Chapter 1 Looking for Allies

Casting a sidelong glance at Cheng Yu, Mei Ruoying nodded. "There are still two months until the Li Consort's birthday, so nothing will happen to Jiang Zuo King during this time."

"The most important thing right now is to take over his forces and seize control of his money, food, and manpower... If you handle this well, I guarantee your safety."

Her casual words greatly boosted Cheng Yu's confidence.

The unease that had plagued him for days instantly dissipated, and he said with a beaming smile, "Miss Mei, rest assured, I will definitely handle the matter you entrusted to me well."

"As long as it helps the Cheng family overcome this crisis, you will be Cheng's benefactor. In Jiangnan, you will have the final say!"

Cheng Yu's promise was undoubtedly significant, but Mei Ruoying was not moved in the slightest; in fact, she was vaguely disappointed.

Only Jiangnan?

What Mei Ruoying wanted was far more than just this small plot of land!

Lowering her eyes to the table, Mei Ruoying concealed the disappointment in her eyes, a thoughtful look appearing on her pretty face.

Cheng Yu is old and no longer has the drive to fight. If I want to quickly gain the ability to compete with Jiang Chen, I need to find another ally...

Unaware of Mei Ruoying's thoughts, Cheng Yu was still excited about finding a strategist and asked with a smile, "Miss Mei, should I reply to the Jiang Zuo King's secret letter?"

Interrupted in her thoughts, a trace of annoyance flashed in Mei Ruoying's eyes, but she quickly hid it. "Do you still need me to teach you such a simple thing?"

"Weren't you afraid of being misunderstood by the Emperor just now? Now you're rushing to contact the Jiang Zuo King. Are you afraid the Emperor won't suspect you?"

Her slightly contemptuous words made Cheng Yu's expression momentarily awkward. As a regional official, it had been a long time since anyone dared to offend him like this!

But after all, he needed Mei Ruoying's help, so, forced by the situation, Cheng Yu suppressed the slight anger in his heart.

Pretending to be magnanimous, he said, "Haha, I've learned something. Miss Mei is still the most considerate. Then I'll remain silent and not interfere in the Jiang Zuo King's affairs."

His compliant attitude improved Mei Ruoying's mood a little, and she softened her tone. "Yes, it's a good habit not to act without authorization."

"Remember, ask for my opinion before making any decisions in the future. Also, the Jiang Zuo King is no longer your ally!"

"From the moment you and I reached a deal, you two have become mortal enemies. If the Jiang Zuo King doesn't die, and he finds out who swallowed his forces, do you think he'll let you off?"

Cheng Yu was speechless, his understanding of Mei Ruoying's ruthlessness deepened.

If it weren't for this woman's schemes, he wouldn't have attacked his old friend, the Jiang Zuo King, let alone reached the point of falling out.

But it was too late to say anything now. The deed was done, and there was no room for regret. He could only follow Mei Ruoying's will and go all the way...

With a wry smile, Cheng Yu caught a glimpse of the beautiful face so close at hand, and a deep fear rose in his heart.

...

Imperial Capital, Qiuye Palace.

Jiang Yuan, the Jiang Zuo King, had been under house arrest for several days and could not receive much news from the outside world.

But after all, he had been operating in the palace for many years. After several attempts and the sacrifice of a few pawns, he finally obtained some key information.

Looking at the secret report sent at the risk of his subordinates' lives, Jiang Zuo King's hands trembled uncontrollably, and a ferocious expression appeared on his handsome and refined face. His scarlet eyes stared fixedly at the south, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"Well done, Mei Ruoying! Well done, Cheng Yu!"

"You two ungrateful bastards, you dare to steal what this king has accumulated over the years!"

"Just wait, when this king gets out of trouble, I will cut you into a thousand pieces, no, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Jiang Zuo King clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves, trying his best to suppress his anger and not do anything impulsive.

This was the imperial palace, and the dog Emperor's spies were still secretly monitoring him.

If he made too much noise, the only channel for delivering messages might be exposed... He had to be calm and pretend to be as usual.

Taking a few deep breaths, Jiang Zuo King quickly calmed down and accepted reality.

"Mei Ruoying, Cheng Yu, and Mother Consort... Do you think I'll admit defeat so easily?"

"No, I will never bow my head until the last moment!"

"You traitors who betrayed me, just wait, one day, I will repay you a hundredfold for the pain you have inflicted on me!"

Just as various forces were investigating the situation in the Imperial Capital and preparing for the Consort's birthday, the time quietly came to the end of the month.

At this time, under Jiang Chen's strict supervision, the Baijia Forum (Hundred Schools Forum) was finally completed, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony attracted tens of thousands of onlookers!

For a long time, the streets and alleys of the Imperial Capital were buzzing about this event.

As the Emperor, Jiang Chen did not personally attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for safety reasons, but instead had the Prime Minister and the Censor-in-Chief attend on his behalf.

But he had actually been thinking about this matter, and when the hype had died down, he took some people, disguised himself, and left the palace, intending to inspect the Baijia Forum as a wealthy young master.

He wanted to see if the officials and stewards were being outwardly compliant but inwardly rebellious.

"Young Master, we've arrived. Let's get out of the carriage." Feng Jin, dressed as a steward, respectfully lifted the curtain.

Jiang Chen glanced outside through the gap and found that the carriage was stopped at the street corner. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "Isn't it still quite a distance away? Why are we getting out here?"

Hearing this, Feng Jin explained, "Young Master, this is a rule set by Miss Jia. She said that the Baijia Forum is open to everyone in the world, not just to serve the powerful."

"Therefore, carriages that cause congestion are not allowed to park here, so as not to disturb others who come to the Baijia Forum to study... Of course, your identity is important, and this rule naturally doesn't apply to you."

"This servant will send someone to inform them and have our carriage..."

Before Feng Jin could finish, Jiang Chen, with a smile on his face, interrupted, "Inform them of what? I think Jia Yao'er's rule is very good. Don't take it upon yourself to break it."

After warning him, Jiang Chen took his folding fan and got out of the carriage. Looking at the scholars coming and going on the street, he felt very gratified.

This Jia Yao'er is doing a good job. She didn't let down my unconventional promotion of her, allowing her, as a woman, to be in charge of the Baijia Forum.

Feeling emotional, Jiang Chen started walking towards the end of the street, but he couldn't help but recall the process of appointing Jia Yao'er.

At the beginning, when the Baijia Forum was about to be completed, the choice of a steward became a concern for him.

The Baijia Forum was an institution used to gather talents. Jiang Chen didn't want outsiders to interfere, but his confidants had already been assigned official positions. It became difficult to find someone to take care of the Baijia Forum for him.

After hesitating for a long time, he suddenly thought of Jia Yao'er.

This woman was talented and famous, but she didn't have the so-called arrogance of a scholar. She treated commoner students and nobles equally. What was even better was that this woman was his student in name.

With many factors combined, Jiang Chen finally overruled all objections and promoted Jia Yao'er to be the chief steward, managing the Baijia Forum for him.

Now it seemed that this decision was indeed not wrong...