Chapter 87

After quickly scanning through the latest intelligence sent from Kunling Pass by Yang Qing, Min Ruoying’s face darkened, and she sneered, “What a fine Qin Feng, actually setting his sights on Xi'er. Truly, he has no sense of his own limits. If he wants to climb the dragon and attach himself to the phoenix, he should first consider his own worth.”

With a slap, she put the paper on the table and said, “I was willing to give him a future before, but since he doesn’t know his place and doesn’t appreciate it, don’t blame me for being unfriendly. Let him and that Death Corps die together!”

“What about the princess?” Luo Liang hesitated a bit. From Yang Qing’s report, it was clear that Princess Zhaohua was quite infatuated with Qin Feng. To move against Qin Feng, how to deal with Princess Zhaohua was a problem that couldn’t be ignored.

“Don’t worry. Xi'er is just a child at heart, and she hasn’t left the capital. That’s why she was deceived by this damned Qin Feng. Once she returns to the capital and is properly guided, she will be fine. A military man she’s only known for a few months—how could she really be interested in him? It’s just a temporary need for support in a time of loneliness. How many talented young men are there in the capital? I don’t even find them appealing, so a border military man, who dares to aim high, must be out of his mind.”

Min Ruoying sneered, “When Qin Feng enters the capital, immediately have the internal guards arrest him. As for Xi'er, I will find a way to have her transferred. Separating them for a while will naturally make things fade.”

Luo Liang nodded; he also thought this was unrealistic.

“To take down the Death Corps, we must first take down Qin Feng. From the intelligence we’ve gathered, the core of the Death Corps is Qin Feng alone. His three deputy captains are already quite at odds, often fighting to the death, like enemies. This is part of Qin Feng’s way of controlling people, but such a method has a major flaw: once Qin Feng is out of the picture, the Death Corps will be like a pile of loose sand.”

“Since that’s the case, why do you say it’s difficult?” Min Ruoying looked at Luo Liang with some dissatisfaction.

“Your Highness, even though Qin Feng is not here, he is still alive. The news of him escorting the princess over a thousand miles has surely reached Anyang County. As long as he is alive, his influence remains. Moreover, the Death Corps has a characteristic of being particularly united when facing external threats, which is why I say it’s difficult to deal with.” Luo Liang explained with a smile. “Our strength in Anyang is weak, and the county troops are unreliable, so we need to think of another way.”

“Do you have a plan now?” Min Ruoying asked.

“Since Your Highness has decided to take down Qin Feng, things will be much easier.” Luo Liang reached out and picked a piece of paper from a stack of documents. “Your Highness, look at this person’s information.”

Min Ruoying read through the document in her hand and looked up at Luo Liang, “You want to strike from the inside?”

“No fortress, no matter how strong, can defend against an attack from within.” Luo Liang said, “With Qin Feng gone, this person has the potential to be pulled to our side. With his assistance, I believe we won’t need too many people to deal with the Death Corps.”

Min Ruoying pondered for a moment, “This will require someone skilled in persuasion.”

“Your Highness has no shortage of such people. As long as we can pull this person over, offering him a high position is not a problem.” Luo Liang smiled.

“Indeed. If everything goes smoothly, I will give him the position of commander of the Anyang County troops. Yang Yi is a follower of Yang Yihuo, and this time we will deal with him as well.” Min Ruoying sneered.

“Your Highness, Yang Yi is still useful this time. I believe he is now doing everything he can to find a way to approach Your Highness. This is a great opportunity. He will certainly do his best, and since he has ties to Yang Yihuo, Your Highness might as well use him first, so that when dealing with Yang Yihuo in the future, certain people will have nothing to say.” Luo Liang suggested.

“That’s a good idea.” Min Ruoying thought for a moment and smiled, “Now, many people in the capital are already speculating that I will deal with Yang Yihuo. Hmph, I will deliberately promote Yang Yi to show my magnanimity.”

“Your Highness is wise!” Luo Liang smiled. Although this prince was somewhat biased and ruthless, he was still open to good advice and willing to consider it carefully, which was the reason he had decided to serve him.

“Take care of this matter immediately. My third sister is riding hard to the capital. I hope that when we arrest Qin Feng, Anyang will also act simultaneously. Solving this problem early will allow us to focus more on other important matters. General Luo, the emperor has agreed to my proposal for you to become the commander of the eastern border troops.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your promotion!” Luo Liang was overjoyed. This was precisely the reason he had joined the second prince, Min Ruoying. If the crown prince were in power, someone like him, who advocated for unifying the world by force, would never have a chance. He was already over sixty, and even with the skills of a grandmaster, his youth was gradually fading, and he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Do you want to know what the emperor thinks of you?” Min Ruoying asked with a smile.

“I wonder what the emperor thinks of me?” Over the years, the emperor had never used Luo Liang, and he naturally harbored resentment. He also wanted to know why the emperor didn’t use him. A grandmaster willing to serve the royal family was something any ruler would be eager to have.

“The emperor said you are a double-edged sword, capable of hurting the enemy but also capable of hurting yourself.” Min Ruoying stared at Luo Liang, “Do you agree, General Luo?”

Luo Liang lowered his head and thought for a moment, “I understand, Your Highness. In the future, I will not let you down.”

“Good!” Min Ruoying stood up, “Go and take care of your duties. This afternoon, I will visit the Crown Prince’s residence to see my brother.” He smiled triumphantly.

“Xi'er is coming back and will surely come to see him. I don’t want him to say anything to ruin our sibling relationship.”

The once bustling Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace had now become the place that officials in the capital most avoided, fearing that they might be implicated in any connection with the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. The western border troops case had already led to the arrest of dozens of high-ranking officials in the capital, all of whom were recognized as part of the Crown Prince’s faction. Although things had calmed down, the undercurrents beneath the calm surface were palpable. Over the years, since being named Crown Prince at birth, Min Ruocheng had naturally accumulated a large number of followers. It was easy to imagine that more people would be brought down as time went on. The current calm was only maintained because the old emperor was still alive.

But the time for that to change was not far off.

Min Ruoying’s carriage stopped outside the gates of the Crown Prince’s residence. In a short time, the once glorious gates of the Crown Prince’s residence seemed to have lost their luster. The guards and secret agents stationed everywhere had completely cut off all contact between the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace and the outside world. Even a fly trying to leave the Eastern Palace would likely be questioned by the internal guards several times.

Min Ruoying, feeling triumphant, stepped up the stairs. As a victor, he could now look down on this half-brother whom he had long admired.