Princess Promotion

The head of the Wu family returned to the Wu family with Lord Wu, who looked confused.

He looked at his disappointing brother, and the anger in his heart instantly rose.

Yao Chuguang was poaching people right under his nose, but he was completely unaware of it, which made the head of the Wu family extremely angry.

Lord Wu felt very aggrieved when he saw his brother's angry expression.

He really knew nothing, and he was also confused about Yao Chuguang's promotion of Liu Shu.

The head of the Wu family knew very well that the most important thing now was to explain everything clearly to the Liu family and the Qing family as soon as possible, otherwise once the Wu family was isolated, it would face a huge crisis.

The head of the Wu family calmed down. Now he had to stabilize Liu Shu first and make sure to keep him.

Liu Shu is the key. As long as he is still a member of the Wu family, there is still a way out.

On the other side, Lord Xiao and Lord Xiao were playing chess at home, with black and white chess pieces intertwined, and the atmosphere was quiet yet tense.

At this time, a servant hurried in and reported: "Master Wu invites Elder Xiao to go out for a gathering."

Upon hearing this, Lord Xiao frowned slightly, gently put down the chess piece in his hand, and turned to ask Elder Xiao: "Father, has the Wu family really surrendered to the Empress?"

Elder Xiao was calm and composed. He slowly placed a piece down and said calmly, "It's just a ploy to sow discord."

A hint of doubt flashed in Lord Xiao's eyes: "But the Liu and Qing families seem to have taken it seriously."

Elder Xiao put down the chess piece in his hand, his eyes deep, and said slowly: "This is the strength of that girl."

If Yao Chuguang only promoted people from the Wu family and did not promote people from the other three families, everyone would suspect that the Wu family had defected to the empress.

But as long as the Wu family insists that it was the empress who was instigating discord, the other two families will most likely believe it to some extent and at least maintain the appearance of an alliance.

Lord Xiao asked, "Then why does the Empress still act this way?"

Elder Xiao sighed softly, "The Empress's cruelty lies in the fact that she has given Liu Shu full authority over the imperial examinations."

If the Wu family really secretly sided with her and insisted that they were framed, then the Wu family might use this opportunity to manipulate the imperial examination and successfully place their own people.

By then, it will be too late.

Therefore, even if there is only a one in a thousand chance, the Liu family and the Qing family dare not take the risk.

There was no real trust between the four major families, and this time they only joined forces temporarily to deal with Yao Chuguang.

After hearing this, Lord Xiao couldn't help but take a deep breath: "The Empress's scheming is indeed deep."

Lord Xiao frowned, looked at his father in confusion, and asked, "Father, since you have already seen that this is the Empress's strategy to sow discord, why don't you help the Wu family?"

Elder Xiao picked up the teacup, blew away the hot steam, took a sip, and said slowly, "Because I can't afford to gamble."

"Even if I'm certain the Wu family hasn't sided with Yao Chuguang, who can guarantee they won't change their minds tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? If Yao Chuguang were to try to negotiate with the Wu family now, as long as they sided with her, then this imperial examination would be completely decided by the Wu family. Do you think the Wu family could resist such temptation?"

After hearing this, Lord Xiao was silent for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he said, "Is it possible that Yao Chuguang only appointed Liu Shu as the chief examiner because he valued his abilities? And Liu Shu is still willing to be loyal to the Wu family. In this way, the Wu family can unite with the three of us to divide up this imperial examination. In that case, wouldn't Yao Chuguang lose both his wife and his army?"

Xiao Ge Lao put down his teacup and looked at Master Xiao with a helpless smile on his face: "Your five-year-old nephew knows in his dreams that he has to ask me for money to eat candied haws. How can you not be better than your nephew?"

Master Xiao was stunned for a moment, then he understood what his father meant. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Father, you're right. I really thought too simply."

Elder Xiao sat on a chair, gazing out the window with deep eyes. He said to Master Xiao in a heavy voice, "Although the fighting in the court is bloodless, it is even bloodier than on the battlefield. Here, you cannot make a single wrong move."

After hearing this, Master Xiao nodded respectfully and responded, "Father is right."

At the same time, the head of the Wu family paced back and forth in the house, anxiously waiting for the arrival of the other three families.

He looked outside the house from time to time, but there was no one in sight.

His heart gradually sank. It seemed that the other three families were ready to abandon the Wu family.

In the imperial study, Yao Chuguang was leaning on a carved wooden chair, holding an ancient book in his hands, looking lazy and focused.

The sunlight shone on her through the delicate window lattices, casting a golden halo on her.

Lin Wan stood aside, with a look of worry on his face.

Lin Wan couldn't help but ask, "Are you just going to hand over the imperial examination to Liu Shu? He's a retainer of the Wu family and has never done anything detrimental to the Wu family in the past ten years."

Yao Chuguang raised his eyes, glanced at Lin Wan lazily, and a confident smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "So what? As long as you pay enough, there is no corner that cannot be poached."

Lin Wan frowned, still a little worried: "Aren't you afraid that he will still side with the Wu family?"

Yao Chuguang put down the book in his hand, stood up, walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside.

Yao Chuguang said calmly, "He's worked diligently for the Wu family for over a decade, and what has he gained? And I can give him the opportunity to be on equal footing with the Wu family. Why should he kneel when he can stand and earn money?"

After hearing this, Lin Wan nodded thoughtfully: "Indeed, we can give what the Wu family can give, and we can also give what the Wu family cannot give."

Yao Chuguang turned around and said slowly, "In this world, the only things that can make people give up their own interests are faith and love. Look at the Wu family, do they look like they have faith and love?"

Lin Wan shook her head, indicating that she didn't understand.

Yao Chuguang smiled slightly and said nothing more.

She knew that her plan had begun to be implemented, and Liu Shu would be an important chess piece in her hands.