Star Trace Gate

In the carriage.

The fat dragon looked at Ren Ye with a playful look and whispered, "Benefits? Don't you want to know who set up such a big chess game, plotting against Southern Xinjiang and your Qingliang Mansion? Don't you want to find these bastards, chop them into meat paste, and bury them in the loess?"

"Oh, of course I want to do all of what you said." Ren Ye spread his hands and said innocently, "But I want to do it within my ability. The border affairs are too complicated. Even Mang Tianjun shook his head when he came. What can I do? It's nothing more than investigating if you can and killing if you can, but you must not force it. If you feel that you are not capable enough, then you can just swallow your loss. A gentleman's revenge is never too late for a hundred years. If it really doesn't work, it's never too late for a thousand years. I'll make a will... let my son continue to take revenge."

He was so cowardly that he made no effort to hide it, just like a eunuch.

"...!"

The fat dragon frowned and said, “If you rely on Nanjiang, your ability will be enough.”

"Well... you're right. In this way, Xiao Wang may have enough ability. But the problem is that the premise of gaining ability is that he has to be a sharp knife." Ren Ye said with a sad face and pouted: "You know, Xiao Wang is okay to play with soft guns in bed, but forget about being a knife, it's too blunt. And what if he finds someone in the court of Southern Xinjiang who shouldn't be found, what if Xiao Wang is thrown into the furnace?"

"With your father's support, who would dare to throw you into the furnace?!" the fat dragon asked back.

Ren also looked at him: "What if the person who threw me into the furnace...is your father?"

"You are worrying too much. If the emperor wants to use you, why would he melt you?"

"Lord Wu Yuan." Ren didn't say much, just read out the name lightly.

When Big Fat Dragon heard these three words, he was instantly speechless.

"hehe."

Ren also scratched his head, looked at him pitifully, and begged, "Brother Fat Dragon, if I find out who the emperor wants to kill, then it will be good for you, me and everyone else. But if I find out who the emperor doesn't want to kill, and the knife is raised in the court, everyone is watching... then what do you think will be my fate? Oh, I will definitely be dead!"

The fat dragon looked at him, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

He knew very well that this little bad king was someone who could not be brainwashed. He had always been shameless and despicable. He didn't care about his face or whether he was a spineless coward. He only cared about his own interests.

To put it bluntly, he is a person who will not release the eagle until he sees the rabbit. He may be used, but he will never be taken advantage of for free.

"You and I are brothers." The fat dragon leaned forward: "We have shared life and death together."

"Of course." Ren nodded obediently: "If you want, we can become sworn brothers now."

"Don't worry, I'll drink blood wine when I get a chance." The fat dragon waved his hand perfunctorily and asked bluntly, "Just this once, I want you to be my knife, and I want you to be quick. Give me a price."

"Brother Fat Dragon, you know that I treat money like dirt!" Ren Ye said anxiously, "You are so vulgar..."

"I bother."

The fat dragon spat in his face, raised a finger and said, "The annual tax revenue of Qingliang Prefecture. When you take office in Southern Xinjiang and thoroughly investigate the border case, I will have Xingyuan sent to Qingliang Prefecture."

"This is not about money." Ren Ye shook his head in embarrassment: "I really...!"

"Two years' taxes." The fat dragon made another offer.

Ren Ye hugged his shoulders, looked directly at the fat dragon and said, "I told you, this is not about money."

The fat dragon frowned and said simply: "You want to expand your territory?!"

"Hehe." Ren also smiled, neither admitting nor denying.

"Don't even think about it. It's impossible." The fat dragon waved his hand and said, "Even if my father agrees, I won't agree. If you dare to mention it, I will kill you."

When Ren Ye heard this, he immediately became stubborn and pointed at his own neck and said, "Come on, chop here! Chop now!"

"Haha." The fat dragon laughed: "You are the descendant of a famous general, and you have inherited the legacy of the emperor! Why are you acting like a scoundrel?"

"I told you the price, and you think it's too expensive, so you're going to kill me?" Ren also asked in a classic way: "Who is the scoundrel?"

"It's impossible to expand the territory in Southern Xinjiang. I advise you not to mention it to your father, otherwise you may not be able to leave Southern Xinjiang." The fat dragon said seriously.

"Okay. Let's not talk about expanding the territory, nor about collecting taxes for two years." Ren Ye looked at him and said word by word: "If you don't want me to be your butcher, I have two requests."

"speak."

"First, I need a talisman. Second, I have found a case that I feel cannot be investigated any further, so I have to stop," Ren Ye replied with a serious expression.

The fat dragon considered and said, "I can agree to the second condition. But the first amulet...!"

"The amulet is you, you have to protect me." Ren Ye spoke concisely.

The fat dragon said in disbelief: "I am the dignified Prince Ren, and you want me to protect you?"

"Just like who is not a prince?" Ren also curled his lips: "How are you nobler than me?"

The fat dragon thought for a while and said, "That's fine."

"Then it's settled." Ren Ye said helplessly: "Alas, when you are under someone's roof, you have to bow your head."

"What about the price? What exactly do you want?" asked the fat dragon curiously.

Ren Ye looked at him and smiled mysteriously: "Check it out and see."

Big Fat Dragon shook his head helplessly: "To thoroughly investigate the border case, I from Southern Xinjiang will provide both personnel and manpower, which is equivalent to helping you find out the person behind the plot, clear the obstacles, and eliminate worries. But you want to wait for a price, Bi Ma Wen, you are really a complete scheming person."

"You and I are brothers, that's getting off track." Ren Ye waved his hand.

"Heh." The fat dragon sneered and patiently pointed out: "Whether you can become this sword depends on what happened in the Taiji Palace. It is no secret in the court that you are plotting to seize the southern border territory. If someone likes you, there must be someone who hates you. Maybe... someone among the cabinet ministers and the six ministers will want you dead."

"You blame the servants, so how should I deal with it?" Ren Ye asked.

"You must remember that when you meet the emperor later, if he asks you about the border affairs and the future of Qingliang Prefecture, you must not play dumb like you did when you talked to me." The fat dragon warned sternly: "You must tell him your ambitions and your vision for the future. If the emperor thinks you are useful, then no one can melt your sword; if he thinks you are untrustworthy, perhaps this Taiji Hall will be the place where you are buried."

"It's too scary, can I not go?"

"You must remember my words and never try to be clever." The eldest prince warned again.

"Okay, I understand." Ren Ye nodded slightly.

At this point in the conversation, the goals of both parties have become clear.

The ruler of Southern Xinjiang suspected that someone in the court was colluding with Daqian and planning to rebel in the border areas.

Because Ren is a victim and a chess player himself, he is most suitable to be a sharp knife and can find out the truth without any scruples about any political party in the court.

The Fat Dragon knew that Ren was unwilling to be a knife, so he was willing to give Qingliang Prefecture two years of tax revenue.

But after a lot of haggling, Ren Ye did not agree to the price at all, and did not even propose a price. He just waited and watched.

This attitude was what he, Fenglin, Li Yan, and his beloved concubine had agreed on before. After arriving in Beijing, no matter who he faced, he would not make promises easily. He would refuse to agree and be irresponsible, and carry out his scumbag character to the end.

Of course, this kind of pulling must be done in moderation. If it is too excessive, it can easily backfire.

So, Ren has been pretending to be pitiful, scared, and talking about difficulties.

Big Fat Dragon understood him, just like a farmer understands manure, so he was not in a hurry to ask the price.

Of course, he can refuse to agree in the end, but Ren Ye can also conduct a perfunctory investigation and only stop at Guan Feng and Han Chan.

……

About another half hour passed.

Ren also entered the Wushen Palace, and met the skinny Emperor Wanwu in the pavilion of Yingyue Lake.

He stood outside the pavilion, facing the cold wind, and solemnly performed the etiquette of a friendly prince: "Prince Huai of Qingliang Prefecture - Zhu Zigui, I pay my respects to the ruler of the superior country. May the Wanwu Emperor live long and long."

In the pavilion, Emperor Wanwu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Son of an old friend, please excuse me."

"Thank you, Long En."

Ren Ye slowly stood up straight, with a flattering look on his face: "To see the emperor today is truly a blessing earned through eight hundred words of cultivation."

"Give me a seat."

After Emperor Wanwu waved his hand lightly, several eunuchs brought special chairs and placed them on the left side of the pavilion.

Ren Ye secretly glanced at the skinny old man and still had some doubts in his heart. The other party's aura was too strong, and there seemed to be a strange power in his body that could suppress his own breath.

He stepped onto the steps, put his butt on the edge, and sat on the chair.

Emperor Wanwu looked straight ahead at the surface of Yingyue Lake and sighed softly, "Back then, when I played chess with your father, it seemed like it was just yesterday. Alas, year after year, the fallen leaves sweep away the old friends. Rivals, close friends... are all gone."

"You're the one who killed them all, idol!"

Ren also thought of Dragon Lord and Wu Shuai for no reason.

Emperor Wanwu said this with a slight sigh, then turned his head to look at Ren Ye.

His eyes were bright, not cloudy, and as sharp as a knife. He looked at Ren Ye calmly.

"Are you looking at me? If you look at me, I will eat you...!"

Ren Ye deliberately showed a frightened expression, smiled awkwardly and nodded.

"Qingliang Mansion is a first-class place, but you have many fourth-rank and third-rank masters following you." Emperor Wanwu said with a faint smile: "Is this Zhu Zigui still the same dandy Zhu Zigui?"

When Ren Ye heard this, his heart was shocked.

……

The Ministry of Official Affairs Shangshu Mansion.

Golden Wolf General Bau, who had been waiting for three days, stood in the tea room, with his hands behind his back, looking at the cloudy sky, and said lightly: "It's hot and humid, and the sky is dark. It's really annoying...!"