192. Encountering Danger

Xie Wenling's tone remained unchanged, showing no sign of weakness: "Prime Minister, what's the use of saying all this now? This is the inevitable trend, and you are powerless to reverse it. You might as well retire early and return to your hometown to enjoy your old age. Why make a futile struggle here?"

"Enjoy your retirement?" The old prime minister sneered. "Lord Xie, you are too naive! That scoundrel Duke Anguo will never let me go, even if I retire to my hometown! He has brought me down, and you will be next! Do you think you can escape unscathed?"

He stepped forward and changed the subject: "Lord Xie, I know you also want to get rid of Duke Anguo, why don't we join forces?"

"Tomorrow morning at court, I will impeach Duke Anguo and present all the evidence I know."

"And you, all you need to do is throw out the dirt you have on us, and with the two of us working together, this will surely succeed!"

"At that time, even if he has the support of the Prince of Shu, he will still find it difficult to escape punishment!"

Xie Wenling simply looked at him coldly, his eyes seemingly frozen in frost: "Prime Minister, do you think I would believe you? You're desperate now, so you're trying to drag me down with you. Do you think I'll do as you wish?"

Although Xie Wenling was the one who was besieged, he behaved unexpectedly strongly.

It was this very assertiveness that made the old prime minister somewhat unsure of what to do.

He looked around suspiciously, fearing that Xie Wenling's ambush might be hiding in some corner.

However, he didn't find anything, but at this moment he was paranoid.

When he turned his gaze back to Xie Wenling and stared intently at him, his imposing aura had already weakened by seven-tenths.

Before long, he was defeated in the standoff, his voice even carrying a hint of pleading: "Lord Xie, this is our only chance! If we don't join forces, we will all be eliminated by the Duke of Anguo! Do you want to repeat my mistake?"

The little boy sat in the carriage. Although he couldn't hear what they were saying, he could sense that the atmosphere was tense.

She gripped Xie Wenling's sleeve tightly, her little face full of fear, but she didn't utter a sound.

Xie Wenling answered decisively: "I refuse. Your feud with the Duke of Anguo is your own business, and I will not interfere. As for whether I will repeat your mistakes, that's none of your concern."

After saying that, he instructed the driver, "Drive, go around there."

The old prime minister was surprised that Xie Wenling would refuse so decisively. He stood there, stunned, watching the carriage slowly walk around him and drive away.

His expression kept changing before he finally made his decision.

His eyes were sinister as he coldly said to the people behind him, "Since he refuses to join forces, then we have no choice but to go all in! Even if it costs me my old life, I will bring down the Duke of Anguo!"

-

As the carriage drove further away, the little boy leaned against the window, looking back at the old prime minister's figure growing smaller and smaller, and his worries welled up again.

She tugged at Xie Wenling's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Xie, that person was so fierce! Will he cause you trouble?"

Xie Wenling patted her head and said calmly, "Don't be afraid."

He pointed in a direction to the coachman, and the carriage began to head back.

But not long after, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind.

The old prime minister's men caught up again, wielding long swords and blocking the middle of the road, looking menacing.

The driver was so frightened that he slammed on the brakes, and the carriage jolted violently. The little boy clung tightly to Xie Wenling's sleeve, his face filled with panic.

The old prime minister stepped down from his carriage, leaning on his cane, and walked over step by step. He coughed a few times and his eyes were sinister: "Lord Xie, it is not wise to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

He pointed to the teahouse next door: "Why don't we go inside and have a proper chat?"

Xie Wenling lifted the carriage curtain, the hem of his crimson robe fluttering in the night wind, his face showing no fear: "Prime Minister, I have already said that I have no intention of joining forces with you, why force me?"

"Making things difficult for someone?" The old prime minister sneered, his gaze suddenly falling on the little girl inside the carriage, his tone a clear threat, "Lord Xie is quite carefree, but if this little princess beside you is frightened or suffers some accident, I'm afraid you won't be able to explain it to the Marquis's mansion, will you?"

Upon hearing this, the little boy shrank back behind Xie Wenling in fright, whispering, "Brother Xie..."

Xie Wenling's eyes instantly turned cold, but he still suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "What do you want?"

“It’s very simple,” the old prime minister gestured for his men to sheathe their knives. “Come with me to the teahouse, and we’ll have a proper talk. If you’re willing to cooperate, I guarantee that you and this young lady will be safe and sound. If you insist on not complying, the consequences… you can weigh them yourself.”

This is an attempt to threaten him with the little dumpling.

Xie Wenling finally understood that the old prime minister was deliberately waiting for him to bring the little dumpling out so that he could intercept him at that opportunity.

After all, if they only intercepted him... Xie Wenling wasn't afraid of death.

But if there's a weakness, then it's a different story.

Just like now—

Seeing the little boy's frightened expression, and then glancing at the menacing subordinates behind the old prime minister, Xie Wenling knew that he would not be able to escape easily today.

He slowly stood up, patted the little dumpling's head, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'll take you to get a cup of hot tea, okay?"

Although the little girl was small, she understood that she and her brother Xie seemed to have no choice but to agree in this situation, so she obediently nodded: "Okay..."

-

The candlelight flickered in the teahouse, and a faint aroma of tea filled the air.

The old prime minister sat in the main seat, gestured to his subordinates to pour Xie Wenling a cup of tea, and got straight to the point: "Lord Xie, now we are both fish on the chopping block. Only by joining forces can we fight our way out. I will impeach the Duke of Anguo at the morning court tomorrow, and I need your testimony. If we can bring him down, we will each take half of the power in the court. What do you say?"

Xie Wenling did not drink the tea offered to him: "Prime Minister, I have no grudge against the Duke of Anguo, so why should I get involved in this mess? Besides, His Majesty has his own judgment on the situation in the court. If I were to rashly intervene, wouldn't that be disobeying His Majesty's will?"

"No enmity whatsoever?" The old prime minister slammed his hand on the table and coughed a few times. "Do you think the Duke of Anguo will let you go after he brings me down? He's ambitious, and even the Prince of Shu's mansion is just a stepping stone for him. You, the mastermind behind it all, will become his next target sooner or later! As for His Majesty, he'd love for us to fight to the death so he can reap the benefits. Do you really think he trusts you?"

Xie Wenling put down his teacup and said calmly, "Prime Minister, you are overthinking this. I am merely a subject under His Majesty's command, and I am only responsible for doing my duty. Besides, the evidence you have may not be enough to bring down Duke Anguo. The Prince of Shu's mansion is still supporting him. If you rashly impeach him, you will only bring trouble upon yourself."

"Playing with fire?" The old prime minister sneered, pulling a thick envelope from his pocket and slamming it on the table. "This contains all of Anguo Duke's incriminating evidence. As long as I present it to His Majesty, even with the support of the Prince of Shu's mansion, he will undoubtedly lose! All I need is your assistance. Is that so difficult for you?"

Xie Wenling glanced at the secret letter but didn't take it. Instead, he frowned and said, "Prime Minister, it's hard to determine the authenticity of this evidence. If we present it rashly, and the Duke of Anguo accuses us of fabricating evidence, not only will we fail to bring him down, but we'll also be ruined."

"Authenticity?" The old prime minister's eyes sharpened. "This evidence is absolutely genuine! Lord Xie, stop making excuses!"

"Besides, what's the point of playing with fire? What's the point of ruining my reputation? Do you think I would care about that now?!"

"Cough cough cough... If you don't agree, neither you nor your little princess will leave this teahouse today!"

Xie Wenling remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, before slowly speaking: "Prime Minister, it's not that I'm unwilling to cooperate, but this matter is of great importance, and I need time to consider it. How about you leave the evidence first, and I'll give you an answer before the morning court tomorrow?"

"Consider?" The old prime minister clearly didn't believe him. "Lord Xie, are you trying to stall for time and wait for Marquis Beiding to come and rescue you? Let me tell you, you must give me a definite answer today, otherwise, since I've already decided to lose, I'll have to take you away with me!"

He gave his men a wink, and several burly men immediately blocked the doorway, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

The little dumpling was being held by Xie Wenling, and he felt increasingly panicked.

---

A note from the author:

I think I've learned how to divide a sentence into multiple parts.

That's how it is—

"The first sentence."

"The second sentence."

"The third sentence."

"The last sentence."

As for why it seems like I've learned it?

Because if it's divided into two parts, how should it be divided? (thinking)...