Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 253 - 196 Assassination_2

Chapter 253: Chapter 196 Assassination_2

"Third, if the Zhou family is truly so vast that even I can’t afford to recruit you, then it stands to reason that you wouldn’t be without a single attendant when going out. The sons of Third Grade ministers of the court are usually accompanied by at least a Third Grade Grandmaster."

With that, he withdrew all three fingers.

By this time, the effeminate man had already brought over a plate of meat porridge for breakfast and gently placed the dishes on the table.

Xu Yuan took a bowl of Demonic Beast meat porridge, blew on it, and looking into the Third Prince’s eyes, he asked:

"So, Yunqing had already thought it all through."

In the Dayan Empire, most First and Second Grade offices are honorary positions; Third Grade is the pinnacle of actual authority, especially since the Prime Minister in Dayan is only a Second Grade official.

The positions at the level of Chief of Staff and other major departments are mostly filled with died-in-the-wool loyalists; however, bickering prevails among the lower ranks.

There are countless cases of people who have shifted allegiance due to lack of attention.

The Third Prince, neither agreeing nor objecting, took out a bottle of fine wine from the Sumeru Ring and poured a cup for each of them:

"Should the Crown Prince learn of Brother Zhou’s situation, he would likely be very pleased."

"...."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan couldn’t help but roll his eyes inwardly.

Another pie in the sky.

The Crown Prince is most likely the one referred to here.

If the promise of eternal glory doesn’t materialize, then switch to the glory of a dragon’s merit.

This Third Prince’s skill at making empty promises is truly peerless, not giving an inch in terms of real benefits.

After a moment of silence,

Xu Yuan sipped the meat porridge, wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, and said softly:

"Yunqing, what if my father, Minister Xu, were to step out from the Prime Minister’s Mansion?"

Without any hesitation, as though he had long considered this, the Third Prince replied:

"Minister Xu is the backbone of our Great Yan, having worked tirelessly for the country and its people."

But as he spoke, his tone paused, and he enunciated every word deliberately:

"However, Brother Zhou should know that Minister Xu is doing it all for the people of Great Yan, and with his heavy responsibilities, he probably won’t be able to see you."

Xu Yuan smiled and shook his head, about to speak, when the effeminate man beside them said in a delicate tone:

"My master is an open and honest person. Zhou Sir, having come this far, you must have seen for yourself. He can’t speak openly about salary and titles, but as long as you come over, it’ll certainly be no worse than my position as his servant."

"How should I address this Eunuch?"

Upon hearing that, Xu Yuan glanced at the effeminate man.

If not for his memory, this would be the first time he had ever seen a living eunuch.

Initially, upon seeing the man’s effeminate demeanor, he hadn’t thought of him as a eunuch, because people like Sizi Yu are effeminate, but it turned out he really was one.

Seeming no longer needing to pretend, the effeminate man rolled his eyes and said with a smile:

"Oh my~ Sir Zhou sure knows how to speak. I don’t dare accept the title of ’Eunuch’. Nowadays, I’m nothing more than a convicted man at my master’s side, although my surname is Hou."

"Then, I thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Hou."

Xu Yuan smiled faintly, then swiftly changed the topic with a shake of his head:

"However, we still need to discuss it further. My father holds a respectable position in the Prime Minister’s Mansion and has no intention of changing allegiance for now."

As the words faded,

there was a silence.

The smile remained on the Third Prince’s face, but his eyes held a hint of contemplation, whereas Eunuch Hou’s smile turned a bit colder, his fingers lightly resting on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Xu Yuan saw this but disregarded it, continuing to watch the smiling Third Prince:

"It seems Yunqing has other plans for me?"

The Third Prince spread his hands, smiling:

"If a talent like Brother Zhou were to be put to good use by Minister Xu, I fear another Hua Hong might emerge. Oh no, not just one, but many Hua Hongs."

Xu Yuan’s face remained calm as he took a sip of wine:

"Yunqing, you really think highly of me. If not for my father, who truly could not betray the Prime Minister’s Mansion, I would indeed be eager to join you in taking on the world."

The Third Prince tapped on the tabletop:

"Betrayal is just a matter of increasing the price."

Xu Yuan smiled slightly:

"You can’t afford this price, Yunqing."

The Third Prince sighed:

"...Loyalty, huh? Minister Xu truly is an exceptional person."

After a brief silence, the Third Prince picked up his chopsticks and gestured towards the delicacies on the table:

"Brother Zhou, this meal is my last treat to you."

"A last supper?" Xu Yuan did not shy away from the term.

When standing on opposing sides, if you can eliminate the other, naturally you should.

If he could, he would also like to eliminate this Third Prince.

Hearing this, the Third Prince on the other side burst into laughter, his voice carefree and casual:

"Just joking, after today I will write a letter to Minister Xu expressing my admiration for Brother Zhou’s great talents."

"....."

Xu Yuan’s gaze sharpened.

The Third Prince rolled up his sleeves, poured himself some wine, and continued eating:

"Don’t look at me that way. Minister Xu does everything for Dayan, and eliminating a talent like you would also be a loss to our Great Yan.

"We are friends, not enemies."

He paused momentarily,

then the Third Prince seemed to recall something and suddenly looked up saying,

"Right, remember to repay me the money after you rise to power."

"..."

Xu Yuan laughed upon hearing this, and while picking up some food, he said,

"Ah? What money?"

The Third Prince hissed, his chopsticks pausing slightly:

"You mean the travel expenses and silver Zhou Chen forgot about? Since you, Zhou Chen, are no longer following me, naturally you should repay it."

"Wasn’t that a treat?"

"It really isn’t easy to make money these days."

"Let it be a debt for now, we’ll talk about it later."

"As you wish, but remember, my loans come with interest."

"It doesn’t matter," Xu Yuan chuckled.

"Tch...."

...

...

...

After a satisfying meal, Li Yunqing watched Xu Yuan’s back as he left the building, then sprawled in a chair behind the screen, picking his teeth with a jade pick.

When Xu Yuan had disappeared from the doorway, the eunuch Hou approached softly and asked,

"Your Highness, are we really going to let him go?"

"We and Minister Xu are friends, not enemies."

Li Yunqing seemed to sigh as he said, "The Prime Minister’s Mansion is really lucky; they get all the talents."

Eunuch Hou remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice,

"But they are now interfering with His Majesty’s imperial position, and it seems even the Crown Prince..."

"Eunuch Hou."

Li Yunqing interrupted, his tone slightly firmer as he glanced at the companion by his side,

"Don’t make me repeat myself a third time."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Hou immediately knelt down:

"Your servant spoke out of turn."

"Enough, rise," Li Yunqing said, standing up and stretching his back, "Whether Minister Xu believes my letters as a third prince is uncertain; he might just use it as practice, so why worry so much?"

Saying this, he headed upstairs.

But as he was walking out from behind the screen, Li Yunqing suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from the entrance of Qifeng Pavilion.

Following that, Xu Yuan’s familiar voice floated over from afar:

"Prince Wang, you have a visitor."

Prince Wang...

Li Yunqing was momentarily stunned.

Why had Zhou Chen returned, and even though he had already revealed his identity, why did he still address him as Prince Wang?

While puzzled, Li Yunqing looked towards the entrance of Qifeng Pavilion, only to see six figures in brocade robes following Xu Yuan into the hall and steadily approaching him.

As Xu Yuan walked, he said to the six brocaded men with a chuckle,

"Yes, that one in the white robe is Prince Wang; I also met him here at Qifeng Pavilion for the first time."

Li Yunqing’s eyes swept over the faces of the brocaded men, and upon finding them strangers, he sent out his will-spirit, only to discover he couldn’t fully perceive their presence with his cultivation level.

Their aura was ghostly, yet familiar.

In a moment of thought, Li Yunqing recalled where this familiar feeling came from.

During this travel, he had struck a grand deal with the wokou pirates along the southeastern coast, and the attendants around that so-called "Daimyo" had this very aura.

Tch, he had swindled them out of six million Patterned Silver to fill the imperial coffers, and now they went to the trouble of sending assassins after him.

As he pondered, Eunuch Hou had already stepped in front of him, Xu Yuan was already retreating quietly, and the brocaded men reached into their clothes:

"Prince Wang, my Family Head’s silver money..."

But before the men in brocade could finish,

a fierce shout echoed throughout the hall:

"You scoundrels, let go of my brother! If you have a problem, come at me!"

"...." Xu Yuan paused in his tracks.

Xu Yuan glanced sideways at the brocade-clad men around him.

The men in brocade also looked at him.

Melodious music began to play,

and Xu Yuan executed the Blood Essence Meteoring Art, drawing his iron sword from his waist, ready to confront the enemy.

Li Yunqing, while pulling on Eunuch Hou’s sleeve, shouted loudly,

"Eunuch Hou, go help my brother; don’t worry about me! Brother, you escape first..."

Step Void Slash.

"....." Li Yunqing.