Chapter 451 How about we both show some sincerity?

"It's not impossible for the Xie family to regain its former glory. As long as my Lingnan Prince's Mansion succeeds, the eldest young master can have whatever he wants."

Xie Ning'an almost lost her composure upon hearing Zhu Junning's words. Anyone with eyes could see that the Lingnan Prince's Mansion was already at its end; only they themselves believed that a little more effort could lead to success.

He straightened his sleeves, looked up at Zhu Junning casually, and asked with a hint of sarcasm, "It seems the King of Lingnan has some big bargaining chips in his hands!"

His tone infuriated Zhu Junning, but she was still quite cultured and didn't show it on her face. Instead, she said with great certainty, "If we didn't have any leverage, would we dare to come to the capital?"

Xie Ning'an dropped his casual expression and sat up straighter, adopting a listening posture. This improved Zhu Junning's mood. She reached for the teacup in front of Xie Ning'an, poured out the cold tea, replaced it with fresh tea, and handed it to him.

This time, Xie Ning'an took the tea and drank it all in one gulp, then smiled and said, "The tea brewed by the princess is quite good."

Zhu Junning poured himself a cup, held the teacup in his hand, and looked at Xie Ning'an, saying, "Young Master, you are the only adult male left in your Xie family. Your Xie family is not allowed to participate in the imperial examination for three generations."

Your Xie family's banks and trading companies have all been handed over to the imperial court, and now they're being restructured by the Duke of Chu. It won't be long before your Xie family's banks and trading companies have absolutely no connection to you anymore.

Xie Ning'an glanced at her, remaining silent, but her expression was somewhat grave. Zhu Junning thought she had hit the nail on the head, and smiled, saying, "Master Xie sacrificed everything of the Xie family to save the eldest son's life. I suppose Master Xie wants more than just the eldest son to live. But with the Emperor and the Duke of Chu pressing you so relentlessly, when will your Xie family regain its glory?"

"A hundred years from now?"

These words made Xie Ning'an radiate coldness again. Zhu Junning looked like he appreciated her, and continued, "Young Master, if you cooperate with my Lingnan Prince's Mansion, your Xie family has a chance to restore its glory in a short time. Otherwise, I'm afraid... it will be a long way off."

After saying this, she leaned back in her chair, silently watching Xie Ning'an's tense face, but in her heart, she was already determined to win. After a while, Xie Ning'an resumed her languid demeanor and asked, "May I ask, Princess, what bargaining chips do you hold?"

Zhu Junning smiled confidently, "It's a bargaining chip that can overturn the current court structure."

Xie Ning'an chuckled, "How can I believe you if the princess doesn't reveal anything?"

"If I were the eldest son, would I reveal even a fraction of this at this time?" Zhu Jun countered.

Xie Ning'an shrugged. "Then what do we have to talk about?"

“It’s understandable that the eldest son doesn’t believe me,” Zhu Junning placed his teacup on the tea table. “But that doesn’t affect our cooperation. For example, if the eldest son wants to leave Da Gan, I can make it happen immediately.”

Xie Ning'an stared at her intently for a moment, then pondered for a while before asking, "When?"

Zhu Junning smiled confidently, "When my father and I left the capital."

Xie Ning'an tapped her knees repeatedly with her fingers, her brows furrowed in seriousness. Zhu Junning quietly sipped his tea, the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

She leaned back in her chair, holding her cup, her gaze unconsciously observing Xie Ning'an. She had met Xie Ning'an once two years ago; back then, Xie Ning'an was handsome and dashing, seemingly radiating sunshine, and so noble that it was impossible to look away.

In the entire Daqian region, if anyone could surpass him, it would only be Prince Rui, who was showered with affection.

At this moment, Xie Ning'an possessed a cunning and composure beyond his years. He was also melancholic yet untamed, and considering his past experiences, it inexplicably softened her heart. She sighed inwardly.

After an unknown amount of time, Xie Ning'an sat up straight, looked at Zhu Junning seriously, and asked, "What do you want?"

Zhu Junning also adopted a serious tone, "In the past six months, has the imperial treasury really seen an inflow of 80 million taels of silver?"

Xie Ning'an chuckled lightly, "Does the princess really think that a mere verbal promise from you is enough to make me go on and on?"

This time, Zhu Junning lowered her eyes and remained silent. Xie Ning'an didn't believe her, and she never believed Xie Ning'an either. But how could Xie Ning'an, once one of the most outstanding talents in the capital, be fooled by a few words? She had to produce something real.

But what should we use?

She was caught in a dilemma.

Seeing her lost in thought, Xie Ning'an leaned back casually in her chair and turned to look at the scenery outside the window...

The setting sun cast a warm yellow glow over the eaves, bathing the flagstones below in its light. A woman carrying a basket chatted and laughed with the stall owner, a boy chased after a wooden ball, a few people gathered around a sugar painting stall, and the aroma of evening cooking mingled with the glow of red lanterns. All this vibrant life, visible through the window, had nothing to do with him.

A gust of wind swept by, rustling the leaves and making the private room even more tranquil. He glanced at Zhu Junning, who was deep in thought and struggling, and then thought about his own daily scheming and plotting, and suddenly felt very tired.

"Young Master, how about this?"

Zhu Junning's voice pulled him back to reality, but he seemed to be stuck in his thoughts and couldn't get out of them, so he looked lazy and didn't want to care about anything, which surprised the usually on high alert Zhu Junning.

Xie Ning'an realized that her state was not right, so she changed her posture and asked, "Please speak, Princess."

Zhu Junning didn't dwell on his strange behavior, and looked into his eyes, saying, "For the sake of cooperation, let's both show some sincerity, shall we?"

Xie Ning'an nodded, "Princess, you go first."

Zhu Junning raised the corners of her lips, dipped her fair fingers into the teacup, and wrote two characters on the table: Huaiping.

Xie Ning'an's eyes darkened, and his grip on the jade pendant tightened. However, it was only for a moment. He smiled slightly, "You and your daughter have really kept this a secret."

Zhu Junning smiled noncommittally, "It's your turn, Young Master Xie."

Xie Ning'an narrowed her eyes and said, "What I'm about to say may not concern the King of Lingnan, but you, Princess, definitely want to know."

Zhu Junning didn't speak, but gestured for him to continue with his eyes. Xie Ning'an only said three words: "Prince Rui."

Zhu Junning's expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered. "Young Master Xie is joking. What relationship do I have with Prince Rui?"

"The Empress Dowager is seriously ill, so she must arrange a marriage for Prince Rui as soon as possible." Xie Ning'an spread her hands. "If the princess doesn't want to know who will become Prince Rui's wife, then I won't say."

Zhu Junning's clenched fist turned white. After a while, she smiled and said, "Then, Young Master, please tell us about it."