Yang Jianxiu smiled: "As Miss Ye said, we can't just sit at home and eat away our assets. 'Elegant words and beautiful sentiments are always first published.'" After finishing speaking, he looked at Ye Zhuo again, "Miss Ye doesn't need to be modest, what you just said was very good. You tell me, what kind of job should I find?"

  Ye Zhuo refused to say more, shaking his head and saying: "Mr. Yang, don't tease me anymore, what do I understand? Just now was just nonsense. If something is said incorrectly, you can consider it a child's foolish words, no need to take it seriously."

  Yang Jianxiu looked at her deeply, lowered his eyelids and hesitated for a moment, then said seriously: "The situation in the county is just as Miss Ye said. On that day when we went to court, I'm sure Miss Ye also knew that County Magistrate Yuan is still a good official, not old, and hopes to make further progress in his lifetime. As for me, Yang Mou, I am thirty-five this year and do not want to be a clerk all my life. Yuan and I are like-minded, so we see eye-to-eye on many things. Therefore, this time when I returned to the county, it also means that I have other plans in mind. If Miss Ye has any good suggestions, please don't hesitate to enlighten me."

  As he spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to Ye Zhuo.

  Ye Yiqi was startled by Yang Jianxu's actions and quickly got up to help him, saying: "Mr. Yang, what do you mean by this? Cui'er is still young, what does she know? Where can she be worthy of such a great gift?"

  Yang Jianxiu retorted sternly, "Uncle, there's a saying that the one who understands is the first to speak. Although Ye Xianniang is young, she's more intelligent and perceptive than anyone else. She deserves this courtesy from me."

  Ye Zhuo had already stood up to avoid Yang Jianxu's courtesy and hastily said, "Is this move of yours, Sir Yang, intended to humiliate me?"

  Yang Jianxiu smiled and sat down, gesturing to Ye Yuxi and Ye Zhuo to sit down as well. He said to Ye Zhuo, "Let's not beat around the bush either. If you want me to do something, just say it, Miss Ye."

  Ye Zhuo had Ye Yu Zhang and Ye Jia Ming reveal their family's ugliness in front of Yang Jian Xiu yesterday, just to test what kind of person Yang Jian Xiu is. If he thinks it's none of his business, he'll stand by and watch; also because of yesterday's incident, he feels that Zheng Shi isn't the person he wants to marry. After transferring the house today, he won't have anything to do with Ye Jia again. Ye Zhuo will naturally give up on the idea of cooperating with Yang Jian Xiu. The Ye family's status is too low, like ants, even if she persuades Yang Jian Xiu to cooperate with her and destroy the Gong family, who knows whether he'll turn into a wolf in sheep's clothing? This Yang Jian Xiu is even more frightening than the Gong family!

  So Ye Zhuo heard that Yang Jianxiu had come and said he wanted to talk to him, as long as the cooperation was successful. Yang Jianxiu would become a strong backer of the Ye family in Nanshan Town, and the Ye family would no longer be bullied by anyone.

  She didn't expect that Yang Jianxiu, although he didn't stand by and do nothing, also had his own reservations. He only said that when the Ye family encountered trouble, he would help mediate, but didn't mention helping the Ye family deal with the Gong family. Moreover, under the circumstances where she had spoken so clearly, he still spoke in a probing manner, which made her extremely unhappy. If Yang Jianxiu hadn't shown his sincerity now, she really wouldn't have wanted to bother with him anymore.

  "Qiu Yue, go and guard the door." This matter is of great importance. Ye Zhuo didn't dare to be careless. If someone outside came to the door at this moment and overheard their conversation, it would be disastrous. Yang Jian Xiu currently holds no official position and cannot protect everyone.

  As the autumn moon rises, Ye Zhuo finally spoke up: "As for the county's affairs, I think Yang Gong has also thought it through and has a clear idea in his mind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have resigned from the prefecture's official post and returned to the county. Please listen to what I have to say next. After all, I'm young and inexperienced, so please forgive me if there are any mistakes or childish laughter."

  Yang Jianxiu nodded: "Miss Ye, please speak." His eyes looking at Ye Zhuo were getting brighter and brighter. He had a feeling that this little girl from the Ye family was not simple at all, and what she said next might bring him great benefits.

  Ye Zhuo picked up the tea and took a sip, then looked up at Yang Jianxiu and said: "According to Mr. Yang's experience, it should be worth seeking the position of county lieutenant. The positions of chief clerk and official in the county are not even visible to Mr. Yang's eyes, I don't know if what I said is correct? But that strict gentleman has a complex network of relationships in the county, wanting to take food from a tiger's mouth, even with Mr. Yang and Mr. Yuan's abilities, it should be somewhat difficult, shouldn't it?"

  Yang Jianxiu nodded this time without evasion or probing, and replied: "Yes. I've been back for almost half a month now, but I haven't found any weaknesses in him."

  Yang Jianxiu's attitude this time made Ye Zhuo very satisfied. She lowered her head to look at the tea bowl in her hand, smiled, and said: "The daughter of Yan Daren married the son of Tao Shanzhang; and the son of Tao Shanzhang also had some dealings with my stepmother Gong Shi, and the two were cousins. According to what I know, this Tao Changsheng and Gong Shi's brother Gong You Sheng, and Yan Daren's son Yan Jinquan often do some deceitful things, intentionally inducing people to drink and gamble, owing huge debts, then buying off the other party's ancestral property at a low price, forcing others to lose their families and even causing family breakups."

  Yang Jianxiu's eyes lit up, then furrowed his brow: "Miss Ye is saying that to bring down Lord Yan and the others, we should start with their younger generation? However, has Miss Ye considered that even if we take down Yan Jinchen, Tao Changsheng and the others, as long as Lord Yan and the others are in power, those cases will be dismissed. At most, it would just cost them some money to silence the crowd. Wanting to shake their foundation is simply impossible."

  "Of course not." Ye Zhuo sat there, every move elegant and noble, exuding confidence. She smiled slightly and said, "We must start with them themselves." She raised her head to look at Yang Jianxiu, "Does Mr. Yang know how the Xie family calculated against our Ye family?"

  Yang Jianxiu saw Ye Zhuo suddenly bring up the grudges between the Xie and Ye families, although he found it a bit strange. However, after this conversation, he would no longer regard Ye Zhuo as an ordinary little girl. He knew that she must have had deep intentions when saying such things. He shook his head: "The details aren't very clear." As for the Ye family's affairs, he had naturally inquired about them before. Since they were unrelated to the bigger picture, he only understood a general outline.

  "In our Ye family, if we encounter difficulties and need to borrow money, there are only two places we can turn to. One is the second house of the Ye family, and the other is the Zheng family. However, the great-uncle of the second house is notoriously stingy, so even if people from the main house were in trouble, he wouldn't lend us a single penny. Moreover, there's also the Gong family stirring up trouble on the side, so we can't count on the second house. As for the Zheng family, due to my mother's relationship and my uncle being somewhat righteous, if we're really in trouble, they might not be able to lend us a lot of money, but at least they could help us have food to eat and a place to live. After all, my mother spent many years in the second house of the Ye family, so she might have some valuable jewelry or savings that we don't know about. Therefore, the Zheng family is like a spring in a well."

  In order to block this spring, they first bribed the people in Langyuan Pavilion, deliberately broke the guest's jade bangle, and then framed my cousin. According to their plan, my cousin would either be imprisoned or bankrupt. Either way, whether it was Zheng's family or my mother who had savings, they would have to pay up. And if they didn't have money, they could borrow from our Ye family's main house, which would not only block the spring but also drain all the water from the well. Next, they would set up another trap with the broken jade, and we would have no savings and nowhere to borrow money. Besides selling our house and workshop, and selling my mother and me as concubines to others, what other way out is there?

  Ye Yuqi only knew about Luo Jing's and Xie Yunteng's affairs, but didn't know that Zheng Fangjing's affair was also related to this matter. At this time, he listened in stunned silence, looking at Ye Zhuo incredulously: "Zheng Fangjing's affair is also the doing of the Xie family?"

  "That's right." Ye Zhuo said. This was what she had let Tang Shun Gui and others go to investigate the whereabouts of Qian Shi Fu and others, and had inquired about.

  "This Xie family, they really should be cut off from having any descendants." Even Ruan Ye, who was a kind and gentle old man, couldn't help but grit his teeth and curse the Xie family when he heard this.

  Yang Jianxu furrowed his brow, deep in thought. After a while, he asked: "Miss Ye said this matter has something to do with Lord Yan and the others, what's the connection?"

  Yue Zhuo lightly smiled: "My intention is that we might as well follow their example and also use the tactic of draining the water to catch the fish."

  "Removing the fire from under the cauldron?" Yang Jianxiu furrowed his brow, thought for a long time, and then looked up with a smile: "Forgive my ignorance, please enlighten me, Miss Ye, what is this 'removing the fire from under the cauldron' method?"

  "You just need to bring Gong Shuban to gamble on the stone..." Ye Zhuo said this and that, and Yang Jianxiu's eyes lit up, his gaze at Ye Zhuo becoming increasingly profound.

  And Ye Yuqi was stunned, looking up and down at Ye Zhuo, unable to understand why his granddaughter would know these things. These official matters, how could ordinary people like them possibly understand? Ye Zhuo was still young, a girl who had been raised in the inner chambers, how could she possibly know these things? Could it be that there really are people born with innate knowledge?

  Ye Zhuo couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation when she saw her grandfather's scrutinizing gaze. She didn't want to say these things in front of Ye Yuqi, giving people the impression that she was cunning and calculating, but it was impossible to avoid talking to Yang Jianxiu alone with Ye Yuqi present. Under duress, she had no choice but to do so. As for how Ye Yuqi would treat her afterwards, that was beyond her control. If Ye Yuqi became cold towards her, then it could only be said that the two of them, grandfather and granddaughter, were not fated to have a good relationship. From now on, she wouldn't confide in Ye Yuqi anymore and would spend most of her time at the Zheng family's home.

  As for Yang Jianxiu having a bad impression of Zheng from this and ruining her good marriage, she didn't have any guilt. A person's personality can be hidden for a while, but it can't be hidden forever. At this time, she showed her true nature to let Yang Jianxiu see clearly the daughter's character that is very important to Zheng, which is truly good for this marriage. If Yang Jianxiu avoids Zheng from now on, it can only be said that he is not Zheng's good man.

  Yang Jianxiu listened to Ye Zhuo's words, tapped the table with his fingers, and pondered for a while before saying: "What you said is indeed a good idea. However, I heard that Gong Shuban has been studying the skill of gambling stones because he lost too much, and his level of gambling stones has improved recently. He no longer loses money, and it seems that he has even made some gains."

  (Special thanks to Yōngtàn for giving me a New Year's red envelope and spending money to vote for this book with a perfect score, muah~)