She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Jiang Ruining seemed to have been humiliated and gave him a cold look, saying unhappily, "What are you doing!"

"Whom did I, the victim, slander or threaten? Or did I say something wrong? Why did you say 'it's all right' after I spoke? Are you afraid of the Xu family and want to please them by killing me to vent their anger?"

Xiao Che sighed, quite helplessly: "I only need to say two words, and you'll have to say several. I think you're planning to rebel."

The word "also" appears particularly subtle in this context.

Madam Xu clearly sensed the Regent's protectiveness towards the woman before him and his dissatisfaction with the Xu family's intentions, leaving him almost completely bewildered.

Jiang Ruining snorted coldly, her posture arrogant: "Let me tell you! You'd better kill me before the hunting party arrives in Chengde, otherwise, I will definitely spread the word about the despicable nature of your Xu family among all the officials!"

"I'd like to see which other place would want subjects like you who try to rise above their masters!"

Finally, she let out a soft "ah".

He said in a well-intentioned but misleading tone, "And don't forget to clean up all the evidence against me, otherwise my father and brothers aren't to be trifled with, they'll drag your entire Xu family down to hell!"

Madam Xu couldn't hide her shock and horror; she wished she could tear that mean mouth of hers apart.

But right now, she absolutely couldn't let the Regent doubt the Xu family's stance, and having clearly seen the Regent's favoritism towards her, she had to suppress her anger: "We're all serving the Prince, why do you harbor such hostility towards the Xu family, young lady?"

Jiang Ruining's eyes flashed with a sharp glint, her smile vanishing completely: "The fault lies with you and your daughter. You're the ones who are harming and bullying me, yet Madam Xu speaks as if I'm the one stirring up trouble! What, Madam Xu, are you afraid our two families won't become enemies?"

Madam Xu was unaware of the depth of her family background, and was ultimately wary of her.

He took a deep breath and forced a stiff smile: "I spoke too harshly in my haste."

"That illegitimate daughter was not raised by me. She was taught by her aunt to be full of scheming thoughts and almost harmed the young lady. I am her legal mother and I am also at fault for not disciplining her properly. I apologize to the young lady here."

"Since we are all on the same side, what is there to be upset about? Please, young lady, for the sake of the Grand Tutor, let this matter go. From now on, let us live in harmony and serve the Prince together."

Xiao Che's tone was sharp and clear: "Madam Xu has already apologized to you, so you should calm down now."

This means that the play is almost over.

Jiang Ruining raised her chin, ending the performance: "I've always been magnanimous!"

Xiao Che smiled faintly and hummed in agreement. When he turned to Madam Xu, his eyes held only the sharp, all-knowing authority of a superior: "Let this matter rest. Do not mention it again. Keep Xu Nianyin in check, and this is a one-time exception."

Madam Xu understood perfectly: the Regent wanted her and the Xu family to manage not only Xu Nianyin, but also the heart of the Xu family!

She bowed her head, adopting a very humble posture.

"Yes, Your Majesty understands."

Madam Xu achieved nothing, was terrified, and slunk away.

Jiang Ruining sat down, changed her posture, and ignored Xiao Che.

He poked the ice crystal floating on the water with his finger.

He mouthed the word "bastard".

Xiao Che gently poked her forehead with his long, slender fingers: "I heard you."

Jiang Ruining turned to face him and cursed again, adding a slurred tone: "Bastard!"

Shi An: "..."

He silently took ten steps back.

I can't bear to listen, I really can't bear to listen!

Xiao Che said "Insolence" in a tone that was neither too loud nor too soft.

Jiang Ruining pouted, still angry: "If it weren't for you, would I have gotten into all this trouble? Who else is to blame but you?"

Xiao Che had no rebuttal: "Grand Tutor Xu is a veteran of three dynasties; we have to give him face."

Jiang Ruining wrinkled her nose at him: "I'm not stupid!"

Otherwise, how could she have ended her acting career so decisively?

Xiao Che sat down beside her and asked, "By shifting the blame onto Cui Jingwei, are you trying to deepen the hatred between the Cui and Xu families, making cooperation impossible?"

Jiang Ruining flattered him exaggeratedly, sounding sarcastic: "No wonder you're a man destined for greatness; nothing escapes your notice!"

Xiao Che lightly tapped the top of her head with his finger: "Don't give me that look!"

"Stop hitting me!" Jiang Ruining grabbed his hand and squeezed his fingers hard. His knuckles were long and his skin was pale and cold, making him look weak and abstinent. However, his palms had thin calluses from martial arts training, and the tension in them made people want to fantasize.

"Ambitious people are driven by self-interest. Even if it's just a feud between two children, or even if there's a blood feud between Grand Tutor Cui and Grand Preceptor Xu involving the murder of their father and mother, they will still join forces when the time is right."

"I'm just trying to shift the blame onto others, purely to use Xu Nianyin to teach Cui Jingwei a lesson so I can have some fun. Neither of them are good people anyway."

Xiao Che looked at her soft little hands, letting her squeeze and knead them like a toy: "And then?"

Jiang Ruining grabbed the skin on the back of his hand and started playing "frog fishing": "Grand Tutor Xu has been cultivating his court for thirty or forty years and has a deep foundation. When the young emperor has no ambition, I am not worried that he will fall from grace. After all, what he wants is the same as Cui Shengan: to control the cabinet and restrain the emperor's power."

"The Cui family won't tolerate him, and he won't willingly be used by the Cui family."

"But now the young emperor is scheming in the cracks and has already gained some strength. If we allow him to continue developing, he will definitely win over Grand Tutor Xu and join forces with Grand Tutor Cui's faction to deal with you!"

"So by doing this, I am amplifying the discord with the Xu family and creating an opportunity for the young emperor and his people to win over the Jiang family or Grand Tutor Xu."

A wave of loyalty was shown midway through.

"Your Highness, rest assured, my heart is with you! If my father wavers, I will certainly put righteousness before family!"

Xiao Che raised the hand she was playing with: "Besides me, who else could tolerate your insolence!"

"That's right! Your Highness is such a kind person, I have to cling to your coattails!" Jiang Ruining said with a grin, offering a round of flattery, and continued, "When Grand Tutor Xu and the young emperor's men make contact, you will show up with some gunmen and scare them to death."

"Let the young emperor understand that he has no chance of growing stronger. Also, let Grand Tutor Xu and certain opportunists know that their every move is under your control, and they can't rely on anyone but you! Serving you obediently is their only way out."

He paused for a moment.

"You haven't exposed the little emperor yet, have you? If you have, the horror game won't be scary anymore!"

Xiao Che shook his head: "Not yet."

The little puppet's current strength is not enough for him to be on high alert.

They secretly captured all of his pawns and kept them, as they would be useful targets at crucial moments.

Don't rush to remove it.

"Exposing the little puppet would force him to join forces with Cui Sheng'an sooner rather than later, wouldn't it?"