His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

She did have something to discuss with Mu Yuan, but she happened to witness an embarrassing scene.

When Xu Wei asked her about it, Xu Yan quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, I was just passing by."

After saying this, Xu Yan ran away in a flash.

"This child."

Xu Wei didn't notice anything amiss, nor did he dwell on Xu Yan's strange behavior. Instead, he watched Xu Yan's hasty departure, stroked his beard, and shook his head with a smile.

the other side.

In the days that followed.

Mu Yuan often encountered Xu Yan at the Xu residence.

Every time they met, Xu Yan would look at Mu Yuan with a disdainful gaze, as if Mu Yuan had done something heinous.

Mu Yuan didn't bother to explain himself to Xu Yan's disdain.

After all, the more you explain these things, the less effective it becomes, and it often only deepens the misunderstanding.

Either the misunderstanding will fade away with time, or it will be cleared up when the right opportunity arises and the reasons are explained.

That day, Madam Xu happily went to find Mu Yuan.

"Nephew, this is a joyous occasion!"

Seeing Madam Xu's overflowing joy, Mu Yuan knew that her so-called happy event must be something that would benefit her.

"What has made Madam so happy?" Mu Yuan asked.

Madam Xu feigned anger and said politely, "It's not that I'm happy, it's that I'm happy for my nephew."

Hearing her polite words, Mu Yuan didn't bother to expose her, and feigned curiosity, asking, "Is that so? Then I'll trouble you to tell me, Madam."

Madam Xu took out an invitation from her bosom, handed it to Mu Yuan, and smiled broadly:

"This is an invitation sent by the Fourth Prince, inviting you to enjoy a moonlit banquet tonight with the talented men and beautiful women of the capital. The messenger said to make sure the invitation reaches you. My dear nephew, the Fourth Prince values ​​you so highly. If you manage to climb the social ladder by marrying into the Fourth Prince's family, don't forget about our Xu Wei!"

Mu Yuan wanted to laugh when he heard this. Madam Xu seemed to be happy for him on the surface, but in reality, everything she did was for her own benefit.

"Sure, sure," Mu Yuan readily agreed.

Seeing that Mu Yuan agreed, Madam Xu was overjoyed, dancing with excitement as if the Xu family would become even more prosperous from now on.

"Then I won't bother you any longer, my dear nephew."

Madam Xu was overjoyed and left with cheerful steps.

Mu Yuan opened the invitation and glanced at its contents. It was an invitation from the Fourth Prince Zhu Qi to his residence that evening, where he could enjoy the moon, drink, and chat with the talented men and women of the capital.

The invitation, handwritten by Zhu Qi, was written with heartfelt sincerity. Anyone else would have been deeply moved by Zhu Qi's earnest invitation.

After all, the prince wrote the invitation himself, and his sincerity was evident in every word. Such a simple gesture is often the most effective way to win people's hearts.

However, Mu Yuan showed little interest in this.

In addition, he had little interest in such pretentious things as the so-called Moonlight Banquet.

However, considering that he hadn't gone out much these past few days, and that it would be difficult to attract the Crown Prince's attention and complete the Emperor's task if he didn't do something, Mu Yuan ultimately decided to go to the Fourth Prince's residence tonight.

To restrain the Crown Prince, the first step was to stir up the situation in the capital and create an opportunity for the Emperor.

Tonight's moonlight banquet is just the right opportunity.

That night.

Mu Yuan left the Xu residence with Qin Hongxiu.

They arrived at the Fourth Prince's residence.

By this time, many talented men and beautiful women had gathered here.

Qin Hongxiu also showed little interest in such pretentious behavior, and said in a low voice, "A prince, instead of thinking about serving the country, throws a grand banquet and pretends to be cultured."

"Who told you he was throwing a big banquet?" Mu Yuan said with a smile.

Qin Hongxiu pointed to the table laden with delicacies and said:

"Is this still fake?"

"You've only seen the surface; you haven't discovered the intricacies involved," Mu Yuan said mysteriously.

Upon hearing this, Qin Hongxiu looked puzzled, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes.

Mu Yuan pointed to the talented men and beautiful women present and asked, "Who are these people?"

"Scholars!"

Qin Hongxiu replied.

Mu Yuan nodded and continued, "Do they hold any official titles or ranks?"

"Of course not."

Qin Hongxiu answered truthfully.

The so-called talented men and beautiful women who came to the Fourth Prince's residence for the Moonlight Banquet were nothing more than scholars who had read the classics but had not participated in the imperial examinations.

He usually boasts of being a talented person, as if he can use his reputation to curry favor with powerful figures and achieve his goal of rapid advancement.

"While most of these people are trying to use their reputation as talented individuals to curry favor with the powerful, there are also many who possess genuine talent and ability!"

Mu Yuan said calmly.

"What does this have to do with the tricks you're talking about?" Qin Hongxiu still looked puzzled, even more confused.

"If you want to become the general's wife, you have to marry him when he was just an unknown soldier!" Mu Yuan revealed a meaningful smile.

Qin Hongxiu carefully considered the meaning behind Mu Yuan's words. Soon, the confusion in her eyes disappeared, replaced by brightness. A look of sudden understanding appeared on her face, and she lowered her voice:

"You mean, the Fourth Prince wants to win over these talented men and beautiful women?"

Mu Yuan nodded and explained:

"These talented men and beautiful women are all people who have read the classics. Today, they are attending the Fourth Prince's Moonlight Banquet. With the Fourth Prince's encouragement, they will surely be grateful to the Fourth Prince."

"With this connection, if a few of them are truly talented, they will naturally serve the Fourth Prince once they pass the imperial examinations."

After hearing Mu Yuan's explanation, Qin Hongxiu finally understood the true intention behind the Fourth Prince Zhu Qi's Moonlight Banquet.

They bribed these talented men and women in advance to pave the way for the future.

Mu Yuan continued, "Even those among these people who didn't pass the exams can still be useful in the future!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Hongxiu's eyes as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"Don't forget, scholars are the ones who wield pens. In this vast world, who controls public opinion?" Mu Yuan retorted.

"Naturally, it's these talented men."

When Qin Hongxiu finished answering Mu Yuan's question, a bold idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

He finally understood the intentions of the Fourth Prince, Zhu Qi.

He bribed scholars to build momentum for himself and to make preparations for his future struggle for power.

After all, Crown Prince Zhu Xu had a strong army, and most of the officials in the court, whether civil or military, were loyal to him.

The remaining civil and military officials, fearing repercussions, were unwilling to get involved in the power struggle for the throne.

In the court, the fourth prince Zhu Qi was no match for the crown prince Zhu Xu. Therefore, he could only turn his attention to scholars without official titles, that is, talented men and beautiful women.

Furthermore, he passed the imperial examination and entered the court as an official. To repay his debt of gratitude, he voluntarily pledged allegiance to the fourth prince, Zhu Qi.

Even if we take a step back, a talented scholar with a pen in hand can help establish a positive image of the fourth prince, Zhu Qi, among the common people.