Unlimited Black Cards! A Mysterious and Wealthy Young Lady!

The private banquet in Xishan appeared to be a friendly gathering among aristocratic families, but in reality, it was an arena for power struggles among various forces. The Su family wanted to take the opportunity to deepen their relationship, the Gu family wanted to find out more of their cards, the Zhao family wanted to take the opportunity to retaliate, and there were undercurrents within the Lu family.

At this banquet, she will thoroughly clarify the power dynamics among the Kyoto aristocratic families, allowing all those with ulterior motives to see clearly who is the new rule-maker in Kyoto.

On Friday evening, the setting sun bathed the eaves and corners of Xishan Villa in a warm gold. Built against the mountain, the villa combines the elegance of a classical garden with the convenience of a modern villa. The pavilions and towers are scattered throughout the courtyard, and the winding paths are filled with precious flowers and trees. The air is filled with the faint fragrance of flowers and tea.

People from prominent families in Kyoto arrived one after another. Amidst the elegant attire and swaying hair, there were both insincere greetings and secret scrutiny. Everyone's eyes were secretly searching for Jiang Wenxi's figure, wanting to see what kind of surprises or storms this mysterious young lady who had stirred up the winds of Kyoto would bring.

Su Zhenbang and his wife Lin Zhenhong were already waiting at the entrance of the villa. When they saw Jiang Wenxi's car slowly drive up, they immediately stepped forward to greet her with sincere smiles on their faces: "Miss Jiang, you've finally arrived. Please come in."

Su Zhenbang's gaze fell on the sandalwood box in Jiang Yan's hand, knowing it was a return gift. He became even more certain that Jiang Wenxi was well-mannered and knew her place, and he wanted to get closer to her. The car slowly drove into Jingyuan Hutong. The vermilion gate was already open, and the servants were lined up neatly waiting.

As Jiang Wenxi got out of the car, her gaze inadvertently swept across the corner of the alleyway, catching a fleeting, prying look.

A cold smile curved her lips, but she didn't reveal anything—it seemed to be someone sent by other powerful families to gather information; the probing in the capital had indeed never stopped.

Upon entering Jingyuan, Jiang Yan hurriedly stepped forward to report: "Miss, the study has been prepared. The three precious items you purchased can be temporarily stored in the temperature-controlled safe in the study until the professional collection cabinet arrives, at which point they will be moved. In addition, Xiao Jie sent a message saying that Ms. Lin Shumin's health is progressing smoothly. The doctor said that all indicators are improving, and the surgery scheduled for two weeks later can proceed as planned."

"it is good"

Jiang Wenxi walked into the study, opened the constant temperature safe, and looked at the three precious items quietly placed inside. Her fingertips gently brushed the body of the Yuan Dynasty blue and white plum vase.

This auction was just the first step in her Kyoto plan.

On the other side, in the study of the Zhao family's old house, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

The elder of the Zhao family, Old Master Zhao, slammed the teacup in his hand onto the mahogany table. Broken porcelain shards scattered all over the floor, and scalding tea soaked the valuable calligraphy and paintings, but no one dared to step forward to clean them up.

Zhao Manqi stood to the side with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly, her eyes red, but she dared not cry out loud—the humiliation at the auction, Jiang Wenxi's contempt, and her grandfather's rage made her feel both wronged and resentful.

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Old Master Zhao's voice trembled with anger as he pointed at Zhao Manqi's nose and berated her.

"My Zhao family has been established in the Kyoto treasure-hunting circle for a century, and yet we've been publicly humiliated by a mere outsider! Not only did you fail to suppress her arrogance, but you also utterly disgraced the Zhao family. How could I have raised such a worthless brat!"

He originally intended to use this auction to help Zhao Manqi make a name for herself and secure the Yuan Dynasty blue and white plum vase to solidify the Zhao family's position. However, he did not expect that it would become a stepping stone for Jiang Wenxi to establish his authority, and that the Zhao family would become a laughing stock among the prominent families of Kyoto.

The Zhao family butler stood bowing in the corner, not daring to breathe loudly. After a long while, he cautiously spoke: "Master, Mr. Zhou has replied that Miss Jiang has a very powerful background. Even Jingyuan is one of her properties. It seems that she is supported by a multinational force. We... should not confront her head-on for the time being."

During the day, he tried to find out about Jiang Wenxi's background through Mr. Zhou, but was vaguely turned away by the other party. The respect between the lines was enough to show Jiang Wenxi's importance.

"Is a direct confrontation not advisable? Are we just going to let the Zhao family suffer this in silence?"

Old Master Zhao's chest heaved violently, his eyes filled with resentment and malice.

"No matter how capable Jiang Wenxi is, she's still a newcomer! I don't believe she can control everything in Kyoto!"

He pondered for a moment, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.

"Go and contact the collateral branch of the Lu family. Tell them I'm willing to give them 30% of the antique street in the south of the city, on the condition that... you cause Jiang Wenxi some trouble at the private banquet in Xishan, make her embarrass herself in public, and let the Kyoto aristocratic families see that outsiders are still outsiders!"

The Lu family's collateral branch has always been at odds with the main family, and has long coveted a share of the antique street. Old Master Zhao was certain that the other party would agree.

The butler's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the old master intended to use someone else to do his dirty work, but he dared not object and could only bow and reply, "Yes, sir, I will arrange it right away."

He knew that the feud between the Zhao family and Jiang Wenxi had already begun, and this contest had only just started.

Zhao Manqi looked up, a fierce glint in her eyes, and whispered, "Grandpa, I'm going to the private banquet too. I want to personally watch her humiliate herself and make up for all the face she lost today!"

She was unwilling to admit defeat so easily, and even more unwilling to be trampled under Jiang Wenxi's feet. Even if she had to rely on external forces, she wanted to make Jiang Wenxi taste the humiliation.

Old Master Zhao glanced at her and said coldly, "Behave yourself! Keep quiet at the private banquet, stick to the plan, and if you dare ruin my plans again, you can forget about being my grandfather!"

Meanwhile, inside Jingyuan Garden, Jiang Yan hurriedly entered the study with an investigation report in hand: "Miss, I've found out. The Zhao family has been secretly contacting a branch of the Lu family, seemingly plotting something, most likely targeting you. In addition, the guest list for the private banquet in Xishan includes not only the Su, Lin, and Gu families, but also members from both the main and branch branches of the Lu family. The main and branch branches of the Lu family have always been at odds, and their simultaneous invitation this time is probably a variable."

She had anticipated that the Zhao family would not let the matter rest, and had arranged for people to keep a close eye on their movements, and sure enough, she figured out their little tricks.

Jiang Wenxi lightly tapped the door of the constant-temperature safe with her fingertips, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips: "A branch of the Lu family? They certainly know how to find pawns."

She had already investigated the internal conflicts within the Lu family. The collateral branches were eager to rise to power and lacked resources, so it was not surprising that they cooperated with the Zhao family.

"Since they want to play, I'll play with them."

She paused, looked at Jiang Yan, and said with certainty, "Go and prepare two things: one is a Qing Dynasty jade pendant that the main branch of the Lu family has lost for many years, and the other is a copy of the evidence that the Zhao family is secretly dealing in high-quality counterfeit antiques. They will naturally be useful at the private banquet."

A knowing glint flashed in Jiang Yan's eyes, and she bowed in agreement: "Understood, Miss. I'll go and make sure everything goes smoothly."

She knew that Jiang Wenxi had already anticipated that the Zhao family would make trouble, and had even prepared countermeasures. The so-called trouble was just an opportunity for Jiang Wenxi to further control the Zhao family and win over the main branch of the Lu family.

Jiang Wenxi walked to the window, gazing at the red lanterns swaying in the wind in the courtyard, her eyes clear and bright.