170: Chapter 170 Prejudice is often a mountain

"My lord."

Shi Zhang looked at Xiao Weizi with a serious expression and said, "This humble one implores my lord to do me a favor."

"Hmm?"

Xiao Weizi's brows furrowed slightly, and he did not immediately agree.

He saw that Shi Zhang had changed how he addressed him, which showed that the favor being asked must be difficult to accomplish; otherwise, why would the other party give him so much money?

"Shi Zhang, please speak."

"Understood."

Shi Zhang immediately said, "This humble one dares to recommend a talent to my lord."

"Oh!"

Xiao Weizi's expression immediately relaxed.

He still had the power of recommendation, as long as he wasn't recommending someone to His Majesty the Head of State.

However...

He then heard Shi Zhang say, "I want my lord to recommend him to His Majesty the Head of State."

"What are you saying!"

Xiao Weizi's face instantly darkened; why was it that the more he worried about something, the more likely it was to happen?

Recommending someone was no small matter; one careless move could lead to getting burned.

If the person Shi Zhang wanted him to recommend had no real talent, or if they failed to satisfy His Majesty the Head of State, then he, as the recommender, would also be held responsible.

Xiao Weizi had finally gained some influence in the Xianyang Palace, and he didn't want to court death.

After seeing the change in Xiao Weizi's expression, how could a shrewd person like Shi Zhang not see through his psychological shift?

"My lord."

Shi Zhang hurriedly said, "Rest assured, my lord, the person I ask you to recommend absolutely possesses genuine talent and learning."

"On this point, this humble one is willing to guarantee it with his own head."

"Oh!"

Xiao Weizi looked at Shi Zhang in surprise.

Lu Jia looked at Shi Zhang, deeply moved in his heart.

He hadn't expected Shi Zhang to be willing to stake his own head to guarantee him.

"Shi Zhang."

Xiao Weizi asked in a shrill voice, "Although you are my elder and I respect you greatly..."

"But..."

His tone shifted, becoming sharp as he said, "But this matter of recommendation is of great consequence. If His Majesty the Head of State is dissatisfied, not only will you suffer, but I will also be held accountable."

Xiao Weizi was not quite brave enough to gamble with his political career.

However...

Since the once-superior Shi Zhang was now begging him so humbly, Xiao Weizi couldn't bring himself to reject him outright.

He said, "Is the person you wish to recommend perhaps him?"

Xiao Weizi looked at Lu Jia, whom Shi Zhang had brought along.

This young man was eight feet tall, with a grand appearance that people of the time found extraordinary.

His appearance was indeed extraordinary, but the current His Majesty the Head of State had no penchant for male beauty; he valued talent for governing the world.

He wouldn't favor someone who was just a silver-coated wax spearhead.

"This commoner greets my lord."

Lu Jia cupped his hands in greeting, speaking to Xiao Weizi with neither servility nor arrogance.

"My lord."

Shi Zhang said, "Scholar Lu possesses talent that can encompass heaven and earth. If my lord recommends Scholar Lu to His Majesty the Head of State, His Majesty will surely be satisfied."

"I am curious, then. What kind of learning do you possess that would make Shi Zhang recommend you so earnestly!"

Xiao Weizi looked curiously at this handsome young man.

"This commoner prides himself on having persuasive skills no worse than Zhang Yi's!"

Lu Jia said with a face full of confidence.

"Oh?"

Xiao Weizi furrowed his brows.

Zhang Yi had such a great reputation that he naturally knew who he was.

He often heard people mention Zhang Yi's deeds.

Zhang Yi's persuasive power was extremely strong; in the State of Chu, he saved his own life with nothing but his tongue.

By his own efforts, he used the Horizontal Alliance to break the Vertical Alliance, aiding Qin's expansion, dissolving the Qi-Chu alliance, and driving forward Qin's hegemony.

With his outstanding eloquence, wisdom, and strategy, Zhang Yi maneuvered through the political stage of the Warring States period, exerting a profound influence on the political landscape of the time and helping Qin gradually gain dominance amidst the strife.

How could the person before him compare to Zhang Yi?

Xiao Weizi's impression of Lu Jia instantly soured.

Lu Jia seemed not to notice the change in Xiao Weizi's expression and continued in an incredibly confident tone, "My lord, if you can recommend me to His Majesty the Head of State, I will surely achieve peerless merit for His Majesty!"

"At that time, my lord, as the recommender, you will also benefit, and your status within the inner palace will rise even further."

"This commoner has heard that within the inner palace, the position of Director of the Imperial Carriage Office is still vacant."

"If I can be given a position of importance and achieve great things for His Majesty the Head of State, it is not impossible for you, my lord, to serve as the Director of the Imperial Carriage Office."

Xiao Weizi fell silent upon hearing this.

The duties of the Director of the Imperial Carriage Office were to manage the Emperor's vehicles and horses, including the manufacture, repair, and maintenance of carriages, as well as the feeding and training of horses, ensuring the proper use of transportation when the Emperor traveled.

The Prefect was responsible for arrangements related to the Emperor's travels, such as itinerary planning, route selection, and convoy escort, to ensure the safety and smoothness of the Emperor's journeys.

The Director of the Imperial Carriage Office was the head of the inner palace officials.

How could Xiao Weizi not be tempted by this position?

Xiao Weizi's eyes were fixed on Lu Jia as he calculated the gains and losses in his heart.

If he recommended this person to His Majesty the Head of State and he exaggerated his abilities before His Majesty...

If he failed to deliver on his words and provoked His Majesty's fury, wouldn't he be implicated?

At the thought that the wealth and status he had worked so hard to obtain might be jeopardized, Xiao Weizi's attitude became increasingly cautious.

Not good!

After seeing the change in Xiao Weizi's expression, Shi Zhang knew that the attempt to have Xiao Weizi recommend Lu Jia to His Majesty the Head of State was going to fall through.

Sure enough, he heard Xiao Weizi give a cold snort. With a sullen face and a distant, unapproachable manner, he said, "You truly are a delusional man!"

In Xiao Weizi's eyes, Lu Jia was simply an arrogant and conceited person.

His voice grew even colder as he said, "His Majesty the Head of State does not like a delusional man."

"If I were to recommend you to His Majesty, it would only make him think I have poor judgment and result in a severe scolding for me. I would be ruined because of you!"

"Sigh!"

Shi Zhang sighed helplessly.

Any normal person could see that the request for Xiao Weizi to recommend Lu Jia to His Majesty was doomed, yet Lu Jia remained as calm and composed as ever.

He did not give up just because of Xiao Weizi's lack of trust in him.

His face was calm as he said, "My lord, I know your concerns, but please believe that my persuasive skills will surely satisfy His Majesty the Head of State."

Xiao Weizi said dismissively, "You are a delusional man, yet you dare to claim your persuasive skills are no worse than Zhang Yi's."

Xiao Weizi did this intentionally, deliberately suppressing Lu Jia.

He wanted to test whether Lu Jia's persuasive skills could truly rival Zhang Yi's.

If Lu Jia couldn't even successfully persuade him, it would prove that Lu Jia was indeed a delusional man.

Lu Jia said, "Human prejudice is often a great mountain. If you don't let me try, how can you be so sure that I am a delusional man? Or that I cannot achieve peerless merit?"