Chapter 540 [Second Update] 540
Liu Tan's expression was blank for a moment. He always felt that there was something a little bit wrong with this scene.
He looked down at the eldest prince who was still kneeling on the ground and didn't know what to say for a moment. Fortunately, there was someone beside him who could help.
Bigo stepped forward and asked, "What do you mean, eldest prince? Get up quickly. My prince is not bound by conventional etiquette."
When the eldest prince took off his cloak and knelt on the ground, he felt a little embarrassed and unwilling, but after he actually did this action, he relaxed a lot.
Anyway, since the people are here, we should try our best to satisfy His Highness. If we suffer a loss and still make the other party unhappy, what is the point?
The eldest prince's mother died early and passed away after giving birth to his ninth brother. At that time, the eldest prince was only ten years old. He was a man of great adaptability to survive until today in the harem surrounded by enemies.
He stood up and sat down beside Liu Tan very docilely, saying, "It is a great honor for me to be favored by Your Highness."
Look at him differently? What do you mean by look at him differently?
Liu Tan was confused for a moment. After so many years, he was no longer the student who knew nothing when he first came here. He had met countless people who wanted to offer themselves to him.
It’s just that those people… weren’t as blatant as the eldest prince.
He didn't expect that the eldest prince would put the blame on him first.
Liu Tan thought about it carefully and realized that he and the eldest prince had only met twice. The first time was when they just returned from Luzon Island, and the second time was today during the day.
The first time, he didn't even look at the eldest prince a second time, but today... he suddenly remembered that he did look at the eldest prince a few more times.
But... in all conscience, he gave those two looks to arouse the eldest prince's suspicion, or to ignite his ambition, so that he would come to him naturally.
As a result...did the other party misunderstand something?
Liu Tan was suddenly at a loss for words. He turned to Miao Rui and said, "Go find him some clothes!"
The eldest prince looked at Liu Tan blankly. He said uneasily, "Your Highness, don't you like me wearing this?"
Liu Tan turned his head away, unable to bear watching, and could only say, "You...you misunderstood."
The eldest prince looked at Liu Tan in surprise. Even though Liu Tan had seen a lot, he couldn't help but say with some embarrassment, "I see that you have a good temperament. You are the king's eldest son, and you serve the king. I think you must be capable."
The eldest prince listened to his words and thought, "Aren't you saying the same thing? But, the Han people seem to be more reserved. I heard they like to be more euphemistic, like reciting poems and writing couplets, but I don't know how to do that."
Just as he was saying this, he heard His Royal Highness the Prince change the subject: "So... you should know that the Prime Minister is more optimistic about the Ninth Prince, right?"
The eldest prince was preoccupied with romantic matters and was caught off guard by these words. He looked up at Liu Tan in surprise and said, "Your Highness, what do you mean..."
Liu Tan said with a serious face, "You may not know that we in the Han Dynasty value legitimacy the most. If there is a legitimate heir, the eldest son will be the heir. If there is no legitimate heir, the eldest son will be the heir. You are both the legitimate heir and the eldest son. In our eyes, you are the legitimate heir. I despise what the Prime Minister did. However, we in the Han Dynasty cannot interfere in the affairs of your Jiaozhi Kingdom, so we want to see more of the eldest prince's abilities. If he is really not capable... we can only regretfully give up."
The eldest prince sat there expressionlessly listening to Liu Tan's nonsense. He thought to himself, "You haven't intervened yet? If you do, we'll all die."
However, Liu Tan's words about whether the heir apparent is the heir or the eldest son is the heir apparent were exactly what he wanted. He couldn't help but say, "My father does intend to make me the crown prince, but the Prime Minister is blocking it. If Your Highness is willing to lend a hand, you can make any request you have."
Well, Liu Tan believed what he said later. This person dressed like this just because he gave her a glance. I guess he doesn't have any high bottom line.
Just then, a servant came over with a set of robes. Liu Tan pointed and said, "Put them on first and we'll talk in detail."
The eldest prince suddenly looked up and smiled at Liu Tan. It must be said that although his skin was a little dark, his facial features were three-dimensional and he still looked good. His eyes were slightly lighter in color, and when he looked straight at him, there was a kind of innocence in them.
At this moment, the eldest prince was looking at him with his innocent eyes and asked, "Your Highness... is it really unintentional?"
Liu Tan glanced at him lightly without saying anything. The eldest prince could only stand up and put on his clothes.
He originally thought that he should be relieved. After all, most young men from ordinary families would be ashamed to do such a thing, let alone him as a prince. But for some reason, after the King of the North really rejected him, he actually felt a little lost and regretful.
After he had put on his clothes, Liu Tan spoke directly, "The Prime Minister came to see me. He's so brazen, obviously he has the upper hand in the court. Even if you have the king's support, what are your chances of winning?"
After the eldest prince put on his clothes and sat opposite Liu Tan, he became a serious man. He thought for a while and said, "The military power is mine."
Liu Tan was a little surprised: "The king handed over the military power to you?"
The eldest prince said, "Not entirely, probably about one-third. Only the palace guards are not under my command."
One third is indeed not a small amount. Liu Tan then asked, "Does the Prime Minister have military power?"
The eldest prince smiled bitterly and said, "Two-thirds is with him."
Liu Tan paused as he was holding the water cup. What the hell was this?
No wonder the prime minister is so arrogant. He can break in anytime he wants.
Liu Tan lowered his eyes and said, "This... I'm afraid I can't help you with anything."
The eldest prince whispered, "But my ninth brother lives in the palace."
Liu Tan raised his eyes and looked at the eldest prince: "You mean... to remove the firewood from under the cauldron?"
The eldest prince was stunned: "Huh? What does that mean?"
Oh, I forgot, everyone here is illiterate. He said tiredly, "So... you want the Prime Minister to lose the person he supports?"
The eldest prince said sanctimoniously, "Ninth brother is my brother. I certainly don't want to do this unless it's absolutely necessary."
Liu Tanxin said, "You're kidding me! For the fight for the throne, people can even beat each other to pieces. What brothers? Aren't there enough cases of brothers killing each other?"
However, no matter whether the eldest prince is pretending or being sincere, at least he is willing to show this attitude, which is more in line with the values of the Han people.
He nodded and said, "What else can you do?"
The eldest prince whispered, "I once saw His Highness's guards holding a strange bow and arrow..."
Liu Tan looked at him with a half-smile: "You want a crossbow?"
The eldest prince asked, "Is that called a hand crossbow? I hope to purchase a crossbow from Your Highness."
Liu Tan shook his head and said, "I won't sell this."
The eldest prince was a little anxious. He couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, please raise any request you have."
Liu Tan asked in return, "Besides my guards, have you seen this thing in the hands of other soldiers?"
The eldest prince was slightly stunned and shook his head: "No...no."
Liu Tan nodded. "That's right. This thing is very complicated to manufacture. A crossbow costs a lot of money. Not everyone has the same bodyguards as me. It's not a question of conditions, but a question of you not being able to afford it."
The eldest prince's heart sank when he heard this. Although they were located in a remote area, they had been in contact with the Han people for so long that they knew that the King of the Northern Territory in front of them was very good at making money and was very wealthy. He generally did not take money seriously.
But even he thought the crossbow was expensive, so... he really might not be able to afford it.
Liu Tan said: "The crossbow is not good, but the bow and arrow may be good. Don't think that the bow and arrow are bad. Our Han bows and arrows are different from yours."
After he finished speaking, he ordered, "Go and get my bow and arrows."
A young eunuch immediately ran over to get the bow and arrow that His Royal Highness the King of the North usually used. The eldest prince was stunned when he saw the bow.
They also have bows in Jiaozhi. As for the quality... these days, the most they distinguish is the materials. Jiaozhi has many more tree species than the Han Dynasty, so they have a wider range of materials to choose from for their bows.
So what surprised him about this bow was not the bow itself, but the round thing on it.
Liu Tan took the bow and gently stroked it, saying, "I think the eldest prince has also noticed that the most special thing about this bow is this sight."
"Sight?" The eldest prince repeated, vaguely understanding the function of this thing.
Liu Tan nodded and said, "Yes, with this thing, as long as you are strong enough, even an ordinary soldier who is not good at archery can become a sharpshooter who never misses."
The eldest prince's heart was pounding after hearing this, and he couldn't help but whispered, "Can I...can I try it?"
Liu Tan smiled and said, "This prince and the eldest prince have had a very pleasant conversation. Since the eldest prince likes it, this prince will give you one. You can go back and take a good look at it. If you like it, this prince can make the decision."
The eldest prince was delighted after hearing this: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Liu Tan had someone bring a bow with a scope and handed it directly to the eldest prince. The eldest prince took the bow, looked up at Liu Tan and asked, "Your Highness, please give me two days."
Liu Tan smiled and said, "That's fine. However, the eldest prince's visit today isn't solely his own doing, is it?"
The eldest prince said frankly, "Yes, it was my father who asked me to come. He hopes that I can discuss the terms with His Highness again."
Liu Tan raised his eyebrows: "Now..."
The eldest prince weighed the bow in his hand and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Leave this matter to me. I will definitely satisfy Your Highness."
There wasn't much he could say to Liu, the only thing he could do was to help in this regard. As for whether such help was treason... the eldest prince couldn't care less now. He had to think about himself, otherwise he would not be able to survive. How could he care whether the country was good or bad after he died?
He even felt that if the position of king could not belong to him, it would be better for the country to disappear completely.
Liu Tan smiled slightly. At this point, the two of them had basically achieved their initial goal. The eldest prince put on his cloak again, but before leaving, he suddenly turned to look at Liu Tan and asked with a smile, "Your Highness, are you really not going to let me stay?"
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