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“Uncle is right. After all, this is Seventeen’s first time going on a long trip to handle such a difficult task,” Fourth Master said thoughtfully.
Looking at the Fourth Prince's expression, Longkodo was actually wondering why he had assigned such a thankless task to the inexperienced Seventeenth Prince. Was it because he was worried about suppressing him? He had to figure out the Fourth Prince's intentions, otherwise he would say something he shouldn't and it would be a loss.
"Your Highness, the Seventeenth Prince was born to Consort Chen. His maternal grandparents were from the Chen family in Quzhou. Their family once produced a Vice Minister of Rites, and Consort Chen was this Vice Minister's younger sister. None of the others have ever served as officials in the capital. This Vice Minister of Rites seemed to be in poor health and resigned to return to his hometown in the fifty-fourth year of Kangxi's reign." Longkodo had already thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of officials throughout the capital. He could name any one of them and recite their ancestors for eight generations in detail.
The Fourth Prince naturally understood the meaning behind Longkodo's words: he was telling him that the Seventeenth Prince had no powerful relatives by marriage and no influence in the court, so he was not a threat. Moreover, they had already seen Kangxi's edict, which clearly stated that the Fourth Prince would inherit the throne.
The Fourth Prince's impression of Longkodo's ability to read people's minds deepened, and he said, "Seventeenth Brother is both scholarly and martial, and will be a great help to me in the future. I will make good use of him."
When Longkodo heard the Fourth Prince say this, he immediately understood and quickly said, "This servant thinks it would be better to send someone who has done this kind of thing before to assist the Seventeenth Prince. How about sending the Military Advisor of the Ministry of War, Duolong? He has already led troops in the southwest and is very familiar with the terrain and the people there."
When the Fourth Prince heard this, he found it unfamiliar, as he had never heard the name before. However, since Longkodo had already brought it up, the Fourth Prince said, "Then let this person come and meet me. The person I send this time will definitely be useful."
Upon seeing that the Fourth Prince agreed to meet the person, Longkodo immediately said, "Yes, then shall we summon this person to the Prince's residence or to the palace? He doesn't usually come to the palace."
"Let him go to my residence," the Fourth Prince said without much thought.
That day, the Fourth Prince had just returned from the imperial court when a man named Duolong, recommended by Longkodo, handed him a door pass. Before the Fourth Prince could even go anywhere for dinner, Duolong was already waiting at the gatehouse.
“He’s rather impatient. Alright, let him in,” the Fourth Master said to the servant who had spoken.
After the Fourth Prince had a pastry and a cup of tea in his study, the man recommended by Longkodo was led in by a servant.
As soon as he entered the study, the Fourth Master took a liking to him at first glance. He had a very upright appearance, and it was clear that he was a martial arts practitioner, not just a showy one; he must have been a soldier.
"This humble servant, Duolong, greets Prince Yong!" Duolong clasped his hands in a fist salute and knelt on one knee before the Fourth Prince. This was his way of pledging allegiance to the Fourth Prince; otherwise, a fourth-rank martial arts school like his wouldn't need to perform such a grand ceremony.
"Please rise, sir, and sit down!" Fourth Master offered a gesture of support.
After Duolong sat down, the Fourth Prince had tea served before beginning their conversation. Duolong recounted his experiences entering the court in detail, essentially giving the Fourth Prince a glimpse into his background. The Fourth Prince listened attentively, but today he couldn't discern any connection between Duolong and Longkodo. He already knew everything about Longkodo's family background.
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