Chapter 301: To the Capital

d man with a wooden stick limped over, his one leg dragging. He was hunched over and bowed deeply as he begged for alms. At his feet lay a dirty four or five-year-old child, dressed in rags like a ski...Chapter 301: To the Capital

"No, it's not rebels or bandits, it's Chen Tong, the Crown Prince! They killed him!"

Wenshan told everything that happened, including every word Li Chen said, without leaving out a single detail.

As Wen Shan spoke, Long Tiande and Long Huaiyu's expressions became increasingly vivid yet colder.

After Wen Shan finished speaking, Long Tiande took a deep breath and said to Wen Shan in a gentle voice: "Wen Shan, I'm sorry to have troubled you on this trip. You should rest well first, and after you recover your health, we can make plans."

After soothing Wen Shan, Long Tiande got up and went to the study with Long Huaiyu.

As soon as Long Huaiyu closed the door, Long Tiande's face turned completely gloomy.

He slapped the table with a resounding boom and roared, "Prince Li Chen, you insolent brat! How dare you humiliate us like this!"

Long Huaiyu comforted, “Father, calm down. Now we need to consider how to deal with this.”

Long Tiande snorted coldly, “How else can we respond Li Chen’s meaning is already very clear. He doesn't want to talk to us, even if we do talk, he takes the lead and we go to him. In this way, what’s left of Xishan Prefecture What’s left of the Long family”

Long Huaiyu frowned and said, “But precisely because of this, we cannot act on impulse.”

At a glance, Long Huaiyu could tell this was not an ordinary young man. Calm and composed, with the demeanor of a great general, he had always been the source of immense pride for Long Tiande.

So, even though he was furious at the moment, he suppressed his anger and said, "What do you suggest then"

Long Huaiyu frowned slightly, pondering for a moment before saying, "Actually, we can now try to look at this problem from the prince's perspective."

"Zhao Heshan, though holding the official title of Minister of Finance for Xishan Province, was nothing more than a minor official before his rise. His meteoric ascent and audacious behavior in Xishan Province are all due to the support of the Prince."

"And the Crown Prince chose him to be sent to Xishan Province, he must have had a targeted purpose. Perhaps the Crown Prince valued his decisive nature and ability to clean up the officialdom of Xishan Province in the shortest possible time."

"The word 'kill' sounds simple, but it's not easy to do. Just being prepared to be assassinated at any moment is something not everyone can handle."

"But Zhao He Shan did all of that, and he truly frightened a group of people. Right now, with the mess that is Xishan Province, someone like Zhao He Shan, who can do whatever it takes, is exactly what's needed."

"At this point, we, as the indigenous faction representing Xishan Province's interests, went to negotiate with the Crown Prince. The idea was mutual compromise: he got something, and we continued our stable development. That seemed like the best path forward, but the Crown Prince refused. In my view, there are two reasons for this."

"A part of it is that there are rebel troops in Xishan Province, and the prince can't tolerate them existing. He can't be sure if we have colluded with the rebels, if we are working together to cause trouble. This affects how he will deal with us."

“The second point is also about the rebels. Perhaps the crown prince never intended to negotiate with us from the beginning. In the end, there will be a battle between the court and the rebels. Troops will pass through our land, and we will also be crushed by the imperial army along with the rebels.”

Long Huaiyu's analysis made Long Tiande's face flicker between anger and uncertainty.

"The prince is not over twenty years old, at such a young age, he can have such wisdom"

Long Huaiyu smiled and said, “Father, I’m only in my twenties. You can’t underestimate me based on my age.”

"What do you think we should do then Just stop talking about it Go straight to the rebels, or find Zhao Xuanji" Long Tiande asked.

Long Huaiyu smiled and shook his head, saying: "Neither, we, go to the capital city, East Palace!" entered Li Chen's left ear and exited his right.Li Chen wasn't listening to what Yelü Guzanqi was saying at all.He kept looking at Yelü Qiming."Lord Zheng."Li Chen called out softly.Zheng Baorong jum...