Chapter 1 Only Managers Are Qualified to Enter

Inside the top floor of the Hundred Schools Forum, in a room only managers were qualified to enter.

Jiang Chen was sipping fragrant tea, personally brewed by a beautiful woman, while examining a list.

It contained the names of those who had made a name for themselves at the Hundred Schools Forum during this period. Each person's name, origin, background, and strengths were compiled for Jiang Chen's reference.

It was essentially an ancient version of a national think tank.

Whenever Jiang Chen needed it, he could immediately find the right talent to solve his problems.

"Your Majesty, your grand strategy is simply admirable!"

"During this time, Yao'er has met more heroes through the Hundred Schools Forum than in the past twenty years combined. If this continues, you will have an inexhaustible supply of talent!"

Jia Yao'er, dressed in plain clothes, sat beside Jiang Chen. Her delicate face, lightly powdered, was flushed with excitement. Even the dark hair held up by a jade hairpin drooped slightly to her neck due to her animated movements.

Her adoring and admiring demeanor was the complete opposite of the aloof and distant fairy-like persona she presented to others.

If those noble sons who regarded Jia Yao'er as a heavenly being and hailed her as a goddess were to see this, they would probably be so jealous that they would want to kill Jiang Chen and take his place!

But facing such beauty, Jiang Chen's reaction was calm, even indifferent.

It wasn't that he was insensitive to beauty, but his mind was focused on talent and he had no time to pay attention to these small flirtations.

"Jia Yao, you've done very well, even better than I imagined!"

"I originally brought you a reward this time, but now it seems a little inadequate."

"Let's wait a while longer, until the ministers in the court realize the importance of the Hundred Schools Forum, then I will give you a generous gift, how about that?"

Her girlish heart fluttered slightly with disappointment at his businesslike tone.

But she was, after all, a daughter of a prominent family and didn't show it. She said with poise, "Your Majesty, you have already satisfied Yao'er by disregarding Yao'er's previous deception and entrusting her with an important task."

"As for anything else, Yao'er does not expect it!"

Knowing how much pressure Jiang Chen faced when he promoted her, Jia Yao'er didn't think about asking for credit. She just wanted to do her job well to repay his kindness.

Also, she wanted to leave a good impression on Jiang Chen, not wanting him to think of her as a mercenary woman.

Seeing that she was speaking from the heart, Jiang Chen was somewhat gratified and patiently explained, "Clear rewards and punishments are my principle."

"If you make a contribution, I should reward you. If you repeatedly decline, it will break the rules. In the future, when other officials make achievements, with you as an example, no matter what they think in their hearts, they will probably not dare to ask for credit on the surface."

"Over time, the officials will become unwilling to contribute to the court and neglect their duties."

"Therefore, I cannot agree to your request, do you understand?"

Jia Yao'er's face turned pale as she listened. She didn't expect that her small selfishness would have such serious consequences and couldn't help but feel afraid.

She said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, Yao'er understands. Yao'er will listen to your orders in everything!"

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Jiang Chen felt pity and comforted her, "Alright, I didn't mean to blame you, don't be afraid."

"You are my great contributor, very important, I will not punish you."

His gentle tone and intimate attitude made Jia Yao'er's girlish heart, which had just been extinguished, start to stir again.

She raised her eyes and carefully looked at Jiang Chen's face. Seeing that his eyes were indeed gentle, she mustered her courage and said, "Your Majesty, Yao'er has realized her mistake. May I ask if you can give Yao'er a chance to correct it?"

Hearing this, Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile, "Correct it? How do you plan to correct it, tell me."

Jia Yao'er twisted the corner of her clothes and said hesitantly, "Your reward, Yao'er accepts it... it's just that, it's just that Yao'er wants to decide what to reward specifically."

"Oh?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, "You're changing quickly, what do you want me to reward?"

Jia Yao'er lowered her head even further and whispered, "I want you to call Yao'er by her boudoir name in the future, when there is no one else around, instead of calling me Jia Yao so distantly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jia Yao'er's pretty face instantly turned red, so charming that people couldn't take their eyes off her.

Even Jiang Chen, who had seen countless beauties, was stirred by this beautiful scene.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Do you know what you're saying? A woman's boudoir name is not something that just anyone can call!"

In Da Wei, besides parents and siblings, the only person who could call a woman's boudoir name directly was her husband.

Therefore, Jia Yao'er's request, in Jiang Chen's view, was completely an invitation, and a very ambiguous one at that.

As if sensing the ambiguity of the atmosphere, Jia Yao'er's breathing became a little more rapid. Her heart was pounding nervously, and she didn't dare to meet Jiang Chen's eyes at all.

She said in a voice as soft as a mosquito, "Yao'er, Yao'er is Your Majesty's disciple. It's okay for teachers and students to be closer... Your Majesty, please don't overthink it!"

Although she had an indescribable affection for Jiang Chen in her heart, and even hinted boldly, Jia Yao'er was still a woman, and she still had restraint in her heart, not wanting to admit her feelings so rashly.

After all, things that are too easy to get are destined not to be cherished.

Another reason was that if she didn't break through this window paper, she wouldn't be rejected and could continue to have contact with Jiang Chen. Although she was very confident in her appearance, with three thousand beauties in the harem, Jia Yao'er was not confident that she could definitely overwhelm the others and make Jiang Chen want her and only her.

So... let's maintain the status quo for now.

Jiang Chen could see some of this daughter's thoughts, but to say that he understood all of it was of course impossible.

At the moment, he frowned, reached out and pinched Jia Yao'er's chin, forcing her to look at him, "Teacher and student?"

"Yao'er, is this behavior of yours to get closer to me as a teacher? Or are you trying to seduce me? To make me..."

As he spoke, Jiang Chen's straight back leaned forward slowly, his eyes lingering on Jia Yao'er's full red lips, as if he was about to lean in and taste them in the next second.

Looking at the handsome face that was constantly enlarging, Jia Yao'er's heart was pounding so hard that it was about to jump out, and she couldn't raise the thought of rejecting him at all.

But the restraint of a daughter told her that she couldn't continue, so she had to deceive herself and close her eyes, waiting for the next intimacy.

'Bang, bang, bang!'

A burst of rapid footsteps broke the atmosphere full of tenderness.

Jiang Chen's expression turned cold as he released Jia Yao'er's jaw, and he said angrily, "Feng Jin, what's going on outside? Why are you not stopping the commotion?"

Hearing his displeasure, Feng Jin outside the door was a little puzzled and said in a panic, "Your Grace, it's the guards of the Hundred Schools Forum who have come up, saying that someone is causing trouble at the door."

"The matter is urgent, so this servant didn't stop them, please forgive me!"

"Causing trouble?!"

"Who is so bold? I'm going to see for myself!"