The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 462 Planning Ahead

"Alright, alright, alright, Princess, no rush. Let's go back inside to eat."

Seeing Li Muyan's anxious look, Chun Chao quickly led them to another warm pavilion in the courtyard.

Chun Chao knew that Shen Tianjiao had come to Ziyun Manor today because she had something very important to do.

If the two children were also present at this time, it would interfere with Shen Tianjiao and the Marquis of Zhenbei's discussion, so Chun Chao brought them to the warm pavilion.

Once inside the warm pavilion, Chun Chao quickly opened the box, took out the milk pastry inside, and shared it with Li Muyang and Li Muyan.

Finally getting to eat what she wanted, Li Muyan was very satisfied. She held the milk pastry in her little hands and happily started munching on it.

In no time, his face was covered in food, making him look like a little kitten.

This made both Li Muyang and Chun Chao laugh.

After a quick wash, Shen Tianjiao returned to her room. Before she could start negotiating with Duan Qingning, she needed to talk to the Marquis of Zhenbei first.

"Father, Su Wenhao will be leading his men to Xirong tomorrow."

"Yes, they are leaving tomorrow. My son, you don't need to worry. Your second brother has made all the necessary preparations."

The Western Rong have always been a heavy burden on the Marquis of Zhenbei's heart, an unremovable stone that has weighed on him for years, making it hard for him to breathe.

Back then, he and his soldiers paid a heavy price. They clearly had the opportunity to conquer the Western Rong, destroy their kingdom, and eliminate their threat to Yunli.

However, because of the late emperor's incompetence and weakness, he was ultimately forced to give up this great opportunity.

This incident haunted the Marquis of Zhenbei, and it marked the beginning of the rift between him and the late emperor.

Whenever he thought of the brutality of that battle and the soldiers who died tragically, his dissatisfaction with the late emperor grew stronger.

Originally, the Marquis of Zhenbei thought that he would never have the chance to fight the Western Rong again in his life and avenge his brothers who died tragically back then.

But unexpectedly, he had a wonderful daughter who is now going to fulfill his lifelong regret.

The Marquis of Zhenbei naturally wanted to end this regret while he was still alive, otherwise he would die with his eyes open in disgrace.

“I had Madam Duan give those three uncles and nephews a poison that no one but her could cure.”

"This will further ensure that they will not dare to betray the agreement they made with us today."

“I promised them that I would give them the antidote once they had completed their mission.”

"No one is fearless; they would never dare to do anything they shouldn't before completing their mission."

Hearing what the Marquis of Zhenbei said, Shen Tianjiao looked up in disbelief at her upright father, who had never stooped to such underhanded tactics and always insisted on defeating his enemies through the most honorable means.

For a moment, he was stunned and could hardly believe that this was his father.

When Zhenbei Hou met Shen Tianjiao's puzzled and uncertain gaze, he couldn't help but lower his head and smile.

What he had held dear throughout his life was completely destroyed by his eloquent son in just a few days.

This was something he himself couldn't believe, and it's understandable that his daughter was puzzled and couldn't believe it.

"Your second brother proved with facts that some principles are not worth adhering to."

Marquis Zhenbei picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and then said, "Your second brother said that sometimes you don't need to be merciful to your enemies."

"The reason why we couldn't win the great battle against Southern Chu back then took so long."

"It's because the people of Southern Chu used methods we despise to poison us and delay our progress."

"The war with Southern Chu was very difficult at that time, and the reason why the late emperor did not let me move from the northern frontier to fight against Southern Chu was because I was too principled."

"In that situation, if I had insisted on my choice, more people would have died."

"To use one's own principles to cause the deaths of more of one's own soldiers is an unforgivable thing."

"Old Feng is much more adaptable than I am. If it weren't for his actions back then, I don't know how many more good men in Yunli would have lost their lives."

The Marquis of Zhenbei had been resentful about that matter for a long time, but now he realizes that the late emperor's decision was absolutely correct.

If I were to go, not only would that great battle never end, but who knows how many people would die?

So, after being persuaded by Shen Tingzhi, the Marquis of Zhenbei, having come to his senses, no longer insisted on his so-called principles.

If we can achieve the greatest victory with the least cost, what's wrong with that?

Therefore, this time, the Marquis of Zhenbei took the initiative to find Duan Qingning and asked her to concoct a poison that only she could cure.

They gave the medicine to Ayinurjing and her two nephews. If they obeyed, they would be given the antidote; if they disobeyed, they would only be left to die.

Doing so will greatly increase their chances of succeeding in what they are doing.

After all, few people are not afraid of death.

Even someone as strong-willed as Aynur Ayaka is not immune to the common human tendency.

Shen Tianjiao looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei, smiled and lowered her head. It was really not easy to change the mind of her stubborn father.

It has to be said that her second brother is really good at speaking; he can even understand their father.

If it weren't for the fear of danger, she would have wanted her second brother to go to Xirong and fool those people.

If her second brother were to take action, he would surely be able to fool those Western Rong people so much that they wouldn't even be able to find their way around.

It's just a pity that such a good opportunity wasn't suitable for her second brother.

"And your second brother has decided to let Yusheng go with him this time."

“Yu Sheng is always steady in his work. With him going along, things will probably go much more smoothly.”

The personal guards around his four children were all personally selected by the Marquis of Zhenbei, and he knew their abilities better than anyone.

With Yu Sheng accompanying him this time, the Marquis of Zhenbei felt much more at ease.

"Yusheng is going along?"

Shen Tianjiao frowned. "Then what about my second brother? Although he is in the capital, the threats and troubles he faces are no less than those he encountered in Xirong."

“It is absolutely unacceptable for him to be without a capable and trustworthy person by his side.”

Going to the Western Rong is important, but the safety of Shen Tingzhi, who remains in Shangjing, is equally important.

Shen Tianjiao's next task is to target the powerful families and nobles.

They took back the land and privileges that were only in their hands, and then redistributed them to the people.

To ensure that every citizen of Yunli owns their own land, to provide them with more benefits, and to enable Yunli to truly achieve prosperity for its people and strength for its nation.

Only when the people are wealthy enough and the country is strong enough can Yunli have sufficient ability to fight against foreign tribes.

She has already threatened the interests of powerful families. If she were to try to take back some of their land and privileges, it would undoubtedly escalate the conflict further.

Those powerful families are capable of anything for profit.

But let alone Shen Tingzhi, even she, the Empress Regent, is probably not someone they would take seriously and would try to get rid of.

Although nothing has happened yet, Shen Tianjiao can already foresee how bad the situation will be.

Shen Tianjiao was also born into a prestigious family in her previous life, so she knew best what these powerful families valued most.

For them, interests are just as important as the power they hold; only by possessing sufficient wealth can they guarantee the stability of their power.

For them, interests and rights are complementary and inseparable.

Once their interests are threatened, they will become frantic and unite to undermine the ruler's position.

These people control more than half of the country's wealth and power. If they were to unite, Yunli would truly be in grave danger.

If she were to take action against these powerful families, her own family would be the first to be affected.

Protecting her family and those around her is Shen Tianjiao's responsibility.

“My son, don’t worry, I have made arrangements for your second brother.”

How could the Marquis of Zhenbei not know that the future situation in the capital would be far more severe and terrifying than that in the Western Rong?

Since he agreed to let Yu Sheng go, he naturally had his own plans. He had arrangements not only for Shen Tingzhi's side, but also for Shen Tianjiao's side.

As long as he, as the father, is around, no one can bully or harm his children.

This is the confidence he, as a father, gives to his children.

Shen Tianjiao naturally knew that if Yu Sheng was not there, the Marquis of Zhenbei would make arrangements, but she still felt that it was the safest thing to do to let Yu Sheng stay.

However, now is not the time to talk about this. Shen Tianjiao has more important matters to discuss with the Marquis of Zhenbei.

"Father, I'd like to discuss some terms with Madam Duan and send her back to Southern Chu. What do you think of this?"

Marquis Zhenbei was stunned for a moment, then understood his daughter's meaning.

Shen Tianjiao intends to use this opportunity to send Duan Qingning back to Southern Chu and completely disrupt the Southern Chu court. If Southern Chu is in chaos, it will greatly benefit Yun Li.

Duan Qingning is a very resourceful and ruthless person. If her scheme hadn't been exposed beforehand, she, not Ruan Yuhu, would probably be the one commanding all the officials in the palace today.

If Duan Qingning were released back to Southern Chu at this time, given the grudge between her and the current emperor of Southern Chu, she would definitely cause chaos in Southern Chu.

As long as Southern Chu falls into chaos, they can seize this opportunity to march south. Even if they cannot annihilate Southern Chu in one fell swoop, they can still force Southern Chu to submit and not dare to be as arrogant as it is now, thus becoming a threat to Yunli.

“Jiao’er, this is feasible, but the conditions that Duan Qingning wants to make are probably not so easy to meet.”

Besides being resourceful, Duan Qingning also has ambitions. If she is allowed to return to Southern Chu, she probably wants more than just revenge against Duan Zhengming for killing her entire family.

She might even want the throne of Southern Chu and replace Duan Zhengming as the emperor of Southern Chu.

"As long as she agrees to our conditions, everything else is negotiable."

"After all, there's no one else who can help her get revenge now except us."

"As for what conditions she wants, it doesn't matter what they are. At most, she just wants to replace Duan Zhengming and become the emperor of Southern Chu."

"That's fine, we can help her achieve it too. After we take over Southern Chu, we'll need someone to manage it for us."

“Nan Chu can become a vassal state of Yun Li. This is the condition I can agree to for Madam Duan. If she wants anything else, as long as it is not excessive, I can agree to it.”

"But if it exceeds what I can accept, I will not agree."

If Duan Qingning wanted more, Shen Tianjiao wouldn't easily agree just for the sake of Nan Chu.

Although sending Duan Qingning back to Nan Chu is the best option, if this matter fails, Shen Tianjiao has other ways to get Nan Chu involved.

It will just take more effort and time.

Shen Tianjiao would not tolerate being manipulated by Duan Qingning for the sake of Nan Chu.

If Duan Qingning were smart enough, she would know her place and cooperate properly with Shen Tianjiao, so that the two of them could benefit each other and achieve a win-win situation.

"No matter what, let's try to get in touch with her first."

"Father will have someone arrange this matter. After dinner, Father will go to see her and sound her out."

"If she agrees and her conditions aren't unreasonable, then you can talk to her again."

Marquis Zhenbei had never met Duan Qingning before, and he couldn't see through Duan Qingning's character.

"No, I will go to see her myself."

"Father, just make the arrangements and don't worry about anything else."

Shen Tianjiao knew that the Marquis of Zhenbei was worried about her, but since she wanted to cooperate with Duan Qingning, she had to show sincerity.

She personally went to talk to Duan Qingning about this, which not only showed her sincerity but also told Duan Qingning that their cooperation was not a cooperation between individuals, but a cooperation between countries.

Although Duan Qingning and Emperor Duan Zhengming of Southern Chu have a deep-seated blood feud, as a native of Southern Chu, she still has feelings for the place where she was born and raised.

Regardless of the grudges between her and Duan Zhengming, the people of Nan Chu were never wrong.

Shen Tianjiao was also reminding Duan Qingning not to gamble with the lives of the people of Southern Chu for the sake of revenge.

Although Southern Chu was a major threat to Yun Li, the people of Southern Chu were also innocent, and Shen Tianjiao was unwilling to commit too many atrocities.

She understood the principle that things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes. Although she wanted to achieve great things, she was prepared to deal with the unarmed people as long as they didn't do anything reckless.

Shen Tianjiao would never joke about their lives.

This is also why Shen Tianjiao arranged for Su Wenhao to go to Xirong, to disrupt the Xirong royal court and leave them defenseless.

In this way, although the battle will still have to be fought, the casualties will be greatly reduced, and innocent civilians will not be harmed or suffer large-scale casualties.