With the cannon fodder script in hand, it is easy for the king to change his fate

Chapter 1014 The Heir Takes the Empire as Dowry 26
"Since things have come to this, sister, just forget about Chen Fangjin. With my sister's status, why should she worry about not finding a good husband?" Jiang Jingzhuo, the son of the Prime Minister, comforted the girl who was lost in thought in the pavilion. He couldn't help but sigh. It was rare for the two men his family had taken a liking to, but they both preferred Princess Yiping.

For the time being, he really couldn't find a third person better than Chen Fangjin and Ji Zixing.

But Zhao Kingdom is so vast, he believed it must exist.

My sister is only fourteen now, so waiting a couple more years won't hurt. The most important thing is that my sister likes it.

“Brother, I’m fine.” Jiang Bilan turned around, her face showing no sadness. She even smiled at Jiang Jingzhuo. “Since Young Master Chen doesn’t have me in his heart, why would I force him? Besides, he and Princess Ping are in love with each other. They are a perfect match in terms of looks and talent. I’m just a little disappointed. I’ll be fine in a while. You don’t need to worry about me too much.”

"Don't you have an appointment today? Go quickly, don't delay your business."

Jiang Jingzhuo observed Jiang Bilan's expression and, seeing that she did not show any sadness, finally felt relieved.

Putting everything else aside, Chen Fangjin's talent and character are truly admirable. A few days ago, my father mentioned that he still regrets not taking Chen Fangjin as his student. Since she refused once, and given the high probability of a marriage alliance with the Prince of An's family, it's best not to bring this up again.

"Alright, I'll head over now. I do have plans with some friends today, and it wouldn't be good to be late."

Once Jiang Jingzhuo was sure Jiang Bilan was alright, he finally felt relieved and went out.

Soon after, Jiang Jingzhuo appeared in a private room at a teahouse, surrounded by scholars of his own age, with whom he was usually quite close. However, to his surprise, Chen Fangjin was also there.

Thinking that the imperial examinations would be held soon, he felt relieved.

After the start of spring, the number of candidates coming to Beijing increased significantly. Most of them couldn't stay cooped up in their rooms studying every day, so they would occasionally come out to wander around, inquire about the other candidates, make a few friends, and exchange ideas. Jiang Jingzhuo was one of the participants in this year's spring examination.

Everyone has witnessed Chen Fangjin's abilities, so it's normal that he was invited here today. After all, who wouldn't want to discuss things with someone like him? They could gain something, make more connections, and become familiar with him. Everyone knows that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Chen Fangjin's future is destined for great success.

Since the purpose was to discuss scholarship, everyone set aside other matters and engaged in a lively exchange. After freely expressing their views, their relationships grew even closer, and they agreed to stroll around Wen'ao Pavilion. Before they knew it, it was getting dark, and they finally went to a restaurant for dinner, inevitably having a couple of drinks.

As darkness fell, the lights outside came on.

Jiang Jingzhuo was sitting near the window, already a little drunk. He glanced outside and saw a street illuminated in fiery red, and could faintly hear a girl calling out to customers.

This made Jiang Jingzhuo more aware of the situation, and he remembered that it was a red-light district, not far from the restaurant, but also some distance away. However, his private room was on the third floor, which gave him a perfect view of the entire area.

Jiang Jingzhuo didn't pay much attention. Although he wasn't interested in these places, and his family traditions and personal conduct didn't allow him to go there, he knew quite a few people who were rather philandering, and he couldn't control what others did.

Subtly withdrawing his gaze, he noticed that everyone had already started playing the "Flying Flowers" drinking game, and those who couldn't respond had to drink. The people present were all quite knowledgeable, and while they were able to respond themselves, they also had to try to come up with some difficult responses to trick the next person—this was practically the norm.

Therefore, even someone as talented as Chen Fangjin was bound to pause, and by the time he thought of something, time had already passed, leaving him no choice but to drink.

In reality, no one in this private room could escape the ability to drink. When it came to playing pranks, everyone racked their brains and had inexhaustible energy.

By the time it was completely dark, the lights outside were bright enough to bring the party to an end. The servants waiting outside the private room rushed to greet their master as he emerged and escorted him home.

Chen Fangjin was also accompanied by a pageboy, who quickly stepped forward to help him.

Jiang Jingzhuo rubbed his temples. Seeing that Chen Fangjin didn't have a carriage and that Chen Fangjin was already drunk and unconscious, he said, "Get in my carriage and I'll take your young master for a while. It's not far. It's so late, you can't make any other arrangements. You've gone a bit too far today."

He has always had a good alcohol tolerance, and Chen Fangjin is obviously someone who doesn't drink much on ordinary days. Tonight, he was deliberately targeted and made to answer obscure and tricky verses.

Chen Fangjin's page was overjoyed. After expressing his gratitude, he helped the man into Jiang Jingzhuo's carriage.

“Young Master, the person got into Jiang Jingzhuo’s carriage, I’m afraid…” In another private room in the restaurant, where the scene outside could be seen, Zhou Huo’s companion whispered, “If Jiang Jingzhuo is involved, this matter will probably be troublesome. Moreover, with Jiang Jingzhuo as a witness, it’s impossible for the drunk Chen Fangjin to go to the brothel alone.”

Zhou Huo's eyes were full of frustration: "Forget it, next time. I thought Jiang Jingzhuo wouldn't have any good feelings towards Chen Fangjin, but I didn't expect him to not mind at all and even give her a ride. Next time, I'll avoid any gatherings with Jiang Jingzhuo."

"Yes, son."

"We must resolve this matter as soon as possible, before the imperial examinations," Zhou Huo ordered coldly, determined not to let Chen Fangjin participate in the examinations smoothly.

Otherwise, if the other party really obtains the title of top scholar and something happens, it will definitely alarm the person in the palace.

The Chen family wields considerable influence in Qingzhou. If the other party rises to prominence in the capital and marries Princess Ping, it means that the woman in the palace will gain the support of the literati in Qingzhou. These literati are not only interested in reading, but also in the development of the family business.

Once they decide to side with the person in the palace, it will be the Zhou family that gets suppressed.

It can be said that the collapse of the Zhou family will only harm the Zhou family, and others will be able to benefit from it.

Therefore, Chen Fangjin absolutely cannot leave the capital safely, let alone marry Princess Ping.

If it weren't for the plagiarism incident, the Zhou family wouldn't be so nervous, and wouldn't be worried about a small family in Qingzhou. But once the plagiarism incident occurred, scholarly families from all over the country couldn't wait for the Zhou family to collapse so that they could make way for them. Everyone knew how much benefit one could gain from holding such a position. The Zhou family's study and academy alone had considerable influence, and this was their foundation.

"Consider him lucky. He won't be so fortunate next time. Let him enjoy himself for a few more days," Zhou Huo's cold voice rang out.

"Your Majesty, breaking news: Zhou Huo's plan failed tonight."

It was late at night, and Azhen was still awake.

She didn't really care whether she slept or not; she mainly slept to make herself look normal. But lately, she'd been having a lot going on, so she'd been going to bed late.

She learned from Yuan Qi that morning that Zhou Huo was going to make a move against Chen Fangjin tonight.