The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 659 - 449. Bodhisattva, Please Respect Yourself! (6k)_2

Prince Jing harrumphed, "What cunning! It must be Zhao Douan’s handiwork again, not only tarnishing Zhuang Xiaocheng’s reputation but also destabilizing the very foundation of the rumors painstakingly woven by the Kuangfu Society. Such a vile plot, so devoid of integrity, and indifferent to honor; there’s no one else in the court who would employ it."

After a pause, he asked, "How did the Kuangfu Society react? How did they respond?"

Xu Jinglong lamented, "There was no response. After Zhuang Xiaocheng’s death, the Kuangfu Society fell into disarray, though Xu Jianwen’s son, the symbol, still lives. Qi Yuchun took up the banner, calmed the people, and barely kept the society from falling apart completely, but its essence is greatly weakened. To confront the court anytime soon is impossible."

Prince Jing was indifferent, "Qi Yuchun has nothing but strength, no strategy. With the Kuangfu Society under his control, it’s difficult for them to thrive. If Zhuang Xiaocheng had agreed to submit to me, he wouldn’t have ended up like this. Well, it’s for the best; with him gone, Xu Jianwen’s orphan and widow are easier to manipulate..."

"Is Father intending to take care of that mother and son..."

"Not in a hurry," Prince Jing mused, raising his hand to stop, "Haste makes waste. Let Qi Yuchun hold out for a while first and see which prince can’t resist making a move."

"Yes," Xu Jinglong nodded, then switched topics, "Our spies brought news that over by the Huai River, rumors about the Marquis Lu’an receiving bribes might have leaked to the inspector, but it’s not yet confirmed."

"Foolish," Prince Jing sneered, expressing contempt, "These local scholarly families have gotten too comfortable, bribing to insert some minor officials is one thing, but recklessly seeking a Magistrate’s position is too obvious—unless the court turns a blind eye, they’d surely notice. Marquis Lu’an is equally brazen and foolish." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Xu Jinglong thoughtfully replied, "It might be those Jiangnan gentries haphazardly seeking help, too afraid of the New Policy."

Prince Jing said indifferently, "Leaking it is fine. By now, my niece is surely furious, and amidst thorough investigations, I imagine she’d send officials from the Capital to fiercely reprimand this group of scholarly families, paving the way for future officials. We just need to sit back and watch the court deal with them, let this group get hurt and scared, then we step in to assist them, making them realize supporting me fully is their only path to survival."

Xu Jinglong laughed, "Father is using another’s knife to kill—a brilliant strategy. These local nobility may seem respectful to us but aren’t obedient. This way, the court helps Father discipline them, strengthening our wings."

Prince Jing’s lips curled slightly in a prideful manner, "Anything else?"

"Oh, the Shen Family Master’s second son has died, the one called Mr. Shen. The Old Dowager Shen is said to have fainted from excessive grief," Xu Jinglong said with a hint of gossip.

Mr. Shen... Prince Jing mused, "Is the cause of death clarified?"

"It’s said that a sinister poison entered his body. After returning from the Capital last year, Mr. Shen fell ill. Officially, it was claimed that he contracted Cold Poison from vile mountain landscapes en route, but through my son’s investigation, it’s suspected somebody severed his life bridge," Xu Jinglong replied.

Last year, Zhao Douan rushed to Taicang to arrest the governor Gao Lian and return to the Capital.

Gao Lian’s legitimate wife, from the Shen Family, belongs to a Taicang aristocratic family; thus, Gao Lian had support from the Shen Family.

At that time, Mr. Shen went to the Capital, met with Li Yanfu, the leader of the "Li Party," intending to use Gao Lian’s case to negotiate with the Empress, silencing the Taicang County Magistrate.

Later, Zhao Douan infiltrated the prison and killed Gao Lian, while the Empress dispatched a Royal Mansion Tributor to intercept Mr. Shen, who fled the Capital hastily, issuing a warning.

In reality, the tributor severed his life bridge, and after Mr. Shen returned, he fell gravely ill. Despite the Shen Family inviting many miracle physicians, they barely extended his life by two months.

"The Old Dowager Shen quite favored this grandson, even more so than the titular Family Head. Now, with his death at my niece’s hand... ha, ha, the Old Dowager Shen might seek revenge," Prince Jing laughed.

Heir Xu curiously asked, "Would that old lady dare?"

Prince Jing sighed, "Oftentimes, the older the woman, the more terrifying she becomes when she goes mad, not caring about consequences. When conducting affairs outside, never assume everyone is calm and thoughtful, easy to manipulate. Haven’t you heard: when martial artists rage, blood stains five steps?"

"I understand, Father," Heir Xu responded.

Prince Jing nodded, his gaze fixed on the young son catching fish, and Princess Consort Lu Yan’er standing by the riverbank, smiling gently, always feigning gentle demeanor publicly.

He said, "The Shipping Governor is still refusing to bow; go knock some sense into him. Remember to keep it clean, without implicating the Royal Mansion."

Xu Jinglong smiled, "Rest assured, Father."

...

Xu Jinglong, with a few guards, traveled lightly from the suburbs to a certain dock.

Waiting at the dock, people courteously welcomed the Young Master aboard a small boat heading towards a vessel anchored in the river.

Aboard, many youths clad in uniform gray shirts stood respectfully, and among them was the leader—a middle-aged man dressed in a blue scholar’s robe, holding a folded fan, hair meticulously combed, resembling a Confucian scholar.

"Honored guest, please have a dialogue within the cabin," the blue-robed scholar smiled, gesturing with the appearance of an educated descendent of a scholarly family.

Xu Jinglong displayed a calm demeanor, neither smiling nor angry, expressionlessly strolling into the cabin. Once the door closed, only two people remained in the room.

The blue-robed scholar suddenly bowed deferentially, nearly prostrating, "He Xiaolou humbly welcomes the Young Master."

Xu Jinglong bore an arrogant demeanor, his eyes filled with cold aloofness, neglecting the kneeling He Xiaolou as he leisurely sat, casually picking up a pear from the exquisite fruit plate, nonchalantly saying, "I need you to handle something, and do it smoothly."

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