Chapter 1 Ye Lao Geng's Arrival

Perhaps due to some unsettling rumors, Ye Lao Geng came to Danyang. Without prior notice to Ye Tao, nor to any of the many Ye family members in Danyang, Ye Lao Geng arrived with the transport team delivering a batch of Tiansuo pendulum clocks to Danyang.

Since Ye Tao took over the management of the Ye family, the Ye family has been anything but low-key. Back in Yicheng, Ye Lao Geng had doubts about the high-profile colors of the "Yijia Home Furnishings" (IKEA Home Furnishings) that Ye Tao decided to establish, with its bright yellow and deep blue color scheme. But in the end, Ye Tao successfully developed Yijia Home Furnishings into the most distinctive professional household goods production and sales organization of this era. The Ye Family Workshop, as the backbone of all Ye family industries, has also become stronger due to increasingly strong financial support and Ye Tao's almost endless stream of new ideas... so strong that Ye Lao Geng often felt a sense of trepidation after inspecting the workshop. He was afraid that someone would take a fancy to the Ye family's "insignificant" industry and want to take these things from his hands.

In Danyang, Ye family institutions, whether it was the Yizhan Building (Chess Battle Arena), which was in the midst of the elimination phase of the "Military Chess Open Tournament" grand strategy game, or the "Yijia Home Furnishings Danyang Store," which had finally completed the royal furniture orders and just opened for business, attracting the attention of the entire Danyang with a complete set of furniture revealing intricate and elegant patterns entirely covered in silver foil under a Zharan black lacquer finish, were both extraordinarily lively. At Yijia Home Furnishings, the ordinary people of Danyang, not yet mentally prepared for the daily consumption of furniture, had not yet come in large numbers; only those with some family wealth came. In the small square in front of the Yizhan Building, however, people from all walks of life were present, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe the small square, which was only intended to satisfy Ye Tao's idea of building an outdoor tea house, as shoulder-to-shoulder. In front of the ticket office of the lecture hall, there was an even longer queue.

After arriving in Danyang, Ye Lao Geng separated from the guards who escorted the Tiansuo pendulum clocks, most of whom were from Qi Zhentao's school, and under the guidance of an apprentice from the Ye Family Workshop, he came to the Yizhan Building. Because Ye Tao spent almost the entire day here now.

"Master!" Cassandra was the first to spot Ye Lao Geng in the crowd. The little girl with dark brown hair was fully responsible for managing all participants these days, determining the competition schedule, handling players who violated the rules, and answering all players' questions. She was always holding a thick roster of players and a competition schedule in her hands. Cassandra, who had been tempered by busy and error-free work, showed a clever and capable temperament all over her body, which surprised Ye Lao Geng, who was used to seeing her always burying her head in the workshop, following the ideas of her senior brothers.

The title of "Master" also suddenly clarified Ye Lao Geng's identity, and the eyes of the surrounding people immediately showed a bit of admiration and envy. In anyone's opinion, having a child like Ye Tao would undoubtedly be an extremely glorious thing.

"Is Tao'er here?" Ye Lao Geng asked.

After Cassandra greeted the contestants who were asking about the situation, she led Ye Lao Geng to the office area behind the Yizhan Building lecture hall. After leading Ye Lao Geng to sit down in Ye Tao's not-so-special cubicle and serving tea, she honestly reported, "Master, the young master is at the Tiecheng (Iron City) construction site right now. After inspecting the construction site, he is scheduled to go to several places in the city in the afternoon to choose a site for the new Zheng Garden."

"Zheng Garden?" Ye Lao Geng was stunned and said, "Which adult is this garden being built for? I haven't heard of it."

Cassandra said excitedly, "This is our own garden. It's just that nothing has been decided yet. The young master probably hasn't told you yet."

Ye Lao Geng nodded understandingly. For the current Ye family, this was no longer a big deal, so naturally there was no need to ask him in advance. And Ye Tao, who always had his own ideas, wouldn't be Ye Tao if he came to ask him about everything before doing it.

"Find someone to take me to the workshop to take a look. Tao'er probably won't be back from the Tiecheng construction site so soon, right? I can't stand being idle." After all, Ye Lao Geng was an old-fashioned craftsman, and he was very concerned about the situation of the Ye Family Workshop in Danyang.

Cassandra nodded and said, "Please wait a moment, Master." She hurried out, checked the charts on the office wall, and ran back, saying, "Master, in a quarter of an hour, Second Senior Brother will send a batch of chess pieces and other utensils from the workshop, and then return to the workshop. Would it be okay for you to go with Second Senior Brother?"

Ye Lao Geng nodded, and then noticed the various charts hanging on the walls of the entire office. Some were drawn on huge sheets of paper, and some had thin obsidian boards hanging on the wall, with various information written on the boards in colored chalk. In one corner of the office, a pendulum clock was ticking... Even if Ye Lao Geng didn't know what a modern office was like, he could see that the office here was now operating as precisely as a pendulum clock.

Suo Yong arrived on time a quarter of an hour later. He was overjoyed to see Ye Lao Geng come to Danyang. And the various situations he could convey to Ye Lao Geng were not as simple and straightforward as those of a little girl like Cassandra. In Suo Yong's words, Ye Lao Geng vaguely heard this meaning: Ye Tao was no longer an outsider in the political, power, and wealth struggles of Danyang, nor of Dongping Kingdom. And although the Ye family didn't dare to say they could have the final say in Danyang, they did have considerable influence. The matter of the Yizhan Building and the Princess's mansion jointly building an army made Ye Lao Geng's heart tremble.

At this moment, Ye Tao, although he was indeed at the Tiecheng construction site, was not inspecting it. Today, His Royal Highness Prince Tan Weiming, who was extremely interested in Tiecheng, an architectural complex that combined aesthetic needs with the practicality of a military fortress, summoned Ye Tao to explain the general situation to him on the spot. In order to satisfy His Royal Highness the Prince's curiosity, Ye Tao even had to take out charcoal sticks and thick card stock from the luggage in the carriage and draw several imaginary pictures of Tiecheng. The magnificent city, connected to the mountains, made His Royal Highness the Prince quite yearn for it.

Ye Tao didn't find such things troublesome. His Royal Highness the Prince, who was not pretentious, was a good playmate in ordinary times, but any game His Royal Highness the Prince played was bound to be closely linked to his own "career plan." Tan Weiming wanted to become a great emperor. Encouraged by his father and ministers, he understood that there would inevitably be a war between countries, and the opportunity to reunite the world was gradually emerging. He wanted to become the emperor who could be remembered for all time, and he had been training himself in this way. He was so strict with himself in every subject, including politics, finance, personnel, martial arts, and military strategy, that Tan Weiming, who was two years younger than Ye Tao, was not only slightly taller than Ye Tao, but even had a more mature temperament than Ye Tao, who had been diligently developing "high technology" in the workshop with a somewhat childish idealism.

When the conversation between Tan Weiming and Ye Tao gradually developed in a nonsensical direction, Tan Weiming suddenly asked, "Ye Tao, what exactly is going on between you and my sister...?"

Ye Tao stopped and quietly looked at Tan Weiming. This Crown Prince of Dongping was just a young man worried about his sister's affairs at the moment. Ye Tao slowly, but very seriously, said, "Could it be that Your Highness the Prince also thinks that I am not qualified to be with Xin'er?"

Tan Weiming sighed, "There is a lot of talk right now. If this continues, it will have a considerable impact on both my sister and my Dongping royal family. As for qualifications, who dares to say that you are not qualified? You are only sixteen or seventeen years old now, and you have already made so many achievements. Father has also said that if you are willing to become an official, with your ability, coupled with the support of several adults who are very close to you now, you will be one of the members of the Council of Ministers in a few years. But why are you unwilling? Although my Dongping royal family is not too particular about status, there has never been a precedent for marrying a princess to a merchant. Those ministers with ulterior motives, those families who once hoped to improve their status through marriage with the royal family, will inevitably have all sorts of things to say..."

The content that Tan Weiming vaguely pointed out was already quite frank and open for a future monarch like him.

Ye Tao said, "I have no desire for power or anything else. I have already stated my attitude about whether or not to become an official. There will always be precedents for everything, won't there?"

Tan Weiming shook his head and said, "What I fear is that you don't want anything. You also know about Gao Zhuo and the Gao family, right? Although the Gao family has never fought for anything in the court, they have tried every means to make themselves an indispensable clan in Dongping. If Gao Zhuo were to marry my sister, even if it was just to put on a show to win favor with my Tan family, my sister would definitely live comfortably and happily. You don't want anything, which makes me a little worried. You and my sister may indeed be in love, but can love be eaten? And how can this be guaranteed to last a lifetime? Especially, you know my sister's body is in such terrible shape..."

Tan Weixin's body was not only unable to bear children, but even normal conjugal life was impossible. She had to rely on a large number of expensive medicinal materials to constantly recuperate. Any intense emotions, whether joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, would damage Tan Weixin's health. To take such a person as a wife, who could guarantee that they would always treat this noble Zhaohua Princess with kindness and consideration after the so-called promises of mutual understanding and companionship faded, and after the passion of mutual love cooled down?

Ye Tao smiled. He faced Tan Weiming's scrutinizing gaze, looked at this precocious teenager, and said solemnly, even with a hint of reproach, "Your Highness the Prince, it seems that you don't understand your sister as well as you think you do. What kind of person do you think Xin'er is? Would she make a choice without thinking it through? Would she allow me to put her in a position of being bullied? If such a thing happened, do you think Xin'er would be someone who would swallow her anger? ... Has Your Highness ever thought about how anyone else would behave if they were in Xin'er's position, and in what way has Her Highness the Zhaohua Princess ever been the same as those people? No matter what rumors are spread outside, no matter what you see or hear, if the Princess is willing to marry me, I will gladly welcome her. But even so, it doesn't mean that she has to depend on me, that she has to listen to me in everything, nor does it mean that I have to cater to the Tan family because of this. First of all, we are two independent people, two people who have never had a precedent in this world, and then we may become a precedent, not the other way around."

Tan Weiming was stunned. Apart from his parents and sister, no one had ever dared to speak to him in such a tone. But he couldn't deny that what Ye Tao said did hit the nail on the head. Indeed, Ye Tao was a merchant, but he had gradually become a partner of the military and the Dongping royal family, not in a dependent way, but in a more high-spirited and independent manner. Perhaps Tan Weixin's support was a factor, but Ye Tao's own ability and temperament were also key. And Tan Weixin was even less of a woman who could be described with precedents or any other nonsense. Never had a princess been able to calmly manage the internal treasury expenditure from the age of ten, controlling the income and flow of millions of taels of silver every year, and constantly adding value and strengthening this already prosperous kingdom in various ways. And Tan Weixin was still able to take care of herself so comfortably and happily while doing so many things, not being overwhelmed by work, and living such a wonderful life with a body that others would regret. These were originally two people who could not be measured by ordinary thoughts. Indeed, as Empress Zhuo Xiu said, if these two people could eventually come together, they might become the most compatible and talented couple in this land that had experienced suffering and romance.

Having understood this, Tan Weiming naturally understood that with Sophie Marceau and the young Dai Qiuyan, who had fully demonstrated the potential of a beauty, by his side, Ye Tao did not have to worry about so-called physical needs. Tan Weiming nodded slightly and said, "Since that's the case, then let's take it one step at a time. I guarantee that as long as my sister favors you, even if there are other obstacles, I will definitely mediate."

For a prince, a person who would rule this country in the future, such a guarantee was too rare. Ye Tao bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your trouble." He knew how much pressure such a guarantee meant for Tan Weiming in the future.

Equally special people, equally unwilling to swallow their anger. Tan Weixin actually appeared in the Council of Ministers the next day. She sat gracefully in the chair prepared for her, leaning against the soft cushion, looking calmly at the ministers in the hall.

It wasn't the first or second time that Princess Zhaohua had entered the Council of Ministers. Since she took over the management of the internal treasury, especially as the internal treasury became richer and richer under her management, so rich that the Ministry of Revenue sometimes had to rely on the internal treasury to fund cooperation, Tan Weixin had been summoned to the Council of Ministers several times to join the discussion of certain matters. But the current situation was not like that.

The situation in Dongping was not complicated now. Most of the court discussions that day were progress reports on things that had been started, and several ministers explained them clearly in a few words. According to the usual practice, when there was nothing to do, it was time to dismiss the court. Tan Weixin said softly, "Please stay, ministers. There is one thing I want to share with everyone."

Tan Weixin took a stack of memorials from a eunuch beside her, raised them, and said, "These days, you officials have been very concerned about the fact that my mansion and the Yizhan Building want to form two toy armies. These few in my hand are all from the pens of several censors who are here today. I didn't expect that impeaching a merchant would require such a formation."

The few people who wrote the memorials looked at each other. Whether they thought the matter was wrong and wanted to impeach him, or whether they were instigated to write the memorials, it was all to put pressure on the Ye family so that they would not be so arrogant. They never expected that the Princess would come to the Council of Ministers for this matter.

"The proposal to build an army did not originate from my Princess's mansion, but was first said by Tan Weiran and Chi Lei when those two boys were chatting. It was only when it was mentioned to me that I thought it was fun and really found some people to chat about whether it could be done. Everyone here are important ministers of our country. You wouldn't not understand the other meaning of my wanting to build an army that is purely for games on the surface, right? If you think it's inappropriate, you can say it openly in the court. What I don't understand is that even if this matter is inappropriate, it's still a conspiracy between me and Ye Tao. Why isn't there any mention of me when you impeach him? Without me, would Ye Tao dare to build an army with ten thousand times his courage? Without me asking my father for instructions, could this army be built? The accusation of treating military affairs as a child's play is fine, and I'll take your admonishment as helping me cover up. What does the crime of privately building an army with the intention of plotting rebellion mean?"

Tan Weixin's tone became heavier. Censor Chen Tingfang couldn't bear it any longer, took a step forward and cupped his hands, "Your Highness the Princess, I wrote this memorial, and its purpose is to warn the Ye family. Since the Ye family entered Danyang, they have been arrogant in many ways, and it is inappropriate to be so close to the royal family. I hope the Princess will understand my good intentions."

Tan Weixin curled her lips and said, "Oh? I didn't see that. Censor Chen should know better than me what's going on with the memorials of the remonstrating officials. The lightest degree is inquiry, followed by admonishment, appeal, accusation, and indictment... Does Censor Chen remember which grade you used?"

Chen Tingfang was shocked. The remonstrating officials always had to make things sound serious in order to attract attention. The format he used for this memorial was the grade of accusation. Now Tan Weixin had caught him on the wrong foot.

"Minister Huang, in my Dongping laws, what are the rules for accusing others without any evidence, and falsely accusing them?" Tan Weixin turned to Situ Huang Xuping.

Huang Xuping was stunned for a moment and said, "Yes. If there is no evidence, if the accuser is a commoner, they will be beaten ten times and fined at discretion. If they are officials, they will be demoted by three grades. If it is a false accusation, once it is verified, they will be punished with the crime that they accused."

Tan Weixin then asked, "Then what is the crime of plotting rebellion with the intention of disloyalty?"

Looking at Chen Tingfang's pale face, Huang Xuping said softly, "...Punishing with the crime accused only applies to crimes such as theft and deception. Even crimes such as murder, robbery, and rape must be reported to a higher-level government for discretionary decision. The original local level of Dongping is not complicated, that is, four levels: village, town, state, and central court. Originally, the decision on serious crimes such as murder and robbery was made in the patrol inspection office in the capital city of the state where the crime was committed, which basically means reporting to Danyang. To say that plotting rebellion with the intention of disloyalty, once this crime is judged, there is no second word."

Tan Weixin shook her head and said, "That means that if his accusation is followed for various reasons, even if it's just because Father is in a bad mood, then Ye Tao will have to admit that he's unlucky. The crime of destroying the family and clan doesn't even have decent evidence. If it doesn't happen, Chen Tingfang will say, 'I was just scaring him,' and that's it?"

Tan Weixin's eyes swept around the Council of Ministers. Most people felt that this comparison seemed a bit strong.

Tan Xiaopei felt that his daughter's temper was coming up, which was not good, and quickly persuaded, "Xin'er, let me handle this matter. The remonstrating officials are indeed overcorrecting in the matter of Ye Tao. Let's take this as the last time, okay?"

Tan Weixin looked at her father and said expressionlessly, "It doesn't matter. If Father thinks that such remonstrating officials and censors can still be used, then let him continue to be one. However, this matter is not over yet. I want to see how such a censor can continue to be one."

The implication of Tan Weixin's words was that even if she had to use other forces, she would squeeze Chen Tingfang and others out of this Council of Ministers.

Chen Tingfang was shocked and knelt on the ground, shouting, "Please, Your Majesty, have mercy! I... I really have good intentions... Moreover, although Your Highness the Princess has a noble status, it is still inappropriate to interfere in state affairs."

Chen Tingfang couldn't care about anything at this time. As long as he could stay in the Council of Ministers, where he had struggled for more than ten years to squeeze in, he didn't care about anything.

Tan Weixin calmed her breathing, which had become rapid due to the intense anger, and restored herself to the most ideal state of calmness and composure, no longer saying anything. She believed that her father would naturally make a decision.

Although Tan Xiaopei knew that the so-called Ye Tao having the intention of disloyalty must be fabricated out of thin air, he did not expect Tan Weixin's counterattack to be so violent. He then realized that Tan Weixin's request to enter the palace today actually contained such a mood. Although it was certainly wrong for the censor to make groundless accusations, it would be even more inappropriate if several censors were dismissed because of Tan Weixin's squeeze, and if the backers of some of them lost face. But Tan Weixin had always been someone who did what she said, so if she said she would make these guys unable to continue, then keeping them in the court might not have any effect. For a moment, Tan Xiaopei didn't know what to do.

The attitude of muddling through, which had long been disfavored by Tan Xiaopei, finally revealed its potential at this time. Tan Xiaopei touched his nose and said, "This matter can be big or small. It's difficult to have a right or wrong answer for a while. Let me think about it. Let's end here today. Dismiss court."

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Uh, accidentally getting involved in the update war is already a very depressing thing. I didn't expect that the strength of updating one more chapter for 50 monthly tickets is not enough. Is the appeal of not fighting for many years not enough?

I'll express my sincerity with a 6,000-word chapter. What about you?