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

Jiang Zhenxue's mocking expression froze.

She stared blankly at Night Hawk, at the private seal in his hand, her mind going completely blank.

Execution of the entire family?

He... he was actually preparing a way out for himself?

What is this?

Is it another form of bondage? Or... a clumsy and heavy entrustment she had never imagined?

She thought he was just a paranoid madman, but little did she know that behind this madness, he also harbored such a clear-headed, almost pessimistic, calculation.

"Take it, Miss Jiang." Night Hawk gently placed the private seal on the box. "The Marquis's situation in the capital is far more difficult than you imagine. He is entrusting these to you not out of charity, but because..."

Nighthawk paused, seemingly searching for a suitable word.

"It's about keeping things to yourself."

After he finished speaking, he said no more, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jiang Zhenxue, turned around, and disappeared out the door like a ghost.

In the room, only Jiang Zhenxue remained, speechless for a long time as she faced the chest full of gold and silver and the small private seal that still carried that person's scent.

After a long while, she reached out, but instead of touching the gold bars, she picked up the private seal.

The seal is made of fine warm jade, which feels smooth and warm to the touch.

She looked at the two words above and suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"Xiao Qingyan, oh Xiao Qingyan," she murmured, "do you want to control me, or... do you want me to collect your corpse?"

She held the seal in her palm, its warm touch seeming to convey a trace of that man's warmth.

Suddenly, she no longer felt that the money was dirty.

This was the weapon he gave her, the last escape route he left for her and for himself in that life-or-death game of chess.

"Okay." She put away the seal and the box.

"I'll accept this investment."

Looking out the window at the myriad lights of the capital, her eyes ignited with even greater fighting spirit.

"I will take good care of your secret stash of money."

"When you finally collapse one day, I'll use your money to buy you the best coffin in the entire capital."

The next day, the dilapidated two-story building on Zhuque Street began to ring with clanging sounds.

Jiang Zhenxue used Xiao Qingyan's "private savings" to hire the best craftsmen in the capital and began a large-scale renovation.

Unlike ordinary shops that try to hide their business, she wanted the whole capital to know that a new shop was opening here.

She drew the shop's blueprints herself. From the style of the storefront to the interior layout and the details of every ornament, it exuded an elegance and novelty that was completely different from any other study in the capital.

Like a shadow, the night hawk reports every single thing happening here back to the Ningguo Marquis's residence every day without missing a single word.

"Miss Jiang met with Manager Wang of the timber shop in the south of the city today and ordered a batch of the finest Phoebe zhennan wood to make bookshelves."

"She also met with Mr. Sun, the owner of 'Jinxiufang,' rejected all of his designs, and personally drew more than a dozen patterns for tablecloths and cushions, demanding that they be embroidered within three days."

"She also..."

"That's enough," Xiao Qingyan interrupted him irritably.

He sat behind his desk, before him piled high with documents, each one concerning the life and death of the Third Prince and the future of the Marquis's mansion.

But all he could think about was the image of that woman stirring up trouble in the capital.

She used his money to buy wood and fabric, living a prosperous life without ever asking him for anything in return.

This left him with an indescribable sense of frustration.

"My lord," Night Hawk hesitated for a moment before speaking, "the trail along the canal has gone cold again. We checked the families of all the boatmen, and they all said that the boatmen left home half a year ago and their whereabouts are unknown. The First Prince's men have wiped away all traces."

Xiao Qingyan's expression darkened further.

He knew that the other side was using the most foolish method to buy time. As long as they could hold out beyond the ten-day deadline given by the Emperor, the Third Prince would surely die.

Just then, Night Hawk presented another booklet.

"My lord, this is... sent by Miss Jiang. She says it's her business strategy for her new shop and would like to ask you to take a look and see if there are any business opportunities for cooperation."

Xiao Qingyan raised an eyebrow with a hint of sarcasm.

Cooperation? She doesn't even deserve it.

He casually flipped through the booklet; it was exquisitely made, printed on the finest Chengxintang paper, and the handwriting was elegant and powerful—it was indeed her handwriting.

The preceding sections are all successful case studies of Qingyun Pavilion in Yunyang County, along with analyses of the Beijing market. They are written in a very logical and insightful manner.

Xiao Qingyan snorted coldly and was about to close the book when his gaze was drawn to one of the pages.

That page described Qingyun Pavilion's future plans to launch "anti-counterfeiting paper".

"...In Anqing Prefecture of Huizhou, a new paper mill has opened. The owner has invented a unique watermarking method, embedding fine bamboo strips into the paper pulp. When held up to the light, the character 'An' (安) can be seen as a subtle pattern. This method was created two years ago and has yet to be cracked. If used for official documents, banknotes, or land deeds, it can guarantee absolute accuracy..."

Xiao Qingyan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Two years ago!

Anqing Prefecture!

The documents that the eldest prince forged were old files from "three years ago"!

It was like a bolt of lightning, instantly cleaving through all the fog!

He slammed the book shut, his unfathomable phoenix eyes churning with turbulent waves.

How did she know?

The opening of a new paper mill in Anqing Prefecture was a highly secretive matter, one that even he had not noticed.

How did she, a woman, learn of this crucial clue that could turn the tide of events?

coincidence?

No, there aren't that many coincidences in this world.

"Get the car ready," he spat out through gritted teeth. "To Zhuque Avenue."

……

Jiang Zhenxue was in the shop, directing the craftsmen to install a row of newly made bookshelves, when Xiao Qingyan barged in, bringing with him a chill.

He waved everyone away, and in an instant, only the two of them remained in the huge shop.

"How did you know?"

Xiao Qingyan got straight to the point, his voice cold.

Jiang Zhenxue put down the blueprints in her hand, turned around, and her face showed just the right amount of surprise and innocence.

"My lord? What brings you here? Is my business strategy poorly written?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Xiao Qingyan stepped forward, grabbing her wrist with such force that he almost crushed her bones. "Anqing Paper Mill! The 'An' character watermark! What exactly do you want?"

"It hurts!" Jiang Zhenxue frowned, struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free.

She looked up and met his fiery gaze, but instead of being afraid, she smiled.

"My lord, what are you doing? I'm just an honest businessman, researching paper from different regions to find new selling points for my shop. Is that wrong?"

Her eyes were clear and honest, without a trace of guilt.

"As for that watermark, I heard about it from a tea merchant from Huizhou. He said the paper from his hometown is very special, so I wrote it down. What? Could this little character '安' possibly get in the way of your important business, Lord Marquis?"