The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

Looking at the scene before her, Jiang Zhenxue knew in her heart that her second move had succeeded.

What she wanted was not for herself to cry out for justice, but for these future elites to take the initiative to speak out for her.

……

The main hall of the county government office.

Magistrate Wang was overwhelmed with the accounts of the autumn harvest when he suddenly heard a loud drumbeat outside the gate. A servant rushed in to report that nearly a hundred students from the county school had gathered outside the yamen and were making a great show of themselves, requesting an audience with the magistrate.

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang felt his head spin.

In a place like Pu County, you can't afford to offend anyone but the scholars. These people wield their pens like knives; a single spit from each of them could drown the county magistrate.

He dared not delay and immediately ascended the hall to summon the student representatives for an audience.

As a newly appointed scholar, Kang Mingyan naturally became the head of the representatives. He presented the whole story, including the notice about the "30% tax increase," in detail.

The more Lord Wang listened, the darker his face became. When he saw the notice, his face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

You idiot! What an idiot!

He cursed his county magistrate a thousand times in his heart.

He could turn a blind eye to bribery and extortion, but to be so foolish as to target all the students in Puxian County and have it exposed in this way is to undermine his foundation!

"Summon Jiang Zhenxue and County Magistrate Li De to the court immediately!" Magistrate Wang slammed his gavel, the sound echoing throughout the hall.

Soon, Jiang Zhenxue and the pale-faced county magistrate Li De were brought to the hall together.

"Li De!" Lord Wang slammed the notice down in front of him. "Explain to me, which law of this dynasty stipulates this '30% surcharge'?!"

Li De's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, drenched in sweat, unable to utter a single complete sentence.

"Manager Jiang," Lord Wang turned to Jiang Zhenxue, his tone much gentler, "tell me, what exactly happened?"

Jiang Zhenxue remained composed and recounted in detail how the county magistrate had summoned her, coerced her into paying 30% of the taxes, and refused to issue any official documents that day.

Her voice was clear and logical, without any embellishment, yet everyone present could hear it clearly.

The truth has come to light.

"Good! Good Li De! What a capable subordinate of mine!" Lord Wang laughed in anger. He walked up to Li De and kicked him to the ground.

"Do you know your crime?!"

"This humble official...this humble official knows his crime! This humble official was confused for a moment, please have mercy, Your Excellency!" Li De kowtowed desperately, tears streaming down his face.

Lord Wang didn't even bother to glance at him again, turning to the crowd below and loudly proclaiming, "I hereby declare that the so-called '30% surcharge' is utter nonsense! The 'Golden List Inscription Study Room' provides convenience for the students of Pu County to pursue their studies, a beneficial act for the county and its people, and deserves commendation!"

He paused, looked at Jiang Zhenxue, and made his final decision: "From today onwards, the tax rate for the 'Golden List Successful Candidate Study Room' will be set at the lowest level for merchants, at 10%! This is to demonstrate my appreciation and respect for talent!"

"Your Excellency is wise!" The students below cheered.

Jiang Zhenxue bowed deeply, her voice clear and melodious: "Thank you, sir, for upholding justice for me."

In this round, she not only emerged unscathed, but also, through the county magistrate, obtained an official "protective charm" for her study room.

The arrogant county magistrate, Li De, was dragged away like a dead dog. His fate was sealed.

The news that County Magistrate Li De had been dismissed and was under investigation spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Pu County overnight.

The reputation of the "Golden List Success Study Room" reached an unprecedented peak.

Only then did everyone realize that this young and beautiful Manager Jiang not only possessed extraordinary business acumen but also the courage and skill to remain calm in the face of danger. She was not a delicate flower to be picked at will, but a rose with thorns.

From then on, no one dared to provoke them again. The study room became increasingly popular, always packed to capacity. And that document with the 10% tax rate became Jiang Zhenxue's strongest shield.

Across the street is Zhiyuan Bookstore.

Manager Chen stared at the endless stream of people opposite him with a livid face, his fingers gripping the abacus so tightly they almost crushed the beads.

His bookstore has been deserted for half a month now.

Those students who used to know him would rather spend a whole day sitting across from him than come here for a free moment to browse through his books.

A shop assistant approached with a worried look on his face: "Boss, if this keeps up, we won't be able to afford our expenses this month."

"It's all that woman's doing!" Manager Chen gritted his teeth, slamming the account book onto the table. "A woman like her, instead of staying home to be a wife and mother, she's out in public using only the lowest of the low!"

In his view, Jiang Zhenxue's success was an insult to his 20-year-old brand.

The shop assistant whispered, "Boss, how about... we learn from them? We can convert our bookstore into those cubicles, and offer half the price. I bet we can win back our customers!"

A sinister glint flashed in Manager Chen's eyes. "Learn from her? Why should we learn from her? How profound can the things a woman can come up with be? It's just good luck."

He paused, then sneered, "Her biggest asset is that lousy notebook written by that kid named Shen Yu, isn't it? And that kid, greeting and seeing off guests every day, keeping accounts and calculating money—he seems clever, but I think that woman is just a pretty face. The real brains are in that Shen Yu's hands!"

The more Manager Chen thought about it, the more he realized it made sense. A boy who came from a beggar background, being taken in by Jiang Zhenxue, would surely be grateful and offer up all his knowledge and skills.

"Go find me a clever person to make contact with that Shen Yu," Manager Chen said in a low voice, his eyes full of calculation. "Tell him that a wise bird chooses its tree. Why should a scholar like him stoop to the level of a woman? If he's willing to come, I'll give him 30% of the profits and make him the second-in-command!"

"The shopkeeper is brilliant!"

……

In the evening, Shen Yu saw off the last guest and was preparing to tally the accounts when a well-dressed middle-aged man blocked his way.

"Young Master Shen, please wait."

"Who are you?" Shen Yu looked at him warily.

The man, all smiles, introduced himself as the manager of another bookstore in the city. Then, he changed the subject and got straight to the point: "With your talent and learning, it's a waste that you, Young Master Shen, are confined to this place, running errands and keeping accounts for a woman."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice: "My manager said that if you would be so kind as to grace us with your presence, our newly opened 'Juxian Pavilion' would be willing to offer you 30% of the profits to become its second manager. In the future, you can take the lion's share of the profits and never have to be subservient to anyone again."

Shen Yu listened expressionlessly, but inwardly he was sneering.

Sister Jiang had long anticipated that someone would try to poach her staff, but she never expected that these people would be so foolish as to think that they were the core of the study.