Chapter 943: The Conspiracy Between Jin and Yan

By the time the man was brought back, he was already a corpse.

Zhao Wuji looked on calmly, his face betraying neither joy nor anger.

"Who sent him?"

"Your Highness, he was sent back by the Imperial Court. The messenger appears to be a former student of the North-South Martial Alliance's leader."

"Oh?"

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, then finally said, "Forget it. We won't make things difficult for him."

"Your Highness, are we truly just going to let this matter drop?"

Zhao Wuji rested his chin on his hand, then suddenly glanced at the man beside him and snapped, "Is that your place to ask?"

The subordinate trembled and hurriedly raised a hand. "I will slap my own mouth."

Zhao Wuji did not stop him.

He only waved a hand in dismissal after the man had beaten his own cheeks red.

Once the man left, Zhao Wuji sank into thought.

"Wang Ping'an..."

Zhao Wuji murmured, finding it somewhat amusing.

It seemed the man surnamed Yan used to value this person highly.

He faintly sensed he had guessed the truth, yet he dared not be certain. It was truly bizarre. Just how crazy would someone have to be to do such a thing?

"Your Highness, Zhao Gongzuo is waiting outside."

Zhao Wuji snapped back to reality. "Let him in."

Before long, the man publicly known as the Prince of Yan entered the room.

Zhao Gongzuo, Yan Ruchu's adopted son, had been bestowed the surname Zhao. Later, for his meritorious service in pacifying the Northern Desert, he was titled the Prince of Yan.

If one asked why his surname was Zhao rather than Yan, it was because Yan Ruchu's rise to power had been dishonorable. To stabilize the situation within Great Xiang's Imperial Court, he had taken the surname Zhao.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Zhao Gongzuo said, cupping his hands.

Zhao Wuji looked at him. "What is it?"

Zhao Gongzuo said, "Prince Jin's people came looking for me."

Zhao Wuji's interest was piqued upon hearing Prince Jin's name. "Oh? What does he intend?"

Zhao Gongzuo replied, "He said he could help Your Highness block the Imperial Court, allowing you to make a move against the King of Wei."

"And his conditions?"

"He wants Qingshan City and the territory east of it leading up to the Jin lands."

Zhao Wuji sneered. "How truly shameless."

In all of Weidi, the region east of Qingshan City was the most critical. Many key mountain passes were concentrated in that area; without those territories, Weidi would lose its strategic value entirely.

Zhao Gongzuo thought for a moment and said, "However, the lands to the west connect with the Kang Territory. If we link them together, we could secure many advantages. In fact, calculating it all..."

"Your Highness, we wouldn't actually be taking a loss."

Zhao Wuji pondered this and found that Zhao Gongzuo's words made sense.

If they could seize the territory west of Weidi and connect it to the Kang Territory they had already conquered, the geographic barrier between the two would vanish. This would resolve their difficulties with troop deployment and military transit.

With three factions currently besieging Weidi, it was indeed an opportunity to exploit.

Zhao Wuji weighed his options before answering, "Summon the generals under our command to discuss the matter."

Zhao Gongzuo paused slightly before lowering his head. "Yes."

As for the King of Wei, he naturally understood his current situation; it felt very much like a brewing storm.

Someone was bound to try and make an example out of him.

Of all the factions, the one most eager to do so was likely the Prince of Yan.

Presently, the western territories and the Yan lands were separated by Wei territory, making military deployment difficult. Clearly, this left the Prince of Yan uneasy.

However, upon deeper thought, the King of Wei felt that the Prince of Yan lacked the capability to follow through.

According to the intelligence his subordinates had gathered over the years, the Prince of Yan did not command a large military force. His earlier desperate bid for the Kang Territory was likely driven by that very shortage of troops.

But what the King of Wei could never have expected was that the entire situation surrounding Weidi was a deception. His intelligence vastly differed from the truth, and the move to claim the Kang Territory had been nothing more than a smokescreen.

The King of Wei felt a headache coming on. "This isn't good..."

He reasoned that with the Imperial Court watching the tigers fight from the mountain, no one would make a move too hastily.

The Yan forces were no match for him, and it was even more impossible for Prince Jin to strike across his borders, out of fear that the Imperial Court would sit back and reap the fisherman's profit.

Yet, an inexplicable worry welled up in his heart.

He faintly sensed that he might end up capsizing his boat in a gutter.

This premonition put him on high alert, and he spent the entire day in his study, repeatedly analyzing every scenario that could lead to his defeat.

If I were to lose, what kind of situation would lead to it?

Ouyang Feng, who had been weaving shoes in Qingshan City, found it strange that the King of Wei hadn't visited in several days. He decided to take a trip to the manor to check on him.

When he saw the King of Wei, he noticed the dark circles under the man's eyes and his entirely bloodless face.

"What happened to you?" Ouyang Feng asked in surprise. "Were you poisoned?"

The King of Wei rubbed his temples and let out a long breath. "I'm fine... I've just been overworking myself lately."

He paused, then looked at Ouyang Feng. "But you've come at the perfect time. There is a favor I'd like to ask of you."

Ouyang Feng sat down. "What is it? Tell me."

The King of Wei said, "Take a trip to the Yan lands for me. I feel that it's entirely too quiet there. The Prince of Yan is definitely hiding something, and you are the best person to uncover it. I wouldn't feel reassured sending anyone else."

Ouyang Feng mulled it over, calculating the distance in his head. If it was too far, he wouldn't be willing to go.

A moment later, he agreed.

"Keep an eye on Chuanfeng Alley for me. Don't let any thieves in."

A relieved smile finally appeared on the exhausted King of Wei's lips.

If Ouyang Feng had refused, the King of Wei truly couldn't think of anyone else he could use. The Yan territory was formidable; if they failed to uncover the truth on their first attempt, there likely wouldn't be a second chance.

The King of Wei said, "This journey will be fraught with danger. I will host a farewell banquet for you tomorrow."

Ouyang Feng waved his hand. "No need to go to the trouble. I won't die. I'm leaving now."

Leaving the King of Wei's manor at noon, he was already out of the city by the afternoon.

It had been a long time since he last drew his blade, but he figured he wasn't too old for it just yet.

Ouyang Feng felt a strange, fiery anticipation in his chest. His long-dormant heart slowly began to race.

Who knew what he would encounter on this trip.

...

Ping'an found out the moment Prince Jin sent envoys to seek out the Prince of Yan.

Such a matter should have been a closely guarded secret.

He had White Night to thank for his swift knowledge.

And also the Blind Man currently sitting across from him.

For a moment, Ping'an was unable to verify the man's identity. The Blind Man claimed Mister Chen had sent him, but this only made Ping'an put up his guard. An organization as pervasive as White Night made it truly hard to feel at ease.

"How much of this is true?" Ping'an asked.

The Blind Man said, "It is entirely true."

Ping'an began to think, weighing the possibilities.

"The Prince of Yan and Prince Jin want to make a move against the King of Wei."

He frowned slightly, finding it strange. "That doesn't make sense. Given the current situation, the Prince of Yan is no match for Prince Jin, and it's impossible for Prince Jin to scatter his forces to block the Imperial Court. Even if these two joined hands, what would be the point?"

The Blind Man said, "Prince Jin is no fool. He clearly has some sort of assurance."

"Is there any other news?"

The Blind Man shook his head. "Nothing else."

"Nothing?" Ping'an found that odd.

The Blind Man paused, then spoke a single sentence a moment later.

"There is something strange about the Yan lands."