After being exiled, I led my whole family to rebel.

Chapter 325 Relinquishing Power
Zhou Houfang had gone nowhere, leaving only Master Wu. He had obviously done his homework in advance, and when he saw Qian Zhenniang, he recognized her immediately. He quickly ran up to her, bowed his body, and said flatteringly, "Minister Qian——"

Qian Zhenniang looked Mr. Wu up and down.

Conclusions were quickly reached.

This person is not worthy of Li Zhaodi.

But now that things had come to this, Qian Zhenniang naturally couldn't reveal anything.

Mr. Wu noticed the sharp gaze and immediately broke out in a sweat, but he didn't dare to stand up.

It is not known whether this was a show of force or a way to give face to Li Zhaodi. No matter which one it was, Qian Zhenniang was in a high position and had great power, and she was not someone a businessman like him could afford to offend.

Mr. Wu wiped the sweat off his face and could only lower his body even lower, with his long gown almost touching the ground.

"Master Wu." Qian Zhenniang naturally would not embarrass Master Wu. Instead, she smiled and gently helped Master Wu up. Her smile was full of joy, and no one could tell that she was dissatisfied. "Your Highness has several meetings to attend later. I am sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time. I am afraid you will not be able to see Your Highness today. Tomorrow, when Zhaodi is out of confinement, I will bring our daughter here for Your Highness to take a good look."

Mr. Wu didn't even dare to look at Qian Zhenniang and could only respond quickly.

"Master Wu, Aunt Bai is a close friend of our prince, and also an old friend of all of us. It's not enough for her to meet with our prince today. We have to let her get to know all of us old friends. We may have to set up two tables for her tonight. I don't know how long it will take. How about this, you go back first, and I'll send someone to send Aunt Bai back to you tomorrow. What do you think?"

Although Qian Zhenniang's tone was one of negotiation, the meaning behind her words was unquestionable.

Master Wu had been in the business world for many years, so he understood what Qian Zhenniang meant. He smiled and said, "Of course, of course. I am happy for Aunt Bai to see her old friend again. How about this, Yingniang, you stay at the government office and accompany His Highness and the others for a few days, and you don't have to worry about the child. Whenever you want to come back, send someone to tell me, and I will ask the housekeeper to pick you up immediately."

Aunt Bai hurriedly thanked her respectfully.

With this thank you gift, Mr. Wu seemed to feel the pressure from Qian Zhenniang again.

He just secretly gave Li Zhaodi a crazy look, signaling her not to act so nervous and flattered.

However, Li Zhaodi did not dare to act rashly. After she thanked him respectfully, Mr. Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and left the government office.

Qian Zhenniang grabbed Li Zhaodi's hand and said with a smile, "Come on, Zhao Bantou, Dazhuangge, and Xu Huijia are all here today. I'll take you to meet them. If they knew you were resurrected, they would be so happy."

But as Mr. Wu walked out of the government office, he felt more and more that something was wrong.

What did Minister Qian’s eyes mean when he was leaving?

It actually feels sharper than a knife.

This makes one have to think more.

Although Mr. Wu looks a little short and fat, he has been in the business world for many years and has naturally become as smart as a human.

As soon as he walked out of the door of the waiting area, he kept thinking in his mind that His Highness and Minister Qian were both lukewarm towards him just now, especially Minister Qian, who looked smiling and easy to talk to, but was actually very strong and overbearing.

Could it be because of Bai Yingniang?
It must be.

A small figure like him has no past grudges against these people.

Even today, he can't even see these people.

After thinking about it, Mr. Wu felt more and more that something was wrong.

Yes, that’s what kind of person Your Highness is. She is the empress who is about to unify the world.

Not to mention His Highness, just take Minister Qian, he is also a well-known figure, not to mention the veterans of the Xu family's political team in Jinzhou Prefecture, each of them is now in a high position and dominates a region.

Mr. Wu is a businessman, so naturally he already had a thorough understanding of the situation before coming.

Although the official positions and official systems of Jinzhou Prefecture and the Great Zhou Dynasty are different, the substance remains the same. It is conceivable that after His Royal Highness Prince Zhao unifies the world, Qian Zhenniang, Jiang Yongkang and others will at least start as marquises.

But Aunt Bai is still a concubine——

Not only are these elders ashamed, but His Highness also has a dull look on his face.

Mr. Wu shuddered and seemed to immediately understand the crux of the problem.

He was negligent!
He actually made such a big mistake!
Ever since Aunt Bai said that she knew His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, he had been busy gathering intelligence about Jinzhou Prefecture, and was obsessed with how to use Aunt Bai's relationship to rise to prominence, completely forgetting the crisis in this unprecedented wealth!

No wonder Minister Qian looked down on him. Yes, who would want their best friend to be someone else's concubine? Isn't this a slap in the face of these elders?
When Mr. Wu thought about this, he felt his back get wet.

As soon as he walked out of the government gate, Madam Wu immediately came to meet him. She left the maid behind and walked forward alone, looking at the situation inside the government from time to time. However, she saw that Aunt Bai did not follow her, and she was very anxious: "What's the matter? Does Yingniang really know His Royal Highness Prince Zhao? Where is she? Why didn't she come out with you? What did you talk about in there?"

Master Wu said calmly, "Ying Niang would never lie. Not only is she your Highness's close friend, she also knows the elders of the Xu family's government affairs team, and it sounds like they have a good relationship."

Madam Wu immediately covered her chest and cried out, "Oh my, oh my, what a shitty luck we have! God bless us, God bless us! Our Wu family will be rich and prosperous for the next few generations! With this relationship, our Wu family can be said to be very successful! Where is our hero, where is Ying Niang, why doesn't she come out?"

"She stayed to talk to His Highness."

"It's good to talk, it's good to talk. Only by talking can we build relationships. In the future, we can ask His Highness to do things for us. Let her stay in the government office, and when she wants to come back, I will come to pick her up in person. Who knows, I may be able to meet His Highness—"

Mr. Wu twitched the corner of his lips but said nothing.

Mrs. Wu was completely immersed in the joy of having the emperor's support and did not notice the cold looks from the people around her.

That night, soldiers were guarding the private room on the top floor of Tianxiang Pavilion, both inside and outside. There were even guards within a mile radius, guarding the vicinity of the restaurant.

Although the group of people were repeatedly told not to waste time and money, the shop owner dared not open the door for business once he recognized the familiar face. He simply cleared out the second and first floors, leaving only the private rooms on the third floor open.

The shop owner became even more alert and called his wife to keep an eye on the kitchen. He himself turned into a waiter and respectfully served tea and water without any complaints.

In the private room on the third floor, only Xu Zhenying, Zhao Qiaonian, Xu Huijia, Liu Dazhuang and others were present. Even Zhou Houfang and two secretaries, who were always inseparable from them, were not present.

Just because the protagonist today is Li Zhaodi.

Li Zhaodi's return naturally made everyone feel mixed emotions. Even people like Liu Dazhuang and Xu Huijia who were on the front line took time out to come back and meet the girl who had fallen behind in person.

When everyone met, they naturally asked about each other's well-being and expressed many feelings.

Zhao Qiaonian even took out a pot of wine that he had treasured for a long time.

During the dinner, Li Zhaodi inevitably talked about what happened after she left Lan County. She talked about how she was sold twice, how she was locked in a cellar, how she was beaten, and how she was finally sold to the Wu family as a concubine.

After hearing this, everyone felt heartbroken.

Liu Dazhuang was so angry that he smashed his wine glass. "I think it would be better to let Wu divorce his wife and remarry! Make you his legal wife! You, Li Zhaodi, were the younger sister of our group back then. How can you be a concubine of a mere merchant?!"

Zhao Qiaonian immediately kicked Liu Dazhuang under the table and said, "Liu Dazhuang, are you drunk? What kind of merchants are you? Jinzhou Prefecture has long ceased to have such distinctions! You look down on merchants, so where do you put Feng'er from the Ministry of Commerce?"

When Liu Dazhuang heard the word "Feng'er", he thought of the girl's fierce appearance now, sat down again, glanced at Xu Zhenying, and said with a red face: "I don't mean that. I know that the Ministry of Commerce makes so much money every year to maintain our operation, and it is indispensable. I don't look down on businessmen. I just want to stop here."

Qian Zhenniang quickly tried to smooth things over: "Yes, yes, I know that Dazhuang just doesn't want Zhaodi to suffer. Madam Wu didn't do anything against the will of heaven, so how could he let Mr. Wu divorce her? You men should talk a little, but you know that even though marriage is more open now, women who are divorced will still be criticized. Don't talk about divorcing and remarrying in the future."

Xu Huijia was more practical. "Instead of thinking about divorcing my wife, I can just let that Wu man write a document to make her my concubine. From now on, Zhaodi will work with Zhenniang. Zhaodi is smart and will definitely learn quickly. After she finishes the intermediate literacy class, she can do anything to support herself."

This statement was recognized by everyone.

Xu Zhenying glanced at Zhaodi. She had also taken two sips of wine, which was extremely rare. There was no emotion in her eyes. "Don't impose your personal wishes on Zhaodi. You still have to respect Zhaodi's wishes. Zhaodi, no matter what you do, we, your family, support you."

Li Zhaodi's eyes also turned red. Looking at these people who once cared about her the most, she was filled with emotion. She raised her glass and said, "I know what Dazhuang means. Back then, Dazhuang and the young lady risked their lives to save my sister Yinzhang. I have never repaid this kindness. Today, I would like to use this glass of wine to thank the young lady and all of you for your concern. As for where to go in the future, I haven't thought about it yet-"

She lowered her head, looking ashamed.

She really couldn't say that she was satisfied with her current life.

Looking at her former partners who were all so glamorous and beautiful, and realizing the insurmountable gap between them, Li Zhaodi felt a little regretful, but she did not regret it.

If they had not been filled with indignation just now, Li Zhaodi would not even have realized that being a concubine of the Wu family would bring shame to the girl.

Yes.

After all these years, she's still as dumb as ever.

The girl is about to become an emperor, but she is someone else's concubine -

If she had known that it would bring disgrace to the girl, she would not have come to the government office to meet them.

She seemed to have forgotten that these people were no longer the exiled prisoners who sold soap, but giant monsters who could destroy the entire Wu family with just a flick of their fingers.

Although Mrs. Wu had beaten and scolded her before, she never held much resentment.

Which mistress doesn’t hate her concubine?
She could understand that the mistress beat her and blamed her, but the fact that they could force Mr. Wu to divorce Mrs. Wu through their words made Li Zhaodi somewhat frightened.

Qian Zhenniang immediately squeezed her hand and said, "It's okay. If you haven't thought it through yet, go back and think about it slowly. There's no rush."

She called out to everyone again, "Okay, stop talking about these sad things. Zhaodi has come back to life, we are reunited as old friends, and victory in the Northern Expedition is in sight. I am overwhelmed with joy. I won't go home until I'm drunk tonight!"

Today, Li Zhaodi has come back to life, and victory in the Northern Expedition is in sight. Plus, the old members have been scattered all over the world over the years, and it's rare for them to get together like this, so it's inevitable that everyone wants to open a bottle of champagne halfway through the journey.

After getting drunk today, Xu Zhenying will go north to negotiate with Zhao Yi tomorrow. Everything seems to be moving in a good direction.

So everyone drank a little too much.

So is Xu Zhenying.

This was the first time she got so drunk since entering this strange world.

She was not fond of drinking, and even issued an order to forbid soldiers from indulging in alcohol. However, she was worried today and felt depressed, so she couldn't help but drink too much.

After drinking a lot, everyone was a little unconscious.

Jiang Yongkang saw her leaning on the railing and gazing into the distance, so he sat over.

The two of them sat together, looking at the grand spectacle below.

Soon, everything in this world will be named after her, Xu Zhenying, and she doesn’t know what kind of mentality she should have.

Jiang Yongkang saw that she had her eyes narrowed, her cheeks flushed, and her body limp. He thought she was asleep, but she suddenly opened her eyes.

The eyes are clear and sharp.

It was like a knife stabbing into his chest.

Xu Zhenying looked at him in a low voice and asked, "Jiang Yongkang, why did you send Li Zhaodi away six years ago?"

It seemed as if in an instant, everything was silent, without a single sound in the world.

At that moment, the only eyes left between heaven and earth were hers, as cold as a goddess'.

Half a moment.

Jiang Yongkang could even clearly hear the sound of the night wind blowing.

Jiang Yongkang's body froze there.

He lowered his head, and the moonlight fell on half of his face, as if covering it with an unspeakable shadow.

He still smelled of wine. Sweet osmanthus flowers drifted from somewhere and landed on his shoulders, adding a touch of loneliness.

He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't open his mouth.

As expected...I can't hide it from her?

The night wind seemed to be even more urgent.

She just suddenly remembered this matter, and then she tricked him as a prank.

But Jiang Yongkang's silence made her feel cold all over. The coldness penetrated from the soles of her feet into her heart, like a poisonous snake that could not be stopped.

Until the coolness strangled her neck.

The light in her eyes faded away inch by inch.

The corners of her lips curled up slightly, then she stood up and sat upright. She said nothing, she just moved the wine glass with her bare hands, then smiled, tilted her head back, and drank the wine in the glass.

There were no tears in her eyes.

She remained calm throughout the whole process.

Calm to a cruel degree.

Jiang Yongkang suddenly struggled to stand up, somehow finding the strength to do so, and cried out in grief, "Xu Zhenying!!"

This sound woke up everyone present.

Everyone sobers up in an instant!
Xu Zhenying turned his head and looked at him, with a faint smile in his eyes, "Jiang Yongkang, you don't have to go to the Northern Expedition to negotiate tomorrow. Zhang Wanjun will go instead."

After that, she looked at Qian Zhenniang again, "Tomorrow you go to the Finance Department and ask Minister Feng to settle the principal of 600,000 yuan with an annual interest of 5% for six years and transfer it to Jiang Yongkang as soon as possible. Today's celebration ends here, and we will set off for the north on time tomorrow morning."

After saying this, Xu Zhenying walked downstairs without looking back.

As the saying goes, when the sun sets and the drunken people are gone, the sky is full of wind and rain as the west building descends.

When the wind and rain are gone, where will they go?

Everyone in the room stood up instantly in shock.

Jiang Yongkang, who was standing behind him, suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood with a "wow" sound.

Although victory was clearly in sight for the 2,000-strong team escorting north, for some reason there was always a gloomy atmosphere in the team.

Jiang Yongkang was retained in Fengxiang Prefecture. He was not dismissed from his post, nor was he openly neglected. However, the affairs of Tianxiang Pavilion still spread among the top leaders.

And this matter certainly cannot be kept secret.

The Finance Department received a request for a settlement of $600,000 early in the morning, and no one in the department was aware of what was going on.

Qian Zhenniang had no choice but to speak with one voice to the outside world, saying that when Lan County was developing, Minister Jiang paid the money out of his own pocket for 600,000 yuan, and now that the national treasury has money, he naturally has to pay it back.

Naturally, everyone praised Jiang Yongkang again.

However, there were also some who were perceptive and quickly realized that something must have happened between Jiang Yongkang and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.

Otherwise, why would the six hundred thousand be repaid sooner or later, but must be settled when the war is imminent?

What's more, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao had decided that Jiang Yongkang would accompany him north, but he was temporarily replaced by Zhang Wanjun. Anyone who saw this would have thought too much.

What’s even more amazing is that Jiang Yongkang started to close the door to visitors early in the morning.

All signs indicate that things are about to change in Jinzhou Prefecture.

The senior officials who were unaware of the situation were naturally in a panic.

The butterfly effect of this incident was extremely obvious. Jiang Yongkang had a high prestige in the army, and it could even be said that he had the support of a hundred people. Many people were worried that the two behemoths would start an internal conflict at such a critical moment, which would be very detrimental to the Northern Expedition.

Some people are even worried that Jiang Yongkang will rebel at this time.

Xu Zhenying did not leave any instructions, but the senior staff who stayed in Fengxiang Prefecture had clearly sensed the crisis.

Especially Qian Zhenniang and Zhao Qiaonian, they took Xu Zhenying's side without hesitation in the muddy water. Almost at the same time, the two of them seized Jiang Yongkang's military power and even sent their confidants to keep an eye on Jiang Yongkang's residence.

This series of actions immediately caused panic among the top officials of Fengxiang Prefecture.

Some even worry that the world is about to be unified, and His Royal Highness Prince Zhao will get rid of him, eliminate dissidents, and carry out a power purge?

Fortunately, Jiang Yongkang has been refusing visitors and has not taken any unusual actions except handling daily government affairs, nor has he mobilized any troops, which has helped to calm the storm a little.

"What do you think happened between His Highness and Jiang Yongkang that night?"

Zhao Qiaonian once asked Qian Zhenniang privately.

Qian Zhenniang shook her head. "You were there that night, did you see what happened between the two of them?"

Zhao Qiaonian could only shake his head, "They only said two or three sentences in total."

Qian Zhenniang was also terrified, "Your Highness won't tell. I have a feeling this matter is not trivial. Otherwise, Your Highness wouldn't change the generals at the last minute."

Qian Zhenniang carefully pulled Zhao Qiaonian over and said, "Brother Zhao, to be honest, although I have worked with Jiang Yongkang for many years, sometimes I am really afraid of him from the bottom of my heart."

Thinking of the things that happened during his exile, Zhao Qiaonian said, "When I first saw that boy, I knew he was not a simple person. There was hatred in his eyes. It was as if there was a ferocious beast in his heart."

"I feel the same way. Everything can only be decided after His Highness returns from the northern border. During these days, we must keep a close eye on Jiang Yongkang. The victory of the Northern Expedition is in sight, and we cannot allow a fire to start in our own backyard."