Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 322 - Two Hundred and Thirty-Three: Extortion_2

Chapter 322: Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Three: Extortion_2

The Northern Frontier doesn’t hold a candle to the Great Desert in this regard; over there, one can fully experience the exotic charm brought by the dancers of the desert.

But there’s no helping it; the spiky barbarian females are too much for most people to handle, except for those with peculiar tastes.

In the top-floor private room, sandalwood fragrance filled the air and melodic strains of string music resonated.

"You ask me what kind of person my Imperial Sister is?"

The Third Prince looked amused as he stared at the man in bloodied garments opposite him:

"If I knew what kind of person she is, I would have long since catered to her preferences and rallied her under my brother’s command."

As he spoke, Li Yunqing picked a fresh fruit from the platter and popped it into his mouth, chewing the sweet juice as he laughed:

"If my Imperial Sister backed my brother, the fight for succession would be as good as settled, after all, my Imperial Sister represents the stance of Dayan’s martial god, Marquis Wucheng."

Xu Yuan sighed upon hearing this and then smiled, saying:

"Indeed, with the twenty thousand elite troops from the six town garrisons of the Northern Border Army, plus the one hundred thousand Feathered Forest Army bestowed by His Majesty to Wu Yuan, it would be enough to stage a coup in the Imperial Capital."

"Brother, although we are scheming, can’t we speak a bit less bluntly?" The Third Prince’s eyelid twitched.

Xu Yuan shrugged his shoulders and then asked with renewed interest:

"Yunqing, I’m quite curious about something; can you enlighten me?"

Li Yunqing grew wary inwardly but replied with an amiable smile on the surface:

"Changtian, ask away, I shall withhold nothing and tell all."

"Heh..."

Xu Yuan chuckled softly and pointed to the formation opened in the sky:

"The Imperial Family’s bloodline holds primary control over the formations set up by all counties under the heavens, but what would happen if two members of the Imperial Family were to vie for control over it?"

Li Yunqing’s face took on a strange expression:

"You don’t know?"

Xu Yuan blinked and pointed to himself:

"Should I know?"

Li Yunqing chuckled softly:

"Though it’s highly secretive, it’s hardly a secret in your Prime Minister’s Mansion; the Great Ancestor made provisions to prevent siblings from using formations to plot against their kin, the control over the city’s formation can be balanced."

Xu Yuan looked thoughtful as he glanced at the dark sky outside the window:

"So you’re saying that, if you wanted to, you could control the Protective City Formation of Northern Border City?"

Li Yunqing hissed, beginning to hedge:

"In theory, that’s correct, but if I were to dare act now, my Imperial Sister would definitely chop me to pieces."

Xu Yuan waved his hand:

"Don’t be nervous; I have no intention of asking you to take control of the Protective City Formation."

Li Yunqing let out a sigh of relief, regaining his smile:

"That’s good then, that’s very good."

Xu Yuan leaned back on the couch, fixing his gaze on Li Yunqing, and suddenly chuckled:

"Let’s skip the nonsense then, brother. Did you ask me here tonight to continue discussing the matter we left unfinished this afternoon?"

"...."

Li Yunqing paused for a moment:

"What unfinished matter?"

Xu Yuan too paused, as if it was obvious:

"Supporting your fight for succession."

Li Yunqing looked at him quizzically:

"No, I’ve already said that I plan to go to Yingzhou Island."

"You were joking about that, weren’t you?"

"Who said I was joking."

"....."

Silence,

Staring at each other.

After a while,

Xu Yuan exhaled and asked:

"So what do you want by asking me here?"

"To discuss plans for running away."

"....." Xu Yuan.

After a moment, Xu Yuan spoke in a low voice:

"You’re planning to run away, why involve me?"

Li Yunqing sighed and spoke with a distant look in his eyes:

"Changtian... in the eyes of ordinary people, my status as the Third Prince is that of noble royalty, but you should know how awkward my position is in the Northern Frontier. I’m neither here nor there, unaware of major affairs, and knowledge of minor ones is useless.

"As the situation grows more perilous, my Second Brother gains even more support within the army with his own capabilities. But me? I’m just a businessman. What can I do staying in this Northern Border City? Profiteer off of military supplies and make money? My Imperial Sister would chop me to pieces if I did that."

Xu Yuan listened but remained unmoved:

"So?"

Li Yunqing pondered for a moment, then got up and sat next to Xu Yuan, saying with a cheery tone:

"So, brother, I’m seeking your help to find a way out, aren’t I?"

"Don’t call me brother; I can’t take it."

"Third Young Master, you’re my Imperial Sister’s Prince Consort; naturally, you can take this title of brother from me."

"Alright."

Xu Yuan smiled and shook his head, "You’re Wu Yuan’s own brother, even if the city falls, she should have an escape plan for you."

Li Junqing smacked his lips and glanced in the direction of the Government Office, murmuring,

"I’m not worried about that, what concerns me is the person inside the Government Office..."

"The Second Prince?"

Xu Yuan cut to the chase and asked, "Do you think he will kill you?"

Li Junqing, who had grown completely accustomed to this blunt directness, nodded,

"Amidst the chaos of a city’s fall, killing me would be like severing an arm of the Crown Prince, my Second Imperial Brother would definitely not miss such an opportunity."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, his thoughts swirling.

Should Li Junqing die, the commercial groups tied to the Imperial Family, and his Shadow Guard, would surely be handed to someone else’s control.

Whether they would still belong to the Crown Prince’s faction then was uncertain.

After a pause, Xu Yuan asked with a strange expression,

"Your family truly epitomizes brotherly love and respect."

Li Junqing cracked a smile,

"My family has also produced more than a few examples of paternal kindness and filial piety."

"..." Xu Yuan.

A moment of silence followed,

Xu Yuan smiled and reached out to pour himself a drink, but Li Junqing, anticipating his needs, took the initiative to lift the jug and fill Xu Yuan’s cup for him.

Xu Yuan watched the scene unfold without objection, then took a light sip from the filled cup,

"But... how can I help you?"

Li Junqing appeared to have a plan ready, and said in a low voice,

"We both came to Northern Border City alone, without any guards. I would like to borrow a Second Grade powerhouse from you, elder brother."

"Second Grade?" Xu Yuan frowned.

Lou Ji had left him contact methods for some hidden supporters before she left, among whom were plenty of strong individuals, but there was only one Second Grade Primordial powerhouse.

Thinking for a moment, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice,

"What do you need a Second Grade powerhouse for? To leave the city and take you back to the Dayan Territory through the mountain trails?"

Seeing that Xu Yuan hadn’t immediately refused, Li Junqing’s eyes lit up,

"Of course, that would be impossible. The soldiers of the Northern Frontier are fighting bitterly—if I did that, it would be desertion in the face of the enemy. My Imperial Father would surely punish me, and it could even implicate my older brother."

Xu Yuan, stroking the bronze wine cup, asked,

"So you mean... you want to act as a messenger of the Imperial Family and go to Houting County to seek reinforcements?"

"....."

Li Junqing’s face turned serious as he bowed his hands,

"Third Young Master’s foresight is like the divine."

Xu Yuan looked towards the direction of the Feathered Forest Army camp to the south of the city,

"Will your Imperial Sister agree to this?"

Li Junqing shook his head,

"Of course not. I’ll act first and report afterwards. I will leave a letter for my Imperial Sister in the Government Office, then control the Protective City Formation in the north of the city to leave, and head north to seek reinforcements from the Sects in the Houting County area. It won’t affect the overall situation, and my reason is justifiable; even if my Second Imperial Brother wants to pursue the matter, he will have no place to start."

Xu Yuan listened carefully to Li Junqing’s plan to escape, nodding,

"The plan is indeed viable."

Li Junqing refilled Xu Yuan’s cup again, and asked in a soft voice,

"So elder brother... you..."

Xu Yuan didn’t respond, but slowly raised a hand in front of Li Junqing’s eyes, then rubbed his index finger and thumb together.

Money talks, all things considered.

He had just asked Jiang He to research the Elixir of Disaster Relief, and was at a moment where money was burning a hole. To not fleece this mogul controlling the Imperial Family’s commercial groups when the opportunity arose would be contrary to all reason.

Li Junqing, who clearly understood, resolutely extended five fingers.

Xu Yuan’s expression conveyed a perfectly measured astonishment,

"Five million taels?"

"....."

Li Junqing’s eye twitched.

Doomed.

Just as he was about to refute, Xu Yuan had already said,

"Since Yunqing, you’re so generous, I, as your brother, certainly can’t let your kindness go unacknowledged. Do you prefer a silver note, or would deeds or a contract for a commercial group be better?"

Li Junqing hesitated for a moment before tentatively saying,

"Changtian, what I meant was fifty—"

"Ah..."

Xu Yuan sighed to interrupt him,

"Yunqing, look at my memory. It seems our Prime Minister’s Mansion doesn’t have any Second Grade..."

Li Junqing clenched his teeth and pronounced each word deliberately,

"What I meant was, the difference of fifty thousand may have to wait until we return to the Imperial Capital for payment in cash, I only have four million five hundred thousand taels on me right now."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan stopped talking and simply extended his hand.

Li Junqing’s cheeks twitched painfully as he stacked bundles of ten-thousand-tael silver notes on the table,

"I hope Third Young Master can arrange things quickly..."