"This is outrageous!"
Tuo Tiewuhua was so angry that his features were out of place. He roared, "Zhao Cheng, don't you dare slander me!"
Zhao Cheng said smugly, "If you think I'm slandering you, then show me the evidence!"
Tuo Tiewuhua shook the waist token in his hand vigorously, almost touching it to Zhao Cheng's face, and said urgently, "I gave the Prince's order, the waist token is right here! The waist token is right here, can't you see it?!"
"You might have stolen the waist tag!"
"Bullshit! How am I supposed to prove anything with your sophistry?!"
“Unless…” Zhao Cheng looked into the crowd and said, “The champion himself is here.”
Upon hearing this, Tuo Tiewuhua's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Zhao Cheng, what nonsense are you spouting? The Prince is busy with military affairs and must be on guard against the Southern Zhou army at all times..."
"You think it's too far-fetched to abandon your military uniform and armor in order to move quickly? You should be wearing plain clothes instead of armor between cities to hide your identity along the way, right?"
Zhao Cheng interrupted Tuo Tiewuhua and continued, "You're just the Champion King's adjutant, and you don't have many people with you. Do you really need to hide your identity to come to Yunmeng City and stop me from holding the Yunshang Conference?"
"Who needs to hide their identity the most when traveling north from Yunjing City to Yunmeng City?"
"Who is it that could trigger a border conflict if the intelligence about leaving Yunjing City is leaked?"
"Who is it that we must be cautious of wherever we go, because his whereabouts affect the war situation on the border?"
Zhao Cheng's gaze suddenly fell on the person who was always wearing a hood, and he asked, "Is that you, Champion Wang?"
The black-flowered man's pupils contracted again, and everyone in the room looked at the hooded man in astonishment.
Only Zhao Cheng smiled silently, while the hooded man remained motionless.
After a long while, the hooded man raised his hands and pulled down his hood.
This was an elderly man with obvious wrinkles on his face. He looked to be over fifty years old, older than both Zhao Huan and Wen Tai.
But he was also a young man with a youthful spirit. His hair was as black as ink, he was vigorous, and he had a goatee. His deep eyes seemed to suck the person he was staring at into them.
His gaze met Zhao Cheng's, and he said calmly, "It's said that the eldest son of the Right Chancellor is a spoiled brat, but seeing him today, he does seem to have some cleverness."
"Look at what you're saying, I can't take a compliment!"
With that, Zhao Cheng bowed and said, "Zhao Cheng, the victorious general of the Great Jing, pays respects to the champion king!!"
Zhao Cheng paid his respects as a military officer, without using his status as a son-in-law of the emperor or mentioning the Right Chancellor's residence. He followed the proper etiquette.
Upon hearing this, everyone snapped out of their daze.
The merchants rushed to kneel down and pay their respects.
"Greetings, Champion King!!!"
No one expected that a grand gathering of merchants would attract the most powerful figure in Yunjing County, let alone that the dignified champion Wang would be disguised as a commoner.
What exactly did he come here for?
If the purpose is simply to organize a cloud commerce conference, then sending Tuotie Wuhua would suffice.
Why must you go in person?
Was it just to see Zhao Cheng in person?
After bowing, Zhao Cheng immediately stood up, a proud yet polite smile on his face. Others were polite to the champion, but he wouldn't be!
This southward expedition encountered obstacles in both Han Nancheng and Jiangcheng, resulting in numerous casualties. It was only with the sincere cooperation of the merchants in Yun Jing County that their business could proceed smoothly and peacefully. But who would have thought that the military would be the one to cause trouble!
Zhao Cheng glanced at the Champion King and thought to himself, "You, Yuan Zhang, are the Champion King who guards the border. You are the Imperial Uncle. Why do you have to make trouble for a junior like me?"
Before marrying Yuan Yun, Zhao Cheng learned about Yuan Yun's past from his parents, including the story of Yuan Zhang and Zhao Huan. He knew that in Yuan Zhang's mind, both Zhao Huan and Wen Tai were powerful officials, and therefore, people the Yuan family should be wary of.
Yuan Zhang stepped out from the crowd, his gaze fixed on Zhao Cheng, and said, "You seem to be very dissatisfied with me?"
"How dare I?"
Zhao Cheng clasped his hands and said, "I will live to see the Southern Zhou fall, until I die in Yun Jing! This is the oath that the Champion King made when he took over the military affairs of Yun Jing. How heroic, how admirable!"
"But I just don't understand why the Champion King would risk coming to Yunmeng City just to target me? Is border military affairs less important than Zhao Huan's son?"
Zhao Cheng emphasized the words "Zhao Huan's son".
Yuan Zhangdao said, "Border military affairs are important because of external turmoil. But internal turmoil in the rear is equally important."
Zhao Cheng raised his hand and swept it over the merchants present, saying, "But these merchants are all sincerely cooperating with me, so what's the problem?"
“Where there is profit, there is distribution; where there is distribution, there is inequality; where there is inequality, there is unrest.” Yuan Zhangchao glanced at the merchants and questioned, “Who among you can guarantee that your cooperation will continue to be smooth?”
The merchants were so frightened that they quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look at Yuan Zhang, and they all regretted coming today.
They knew perfectly well that this was no longer a business deal with Zhao Cheng, but a struggle between the Champion King and the Right Prime Minister's Mansion.
We can't afford to mess with them!
They were all plotting how to find a chance to slip away.
Having said all that, Zhao Cheng was too lazy to waste any more words and asked, "Is the champion not going to give us any chance at all?"
Yuan Zhang said calmly, "The message conveyed by the black flower is my intention. The economy of Yunjing County is currently very good, and a tacit understanding has been formed between it and the Zhennan Border Army. I do not want any changes to the economy and people's livelihood in the rear, as this would be detrimental to the army and the war."
"How grandiose!" Zhao Cheng laughed and said, "Isn't the Champion King worried that my Right Prime Minister's Mansion is making too much money?"
Tuo Tiewuhua angrily retorted, "Zhao Cheng, how dare you! You can slander me, but you cannot slander the Prince!"
"Whether it's slander or not, you know the truth in your hearts," Zhao Cheng said arrogantly. "May I ask, if I insist on continuing my business in Yun Jing County, what will Champion Wang do?"
"As you said, I am busy with military affairs and do not have much time to deal with matters at home. I have only one rule: any person or thing that does not comply with the rules will be suppressed by the army."
A smile finally appeared on Yuan Zhang's face as he said, "This is neither Han Nan City nor Jiang City. Do you want to clash with the army?"
Zhao Cheng clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, never expecting Yuan Zhang to act so domineeringly.
Yuan Zhang shook his head and said, "Everyone calls you Young Prime Minister, and that's not wrong. You are still just you, not your father yet."
"Champion King!"
Suddenly, Zhao Yan walked up to Zhao Cheng, stomped his spear on the ground, and said with a mix of heroic spirit and anger, "I've heard that the top spear technique in our Great Jing is the Royal Spear, which you created yourself, Your Highness. When I was young and ignorant, I once doubted whether the Royal Spear could be considered a top-tier technique because of its inherent strength or simply because it was named after royalty."
"I also love using guns and have even created my own shooting techniques. Why don't I practice a few moves with Champion Wang?"
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