Chapter Forty-Five: The Floating House

Although this recent balance adjustment first brought forth legendary figures such as Genghis Khan Temüjin and Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, followed by the unexpected variable of the transmigrator Consort Yu, life still had to go on.

No matter how much reluctance Li Xiang harbored in his heart, it was already a settled fact that these individuals had been balanced into the world. Li Xiang could no longer change anything; the only thing he could change was himself.

All Li Xiang could do now was continue to accumulate his strength, striving to face those ancient emperors and founding monarchs with greater confidence before the great war arrived.

Among these tasks, the very first thing Li Xiang needed to do was fulfill his previous vision and begin establishing his own intelligence organization.

"Someone come," Li Xiang suddenly called out toward the exterior of the room.

A soldier pushed the door open and entered, asking with an unservile yet overbearing attitude, "What are the General's commands?"

Although this man was dressed in the standard attire of an ordinary soldier, his gaze was profound, as if he could see straight through the hearts of people in this world. His demeanor was also extraordinarily refined.

Since this man was his personal bodyguard and possessed such exceptional bearing, he must undoubtedly be none other than Wei Xiaokuan, the brilliant strategist who commanded the Battle of Yubi.

"Wei Xiaokuan, go and summon Mao Xiang in here. Afterward, lead the men to secure the perimeter and do not allow a single soul to enter," Li Xiang said in a deep voice.

The intelligence agency about to be established would remain unknown to the world for a long time to come, so naturally, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Only in this way could the organization's secrecy be best guaranteed.

Before long, a young man walked into the room, who was undoubtedly the newly appointed Commander of the Brocade Guard, Mao Xiang.

"Greetings, My Lord. What are your orders in summoning this humble subordinate?" the man said respectfully the moment he stepped inside.

Li Xiang turned his head to look at him, realizing that if one truly had to use a single word to describe this notorious Commander of the Brocade Guard, it would simply be "ordinary."

He was a person as ordinary as they could possibly be. If he were to take a stroll through the streets of Taiyuan City right now, probably not a single person would remember him.

Yet, perhaps only someone who appeared so unremarkable on the surface while harboring a brilliant and intricate mind deep within could be truly competent for tasks like reconnaissance and espionage, and successfully carry out the mission Li Xiang intended to assign him.

"Mao Xiang, with your talent, you are merely serving as a humble bodyguard. I imagine you must feel unreconciled to this," Li Xiang said with a smile the moment Mao Xiang entered the door.

Mao Xiang truly lived up to being a man capable of earning the utmost trust of the Hongwu Emperor. Although it was just for a fleeting second, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and he immediately realized that his opportunity might have finally arrived.

"Guarding My Lord is of the utmost importance. Although my position is humble, my responsibility is as heavy as Mount Tai. To be able to continuously guard My Lord is a task I would gladly embrace; how could I feel any reluctance?" Although he had already guessed certain implications, Mao Xiang still chose his words with extreme caution and spoke warily.

Seeing this, Li Xiang felt even more satisfied. Caution was the most vital trait for an intelligence operative. With Mao Xiang's exceptionally prudent temperament, he had no doubt that his future intelligence agency would thrive and expand smoothly.

"Mao Xiang, I have a crucial mission that requires a trusted confidant to undertake. I wonder if you dare to accept it," Li Xiang ceased testing him and cut straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Mao Xiang immediately dropped to his knees and said in a solemn voice, "This subordinate will exert all his strength and strive to live up to My Lord's high expectations."

Although Mao Xiang had already guessed that his chance was coming, now that the moment had truly arrived, his heart was still filled with incomparable excitement.

Li Xiang smiled, reached out to help Mao Xiang up, and said slowly, "Very well. I intend to establish an intelligence agency that will answer solely to me. On the one hand, I hope it can secretly infiltrate every corner of the realm—from high-ranking ministers and nobles down to all walks of life—acting as my eyes and ears to gather intelligence from across the world. On the other hand, I expect it to execute various assassinations and sabotage missions, clearing away all obstacles in my path. Mao Xiang, do you dare to shoulder this heavy responsibility and help me build this clandestine organization?"

After pondering for a long time upon hearing these words, Mao Xiang finally spoke again, "Since My Lord has given the command, this subordinate will naturally spare no sacrifice. However, according to My Lord, building such a vast organization will undoubtedly require unimaginable amounts of manpower and material resources. Moreover, even with sufficient support in manpower and materials, it is not something that can be built in a short period of time. If I am truly to undertake this task, I fear I cannot do without My Lord's full backing."

Hearing this, Li Xiang mentally nodded in approval of Mao Xiang once more. To remain calm and unruffled when faced with major matters, and to be able to think so meticulously, this man indeed possessed great talent.

"Hahaha! Mao Xiang, rest assured. I am not asking you to assemble this organization overnight; you only need to let me see preliminary results in three to four years."

As for why it was three to four years, it was naturally because the Yellow Turban Rebellion would break out around that time. And it was precisely this turmoil that would lift the curtain on a century of turbulence at the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.

Li Xiang took a sip of clear tea to moisten his throat and continued, "As for financial matters, I will write a letter for you later. You can take it and seek out Shen Wansan, whose reputation has been soaring recently here in Taiyuan City. He will do everything in his power to support you.

However, as for personnel, you will still need to rack your brains and figure out a solution. I do not have any surplus intelligence talents on hand at the moment, but in the future, I will certainly do my best to dispatch a batch to assist you."

"Since that is the case, this subordinate will undoubtedly forge an intelligence agency that satisfies My Lord, transforming into the sharp blade in My Lord's hand to help you cut through the thorns and brambles along your path," Mao Xiang pledged to Li Xiang with a face full of determination.

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining 9 summon points. Your current balance is 185 summon points."

Upon hearing the system prompt, Li Xiang felt even more delighted.

He warmly took Mao Xiang's hand and said, "Mao Xiang, with you handling things, I am completely at ease. Moreover, I am well aware of your talent. Entrusting the Fushu House to your hands allows me to rest easy without worries."

"May I ask, My Lord, is 'Fushu House' the name of this intelligence agency?" Although Mao Xiang already had the answer in his mind, he still felt compelled to ask; sometimes, assuming one knows best is not a good habit.

"Indeed. I hope that in the future, the Fushu House can bring all hidden secrets to the surface of the water, laying them bare before my eyes so that nothing escapes my view," Li Xiang explained earnestly to Mao Xiang the meaning behind the name Fushu House.

"Rest assured, My Lord. If you grant me four years, I will surely make the Fushu House live up to its name of bringing secrets to light, thereby repaying Your Lordship's great kindness," Mao Xiang once again expressed his resolve to Li Xiang.

"Go back and properly prepare for the matters concerning the establishment of the Fushu House. I believe you will surely achieve my goal," Li Xiang glanced at Mao Xiang and encouraged him.

"Thank you for your trust, My Lord. This subordinate will take his leave now." With that, he respectfully backed out of the room, then strode away, ready to meticulously plan out how to kick off this grand undertaking.

In Mao Xiang's view, once the Fushu House was successfully established and began operating, he would undoubtedly become one of his master's true confidants, and his status might even rival that of some high-ranking military generals.