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

Soon, four voluptuous and slender beauties, scantily clad, were brought in with trepidation. Each of them was stunningly beautiful, and upon seeing Xiao Qingyan, they all tried their best to adopt the most charming posture, their eyes sparkling with allure.

"May Your Excellency be well."

The air was filled with the chirping of orioles and the gentle breeze carrying fragrance. Normally, Xiao Qingyan might have been quite interested in putting on a show for Jiang Zhenxue.

Now that the person is gone, there's nowhere to perform.

He walked up to the most beautiful woman and lifted her chin. The woman was delighted and was about to lean into his arms.

Xiao Qingyan stared into her eyes for a long time, then, as if he had seen something dirty, he suddenly flung his hand away.

"Something's not right," he murmured to himself, as if to himself, "Something's wrong with my eyes."

He looked at another, and then another…

Finally, a cold, violent smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"There's no feeling in their eyes." He turned to look at Fu'an and the butler, who were already pale with fright. "There's no feeling of being both afraid and unable to resist getting closer. Their eyes are too stupid, too empty, like a stagnant pool."

Only Jiang Zhenxue, only that woman, would have that kind of light in her eyes when she looked at him—a light that was both frightening and infatuated, a light that captivated him.

"My lord, what about... these people?" the steward asked in a trembling voice.

"Send it back." Xiao Qingyan's tone was devoid of warmth. "Tell the Vice Minister of Rites that I appreciate his kindness. However, if there's a next time..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the murderous intent in his eyes said it all.

"Yes, yes! This old servant obeys!"

The butler scrambled out of the house, carrying the several terrified beauties with him.

The study fell silent once more. Xiao Qingyan irritably tossed the safety buckle onto the table, making a crisp "clatter" sound.

He doesn't want these ordinary, vulgar women.

He only wants his one and only canary, the one that looks at him with those beautiful eyes, that can fawn over him, that can be temperamental, and now that has even learned to run away from home...

Study room for those who have passed the imperial examination.

With the help of Kang Mingyan's family's network of connections, Jiang Zhenxue's expansion plan instantly transformed from mere theoretical discussion into a tangible reality.

Kang Mingyan's father was very curious about his son's "business partner" and, after receiving the letter, he personally traveled from the prefectural city to Puxian.

When he saw the grand scene of the students who had passed the imperial examination and studied in the study room, and after having a deep conversation with Jiang Zhenxue for an afternoon, the look in this former veteran businessman’s eyes when he looked at Jiang Zhenxue had changed from scrutiny to complete admiration and shock.

He made the decision on the spot, not only using all his connections to pave the way for Jiang Zhenxue, but also taking the initiative to offer to invest in two-thirds of the branch stores under his own name.

Jiang Zhenxue politely declined.

She understood very well that personal relationships were personal relationships and business was business. What she wanted was an equal partnership, not someone who would curry favor with her.

Seeing her resolute attitude, Kang's father stopped pressuring her, but his admiration for his son's judgment only grew stronger.

Everything is moving in the best possible direction.

Lin Ruyu's side was unexpectedly quiet. He didn't cause any more trouble, nor did any rumors of retaliation emerge, as if the humiliation of that day had never happened.

But Jiang Zhenxue knew that the calmer the water was, the more turbulent the undercurrents were beneath the surface.

If you can't manage on your own and need to find someone to rely on, then you really need to put that process on hold, otherwise you'll likely be caught and brought back sooner or later.

She wanted to find someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her, not someone who would trample her underfoot.

Perhaps it's time to reconsider.

……

Lin House.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

Expensive porcelain was smashed to the ground. Lin Ruyu kicked a kneeling servant to the ground, his handsome face contorted with rage.

"I've been paying you all to be humiliated, haven't I? A stinking beggar! A cheap woman! And you're all scared out of your wits!"

The weasel-faced lackey covered his face, trembling as he pleaded, "Young Master Lin, please calm down... That kid is incredibly wicked, and that woman... that woman is an even bigger vixen! If we confront her head-on, we're afraid we'll only come out worse off!"

"Force her?" Lin Ruyu sneered, her eyes filled with malice. "Who said she was going to force her? Didn't she only gain her footing by relying on the adoration of those poor, pedantic scholars?"

He strode up to his henchman, grabbed him by the collar, and said, word by word, "I want you to go find someone—to the teahouse, to the restaurant, to all the places scholars frequent—and deliver a message to me!"

"Rumors...rumors about what?"

"Take the 'Golden List of Successful Candidates' for example, it's a gold mine that's all show and no substance! They say a cup of tea and snacks there costs one tael of silver! They say a single glance at that tael of a tael of silver costs ten taels! They're driving prices to the heavens!"

Lin Ruyu's face revealed a cruel smile: "Find a few more women and tell them their sons went to that place, were bewitched by that vixen shopkeeper, and neglected their studies! Say that place is not a place for learning at all, but a brothel of depravity!"

"I want to see how she can stay in Puxian when everyone is cursing and scorning her! I want her to cry and get out of Puxian herself!"

"Lin Shao is wise!"

Rumors spread rapidly through the streets and alleys.

"Have you heard? A cup of tea costs a tael of silver for passing the imperial examination! Isn't that robbery?"

"That's not all! I heard that some students only sat there for half an hour, and were charged five taels of silver. They came out pale-faced!"

"Oh dear, that place is a no-go! Especially that Manager Jiang, I heard she's a vixen reincarnated, she's good at seducing men, several scholars have been bewitched by her so much they don't even go home!"

"Really? Is this some kind of eerie thing?"

"How could it not be true! The wife of Zhang the butcher in the east of the city has gone to the streets to make a scene, saying that her son went to that study room and became possessed, acting strangely all day long!"

The rumors intensified, and the saying "three men can make a tiger" proved true.

At first, the regulars who passed the imperial examinations with flying colors scoffed at it, but as more and more people said these words, even they themselves began to waver.

Finally, the day came when trouble arrived.

A dozen or so men and women dressed in coarse cloth, holding banners that read "Heartless shopkeepers, give me back my hard-earned money" and "Indecent and immoral, get out of Puxian," completely blocked the entrance to the Jinbangtiming (a school for academic success) building.

"Everyone, come quick! This is a shady shop! They cheated my child out of their money!" A middle-aged woman sat on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing.

"My son only studied here for a few days, and he's like he's lost his soul! This witch must have bewitched him!" Another man pointed at the shop door and cursed.

"Give me my money back! Close down!"

"Get out of Puxian!"

The shouts and cries mingled together, attracting a large crowd of onlookers and completely blocking the street.