Chapter 326 Relinquishing Power
Zhou Houfang had disappeared, leaving only Master Wu alone. He had obviously done his homework, and when he saw Qian Zhenniang, he recognized her immediately. He quickly ran forward, bowing and flattering, "Minister Qian—"
Qian Zhenniang looked Mr. Wu up and down.
A conclusion was quickly reached.
This person is not worthy of Li Zhaodi.
But now that things have come to this, Qian Zhenniang naturally couldn't reveal anything.
Mr. Wu noticed the sharp gaze and immediately broke out in a sweat, but he didn't dare to stand up.
It is not known whether this is a show of force or to give face to Li Zhaodi. No matter which one it is, Qian Zhenniang is in a high position and has great power, and she is not someone a businessman like him can offend.
Mr. Wu wiped the sweat off his face and could only lower his body even lower, with his long gown almost touching the ground.
"Master Wu." Qian Zhenniang naturally wouldn't embarrass Master Wu. Instead, she gently helped Master Wu up with a smile on her face, her smile beaming, not a hint of discontent in her heart. "Your Highness has a few meetings to attend later, and I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm afraid you won't be able to see Your Highness today. Tomorrow, when Zhaodi is out of confinement, I'll bring our daughter here for Your Highness to take a good look at."
Mr. Wu didn't even dare to look at Qian Zhenniang and could only respond quickly.
"Master Wu, Aunt Bai is a close friend of His Highness, and an old friend of us all. It's not enough for her to meet His Highness today; we need her to get to know all of us old friends. We might even have to set up two tables for her tonight, and I don't know how long it will take. How about this: you go back first, and I'll send someone to bring Aunt Bai back to you tomorrow. What do you think?"
Although Qian Zhenniang's tone was one of negotiation, the meaning behind her words was unquestionable.
Master Wu had been in the business world for many years, so he understood what Qian Zhenniang meant. He quickly smiled and said, "Of course, of course. I'm happy for Aunt Bai to see her old friend again. How about this, Yingniang? You stay at the government office and spend a few days with His Highness and the others. The child doesn't need to worry. Whenever you want to come back, send someone to let me know, and I'll have the housekeeper come and take you back immediately."
Aunt Bai hurriedly expressed her gratitude respectfully.
With this thank you gift, Mr. Wu seemed to feel the pressure from Qian Zhenniang again.
He just secretly gave Li Zhaodi a crazy look, indicating that she should not act so nervous and flattered.
However, Li Zhaodi did not dare to act rashly. After she thanked him respectfully, Mr. Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and left the government office.
Qian Zhenniang grabbed Li Zhaodi's hand and said with a smile, "Come on, Zhao Bantou, Dazhuang, and Xu Huijia are all here today. I'll take you to meet them. If they knew you were back from the dead, they would be so happy."
But as Mr. Wu walked out of the government office, he felt more and more that something was wrong.
What did Minister Qian’s eyes mean when he was leaving?
It actually feels sharper than a knife.
This makes people think more.
Although Mr. Wu looks a little short and fat, he has been in the business world for many years and has naturally become as smart as a human.
As soon as he walked out of the waiting area, he kept thinking that His Highness and Minister Qian were both lukewarm towards him, especially Minister Qian, who looked smiling and easy to talk to, but was actually very strong and overbearing.
Could it be because of Bai Yingniang?
It must be.
A small figure like him has no past grudges against these people.
Even today, he can't even see these people.
After thinking about it, Mr. Wu felt more and more that something was wrong.
Yes, what kind of person is Your Highness? She is the empress who is about to unify the world.
Not to mention His Highness, just take Minister Qian, he is also a well-known figure, not to mention the veterans of the Xu family's political team in Jinzhou Prefecture, each of them is now in a high position and dominates a region.
Mr. Wu is a businessman, so naturally he had a thorough understanding of the situation before coming.
Although the official positions and official systems of Jinzhou Prefecture and the Great Zhou Dynasty are different, the substance remains the same. It is conceivable that after His Royal Highness Prince Zhao unifies the world, people like Qian Zhenniang and Jiang Yongkang will at least start as marquises.
But Aunt Bai is still a concubine——
Not only are these elders ashamed, but His Highness also has a dull look on his face.
Mr. Wu shuddered and seemed to immediately understand the crux of the problem.
It was his negligence!
He actually made such a big mistake!
Ever since Aunt Bai said that she knew His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, he had been busy gathering information about Jinzhou Prefecture, and was obsessed with how to use Aunt Bai's relationship to rise to prominence, completely forgetting the crisis in this unprecedented wealth!
It's no wonder that Minister Qian looked down on him. Yes, who would want their close friend to become someone else's concubine? Isn't this a slap in the face of these elders?
When Mr. Wu thought of this, he felt his back was wet.
As soon as he walked out of the government office gate, Madam Wu immediately came to meet him. She left the maid behind and walked forward alone, occasionally glancing at the situation inside the government office. However, she saw that Aunt Bai had not followed her. She was extremely anxious: "What's going on? Does Yingniang really know His Royal Highness Prince Zhao? Where is she? Why didn't she come out with you? What did you talk about in there?"
Master Wu said calmly, "Ying Niang wouldn't lie. Not only is she your Highness's close friend, she also knows the elders of the Xu family's political team, and it sounds like they have a good relationship."
Mrs. Wu immediately covered her chest and cried out, "Oh my, oh my, what a stroke of luck we have! God bless us, God bless us! Our Wu family will be rich and prosperous for the next few generations! With this relationship, our Wu family can be said to be on the rise! Where is our hero, Ying Niang? Why doesn't she come out?"
"She stayed to talk to His Highness."
"Talk well, talk well, talk can build relationships. Then we can ask His Highness for favors in the future. Let her stay at the government office, and when she wants to come back, I will come to pick her up personally. Maybe I can meet His Highness too—"
Mr. Wu twitched the corners of his lips but said nothing.
Mrs. Wu was completely immersed in the joy of having the emperor's support and was completely unaware of the cold gazes of the people around her.
That night, soldiers were stationed inside and outside the private rooms on the top floor of Tianxiang Pavilion. Even within a mile of the restaurant, there were guards stationed near the restaurant, never leaving.
Although the group repeatedly told them not to waste time and money, the shop owner didn't dare to open the shop for business after recognizing the familiar face. He simply cleared the second and first floors, leaving only the private rooms on the third floor open.
The shop owner was even more alert. He called his wife to keep an eye on the kitchen, while he himself became a waiter, respectfully serving tea and water without any complaints.
In the private room on the third floor, only Xu Zhenying, Zhao Qiaonian, Xu Huijia, Liu Dazhuang and others were present. Even Zhou Houfang and his two secretaries, who were always inseparable from him, were not present.
Just because the protagonist today is Li Zhaodi.
Li Zhaodi's return naturally made everyone feel mixed emotions. Even people like Liu Dazhuang and Xu Huijia who were on the front line took time out to come back and insisted on seeing in person the girl who had fallen behind.
When everyone met, they naturally asked about each other's well-being and expressed many emotions.
Zhao Qiaonian even took out a pot of wine that he had treasured for a long time.
During the meal, Li Zhaodi inevitably talked about what happened after she left Lan County. She talked about how she was sold twice, how she was locked in a cellar, how she was beaten, and how she was finally sold to the Wu family as a concubine.
After hearing this, everyone felt heartbroken.
Liu Dazhuang was so angry that he threw his wine glass. "If you ask me, why not just let that Wu divorce his wife and remarry? Make you his legal wife! You, Li Zhaodi, were the younger sister of our group back then. How can you be a concubine to a mere merchant?!"
Zhao Qiaonian immediately kicked Liu Dazhuang under the table and said, "Liu Dazhuang, are you drunk? What kind of businessmen are you? Jinzhou Prefecture no longer has such distinctions! You look down on businessmen, so where do you put Feng'er from the Ministry of Commerce?"
When Liu Dazhuang heard the word "Feng'er," he thought of the girl's current fierce appearance. He sat down again, glanced at Xu Zhenying, and said with a red face, "I didn't mean that. I know the Ministry of Commerce makes so much money every year to keep us running, and it's an indispensable contribution. I don't look down on businessmen. That's all I have to say."
Qian Zhenniang quickly tried to smooth things over: "Yes, yes, I know that Dazhuang just doesn't want Zhaodi to suffer. Madam Wu hasn't done anything against the will of heaven and earth, so how can you let Mr. Wu divorce her? You men, just use your tongue. You know that even though marriage is more open now, divorced women are still inevitably criticized. Don't talk about divorcing and remarrying in the future."
Xu Huijia was more practical. "Instead of thinking about divorcing my wife, just have that Wu man just issue a document to make her a concubine. From now on, Zhaodi will work with Zhenniang. Zhaodi is smart and will definitely learn quickly. Once she finishes the intermediate literacy class, she can do anything to support herself."
This statement was recognized by everyone.
Xu Zhenying glanced at Zhaodi. She had also taken a few sips of wine, a rare occurrence. Her eyes showed no emotion. "Don't impose your personal wishes on Zhaodi. We must respect Zhaodi's wishes in everything. Zhaodi, whatever you do, we, your family, support you."
Li Zhaodi's eyes also reddened. Looking at these people who once cared about her the most, she felt a thousand emotions in her heart. She raised her glass and said, "I know what Dazhuang means. Back then, Dazhuang and the young lady were willing to risk their lives to save my sister Yinzhang. I have never repaid this kindness. Today, I would like to use this glass of wine to thank the young lady and everyone for your concern. As for my future, I haven't decided yet-"
She lowered her head with a look of shame.
She really couldn't say that she was satisfied with her current life.
Looking at her former companions who were all looking good and glamorous, and realizing the insurmountable gap between them, Li Zhaodi felt a little regretful, but she did not regret it.
If they hadn't been filled with righteous indignation just now, Li Zhaodi wouldn't even have realized that being a concubine of the Wu family would bring shame to the girl.
yes.
After all these years, she's still as clueless as ever.
The girl is about to become the emperor, but she is someone else's concubine——
If she had known that it would bring shame to the girl, she would not have come to the government office to meet them.
She seemed to have forgotten that these people were no longer the exiled prisoners who sold soap back then, but giant monsters who could destroy the entire Wu family with just a flick of their fingers.
Although Mrs. Wu had beaten and scolded her before, she never held much resentment.
Which mistress doesn’t hate her concubine?
She could understand why her mistress beat her and blamed her.
But with just their words, they could force Mr. Wu to divorce Mrs. Wu, which made Li Zhaodi somewhat frightened.
Qian Zhenniang immediately squeezed her hand and said, "It's okay. If you haven't thought it through yet, go back and think about it slowly. There's no rush."
She called out to everyone, "Alright, let's stop talking about these sad things. Zhaodi has come back to life, and we're meeting old friends again. Victory in the Northern Expedition is in sight. I'm overjoyed. I won't go home until I'm drunk tonight!"
Today, Li Zhaodi has come back to life, and victory in the Northern Expedition is in sight. In addition, the old members have been scattered all over the country over the years and rarely get together like this. It is inevitable that everyone feels like opening a bottle of champagne halfway through.
After getting drunk today, Xu Zhenying will go north to negotiate with Zhao Yi tomorrow. Everything seems to be moving in a good direction.
So everyone drank a little too much.
So does Xu Zhenying.
This was the first time she had gotten so drunk since entering this strange world.
She was not fond of drinking, and even had issued an order prohibiting soldiers from indulging in alcohol. However, she was worried today and felt depressed, so she couldn't help but drink.
After drinking, everyone was a little unconscious.
Jiang Yongkang saw her leaning on the railing and gazing into the distance alone, so he sat over.
The two of them sat together, looking at the magnificent spectacle below.
Soon, everything in this world will be named after her, Xu Zhenying, and she doesn’t know what kind of mentality she should have.
Jiang Yongkang saw that she was squinting her eyes, her cheeks were flushed, and her body was limp. He thought she was asleep, but she suddenly opened her eyes.
The eyes are clear and sharp.
It was like a knife stabbing into his chest.
Xu Zhenying spoke in a low voice, just looking at him, and asked him: "Jiang Yongkang, why did you send Li Zhaodi away six years ago?"
It seemed as if in an instant, everything was silent, and there was not a single sound in the world.
At that moment, the only things left between heaven and earth were her pair of cold, goddess-like eyes.
Half a minute.
Jiang Yongkang could even clearly hear the sound of the night wind blowing.
Jiang Yongkang's body froze there.
He lowered his head, and the moonlight fell on half of his face, as if covering it with an unspeakable shadow.
He still had the aroma of wine on him. Osmanthus flowers drifted from somewhere and landed on his shoulders, adding a touch of loneliness.
He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't open his mouth.
As expected...I can't hide it from her?
The night wind seemed to be getting stronger.
She just suddenly remembered this matter, and then suddenly tricked him like a prank.
But Jiang Yongkang's silence made her feel cold all over. The coldness penetrated from the soles of her feet into her heart, like a poisonous snake that could not be stopped.
Until the chill strangled her neck.
The light in her eyes faded inch by inch.
The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and then she stood up and sat upright. She didn't say anything, she just moved the wine glass with her bare hands, then smiled, tilted her head back, and drank the wine in the glass.
There were no tears in her eyes.
She remained calm throughout the whole process.
Calm to a cruel degree.
Jiang Yongkang suddenly struggled to his feet, finding strength from nowhere, and cried out in grief, "Xu Zhenying!!"
This sound woke up everyone present.
Everyone sobered up in an instant!
Xu Zhenying turned to look at him, a hint of a smile in his eyes, "Jiang Yongkang, you don't have to go to the Northern Expedition negotiations tomorrow. Zhang Wanjun will go instead."
After saying this, she looked at Qian Zhenniang again and said, "Tomorrow, you will contact the Finance Department and have Minister Feng settle the principal of 600,000 yuan with an annual interest of 5% for six years, and transfer it to Jiang Yongkang as soon as possible. That's all for today's celebration. We will set off north on time tomorrow morning."
After saying this, Xu Zhenying walked downstairs without looking back.
As the saying goes, when the sun sets and people wake up from the drunken stupor, the sky is filled with wind and rain as they descend from the west building.
When the wind and rain are gone, where will it go?
Everyone in the room stood up instantly in shock.
Jiang Yongkang, who was standing behind him, suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood with a "wow" sound.
Although victory was clearly in sight for the 2,000-man team escorting north, for some reason there was always a gloomy atmosphere in the team.
Jiang Yongkang was kept in Fengxiang Prefecture. He was not dismissed from his post, nor was he openly neglected. However, the matter of Tianxiang Pavilion still spread among the top leaders.
And this matter certainly cannot be concealed.
The Finance Department received a request for a settlement of 600,000 yuan early in the morning, and no one in the department was able to figure it out.
Qian Zhenniang had no choice but to give a unified statement to the outside world, saying that when Lan County was developing, Minister Jiang paid 600,000 yuan out of his own pocket. Now that the national treasury has money, it is natural to pay it back.
Naturally, everyone praised Jiang Yongkang again.
However, there were also some who were perceptive and quickly realized that something must have happened between Jiang Yongkang and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Otherwise, why would the six hundred thousand be repaid sooner or later, but only when the war is imminent?
What's more, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao had decided that Jiang Yongkang would accompany him north, but he was temporarily replaced by Zhang Wanjun. Anyone who saw this would think too much.
What’s even more amazing is that Jiang Yongkang started to close the door to visitors early in the morning.
All signs indicate that things are about to change in Jinzhou Prefecture.
The high-ranking officials who were unaware of the situation were naturally in a panic.
The butterfly effect of this incident was extremely obvious. Jiang Yongkang had a high prestige in the army, and it could even be said that he had the support of hundreds of people. Many people were worried that the two giants would fight each other at such a critical moment, which would be very detrimental to the Northern Expedition.
Some people even worried that Jiang Yongkang would rebel at this time.
Xu Zhenying did not leave any instructions, but the senior officials who stayed in Fengxiang Prefecture had clearly sensed the crisis.
Especially Qian Zhenniang and Zhao Qiaonian, who took Xu Zhenying's side without hesitation in the muddy water. Almost at the same time, the two of them seized Jiang Yongkang's military power and even sent their confidants to keep an eye on Jiang Yongkang's residence.
This series of actions immediately caused panic among the top officials of Fengxiang Prefecture.
Some even worry that with the unification of the world imminent, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao will get rid of the donkey after it has served its purpose, eliminate dissidents, and carry out a power purge?
Fortunately, Jiang Yongkang has been staying at home and has only been handling daily government affairs. He has not made any unusual moves, let alone mobilizing troops, which has helped to calm the storm down a bit.
"What do you think happened between His Highness and Jiang Yongkang that night?"
Zhao Qiaonian once asked Qian Zhenniang privately.
Qian Zhenniang shook her head. "You were there that night. Did you see what happened between them?"
Zhao Qiaonian could only shake his head. "They only said two or three sentences in total."
Qian Zhenniang was also terrified. "Your Highness won't tell me. I have a feeling this is a big deal. Otherwise, Your Highness wouldn't have changed the commander in the middle of a battle."
Qian Zhenniang carefully pulled Zhao Qiaonian over and said, "Brother Zhao, to be honest, although I have worked with Jiang Yongkang for many years, sometimes I am really afraid of him from the bottom of my heart."
Recalling his journey into exile, Zhao Qiao Nian said, "When I first laid eyes on that boy, I knew he was no ordinary man. There was hatred in his eyes. It was as if there was a ferocious beast simmering in his heart."
"I feel the same way. Everything can only be discussed after His Highness returns from the northern border. During this period, we must keep a close eye on Jiang Yongkang. Victory in the Northern Expedition is in sight, and we cannot afford to let a fire start in our own backyard."
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