Mountain and River Festival 189. Negotiation
In the dungeon of the prefect's mansion, Tan Jizhi sat in a corner, looking at the dark dungeon with an expressionless face. He had been locked up in this dungeon for three days, but he had not seen either Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li. Only Feng Zhiyao came to see him from time to time, and his intention was clear. He only wanted the whereabouts of the Blue Sky Flower and the antidote for the poison in Mo Xiuyao's body. Tan Jizhi
Of course, he would not tell Feng Zhiyuan easily. He did not believe that if he really told Mo Xiuyao, he would let him go. But at the same time, he also knew that the longer he stayed here, the more disadvantageous it would be for him. He had to leave here or kill Su Zuidi before she could not bear it and told him everything...
Shu Manlin was locked in a room opposite to Tan Jizhi. Although they were only a few steps away, they could only look at each other from afar. Shu Manlin, as the Saint of Southern Xinjiang, was also a noble woman who had never suffered much since childhood. When she first came in, she still had the energy to curse and scold, but she stayed there obediently after Feng Zhiyao fed her two meals. She just looked at the opposite side from time to time.
Tan Jizhi was crying like a pear blossom in the rain, which made the already irritated Tan Jizhi even more upset. He simply ignored her, and the two of them had nothing to say in the cell. Tan Jizhi sat on one side, lost in thought and thinking of a plan, while Shu Manlin sat opposite him, crying and complaining from time to time.
There were footsteps outside the door. Tan Jizhi's expression did not change, but his eyes quickly shot out of the door. Surrounded by people, a pair of lovers walked in hand in hand. Tan Jizhi's eyes first fell on Ye Li. She had changed out of her plain cloth clothes and was wearing a lilac silk satin with light hibiscus patterns embroidered on it, which was different in this hot summer.
Such tenderness and elegance. At the same time, Tan Jizhi was secretly surprised by the hidden strength of Dingwang Mansion. Now Mo Jingqi has already seized Mo Xiuyao's title on the grounds of treason and has completely blocked the economic exchanges between the entire northwest region and the various parts of Dachu. Dingwang Mansion in this remote northwest area can still produce the latest Nanzhao special product Shuiyun Satin this year,
This shows their huge wealth and connections. You must know that even in the imperial palace, there are only about ten pieces of Shuiyun silk a year, and since the war between the two countries started last year, there has been no Shuiyun silk at all.
Tan Jizhi had never thought Ye Li was so beautiful, because he had seen too many stunning beauties. But at this moment he had to admit that Mo Xiuyao's vision was indeed very good. The beauty of the woman in front of him was not stunning, but it made people feel extremely comfortable and at ease. And that calm and self-assured look, and the bright and self-confident look hidden between her gentle eyebrows.
Suddenly, it seemed that any beautiful woman in the world was nothing compared to her.
"Hmph!" Mo Xiuyao snorted, and his eyes slowly scanned Tan Jizhi's body, revealing a dangerous aura. Tan Jizhi felt a chill in his heart and quickly retracted his gaze from Ye Li, stood up and smiled at the door: "Your subordinate Tan Jizhi has seen the prince and the princess."
Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows, looked at him and said, "Very good, you have a lot of courage." There are indeed not many people who can step forward and salute so calmly at this point, and Mo Xiuyao couldn't help but look up to the man in front of him. However, this still couldn't change his upcoming ending.
Behind them, someone brought two cushioned chairs and placed them outside the cell. Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li to sit down. Even in this gloomy and dirty cell, the two of them were still leisurely and at ease as if they were seeing a hundred flowers blooming and a pleasant scenery. Someone gave them tea as a gift, but the cell was obviously not a good place to drink tea. Mo Xiuyao frowned and took it down.
Ye Li put the teacup in Ye Li's hand on the table. Ye Li smiled faintly, looked at Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin and asked: "Lord Tan, the Japanese princess and the prince have been busy these days, and I hope you will forgive me for neglecting you two. Are you two okay?" Tan Jizhi smiled bitterly, looked at Ye Li and said: "Princess, you are too polite. Tan Jizhi is not as skilled as others, so I admit defeat."
Ye Li nodded, looked at him with a smile and asked, "Then... Lord Tan should know what I want. What is Lord Tan's answer?"
Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "I understand. The princess wants the Blue Sky Flower... I believe the princess has spent a lot of time thinking about it over the past year. But I advise the princess not to waste time on the one named Liang. He can't find the Blue Sky Flower at all."
"Oh?" Ye Li frowned slightly, raised her hand and rubbed her brows and asked: "Why should I believe Master Tan? Or...even if what Master Tan said is true, what does it matter?" Tan Jizhi said: "The Blue Sky Flower is a sacred object in Southern Xinjiang. Princess, do you really think that the Nanzhao royal family will hand over such a treasure to a wealthy businessman from Dachu for safekeeping? It is said that businessmen value profit. Could it be that the Nanzhao royal family is just...
Haven't you ever thought that he might embezzle the treasure for himself?" Ye Li sighed, looking at Tan Jizhi helplessly and said, "Master Tan, since you dare to use the Blue Sky Flower to save your own life, I have no doubt that you don't know the whereabouts of the Blue Sky Flower. So, you really don't need to say so much. But... you should know that before you find the thing, everything you say is just a lie.
In vain." Tan Jizhi's eyes flashed, staring at Ye Li and said: "What happens after we find the things? Is the princess trying to convince me that the Ding Palace is trustworthy?"
Feng Zhiyao, who was standing behind the two men, squinted at him and said with a smile, "Master Tan, what can I do if you don't believe it?"
Tan Jizhi remained silent. He had indeed fallen into the hands of Prince Ding's Mansion. What could he do if he didn't believe it? If he believed it, he might still have a chance to survive. If he didn't believe it, he would only die. If it was normal, it would be fine for Tan Jizhi to gamble on this, but now he didn't dare to gamble because he didn't have time. Once something broke out, let alone telling Mo Xiuyao the whereabouts of the Blue Flower, even if he personally
Holding the Azure Flower in front of Mo Xiuyao, there was no way to escape. Thinking of this, Tan Jizhi shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Princess, you should know that even if you know the whereabouts of the Azure Flower, it will not be obtained overnight. But I still have things to do, and I really can't stay here for a long time. I guess... Your Majesty's envoy has arrived in Ruyang by now, right?" Tan
Jizhi was still very confident in his previous arrangements. As long as Mo Xiuyao had not openly said that he wanted to rebel against Chu, he would still have to be cautious of the imperial envoys.
"Tan Jizhi... Lin Yuan, are you reminding me of your other identity?" Mo Xiuyao asked with narrowed eyes. Even if he disliked Mo Jingqi, it didn't mean that he would let go of a remnant of the previous dynasty. After all, it wasn't just Emperor Taizu who destroyed the previous dynasty. The ancestors of Prince Ding's mansion also took a large part of the credit, so they were born enemies. Tan Jizhi
With a helpless bitter smile, he now had to doubt his chances of escaping Ruyang City alive. After a moment's silence, Tan Jizhi said, "Prince, whether it is Tan Jizhi or Lin Yuan, at least there is no conflict of interest between you and me at present, right? Killing Tan Jizhi will not be of any benefit to the current situation in the northwest and Dingwang Mansion, and... Prince...
I know your Majesty. Your Majesty will definitely make a big fuss about this matter to damage the reputation of the Ding Palace." Mo Xiuyao sneered disdainfully, "Do you think this king cares about this?"
Tan Jizhi was indifferent. He really didn't see that Mo Xiuyao cared about the reputation of Prince Dingguo's Palace. This was also the thing that he couldn't understand the most. Unless he was a fool or a born incompetent monarch, everyone knew the importance of the people's hearts. Even someone like Mo Jingqi, who clearly didn't care about the lives of ordinary people, took public opinion very seriously. But in the past six months, no matter what Mo Jingqi said, Northwest never responded, as if it had tacitly agreed to all of Mo Jingqi's statements. This situation made Tan Jizhi vaguely uneasy. With such a reaction, if Mo Xiuyao had not already given up and planned to break the jar, then he was ready to stir up chaos in the world. Sooner or later, the fight will come. Rather than trying to defend yourself now and making people feel hypocritical in the future, it is better to say nothing at the beginning.
Tan Jizhi took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before saying, "I am doomed to fall into the hands of the prince this time. The princess has also been to that imperial mausoleum. All the treasures inside are my compensation for offending the princess. In addition, the whereabouts of the blue sky flower can be exchanged for my life. I wonder what the prince thinks?" Mo Xiuyao's face was cold, and it was obvious that he had no interest in this at all. The imperial mausoleum was originally in the northwest. If Mo Xiuyao was happy, he could send people to dig the mausoleum at any time. There was really no need for Tan Jizhi to give it to him. Tan Jizhi originally didn't expect to pass the test so easily. After thinking for a while, he continued: "I will also offer 100,000 taels of gold, as well as all the hidden piles in the northwest and the capital. In this way... can it be considered sincere?" Ye Li looked at him with interest and smiled, "Master Tan is really willing to spend a lot of money." Tan Jizhi smiled helplessly and said, "No matter what, life is more important. What's the use of keeping other things if you lose your life? Princess, I ask myself if I have neglected you these days. The rude behavior before was also human nature. Isn't the price I paid enough?"
Ye Li nodded in agreement with him. If he had only captured her to threaten the Mo family army, then this price and compensation would have been quite high. After all, he had not really succeeded in taking her away to threaten Mo Xiuyao. It was not an exaggeration to say that he had lost more than he gained. But for some reason, Ye Li always felt that he had a more important secret than his identity. She lowered her eyes and thought for a while, then asked, "Lord Tan, how did you know about the poison in the prince's body and the solution?" Tan Jizhi looked at her calmly and smiled, "I have also studied the pulse cases of the prince in the Imperial Hospital. And the princess should know that my father's medical skills... are not better than those so-called miracle doctors. I have heard and seen them since I was a child, so naturally I have some experience." Ye Li stared at him calmly for a long time, so long that Tan Jizhi almost thought he had revealed something that he shouldn't have revealed before he heard Ye Li change the subject and asked, "How did Lord Tan know Su Zuidi?"
It was indeed this jerk! Although he already knew the reason for his identity being exposed, Tan Jizhi still wanted to skin Su Zuidi alive when Ye Li mentioned it. He had planned everything, hiding by Mo Jingqi's side for ten years without revealing any flaws, and secretly boasted that he had no plans left, but he didn't expect to fall into the hands of this jerk. Tan Jizhi couldn't help but regret it in his heart. He really shouldn't have underestimated Mo Xiuyao and Han Mingyue. If he wanted to kill that jerk, he could always find a way to avoid these two people. But he was too cautious and caused such a big trouble today.
"So..." Although he had already torn Su Zuidie into pieces in his heart, Tan Jizhi's face was not the least bit broken. He looked at Mo Xiuyao with a smile and said, "Miss Su was the most beautiful woman in Da Chu back then, and I was not the only one who had a friendship with her. Didn't the world-famous Master Mingyue also fall in love with Miss Su? Young and frivolous... I'm sorry to embarrass you, Princess." In the cell, everyone's expressions became a little strange. Those present were all close friends of Prince Ding's mansion, so they naturally understood Su Zuidie's identity. Tan Jizhi said this to blatantly tell Mo Xiuyao that his former fiancée had cheated on him more than once.
Mo Xiuyao, however, looked normal, raised his handsome chin slightly, looked at Tan Jizhi and asked, "You want me to kill Su Zuidie immediately, right?"
Tan Jizhi's heart sank, and he secretly reminded himself that it was too late. He smiled and said, "If it weren't for her, the prince would probably not know my identity at this time. Who would have known that a moment of carelessness in the early years would have put me in such a situation. Naturally, I don't want Su Zuidi to live anymore."
"What?" Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and ignored Tan Jizhi. Tan Jizhi breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his life and death now depended on Ye Li. But what Ye Li valued most was Mo Xiuyao's life.
"Mr. Tan, how are you going to convince me that the information you provided about the whereabouts of the Blue Sky Flower is true?" Ye Li asked softly.
Tan Jizhi smiled proudly and said, "Because no one in this world knows the true whereabouts of the Blue Sky Flower except me." Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled, "If that's the case, I can't trust you even more. After all, you are not willing to stay until I get the Blue Sky Flower. Isn't this embarrassing? So... Lord Tan can go, but Miss Shu must stay." Everyone's eyes fell on Shu Manlin in the other cell. Shu Manlin didn't say anything because she knew she couldn't help much, but she didn't expect that she would be involved in the end. She stood up and jumped on the railing of the cell and glared at Ye Li, saying, "Ye Li, how dare you imprison me! I am the Saint of Southern Xinjiang!"
Ye Li raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Feng Zhiyao behind her smiled in surprise and said, "The Saintess of Southern Xinjiang? This young master has never seen the Saintess of Southern Xinjiang. This time, it is really thanks to the princess. But... speaking of which, it seems that the Saintess of Southern Xinjiang cannot see outsiders, let alone leave the capital of Nanzhao. Princess, this is not a fake, right?" Ye Li smiled and said, "It is genuine."
Shu Manlin's face turned pale. Although she was loved by the King of Nanzhao, she was a saint of Nanjiang, but she quietly ran to Dachu and let people see her appearance. This was an unforgivable crime in the eyes of the Nanzhao people. If it really got out, she would not be able to go to the holy land of Nanjiang to retire, and it would be good if she was not set on fire by the Nanzhao people. This has been the rule of Nanzhao for hundreds of years. Even the King of Nanzhao could not save her. What's more, she has a political enemy, Princess Anxi, who is eyeing her covetously. If this matter gets to Princess Anxi's ears, she will definitely not be able to escape.
Tan Jizhi couldn't help but frown at Ye Li's offer. After a long while, he said, "The princess is indeed very smart. I have to admit her." His identity has been exposed, which means that his ten years of business in Chujing are almost ruined, if not destroyed. At least he can never go back to Mo Jingqi's side. In this way, Nanzhao becomes his last bargaining chip, and he can only rely on Shu Manlin to control Nanzhao. Ye Li obviously saw this and proposed the condition of detaining Shu Manlin. If Shu Manlin happens to him, even if he escapes from the northwest, as long as the Dingwang Mansion makes a move, he will most likely be hunted down by both Chujing and Nanzhao. At that time, although the world is big, there is really no place for him to stay. Ye Li pursed her lips and smiled, "Master Tan is too kind."
Mo Xiuyao stood up and helped Ye Li up and prepared to leave. Ye Li smiled at Tan Jizhi and said, "Master Tan, you can think about it for one night. Tell me your answer tomorrow morning. Leave Shu Manlin. As long as I find Biluohua, this matter will be written off." Tan Jizhi smiled helplessly, "Do I have any choice?" If he could do it again, Tan Jizhi swore that he would never care whether Ye Li was the Princess of Ding or something else. After leaving that damned imperial mausoleum, he would leave this place in the northwest immediately. Dingwang Mansion is never a place where Lin should stay with confidence.
Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao left, and everyone in the cell immediately left, leaving only Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin in silence. After a long while, Shu Manlin trembled and asked, "Jizhi...you, do you really want to leave me here?" Tan Jizhi sighed, and looked at Shu Manlin with tenderness and pity, "Lin'er, you can see that we have no choice now. If we don't agree to them, we will die here together. Don't worry, as long as Ye Li gets the Blue Sky Flower, she will naturally let you go."
Shu Manlin looked at him hesitantly, "Do you really want to give them the Blue Sky Flower?"
Tan Jizhi said softly: "No matter how precious the blue sky flower is, it is still a dead thing. How can it be as important as you? As long as we are still alive, there is still a chance, right?"
How could Shu Manlin not know that they had no choice at this moment? Even if she disagreed to stay in the Northwest, who would listen to her opinion? Although Tan Jizhi only said sweet words, Shu Manlin still knew that Tan Jizhi would not abandon her. Since there was no choice at all, she had to make Tan Jizhi feel more guilty about her. She nodded with tears in her eyes and said, "I know, Jizhi, I will stay in the Northwest. You should also be careful."
Tan Jizhi looked at her with a gentler look in his eyes and said softly, "Lin'er, thank you. Jizhi will definitely not let you down."
Shu Manlin nodded and said, "We have known each other for so many years, I naturally trust you. Jizhi, I will wait for you." Although they were in this gloomy cell, the eyes of the two people looking at each other were filled with great emotion and affection. It made the cell feel a little warmer, but what kind of thoughts and calculations were behind this emotion and affection was not something that outsiders could know.
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