The male supporting character was actually myself.

Jiang Chen absentmindedly waved his hand, fiddling with the little fish-shaped cloth doll in his hand. "Let them say what they want, I don't care anyway. Are you sure the whole city knows about slapping those two women?"

"Confirmed! This is the hottest news in the entire Yucheng right now, besides the eldest brother's wedding tomorrow." Zhang Mingyuan nodded in affirmation, while also finding it a bit strange that the second master was holding such a childish little gadget. When did he become interested in such a thing?

Jiang Chen frowned slightly, clearly not thinking about this at all. He waved his hand and instructed, "Then you should go home first. Your sister is getting married tomorrow, and as her brother, you must have a lot to do. Oh, by the way, I prepared a wedding gift, but it's inconvenient for me to visit. Please take it back as a token of my appreciation."

"Thank you, Second Master!" Zhang Mingyuan hurriedly bowed and took his leave. Then, carrying the generous gifts prepared by his master, he rode in a carriage home to prepare for the wedding the next day.

Even after nightfall and the city's hustle and bustle had subsided, Jiang Chen still hadn't seen Rong Tuanzi return.

He put the little fish plush toy back into his system space and sighed, "Little White, Little White, where did you go? I've gone to such lengths to fight you, did you even see me? If you did see me, why won't you come back? Or were you never even in Yucheng?"

Jiang Chen was both annoyed and helpless that his own auxiliary system had been lost, and that the woman had run away from home after arguing with him over a prostitute.

It can't just wait until the mission world ends and it leaves the world along with its host when it returns to the script selection space before it appears, can it?

Damn it, that's so unruly! I'll have to spank it when I catch it! A good spank!

The next morning, before dawn, Li Dongchen, who had been dragged out of bed and dressed, tried to sneak away to escape the wedding while there were many people around, but he was caught by Lieutenant Li. Li Tianxing kicked him twice and had him tied up with big red flowers and pushed onto a horse to go to the wedding.

The long-awaited wedding at the Marshal's Mansion finally arrived on the day itself. Almost all the residents of Yucheng crowded onto the main streets, eagerly awaiting the distribution of celebratory money.

"The groom is really handsome! No wonder he's a talented man who studied abroad!"

"He and Zhang's daughter are a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"

"I heard that the young marshal specially invited Red Rose, the star performer of the Paramount Ballroom, to perform tonight to celebrate his elder brother's wedding. I'm so envious, it must be amazing!"

"Ah~ It seems the young marshal isn't angry with the Paramount. It's a good thing that the Ruan Xiangqin sisters didn't implicate others after doing such despicable and shameless things."

"Those two ungrateful, shameless singers definitely deserved to be beaten. The young marshal is still a good man; he clearly distinguishes between right and wrong and keeps things separate..."

.........

The crowd was buzzing with discussion. Li Dongchen, who had been reprimanded and could only lower his head and forcefully put on a festive appearance while bowing to the crowd on both sides, suddenly overheard some of the comments.

What does it mean for the young marshal to prepare a congratulatory gift for his elder brother?

Damn it, I, Li Dongchen, am the eldest son of the Marshal's Mansion and the future heir. Shouldn't "Young Marshal" be my exclusive title? What do they mean by this? Who allowed that idiot Li Jiangchen to call himself "Young Marshal"?!

Are the Ruan Xiangqin sisters... Xiangqin, the girl I've been longing for?

How is she doing now?

If it weren't for Lieutenant Li riding alongside him on horseback, keeping a close eye on Li Dongchen and preventing him from acting rashly, he would have really wanted to ask those onlookers what they were talking about and how the Xiangqin sisters were doing.

His impatient and eager curiosity was quickly satisfied.

As the grand wedding procession joyfully exited the west gate, accompanied by gongs and drums, Li Dongchen immediately spotted Ruan Xiangqin, whose face was swollen like a pig's head and whom he almost didn't recognize. She was bound hand and foot to a pillar at the city gate, with a sign around her neck clearly stating her crime—the courtesans Ruan Xiangqin and Ruan Xiangyun had insulted the young marshal and had a terrible influence, and were to be displayed in public for three days as a warning to others!

A geisha?!

A thunderbolt seemed to strike from nowhere in the clear sky, making Li Dongchen's head buzz and leaving him unable to hear or see anything. Only one thought remained in his mind—she was a courtesan! A prostitute to be played with by others!

Ah, where are the decent girls and good women left these days?

They're all broken and worthless!

It's no wonder. Ruan Fannan is a woman who can play the zither and sing. What kind of good woman would give up being a proper rich lady and choose to be a third-rate actress? How could she possibly give birth to a child with self-respect and self-love?

Ruan Xiangqin, no wonder you couldn't wait to throw yourself into my arms and sing such vulgar and erotic songs as "The Hammer Rings the Bell" when we were playing by the river that day. It turns out you're a wanton woman at heart. I was blind to have misjudged you.

Only now do I realize their true colors. From this day forward, let us sever all ties!

Chapter Twenty-Five: Division of the Family and Implementation of New Policies

"Drip-drop, thump-thump-thump..."

As the wedding procession joyfully left the city gate, Ruan Xiangqin, who had just been dragged out of prison and tied to a pillar, immediately spotted the handsome groom, Li Dongchen, riding a tall horse!

The bright red wedding robes and the big red flower on his chest were so eye-catching. He greeted the cheering crowd with a cupped-hand salute, his face beaming with joy. But the moment he saw himself, his expression turned to shock and astonishment, just like someone who had done something wrong and been caught red-handed.

"Ha, Li Dongchen!" Ruan Xiangqin's face was so swollen that she could barely open her mouth. One of her teeth had been knocked out, and she managed to squeeze out a few indistinct words as she gave a cold laugh.

At this moment, she hated the injustice of heaven, why should the most unfortunate people suffer such torment?

Li Jiangchen was so cruel and cruel to her, yet Li Dongchen insisted on passing by here to pick up his bride, using the bride's radiant beauty to contrast with his current wretched state?

This is the ultimate way to kill someone by destroying their spirit!

I, Ruan Xiangqin, will remember this grudge and repay it a hundredfold or a thousandfold in the future!

"This doesn't affect the subsequent plot at all. Are your moral bottom lines as flexible as if they're coated with lubricant? How much do you enjoy going back on your word and having a hypocrite?"

Jiang Chen, who was following behind the car, took a quick glance and deliberately arranged for them to bump into each other at their most glorious and most miserable moments. He thought that this would add some trouble and change the plot, but the script remained completely unchanged.

Sure enough, if I don't step in to turn things around, and things follow the plot, the male and female leads will still meet, misunderstand each other, clear up the misunderstandings, discover their true love, and then shift the blame to someone else...

It's highly likely they'll use the "true love" trope to whitewash things again, like the clichéd tactic of Ruan Xiangqin feigning seduction to get revenge but ending up falling in love with Li Dongchen again, the two getting entangled in a painful mess, and finally finding some excuse to inexplicably forgive each other and fall in love again.

As long as the script isn't updated, everything will revert to the trajectory set by the script team. It seems we have to make drastic and forceful changes to reverse things!

Li Dongchen's wedding only had this one little incident, and after picking up the bride, everything proceeded smoothly.

That evening, Red Rose and others put on a wonderful and lively performance, and the guests arranged by Jiang Chen successfully got the disgruntled Li Dongchen drunk and stuffed him into the bridal chamber. Now it's up to Zhang Ziqiu to see the final results of her hard work over the past few days!

"In the capital, those skilled in ventriloquism will cause the emperor to neglect his morning court sessions." Three days into Li Dongchen's marriage, he remained silent in the east courtyard until late morning, and even when he got up close to noon, he still looked weak and listless. Jiang Chen was quite satisfied with this.

It seems that Zhang Mingyuan really went to great lengths for his foolish younger sister.

Zhang Ziqiu's efforts and her own secret encouragement were not in vain. She clearly wanted to evolve into a juicer so that she could completely keep her beloved from leaving her.

Jiang Chen looked at the map absentmindedly.

He couldn't find the fluffy cat anywhere, and he was so annoyed that he wanted to just smash through the crowd without even bothering to pretend. He wanted to finish his great task of unification, deal with the male and female protagonists, and leave the mission world as soon as possible. He figured that no matter where the little white cat was, it would definitely leave with him and return to the script selection space.

With the little fluffy dumpling not around, I'm not in the mood for building anything...

"Oh dear, Dongchen used to be so unwilling and making a fuss, but now that he's married, he's settled down!"

After observing secretly for two days, Li Tianxing discovered that his youngest son wasn't faking it. He genuinely had no reaction to his eldest son marrying Zhang Ziqiu, which is why he dared to openly discuss the other party's situation with his youngest son. "From my detached observation, Zhang Ziqiu is quite alright. She knows manners and rules."

Perhaps her previous foolish actions were just a moment of youthful folly. She had always been devoted to Dongchen, and now that her wish had been fulfilled, she had become even more considerate and sensible. If she could simply stay home and be a dutiful wife, that wouldn't be so bad.”

Jiang Chen casually scribbled on the map and replied, "In a while, the Zhang family, except for her and Zhang Mingyuan, will all be moving to the south. If you really think Zhang Ziqiu is alright and are planning to let the two of them live a good life, why make the Zhang family go through the trouble of moving?"

Li Tianxing hesitated for a moment, thought about it carefully, and shook his head, saying, "I'm just observing her coldly. Who dares to give her a guarantee?"

What if they're still fresh and excited after getting married and can settle down peacefully? But after a while, they get bored and want to try something new, and their promiscuous nature resurfaces. Then wouldn't we have to figure out how to handle it?

"Wouldn't it be enough to keep the trouble out of the family?" he said impatiently, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the old man with a conflicted expression. "Instead of worrying about all that, why don't you hurry up and divide the family property between my brother and me?"

Separation of the family?!

Li Tianxing immediately pulled a long face and retorted, "Why bring up the matter of dividing the family property all of a sudden? And who's been gossiping and spreading rumors behind our backs?"

Jiang Chen pointed to the east courtyard and frowned slightly. "Grandpa, everyone in that courtyard is married, but I haven't met the right person yet. Living together without separating the households, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law see each other every day, and they were even engaged before. Don't you find it awkward?"

I am upright and honest, but your eldest son might not be so!

Zhang Ziqiu's heart and soul are completely devoted to him; she hasn't even given me a second glance. Even so, he's still unwilling to marry her, it's just a formality. Now that the young couple is finally loving and without any barriers, living in the same courtyard and eating at the same table as me will inevitably lead to interactions. Do you think he'll become suspicious?

Moreover, I'm currently prioritizing my career.

Yucheng is cracking down on corruption, bribery, and smuggling. After confiscating the property and land of those unscrupulous merchants, they will carry out land reform to set an example for other cities. It's too inconvenient for people to live together and leave early in the morning and return late at night.

I don't ask for much, nor do I fight for any inheritance. I just want to symbolically separate from the family, move out, and have a courtyard to live in. I'll be happy to drink and eat with my brothers until dawn.

This way, it avoids suspicion and prevents doubts from arising here; it also lets those who were offended by the raided property know that there is a culprit, and even if they want to retaliate, they should make a scene in my yard, which won't implicate this area.

His words were reasonable, well-founded, and quite moving, leaving Li Tianxing deeply touched.

The youngest son's reform theory is indeed very advanced and bold. In doing so, it will definitely offend the deeply rooted large families in Yucheng who occupy a lot of land. However, if we want to break the current shackles on urban development, we must cut off the monopoly.

If the people can be allocated land to cultivate themselves and regularly hand over a portion of their grain, their enthusiasm for labor will increase, and from a long-term perspective, Yucheng will be more stable.

And those powerful families that control the vast majority of resources really should make a move; even a small amount of plunder could amount to a huge fortune that can be used to arm an army!

Although the land policy implemented by the youngest son was relatively mild, giving those fat sheep a chance to get away after shearing a layer of wool, how could those stubborn old men be willing to give up what they had been holding onto all this time?

There will definitely be conflicts and turmoil, and the government that implements new policies will become the target of public criticism.

Jiang Chen's request to move out at this time is because she is worried that it will implicate others, and she is sending a signal to the outside world that she is moving out as bait.

"Good child, your father will not mistreat you!" After thinking for a long time, Li Tianxing patted his youngest son's shoulder heavily and said firmly, "I'll listen to you, let's divide the family! I'll have all the managers come over now. It's really time to properly divide up the Li family's assets."

"Since we need to avoid suspicion, the further away the better. Why don't I move to the villa in the western suburbs? It's quiet there, suitable for setting up camp. Plus, the surrounding area is flat and easy to defend. If I send heavy troops to guard it, I won't worry about being attacked and causing trouble for the people."

"Oh, by the way, Yuqin Mountain has been idle since it was reclaimed. Such a large mountain with many acres of farmland could feed the people of a small village. Since we're implementing new policies, we naturally need to lead by example to gain acceptance. I'll simply allocate Yuqin Mountain to the people of the nearby villages for cultivation. What do you think?"

“I already agreed to relinquish control after losing the bet to you. If you think it’s appropriate, then take it and distribute it. Anyway, it’s just a mountain that has been abandoned for many years and isn’t worth much.”

"Okay, I'll get on it right now!" Jiang Chen jumped up and excitedly went out to carry out the task without even putting away the map.

Li Tianxing looked at his youngest son, who was so impulsive, and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. He thought things through quite well and did things properly, but his temper was too impatient. He needed to work on becoming more composed.

"Hmm? What's this?" He glanced down at the map his youngest son had been scribbling on, and the imprint on it clearly resembled a chubby, adorable cat. "Is this a business empire plan? Why did you deliberately make it in the shape of a cat?"

The old man couldn't understand the young man's idea, so he took the map and went to Lieutenant Li to discuss it. Could it be that expanding his territory into the shape of a fat cat conformed to some feng shui theory and could ensure long-term peace and stability?

The buzz surrounding the eldest son of the Marshal's Mansion's wedding has died down and no one is paying attention anymore. Now, the most exciting things happening in Yucheng are happening almost simultaneously.

First, Marshal Li personally issued and implemented the new policy, with the Marshal's Mansion taking the lead in giving up most of the land to the people without land to cultivate. The planting area of ​​each household was allocated according to the number of people, and each autumn, a certain amount of grain was to be paid according to the number of people.

At the same time, Young Marshal Li also called on the various aristocratic families in the upper circle of Yucheng to open up their land holdings and release a certain amount of tax grain every autumn, and to follow the Young Marshal in transforming and vigorously developing industry, no longer relying on the exploitation of land for profit, and a series of other sweeping land reform and industrialization promotion policies.

Secondly, the Marshal's Mansion issued a notice officially announcing the separation of the two young masters of the Li family.

The eldest son, Li Dongchen, was outstanding in literature and had returned from studying abroad. He personally supervised and expanded the Li family school into the No. 1 primary school in Yucheng, which enrolled children of school age to impart cultural knowledge and educate people.

Young Marshal Li Jiangchen has distinguished himself in battle and is fair in rewarding and punishing. He is in charge of the Li Family Army and also serves as the director of the New Policy Reform Bureau. He has moved from his original residence in the Marshal's Mansion to the Young Marshal's Mansion outside the western suburbs.

One news item after another caused an uproar throughout Yucheng. The people, who couldn't even afford to eat, heard that land would be distributed and they would be issued land certificates. They were so happy that they wanted to go to the newly established Reform Bureau and kowtow to the young leader.

The wealthy people whose land was divided up were furious and resentful, angrily denouncing Li Jiangchen as a scoundrel who would be struck by lightning sooner or later. He said that Li Jiangchen had seized the land that his ancestors had worked hard to earn for generations, and that he was no different from a bandit.

However, some were more resourceful and, after carefully reviewing the young marshal's plan, began to consider its feasibility.

While some land can be lost, others can be permanently retained. However, this lost portion is given numerous preferential treatments in terms of industrial development. It's like selling the land for money to start a factory, only without going through the formalities.

The Young Marshal's Mansion provided advanced technologies for mining mineral resources, building factories, and developing heavy and light industries. A careful calculation shows that it would definitely not be a loss.

More importantly, they have military power. If they really covet your family's wealth, who can stop them from raiding your home overnight?

Since the trend is inevitable and cannot be resisted, it is better to cooperate actively. No matter how capable you are at making money by land, you are just a local tycoon. But if you open a factory and sell your goods to other cities to develop and expand, you will transform into a big boss!

There were those who cooperated and those who didn't, and Yucheng suddenly became bustling with activity from the inside out.