Dream of the Red Chamber: I can see the hidden labels of the beauties.

Jia Can pondered silently to himself, but showed no sign of it on his face, bowing humbly in response:

"Lord Yu, you flatter me. I am unworthy of such praise. I was just lucky to have encountered the matter of the princess and managed to get through it by chance with my cleverness. I am truly unworthy of such praise from you."

Seeing that he was not pleased by the praise, and showed no arrogance whatsoever, remaining as calm and humble as ever, Yu Hui was even more impressed.

Honestly, if it were him, rising from a bullied illegitimate son to a high-ranking official of the third rank, even if he wasn't smug, he would inevitably feel smug.

But Jia Can showed no sign of pride; such composure is truly rare.

Thinking of this, Yu Hui's admiration deepened, and he cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

"Now that you have inherited the title and are about to become the Commander of the Dragon Guard, your status is already above mine. There is no need for you to refer to yourself as a junior. Just call me by my name."

At this point, I can't help but feel emotional.

When he first met Jia Can, Jia Can was just a powerless and weak illegitimate son in the Ningguo Mansion, walking on thin ice. He was extremely respectful to him, but in the blink of an eye, he was able to firmly overpower him.

Fate is unpredictable; nothing could be more so.

Jia Can remained unmoved and instead returned the greeting with clasped hands:

"You flatter me, Lord Yu. If it weren't for your help and guidance, how could I have achieved what I have today? I will forever remember your kindness and support. No matter what I become in the future, I will always be your junior."

Yu Hui could tell that Jia Can's words were sincere and heartfelt, and he was deeply moved. A surge of emotion welled up in his chest, and his eyes reddened slightly, as if he were willing to die for a friend who understood him.

After a long pause, he calmed himself down, took a deep breath, and continued to praise:

"Excellent! Young master, you are grateful for kindness, remember those who helped you after achieving success, remain humble despite your high position, and are unyielding despite your noble status. You truly possess the qualities of a gentleman!"

Jia Can gave him a deep look, said a few more humble words, and then smoothly changed the subject:

"Lord Yu, are you familiar with the Dragon Guard? Do you know its current situation?"

Yu Hui composed himself, gathering his emotions, and replied calmly:

"Young Master, the Dragon Guard has not been used for many years. Although there are still offices in the capital, they are practically useless."

"In theory, a guard should have at least five thousand men, and sometimes more than ten thousand. But now the Longfu Guard is practically defunct. It can't even muster a hundred men. They are either old, weak, sick, or disabled, or they are just sons of powerful and wealthy people who are drawing salaries without working."

Upon hearing this, Jia Can's expression hardened, and his brows furrowed. Just as he had expected, the situation was even more serious.

The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled are one thing; they can be comforted and dismissed. But these privileged sons who are receiving salaries without working are a hot potato.

The fact that these people were able to be nominally affiliated with the Twenty-Four Dragon Guards and receive salaries suggests that the interests behind them were likely deeply intertwined and complex.

Just like in the original novel, when Qin Keqing passed away, Jia Zhen, in order to save face, asked the eunuch Dai Quan to buy Jia Rong an official position as a Dragon Guard. This is a similar situation.

If Jia Can wanted to get rid of all these privileged sons who were receiving salaries without working, it would be no easy task. If he handled it improperly, he would offend a whole bunch of people and make countless enemies.

The retired emperor handed over the Dragon Guard to him, ostensibly giving him power and subordinates, but in reality setting him up for a difficult task to see just how capable he really was.

Whether or not the Longfu Guard can be quickly revitalized will directly determine how many people Jia Can can bring with him after heading south, and how much power he can wield.

If even this hurdle cannot be overcome, then the more complex and difficult task of cracking down on the salt administration will be impossible.

Seeing Jia Can's furrowed brows and deep thought, Yu Hui guessed what was on his mind and offered some words of comfort:

"Young master, do not worry. I have some connections in the army. If you need to select spies, just tell me. If you lack elites, I can also transfer some from the Longxiang Guard for your use."

Jia Can snapped out of her daze, looked at him, a look of gratitude flashing in her eyes, and bowed in thanks:

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Yu. However, revitalizing the Dragon Guard is a test set up for me by the Emperor Emeritus."

"If I were to rely on Lord Yu's help to resolve this matter, it would surely displease the Emperor Emeritus, which would also be unfavorable for you, Lord Yu. I have my own plans for this matter, so you need not worry about me."

Hearing that Jia Can's words were reasonable and he seemed confident, Yu Hui said no more.

He had witnessed all of Jia Can's previous actions and believed that Jia Can was absolutely capable of revitalizing the Dragon Guard and satisfying the Emperor Emeritus. He only needed to observe.

They immediately changed the subject:

"I believe that you, young master, can quickly reorganize the Dragon Guard. However, this trip south will definitely be fraught with difficulties and dangers for you."

"Those people even dared to assassinate Lin Hai, the Salt Inspector, which shows that the Salt Administration is already in cahoots. Even though you are an imperial envoy, you have the Dragon Guard under your command and the Emperor Emeritus backing you up. In my opinion, this matter is still a deadly trap fraught with danger."

"My lord, you must think this through carefully; you must not be careless!"

As he finished speaking, Yu Hui's eyes were filled with concern.

Jia Can felt a warmth in his heart. He could tell that Yu Hui was genuinely worried about him, and he quickly replied solemnly:

"I understand. If it were simple, the Emperor Emeritus wouldn't have specifically chosen to send me south; he could have just selected a civil official."

Jia Can did not think Yu Hui was exaggerating at all.

After all, the example of Lin Ruhai is right before our eyes. For the huge profits of salt tax, those people would probably still dare to harm him in Jiangnan, even if he were the current crown prince. This matter really needs to be carefully considered and acted upon after careful planning.

Seeing that he understood the implications, Yu Hui's worry lessened slightly, and he nodded gently.

"It's good that you understand, young master. Although we haven't known each other for long, I absolutely do not want to see you get into trouble in the south."

Jia Can pursed his lips slightly and replied seriously:

"Don't worry, Lord Yu. I'm actually quite afraid of death, and I would never risk my life."

Seeing that he was speaking so seriously, Yu Hui couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter, instantly making the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.

The two chatted for a while longer before parting ways.

When Jia Can returned to Ningguo Mansion, it was around noon. He first had lunch and then handled some simple administrative tasks.

After finishing all the matters, he sat alone in his study, first closing his eyes to rest for a while, then opening his eyes and beginning to think about how to quickly revitalize the Longfu Guard and how to go south to reorganize the salt administration.

Just then, the greeting of a maidservant came from outside:

"Grandma is here."

Jia Can snapped out of his daze and looked outside in the direction of the sound. He saw Qin Keqing gracefully enter, her figure light and slender, her clothes fluttering, like a fairy floating in on auspicious clouds.

This made Jia Can's eyes light up, and all the complicated thoughts in his mind were instantly thrown to the winds. He stood up to greet him, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face:

"Qin Keqing".

As he spoke, he naturally reached out and pulled her to sit down on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the inner room, then sat down next to her.

Qin Keqing looked him up and down, examining him carefully, as if she were afraid that he might be injured.

Seeing that Jia Can remained unchanged, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, gazed at him, and asked softly:

"Chanlang, how did your meeting with the Emperor Emeritus go at noon?"