"Are you feeling lost with all the arrangements I'm making?"

Seeing Consort Shu's face full of helplessness, Jiang Chen smiled and gently rubbed her cheek.

Perhaps because she couldn't completely understand Jiang Chen's arrangements, or for some other reason, Consort Shu nodded emphatically.

"Do you know how much damage it would do to our country if we were to fight these powerful families head-on? The reason I'm expelling them from the family tree for three quarters is to completely sever the emotional ties between these people and their families. Every one of those selected can be considered the pride of heaven. Being treated differently by their families like this is bound to fill them with resentment."

"If they actually pass the imperial examinations and gain official titles, these powerful families will naturally rush to recognize them. At that time, with just a little adjustment, we can turn them against each other, making them enemies."

"Letting them fall into endless internal strife is the key to making everything that follows seem extremely common and ordinary."

As Jiang Chen said this, the gloomy expression on his face startled Consort Shu. But then she suddenly understood the underlying idea behind Jiang Chen's arrangements.

Realizing that Jiang Chen was planning to use them as pawns, Consort Shu felt a chill run down her spine. After all, all of this would be choices made step by step by those people willingly, until they completely fell into Jiang Chen's trap, and they would probably still be complacent, thinking they had gained countless advantages.

"I don't know why you suddenly became so ruthless, but I like it the most."

While the atmosphere in the imperial palace was filled with intimacy, Jiang Zuo Wang was living like a bandit, eating and sleeping in the open. Looking at the simply prepared food his subordinates brought him, Jiang Zuo Wang felt a wave of nausea. As a former imperial uncle, when had he ever lived such a life? But now, he had no choice but to hide here.

"Those powerful families are such opportunists. So far, apart from the food we brothers managed to scrape together, they haven't shown any intention of providing support."

Listening to his subordinate's complaints, Jiang Zuo Wang's heart was also full of resentment. He had chosen to act rashly only after testing the intentions of these powerful families. But now that he was at a disadvantage, they had chosen to sit on the sidelines, which filled Jiang Zuo Wang with hatred for them.

"Tell them that if they don't give me enough supplies and manpower, I'll tell Jiang Chen all the evidence of their contact with me."

"What Jiang Chen lacks now is an excuse to attack them. I believe they will never watch me hand over this opportunity."

The thought of almost being used as a pawn filled Jiang Zuo Wang's mind with resentment.

But what Jiang Zuo Wang didn't know was that on the second day after he entered the mountain, the supplies prepared by the powerful families had already been transported over. However, after his subordinates received the goods, instead of transporting them into the mountain, they sent them to a more hidden outpost.

"His Majesty is really accurate in his predictions. It seems that these guys will start fighting among themselves soon."

Thinking of the arrangements Jiang Chen had told them earlier, the soldiers responsible for carrying out Jiang Chen's orders were filled with admiration. It could be said that Jiang Chen had accurately predicted every move of Jiang Zuo Wang and these powerful families.

"Don't waste too much time here. His Highness's plan must continue to be implemented. Now that there is already a gap between them, we should add fuel to the fire according to His Highness's request."

Soon, several forged letters in Jiang Zuo Wang's own handwriting were written.

After sealing these letters, one of them quickly disappeared into the mountains.

"His Highness is really terrifying. He can calculate everything so accurately. I wonder if there's anything His Highness can't predict."

Just as everyone was filled with emotion about this, these forged letters from Jiang Zuo Wang had already been delivered to the heads of the various powerful families.

Seeing Jiang Zuo Wang asking them for supplies again, even threatening them, they felt extremely upset. When they learned that Jiang Zuo Wang had entered the mountain, they had already sent the supplies Jiang Zuo Wang needed into the mountain through the people Jiang Zuo Wang had left behind to communicate with them. Now, Jiang Zuo Wang was asking for more again, even threatening them with their secrets, which filled them with resentment.

"We shouldn't have gotten on the same boat as Jiang Zuo Wang in the first place. Now it's good, we've become his cash cow. I wonder when these hellish days will end."

Realizing that their people were now in a passive situation, they were full of complaints, but in the end, they had no choice but to send out the supplies Jiang Zuo Wang needed according to Jiang Zuo Wang's request.

Soon, all this news reached Jiang Chen's ears. After learning that almost everyone in the court had participated in this matter, Jiang Chen didn't say a word, but silently recorded their names on his list.

And the things those powerful families sent out to support Jiang Zuo Wang were all accepted by Jiang Chen.

"Find some old grain from the warehouse and send it to them. Now that Jiang Zuo Wang has chosen to live a hard life in the mountains, I'll help him out. Otherwise, how can I be worthy of our kinship?"

Seeing the huge amount of supplies transported to the palace, Jiang Chen was secretly shocked. During the years he had been bewitched by them, these powerful families had made a lot of money.

"When I've investigated all your details one by one, it'll be time to slaughter some pigs at the end of the year."

"With the support of your huge wealth, I believe everything will get back on track."

Thinking of the arrangements he had made, Jiang Chen began to silently calculate the dates of implementation of these plans.

The reason why the court was often monopolized by these powerful families was because they had enough money to cultivate their family's children. What Jiang Chen wanted was to completely break this situation.

As long as everyone can afford to study, many talents who have been buried will be gradually discovered, and the situation in the court, where onlookers are monopolized by these powerful families, will be completely improved.

"You have accumulated ill-gotten wealth over the years, and it's considered as you doing good deeds by me using it like this. I'm really too kind."

Thinking of the fruits that he was about to pick, Jiang Chen's eyes were full of smiles. All of this that these powerful families had accumulated over the years would eventually benefit him.