The male supporting character was actually myself.

The mountain villa was quickly reduced to scorched earth by the raging fire;

The autumn wind was mournful, and the cries of the Ruan siblings as they guarded their father's body carried far and wide.

Li Dongchen was immersed in complicated emotions and didn't know how to face his dream lover. He opened his mouth but could only let out a sigh.

Everyone else stood at a distance and watched, and apart from the occasional neighing of horses, they could only hear the sound of the flames being blown by the wind.

"We're here today just to reclaim the bank's land and property. Nobody wants any deaths." Seeing that no one was in charge, Jiang Chen stepped forward and said loudly, "Your little sister secretly ran into the fire on her own, and your father rushed in despite all the obstacles. So the death and injury were just accidents."

As he spoke, he pulled a money pouch from his pocket and threw it over, "Take this money to pay for your father's funeral; find a doctor to treat your little sister's injuries; and find a place to rent while you're at it."

This place must be taken back no matter what, and it won't change because someone died on Yuqin Mountain and brought bad luck.

Starting tomorrow, if I see you lingering here again, I won't hold back. I, Li Yexiao, am capable of beating ungrateful women. You'd better watch yourselves!

A heavy, exquisitely crafted money bag fell to the feet of the female protagonist, Ruan Xiangqin. Her face streaked with tears, her eyes filled with malice, she looked up and glared at the other person, roaring, "Take back your filthy money! This money is stained with the blood of murderers! I'd rather starve to death than take your blood money!"

Shouting, she picked up the money bag and threw it hard at Jiang Chen's face.

Jiang Chen, who had just mounted his horse, turned his head slightly and reached out to grab the money bag. He casually tossed it to Zhang Mingyuan with disdain. "You're biting the hand that feeds you. You can use this to reward the brothers. You've all worked hard tonight, putting out fires and rescuing people. Don't try to save money for me by spending it all on eating, drinking, and having fun. But there's one thing—no one is allowed to touch opium."

"Don't worry, Second Young Master, the brothers all know the rules." Zhang Mingyuan weighed the money bag in his hand; it contained at least a dozen silver dollars. He raised his arm and called out, and everyone thanked the Second Young Master in unison.

Jiang Chen knew when to stop and didn't get too cocky. He cupped his hands to the head manager of the bank and explained, "The expenses for rewarding the brothers tonight will be recorded in the accounts and deducted from my monthly salary next month. Personal accounts and official accounts still need to be kept separate."

The head manager of the money exchange stroked his goatee and nodded in satisfaction.

The second young master was a bit of a scoundrel, but he was also carefree and unconventional in his dealings with people, and he never took advantage of others to bully men or women or enrich himself.

On the contrary, the eldest son's indecisiveness makes him unsuitable for holding power!

"The money I spent before was also recorded in my personal accounts and was never mixed up with the official accounts." Li Dongchen belatedly realized that the other party was being meticulous in his words and deeds, so he quickly added a sentence.

Although the two silver dollars given to Li Erlaizi weren't much money, he didn't own any property and all his expenses were covered by his father's monthly allowance.

If it's not made clear, wouldn't it be like using government money to do favors for personal connections if those two silver dollars went into the government's account?

"Brother, that's a brilliant line! It must have been taught to you by Zhang Mingyuan! Treating your brothers with your own money is completely different from using official funds. What a clever way to win people's hearts!"

He really needed to find a reliable confidant. With someone helping him, even a fool like Li Jiangchen seemed much smarter, and could even be considered his equal. If things continued like this, wouldn't the Marshal's Mansion become his possession?

No, we have to deal with this guy quickly!

Thinking to himself, Li Dongchen glared resentfully at Li Jiangchen, who was already riding away with his subordinates. He reached into his robes and touched his chest, his expression suddenly turning somewhat awkward.

He was really not mentally prepared to go out to collect debts late at night. In addition, he was physically and mentally exhausted after being beaten up, and there was no one around to remind him. Naturally, he did not think things through and did not take much money with him when he went out.

After giving Li Erlaizi two silver dollars, he only had some loose change left in his wallet.

Compared to her younger brother's heavy purse, her own meager change seemed rather pitiful.

He looked back at his beloved, who was still weeping and grieving over her father's body, and felt both ashamed and remorseful. He couldn't even offer her some financial assistance.

You started that fire yourself...

It's all Li Jiangchen's fault. If he hadn't acted so smug and provocative, saying things like "Even if it's demolished and burned, it's still Li family territory," how could I have acted so hastily without considering the consequences?

The result was that I fell into the trap set by that bastard, and now I'm in a dilemma.

Xiangqin is such a beautiful, gentle, and considerate girl. Can she understand her own suffering?

Will she hold a grudge against me because of this?

Will I categorize myself as someone like Li Yexiao?

But I'm so wronged! I'm not the kind of evil person who has committed many evil deeds. I've never even killed a chicken. How did I become a demon the first time I went out with the money lender to collect debts?

Filled with conflicting questions, Li Dongchen didn't even know how he got on the carriage or left Yuqin Mountain.

"I want revenge! I want revenge for my father!" Ruan Xiangyun watched the large group of people who had committed murder and arson quickly leave, her anger finding no outlet but to roar at the sky, "Li Jiangchen, I will definitely kill you to avenge my father!"

A mournful roar echoed through the night sky, the remaining flames making the night even darker.

The grand finale has finally come to an end, and the script, no longer stubbornly holding on, has begun to be updated. Jiang Chen rides back to the city on horseback, but is seriously pondering how to integrate the troops.

Currently, as the best supporting actor, he has no real power and even relies on his father to give him a fixed monthly allowance for his daily expenses. If he wants to successfully lead a loyal and elite army before the situation becomes turbulent, he must start to take control of the military and set a good example now.

In the future, this army will become my right-hand man and a powerful force to protect the country, so it is natural to select and train them rigorously as early as possible.

Before that, I had to take advantage of the time while the script team was working overtime to revise the script and quickly get the annulment of the engagement sorted out.

It wouldn't be difficult to simply annul the engagement, but the protagonist Li Dongchen's abilities are probably all focused on winning over women. He has to make sure that annulling Zhang Ziqiu's engagement won't implicate the Zhang family.

Otherwise, what if Li Tianxing feels humiliated by the Marshal's Mansion and decides to send someone to silence them?

Aside from Zhang Ziqiu's bottomless romantic obsession, the Zhang family members seemed quite nice in the original owner's memories.

So when they returned to Yucheng, the once large and mighty army immediately split into several groups.

The money exchange is still under the control of the warlord, and the many employees naturally follow the orders of the head manager. After entering the city, they will return to the money exchange to report back.

The head steward, along with his manager and adjutant Li, headed straight for the commander's mansion to report on the debt collection that night to the commander.

Li Dongchen needed to avoid the topic, and his experience at Qinya Manor had left him preoccupied and distracted. His mind was filled with Ruan Xiangqin's tearful and heartbroken appearance, and he really had no desire to go to his father and cause trouble for Li Jiangchen again.

He decided to go back today to rest and review the situation, and once he was fully recovered, he would try to take advantage of his father's years of favoritism and doting to defeat Li Jiangchen and make him die without a burial place, so that he would never be able to seize power from him again.

Zhang Mingyuan strictly followed his master's orders, leading about twenty brothers belonging to the second young master to a restaurant where they ordered the best table and ate and drank to their hearts' content.

Jiang Chen then disappeared into the night alone.

Although it was getting late, Yucheng, which had never experienced much turmoil, was still bustling with activity.

Especially in places like restaurants and brothels, when customers are arriving, prominent officials and nobles naturally occupy the most expensive and upscale pleasure boats and private rooms early on; while laborers and merchants make noise in the halls, and even beggars squat on street corners waiting for tips.

The sounds of singing and melodious instruments drifted from the theater.

The dance hall was brightly lit, and the sound of soft music drifted out, occasionally mixed with the drunken shouts of the onlookers;

The opium den was shrouded in smoke, and beautiful women served the old men lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) as they puffed away on their cigarettes and chatted idly.

The drunkard, having had too much to drink, hummed a little tune as he drifted into a half-dreaming, half-awake world.

"Host, is that guy reliable? Should I keep an eye on him for you?" The fluffy little dumpling squatted on its host's shoulder and asked nervously as soon as he came out of a theater, "You've made that guy, what's his name, Long Er, spread rumors under his real name. If the protagonist finds out and shines his halo on you, you'll be in trouble."

Jiang Chen casually tossed his cloak and swaggered down the street. He smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry, Long Er is well-connected in the underworld. He's the smartest and most opportunistic person. As long as my Li family's second young master's banner stands, he will never betray us."

Besides, all the messages I asked him to spread are true. After tonight, they will spread from the red-light district to the whole city. The person involved will only feel guilty and scared. How could he think of anything else?

You don't need to keep an eye on Long Er, but you should help me keep an eye on Li Tianxing.

"As long as that old man doesn't suddenly decide to harm the Zhang family, you must inform me immediately if he makes any move."

"Okay, meow!" The fluffy ball gave a proper salute, then hopped away and disappeared.

He mounted his horse and strolled leisurely toward the Paramount Ballroom, the most important stage in the entire script where the female lead would put on her brilliant performance. He had to go and explore the area first.

Marshal's Mansion.

Commander Li Tianxing sat solemnly in the main hall.

Below, the head manager and steward of the money exchange sat to one side, while Lieutenant Li, dressed in a smart military uniform, stood ramrod straight to the side.

"According to what you've said, Dongchen's performance is really not good?" After a moment of silence, Li Tianxing looked up and swept his serious gaze over them before sighing. "Dongchen has been a bright and good student since he was young. I've always thought that as the eldest son, he's the only one who can succeed me in the future."

He's cultured, worldly-wise, and knowledgeable in military strategy; logically, he should be more than qualified to inherit the Marshal's mansion.

So I did my best to cultivate his studies, and even spent a lot of money to send him overseas to learn all kinds of advanced and fashionable ideas and knowledge. Who knew that after four years, he came back and was not as good as before.

Originally, I thought that Jiang Chen was not scheming or cunning. He was used to being tough and would become a general to assist the eldest brother in leading troops into battle. It would be a great thing if the two brothers were a perfect match in both literature and martial arts!

Hey, I never expected that without spending much money on his serious upbringing, he wouldn't have gone astray and would have even improved compared to before. It's probably a case of "the flowers you carefully cultivate may not bloom, while the willows you plant unintentionally may thrive."

"The young master still needs more experience in dealing with people and situations."

The head steward carefully chose his words and said cautiously, "The second young master has been following the general's side and listening to his teachings for many years. Even if he has not learned to read and write, he will not go astray."

Judging from the behavior of the two young masters, why not let the second young master come to the money shop to help out first?

Lately, there have been vague rumors coming from branches and money shops in various places that another battle is about to break out. We need to hurry up and sort out the accounts.

The young master has only recently returned and is not familiar with the situation in Yucheng. Furthermore, tonight's debt collection incident resulted in a death. Although he didn't personally commit the act, it still carries a certain bad luck. It would be better to let him lay low and avoid the limelight for now.

Li Tianxing thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Then let Jiang Chen go to the money shop and work hard with you; as for Dong Chen... I haven't really let him do anything on his own these past few years. After this period of time, once the storm of Ruan Fannan's death has passed, let him also go to the money shop and start as an apprentice, so that he can spend more time running around and dealing with ordinary people at the bottom of society, which will also help him get some experience."

The head manager agreed and, together with his steward, took their leave.

"Are you observing Dongchen with a cold eye because he's too indecisive or too much of a scholar?" Once they were alone, Li Tianxing took a sip of tea and asked.

Lieutenant Li maintained his perpetually cold expression, pondered for a few seconds, and shook his head, saying, "Neither of these is a major problem for the young master. After he has experienced more hardship and the wickedness of the world, he will have a chance to change whether he is proud as a scholar or indecisive."

I think that if the young master doesn't exercise restraint in his romantic relationships, it will ultimately be a major hidden danger!

Chapter Thirteen: Commander, you are utterly incompetent!

"Oh? What do you mean?" Li Tianxing was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "You mean Zhang Ziqiu?"

Lieutenant Li nodded and then shook his head, replying coldly, "This afternoon at the Zhang family's villa, I personally witnessed the eldest young master and Zhang Ziqiu being intimate. It's clear they are old lovers reunited after a long separation."

The second young master said that he took the initiative to propose to Zhang Ziqiu to avoid rumors from spreading and tarnishing the reputation of the Marshal's Mansion. Now that the second young master has already told the eldest young master about this matter, he should at least keep it a secret for the sake of the Marshal's Mansion's reputation. However, he still went to meet her in secret without any scruples. This is one point.

Secondly, when they went to Qinya Manor to collect debts that night, the eldest young master was seen arguing with Ruan Xiangqin, the eldest daughter of Ruan Fannan. From their conversation, it was clear that the two had once been deeply in love and even said things like "a perfect couple who can live happily ever after."

But the young master just returned from abroad and only arrived in Yucheng at noon today. It's natural that he didn't have the time or opportunity to get to know her, fall in love, and become a 'perfect couple'. So they must be old acquaintances.

In other words, four years ago, the eldest young master not only had an affair with Zhang Ziqiu, but also had a passionate relationship with Ruan Xiangqin, to the point that he is still entangled with both of them to this day.

It's not unusual for a man to have a lot of female admirers, especially since the young master is handsome, dashing, and comes from the prestigious position of the military governor's family; naturally, many beauties would throw themselves at him. However, the two women the young master chose are truly questionable in character.

One is Zhang Ziqiu, who has an affair with the eldest brother but agrees to marry the second brother, and then turns around and has a sexual relationship with her future brother-in-law despite her own marriage contract; the other is Ruan Xiangqin, who is unreasonable, shameless and cold-blooded even to her own father. Both of these women are beautiful, but they are just empty shells with wicked hearts!

"The marriage of the two young masters of the Marshal's Mansion is a matter of utmost importance. We must not let such a femme fatale enter the family." Lieutenant Li said in a more serious tone, "I have observed that the second young master is fine. Even though he often sends people to Zhang Ziqiu to send her some exquisite little trinkets, they are engaged and their relationship is public. The two have never been alone in private and their words and actions have not been inappropriate."

On the contrary, it was the eldest young master...

If I may be so bold as to say something inappropriate, the young master has read some books about young ladies and playboys, and since he was left unsupervised abroad, he may have picked up some of the bad habits of barbarians and foreigners. He talks about being open-minded, having affairs everywhere, and having a chaotic private life.

If he could be decisive and treat women like clothes, throwing them away without affecting himself, that would be fine. But I see that the young master is easily swayed and soft-hearted, lacking any determination or resolve. If he doesn't change this mindset, he might be easily seduced by women's sweet words in the future.

At most, Zhang Ziqiu is just indulging in a licentious affair because he can't forget his old flame;

That Ruan Xiangqin… Although last night was just an accident, judging from the emotions displayed by the Ruan siblings, it was clear that the second young master was right; they were placing all the blame on the Marshal's Mansion. In their hearts, we are already their father's killers.

If she were to use her beauty to seduce the young master, and then the Ruan siblings were to seek revenge, it would be a huge hidden danger!

The fluffy little dumpling was lying on the table, half asleep, but when it heard Lieutenant Li's words, it immediately perked up and looked excited. "Meow~ If you can talk, then say more! As expected of a confidant who has fought in battles and has always been by the General's side, you are so smart! You must have at least eight hundred tricks up your sleeve!"