Even though the little one was so impatient that she asked dozens of times every day when they would leave, Jiang Yanchuan firmly set their departure for five days after the New Year's Banquet.
Over those five days, he sent men to buy up every residence surrounding the Lin Residence. Even those unwilling to sell were persuaded by the lure of exorbitant prices.
The ministers gradually stationed their people in them.
Jiang Yanchuan himself also stationed dozens of Shadow Guards in one of the residences. With that, the Lin Residence became the only household of "original residents" left anywhere in Green Smoke Alley.
Only after the ministers had finished putting their new residences in order did a long-forgotten question suddenly spring to mind.
Wait a moment...
Since the little one was a fake princess, there must be a real princess or Imperial Prince living outside the palace...
Their thoughts raced, and at last, as one, they belatedly turned their eyes toward the Lin Residence.
The mistress of the Lin Residence was the little one's birth mother-a birth mother who might bring about a terrible disaster at that. Then-
Gasp!!
The instant realization struck, quite a few of them accidentally bit their tongues!
Lin Jinshu?!!
Jiang Yanchuan personally selected a dozen or so Upright Officials to accompany him to Jiangnan.
-Through a competition for the available spots.
The Minister of Revenue, Jiao Hongmiao, was the first to fall out of the running, owing to the particularly sensitive nature of his post.
The Minister of Works, Ran Hongyi, followed close behind, since the Moat urgently needed repairs.
The Minister of Rites, Chu Jiaxu, had just finished arranging a Palace Banquet and had no other pressing business, making him the first lucky soul selected for the trip.
Everyone glanced left and right,