If Yuan Shu were an ordinary merchant with no background, it wouldn't be a big deal; even robbing him outright wouldn't be a problem.
If he refused to comply, simply pinning a random crime on him could easily lead to his death.
However, Yuan Shu was the legitimate son of Yuan Feng, one of the Three Excellencies and the Minister of Works.
Zhang Rang wielded immense power, but Yuan Feng was no less influential.
Under such circumstances, directly seizing something without even notifying him was clearly unrealistic.
Moreover, Yuan Shu did not seem like someone who was oblivious to the times.
Even a minor eunuch like himself was generously rewarded by Yuan Shu, let alone a major figure like Zhang Rang.
Even if they met in person, Yuan Shu would likely avoid angering Zhang Rang.
With this in mind, Zuo Feng respectfully said to Yuan Shu:
"Young Master wishes to meet with Chief Eunuch Zhang; that is only natural. I will report to him upon my return, and I believe His Lordship will be willing to see you."
Yuan Shu said to Zuo Feng, "Then I must ask Lord Zuo to put in a good word for me before Chief Eunuch Zhang."
Their meeting concluded in a harmonious and friendly atmosphere.
Although Zuo Feng was a shameless scoundrel who loved money, he did get things done once he was paid.
Early the next morning, he sent word that Chief Eunuch Zhang had scheduled a meeting with Yuan Shu at his residence in the afternoon.
He also handed Yuan Shu an invitation and instructed him to bring it with him.
Zhang Rang's residence was located at the very center of Luoyang, not far from the imperial palace.
If one were to ask whose residence in Luoyang was the largest and most extravagant, Zhang Rang's would undoubtedly be the answer.
This man was an expert at amassing wealth, and since he had more money than he could spend, he built himself a private mansion modeled after the imperial palace.
The mansion was constructed with extreme luxury, nearly comparable to the palace itself.
Afraid that Emperor Ling of Han might see his mansion from a high vantage point, he told the emperor that the Son of Heaven should not ascend to great heights, as doing so would cause the people to feel unsettled.
Viewing Zhang Rang as a father figure, Emperor Ling obediently complied and never ascended to great heights again.
As a result, other eunuchs among the Ten Attendants followed suit, constructing grand private palaces, plunging the common people into misery and suffering.
When Yuan Shu arrived at the entrance of Zhang Rang's residence, he saw the grand vermillion gates and the stern imperial guards, making him feel as if he were about to enter the imperial palace itself.
He had always thought his own residence was quite lavish, but compared to Zhang Rang's, it was like a minor trick before a true master.
As Yuan Shu's horse stopped at the gate, a guard captain stepped forward and asked sternly:
"Who goes there? Do you have an invitation from Chief Eunuch Zhang?"
"I do. Please take a look, General." Yuan Shu handed the invitation given to him by Zuo Feng that morning to the gate guard.
The guard carefully inspected it and then waved his hand dismissively, saying arrogantly:
"Go in."
Yuan Shu thought to himself, "Zhang Rang is truly domineering—even his gate guards are this arrogant."
After he entered Zhang Rang's residence, a young eunuch came to lead the way. At that moment, Zhang Rang was already waiting for him in the reception hall.
Seated in the center of the hall, Zhang Rang saw Yuan Shu enter and asked in his characteristic sharp and high-pitched voice:
"So you're Yuan Shu, the son of Yuan Feng?"
Yuan Shu lifted his head and glanced at Zhang Rang. This man had a pale, beardless face, a long and thin facial structure, and gave off an extremely harsh impression.
He wore a bright yellow silk robe, exuding the aura of someone accustomed to power and luxury for many years.
To be honest, the color of the brocade robe Zhang Rang was wearing was actually forbidden, but he still wore it, and no one could do anything about it.
Facing this number one villain in the world, Yuan Shu secretly asked the system in his mind: "System, check Zhang Rang's attributes for me."
The system immediately responded: "Ding! System received the request, now retrieving Zhang Rang's attributes and skills."
"Search successful. Talent Name: Zhang Rang
Zhang Rang's Attributes:
Force: 22, Leadership: 30, Intelligence: 87, Politics: 86, Charm: 56, Luck: 92"
"Zhang Rang's Skills:
Nation's Ruin: When Zhang Rang extorts and exploits the people, his Intelligence increases by 5 points.
When deceiving the emperor, his Charm increases by 30 points.
When framing loyal officials, his Politics increases by 5 points.
Political Chaos: Zhang Rang holds immense power, disrupting the government. The intelligence of the emperor he serves decreases by 50%, and their luck decreases by 50%.
Greedy Bribery: Zhang Rang is inherently corrupt and obsessed with profit. The friendliness toward those who actively bribe him increases at twice the usual speed."
After seeing Zhang Rang's attributes, Yuan Shu couldn't help but mentally curse. He wanted to say, "What the hell is this?"
These stats were simply too absurd. Forget about Liu Hong, the incompetent emperor—even if the great Han Wudi Liu Che had appointed this guy, he would have been doomed.
Zhang Rang seemed to exist solely to bring about the downfall of the Han Dynasty.
People often said that when a nation was about to collapse, demons would appear—Zhang Rang's skill set left Yuan Shu utterly speechless.
If Yuan Shu were Liu Hong and saw Zhang Rang's skills, he would have strangled him on the spot.
But now, Zhang Rang held immense power, so confronting him head-on was not a wise choice.
Yuan Shu stepped forward, placed the brocade box on the table, and said to Zhang Rang:
"I, Yuan Shu, greet Chief Attendant Zhang. This is a small gift to show my respect."
Zhang Rang opened the brocade box and saw that it was filled with promissory notes issued by the Han Dynasty, worth at least ten million coins.
Instantly, his mood soared, and his impression of Yuan Shu improved significantly.
At the same time, the system issued a timely reminder:
"Ding! Zhang Rang's skill 'Greedy Bribery' has activated, doubling the speed at which his friendliness toward the host increases!"
Hearing the system's notification, Yuan Shu smirked internally: Dealing with someone like Zhang Rang could be difficult or easy—it all depended on catering to his desires. If he could boost their rapport high enough, perhaps Zhang Rang could even become an asset.
With a loud snap, Zhang Rang closed the brocade box and pretended to be angry:
"Young Master Yuan, what I want is the recipe for the celestial wine. Did you really think you could brush me off with just this bit of money?"
Ten million coins was a considerable sum, but Zhang Rang didn't care much about it. What he truly wanted was the celestial wine—the golden goose that would keep laying eggs.
Yuan Shu smiled warmly at Zhang Rang and said:
"Lord Zhang, this small amount of money is merely my greeting gift, meant as a token of friendship.
Whatever requests you have, just say the word. No matter what you ask for, Yuan Gonglu will only have one response—consider it done!"
Seeing how tactful Yuan Shu was, Zhang Rang's impression of him improved even more, and even his tone softened:
"You little monkey are quite clever—much better than your old-fashioned father, Yuan Feng.
Since you're so perceptive, I won't beat around the bush. Your celestial wine has a unique recipe, and I've tasted it myself—it's indeed extraordinary.
Hand over the recipe to me, and I'll be the one to profit from it. How about that?
As long as you do as I say, you won't lack benefits in the future."
Yuan Shu laughed loudly upon hearing this and said:
"Good! But not good enough.
Lord Zhang, what you truly want isn't the wine itself, but the wealth it brings.
However, the success of a wine business isn't just determined by a recipe.
Production, marketing, promotion, distribution—each of these factors plays a crucial role. If anything goes wrong in one area, it could lead to losses.
Lord Zhang, you are busy managing the empire, and your subordinates aren't specialized in this trade. Even if I hand over the recipe directly, it may not bring you actual wealth."
[Author's Note]: Annotation 1: Emperor Ling of Han frequently climbed the Yong'an Marquis Tower. The Ten Attendants, fearing he would see their luxurious residences, advised him, "The Son of Heaven should not climb high places. If he does, the common people will feel unsettled." From then on, Emperor Ling never ascended any pavilions or towers, allowing the Ten Attendants to act even more recklessly.