He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

"no."

Jiang Luwei immediately stopped him, his eyes cold and rational.

"Let's go find some outlaws."

"If we pay them enough money, we're not worried about them not working hard."

He paused, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, and made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Afterwards, clean it up thoroughly to prevent future problems."

These words sent a chill down Jiang Siyuan's spine.

Only then did he realize just how ruthless his younger brother truly was.

Jiang Chengxuan remained silent, simply listening attentively.

Only now did he slowly speak.

"That's not enough."

His gaze swept over his two sons, his voice cold and menacing.

"I will host a banquet at the embassy and invite the Ministry of Rites officials from Kita-Ogi."

"During the meal, I will 'unintentionally' reveal to them that my 'good-for-nothing' ex-wife's daughter, Jiang Bingning, is of bad character and vicious in the Great Zhou Dynasty. In order to gain a false reputation, she once poisoned refugees."

"Thus, we should adopt a two-pronged approach."

He stood up, walked between his two sons, and put his arm around one of their shoulders.

"At that time, not only the people of Beidi, but even the Beidi court will know what kind of vicious woman Jiang Bingning is!"

"I will ruin her reputation and ensure she can never rise again!"

Inside the secret room, the father and his two sons looked at each other and smiled.

That smile, under the dim light, looked incredibly sinister.

-----------------

First grade of junior high school.

early morning.

As dawn broke and the sky began to lighten, the backyard of Prince Xin's mansion was already bustling with activity.

It was time for Prince Xin's Mansion to distribute porridge again.

This tradition dates back to the very beginning of the establishment of the Prince Xin's Mansion.

Unwavering.

Even during the decade or so that Ji Yunhan was living a life of debauchery and utterly hopeless, while the Dowager Consort was far away in Xiufeng Mountain worshipping Buddha and detached from worldly affairs, even the vicious Consort Lin did not dare to stop this matter.

This is not just a good deed.

This is the face of the Prince Xin's Mansion, a symbol of the royal family's compassion for the people.

Jiang Bingning, dressed in an elegant light blue dress, stood in the courtyard, her beautiful face showing a hint of solemnity in the morning light.

"Has the rice and grain been counted correctly?"

"Miss, three hundred bushels of rice, not a penny less."

"What about the medicinal herbs? Have you prepared enough herbal medicine packets to prevent colds?"

"Everything is prepared, and three kinds of herbs to dispel cold have been added."

The steward bowed and replied, his words filled with admiration.

Jiang Bingning was directing the servants in the courtyard.

Large pots capable of cooking enough for a hundred people, heavy bags of rice, and clean wooden buckets were methodically loaded onto several spacious horse-drawn carts.

In fact, this had long been a precedent for the Prince Xin's residence.

There was absolutely no need for her to waste any words.

But she still inquired about every little detail.

Before long, everything was ready.

Jiang Bingning straightened her sleeves and prepared to board the lead carriage.

"Ice Freeze".

An aged yet powerful voice came from behind.

Jiang Bingning paused, then quickly turned around.

The Dowager Empress was seen slowly walking out of the moon gate.

"Greetings to the Dowager Consort."

Jiang Bingning quickly stepped forward and respectfully performed a curtsy.

Get up.

The Dowager Empress reached out and personally helped her up.

The Dowager Empress's gaze swept over her, then swept over the several fully loaded carriages behind her, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"The task of distributing porridge should have been done by me or your mother."

The Dowager Empress's voice was very calm.

"Now that it's in your hands, this old man can finally take a break."

Jiang Bingning lowered her head and said respectfully, "It is my duty as a granddaughter-in-law to share the burdens of the Dowager Consort."

"Um."

The Dowager Empress nodded, her cloudy eyes suddenly becoming sharp.

"I trust you."

"But I still want to ask you something."

"Do you know what it means to be asked to distribute porridge?"

That question came out of nowhere.

Jiang Bingning was taken aback upon hearing this.

She raised her head and met the Dowager Empress's eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

She understood instantly.

Jiang Bingning's lips moved slightly, as if she was about to speak.

The Dowager Empress waved her hand, interrupting her.

"It's good that you know what it means."

After saying this, the Dowager Princess didn't look at her again and slowly turned and went back into the house.

Jiang Bingning was left alone, standing there, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

The wheels rolled slowly as they drove out of the gates of Prince Xin's Mansion.

Jiang Bingning sat on the soft brocade cushion, lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and looked at the street scene rushing past outside the window, but the old concubine's words echoed in her mind again and again.

"girl."

Chun Tao, who was standing next to him, finally couldn't hold back and came closer with a puzzled look on her face.

"What did the Dowager Princess mean by that just now?"

She twisted her fingers, her face full of confusion.

"It's just distributing porridge. In previous years when Consort Lin was alive, I went with her a few times. We just set up a few big pots, poured rice in, cooked it, and distributed it to the refugees."

"It's a bit tough, but it's not too difficult."

"Why did the Dowager Consort come out specifically to say those things that no one can understand when we come here?"

Chuntao scratched her head.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bingning snapped out of her thoughts.

She looked at Chun Tao's innocent face and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"It's nothing."

She reached out and straightened Chun Tao's slightly crooked hair bun.

"The Dowager Princess is reminding us that we must be diligent in our work and not be negligent."

"Oh……"

Chun Tao nodded as if she understood, but didn't ask any more questions.

Jiang Bingning lowered the carriage curtain, but the smile on her lips slowly faded, and her eyes became deep and thoughtful.

The Dowager Empress's meaning went far beyond that.

Chun Tao couldn't understand it, but Jiang Bingning had to.

In the Prince Xin's Mansion, distributing porridge was never a simple matter.

It represents more than just face.

It is also power.

Before her, it was Consort Lin who presided over this matter.

Consort Lin was in charge of managing the household affairs of Prince Xin's residence.

Purchasing rice, grains, and medicinal herbs, mobilizing servants and vehicles—all of these require money and manpower.

Therefore, the person in charge of distributing porridge must have been the true mistress of the Prince's mansion.

The Dowager Empress's words sounded strange, but in reality, they represented a silent transfer of power.

Her mother, Liu Jingyi, went to the northern border with Prince Xin, and she herself took over the management of the household affairs, which was not a legitimate position.

The Dowager Consort could easily take over the task herself or appoint any steward in the household.

But she didn't.

She handed that power over to herself.

This is both trust and an attitude.

Thinking of this, Jiang Bingning felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.

The carriages and horses moved westward in a steady stream.

The soup kitchen at Prince Xin's Mansion was set up in the square outside the Jici Hall.

The carriage traveled for about half an hour and gradually approached the west of the city.

As Jiang Bingning was deep in thought, the carriage suddenly slowed down and finally came to a complete stop.

"What happened?"

Jiang Bingning frowned and asked.

There was no response from outside the car.

"Chuntao, go take a look."

Chun Tao responded, and as soon as she lifted the carriage curtain, she was so shocked by the sight before her that she gasped.

She had barely peeked out when she was pushed back by the crowd.

"Girl! There are too many people outside!"

Just then, a servant from the Prince's mansion, who was in charge of driving the carriage, squeezed in through the carriage window using both his hands and feet.

His hat had long since been knocked off, and his hair was disheveled.

"girl!"

"Today...the number of refugees arriving today is inexplicably much higher than usual...several times more!"

The servant was panting heavily, his face deathly pale.

"Please don't get out of the car! It's too dangerous!"