Jian Taiding frowned slightly: "Both Liu Ji and Chu Ji were sent by Madam Yu back then. Although they have been honest and obedient all these years and have not communicated with us, and have a good relationship with us, I really don't trust them with this kind of thing."
Uncle Ming said, "Second Master, have you forgotten about Zhang Ji? Zhang Ji is one of our people."
“This…” Jian Taiding’s face showed hesitation and struggle. He knew that although his elder brother’s concubines could not compare to Yu Yanluo, they were still beauties who were one in a hundred.
Moreover, the special aura of being their sister-in-law greatly amplified certain illicit desires in his heart.
However, he knew what was important before. After all, his elder brother had just gotten into trouble, and if he went to take advantage of his widowed sister-in-law, it would damage his reputation and make it difficult for him to inherit his elder brother's estate.
Moreover, because he was infatuated with Yu Yanluo, he worried that having affairs with those concubines would tarnish his image in her eyes.
Therefore, his plan was to completely control the Governor's Office and Yunzhong County, and ideally obtain Yu Yanluo before slowly enjoying these spoils of war.
Anyway, these concubines were previously the Duke's secondary wives, so it's impossible for them to be allowed to remarry.
She was raised in the secluded chambers of the Duke's mansion, yet he could do whatever he wanted with her, and who would know?
But now this imposter's arrival has completely disrupted all the plans.
To test him, she actually sent several of her own mistresses, whom she herself wouldn't even touch, to keep him company.
The key point is that everyone clearly knows he's a fake.
This gave him the feeling of personally sending his women to another man's bed—although those women were his elder brother's concubines, in his eyes they had long been his own possessions.
Seeing his expression, Uncle Ming roughly guessed what he was thinking. He coughed and advised, "Second Master, the bigger picture is more important. It's just a few women. Once we get through this crisis and you become a Duke, you can have any kind of woman you want."
"On the contrary, if something goes wrong this time and others actually believe that the imposter is the real master, then we will have nothing left."
Jian Taiding was initially hesitant, but after hearing this, he finally made up his mind: "Alright, let Zhang Ji go and test the waters!"
On the other side, after Zu'an finished receiving Jian Yanyou's former confidants, he returned to his room to discuss matters with Yu Yanluo.
After listening to her conversation with those people and their reactions, Yu Yanluo sighed softly, "They say that once someone leaves, the tea grows cold, and now it seems that's true."
Zu An nodded: "From what I've just observed, although many people speak eloquently, they are clearly using delaying tactics. At most, only about a quarter of them are truly excited or can be used by us. Jian Yanyou really doesn't know how to judge people."
Yu Yanlu shook her head: "Actually, it's not entirely his fault. Judging from the people you just described, many of them weren't Yan You's confidants back then, but rather from the lower to middle ranks. Of those original confidants, some died, some scattered, and some were transferred. The remaining quarter or so is already considered to have a deep foundation."
"Although those who just arrived once respected Yan You, it was Jian Taiding who promoted them to high positions. If they really had to choose, they would naturally work for Jian Taiding. After all, if the previous group of people came back, would they be willing to go back to their old positions?"
Zuan sighed, "It's only human nature to eliminate dissidents and promote cronies. We're in for a tough time now."
They originally planned to take charge of the overall situation under Jian Yanyou's identity, but now it seems that even Jian Yanyou's former confidants have been replaced, giving them a sense of desolation as their power has waned.
“There’s another problem. Judging from today’s situation, it’s a foregone conclusion that Uncle Ming and Jian Taiding are colluding. Even if the two of them stay in the manor for a while longer, I doubt they’ll find anything.” A deep worry flashed across Yu Yanluo’s brows.
Just as Zuan was about to say something, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Zu'an and Yu Yanluo tacitly paused the conversation.
"Master, we heard you've returned safely, so we've come to see you." Several charming voices rang out from outside.
Zu An looked at Yu Yanluo. The voices of these women were exactly the same as those of Jian Yanyou's concubines that he had heard during his training at the Yu residence. He couldn't help but marvel at Yu Yanluo's superb painting skills. Not only could she paint their appearances, but she could also paint their voices. He wondered how she had managed to paint them.
After receiving permission, the door was quickly opened, and several beautiful women rushed in. As soon as they entered, they threw themselves into Zu An's arms, hugging him and crying as they recounted their longing for him over the past few days.
Zu An's expression immediately turned strange. He realized that he had praised her too soon. Although Yu Yanluo's painting was impressive, it was still intangible and could not match the breathtaking soft and bouncy feel of the painting.
The scent of various cosmetics wafted from the tip of his nose, giving him the feeling of visiting a brothel.
However, the women around him were from respectable families, and were even concubines of the Duke, whose status was clearly much higher.
Yu Yanluo coughed lightly, and Zu An seemed to wake from a dream. He then calmed himself down and dealt with the women as he had been trained before.
After some maneuvering, Zu An finally managed to get rid of the women, leaving him drenched in sweat.
Yu Yanluo nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, not bad. Your reaction time is indeed fast. You almost gave yourself away several times, but luckily you were quick-witted and covered it up."
Although the training had been thorough, plans often go awry. Moreover, she wasn't entirely clear about the affairs between Jian Yanyou and his concubines, and it was impossible for her to be thorough in every aspect. The rest was up to Zu An to improvise.
It's clear that Zaun did a good job.
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