"No," Xu Lu shook his head. "Thirty percent is too much. It would be difficult for Mr. Fu to justify. At most, twenty percent."

"Twenty percent is too little," Li Zongyi shook his head. "Building a workshop from scratch costs an untold amount of money. We cannot do things without any return. How about this, I will take a step back: twenty-five percent."

"At most twenty percent," Xu Lu shook his head firmly. "If that won't do, we will find another way. Surely, there are plenty of people willing to offer money to Mr. Fu."

Li Zongyi frowned. Facing the Heavenly Palace, the Taixuan Dynasty was indeed at a disadvantage.

"Twenty percent it is," Li Zongyi said after a moment of thought. "Regarding the usage of the Hongyan..."

"That is easy to discuss. There will naturally be discounts," Xu Lu replied.

After some back-and-forth debate, Li Zongyi was ultimately the one to yield.

"Is Brother Xu willing to enter the court as an official?" After finalizing the terms, Li Zongyi looked at Xu Lu and spoke, "With Brother Xu's eloquence, if you are willing to enter the court, a position as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites is definitely within reach."

"That is too much," before Xu Lu could speak, Fu Yuanhe said unhappily, "Poaching people right in front of me, you show no respect!"

"Thank you, Prince Huai, but I have no such intentions for now," Xu Lu said.

"Very well. If you change your mind, feel free to find me at any time," Li Zongyi said.

"Keep dreaming," Fu Yuanhe said irritably. "Is being the Deputy Workshop Master of our Workshop No. 65 not more promising than being an official?"

Li Zongyi smiled and said nothing. If he were a genuine Deputy Workshop Master of the Secret Treasure Department of the Heavenly Palace, he naturally couldn't poach him.

But Xu Lu hadn't truly joined the Heavenly Palace. As an unofficial worker who couldn't even learn secret arts, what future could he have in the Heavenly Palace?

"You kid, when did you become the Deputy Workshop Master of the Secret Treasure Department of the Heavenly Palace?" While Li Zongyi and Fu Yuanhe were bickering, Situ Daosheng pulled Xu Lu aside and asked in a low voice.

"Probably, perhaps, just now," Xu Lu touched his nose and said. Even he didn't know; that fellow Fu Yuanhe had just blurted it out in a flash of inspiration.

Besides, what was there to say about being a contract worker?

"Let me tell you, Fu Yuanhe has no authority to transmit secret arts. He cannot possibly let you officially join the Heavenly Palace. Don't be fooled by him!" Situ Daosheng said with a frown.

"I don't want to join the Heavenly Palace either," Xu Lu spread his hands. "Fu Yuanhe and I are just cooperating to earn some living expenses."

"Suit yourself!"

Situ Daosheng snorted coldly. He did not believe Xu Lu's words.

In this world, countless people wanted to join the Heavenly Palace and learn secret arts, and even more tried every possible means.

He assumed Xu Lu also wanted to cling to Fu Yuanhe to officially join the Heavenly Palace.

He only feared that Xu Lu didn't realize Fu Yuanhe simply lacked that capability.

In an instant, Situ Daosheng viewed Xu Lu as an opportunist, disliking him even more in his heart, feeling that his pursuit of his daughter was also to go through the back door.

Giving Xu Lu a disgusted look, Situ Daosheng walked straight aside.

Xu Lu was baffled by Situ Daosheng's gaze.

You can treat your daughter as a treasure all you want, but don't think every man wants to court her.

I am busy enough with my career; I would only tease your daughter if I had nothing better to do.

Xu Lu thought to himself. Since there was nothing left for him to do here, he simply left the City Lord's Manor and stood at the gate waiting for Fu Yuanhe.

Nearly half an hour later, Fu Yuanhe finally walked out of the City Lord's Manor with a satisfied look.

"As expected, Xu Lu, your mind is still the sharpest." Fu Yuanhe patted the land deed in his hand and said excitedly, "The land is ours! Prince Huai is not bad; he directly gave us a hundred acres of land, and additionally sponsored ten thousand taels of gold."

"Only that much?" Xu Lu asked casually.

It sounded like a lot, but for a workshop, it was actually very little.

One must know that the cost of secret treasures was extremely high. Throwing ten thousand taels of gold in might not even make a splash.

"There will be more in the future," Fu Yuanhe was already very satisfied.

One must know that not long ago, he had nothing.

Now that he had land and money, he could at least set up the workshop first. Other things would come in time.

"Xu Lu, how about it? Am I smart?" Fu Yuanhe said proudly, "I have prepared the title of Deputy Workshop Master for you. From now on, you will be in charge of all matters not related to secret arts. There will be a share of the money earned for you."

"I don't seem to have agreed to this yet, have I?" Xu Lu said, amused.

If he wanted to make money, his Bao'an Hall and Deyue Tower were also good businesses. Why should he be a contract worker under him?

"Although I have no way to make you an official Heavenly Official," Fu Yuanhe lowered his voice and said softly, "if you help me, I can help you obtain secret treasures—genuine ones!"

Fu Yuanhe knew well that Xu Lu was a Mystic Cultivator. He immediately struck Xu Lu's weak spot.

Xu Lu had gone through Shusheng and Degou to find secret treasures, but what they found were all replica secret treasures. If there were genuine ones, who would want to use fakes?

However, genuine secret treasures were always strictly controlled by the Heavenly Palace. It was nearly impossible for outsiders to obtain them.

That Xu Lu was able to obtain the Dayuanxian Eight Great Secret Treasures before was due to ancestral blessings.

How many rogue Mystic Cultivators had never even seen what a genuine secret treasure looked like in their entire lives?

"Are you not afraid of death?"

Xu Lu looked around. This Fu Yuanhe's courage was truly immense, daring to say such words in the middle of the street.

There were not many people on the street in front of the City Lord's Manor. The nearest person was dozens of yards away, unable to hear their conversation.

"I am no longer who I used to be," Fu Yuanhe whispered, his face filled with pride. "As the Workshop Master, I can now obtain double the contribution points compared to before. If I exchange for secret treasures, who can control me?"

"Deal!"