At that moment, Mu Zilian finished cutting some fresh fruit and walked lightly into the room, carrying a colorful fruit platter.
She gently set the platter on the coffee table and said softly, "Senior Uncle, Zhang Ci, have some fruit. It's all fresh."
With that, she gracefully stepped aside and waited quietly.
Zhuo Qianren and Zhang Ci both looked up at the fruit platter Mu Zilian had brought, smiling faintly.
Their conversation, however, was not interrupted.
Zhang Ci took a deep breath and pressed on. "Master, have you ever considered that turning our Academy into a training ground for Chen Clan talent, or having our graduates go either to official institutions or to the Chen Clan, might actually be what our dean, City Lord Xue Churan, wants?"
A sharp gleam flashed through Zhuo Qianren's eyes. "What makes you say that?" he asked gravely.
Zhang Ci fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words, then slowly began, "People outside say the City Lord's Residence and the Chen Clan are so close they wear the same pair of trousers. I'm sure you've heard that too."
"Over the past few years, we've received quite a few benefits from the City Lord's Residence through the Chen Clan. We never had such good fortune before."
"You must also know that the Chen Clan and the City Lord both endorsed the aristocratic clans that night."
He paused before continuing, "Moreover, when the Chen Clan emerged into the world, City Lord Xue Churan invited Lord Chen Cong to serve as Executive Vice Dean and honorary dean, as though she intended to leave the Academy entirely in His Excellency's hands."
"Don't you think those positions were too lofty, and the timing too convenient?"
"So you wouldn't object if I called them allies, would you?"
"From the City