Chapter 55

Song Mohui mumbled something, but ultimately did not say it out loud.

Perhaps because the reputation of Song Lì as a good-for-nothing was so deeply ingrained, Song Mohui inherently had a bit of disdain for him, a disdain that was hard to change in a short time. Perhaps only after suffering a few losses at Song Lì’s hands would he realize how formidable this opponent was.

Long Ziyi waved her hand, and the two princes took their leave. To Long Ziyi, it didn’t matter at all what these two idiot princes thought. She cared even less about the current predicament of the Loyal Prince; it had nothing to do with her.

On the contrary, it was Song Lì who made her feel increasingly unfathomable. She was well aware of the destructive power of the eruption of the core fire. Even a great expert at the Yuan婴 stage like her father would not dare to face it head-on. Song Lì, at most, was at the peak of the Body Refinement stage. Encountering the might of the core fire, he would likely turn to ashes in an instant!

She also shared the same confusion as the two princes: how did Song Lì escape from the琅琊洞 (Lángyá Cave)? Could it be... he was not afraid of fire?

Long Ziyi carefully reviewed the entire sequence of events and found that this was the only possibility. The temperature was so high that even rocks could melt. Long Ziyi did not believe there was any place in the Lángyá Cave that could escape the intense heat. The only reason he could survive was: he was not afraid of fire!

Her father had once told her that experts who cultivated fire-based techniques and reached the late Yuan婴 stage would no longer fear flames. They could live freely even in extremely high temperatures. Song Lì’s realm could not possibly be at the late Yuan婴 stage, and he might not even be cultivating a fire-based technique. However, there were countless extraordinary talents in the world, and Song Lì might be one of them.

The only thing Long Ziyi could be certain of was that Song Lì must have some treasure that could counter the core fire. Otherwise, he could not have escaped from the erupting volcano.

Thinking about this, Long Ziyi’s heart stirred. If he was not afraid of the core fire, could he possibly deal with the “poison fire” in her body as well? The more she thought about it, the more she was moved. Long Ziyi decided to find a time to meet this strange boy.

At the same time, in the dance hall of the Loyal Prince’s mansion.

The Loyal Prince, Prince Jing, and Prince Kang—no, now he should be called Duke Kang—sat across from each other at a low table, drinking wine and watching the graceful movements of the dancers. However, their minds were clearly not on this. Their gazes and expressions were somewhat absent-minded.

The three special agencies had returned to the hands of the Holy Emperor, and the Loyal Prince knew that his mansion was under the strict surveillance of the Inspectorate. Previously, they used the three special agencies to deal with the Holy Emperor’s people, but now the situation had reversed, which made him sigh in frustration.

Sometimes, the situation changes in an instant, and no one knows what variables will appear in the next moment.

The reason the Loyal Prince invited Prince Jing and Duke Kang to watch the dance was to show the Holy Emperor: don’t think that your victory in this confrontation will have a significant impact on us. We don’t care; we will still dance and enjoy life. That was the basic message.

In fact, this defeat had a significant impact on them. The Chief Cabinet Minister Huang Tingxuan was already in prison, with little chance of survival. They had lost a capable spokesperson and ally in the court, making it more difficult to interfere in politics in the future.

Fortunately, the Loyal Prince had made preparations. Among the five scholars of the cabinet, there were still his people, though their power and influence were far less than Huang Tingxuan’s, and they needed to be cultivated over time.

What pained the Loyal Prince the most was losing control of the three special agencies, which made them feel constrained and always under the enemy’s surveillance. This feeling was truly uncomfortable.

Thinking about this, the Loyal Prince glared fiercely at Duke Kang Song Xingyun, making Song Xingyun feel uneasy.

“Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, I really don’t know what to say. Beat me to vent your anger, or just kill me!” Song Xingyun’s already pale face turned even paler. The failure of this plan had a greater impact on him than anyone else. He raised his cup and drank it in one gulp, his face turning red, and the strong liquor made him cough uncontrollably.

“Ninth Brother, drink slowly,” Prince Jing Song Xingguang, who had a good relationship with Song Xingyun, felt a bit sympathetic seeing his usually composed and confident Ninth Brother lose his composure.

The Loyal Prince frowned but said nothing.

“Seventh Brother, this time I’ve failed completely. I’ve even lost the three special agencies left to me by the previous emperor. What face do I have to live in this world?” Song Xingyun refilled his cup and drank it down again.

“Enough!” the Loyal Prince said sternly, “Ninth Brother, so many eyes are watching us. Don’t make a scene here. This is a life-or-death situation, and the situation is unpredictable. No one can always be a winner. We are playing a big game, so don’t be too concerned about the loss of a city or a pool. Losing control of the three special agencies is indeed regrettable, but it’s not the end of the world. Although the Holy Emperor has gained a slight advantage through this victory, we are far from being in a state of despair. Don’t forget that Seventh Brother still has the ten thousand troops of the Imperial City Defense Agency under his command, which are right under the Holy Emperor’s nose, making him uneasy and ready to become a thorn in his heart at any time! Without Huang Tingxuan, we still have others. Losing the three special agencies, you are still Song Xingyun! Just because you don’t have the three special agencies, are you no longer the feared ‘Poison Snake Ninth’?”

To avoid being heard by the dancers outside, the Loyal Prince deliberately lowered his voice. Although his voice was low, the pressure on Song Xingyun was not small. He shivered, and most of his drunkenness disappeared. He thought to himself, what am I doing? If I continue like this, the Loyal Prince will become even more distant from me, and I might even bring disaster upon myself.

He knew too many of the Loyal Prince’s secrets. If the Loyal Prince decided to abandon him as a strategist, would he still keep him alive? Sometimes, only the dead are the most loyal, as they have no chance to betray.

He was temporarily out of favor, but he absolutely could not show weakness.

“Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, I’m sorry! I lost my composure just now,” Song Xingyun sat up straight and said solemnly, “Don’t worry, I’ve already adjusted.”

The Loyal Prince nodded, his eyes showing a hint of approval, and said calmly, “This is your first defeat, so it’s no wonder you feel so disheartened. It’s fine; there are no invincible generals in this world. Everyone will suffer a few defeats. The most important thing is to learn from the defeat so that you can avoid the same mistakes in the future. This time, the Holy Emperor took the three special agencies from us, but it’s only temporary. Does he think that finding Sixth Brother as an assistant will make him worry-free? Ha, I know Sixth Brother too well; he’s not the right person for the job. Do you think we will sit idly by and let Sixth Brother enjoy his title as Prince Ming?”

Prince Jing Song Xingguang sneered, “Sixth Brother is like a woman. I just need to shout, and he’ll be scared stiff. The Holy Emperor has made a mistake this time, finding a weak and incapable person to counter us, which is like a desperate man grasping at straws.”

Song Xingyun pondered for a moment and said happily, “Fifth Brother is right. We must take down Sixth Brother and regain control of the three special agencies.” He had fallen into a mental trap, but the Loyal Prince’s words woke him up. A temporary defeat was not a big deal; it was not too late to make up for it. As long as they found a way to get rid of Sixth Brother and regain control of the three special agencies, everything would be fine.

If the Holy Emperor could take the three special agencies from them, why couldn’t they take them back? Once he understood this, Song Xingyun’s gloom lifted, and his spirit was completely restored.

“With this lesson, we need to plan carefully. We must wait for the right opportunity. If we act, it must be with overwhelming force, catching the Holy Emperor’s people off guard,” the Loyal Prince said in a low voice. “What we need to do now is to be patient for a while. Once they become complacent, they will give us an opportunity.”

Song Xingguang and Song Xingyun nodded frequently, fully agreeing with the Loyal Prince.

The three continued to drink and watch the dance. After a while, the Loyal Prince suddenly remembered something and said, “Seventh Brother, next month, the Western Kingdom of Angzang will send tribute. Among the tributes is the century-old Snow Mountain Black Mud Stem, which must not be lost. Not only is it extremely rare, but it is also beneficial to the health of the little princess.”

Song Xingguang smiled, “Don’t worry, Fifth Brother, I’ll take care of it. By the way, is the little princess’s condition still the same?”

The Loyal Prince sighed, “She has a congenital abnormality, and we can only suppress it for now. We haven’t found a cure.”

Song Xingguang chuckled, “Fifth Brother, don’t worry too much. If the worst comes to the worst, the little princess can stay in your mansion for life. As long as she is safe, it’s a great blessing.”

The Loyal Prince’s face twitched. He thought to himself, what do you know? If you knew her identity, you wouldn’t be so casual. Having this little ancestor in the mansion is like holding an unpredictable bomb, which could explode at any time. If her abnormality flares up and something happens to her, how will I explain it to that family? Even the best of friends might become enemies. Besides, what good relationship do I have with them? It’s just a bit of affection with an elder in their clan.

If he didn’t want to build a relationship with that massive entity, hoping to borrow some influence in the future, he wouldn’t have taken on this hot potato.

Seeing the Loyal Prince’s bad mood, Song Xingyun’s lips curled into a smile, and he flattered, “Fifth Brother’s reputation is known throughout the world. The barbarians of the Western Kingdom only know of the Loyal Prince and not the Holy Emperor. They always send their tributes to the Loyal Prince’s mansion, not the palace, which proves the people’s support.”

Of course, that was not the case. The Kingdom of Angzang was a vassal state of the Holy Lion Empire, and they had long wanted to break away. However, the Holy Emperor, who wanted to unify the continent, would not agree. So, the King of Angzang and the Loyal Prince, who had ulterior motives, colluded. The Loyal Prince promised the King of Angzang that if he ascended to the throne, he would allow Angzang to become independent. In return, the King of Angzang promised to send troops to assist the Loyal Prince if he launched a rebellion. To show his sincerity, the King of Angzang sent a generous gift to the Loyal Prince every year, which was called “tribute,” but in reality, it was first sent to the Loyal Prince’s mansion. The Loyal Prince kept the important items and then sent the ordinary gifts to the palace.

Although everyone knew about this, the Loyal Prince was very pleased with Song Xingyun’s flattery, and his mood improved. After all, the phrase “people’s support” was exactly what he wanted to hear.

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