...
"But..." Xue Qinghe's brows remained furrowed, "If a fight really breaks out..."
"Gorlon won't."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head firmly, "Ge Long is His Majesty's confidant and the future pillar of the empire's military.
He is calm, courageous and resourceful, and knows best how to understand His Majesty's intentions."
"If he leads troops there, he will only surround the enemy without attacking.
He will make a big show of force, give Dugu Bo face, and put pressure on the young man, but he will never make a move rashly."
"He's waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
Xue Qinghe asked subconsciously.
"When Dugu Bo returns, he will also be waiting for you..."
Ning Fengzhi pointed at Xue Qinghe, then at himself, "Or rather, he's waiting for us."
Xue Qinghe's heart skipped a beat, and a feeling of being seen through arose spontaneously.
"His Majesty knows you are a steady person. He knew you would come to me and that you would try to dissuade him.
So he deliberately acted furious, forcing you to come to Qibaozhai for help at the first opportunity."
"And this is exactly what His Majesty desires."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, his eyes full of admiration, "When the situation reaches a stalemate, Dugu Bo is burning with anger, and that young man refuses to back down..."
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has stepped forward."
"As one of the three upper sects, I have enough influence to act as a peacemaker.
I can give the royal family and Dugu Bo a way out, appease that mysterious young man, and even help the royal family find out more about that young man."
"As for the Imperial Guards surrounding the hotel..." Ning Fengzhi smiled, "Afterwards, they can just find some excuse, saying that a notorious thief broke into the hotel and that they were protecting the guests' safety. Who can say anything then?"
"this..."
Xue Qinghe was completely stunned.
Looking at Ning Fengzhi, who was speaking eloquently in front of her, she felt a surge of emotions.
She originally thought that the old man Xueye had made this seemingly foolish decision because he was so angry that he lost his mind.
Unexpectedly, behind this seemingly reckless act lay such deep calculations and weighing of options!
He appeased Dugu Bo, won over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, preserved the face of the royal family, and even left himself a way out.
This tactic of killing three birds with one stone...
"Qinghe."
Ning Fengzhi looked at his disciple, who was deep in thought, and said earnestly, "Never underestimate His Majesty."
"The Heaven Dou Empire has been beset by internal and external troubles in recent years.
Internally, various kingdoms have their own armies and are self-reliant, while externally, the Star Luo Empire is eyeing it covetously, and the Spirit Hall is secretly watching it from the shadows."
"Your Majesty's ability to maintain the empire's stability amidst this turbulent situation, preventing those princes and nobles with ulterior motives from making any rash moves, is far more terrifying than you can imagine."
"Don't assume that His Majesty is senile just because he is old."
"This matter is also His Majesty's way of testing you."
Ning Fengzhi walked to the window and looked in the direction of the palace:
"Don't just look at the surface of a problem.
As the crown prince and the future emperor, you have to do more than simply weigh the pros and cons and calculate the gains and losses."
"Moreover, one must learn to understand people's hearts, balance the forces of all parties, and see through the phenomena to the essence.
This is the way of a ruler."
"If you had truly managed to persuade His Majesty in the Imperial Study just now, and kept the royal family out of the mess..."
Ning Fengzhi turned around and gave Xue Qinghe a deep look:
"Although you have secured temporary peace, you have lost Dugu Bo's heart and the hearts of a group of loyal ministers.
That is truly losing the big picture for the sake of small gains."
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed deeply to Ning Fengzhi, his expression solemn.
"I will always remember your teachings, teacher. It was my shallowness that almost led me astray."
This bow was from the bottom of her heart.
It wasn't because of Xue Qinghe's identity, but because of Qian Renxue herself.
She had been lying low for so many years, always believing that her disguise was flawless, and that the old emperor was nothing but a skeleton in a tomb, to be replaced by her sooner or later.
But Ning Fengzhi's words today made her realize that she had underestimated this old fox who had been able to sit on the throne for decades.
This isn't impulsive; it's clearly a meticulously planned strategy!
Even her reaction was taken into account!
"alright."
Ning Fengzhi accepted the bow and smiled, "Now that you've figured it out, it's time for us to enter the palace and cooperate with His Majesty to finish this play."
"By the way... I'd also like to meet that little guy named Xuan Hao again."
"To be able to stir up such a storm in the entire Tiandou City at such a young age."
"Truly...the younger generation is formidable."
...
Tian Dou Royal Hotel, Top Floor Luxury Suite.
Outside the window, the night was illuminated by countless torches, making it as bright as day.
The sounds of horses' hooves, clashing armor, and synchronized footsteps disrupted the tranquility of the night, creating a chilling atmosphere.
Is it really necessary?
Xuan Hao curled his lip. "I tied up Dugu Yan, not his daughter Xue Ke.
Why is the Tiandou royal family getting involved?"
Is this an endorsement for that old poisoner, Dugu Bo?
At the dining table, Dugu Yan had completely lost her sense of being a "hostage".
Or rather, she had resigned herself to her fate.
When she woke up, she found that although she was tied up, Xuan Hao actually untied her after Na'er's "pitiful" request, and even invited her to have dinner together.
She originally wanted to run away, and even considered poisoning herself and others to die together.
But considering Xuan Hao's strength, she remained obedient.
There's no way to escape by running away, and we can't win by fighting, so we might as well eat our fill first.
Hearing the noise outside the window, Dugu Yan couldn't help but put down her fork and lean closer to the window.
When Dugu Yan saw the Royal Knights below, their banners fluttering and exuding a murderous aura, her expression instantly changed, revealing both shock and a hint of barely concealed smugness.
"That's the Royal Knights! The most elite force in the Heaven Dou Empire!"
She turned to look at Xuan Hao and sneered, "It seems the royal family isn't as weak as you think.
You kidnapped me, which is a slap in the face to the royal family.
Even if you have a Title Douluo behind you, you can't escape!"
"Scared now?"
"Afraid?" Xuan Hao seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He took a bite of his chicken leg and mumbled indistinctly:
"Hey lady, has your brain been ruined by your snake venom?"
Take a closer look at these people below.
Xuan Hao pointed downstairs at the Imperial Guards, who, although arrayed in battle formation, maintained a safe distance and didn't even have anyone shouting orders:
"If they really wanted to save you, or really wanted to kill me, they should have sent a team of agility-type Soul Masters to sneak up the outer wall, or sent a power-type Soul Master to forcefully break down the door and launch a surprise attack."
"Who would surround a hotel with such a grand display, banging drums and gongs, and then just stand guard there?"
"This isn't an arrest operation; this is clearly an attempt to support your grandfather and put on a show!"
"Just for show?" Dugu Yan was stunned.
"Nonsense." Xuan Hao rolled his eyes, turned around and walked back to the dining table, plopping down in his seat.
"That old fox Emperor Xueye is very shrewd. He knows that the good-for-nothing Xue Beng dragged your grandfather into this mess, and he also knows that your kidnapping has embarrassed the royal family."
"If the royal family doesn't make a move, your grandfather will definitely think that the royal family is cold-hearted and uses you and then throws you away.
So, even if it's just to appease your grandfather, the Imperial Guards have to be mobilized."
"Not only must we act, but we must make a huge commotion! We must let everyone in Tiandou City know that the royal family is mobilizing a large army to save Poison Douluo's granddaughter!"
"Wouldn't your grandfather, with his limited brains, be so moved that he'd shed tears, thinking the royal family was truly generous, and become even more devoted to serving them from now on?"
Dugu Yan opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found that she couldn't find a reason to refute it.
She may be proud, but she's not stupid.
Looking down at the troops who were just surrounding the area but showed no intention of attacking, she felt a vague sense of unease.
Xuan Hao took a sip of juice and said leisurely, "This is a typical case of all bark and no bite.
Putting on this show is just to scare the kids."
Looking at Xuan Hao's childish face, which resembled that of an eight or nine-year-old, Dugu Yan couldn't help but remark:
"Aren't you just a child?"
Xuan Hao paused, glared at her, and said, "Can't even a meal shut you up?"
"You!" Dugu Yan was furious, but seeing Xuan Hao's fearless appearance, her fear dissipated considerably.
She walked back to the dining table and sat down, looking at Xuan Hao with a furrowed brow:
"So what do you think they want to do?"
"Waiting for someone." Xuan Hao said without looking up while eating.
"If I'm not mistaken, in a little while, Sect Master Ning and His Highness the Crown Prince will make their appearance and act as peacemakers."
"Peacemaker?"
"Yes." Xuan Hao put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and looked at Dugu Yan.
"Look how perfect the situation is now."
"The royal family has gone to great lengths, dispatching the Imperial Guards to besiege this madman. Isn't that a pretty good show of force?
If your grandfather saw this, wouldn't he be moved to tears? Wouldn't he think the royal family truly considers him one of their own?
Wouldn't he owe them a favor?"
"Then, the two sides reached a stalemate, and it looked like blood was about to flow.
At this time, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School stepped in to mediate and turn hostility into friendship.
It not only preserved the face of the royal family, but also saved you and gave me a way out.
Didn't your grandfather also owe Cheng Ningfeng a favor?"
"at last..."
Xuan Hao pointed to himself, "I released you out of respect for Sect Master Ning and His Highness the Crown Prince, and we made peace.
Don't the royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School feel indebted to me, and think I'm sensible and understanding?"
"Look, this is the circle we've gone around."
"The royal family won people's hearts, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School gained fame, and I gained face and favors."
"Everyone has a bright future."
At this point, Xuan Hao glanced at Dugu Yan, whose face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and shrugged:
"From beginning to end, you two are the only ones who got sucked out."
"Your grandfather stood up for that useless prince Xue Beng, and ended up getting himself into trouble.
Now he owes the royal family a favor and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School a favor."
"After all that work, not only did I lose face and my granddaughter get kidnapped, but I also have to be grateful to everyone and owe them a mountain of favors."
"As for you..." Xuan Hao looked her up and down, "You were tied up for a whole day, living in fear.
In the end, besides proving that your grandfather is easily fooled, what value do you have?"
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