The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

The morning mist in Blackwater Town, carrying the fishy smell of the river, had not yet completely dissipated. In the backyard of the Yuelai Inn, Zhao Jianing was directing several nimble guards to clear away the blood-stained bedding and broken furniture, and to move some clean items from the newly purchased, simple shop in town. The inn had changed owners, and the news that Zhang Laoliu and his gang had "suddenly fallen ill" last night and been taken away by relatives had not caused much of a stir thanks to Pang Xiaopan's deliberate spreading of the story and the power of a few copper coins. In this world, people are as insignificant as weeds; the disappearance of a few people is nothing more than commonplace.

In the lobby, Su Che ate a simple breakfast: water, flatbread, and some pickles. Pang Xiaopan sat opposite him, with several sheets of rough paper spread out in front of her, on which were scattered pieces of information written in charcoal.

"Sir, according to what Zhang Laoliu said, and based on the information I gathered this morning, the situation in Blackwater Town, and even the entire 'Linchuan Prefecture,' is worse than we imagined," Pang Xiaopan said gravely. "There are as many as seventeen types of taxes, and last year they added three more 'bandit suppression taxes,' but the bandits seem to multiply despite the efforts to suppress them. The town head, Liu Bapi, is the brother-in-law of the county clerk, and he's incredibly corrupt. Most of the tax collectors and yamen runners in the town are his men. He colludes with the local bully, Scarface Liu San, to seize farmland and lend money at exorbitant rates, driving many families to ruin and death. The 'Mountain Eagle' of Black Wind Ridge is even more ruthless, frequently coming down the mountain to rob. Liu Bapi and Scarface Liu San not only don't suppress them, but they secretly collect money from them and let them roam freely."

"Have you seen the abandoned ancestral hall in the east of the town?" Su Che asked.

"I've seen it. It's not small, with three courtyards. It's just been abandoned for too long. The roof leaks, and several sections of the wall have collapsed. It's also not very clean inside." Pang Xiaopan lowered her voice. "But if we clean it up, it'll be enough for us to stay temporarily, and it'll be secluded enough. The key thing is that the land deed for that place was found among Zhang Laoliu's stolen goods, so it's legitimate."

"Where is Old Wu, the blacksmith?"

"I went to see him, and his craftsmanship is indeed excellent. The shop is about to go out of business; Master Liu's loan sharks are charging exorbitant interest rates, and he can't pay them back. His wife is sick, and his son disappeared two years ago when they fled famine." Pang Xiaopan sighed. "I tested him a bit. He's stubborn, but he keeps his word. I promised to pay off part of his debts so he could focus on blacksmithing. He was extremely grateful, saying he'd given me his life. Perfect timing, we need a reliable craftsman for our weapons, horseshoes, and other things we might need in the future."

Su Che nodded, slowly tore off a piece of coarse bread, and put it in his mouth to chew. The food was rough and difficult to swallow, but he remained calm.

"Sir, are we really going to settle down here?" Pang Xiaopan hesitated. "This place is a barren wasteland, the people are... fierce, and there's no prospect of development. Why not go to Lin Yuan City? After all, it's the capital, and there are more opportunities there."

"It's precisely because it's the capital that the waters run deep and the eyes are all mixed together." Su Che put down the coarse bread and wiped his hands. "We're new here, and our identities are sensitive. Going to the capital would be like a drop of water in the ocean; we'd either be swallowed up by a larger power or be restricted at every turn, unable to make our moves. But here, poverty, chaos, and no one paying attention are exactly what we need."

He dipped his fingertip in water and drew a few circles on the rough wooden table.

"Blackwater Town is our shell. Outside are Liu the Skinflint, Scarface Liu San, and Mountain Eagle. They check and balance each other, yet they also jointly exploit the lower classes. What we need to do is not to break this shell immediately, but to first become a part of it, and then..." His finger pointed to the connection between several circles, "to become the invisible thread between them, or the scissors that can cut all the threads."

Pang Xiaopan seemed to understand: "Sir, are you saying that we should exploit or even control the conflicts between them to profit from them and secretly strengthen our power?"

"Not bad." Su Che's gaze was calm. "Liu Bapi wants money, Scarface Liu San wants power, and Zuo Shandiao wants living space. We have money, potential 'power,' and can provide 'security' and 'order' beyond living space. If used properly, they can all become our pawns, or even... stepping stones."

"So, what's our first step?"

"Two steps." Su Che held up two fingers. "First, you continue to operate in town as a businessman. Use the land deed left by Zhang Laoliu to 'buy' the abandoned ancestral hall and several surrounding wastelands. Let Liu Bapi's men handle the formalities, and give him enough benefits to make him think you are a well-behaved, fat sheep that can be exploited in the long term. At the same time, make contact with other craftsmen, down-on-their-luck scholars, and honest farmers in town. Win them over as much as you can, and give them some small favors. We need the most basic informants and manpower."

"Second, Jianing." Su Che turned to Zhao Jianing, who had just walked in, "Select the two most clever and skilled guards from among the guards, disguise them slightly, and take enough travel money. Set off for Lin Yuan City today."

Zhao Jianing's expression hardened: "Sir, are you going to take action against the capital?"

"No, it's about going to see, going to listen, going to find out how many fish are in that murky water, how big they are, which fish... is the easiest to catch, and the most useful." A sharp glint flashed in Su Che's eyes. "The key is the royal family, especially... that third princess, Yun Jin."

"The Third Princess?" Pang Xiaopan and Zhao Jianing were both puzzled. Their understanding of the Jiangqiong royal family was limited to hearsay, knowing that the emperor was incompetent, the princes were vying for the throne, and the princess seemed to have no presence.

"Zhang Laoliu mentioned that two months ago, a caravan from the Northern Di passed by. Drunk, they boasted that their king had taken a liking to the third princess of Jiangqiong and demanded a marriage alliance. The Jiangqiong court seemed inclined to agree," Su Che said slowly. "A princess forced into a marriage alliance, with no foothold in the court, in dire straits, yet possessing royal status… is there a more suitable 'breakthrough point'?"

Pang Xiaopan's eyes lit up: "Sir, your insight is brilliant! If we can support a princess, even if only as a decoy or puppet, our actions will have a legitimate purpose and a greater cause!"

"That's not all." Su Che walked to the window and looked south, towards Lin Yuan City. "A capable and ambitious princess with nowhere to go, and a capable and powerful fugitive without 'status'... each getting what they need, perhaps they can forge a different path. Jia Ning, send your people to Lin Yuan. Don't do anything unnecessary, just three things: First, find out the exact location of the Third Princess's residence, its daily expenses, and the comings and goings of its people; second, find out the details of the court's discussions on the marriage alliance, as well as the positions and conflicts of the three princes and the main powerful ministers; third, look out for suitable places in the city to establish secret outposts, especially well-informed teahouses, restaurants, and marketplaces."

"Understood!" Zhao Jianing replied solemnly, then added with some worry, "Sir, there are only two of us, won't that...?"

"Quality over quantity is key. We're going to scout, not to fight. Have them carry the 'Listening' communication tokens. If necessary, we can try to activate the highest-level 'sleeping' agents we might still have in Lin Yuan to obtain more crucial intelligence. But be extremely cautious and only make contact after confirming it's safe," Su Che instructed. Although Tianming's "Listening" forces haven't infiltrated Jiang Qiong on a large scale, they might have extremely secretive agents planted years ago in key locations like the capitals of various countries.

Zhao Jianing accepted the order and immediately began selecting candidates.

Su Che sat back down at the table and said to Pang Xiaopan, "We should also make a move. Prepare a generous gift, and later we'll visit the town's 'parent official,' Mayor Liu the Skinflint."

Pang Xiaopan understood; this was the first step in "becoming part of the shell."

……