Chapter 198: Jiang Jingyan's Quick Idea

Even when facing Chunzhi, they could only be subservient, let alone Su Zhenzhen, who had the ability to summon ghosts and gods.

Hu Wen was heartbroken. Having confirmed that there was no room for negotiation, he could only painfully express that he would handle the matter properly.

Since the outcome is the same anyway, being passive is worse than being proactive; at least you'll leave a good impression.

Su Zhenzhen was very satisfied with Hu Wen's pragmatism and did not want to put too much pressure on him. After finishing the matter, she returned to the villa.

If we can use the method of recruiting people to move all the residents near the capital to Yangcheng, the subsequent fighting will be much smoother.

However, Su Zhenzhen had a problem.

Was the rebellion of the lower-ranking aristocratic families during the reign of Emperor Feng really as described in the Annals of the Jiang Dynasty? It should be noted that history is written by the victors. If they had succeeded in their rebellion, perhaps the Annals of the Jiang Dynasty would have recorded their "great achievements" in detail.

However, there was no clue to this problem. Even if the ghosts from the time of Emperor Feng had not yet been reincarnated, their consciousness should have dissipated to the point of being nothing but chaos.

As for the Prince of Lu...

Originally, when Su Zhenzhen went to the capital, she wanted to try to summon the ghost of Prince Lu, but unfortunately, she was stopped by the demon of lust.

There's nothing major going on right now, so I can go to the capital again.

However, the uncertainty surrounding Jiang Jingyan has not yet been resolved, so we'll have to wait a while longer.

Speaking of Jiang Jingyan, he confidently walked out of the villa that day, thinking he could exchange silver for fine wine and delicacies, but things didn't go as planned. In Yangcheng, there were only snack stalls, and they were selling dry food.

The pampered young master, who had been spoiled since childhood, had no choice but to lower himself and beg for food from ordinary people.

Ke Chunzhi had Hu Wen issue a series of new policies, prohibiting people from sheltering strangers, with violators facing collective punishment and forced labor.

The definition of a stranger: a migrant without a registered household and without a travel permit stamped by the government.

This measure was taken to prevent groups of disaster victims from hiding in people's homes.

Those disaster victims who truly need to survive can register with the government and exchange their labor for food.

Those with impure motives will hide and conceal themselves.

Unfortunately, although Jiang Jingyan had his household registration, he did not have a travel permit stamped by the Yangcheng government. With incomplete documentation, it was a serious crime for the people to take him in without authorization.

“Young master, the lady in the county office is very understanding. Just tell her you lost your travel permit, and she'll immediately have the prefect reissue one for you without costing you any extra money. If you're short on cash, you can work at the county office to exchange for food or money. You never dared to dream of such a good thing before. Since you're missing your travel permit, none of us dare to take you in. If it's discovered, everyone on this street will be forced into hard labor.”

Jiang Jingyan asked several impoverished families one by one, but no matter how much money he offered, he couldn't sway them.

Exchanging labor for food or money was a way to guarantee basic livelihoods. Unless people were desperate, they wouldn't oppose the government.

When officials hold power and protect the people, the people's hearts naturally gravitate towards the government. Officials and the people are like one family, and the economy and politics of the entire city are firmly controlled by the local officials, making it difficult for outsiders to interfere.

Jiang Jingyan's face turned extremely ugly after figuring this out—to put it nicely, that man was the legitimate son of the last emperor, the rightful crown prince of the Jiang Dynasty. To put it bluntly, he was just an ordinary person who grew up in the countryside with limited experience, surrounded by peasants. Yet these peasants had their own set of methods for governing people's livelihoods and affairs of state.

Jiang Jingyan naturally couldn't go to the county government to get his travel permit stamped; he knew without a doubt that he would be refused, because he had already tried, and the soldiers guarding the city gate wouldn't let him out.

Jiang Jingyan is only now beginning to realize that he has walked into the lion's den, but unfortunately it is too late.

Putting everything else aside, the only way to solve my immediate thirst problem is to go back to the other courtyard to find Su Zhenzhen.

This means that we have to bow down to her.

This not only refers to the literal meaning, but also includes the submission of his branch of the Jiang clan to him.

"Damn it!" Jiang Jingyan cursed under his breath, realizing he had underestimated the woman.

If anyone is to blame, it is only because he was blinded by his own limited perspective. He failed to consider that a benevolent ruler throughout history could only be born to a noblewoman of destiny, so how could he treat women as ordinary?

Jiang Jingyan's lineage can indeed be led by him, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed with his cousin Jiang Jingwei.

But if the final result is that the collateral branches submit to the direct line, then all the efforts of so many years have been a joke.

Why bother with all this fuss? When the capital was besieged by rebels, the collateral branches of the Jiang family should have done everything in their power to rescue the direct line of the royal family.

Jiang Jingyan's mind raced, and he finally thought he had come up with a solution that would satisfy both sides. He quickly returned to the villa to find Su Zhenzhen.

"Miss Su." After entering the villa, Jiang Jingyan searched through each room and finally found the bedroom. He pushed open the door and entered without saying a word.

Su Zhenzhen, who was lying on the bed in a daze, quickly sat up and asked seriously, "Young Master Jiang, is there something you need?"

Even with Su Zhenzhen's quick reflexes, she couldn't withstand the other party's sudden push of the door and entry.

Jiang Jingyan eventually saw her lying in bed.

The woman wasn't a strikingly beautiful woman, but her features were pleasing to the eye, and the more you looked at her, the more charming she became. Her slightly chubby face gave her an innocent look, yet her eyes and brows exuded a captivating allure.

A pure yet alluring style, the contrasting effect is striking. This innocent yet seductive aesthetic is always a favorite among men.

Jiang Jingyan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, increasingly satisfied with his decision.

If a branch of the Jiang clan can ascend to the throne, why can't a benevolent ruler throughout history be born from a branch of the Jiang clan?

Su Zhenzhen has been particularly sensitive to external emotions since childhood. The man in front of her had been exuding a strange aura since he came in, and now that strange feeling was even stronger.

"Young Master Jiang, is there anything I can help you with?" Su Zhenzhen asked again.

Jiang Jingyan smiled, which he considered very charming. "I had a disagreement with Miss Su earlier, and it was my fault. I have come to apologize to Miss Su."

"Oh? May I ask what Young Master Jiang's apology gift is?"

Jiang Jingyan stepped forward to the bed, lifted his robe and sat down on the ground, leaning his upper body towards Su Zhenzhen.

“Miss Su, even if you were truly the fiancée of the Crown Prince of Jiang, it wouldn't be right for you to interfere in the internal affairs of my branch. But if you were the matriarch of my branch, you could rightfully command all the collateral branches of the Jiang family within my lineage. Moreover…”

Jiang Jingyan paused deliberately, thinking he had offered a great deal: "She will be the matriarch of my branch of the family, and we have a marriage agreement between our parents."

Su Zhenzhen: "..."

It's confirmed: this person is not only peacock-like, but also an extreme narcissist.

"Don't you know what the Crown Prince of Jiang Dynasty looks like?"

With such a gem as Hensheng before us, why would anyone think that Su Zhenzhen would be interested in an ordinary stone?

Just for the sake of ridiculous arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers?

Having a legitimate reason or justification is sometimes very important, but sometimes it is the least important.