Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

Zong Xian calmly withdrew his gaze, said nothing, and walked back to the private room.

Fan Siyuan followed him in, sat down in front of him, and got back to business: "You really are a fox. You actually set up a trap in such an inconspicuous place as Qingzhou so early on. Li Dan thought you were his backer, but little did he know that you came to take his life."

To outsiders, Qingzhou was an ordinary place with no famous scenic spots or heavy military presence. The officials in the imperial court regarded it as just an ordinary small town for merchants and travelers, and no one would associate it with the safety of the capital.

Zong Xian's arrangement here perfectly demonstrates his ability to avoid being blind to what's right under one's nose.

By the time his political enemies realized what was happening, he had already seized control of Qingzhou City.

At this moment, an official in plain clothes entered the private room. He was about forty years old and had an ordinary appearance. He was Chen Ping, the county magistrate under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou.

Before he arrived, he did not know who he was to see, only that it was the powerful figure who had secretly supported him over the years.

To everyone's surprise, the other party turned out to be Zong Xian, a close minister of the emperor and a powerful figure equivalent to the vice prime minister!

Chen Ping was excited and thrilled. He was just a minor official. What merit or ability did he have to gain the appreciation of the Grand Secretary?

Chen Ping knelt before Zong Xian, his voice resounding, "Your subordinate Chen Ping greets Your Excellency!"

Zong Xian personally helped him up, speaking calmly: "Lord Chen, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down and let's talk."

Chen Ping could not hide his excitement. He came from a poor family and had been in this position for more than ten years. He had been suppressed by his superiors and made things difficult for his colleagues. He endured it all and waited for an opportunity.

At this moment, Chen Ping realized that his chance to soar to great heights had finally arrived, and he had not waited in vain!

Fan Siyuan, standing to the side, observed Chen Ping discreetly. He couldn't see anything special about the man; in fact, he seemed rather pathetic.

The three men sat down to discuss matters. Chen Ping cupped his hands and asked, "I have a question on my mind: Qingzhou is remote. Why did you choose this place specifically for your campaign?"

Before Zong Xian could speak, the strategist Fan Siyuan slowly explained, "Qingzhou may seem remote, but it is actually a vital waterway and land route, through which grain transported from the north and south must pass. Furthermore, the cities near the capital are all guarded by the emperor's trusted confidants and are under extremely strict surveillance. Only this place, three hundred li away from the capital, is less heavily guarded, making it convenient for us to secretly raise money and stockpile grain."

Chen Ping was stunned: "Hoarding...hoarding grain?"

The implication behind those words was self-evident, and he was filled with trepidation, not daring to think about it too deeply.

Fan Siyuan deliberately placed his hand on his shoulder, leaned closer, and whispered, "Also, there's a hidden path in the valley west of the city that leads directly to the outskirts of the capital. We can bring our troops to the gates of the capital in three days!"

Chen Ping was shocked when he saw Fan Siyuan's serious expression. He stood up abruptly, astonished: "You...you people...are you planning a rebellion?!" If exposed, this would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!

"So what if it is?" Fan Siyuan lightly waved his feather fan, his tone half-serious and half-joking.

Chen Ping hurriedly turned to look at Zong Xian, who was in the main seat.

The other party remained calm, as if treason was just a trivial matter to him.

Fan Siyuan looked at Chen Ping, slowly waving his feather fan, and said meaningfully, "Lord Chen, it's not too late to change your mind and leave now."

Chen Ping wasn't stupid. He had already heard about such a shocking secret, so there was no way out for him. He was afraid that once he stepped out of that door, he wouldn't even know how he died.

Without further hesitation, he bowed deeply, his tone firm and resolute: "This humble official is willing to follow you to the death, sir, even through mountains of knives and seas of fire!"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zong Xian's eyes, and he said gently, "Lord Chen, please sit down and let's talk."

Fan Siyuan then laughed heartily, "Lord Chen, there's no need to be nervous. I was just joking with you. Who says hoarding grain necessarily means rebellion? It's just being prepared for a rainy day. Our ministers are absolutely loyal to His Majesty."

"Yes, yes, of course!" Chen Ping sat down again, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

Chen Ping realized that Zong Xian was not plotting a rebellion, but rather preparing a way out for himself. He probably already knew what the emperor was thinking.

If the emperor were to discard him after he had served his purpose, Qingzhou would be his trump card for self-preservation.

-

As soon as Xie Huaiyu left Qingzhou, Li Yunwan couldn't wait to cause trouble for Ji Mingyi.

She searched all the way and finally stopped in front of a narrow and shabby shop. Looking up, she saw the three words "Bai Cao Tang" written on a mottled wooden plaque.

The shop has not yet officially opened, and the sounds of repairs can be heard constantly coming from inside.

A slender figure was busy tidying up in the hall, attracting much attention.

The woman's long, black hair was loosely braided and hung down in front of her chest. Her cuffs were neatly tied with plain-colored cloth strips, revealing a section of slender, fair arm. Every movement she made was clean and efficient.

Li Yunwan's gaze was fixed on her, her eyes surging with jealousy and disgust.

She recognized her at a glance; it was the vixen who had captivated Xie Huaiyu.

Two followers followed behind her, one of whom said disdainfully, "Young Master Xie is an official with a bright future. How could he be infatuated with such a lowly merchant's daughter? It's an insult to his status."

These words, intended to flatter, unfortunately struck a nerve with Li Yunwan.

Li Yunwan immediately glared at her: "What do you mean by that? Do you mean I'm not as good as a mere merchant's daughter?"

The man quickly lowered his head and said timidly, "Sister Li, that's not what I meant. She's not even as good as one of your fingers."

Li Yunwan's expression softened slightly, but she was still furious.

She stood outside the door, looking at the simple Baicaotang with disdain in her eyes, and coldly ordered, "Once she's almost done tidying up, have someone smash everything inside to pieces."

Having given her instructions, she didn't want to look at Ji Mingyi again. She raised her chin, turned around haughtily, and left with her entourage.

-

Three days later, Mingyi had everything settled when a group of people suddenly broke into Baicaotang and began to vandalize it without saying a word.

Yuegui quickly shielded Mingyi behind her and loudly questioned, "Who are you people? Why are you smashing our shop? Is there no law anymore?!"

"The law? I am the law!"

The scarred man at the head of the group slammed his foot on the chair and said arrogantly, "This former gang leader owes me a debt, and he ran away before paying it off. This shop has already been mortgaged to me. It's my property; I can smash it up if I want. Who are you to interfere?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his men became even more ferocious, and with a loud crash, the entire counter was violently overturned!

Herbs, wooden boxes, and utensils were scattered all over the ground, creating a mess.

Mingyi looked at the ruins of her hard work over the past few days, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. She pushed aside the laurel wreath in front of her, stepped forward slowly, and spoke in a clear and calm voice:

"The previous owner's debts are their responsibility to repay. I took over this shop with all the necessary paperwork and official deeds in hand, and all public and private accounts are settled. Your actions of provoking trouble and vandalizing the place in public are not debt collection, but deliberate disturbance!"

She looked up at the scarred man: "You must compensate for every item you've damaged at Baicaotang today. If you refuse, I will report this to the authorities and have the Prefect of Qingzhou personally judge this matter!"

Upon hearing that she was going to report to the authorities, Scarface threw his head back and laughed wildly, displaying extreme arrogance.

He dared to vandalize and cause trouble in broad daylight because he was fearless and had no fear of the government.

"Go ahead and report whatever you want! I'm telling you plainly, today I'm not only going to smash up your Hundred Herbs Hall, I'm going to make sure you can't stay in Qingzhou City!"

He squinted at Ji Mingyi and threatened, "If you know what's good for you, pack your things and get out of Qingzhou City!"

Mingyi was not easily coerced. She ignored the man and ordered the waiter in the hall to report to the authorities immediately.