Chapter 287 Might Makes Right
Mr. Chai watched the cloaked figure disappear, then paced back and forth in the room, pondering the man's words. Was the conflict between the Duke of Chu and Xie Ning real, or just an act?
Before meeting that person, he felt it was unlikely that the Duke of Chu and Xie Ning'an were putting on an act. Considering the matter from the perspective of the Duke of Chu and the Emperor, Jufeng Money Shop and the trading company were now basically stable, and they no longer needed the original elders of the Xie family, nor did they need Xie Ning'an.
All the adult males of the Xie family, except for Xie Ning'an, were killed by the imperial court. Xie Ning'an outwardly submitted to the court, but was his submission genuine?
He was highly suspicious of this, let alone the emperor, who was known for his paranoia. The Xie family case was handled entirely by the Duke of Chu, and the deaths of the Xie family members were closely related to the Duke of Chu. Did the Duke of Chu really not guard against Xie Ning'an?
Therefore, it's perfectly normal for the Duke of Chu to purge the Xie family members from Jufeng Money Shop and other businesses. It wouldn't even be surprising if Xie Ning'an died mysteriously after some time. In any case, if he were the Duke of Chu, he would have Xie Ning'an killed.
Only by annihilating them completely can we rest easy, right?
However, what that man had just said made him realize that his considerations might be biased. Although Jufeng Money Shop and its trading houses were now completely under the control of the imperial court, the current reforms of these money shops could not tolerate any deviation. At this time, it seemed unwise for the Duke of Chu to take action against the Xie family.
But could Xie Ning'an really act out a play with the Duke of Chu without any reservations? Wasn't he afraid the Duke of Chu would take the act seriously? If it were him, he would definitely be afraid, and he would definitely have a backup plan. What would that backup plan be? Naturally, it would be to cooperate with the King of Lingnan.
Conversely, could these Dukes of Chu not have thought of this?
No, she could definitely figure it out. He dared not underestimate the Duke of Chu and Xie Ning'an; both were among the most intelligent people in the entire country.
Mr. Chai's pace slowed more and more, until he stood still, his mind racing, frantically analyzing the situation. But the more he thought, the more confused he became, the less he understood. Finally, he smiled bitterly and said to himself, "Whether the Duke of Chu and Xie Ning'an are acting or not, do I have any other choice?"
Yes, he had no other choice. The King of Lingnan had made two preparations, or rather, the first preparation was merely a pretext for the second. And he was one of the scapegoats the King of Lingnan had put forward.
Having figured all this out, Mr. Chai stood there in a daze for a long time. Despite his self-proclaimed wisdom, he only now realized the trap that the King of Lingnan had dug for him.
But what could he do even if he understood? His family was all in Lingnan, and he had to be "loyal" to the King of Lingnan. He gave a bitter laugh, withdrew the bitterness from his face, put on a calm expression, and called over the subordinate who had been watching Xie Ning'an, asking him about the Xie family and Xie Ning'an's situation.
After hearing his subordinate's report, although he once again felt that the Duke of Chu and Xie Ning'an were not putting on an act, he stopped thinking about it and ordered, "Make contact with Xie Ning'an. I want to meet with him."
"yes."
The subordinate acknowledged and left. Mr. Chai stood by the window, gazing up at the cold, bright moon hanging in the night sky. From the moment he learned of the King of Lingnan's ambition, he had considered his possible future. Now, however, he was simply facing the reality, and felt a sense of fear and uncertainty.
........
This was destined to be an extraordinary night, and Jiang Yu was not resting either. She sat in her small study, looking at the moonlight outside, pondering whether there were any loopholes in her current plan.
The plan to lure the snake out of its hole seemed flawless from every angle, yet she always had a nagging worry. The King of Lingnan was a cunning old fox; he would likely suspect that she and Xie Ning'an were putting on an act. But would the King of Lingnan let go of this opportunity to stir up trouble?
Probably not.
Over the years, Da Gan has been peaceful, with favorable weather and no major disasters. There have been no major changes in the imperial court, and no unrest among the people. The King of Lingnan has had no opportunity to stir up trouble; he must have been biding his time for a long time.
Now that the money shops are being reformed, there are so many things that can be done. Even if he suspects the emperor will use this opportunity to find fault with him and weaken his power, he will likely still take action, because the opportunity is rare.
The King of Lingnan should understand that after this reform of the money shops, Da Gan will gradually become stronger. If he doesn't act now, it will be even more difficult to act later.
She had previously speculated that the King of Lingnan might contact Xie Ning'an to obtain the templates for printing banknotes from Jufeng Money Shop, then print counterfeit banknotes for exchange, or dump large quantities of those counterfeit banknotes to create market chaos. Of course, he might also obtain the templates for printing banknotes from other money shops to print counterfeit banknotes.
She has already devised a plan to address this. But will the cunning and shrewd King of Lingnan fall into that trap? If not, what will he do?
Jiang Yu tapped his fingers on the table, putting himself in the King of Lingnan's shoes. He figured that if the King were to use other methods, he would probably print counterfeit banknotes, create chaos, and then use that as an excuse to launch a rebellion.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yu stood up and paced back and forth in the room. Although she didn't know much about the court's current military strength, she didn't want war to break out now. Her intention to target the Prince of Lingnan was merely to weaken his power.
What if the King of Lingnan rebels?
Without waging war, the only way to weaken the King of Lingnan is to flex their muscles and make him consider whether he would win or die if he sent troops now. And what they can show off now is the firearms researched by Prince Rui.
Although Prince Rui's research on those firearms is not yet very mature, it is still enough to make a show of them and intimidate people.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yu felt a little relieved. No matter what, might makes right.
"Miss, please rest." Dongshuang's voice came from outside. Jiang Yu checked the time; it was 5:45 PM. She stepped out of the small study and saw Dongshuang carrying clothes, as if to tell her to go take a bath immediately.
She smiled and followed Dongshuang to the bathroom. The bath was already prepared inside. After taking off her clothes, she stepped into the tub, enveloped in warmth. She sighed comfortably, but in her heart, she was thinking about going to Prince Rui's place tomorrow to see how his research was progressing.
If all else fails, she will draw up diagrams of grenades and landmines. With Prince Rui's intelligence, he should be able to make them quickly.
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
