Chapter 36

"Your Highness, the reason we have come to see you is that Song Li has been causing quite a stir recently," Song Mo Fei was about to slam his fist on the table, but then he remembered that this was not a place where he could act rashly. He quickly retracted his hand and respectfully said, "Today, I received reports from several of my subordinates, saying that Pang Da led a group to beat them up and extorted a lot of money. Damn... Uh... Your Highness, I said a dirty word in the heat of the moment, please forgive me... My people have been targeted by them for the third time this month."

"My people have also been affected. There have been two incidents this month where they were beaten and extorted, all by Pang Da and his gang," Song Qing Shan's expression was calm, showing no signs of anger or joy.

"Oh? Is that so? It seems that Song Li has indeed been quite active lately," Long Zi Yan said with a deep meaning. Her words sounded old and experienced, even though she was not much older than Song Li. However, it felt natural, as if Song Li was truly a "little guy." To Song Mo Ran and Song Qing Shan, there was no sense of awkwardness. Even if Long Zi Yan called them "little guys," they would not have any objections. The little princess had a presence that made everyone feel inferior!

In fact, a month ago, one of her subordinates, Huang Fei Hu, sent a messenger to report that he had been severely beaten by Song Li and extorted a lot of money. It was said that Song Li later sent Huang Fei Hu's blood-written IOU to the home of the Chief Cabinet Minister, which almost made Huang Fei Hu's father faint. Later, the Chief Cabinet Minister took the IOU to the imperial court to seek justice. However, the Holy Emperor said that since an IOU was written, a debt relationship was formed. If your son owes money, it is only right to pay it back. He ignored the process of Song Li's extortion, clearly favoring the young man.

The Chief Cabinet Minister and the Loyal Prince were allies, and the Loyal Prince was the Holy Emperor's top enemy. Seeking justice from the Holy Emperor was a sure way to humiliate himself. There was only a life-and-death struggle, and the victor would be the king, the loser the bandit. Who would talk about justice to an enemy?

After returning home, the Chief Cabinet Minister was so angry that he fell ill for more than half a month. Although he was the Loyal Prince's confidant, he did not want to trouble his leader with the squabbles of children. The Loyal Prince, a prince of the realm, second only to the emperor and above ten thousand others, would not come out to manage the affairs of children. Was he to be a nanny?

After receiving the report, Long Zi Yan did not say much in front of her subordinates. But when she returned to her private chamber, she could not help but giggle. Especially the part where Song Li cut off Huang Fei Hu's finger to write a blood letter and extort him. Long Zi Yan felt that Song Li had a certain evil aura that particularly appealed to her. Since Huang Fei Hu was harassing a courtesan at Man Ting Fang when he was dealt with by Song Li, Long Zi Yan felt he deserved it. If she were to stand up for Huang Fei Hu, it would mean she approved of his behavior, which went against her principles. Even though Huang Fei Hu was her subordinate, it did not mean she would blindly support him against his enemies. Moreover, the poison in her body was flaring up again, and she had her own problems to deal with. So the matter was put on hold.

She only warned Huang Fei Hu to rest and heal, and then take revenge when he was better.

In front of this unpredictable little princess, Huang Fei Hu did not dare to say much. His desire for revenge also faded. He was genuinely afraid of Song Li, who was like a little devil. It was better not to oppose him if possible. Besides, if he could beat Song Li, he would not have been so badly beaten. What revenge?

"Yes, this guy is like a fly, not deadly but annoying. At first, I didn't want to bother with him, but he has become more and more out of control. If I catch him one day, I'll crush his...!" Song Mo Fei originally wanted to say "crush his balls," but then he remembered that the little princess was sitting in front of him and quickly stopped himself. He glanced at Long Zi Yan and saw that she was calm, showing no signs of anger, and he relaxed.

Sigh, as the son of a prince, his words and actions could make the entire capital tremble. When had he ever been so cautious in front of someone? But there was no choice. Even the Loyal Prince treated the little princess with respect, so they had to treat her like a deity.

For Long Zi Yan, Song Li definitely needed to be dealt with. She would eventually capture that young man and ask him how he had regained his cultivation talent and transformed overnight. It might be helpful to her. However, there were more urgent matters to address. Since these two princes had come to her, she would assign this task to them.

A thought flashed through Long Zi Yan's mind, and she smiled faintly. "Today, I read something in a book that might shock you."

"Shock? What could be shocking in a book?" Song Mo Fei scratched his head, puzzled. Song Qing Shan did not speak, but his eyes were fixed on Long Zi Yan's inscrutable face.

"The book is called 'The Secret Geography of the Holy Lion,' which records various peculiar geographical phenomena within the empire. Did you know that under Langya Mountain in the western suburbs of the capital, there is a violent core fire that erupts every three hundred years? Langya Cave is the vent for the core fire. The core fire has destructive power. Once it erupts, it can melt the rocks underground, and lava will surge out. Combined with the extreme heat of the core fire, everything within a twenty-mile radius of Langya Mountain will be incinerated, and all life will be extinguished, leaving no grass or trees!" Long Zi Yan narrowed her eyes and said solemnly, "According to the records in the book, the core fire under Langya Mountain will erupt again in three days."

"What... What?" Song Mo Fei could not help but stand up, his eyes wide open, and his face full of disbelief.

Even the usually calm Song Qing Shan was visibly moved!

"Your Highness, are you serious?" Song Qing Shan asked.

"I can't be sure, but that's what the book says. This book has been in circulation for hundreds of years and is a unique and rare edition. I obtained it by chance. It provides detailed and objective descriptions of many peculiar landscapes within the empire, so it's unlikely that the records about Langya Mountain are false," Long Zi Yan tapped the table rhythmically, a habit she had when thinking.

"I think there's a more than seventy percent chance that it's true," Song Qing Shan, who was always cautious, but his conclusions were usually accurate.

"Damn, Langya Mountain is so beautiful, it's hard to imagine that there's such a terrifying thing underneath!" Song Mo Fei was still in shock.

Long Zi Yan's fingers continued to tap the table, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "The core fire is incredibly powerful. If the records are true, the people under Langya Mountain will suffer greatly. I don't want anyone to be burned to death. Do you understand what I mean?"

Song Qing Shan noticed Long Zi Yan's expression and, in connection with her words, began to understand.

The little princess's intention was to use the core fire under Langya Mountain to get rid of Song Li, the annoying fly. She specifically emphasized "not wanting anyone to be burned to death," which was probably a euphemism, meaning she wanted Song Li to be burned to death by the core fire.

Clever, very clever. If Song Li were to be burned to ashes by the core fire, they would not have to bear any responsibility. Life and death are predestined; if Song Li died in a natural disaster, it would just be bad luck. They could eliminate Song Li without any consequences, a perfect plan. The little princess was indeed extraordinary.

Song Qing Shan was known for his ability to read people's minds, but this time, he was completely off the mark. Long Zi Yan had no intention of killing Song Li. She still wanted to learn the secret of how to change one's constitution from him. How could she let him die immediately? She just wanted to use the influence of these two princes to handle the matter. Ideally, they would persuade the ten thousand residents of Langya Town to evacuate quickly. If the volcano erupted in three days, it would save the lives of ten thousand people, a result Long Zi Yan was happy to see. Afterward, she could let the Loyal Prince take the credit, saying it was done under his instructions, which would be a great achievement. Song Mo Fei and Song Qing Shan would not object, as the source of the information was the little princess of the Loyal Prince's mansion. If she said it was the Loyal Prince's instruction, who would doubt it?

Even if the records turned out to be incorrect, it would not implicate the three princes. They could just say it was a childish prank that went wrong, and the Holy Emperor would not blame a few children.

This was the most appropriate plan Long Zi Yan thought of in an instant. But her intentions were misinterpreted by the clever Song Qing Shan.

"Since that's the case, we shouldn't delay. Let's start making arrangements now," Song Qing Shan gave Song Mo Fei a meaningful look, and the two of them bowed and took their leave from Long Zi Yan.

"Alright, I'll leave this matter to you. Go and handle it," Long Zi Yan gently waved her hand, signaling that they could leave.

After leaving the Loyal Prince's mansion, the two of them got into a carriage.

Song Mo Fei was confused and did not understand what Song Qing Shan and the little princess were up to. He could not help but ask, "Brother, what do you mean? The princess hasn't said how to deal with Song Li, and you're already leaving?"

Song Qing Shan glanced at him and said calmly, "I think we should use Song Li as cannon fodder to test whether the core fire really exists. If it does, it's his bad luck. If it doesn't, we can deal with him later."

"Third brother, you're really smart. I think this is a great idea. When the core fire erupts, Song Li will turn to ashes in an instant. Damn, just thinking about it is satisfying!" Song Mo Fei was thrilled by the idea.

Song Qing Shan thought to himself that this was not his idea; the little princess had already planned it out. He was just repeating it.

"Hey, I have another question. How do we get Song Li to go into Langya Cave, and at the right time?" Song Mo Fei furrowed his brow, unable to come up with a good idea.

"That's easy," Song Qing Shan smiled faintly. "Everyone in the capital knows that Pang Da is Song Li's top subordinate. We can find a time to capture Pang Da and spread the rumor that he is hiding in Langya Cave. Song Li will surely rush to save him."

Song Mo Fei slapped his thigh and praised, "Third brother, you're really smart. No wonder you all like to read books. The minds of scholars are truly devious."

Song Qing Shan was speechless. How could he praise someone like that? This second brother was truly a rash warrior.

The two princes did not consider that if the core fire erupted in three days, not only would Song Li die, but the ten thousand people at the foot of the mountain would also be buried with him. In the eyes of these high-ranking princes, the common people were no different from ants. If they died, so be it. It was a natural disaster, what was the big deal?