Chapter 46: Just How Irresistible is Qin Feng?

Yingtian Prefecture.
Hu Residence.

Hu Weiyong was in the courtyard, teasing the pet birds for amusement.
Before long, Hu Nangwang hurried into the courtyard from outside and said excitedly to Your Father, "Dad! News has come from the palace that even the Crown Prince, who was pleading for Qin Feng, was driven away by His Majesty! We can say this is a complete and sweeping victory for us!"

While continuing to tease the birds, Hu Weiyong smiled and said, "Where in this world is there an ever-victorious general? The principle that serving the emperor is like sleeping with a tiger should have been understood on the very first day one entered the imperial court. Qin Feng brought this upon himself today precisely because he touched the Emperor's reverse scale!"

"That scoundrel Qin Feng is willful and arrogant. Meeting such an end today is only justice served by the heavens. Dad, let's send some men right now to finish him off."

Hu Weiyong gave a contemptuous smile and said, "Without His Majesty to back him up, Qin Feng is now like fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others!"

"Wang'er, my boy, we cannot rush matters of revenge. We mustn't let that scoundrel off too easily."
"Only by slowly torturing him can we truly savor the pleasure of being the victor."

With that, Hu Weiyong poked the cage repeatedly with his finger, taking great delight in it.
Meanwhile, Hu Nangwang watched his father's perverted behavior without even daring to draw a full breath.

"Dad, what should we do now? That scoundrel Qin Feng still controls the newspaper office; this fellow could make a comeback at any moment!"
"What are you panicking about? We are certainly going to take the newspaper office, and we are going to take the scoundrel Qin Feng's life as well!"

Just at that moment, the steward of the Hu Residence rushed frantically into the courtyard.
"Master, a letter was just delivered. The messenger said it must be opened by the Master personally."

Hu Weiyong's face instantly drained of color. Could it be that the people above had something else they needed him to do?
Back when the river works incident occurred, it was also through the guidance of a letter that he had gradually boarded this pirate ship.
Never did he expect that the shadowy mastermind controlling everything behind the scenes would send yet another letter like this!

Hu Weiyong hurriedly opened the letter and read it from start to finish without missing a single word. His eyes widened instantly, filled with utter shock!

What?
They want this old man to win over Qin Feng?
What on earth are these nobles thinking?
They used to regard Qin Feng as a thorn in their side, yet now they want to recruit him?

Hu Weiyong's body began to tremble uncontrollably.
He never imagined that after all his busy efforts, not only could he not take Qin Feng's life, but he would also have to humbly go and court this very scoundrel!
That was his mortal enemy!
And now he was expected to bow and scrape to recruit him!

If it were purely for the sake of profit, Hu Weiyong could understand.
After all, Qin Feng held the entire profit chain of the newspaper office.

And the reason the Huaixi nobles wanted to recruit Qin Feng was undoubtedly because they had set their sights on the limitless potential the newspaper brought.
Winning him over now, while he was at odds with the Emperor, would allow their entire interest group to reap even greater rewards.

Hu Weiyong clutched the letter with bitter reluctance, gritting his teeth in frustration.
Just how much magnetic charm did Qin Feng possess?
Why did both the Emperor and the Huaixi nobles want to recruit this man?

Seeing his father's expression change drastically, Hu Nangwang asked with a puzzled look, "Dad, what's wrong?"
Composing himself, Hu Weiyong said in a deep voice, "This old man is going to the newspaper office."

"Dad, you're going to find Qin Feng? Are you going to make your move now? Should we send more men along?"
With a cold and stern face, Hu Weiyong said word by word, "I am not going to cause him trouble; I am going to recruit him."

"What? Huh??? Recruit Qin Feng? Dad, we are mortal enemies with him!"
Hu Weiyong let out a bitter, helpless sigh.

The massive faction behind him controlled the entire imperial court like an invisible hand.
And he had always been toiling away in the service of these people; everything he did was out of sheer helplessness.
He had no choice but to obey these nobles—who else had left so many of his compromising secrets in their hands?
If he ever dared to defy them, Li Tai and Wang Hu would be his exact fate!

Not daring to offend the forces behind him, Hu Weiyong could only swallow his broken teeth along with his blood.
Even though the other party used to be his mortal enemy, he now had to go all out, humbling himself with a fawning smile to recruit him!

Though filled with bitter resentment, he had no choice but to board his official sedan chair and head to the newspaper office to see Qin Feng.

...

The Great Ming Newspaper Office.
After being stripped of his official posts by old Zhu, Qin Feng enjoyed his leisure at the newspaper office, responsible only for editing the contents of the newspaper while remaining completely free from all other worries.

In truth, he was not entirely certain either. Would those Huaixi nobles really come to recruit him now that they knew he had fallen out with the Emperor in court?
He did not have a hundred percent guarantee, but he knew that as long as the newspaper office remained in his hands, he had the bargaining chips to negotiate with those old fellows.

The newspaper office was founded by his own hands; no one else understood the operational secrets within it.
If someone else were to run it, they might not necessarily rake in such massive profits.
Therefore, if the Huaixi nobles had truly set their sights on this lucrative piece of fat, they would definitely send someone to win him over.

Just as Qin Feng was editing the content for the next issue of the newspaper, instead of the expected recruiters, he welcomed Luo Guanzhong.

The newspaper had already published ten issues, long since generating a massive influence throughout the Great Ming and gradually integrating itself into the daily lives of the common people.
And Luo Guanzhong's *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, serialized in the newspaper, had become an overnight sensation!

As the exclusive contracted author for the Great Ming Newspaper Office, he was already an idol worshipped by the masses.
Luo Guanzhong never dreamed that writing books could bring him such immense achievement.
And all of this was entirely thanks to a perceptive scout like Qin Feng!

Walking up before Qin Feng, Luo Guanzhong bowed deeply with deep emotion and said, "Director Qin, please accept my bow!"
Ever since Qin Feng was stripped of his official rank, he was no longer Lord Qin, and everyone had switched to calling him "Director."

Qin Feng hurriedly pulled Luo Guanzhong up from the ground and asked in surprise, "Mr. Luo, what is the meaning of this?"
"Director Qin, thoroughbred horses are common, but scouts who recognize them are rare. You are my scout!"
"That I, Luo, have achieved what I have today is entirely thanks to Director Qin!"
"Coming here today, I specifically wish to recommend a vernacular storybook written by my late mentor to Director Qin."

Qin Feng scratched his head and asked, "Mr. Luo's mentor is..."
"My mentor is Mr. Shi Nai'an. He once left me the manuscript for *Water Margin*. I am currently working hard to edit it, and I earnestly beg Director Qin to publish my mentor's masterwork as well."

Qin Feng drew a sharp breath.
Good heavens!
Two of the Four Great Classical Novels gathered all at once?
Did he ever need to worry about the content output of the newspaper from now on?

Qin Feng asked, "Then where is your mentor now? Can we sign a contract with him?"
Luo Guanzhong's face fell as he sighed and said, "My mentor passed away long ago, leaving behind only his manuscript. I believe that if my mentor's masterpiece can circulate among the common people, his spirit in heaven will surely rest in peace."

Shi Nai'an was dead?
Qin Feng said, "If that's the case, the copyright can only be signed through an agency agreement. Can you still find Mr. Shi's family?"

Luo Guanzhong shook his head and said, "Every single penny earned from my mentor's work—I want none of it. Even if it all goes to disaster relief, that is fine. I only hope to see my mentor's work spread among the common people."

Qin Feng stared blankly at Luo Guanzhong.
He had never expected that there truly were people in this world who cared more for righteousness than for profit.
"In that case, all these copyright proceeds shall be used for disaster relief in the Huaixi region."
Luo Guanzhong nodded excitedly.

At that moment, the accountant hurried over in a panic and reported, "Lord Qin, Hu... Prime Minister Hu has arrived..."