Outside the palace, inside a carriage.
Yuan Shao said to Ju Shou, who had already been waiting in the carriage, "The Zhen Clan's Second Young Master, Zhen Yan, has died. Draft an edict and send it into the Imperial Palace, posthumously enfeoffing him as a Pavilion Marquis. Make the other rewards generous as well."
Ju Shou was delighted to hear this and said excitedly, "The Zhen Clan's eldest son died young, and their Second Young Master, Zhen Yan, has managed the household all these years. Now that Zhen Yan is dead, the clan has only a young child left. They are caught between the old crop running out and the new crop not yet ripe."
"With such vast family wealth, the Zhen Clan could help you establish your hegemony, my lord, if we scheme appropriately!"
Yuan Shao's eyes held a smile. Naturally, he wanted to swallow such a fat piece of meat as the Zhen Clan.
Chapter 114: Python and Sparrow Devouring the Dragon
The carriage rolled slowly along as Yuan Shao and Ju Shou plotted how to turn the Zhen Clan into an asset while the family had no successor ready to take over.
They even plotted how to swallow up the Zhen Clan's entire fortune.
By the end of their discussion, Ju Shou could not help lamenting, "Curse that rumor back then. Otherwise, once Zhen Mi married your Second Young Master, everything would have flowed naturally into place."
The prophecy that Zhen Mi possessed a phoenix destiny had spread far and wide. Zhen Mi, who should have married Yuan Xi, had instead had to be sent into the palace, giving Liu Xie the prize.
Although Yuan Shao found this regrettable, he did not dwell on it.
"Do not be indignant, Gongyu. Sending her into the palace benefits