“I sent two trusted confidants over there; they couldn’t possibly embezzle that money,” Ninth Master said.

But as soon as he finished speaking, even he himself began to feel that his words no longer carried much weight.

"If these two are arrested by someone else, can they keep quiet?" Eighth Master said. "Our good uncle is keeping a close eye on them these days. When we leave later, let's not go together, let's go separately."

Upon hearing this, everyone present began to whisper among themselves. Their gathering at Ninth Master's villa today was naturally out of necessity.

Before that letter arrived, everyone had already discussed how to proceed and how to coordinate with the Fourteenth Army stationed in the northwest from the capital.

"Alright, gentlemen, that's enough for today. Please make yourselves at home. However, as my eighth brother wishes, please wait a while before leaving, and don't go out together. There are also back and side doors here, please follow Jixiang out. Jixiang, please arrange for everyone to leave." Ninth Master said to the person beside him.

After everyone had left, the heavy rain outside had abruptly stopped.

Ninth Master and Eighth Master sat there quietly, neither of them uttering a word. After the commotion outside gradually subsided, Ninth Master said, "Eighth Brother, we've been forced to the edge of a cliff by him. We can't hesitate any longer. Why don't I go to the Northwest myself and have a good talk with Fourteenth Master? While the old man is still alive, let's stage a coup and force him to pass the position to Fourteenth Master. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can have peace of mind."

The Eighth Prince still clutched the piece of paper in his hand; he looked much older over the years. Madam Chen had given birth to another prince for him, and the Eighth Prince's wife was much more tolerant than before. Since she couldn't bear any children of her own, she could only let the Eighth Prince have children with other concubines.

"And you seem to know whether the old man has already chosen a successor? The Fourteenth Prince's army is only 200,000. Now we give him silver and recruit another 100,000 locally. Even with 300,000 troops, it's not certain that he can start a rebellion. What grounds do you want him to have? What if Father Emperor finds out and calls him a traitor, a disloyal son who betrays his country and family!" the Eighth Prince said. "I never agreed with you allowing the Fourteenth Prince to expand his army in the first place."

"Eighth Brother, are we just going to watch Fourth Brother ascend to that position? He definitely won't let us off the hook then," Ninth Master said anxiously.

"How do you know that Father Emperor will definitely make him the heir?" the Eighth Prince said.

“Anyone can see how much Father Emperor values ​​him over the years. Now he’s already in the cabinet helping Father Emperor handle state affairs. If it weren’t for him, who else could Father Emperor appoint?” Ninth Prince said indignantly.

Eighth Prince pursed his lips and then said, "You asked Fourteenth Prince to raise an army, but he has no legitimate reason to do so. Once he starts an uprising, I'm afraid he will be suppressed very quickly. Fourth Prince has the support of the Nian family. How can the connections he has built in the palace over the years be easily shaken? Ninth Prince, if fate truly favors him, then we are helpless and can only protect ourselves."

Ninth Master didn't expect Eighth Master to say that, so he refused to listen and said, "Anyway, the leather in my shop is already running out of stock. I plan to take a trip to the Northwest and visit Fourteenth Master along the way. That should be feasible, right?"

The Eighth Prince said, "The Fourth Prince is meticulous. The person the Fourteenth Prince mentioned is most likely one of his men. Longkodo is keeping a close eye on things now, and if you leave the capital at this time, it will definitely attract his attention. Why don't you think of an excuse to go to the palace and ask the Emperor for permission before you set off?"

The two brothers didn't return to their respective rooms to rest until late at night.