On the other side, Haoyue Kingdom
In the central hall of the Langya County government office, candlelight flickered slightly, casting the room in a hazy, dim color. The people in the room had solemn expressions, staring at the man in purple who was tied to a chair.
Pei Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows slightly, chuckled and said sarcastically, "Why should I do such a deal with you? What do you want me to pay, and what can I get in return?"
Shen Xu sat on the chair, took a sip of tea, and said, "Since it is a business, we naturally get what we need. My purpose is simple. I just want to save the lives of everyone present. So what does Lord Pei want?"
Pei Zhiyuan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then said bluntly: "Then I want Miss Shen."
Song Lin immediately turned cold and said succinctly, "Dream on!"
"Yes, as long as Master Pei can protect the lives of my family," Shen Xu nodded and agreed, "I can find a job for you and hand over all the crossbow-making skills I have mastered."
"What if I say I want Miss Shen's person?" Pei Zhiyuan's mouth corners slightly raised, even though he was tied to the chair, he still looked indifferent.
Shen Xu suppressed his smile and said seriously, "That won't do. Lord Pei can't afford the price of taking my people. It's better not to think about it."
"Oh? If a mere village boy can afford it, how can you be sure that Pei can't afford it?"
He leaned back in his chair leisurely, and said with a carefree smile: "What this pretty boy can give, I can give. What the pretty boy can't give, I can also give. What is there that I can't afford?"
"Who are you calling a pretty boy?" Song Lin clenched his fists angrily, and stood up and said with gritted teeth, "I think you must have a taste of being torn into eight pieces."
"Master Pei, since we are in a cooperative relationship, we should respect each other. If you offend my husband again, there will be no more room for negotiation on this deal."
"It's just a joke, don't get excited." Pei Zhiyuan saw that Shen Xu also had an angry face, and helplessly spread his hands that were tied to the chair.
"Then let's continue."
He put away his smile and said the person he wanted from the beginning, "I have one more condition. I want the Iron Pen Divine Judge Ma Daoyuan."
Pei Zhiyuan pointed at Song Lin and added, "As for his uncle and nephew, I want them to be the Mirror Envoys of the Xuanjing Division and be at my disposal."
Song Lin frowned and said unhappily, "You want to take revenge on your own."
"I have no personal grudge against you." Pei Zhiyuan cast a hawk-like gaze on Song Lin, raised his chin and said provocatively: "Oh, if you must say there is a personal grudge, then the hatred of stealing my wife is one of them."
"If you dare to covet Xiuxiu, I might as well kill you right now." Song Lin was not afraid of his gaze at all, and looked back at him rudely. When their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly, and the dangerous smell of gunpowder seemed to spread in the air.
Pei Zhiyuan was not to be outdone and retorted: "I just came a step late. If I had known Miss Shen earlier than you, you would have no chance."
"Alright, both of you stop arguing." Shen Xu interrupted their meaningless bickering, turned to look at Master Ma, and asked, "Uncle Ma, what do you think?"
Master Ma's face darkened. He was actually very reluctant to work for a treacherous man like Pei Zhiyuan. "Let me think about it. What do you think, nephew Song?"
"No." Song Lin refused flatly.
"My two uncles are old and shouldn't be living on the edge of a knife anymore. My husband isn't interested in this, so please don't force it. I'm enough to take care of things."
"Xiu Xiu." Song Lin grabbed her hand, wanting her to refuse, but she gave him a gentle look.
"Don't worry, my husband. I know my limits."
"Um."
Pei Zhiyuan nodded reluctantly, "Alright, after all, I'm trapped here by you all, so I can only do whatever you say."
"So, what are your conditions? It shouldn't just be about saving your life, right? Do you want to use my token to open the checkpoint outside Jiangling Mansion and escort the Thirteenth Prince into Jiangling Mansion?"
"No, my condition is to bring the Thirteenth Prince back to the capital alive. By the way, please, Master Pei, take me to see this Imperial Master Hua."
"Xiu Xiu?" Song Lin frowned slightly. What Shen Xu said was different from what everyone had agreed on before. He looked at Shen Xu puzzledly, trying to find the answer from her face.
"Yeah." Chen Xu nodded and continued, "I just thought about it. Jiangling Prefecture may not be willing to protect our lives. What if they are the same as Dongning Prefecture? Why should we go so far away and ask for trouble?"
"What!" Master Zhou and Master Ma looked at each other in astonishment. "Niece-in-law, what are you talking about? Are you crazy? If you hand over the little prince, there will be no way for him to survive."
Xiao Mingcheng, who had been sitting in the chair without saying a word, was also very surprised. His eyes suddenly became moist and he choked up and said, "Sister Shen, are you really going to hand me over to Master Hua?"
"Ha, hahaha..." Pei Zhiyuan laughed, his voice suddenly becoming devilish and charming: "Interesting, are you planning to surrender to Master Hua?"
His face suddenly tensed, and he said in a cold tone, "You went to so much trouble to bring Pei here, and after all this time you still want to send the Thirteenth Prince to Master Hua. It would be better for me to take him back directly. At worst, I will agree to let Lord Zhou go."
"That's different. The person is in our hands."
The corners of Shen Xu's mouth rose, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face. "My husband and I seek both survival and wealth."
Pei Zhiyuan snorted contemptuously, his face cold to the extreme, "Humph, I regret discussing this deal with you."
"If Lord Pei regrets it, there is no need to cooperate with us." Song Lin looked at him with disgust.
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