We shall not hunt the big fox

Si Yifeng was doubting life right now.

Is talent now cabbage? How come the little girl disappeared for a week and got 10 scholars as good as the top 20 of the Imperial Exam?

At first he thought the little girl was cheated by the slippery tongue of those scholars, but after watching the ten debating with his 6 subordinates he just want to prostrate himself in the ground and worship her as a master.

He passed years to cultivate his six confidants, while she spent a week to get ten. Although they weren't as loyal or well cultivate as the six, he could see they have a strong potential. There was even an older one who knew military affairs way better than his subordinates, if he could...

"Can you please not look at my subordinates like that"

Ming Shu who was drinking tea beside the Crown Prince couldn't help but say something after seeing the eagerness and calculation inside Yifeng's eye.

"Even if you want, you have to wait for the contract we signed to finish so you can poach people"

Si Yifeng unnaturally took his eyes back from the heated discussion in the neighbor table and sipped his drink to cover his embarrassment.

This girl was too sharp sometimes. If only his good friend could have half of his sister's brain.

Sighing at the misfortune of genes, Yifeng transferred the topic.

"What do you think we should do next? Having 16 unknown people appear suddenly with this level of study will cause suspicion. Even the ten you gathered will be problematic, since it can be interpreted that the Ming Family is trying to gather power"

Ming Shu nodded. True, it's unrealistic to make them known abruptly. She knows to well how suspicious an Emperor can be, and she didn't want to attract the imperial attention now.

"At first I thought in only 4 of them making a debut. The old man, and those three" Ming Shu said pointing to who she thought was already ready.

"This time of the year there are a lot of scholar gatherings all over the Capital. 10 people shouldn't make a big difference, even with their level. Plus, the four I chose are people I can justify as having a date encounter and it will solve the suspicion of gathering power"

"All right. We should aim to the gatherings that Prince Song usually attend and some other special gathering where they can accumulate quick fame"

Ming Shu only nodded. His suggestion was the same she thought. Although it's unfavorable to rise in fame so quickly she had confidence that the four she chose could keep a stable pace after a while in the scholar's ranks.

"But even then, it will only slightly weaken Zhao Song. Gossip doesn't last long and even his intellect it's a compliment to his status"

Yifeng slowly analyzed their plan. It would undoubtedly hit his perfect and low-key brother reputation but was not enough to shake it completely.

"Besides, he has his Mother at his side as a great bust. She is not only favored by the Emperor but also loved among the people by her charity acts"

Consort Huang was deeply loved by the Emperor until his last breath. She was known for her kindness and graceful bearing. Different from other consorts she didn't fight for power or participate in the harem struggle.

That's was at least what was commonly known about her, but Ming Shu and Si Yifeng knew better than anyone that the woman who was portrayed almost as holy was one of the most poisonous inside the harem.

Without lifting a finger personally she is able to manipulate almost all of the harem to the tide that she wants. She could even sometimes manipulate the court by 'unintentionally' blowing the Emperor's pillow or releasing some kind of news.

Besides the Empress there was no other enemy of that woman who stayed alive in the harem, showing how scary she was as an enemy.

To completely close Zhao Song path to the dragon throne they need to take her down. The only problem was how?

"What if introduce a new beauty to compete with her"

"Empress tried. The beauty lasted two months and was found dead with a suicide letter saying she was forced to enter the palace by her family and because she couldn't bare to betray her real sweetheart she preferred to die"

"..."

The two silent drunk their tea trying to come up with a feasible plan to take down the great fox in the palace.

"That's it!"

Si Yifeng turned his eyes to the excited girl. Her eyes were sparkling so much that it was almost blindly. 'It seems the little girl come up with something good'

"What?"

"What's the most taboo to the Emperor?"

Si Yifeng understood her intentions. Undoubtedly it would make her relationship with the Emperor hit a new chill since the whole Madame Wang's birthday fiasco. It would also confirm or at least aggravate the suspicion that his father has since the rumors about his brother trying to win the four families. Unfortunately...

"It's not easy to caught her handle. Otherwise she wouldn't survive until now"

"Who said anything about her? Our aim is Prince Song"

Managing to get the handle of the big fox is way beyond Ming Shu capacity. Even though she was reborned and was undoubtedly smarter than her peers, she was still to young to clash with that old witch. Otherwise she wouldn't die so miserably in her last life or fall so deep into the scheme of the consort and her son.

Knowing her limits, Ming Shu preferred to set her sight on an easiest target. Even if smart, a young and inexperienced cub it's prone to make mistakes and leave his trail everywhere. All they had to do is follow the trail left by the cub and make it even more visible to all the hunters out there.

Ming Shu eyes flashed a ruthless light. 'And then the hunt will begin'