Shen Yanxi, who was downing a glass of wine, was completely unaware that he was being watched. He was still lost in thought about Song Zhiyu calling him "Third Brother."
Before him was Pei Qingyan, and after him was Su Jinyang. One was a civil official and the other a military officer. Both were important ministers in the court and were highly valued by His Majesty.
In contrast, the others were either injured or disabled, and there seemed to be no comparison between them.
Shen Yanxi's face grew increasingly grim as he thought about it, and he poured the strong liquor in his glass into his mouth as if it were water, recklessly.
They were clearly blood relatives, yet Song Zhiyu looked at them as if they were strangers, her gaze icy and chilling.
After a long while, just when the people of Qingfeng Village were about to lose their patience, Shen Yanxi finally made his move.
He slowly got up and walked out of the restaurant, his body unsteady.
Seeing this, the group of people who had been pretending to drink on the side exchanged glances and got up to follow.
*
Leaving the Prince's Mansion, to the study.
"Your Highness, I have fulfilled my mission and brought back the land deed." The man in black knelt on one knee, respectfully presenting a piece of white paper covered with black writing, his dark eyes silent and still.
Li Wang raised his eyelids with slight surprise, seemingly not expecting the trip to go so smoothly, so smoothly that it felt somewhat strange to him.
He reached out and took the land deed, examined it carefully, and a thoughtful expression appeared between his brows.
The land deed for Mount Li is indeed good, and he hasn't noticed any problems with it yet.
"Did you really get this land deed from Song Zhiyu?" Li Wang asked with a hint of doubt, his sharp gaze fixed on the man in black kneeling before him.
He has always been suspicious, and he has clashed with Song Zhiyu two or three times, even resorting to various means to seize the land deeds, but he failed each time.
Now that he had the land deed, he should have been happy, but he was puzzled and felt that the land deed had come too easily.
"Yes, Your Highness, I would never dare to deceive you." The man in black braced himself to meet the Prince's sharp gaze, the back of his clothes appearing noticeably darker.
It was unclear whether Li Wangxin had believed it or not; he simply stared intently at the land deed in his hand, remaining silent.
The atmosphere in the study was eerily unsettling, especially the powerful aura emanating from the Prince, which caused the man in black to break out in a cold sweat.
Seeing this, the advisor who had been standing quietly to the side finally spoke up, "Your Highness, how this land deed was obtained is not important. What is important is what's inside Mount Li. Now that the land deed is in your hands, Mount Li is yours to call the shots."
These words broke the eerie atmosphere and finally brought a warm smile to the King's face.
“Zi’ang is right. The land deed to Mount Li is now in my hands, and the contents there are naturally under my control.” King Li laughed loudly. Although he still had some doubts, the immediate benefits were clearly more appealing to him.
Li Wang lowered his eyes and stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand, a confident smile playing on his lips.
With this mine, and the assistance of the Wenren family, a renowned family of weapons makers, they will surely be able to forge even more sophisticated weapons, giving his carefully cultivated army a significant boost.
And in the north, it's also a sure-fire way to make money.
Thinking of this, Li Wang solemnly ordered, "Half a month from now, I want to see the latest weapon created by Wenren Shi."
We can't wait any longer. The Crown Prince has already sensed something is wrong and has been secretly investigating him. The Emperor is also quite dissatisfied with him.
If he hadn't taken precautions back then, those soldiers he secretly raised would probably have been wiped out by Zhou Xingzhi.
Recently, the surrounding small countries, instigated by the Northern Kingdom and the Chu Kingdom, have also made some moves, showing signs of wanting to take action in the northern border region, and war is imminent.
If this battle breaks out, it will inevitably require mobilizing most of the troops in the capital, so he must make the most of this opportunity.
*
Amidst the clouds and waters.
Su Jinyang casually sipped his tea, his eyes fixed on the storyteller below, and said lightly, "The land deed is missing."
Song Zhiyu knew exactly what the land deed he was referring to, and continued pouring tea without stopping. "Li Wang is cunning and suspicious. If this land deed were too easy to obtain, he couldn't possibly not be suspicious."
If we're talking about the person who understands Prince Li best, Song Zhiyu is definitely one of them. She guessed almost all of Prince Li's doubts with perfect accuracy.
Before Su Jinyang could respond, Song Zhiyu smiled slightly and continued, "But what if he has doubts? The land deed is real, the mine is real, and with such a large fortune right in front of him, how could he not be tempted?"
“Yu’er is absolutely right. If I were Prince Li, I certainly wouldn’t give up the benefits that are so readily available. However…” Su Jinyang’s face darkened. Through Prince Li’s actions over this period of time, he had pretty much figured out the man’s character.
"King Li is cautious. Since he has doubts about the land deed, he will naturally observe for a while. I just don't know when he will make his move?"
“He can wait, but the people behind him can’t.” Song Zhiyu smiled and gave Su Jinyang a complicated look.
Su Jinyang paused for a moment, then asked, "You mean... people from the North?"
He thought of the devastating Battle of Linbei three years ago, and his large hand, which was resting on the table, clenched into a fist. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his fist made a cracking sound.
Because of the traitors who leaked military intelligence, the army of the Lintian Dynasty suffered countless casualties and heavy losses in the Battle of Linbei, and almost lost two important passes in the north.
If it weren't for the Great General's desperate resistance and efforts to turn the tide, their Lintian Dynasty would now be at the mercy of others.
Thinking of this, Su Jinyang's hatred for those traitors was incredibly strong.
Although the Lintian Dynasty ultimately won the battle, it was severely weakened, and the 100,000-strong army that was wiped out could not return.
He had suspected that some court officials were still colluding with the Northern Kingdom, but he lacked evidence and was too busy to investigate, so he found no clues.
But now, putting everything together, he clearly has someone he suspects.
“That’s right, the Prince of Li has always maintained contact with the Northern Kingdom.” Song Zhiyu nodded slightly. In fact, she had suspected it in her previous life, but she was killed before she could bring it up.
Su Jinyang's thin lips pressed into a straight line. "I understand. I will continue to keep an eye on Prince Li's side. The plan will proceed as usual. If Prince Li really is colluding with the Northern Kingdom, you need to protect yourself even more."
The people of the North are skilled in using poison and various evil arts. He was almost poisoned by the Northern Princess's Gu magic once, and he still feels lingering fear.
"Don't worry, Third Brother, I know what I'm doing." Song Zhiyu had also heard of the evil arts of the Northern Kingdom. While he was wary, he also had a strong desire to see for himself.
If the Lintian Dynasty were to clash with the Northern Kingdom once again, there's no guarantee they wouldn't resort to insidious and evil arts; we must be on guard.
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