Chapter 1498: A Round of Drinks

After leaving the great hall, Ye Guan returned to his room and let out a sigh.

That woman really isn't easy to handle.

Little Pagoda said, "She's very wary of you."

Ye Guan replied, "Not really; she just wants to know my true motive."

"Why?" Little Pagoda asked.

"Because once she knows my true motive, she can relax and decide whether or not to use me. Right now, she suspects my goal has something to do with the academy, so she's using the academy to pressure me and force me to reveal my true motive."

"How do you plan to respond then?"

"Revealing my true goal is out of the question, but she'll keep treating me like this unless I do that. Without her support, establishing the Academy here will be nearly impossible. However... I still want to give it a try."

"Try what?"

"To build the academy without her support."

"You knew she wouldn't agree, right?"

Ye Guan nodded. Sang Han was far from simple. If she had agreed easily, he would actually be wary.

Little Pagoda said, "It's going to be very difficult."

Ye Guan nodded again. "Yes."

Whenever he founded an Academy, it was always after he had first conquered the top forces in a region. It was always a top-down implementation, which made things easier.

But now, he had to work from the bottom up, one step at a time, and it was far more difficult. Still, he had no choice. He could only move forward, step by step.

What worried him the most was the Great Daoist Brush Master. He had a strong feeling that the next time they met each other, he would deliver Ye Guan a shocking surprise.

Thinking of that, Ye Guan frowned deeply. It wasn't just his cultivation that urgently needed improvement. The academy also had to be established as soon as possible, and it had to grow fast.

At that moment, he sensed something. He opened his palm, and the transmission talisman in his hand flickered lightly.

Ye Guan stood up and headed outside the Governor's Mansion. As soon as he stepped out, he saw a young lady in a long purple dress with her hair draped over her shoulders, holding a wooden box. Her complexion was a bit pale, giving her a delicate and fragile appearance.

She walked up to him and said, "Young Master Ye, it's nice to meet you. My name is Qin Xue. My grandfather sent me to find you."

Ye Guan smiled. "Nice to meet you. Come with me."

He led her into the Governor's Mansion. Once they were in the room, he turned to her and said, "Please have a seat, Lady Qin Xue."

After sitting down, Qin Xue gently placed the wooden box on the table and said, "Young Master Ye, my grandfather told me to serve as your assistant for the time being. If you need anything, feel free to ask."

Ye Guan asked, "What are you good at?"

Qin Xue replied, "A bit of everything."

"A bit of everything?" Ye Guan chuckled.

Qin Xue nodded.

Ye Guan pulled out a map and looked at the spot he had marked earlier. "Your grandfather should've told you that I'm planning to build an academy. The location is already chosen, and funding isn't a problem.

"In your opinion, can this academy be built?"

"No, it can't," Qin Xue said, shaking her head. Then, she explained, "Young Master Ye, with all due respect, there are many issues with trying to establish this academy. Some problems can be solved with money, but others can't.

"For example, the approval process. Without the right people or connections, it's nearly impossible to get it approved."

Ye Guan asked, "Shouldn't we give it a try at least?"

Qin Xue looked at him without replying, but she felt a bit disappointed inside.

Try, my ass...

Since the young man in front of her was someone her grandfather had taken a liking to, she couldn't say what she really thought, so she simply nodded. "Okay."

She opened the wooden box and took out a stack of thick official documents. "My grandfather has already taken care of everything. Now we're just waiting on final approval from the Ministry of Works. Once that's done, construction can begin immediately."

The Ministry of Works was the department responsible for overseeing all construction. Without its approval, no project could legally begin.

Ye Guan immediately said, "Then let's go to the Ministry of Works."

Qin Xue glanced at him without saying anything.

Ye Guan quickly realized that it wasn't the right time to go, so he chuckled awkwardly. "You should rest for now. We'll go there tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Qin Xue nodded. After a brief pause, she asked, "Is it true that the Governor doesn't want to be the Honorary Academy Master?"

"Of course not, she's totally willing," Ye Guan said.

Qin Xue looked at him blandly, not believing his words at all.

Ye Guan knew she had figured it out and revealed an awkward smile. "Well, she's not willing yet, but it's fine. Good things take time."

Qin Xue nodded and did not press further. Her true goal in following Ye Guan was to gain access to the Governor's Mansion. Her ultimate aim was to get Ye Guan to introduce her to Sang Han.

The next morning, they headed straight to the Ministry of Works.

On the way, he asked, "Those documents... they're all in order, right?"

Qin Xue replied, "All in perfect order."

Ye Guan nodded. "Good."

Before long, they arrived at the Ministry of Works and saw that the place was absolutely packed with people. They waited in line for a long time, and finally, around midday, they were ushered in to meet a manager.

Inside the office, the manager glanced over at the stack of documents in front of Ye Guan and calmly said, "I took a quick look just now, and your documents have issues."

Ye Guan was slightly taken aback. "What kind of issues?"

The manager explained, "For a project of this scale, it needs to be filed one month in advance. You didn't do that. Also, each document requires separate official seals, and we don't have the complete set of seals here, so there's nothing we can do for you today. Come back another time."

With that, he picked up his tea and took a sip. A clear signal for them to leave.

Naturally, Ye Guan wasn't willing to give up so easily, but just as he was about to speak, Qin Xue tugged at his sleeve and pulled him away.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

After they left the Ministry of Works, the manager chuckled to himself.

That's a big project...

A nearby assistant was confused, asking, "Boss, his documents were all in order, and I don't think that kind of project requires advance notice. Also, we

do

have all the required seals."

The manager gave him a sidelong glance. "If things got approved the first time around, what would we eat and drink?"

Outside, Ye Guan was silent.

Qin Xue said, "I've already sent an invitation to that manager, asking him to meet at the Immortal Crane Pavilion tonight. If you don't treat him to a nice dinner and offer something extra, do you really think this will get done?"

Ye Guan fell silent.

"You don't have to go. I can have my grandfather send someone in your place."

"I'll go."

"Alright."

That evening, at the Immortal Crane Pavilion, Ye Guan had originally been waiting in the private room, but Qin Xue pulled him out and led him to the entrance.

He looked at her, confused.

Ye Guan glanced at him and said, "When you're waiting for someone, you don't do it in the room. You wait at the door. Got it?"

Soon, the manager arrived, accompanied by an assistant.

Seeing that Ye Guan was just standing there, Qin Xue shot him a glare before stepping forward to greet them. She smiled politely and said, "Manager Zhou, thank you for taking the time to join us. Please, this way."

Manager Zhou smiled. "Of course."

Once everyone was seated in the private room, Qin Xue discreetly took out a storage ring and slipped it into Ye Guan's hand. At the same time, her voice rang in his head. "

Drink a few rounds first, build a rapport, and then offer it.

"

Ye Guan glanced at the storage ring in his palm and nodded lightly. He understood what he ought to do.

Immediately afterward, he raised his cup and stood with a smile. "Manager Zhou, allow me to offer you a toast."

After a few rounds of wine, both men were slightly tipsy. The manager maintained his composure, smiling warmly with refined manners. He remained polite, never once bringing up business.

Ye Guan didn't rush to mention it either.

Clang!

Just then, a crisp sound rang out in the room.

"

Ah!

" Ye Guan exclaimed, startled. He looked down at the ground. "Manager Zhou, you dropped your storage ring."

Manager Zhou looked down, and when his eyes landed on the ring, his eyelid twitched. Inside that storage ring were a hundred thousand star spiritual crystals.

Ye Guan quickly picked it up and handed it to him. "Manager Zhou, you'd better take good care of this ring..."

Manager Zhou accepted it calmly, but the polite, reserved smile he wore earlier was gone. This time, the smile on his face was genuine, warm from the heart.

"Good thing you noticed, Brother Ye, or I wouldn't have an answer for my wife when I got home! This is several years' worth of my salary, after all. Come, come, let's drink another round!"

After another round of drinks, Ye Guan casually let out a sigh.

Manager Zhou immediately asked, "Brother Ye, what's troubling you?"

Ye Guan sighed again. "

Ah,

I've had a lot on my mind lately. You know... my Academy..."

"Academy?" Manager Zhou burst out laughing. "I completely forgot about that, Brother Ye! Did you bring the documents?"

Ye Guan said, "They're all with me!"

Manager Zhou replied, "Good, good. Hand them over."

Ye Guan pulled out the stack of documents. Manager Zhou immediately brought out a bunch of official seals and grinned, saying, "Brother Ye, here, I'll get them all stamped for you right now..."

Then, he paused and added, "To be honest, this is a bit against the rules, but building an academy is a noble act. It nurtures talent for the empire and, at the same time, gives the common people a way to rise through the ranks.

"Our empire needs people like you, who care for the empire and the people, so even if it bends the rules a little... I have to support you."

With that, he picked up the seals and stamped them all with great enthusiasm.