You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Xiao Yan wanted to suppress bandits. His father gave him soldiers, but not the final amount of money. He needed to buy horses before setting off, but the Ministry of War had not approved the money for him.

If the Ministry of War doesn't approve it, the Ministry of Revenue won't give him the money.

After he left, Lou Yao was left alone on the spot, her eyes flashing with resentment and bitterness.

She finally realized that, just as her mother had said, she was nothing more than a decoration in this mansion. Xiao Yan's heart was not with her at all, and that he had tricked her into marriage in order to secure the support of the Lou family.

Previously, because of a falling out with his older brother, he sent her back and asked her to go and annoy Xie Wanru. So he brought her along, but after using her, she was no longer useful, so he ignored her.

So what she can do now is to get pregnant as soon as possible, use the child to tie Xiao Yan down, and maintain her position.

The Xie family's porridge stall added mung bean soup, which made many people happy.

Mung beans can relieve summer heat, making them a good remedy when the weather gets hot.

However, Xie's porridge stall was located in a relatively far part of the city, and some people who liked to take advantage of others were too lazy to come over, as it would take an hour to get there and back, which successfully deterred a lot of people.

With everything proceeding smoothly, Xie Wanru was able to regain her composure, and the question of how to deal with Xiao Yan and Shen Nian'an was now on the agenda.

The eldest brother gave Xie Wanru the message, telling her why Xiao Yan had not yet launched an attack.

Therefore, this discussion was held at His Highness the Crown Prince's residence, but everyone went there secretly.

"The Northern Barbarians will have to pay a huge sum of money this time. It is estimated that both he and Xiao Yan will have to empty their pockets to fill this hole. It is unlikely that there will be any more trouble within a year."

The eldest brother was somewhat reserved in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. People in the martial arts world have always advocated freedom and equality, which is contrary to the royal family's management philosophy. However, he also understood the principle that all land under the emperor's feet belongs to the emperor. He was respectful but also somewhat uncomfortable.

Shen Cong'an nodded in agreement.

According to others, Lou Li and Xiao Yan have indeed fallen into a trap they dug themselves.

Xiao Yan never expected that simply not speaking according to Xiao Yan's instructions would anger the dim-witted Lou Li. Lou Li, on the other hand, never expected that his attempt to intimidate Xiao Yan and make him realize his importance, which resulted in leaking clues to Xie Wanru, would lead to the failure of their plan.

They all underestimated Xie Wanru's determination to pursue them.

Xie Yanting failed to kidnap the enemy and angered the Emperor, who then authorized Xie Yanting to go to the Northern Barbarians to demand an explanation.

Xiao Long in this life is unaware of how tragic his fate was in his previous life, so his hatred for Xiao Yan is not as intense.

"Wanwan, what are your plans for the next step?"

Xiao Long's gaze was deep, clearly indicating that he had some expectations for Xie Wanru's plan.

He had to admit that he was not resolute enough, so he was happy to listen to Xie Wanru's advice when dealing with Xiao Yan's affairs.

“Since Xiao Yan is short of silver, then this is his weakness. We can secretly fund those small forces that are his enemies. They will definitely create chaos during Xiao Yan’s bandit suppression campaign, tie down his troops, and make him return empty-handed.”

Previously, Xie Wanru had just been reborn and was not yet used to the rhythm of this life, so she was somewhat passive. This time, after returning from the Northern Border, she understood many things.

In matters of family, country, and the world, none of the Xie family's sons are cowards.

Moreover, even if she didn't make things difficult for these people, they would still target her family. When she was rescuing her third brother, Xie Yanting, she experienced the advantages of being a princess.

It also made her realize the importance of rights; only when she is strong enough can she protect her family.

"Of course, we can also take advantage of the rift between Lou Li and Xiao Yan to further sow discord and make them kill each other. My senior brother and I can disguise ourselves as Lou Li's subordinates. We already know the mysterious man's disguise, so it won't be difficult to confuse the public."

Xie Wanru's voice was deep and powerful, every word revealing her determination and ruthlessness. She was no longer the woman confined to the inner quarters.

A hint of admiration flashed in Shen Cong'an's eyes, but he couldn't help but worry: "This plan is ingenious, but it is also very risky. If it is discovered, the consequences will be unimaginable."

His Highness the Crown Prince nodded. “I think Cong An makes a good point. It would be too risky for you to take action yourself. I tend to agree with your first plan. My third brother is an arrogant person and has had conflicts with many officials. Perhaps we can start from that point. If that doesn’t work, we can then implement the disguise plan you mentioned.”

Xiao Long was still somewhat uneasy about Xie Wanru taking matters into her own hands.

Xie Wanru could only turn to her senior brother for help, hoping that he could step in and dispel the concerns of these two hesitant men.

The eldest brother couldn't bear Xie Wanru's pitiful appearance, so he had to bite the bullet and speak, "Your Highness, my opinion differs somewhat from yours. I think we can take a two-pronged approach. You and Lord Shen should be responsible for finding those officials who have grudges against the Third Prince, while my junior sister and I should be responsible for finding opportunities to disguise ourselves as mysterious figures and stir up trouble for the Third Prince. Naturally, the bigger the trouble and mess, the better. What do you think?"

The eldest brother's words were both pertinent and resolute, taking into account the concerns of the Crown Prince and Shen Cong'an while cleverly incorporating Xie Wanru's radical strategy. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was subtly balanced.

His Highness the Crown Prince nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Senior Brother Xu is right. A two-pronged approach can ensure the plan's thoroughness while maximizing our advantages. However, all actions must be carried out with caution, and your personal safety must be ensured."

Shen Cong'an nodded, his solemn expression finally easing somewhat: "In that case, I will begin preparations, contacting those officials who are at odds with the Third Prince, and secretly making arrangements. However, the Princess and Senior Brother Xu must be extremely careful when they act."

Shen Cong'an dared not look at Xie Wanru frequently, so he could only look at other people. When his gaze turned to His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness was also looking at him, and he immediately felt guilty.

It was only because His Highness the Crown Prince already knew about his feelings for Xie Wanru that he felt like he had nowhere to hide.

Xie Wanru smiled faintly. She liked the feeling of being in control. Her eyes shone with unprecedented determination: "Your Highness and Lord Shen, rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

As for how to deal with Shen Nian'an, Xie Wanru didn't mention it in front of everyone. She and Shen Cong'an both felt that it was their private matter and there was no need for His Highness the Crown Prince and his senior brother to worry about it. They could handle it themselves.

The eldest brother patted Xie Wanru on the shoulder to encourage her: "Your Highness and Lord Shen, please rest assured. Before we went down the mountain, Master instructed my junior brother and me to protect our junior sister. We will not let her be in any danger."