The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

After discussing with Sun Jiaojiao and others, Zhou Chu had people start construction at the restaurant location that had been selected earlier.

The restaurant is already there.

It originally belonged to the family of an official in the Ministry of Revenue.

Business is alright, nothing special.

According to Zhou Chu's estimate, this restaurant could originally earn tens of thousands of taels of silver every year.

However, this official from the Ministry of Revenue offended someone before the new year and was exiled after his home was searched.

Zhou Chu seized the opportunity and bought the restaurant at a low price.

Zhou Chu had long planned to open a restaurant and naturally made preparations in advance.

However, if it's to reopen, it will naturally need to undergo renovations.

Ordinary restaurants can make money, but like this restaurant before, they can only earn a few tens of thousands of taels a year at most.

If it were just about making this little money, Zhou Chu wouldn't need to go to such lengths.

Only when the restaurant makes enough money can I be safe.

Personal connections may not protect you, but self-interest can.

Once you form a community of interests with Sun Jiaojiao and the other three families, very few people in the capital will be able to touch you.

If we're going to do it, we should do high-end restaurants.

The kind with entry requirements.

If your status isn't high enough, I'm sorry, you can't even get in.

Those who come and go here are all high-ranking officials and nobles. If you spend less than a thousand taels of silver on a meal, you'd be embarrassed.

Originally, Zhou Chu only wanted to run a simple restaurant.

But Zhou Chu changed his mind at this point.

In a few years, the throne will change hands, and the eldest son of the Lu family, Lu Bing, will take command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The new emperor, upon ascending the throne, will also have to contend with Yang Tinghe and others over the Great Rites Controversy.

Zhou Chu was well aware that the so-called Great Rites Controversy was not about the etiquette itself, but about the power of discourse within the imperial court.

At that time, everyone will think that a veteran official like Yang Tinghe, who has served three emperors, will be able to easily control the new emperor.

After all, the new emperor was only fourteen or fifteen years old when he ascended the throne.

They were around the age of teenagers.

But Zhou Chu knew exactly what kind of monster Zhu Houcong was.

In less than three years, Yang Tinghe was completely defeated and dismissed from office, returning to his hometown.

Emperor Jiajing (Zhu Houcong) was actually a capable ruler in the early years of his reign.

In the early years of his reign, he wanted to lift the sea ban, a move that affected the interests of too many people.

After all, countless officials in the court had joined smuggling groups along the southeast coast. As long as the sea ban remained in place, they could continue to make huge profits through smuggling.

The palace had been infiltrated by these officials ever since Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, went into exile.

Riddled with holes.

Because of the lifting of the sea ban, the Jiajing Emperor was almost strangled to death by palace maids in the palace.

This event is historically known as the Renyin Palace Coup.

In addition to lifting the maritime ban, the Jiajing Emperor also wanted to reform the currency system and mint large-denomination copper coins.

Unfortunately, those people simply took the copper coins and melted them down in the furnace.

The lifting of the maritime ban and the reform of the currency system thus came to nothing.

It can only be said that Emperor Jiajing had the ability to govern the country, but he lacked capable ministers to assist him.

With all the officials in the court opposing him and lacking effective methods, it's no wonder he couldn't accomplish anything.

Later, six of his eight sons died young.

Emperor Jiajing became disheartened and devoted himself to Taoist practices.

Zhou Chu knew very well that whether he was allowed to choose or because of Lu Bing, he would become a confidant of the new emperor in the future.

He could no longer serve as a civil official.

If one becomes a civil official, it is like being trapped in an endless quagmire, from which it will be difficult to escape.

I might as well become a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard then.

Therefore, in addition to making money, Zhou Chu also wanted this restaurant to have another function.

Gathering intelligence.

During these two years, I will gather information and leverage against these officials in Beijing.

In this way, the new emperor could quickly establish a new regime upon his ascension to the throne, and the Great Rites Controversy would not have to last for three long years.

Of course, Zhou Chu's main motivation was to plan for himself.

However, to gain more power, one must closely follow the future new emperor.

Zhou Chu handed one set of design drawings for the restaurant's renovation to the construction team and another set to his cousin, Sun Qiang.