Chapter 553 Xie Shang Confesses Again
He took the initiative to speak to her, “I can resolve the matter in the Southern Kingdom, not for you, nor for Meng Yao, but for the people of Great Zhou and the Southern Kingdom. Great Zhou is the neighboring country of the Southern Kingdom. If the Southern Kingdom falls into crisis, Great Zhou will not fare well either. This is another reason why I came to the Southern Kingdom.”
She wanted to say: Why are you telling me all this?
But she didn't say it out loud. Xie Shang seemed to read her mind and said, "I'm telling you all this so that you can get to know me again. You might find that you don't hate me that much. We can be like-minded allies."
He was gentle and refined, having suppressed all his hostility, and had a very good temper. He treated her as an equal, as if inviting her to join his camp, not wanting her to go it alone.
When Jiang Fenghua heard him say this, she felt that he was a person of great righteousness. His purpose in doing so was to ensure that the people of the world could have a stable home and that they could live and work in peace and contentment.
Jiang Fenghua's initial intention in helping Meng Yao was simply to help him. She couldn't stand the pirates' indiscriminate killing of innocent people, and she also wanted to help the people of the Southern Kingdom. She didn't want the pirates to occupy this land, didn't want Granny Mao and Ah Xian's lives to be disrupted, and wanted people like them to live in peace.
She suddenly realized that her thoughts were somewhat similar to Xie Qiyun's.
At the same time, Jiang Fenghua clearly realized that she only had passion and enthusiasm, and that she could not possibly fight against a country on her own.
Currently, she is still the weaker party.
It's not bravery for the weak to collide with a stubborn rock; it's a foolish act of not knowing one's place. Is that what he's trying to express?
Jiang Fenghua suddenly felt a bit cynical, or perhaps the person in question was truly acting for the sake of the people.
Undeniably, Xie Qiyun is a strong man, and he is confident that he can set things right in the South.
During the Southern King's serious illness, the eldest and fourth princes and their henchmen took power. Once they had power, they naturally focused on accumulating wealth and currying favor with those in power, completely disregarding the lives of the common people.
Jiang Fenghua glanced at Xie Shang secretly. Apart from not having learned to respect her, this man was quite good-looking and polite. How did they get engaged?
These dishes really suited her taste, but how did he know she preferred light flavors?
She suddenly asked, "How did we meet?"
Xie Shang calmly replied, "You were only five or six years old when we first met! It's quite strange, actually. You met me first, and I met you later, but I've remembered you for over ten years, while you've long forgotten me..."
Xie Shang shamelessly described their brief encounter as "childhood sweethearts".
As Jiang Fenghua listened to him continue talking about his childhood, she wondered if he was really that amazing at such a young age.
She saw that he was speaking very seriously, and his eyes were full of smiles when he talked about their first meeting. Did he really like her that much?
He said earnestly, "So I was the one who fell in love with you first; you never liked me."
Jiang Fenghua felt that he should have been very sad when he said these things, but he was very happy. She had never liked him, yet he was still so persistent in coming to find her.
"Ruan Ruan, whether you like me or not, I don't want to miss you again." His eyes were full of affection. "No one in this world loves you as much as I do. I will wait for the day you are willing to marry me."
Jiang Fenghua was suddenly confessed to, and her cheeks flushed. She began to wonder if she had ever liked him.
Was our encounter truly both comical and sweet?
However, what she didn't know was that his sweetness, which was only his own, was transformed into a budding romance between the two of them.
Jiang Fenghua would go further if she went alone, and she would meet more people. However, Xie Shang said that he would be the most outstanding man she would ever meet in her life.
She silently lowered her head and began to eat, her eyes revealing a sense of wariness.
-
A few days later, Xie Shang received an invitation from the Southern Kingdom's palace to invite him and his wife to a banquet.
He held the invitation in his hand and said in a deep voice, "This trap has come so quickly. It seems we won't be able to stay in the South for much longer."
Jiang Fenghua cast a cold glance at him. "The Meng brothers are going to make a move against you, a wealthy merchant. If you really end up in the palace, you'll be like a fish on a chopping board, completely at their mercy. Are you really so confident that you can wipe out the Meng brothers in one fell swoop?"
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained." His eyes were deep, and his demeanor was dignified and domineering.
Jiang Fenghua immediately fell silent; her worries were unnecessary.
Xie Shang said to Meng Yao, "Even if the Sixth Prince succeeds in seizing the throne, I want to ask him a question, and you must answer it truthfully."
Meng Yao said, "Thank you for asking, young master."
"If the vassal states beyond the seas attack, how long do you think your southern kingdom can withstand it?"
Meng Yao's injuries had almost healed. He disguised himself as a guard of the Xie family and mingled among them. At this moment, he stared at Xie Shang and suddenly became suspicious of his identity.
He realized that he was no ordinary businessman, judging by his demeanor and methods.
Xie Shang stared at Meng Yao and said, "The people I want to help are not you, but the people of your Southern Kingdom. I don't care about the future of the Southern Kingdom and the Great Zhou, or who will be the king of the Southern Kingdom. What I care about is whether the Southern King can defend the customs and prevent foreign invasion during his reign. I hope you can understand this."
Meng Yao was suddenly startled. In all his years in the business world, he had never seen anyone with such an imposing presence.
He said in a deep voice, "The Southern Kingdom is already at its end. Even if Young Master Xie has a way to help me seize the throne, the Southern Kingdom cannot withstand the vassal states on its own. In the end, the Southern Kingdom will still have to ask the Great Zhou Kingdom for help."
Meng Yao was unaware that the envoy sent by the Southern King to negotiate with the Great Zhou Kingdom had been killed on the way by his brother and had just been spotted by the people of Great Zhou.
“In reality, the Southern Kingdom has always been a vassal state of the Great Zhou Kingdom, and my eldest and fourth brothers are only pursuing their own interests.” He suddenly knelt down in front of Xie Shang and said respectfully, “If they become bandit leaders in the Southern Kingdom in the future, I would rather the Southern Kingdom submit to the Great Zhou Kingdom and protect the safety of my Southern Kingdom people.”
Xie Shang stared at him, a smile playing on her lips. "Actually, the Sixth Prince isn't at his wit's end. At least Prince Yun, Chen Ao, has already joined forces with Customs Commander Lu Yang. As long as the Sixth Prince stays alive, you can reclaim the throne."
"If my uncle and Commander Lu were to lead tens of thousands of soldiers to attack the palace for me alone, the result would only be mutual destruction. Regardless of who wins or loses, it would be the people and soldiers who suffer in the end. Reclaiming the throne would only cause more people to lose their loved ones. I am not willing to do that."
Xie Shang couldn't help but look at him with higher regard. He had always thought Meng Yao was weak and incompetent, and not fit for important tasks.
He even wondered if he was faking it, but after the investigation, it turned out that Meng Yao really didn't like to wield power and only liked to do business. He was a great philanthropist!
"Chen Yao" was his name outside the palace. The people on the street all knew that "Chen Yao" was a wealthy merchant, but they did not know that Meng Yao was a prince, which was quite strange.
The Prince of Nan doted on his youngest son, allowing him to engage in business outside, dealing in jewelry and jade, without grooming him to be a true heir.
He really wanted to ask the King of the Southern Kingdom his true thoughts, but Xie Shang was very puzzled.
In fact, the reason why the Southern Kingdom has developed to its current state is due to the inherent advantages brought by favorable timing and geographical location, which has led to its prosperous trade and prosperity.
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