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

Xiao Qingyan's open scheme caused a great uproar in Yunyang County, but it did not stir up any ripples in the waters of Qingyun Pavilion.

Without paper, Qingyun Pavilion's business did not become deserted; on the contrary, it exuded a strange prosperity.

"Manager Jiang, you're truly amazing!" A wealthy merchant from a silk shop beamed with delight as he held up a birthday greeting personally polished by Jiang Zhenxue. "Just a few words changed, and the whole sentiment is there! Here's twenty taels for the writing fee, please accept it!"

Jiang Zhenxue accepted the silver note with a faint smile, flicked it with her finger, and said in a clear voice, "I'm glad Boss Zhou is satisfied."

Her "intellectual services" precisely captured the psychology of wealthy people who wanted to appear cultured and pursue uniqueness.

They don't lack money; what they lack is a respectable status to show off.

Nowadays, obtaining a piece of calligraphy or an article from Manager Jiang or Mr. Shen has become the most fashionable refined pursuit in the upper-class circles of Yunyang County.

The water in Qingyun Pavilion, instead of decreasing, increased.

"He cut off my source of income?" Jiang Zhenxue mumbled to himself, chewing on a piece of osmanthus cake as he looked at the account book at night. "He's so naively cute."

She put a piece of pastry in her mouth, but her gaze was fixed on the backyard. Her future sword was being honed much faster than any amount of money.

The lights in Shen Yu's room stayed on all night.

But what he was reading was no longer just the writings of sages and worthies. Spread out on the table was a map of the Great Xia territory, with the locations of canals, passes, and granaries meticulously marked in vermilion ink.

"If I were the Third Prince," Shen Yu pointed to a spot on the map and said in a deep voice to Jiang Zhenxue, who had come to investigate, "I was falsely accused of withholding disaster relief grain. The evidence was conclusive, with witnesses and physical evidence all present. It seemed like a dead end."

Jiang Zhenxue raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Then how do we break this deadlock?"

"It can't be broken." Shen Yu shook his head, but his eyes flashed with a sharpness beyond his years. "Since the game was set up by someone else, all the evidence points to only one dead end. There's absolutely no way to turn the tables on the chessboard."

"Then let's overturn this chessboard." He spoke each word clearly, his voice not loud, but resolute. "No matter how flawless the forged ledgers may be, the people and ships transporting the grain are real. Investigate the people, investigate the ships, investigate every minor official involved. Any scheme orchestrated by humans will have loopholes. Follow those loopholes, and tear out the hands of those who framed us, one by one, and cut them off!"

Jiang Zhenxue looked at him, feeling extremely satisfied.

This is no longer the boy who would blush at a harsh word.

His calm, ruthless, and incisive demeanor is increasingly reminiscent of the powerful and isolated minister in the original novel.

"The imperial examinations will be held after the New Year." Shen Yu put away the map, looking intently at her. "Don't worry, sister. This small Yunyang County can't hold me back. Once I've entered officialdom, I'll go to the capital to pave the way for you."

"Okay." Jiang Zhenxue nodded, but a sense of urgency rose in her heart.

By the time he enters officialdom, it will be too late. She can't rely on him alone.

In the stillness of the night, Jiang Zhenxue lay alone on the large sandalwood bed, tossing and turning.

The bed was large, empty, and cold.

She hugged the blanket and couldn't help but sigh.

"Other people's transmigration is either accompanied by a system or a space, or at the very least, they have an old man by their side. As for me, I don't have any cheat codes at all; I have to rely entirely on my own brain to get through it all."

She complained, but Xiao Qingyan's cold and stern face involuntarily appeared in her mind.

He's currently in the capital, probably busy battling his political enemies, yet he's still distracted by trying to trip her up a thousand miles away. He must be quite pleased with himself, thinking he has victory in his grasp.

"A wife-chasing-after-the-crematorium?" Jiang Zhenxue scoffed at the air. "Dream on."

She reached out and gently touched her cheek; the spot where he had slapped her still seemed to ache faintly.

"Why didn't you hold back when you abused me? You slapped me, forced yourself on me, threatened me by choking me—I remember every single one of those things."

"You think you can move me now, soften my heart, and make me go back to him like a caged bird after he's dealt with his mess? Dream on."

Her eyes held no love or hate, only cold calculation.

"Xiao Qingyan, all the hurt you've caused me is what motivates me to climb higher. You want to control me? Then I'll rise to a height you can't even control."

He wasn't her downfall; he was her best stepping stone.

The next day, Kang Mingyan rushed over again, his face showing some worry.

"Xue'er, I had someone bring some news from the capital." He lowered his voice, "I heard that the First Prince and the Marquis of Ningguo are fighting fiercely, and several officials have been imprisoned. The capital is now a den of dragons and tigers. The safest thing for you is to stay far away."

Jiang Zhenxue smiled upon hearing this.

"Mingyan, do you think it's safer for a rabbit to hide at the entrance of its burrow, or for a hunter to learn how to dig traps?"

Kang Mingyan was taken aback, not understanding the meaning behind her words.

Jiang Zhenxue offered no explanation. After seeing Kang Mingyan off, she returned to her room and laid out the map of the territory once more.

Her gaze was fixed on the red dot in the very center of the map, the one called "Capital City".

Yunyang County was a haven of comfort, but also a stagnant pool. No matter how well she did here, she was just a local wealthy merchant; Xiao Qingyan could still crush her with ease.

The only option is to go to the capital.

Go to the eye of the storm, to the vortex of power, to the chessboard where all the players have gathered.

"Only by putting down roots in the capital can I truly compete with him," she murmured to herself.

She couldn't wait for Shen Yu; she had to go herself.

He wasn't taken back as a prisoner, but as a businessman, walking in with dignity.

Qingyun Pavilion is going to open a branch in the capital.

Those will be her eyes, her ears, the first piece she places in this grand game, a piece that turns the tables and allows her to take control.

Having made up her mind, Jiang Zhenxue immediately summoned the steward.

"Go and prepare for me a list of shops in the most bustling area of ​​the capital, the more detailed the better. No matter the cost, get it."

The manager was startled: "Manager, what's going on...?"

"Go when I tell you to." Jiang Zhenxue said without room for argument.

She picked up her pen again and wrote a letter.

"A urgent message, sent to Lin Mu in Guangzhou Prefecture." She sealed the letter and handed it over. "Tell him to stop briefly in Jinling Prefecture on his return journey, and to find me the best carpenters and embroiderers. Bring their masterpieces, hire them at a high price, and send them north together."

Although the steward was full of doubts, he dared not ask any more questions and left after receiving the order.

Silence returned to the room.

Jiang Zhenxue walked to the window, stood with her hands behind her back, and looked towards the northern horizon. There lay the capital city, her future battlefield.

A confident smile curled at the corners of her lips.

"Xiao Qingyan, I'm here."

"This time, it's not you who's arresting me, but me who's going to go to your territory and plant a thorn that you can never remove."

……

"Sister, the capital is a den of dragons and tigers, your journey there..."

Shen Yu stood in front of the map, looking at the place names of the capital city that Jiang Zhenxue had circled with a vermilion pen on the thin sheet of paper, his eyes filled with unconcealed worry.