It's just a simulation game, how did the fairy become real?

The fact that the young emperor survived this assassination attempt proves that the royal family still has hidden cards up their sleeves that they are unaware of.

Having made my move, I can only respond to whatever comes my way.

He will probably have to give up some things in the palace to bring this game back under his control.

Four non-royal grandmasters exchanged a royal trump card.

It wasn't too bad for him.

After all, a trump card only has enough deterrent power when it is kept hidden.

"Where is Pei Zhongshu?"

"Totally dead."

"Is the head confirmed to have been moved?"

No, not at all.

With three grandmasters protecting him, they could only confirm that the poisoned needle had pierced Pei Hanming's body; there wasn't enough time to sever his head.

Zhou Zhongguang frowned.

Neither of the two things was entirely satisfactory.

The royal family's hidden strength seems to be even greater than I expected.

The young emperor's level of forbearance was somewhat unexpected.

This little thing really underestimated her.

The three martial arts masters outside the city, plus the four who died in the palace.

Even with a minimum of seven Grandmasters guaranteed, he's still putting on an act for so long.

If he hadn't wanted to assassinate her, he probably wouldn't have known that the royal family had so many grandmasters at their disposal.

"Before Pei Zhongshu is buried, find me a chance to carefully examine his body."

Make sure that old bastard is completely dead.

Zhou Zhongguang felt uneasy until he saw Pei Hanming's head separated from his body.

What exactly did this guy talk about with the young emperor when he entered the palace the day before?

Given Pei Hanming's temperament and decisiveness, it would be no problem for him to use himself as bait to set a trap for the Right Chancellor.

This operation has failed, and Zhou Zhongguang will probably have to keep a low profile for a while.

News of the emperor's assassination attempt spread quickly, and officials rushed to the palace in panic, eager to confirm Jiang Li's safety.

In the end, only the Left and Right Prime Ministers saw Jiang Li in person.

The moment Zhou Zhongguang saw you, his eyes held a more scrutinizing look.

[You, too, are within the black robe, carefully observing this future adversary.]

[Zhou Chongguang truly lived up to his title of Right Chancellor; his words were impeccable. If one didn't know the inside story, no one would doubt him.]

At this moment, you know in your heart that taking down this old fox and uprooting the entire Zhou family will not be a task that can be accomplished overnight.

Perhaps the Pei family's scheme to ally with a powerful clan will require several elaborate acts of self-inflicted suffering.

Taking advantage of the situation, Jiang Li instructed Zhou Chongguang to personally purge all the powerful families within the palace and, following the clues, thoroughly investigate those plotting rebellion.

After this incident, a number of minor members of the powerful families will have to die before they can publicly give Jiang Li an explanation.

Most importantly, all the powerful families must temporarily keep a low profile and remain obedient.

After things stabilized in the palace, you hurriedly returned to the Pei family.

The devastating news of her father's assassination soon reached the other side.

[You and your mother are devastated. Your second uncle grabs a sword from the study, furious, and heads to the Zhou family for revenge. You and your servants barely manage to stop him.]

Sadness and grief swept through the Pei household in an instant.

The following morning, the father's body was returned home.

The mother was devastated and overwhelmed with grief.

The Zhou family came to offer their condolences, and the servants couldn't stop Second Uncle, who still managed to beat them up. You produced the family seal and immediately locked Second Uncle up in confinement, not allowing him to leave until the day of Father's burial.

Then, with kind words, they saw the Zhou family off.

This dramatic turn of events has left both noble families and commoners in awe. It seems the upright and incorruptible Pei Zhongshu has fathered a cowardly son.

All the prominent families in the capital sent representatives to offer their condolences.

They all wanted to see Pei Zhongshu off on his final journey.

That night, you entered your second uncle's solitary confinement room, only to find there was another person inside.

Those were the servants who served my second uncle.

You called out softly, "Father."

Chapter 8 Local Sorrow

The plan was executed perfectly. Pei Hanming faked his death, and the body lying in the mourning hall was a pre-prepared corpse.

[The second uncle's violent attack was intended to prevent the Zhou family from having enough time to examine the body. A hasty examination would not reveal any clues.]

[As planned, Father will remain anonymous and operate in the shadows. Over the next few years, under your guidance, the Pei family will gradually move closer to becoming a powerful and influential family.]

Of course, the Pei family will have to pay a heavy price in this process. Whether they can successfully turn the tables on the powerful families according to the original plan depends entirely on your actions.

……

"His Majesty has agreed to your plan; I will stay by your side from time to time."

On the day of Pei Zhongshu's burial, Cuiping appeared before you. The assassination attempt on the emperor had far-reaching implications; Jiang Li had regained control of many key positions within the palace, and Cuiping finally had more freedom.

"Where is the gentleman you introduced to His Majesty?"

[Disguised, Pei Hanming followed Cuiping into the palace.]

This is also part of the Pei family's plan.

[Under the deliberate control of powerful families, the Empress received very little formal education and was far from being a qualified ruler.]

What Pei Hanming needs to do is to help the young emperor grow up as much as possible within the limited time available. This way, when the Zhou family has finished its period of dormancy and returns with the powerful clans, they won't be caught off guard.

In the days that followed, you and Jiang Li, with perfect chemistry, staged several elaborate performances in the imperial court.

[Furious, she banished you from the capital. Under your deliberate control, the Pei family also began to scale back its businesses and lay off staff.]

The Pei family members, like dandelions, flew off to all corners of the dynasty.

"The Pei family only has one immature boy left; he shouldn't be able to cause any trouble."

Zhou Zhenye lay back in a rosewood chair, sipping his tea with relish.

With the Pei family gone, there were no more obstacles for the powerful families.

As the eldest son of the Zhou family, he could live a life of unbridled joy from now on.

"You have no manners."

Zhou Zhongguang kicked his son directly.

Pei Yichen looks young, but his methods are very experienced.

The conflict between Pei Yichen and the emperor seems more like a play.

"Send someone to keep a close eye on Pei Yichen. Since he's trying to curry favor with the aristocratic families, make him do a few things as a pledge of loyalty."

Also, inform the other families about the personnel that the Pei family has sent out, and block their channels for advancement.

If they're willing to leave the Pei family, then they can live as ordinary citizens forever.

Zhou Zhongguang's actions effectively sealed off the Pei family.

As long as Pei Yichen is willing to pledge his loyalty, even if his relationship with the emperor is just an act, the royal family cannot keep him.

Think of the leader of the "pure" faction, who took the lead in exploiting the people.

It seems pretty exciting.

"You better keep your tail between your legs. The palace was just attacked, and I finally managed to smooth things over. If you dare to bring trouble to the Zhou family, I'll be the first to kill my own relatives for the greater good!"

Jiang Li entrusted him with the task of cleaning up the harem, probably because she had found some leverage over him.

Zhou Chongguang decided to go all the way and cleaned up most of the arrangements he had made in the harem.

Except for a few well-hidden spies, none of the others were spared.

As a result, it is no longer as convenient as before to send people into the palace again.

After several confrontations, you finally received an "invitation" from the Zhou family.

The powerful families are willing to accept the Pei family, but you need to complete a few tasks.

The first condition is that you must give ten thousand taels of silver.

【each year!】

The remaining points are largely similar, but they surpass the achievements of the aristocratic families by a significant margin.

[This amount is impossible to raise even if everyone in the Pei family were sold off; this is clearly an attempt to force you to exploit the common people.]

You know in your heart that these things are nothing more than a pledge of allegiance. The Zhou family won't trust the Pei family so easily. If you want to truly infiltrate the aristocratic families, you still have a lot to do.

Shangning County.

This is the place where Jiang Li exiled you, and it's also one of the few places mentioned in the memorials to the throne.

I've heard that the world is in turmoil in this area.

"The emperor sent you alone, is he really comfortable with that?"

Su Chen looked at Cui Ping beside him. He hadn't expected that she would come alone this time.

"Your strength is among the best of the grandmasters, so what's there to worry about?"

Besides, I'm just a pawn; I'll be taken eventually.