Pan Hongzhi replied as if it were the most natural thing: "You'll get used to it. I was shocked the first ti the Crown Prince ca to our advanced class too. Now I even think his monthly visits to the second floor are to impart knowledge to Jincheng."
Jiang Yan was stunned: "The Crown Prince personally teaches Jincheng too? I thought he just listened to Jincheng’s bragging every day. What does he teach him?"
Pan Hongzhi teased, "Who knows? Maybe you should sneak up there and listen soday."
Jiang Yan: "…" No thanks.
Even if he had a hundred tis the courage, he wouldn’t dare eavesdrop.
That was the Crown Prince—the heir to the throne.
Xu Wan took charge and announced the start of the discussion, inviting everyone to speak freely.
Shen Yibai, as always, was the first to jump in: "Regarding this topic, I believe cultivating one’s own inner circle is absolutely essential. Subordinates must be thoroughly vetted and trustworthy—otherwise, getting stabbed in the back by betrayal would be a costly mistake. So, whether it’s promoting officials or assigning tasks, I’ll only rely on my inner circle."
Xu Wan thought to herself that Minister He should really co and see this. He once said that stubborn people like He Zheng, if they entered politics, would be the first to get eliminated. But judging from this, the first casualty would likely be this Shen boy—He Zheng would have to wait his turn.
Zong Wenxiu added, "There’s so rit to your argunt, but it’s too extre. If you only appoint people from your inner circle, what does that say to the other subordinates? Many new officials rise through imperial examinations and bureaucratic tests—scholars from humble backgrounds who haven’t aligned with any faction. To ignore them entirely would be a waste of talent. Take Qin Ye, for example. He’s not part of your inner circle, nor anyone else’s, but his abilities surpass everyone else’s. Are you sure you wouldn’t want him in your faction?"
The Little Demon King rolled his eyes skyward.
Again? Qin Ye hadn’t even beco an official yet—how was he already better than everyone else?
Hmph. If it weren’t for the fact that it was his brother speaking, he’d have retorted with a few choice words.
He Zheng said, "I agree with Wenxiu. We can’t dismiss all non-inner-circle mbers outright. After all, even trusted followers started as outsiders. We should learn to screen for subordinates with both good character and ability, then nurture them into new loyalists. Think of how Zhuge Liang captured ng Huo seven tis, or how Li Shimin won over Yuchi Gong. Only then can we gather more capable followers."
Wei Xinglu asked, "But how do we apply this? If two people have equal ability, should we really prioritize an unfamiliar Qin Ye over our own Jincheng? Who knows how well Qin Ye performs? From what I’ve seen, he’s not as agile at climbing walls as Jincheng."
"Pfft—"
The comparison nearly sent the entire room into fits of laughter.
The Little Demon King barely resisted the urge to hurl his shoe at Wei Xinglu’s head. "What kind of ridiculous analogy is that? I’m better than Qin Ye in plenty of ways! Since when is wall-climbing sothing to brag about? What, you want to scale walls for you?"
Wei Xinglu shrank back amid the laughter. "Well, it depends on what the task requires. It’s rare for two people to be exactly equal in ability—everyone has their own strengths."
Zong Jincheng countered, "If we only go by who’s stronger, then there’d be no point in having an 'inner circle'—it’d just be pure ritocracy. But absolute fairness has its risks. Even if it doesn’t lead to rebellion, it can still cause problems in day-to-day operations. Take Shang Yang, for instance—if his plans for reform had been leaked by a non-loyalist before he could propose them, he might not have lived to see the next sunrise."
Shen Yibai summarized, "So we can agree on the first point: critical matters must only be entrusted to inner-circle mbers."
The other four boys nodded in unison.
Two attendants stood by—one recording the young masters’ remarks, the other compiling the finalized principles.
Zong Wenxiu continued, "Second point: exceptionally capable outsiders can be grood as potential loyalists."
"Third point…"
The boys took turns adding to the list, quickly drafting several well-considered conclusions.
The advanced-class instructors, familiar with their capabilities, were no longer surprised—just impressed by their growing progress. What stood out most was their unity.
The strongest bonds in an inner circle were forged through growing up together, knowing each other inside out, and sharing deep camaraderie.
Zong Jincheng had linked the four young troublemakers on one side and his brother on the other, creating two groups of close companions. Though they bickered often, they stood united when it mattered.
Zhang Zheng and Li Qi, the two officials assisting that day, had initially expected nothing more than humoring the sons of influential families. But the longer they listened, the more unsettled they beca. The boys collaborated seamlessly, drawing conclusions without needing the instructors’ guidance.
Their efficiency put many seasoned officials to sha.
"Do they even need our input?" Li Qi muttered uncertainly.
Zhang Zheng chuckled. "Let’s see how far they get. We can fill in any gaps later."
Li Qi grinned. "Remarkable. I thought Wei Xinglu—one of the capital’s four notorious troublemakers—was hopeless. But now even the little troublemakers are this sharp?"
Zhang Zheng shook his head. "Shen Yibai surprises too. Last ti I saw him, he was snarling at . Now he’s speaking with such logic—it’s like he’s a whole new person."
After a mont of bewildernt, they reached the sa conclusion: "It must be the Marquis Manor’s excellent feng shui—such a scholarly atmosphere."
"Absolutely. A fine place."
Buyan, who had no interest in their mutterings: "…"
Or you could visit the Zong Family Ancestral Hall and see which ancestor blessed us with such 'feng shui.'
"Sixth point: When selecting and nurturing subordinates, we must never prioritize ability over character. Otherwise, we risk being betrayed by opportunistic turncoats."
"Right. So the seventh point is: When our subordinates cultivate their own inner circles, we must teach them these principles too. Otherwise, corruption at the lowest levels could still ruin everything."
"Eighth point! This one’s crucial—before grooming an outsider, thoroughly investigate their background! What if they have so hidden vendetta we don’t know about? Ugh, don’t glare at ! Just because I’ve heard too many storytellers’ tales doesn’t an they’re not rooted in reality! Better safe than sorry!"
"Fine, add that one too."
"Ninth point…"
"…"
Li Qi turned to Zhang Zheng with a lethal question: "They’re already on the ninth point. Are you *sure* we’re needed here?"
Zhang Zheng: "…"
They say three cobblers equal Zhuge Liang.
But these five boys were far beyond cobblers. The longer they debated, the more ticulous their conclusions beca—downright terrifyingly so.
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