Chapter 751: Fake Military Newspaper, Real Acting
The air in the flower hall stagnated for a moment because of the name "Lin Jiayou".
Qian Zhenyun looked at her without urging her, but just gently moved the position of the white jade ruyi to make it look more stable.
The dull pain of being deceived was ultimately no match for the more pressing crisis before him. Gu Qingchen slowly exhaled, and that breath took away the last trace of hesitation in his eyes.
"Okay, him." She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp again, staring directly at Qian Zhenyun. "I'm going to set up a trap. The bait in this trap must simultaneously poke at the Fifth Prince's 'merit' and the Seventh Prince's 'profit'."
She walked to the desk, spread out a piece of fine rice paper, and ground the ink herself.
The ink stick rotates in the inkstone, making a rustling sound, as if a plan is quietly taking shape.
"The Duke of Zhenguo's words carry some weight in the military." Gu Qingchen's voice was steady and clear. "I will use this to my advantage and fabricate a 'military report' stating that the Northern Frontier urgently needs a batch of special medicinal herbs."
Qian Zhenyun understood immediately and slowly walked to her side, adding, "There must be something wrong with this batch of medicinal herbs. Furthermore, we need to convince the Fifth Prince that the Seventh Prince is deliberately colluding with his relatives to defraud him in order to monopolize the credit and wealth."
"That's right." Gu Qingchen's lips curled up in a cold arc. She picked up the pen and dipped the tip of the pen into ink. "Don't they like to sing opera? I'll build a stage for them and let them perform to their heart's content."
She and Qian Zhenyun smiled at each other, and everything was said without words.
Gu Qingchen said no more, his wrist slightly lowered, and the tip of the pen moved quickly on the rice paper.
She no longer just fantasized, but turned the fine web in her mind into specific steps and clear words, stroke by stroke.
Qian Zhenyun stood aside and watched quietly, watching her make arrangements in an orderly manner, her beautiful eyes flashing with the brilliance he was familiar with, even more dazzling than before.
He knew that the stagnant capital city would soon be thrown into turbulent waves because of her.
Two days later, in the study of the Fifth Prince's Mansion.
The fifth prince, Zhao Zhang, was concentrating on a sand table. He was tall and had a soldier-like murderous look between his eyebrows.
The seventh prince, Zhao Rui, was lying on a soft couch beside him, fiddling with a string of oriental pearls in his hand. He looked lazy, but there was a gleam in his eyes.
The servant reported that Lin Jiayou wanted to see him.
Zhao Zhang frowned, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes. Zhao Rui, however, became interested and sat up straight. "Let him in. I want to see what this ownerless dog wants to sniff out."
Lin Jiayou walked in, still looking humble and submissive, but his face was paler than usual.
He bowed and got straight to the point: "Your humble servant greets His Highness the Fifth and Seventh Princes. I have come here today because I have a great treasure to present to Your Highnesses."
He took out a list from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.
Zhao Rui became interested and took the initiative to signal his servant to take it. He only took a glance and his eyes lit up.
"Northern Iron Line Grass and Snow Region Ice Silkworm Flower are both rare and priceless medicinal herbs. Lin Jiayou, you are so talented, where did you get this list?"
Lin Jiayou lowered his head, but his tone was filled with confidence. "Your Highness, this is a purchase order urgently needed by the Northern Frontier Army. Because it's a confidential matter, it was leaked through special channels. If this can be accomplished, not only will you achieve great military success, but the profits will be immeasurable."
"Military merit?" Zhao Zhang, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke. He slowly turned around, his sharp eyes fixed on Lin Jiayou like a hawk. "Lin Jiayou, do you think I'm as stupid as the third brother?"
Lin Jiayou's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
Zhao Zhang walked up to him, looked down at him, and said in a cold tone, "Don't forget how Third Brother got into trouble. It's all because he trusted a villain like you who stabbed him in the back!"
This scolding instantly made the atmosphere in the study drop to freezing point.
Zhao Rui's smile faded as well. He looked at Lin Jiayou and said slowly, "Fifth brother is right. Master Lin, I'm afraid we can't handle your wealth. Is your backer the Prince Yong's Mansion or the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion..."
"We two brothers don't want to become a knife in someone else's hand without knowing what's going on."
Lin Jiayou suddenly raised his head, and the blood drained from his face.
He knew that this first step was already stepping on the edge of a knife.
Lin Jiayou calmed down. Gu Qingchen was the big fish. Whether it was Prince Yong's Mansion or the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion, they could only serve as stepping stones for him...
Lin Jiayou's knees softened and he fell straight to his knees, his forehead hitting the cold and hard bluestone floor tiles with a dull "bang".
"Your Highness, please understand!" His voice trembled with fear, yet was remarkably clear. "I am now nothing more than a stray dog."
"The Third Prince has fallen, and Prince Yong's Mansion treats me like a worn-out shoe. Besides my life, what else can I expect to be used as a knife by others?"
He raised his head, and his usually gentle face was now filled with a desperate and miserable look.
"This wealth was earned at the cost of my life. I know that I alone could never have swallowed it all. Looking across the entire capital, only the Fifth Prince's prestige and the Seventh Prince's wealth combined could accomplish this great feat!"
His words were both self-deprecating and flattering, and they also threw back a difficult problem.
Zhao Rui lazily leaned back on the couch, squinting his eyes like a fox examining its prey. "Oh? That's a nice thing to say. From where did you, a stray dog, dig up such a huge fortune?"
Lin Jiayou lowered his eyes, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze, and lowered his voice even more: "Your Highness, it's the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. To be more precise, it's Gu Qingchen."
As soon as this name came out, Zhao Zhang and Zhao Rui's expressions changed at the same time.
Zhao Zhang snorted coldly, "How dare you mention her? Lin Jiayou, have you been abandoned by her? Are you running here to talk nonsense?"
"It's precisely because of her that I dare to present it to Your Highness!" Lin Jiayou suddenly raised his voice, his eyes flashing with resentment and unwillingness. "She thought she could hide it from the world, but she didn't know that there were always one or two people in the mansion who were unwilling to see her succeed."
"This military report was secretly copied by the steward of the palace. He wanted to sell it for a good price, but he was as timid as a mouse, so he found me."
He got up from the ground and took two steps forward humbly, his voice full of temptation.
"Your Highnesses, consider how rare the medicinal herbs on this list are. If it weren't for an extremely urgent military situation, why would they use such things?"
"Gu Qingchen wanted to use this opportunity to take all the military credit and pave the way for the Crown Prince. But she is a young woman after all, so she always makes mistakes."
Zhao Rui's fingertips stopped fiddling with Dongzhu. He finally sat up straight, his eyes gleaming brightly. "Where did you miss?"
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