Chapter 167 Ye Jing's Conditions
The rain continued to drizzle. Xie Yunyu had just caught her breath and tried to get up, but Xiao Ling grabbed her, preventing her from getting up.
This time, Xiao Ling pressed the person down onto the armrest of the bench beside the pavilion...
Xie Yunyu tilted her head back, panting, and reached out a hand to grab the curtain.
Seeing this, Xiao Ling whispered in her ear:
"My lady, please don't pull down the curtain; there are people outside."
Xie Yunyu was startled upon hearing this.
Xiao Ling suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and gently patted her on the shoulder:
"Relax……"
The two fooled around in the pavilion for a long time, until Xie Yunyu collapsed into a ball.
Xiao Ling carefully dressed her and carried her back to her room.
The night is drizzling, the night is long, and it's still early...
Things are at a stalemate in the capital, and progress is very slow.
Progress in the Western Regions has been quite rapid.
After Pei Yanchi left, Ye Jing sat alone in his bedchamber all night without closing his eyes.
The next morning, he wanted to send his personal bodyguard to find Chen Jiatao.
However, he then thought of what Pei Yanchi had said last night about the eldest prince being unscrupulous, and if the prince noticed anything amiss, Chen Jiatao's life might be in danger.
So he forced himself to resist the urge to go find Chen Jiatao.
The eldest prince had spies planted here, and it was impossible for last night's events to have escaped their surveillance.
Soon the eldest prince received the news and came to see Ye Jing again.
It was still late at night, and they arrived with seven or eight people in the dead of night.
Ye Jing treated the Crown Prince the same way he had done before.
The eldest prince sat on the throne and looked at Ye Jing, asking:
"General Ye, I heard that the heir of the Duke of Xing came last night?"
"Yes."
Ye Jing admitted it without changing his expression.
"Oh, what's he here for?" the eldest prince asked.
"If I told Your Highness that he came to catch up with me, would you believe me?"
Instead of answering, Ye Jing asked the eldest prince.
The eldest prince said with a half-smile, "I don't believe it."
Ye Jing also grinned sarcastically:
"It seems there is no trust between us."
The eldest prince chuckled softly:
"It's not that I don't trust you, but the Xingguo Duke's mansion is too complicated."
The Duke of Xing is the Duke of Xing, the heir apparent is the heir apparent, and the Duchess is the Duchess; the three of them each belong to their own faction.
Ye Jing listened and asked, "Oh, I'd like to hear more details."
"The Duke of Xing is just a general in charge of the west, a muddle-headed man who has suffered the wrath of His Majesty."
He has achieved remarkable military exploits over the years, but he lacks both courage and ambition.
Prince Pei is no longer a member of the Pei family; he belongs to the royal family, and is backed by my father and aunt.
As for the Duchess, she was even more interesting.
She was a spy from the North.
Ye Jing knew about the Duke of Xing and Pei Yanchi, but this was the first time he had heard that Wan was a spy from the Northern Border.
She couldn't help but frown and look at the eldest prince.
The eldest prince chuckled: "The reason I came to you for cooperation is because I thought you were a smart man."
The North has joined forces with me, and we also have people in the palace.
Furthermore, with the hidden agents we've planted in the capital—people you wouldn't expect—we've already secured a victory in this game.
Oh, right, you probably don't know this yet, but in the palace, both His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have been poisoned.
The Empress Dowager probably doesn't have much time left, and His Majesty, even though the poison has been neutralized, is not as healthy as before.
Therefore, I think you understand the principle that a wise bird chooses its tree to perch on.
Ye Jing was quite surprised to hear this; the First Prince actually possessed so many things.
He then pretended not to understand and said, "Your Highness, I have two questions for you."
The eldest prince listened and gestured to him, "Ask away."
"First, as you know, I only want to avenge Jia Tao, so I want to kill the Prince of Shou'an and his wife with my own hands."
Can Your Highness agree to this condition?
The eldest prince laughed upon hearing this: "Okay."
My cousin is a loyal dog by the Crown Prince's side.
From childhood to adulthood, he has always revolved around the Crown Prince and has never paid any attention to us other brothers.
His death or his living status doesn't have that much of an impact; you can kill him if you want.
After hearing this, Ye Jing remained noncommittal about the First Prince's assessment of the Prince of Shou'an.
Then he asked, "Your Highness, you are cooperating with the Northern Border, and I am cooperating with you. May I ask who is in charge, you or the Northern Border?"
The eldest prince smiled and replied, "Since we are cooperating, I will naturally be the leader."
As for the North… there will be no more North.
Ye Jing nodded and said, "I am not familiar with the northern border. Since Your Highness says so, I am relieved."
Upon hearing this, the eldest prince looked at him intently:
"Does this mean General Ye has agreed?"
"Yes, I agree."
Ye Jing answered the Crown Prince's question with a firm look in his eyes.
A hint of amusement flashed in the eldest prince's eyes as he asked again:
"So, what exactly was the purpose of Prince Pei's visit last night?"
"Your Highness is right. Prince Pei has come with His Majesty's decree, wanting me to cooperate with Duke Xing to guard the border and not to act rashly."
His Majesty knows about me and my family, and is afraid that I will not obey his decree.
They then sent Pei Yanchi over, along with a letter from my parents and some other things that were still on their way.
I think he should be His Majesty's strategist sent to the Northwest.
They've mainly come to see me and the Duke of Xing."
The eldest prince found Ye Jing's explanation quite agreeable.
Sending his son, Pei Yanchi, to monitor his father—that's something an emperor is certainly capable of doing.
Pei Yanchi and Ye Jing were old acquaintances, and Pei Yanchi was very familiar with their surveillance.
"Oh, I see. Then why did I hear you two got into a fight?"
The eldest prince pressed for an answer.
When this matter was mentioned, a fierce glint flashed in Ye Jing's eyes.
"Back in the capital, it was at Xiao Ling's behest that he tricked me into going to Tianxing Tower, which led to what happened later."
I didn't kill him yesterday, only because of his father.
The eldest prince was very satisfied with Ye Jing's expression and demeanor.
It seems he really wants to avenge Chen Jiatao.
However, the eldest prince remained very suspicious. Before leaving, he gave orders to the spies he left behind, instructing them not to relax their surveillance of Ye Jing.
Now that Ye Jing already knows who the First Prince left behind,
He should know what he should know, and he should know nothing about what he shouldn't know.
The next day, the people from the Marquis of Guangping's residence finally arrived after a long and hurried journey.
The group was in a sorry state, but they still managed to bring several truckloads of supplies.
The leader was the second steward of the Marquis of Guangping's residence.
Upon seeing Ye Jing from afar, the man in his forties almost burst into tears.
"Your Highness."
"Uncle Chao, you must be tired from your journey," Ye Jing greeted him.
Ye Jinzhao felt relieved after hearing Ye Jing's words about hard work.
Wiping away her tears, she said, "It's only been a year, how has the young master changed so much?"
"The border is harsh, unlike the capital city which is a good place to live."
Ye Jing answered calmly, his face remaining expressionless.
Ye Jinzhao wanted to say something more, but then he remembered the family head's instructions.
He quickly handed the letter to Ye Jing from his bosom.
After reading it, Ye Jing looked at the servant behind Ye Jinzhao and said:
"Ye Jiu?"
"Your Highness, I am here."
Ye Jing threw the letter in his hand into the fire and burned it.
Then, looking at Ye Jiu, he said, "Ye Xi will be going back with Uncle Chao in a few days. You can stay with me for now."
"Here you go."
Ye Jiu became the top-ranked bodyguard of the Hundred Riders Division, staying by Ye Jing's side.
That same day, Pei Yanchi received a message from Ye Jing that he had reached an agreement with the First Prince and would submit to him.
The condition was that the Prince of Shou'an and his wife be killed.
Pei Yanchi read the note, his brow twitching.
Is this guy really planning to kill Cousin Ling?
But then I thought, Chen Jiatao isn't dead, so it probably isn't.
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