Chapter 86: I'm sorry, I was wrong
When He Jing found them, they were overjoyed. Upon seeing the late emperor's sword, they followed him to see the emperor without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant is late." Five middle-aged men knelt on the ground.
"My dear ministers, please rise quickly." The emperor was unwell and gestured for He Jing to help them up.
Upon hearing that the Imperial Concubine was there, Luo Honglang drew his sword, ready to kill her.
"Your Majesty, this vixen must not be allowed to live! I will kill her now to avenge Your Majesty and those she has harmed!"
"No!" the emperor stopped him. "My dear minister, listen to me. She was indeed wrong in this matter, but ultimately it is my fault for being incompetent."
"Your Majesty, she almost caused your death!" Wen Zhiyuan said.
The emperor shook his head. “My dear minister, rest assured, I will never let her harm anyone again. I only hope you will spare her life. She was a victim herself, blinded by hatred.”
The ministers dared not say anything, since the Imperial Concubine was powerless to do anything about it anyway, so they decided to leave it at that for the time being.
The Prime Minister is more difficult to deal with than the Imperial Concubine.
The group discussed the matter for most of the night, but still couldn't come up with a foolproof solution.
The prime minister was extremely cunning, and he had many informants; almost all the civil and military officials in the court were his cronies.
Everyone was at a loss when the emperor suddenly looked at Yu Wan.
"Miss Awan, I find you very clever. Would you mind speaking as well?"
All the ministers looked at Yu Wan.
These past few days, Yu Wan had been on edge day and night, afraid that someone would discover something was amiss. Only when He Jing returned with his men could she finally relax. After He Jing and the others finished discussing matters with the Emperor, they had to leave, leaving her alone to guard him. So, she planned to take a nap while they were talking.
She was drowsy when she suddenly heard someone calling her name. She looked up and saw that everyone was looking at her.
"Let's just assassinate him."
Luo Honglang frowned and said, "But the Prime Minister's residence is like an impregnable fortress. As far as I know, there are dozens of experts secretly protecting him, and he is wearing soft armor that makes him impervious to swords and spears."
Wen Zhiyuan said, "He is used to ruthless methods. He will kill anyone who betrays him. Everyone is afraid of him, and it is very difficult to turn the people around him against him."
Outsmarting them is no match for their wits, and assassination is not easy to pull off; it's a real dilemma.
Yu Wan said, "He loves money and has been focusing on building a food court lately. Why don't we start from that point?"
The civil and military officials were either thinking of violently capturing the prime minister or joining forces with other officials to impeach him. When they heard Yu Wan say that she wanted to start with the food court, they were all a little confused.
"This..." They looked at the little girl, but held back some of their words.
Will this work?
The emperor pondered for a moment, "He is currently focusing all his efforts on building the Food City. Miss Awan said that he greatly admires and trusts Miss Awan's talents. Perhaps starting from this aspect would indeed be a good way to break through. That thief is very clever and vigilant; ordinary methods really cannot fool him."
He Jing clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Your Majesty, A-Wan is talented, and even more so, she has extraordinary wisdom and strategy. Why not try her methods?”
He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the ministers and said, “Gentlemen, you do not have a suitable solution at present, why not give it a try?”
Yu Wan looked him over, wondering who gave him this inexplicable confidence.
With no other options, everyone eventually agreed to cooperate with Yu Wan's plan.
Seeing that there were no objections, the emperor approved the plan and made a promise to Yu Wan.
“Miss Awan, if you succeed, I will grant you whatever reward you desire. The food city that the Prime Minister is currently developing will belong to you. With your exceptional culinary skills, you are sure to achieve great things.”
One person was left to protect the emperor, while the rest left the palace to perform their respective duties.
Yu Wan sat in the car without saying a word.
He Jing secretly observed her expression, which was very serious, and he felt flustered.
"A-Wan... I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Yu Wan was pondering how to perfect her plan to bring down the Prime Minister when she realized that the cunning old fox would discover her scheme if she wasn't careful.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she even forgot there was a second person in the carriage. It was only when she heard those words that she was brought back to reality.
She looked at the young man in front of her with a puzzled expression; the unease in his eyes suggested that something serious had happened.
"What's wrong? Has something unexpected happened with the Prime Minister?"
"Was I too hasty? I strongly recommended you to the Emperor just now. Did that put a lot of pressure on you?"
Yu Wan laughed and said, "Wasn't this something we discussed long ago? I'm under pressure, but aren't you under the same pressure? You've been under far more pressure than I have. The ceasefire you secured through your cooperation with the Crown Prince of Liang reduced many casualties and gave the people some breathing room. If this hadn't gone well, you could have lost your head, been branded as a traitor, and even been infamous for eternity. I'm also a citizen of Jin, so naturally I have to do my part. Besides, the world isn't at peace, so my life won't be easy either."
He Jing stared at her, deeply moved.
"Awan, I didn't expect you to understand me so well. Thank you."
Yu Wan changed the subject, saying, "No matter what, let's get the food court built first, since it will be mine in the future. Now that the Prime Minister is providing the money and effort, we're really getting a great deal for free."
She had considered opening a branch in the capital, but a food court like that wasn't something that could be built casually in the capital. In this place where land is incredibly valuable, anyone she bumped into on the street could be extremely wealthy or powerful. Without a strong backing, she would definitely be suppressed by her competitors. Now she wasn't afraid anymore; once the Prime Minister fell, she would have the Emperor as her protector.
A month passed quickly, and the food court was finally completed. Yu Wan continued to improve the various components of the food court, making it a place that offers everything from food and accommodation to transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment.
The Prime Minister was very pleased and invited Yu Wan to dine at his residence.
After the messenger left, He Jing whispered, "It seems he's planning to make his move tonight."
Yu Wan smiled brightly, "You think you can just abandon me after building the food court? Dream on. You should be almost ready, right?"
During this time, the Prime Minister, confident that he was invincible, focused all his attention on the food court, diverting his focus away from the situation. Little did he know that someone had secretly collected a great deal of evidence against him, and in order to ensure success, had set up a trap to capture the Prime Minister alive.
He Jing nodded. "We'll be closing in these next few days. My identity can't be revealed yet, but I'll protect you secretly."
Yu Wan took out two cloth bags, stuffed one into his hand, and kept the other for herself.
"Here are many poisons for self-defense, you can use them."
He Jing accepted it, "Okay."
That evening, Yu Wan went to the Prime Minister's residence alone.
The Prime Minister's residence was brightly lit, and civil and military officials gathered, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
The Prime Minister raised his wine cup, smiling broadly, and said, "Miss Awan, this food city absolutely could not have been built without you. When my men returned from the border town and showed me the plans for your food city, I thought the design was ingenious. Later, when I saw the plans you drew for me, I felt it was a paradise on earth. Only on the day it was completed did I truly appreciate its extraordinary nature. It's simply a world unto itself, a secluded paradise. It's wonderful! I must thank you properly; let's have a drink."
Yu Wan often asked Rong Lao for various medicines, and through this exposure, she learned some knowledge. Although the wine in her cup was colorless, its aroma carried a hint of something unusual.
Coincidentally, she knew him.
The wine contained a slow-acting poison; it would take three days for the poison to take effect and cause death. If she drank it now, no one would suspect that the banquet at the Prime Minister's residence was the culprit when the poison took hold. This Prime Minister had done this kind of clandestine thing many times before.
She met the Prime Minister's gaze and found that the old man was staring at her, seemingly wanting to see her drink it before he would stop.
The Prime Minister was indeed ruthless; his sharp eyes were trying to detect the slightest change in her face. He was likely to immediately tear off the mask and resort to ruthless tactics once he sensed she had noticed anything.
Anyway, everyone here is his man, so no one will say anything if he kills them on the spot.
Yu Wan drank it all in one gulp, turning the cup outwards, just to show him.
It's okay if she drinks it, since she has the antidote anyway.
"Thank you, Your Excellency Prime Minister. It is my honor to be able to share your burdens."
The Prime Minister's scrutinizing gaze finally softened a little, and he put down his wine cup.
“Miss Awan, the food city is now complete. You’ve worked hard these past few days. You should rest more now. You’ve been in the capital for so long, I’m afraid you haven’t had a proper chance to explore.” He waved his hand gently, and three servants came out carrying a hundred taels of gold.
"A small token of my sincerity."
Yu Wan smiled and thanked her.
After the banquet, she left the Prime Minister's residence, got into her carriage, and He Jing was already waiting inside.
He Jing secretly protected her throughout, and when he saw her drink alcohol and eat food, he was worried that she might be poisoned.
"Wan, how are you feeling now?"
"I'm fine," Yu Wan breathed a sigh of relief. "In his eyes, my life is nothing more than an ant; he has plenty of ways to make me disappear without a trace. He's focused on the food court right now. If I'm not mistaken, he's already rented out all the shops. He must have worked incredibly hard to make money, finding only the best tenants. All of these will be mine in the future; it wasn't all for nothing. With the emperor backing me up, it won't just be making a fortune every day, it'll be like earning a mountain of gold every day!"
Seeing that she was only focused on making money, He Jing knew that she must be alright.
With this important matter settled, the rest is no longer her concern. With nothing to worry about, she should indeed relax.
"You must be very busy now, right? You don't need to keep me company. Anyway, the Prime Minister definitely thinks I'm doomed and won't pay attention to me. You should cooperate with the Emperor and the others to quickly close the net."
He Jing pursed his lips. He should indeed do so, but he was still worried.
"I will send someone to protect you secretly."
The next day, Yu Wan was about to go out after breakfast, and Xue Xiujun hurriedly followed.
"Boss lady, if Mr. He can't accompany you, then take me with you. I know the capital very well."
Yu Wan smiled and agreed.
"Okay, then you have to take me to some fun places. I don't usually go to fun places," she joked.
As the two walked out the door, Xue Xiujun gave He Jing a provocative look.
He Jing glared back at him unhappily, gritting his teeth as he said, "You despicable scoundrel! You stole my position while I was away."
The subordinate appeared silently and asked in a low voice, "General, could it be that the Crown Prince of Liang really likes Miss Awan? During our time on the frontier, Miss Awan treated him better than the other workers, making clothes for him and paying him several times more than others. Could it be that Miss Awan has feelings for him...?"
Before she could finish speaking, she met He Jing's sharp gaze and quickly shut her mouth.
He Jing retorted irritably, "Is this something you should be concerned about?"
Autumn has arrived, and people are wearing clothes of appropriate thickness. The streets are bustling and noisy, and flowers are in full bloom.
"Boss lady, what do you think of the capital?" Xue Xiujun's eyes crinkled, his handsome features pleasing to the eye.
“That’s great,” Yu Wan replied with a smile. There are countless wealthy people in the capital, making it an ideal place to make money.
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