Chapter 71: Arriving at the Military Camp, Xue Qinghe's Demands. Please collect, read, and subscribe.
"It's not impossible, after all, he is the First Prince."
Some still harbored doubts about Xue Qinghe, subconsciously arguing.
General felt like he was about to laugh from anger, never expecting such 'talent' among his subordinates.
"The First Prince is only ten years old this year. No matter how good he is at socializing or winning people's hearts, tell me, how could he possibly subdue those people
And to want to influence the entire city's atmosphere, how many people would that take? Even if so many people entered in batches, wouldn't they be discovered at all? Is our army a sieve, or did those people dig a tunnel straight into the city?"
"Is it possible that the Imperial Guards are working for the First Prince?"
Someone found a key point.
"They entered our Iron Wall City openly, without needing to cover up or hide, and the number of Imperial Guards is absolutely sufficient. Wouldn't that be perfectly reasonable?"
General suddenly calmed down, his eyes revealing intense disappointment: "If you were foolish before, now I think you're just plain stupid. Imperial Guards? That's His Majesty's army. Their only duty is to protect the First Prince. If the First Prince ordered them to do things, and they actually listened, it would be no different from rebelling against His Majesty.
You can't even come up with a decent excuse. Why don't you say the First Prince joined Spirit Hall? Spirit Hall's influence in our Iron Wall City isn't small. Perhaps the First Prince instructed Spirit Hall to do this!"
By the end of his words, anyone could hear the intense sarcasm contained within.
Thump, thump!
A knock on the door sounded. General composed himself, stood up, and opened the door.
"General, the First Prince has arrived."
His trusted aide reported to him.
"Good, I know. You may withdraw."
The trusted aide dared not peer into the office and immediately turned to leave.
Holding the doorknob, General opened the door and looked at his subordinates, who never ceased to cause him worry, his tone calm, without a ripple.
"Come with me to welcome the First Prince. Put away your petty thoughts and force a smile. If I see any long faces, don't blame me for settling accounts later."
"Yes, General."
The numerous subordinates quickly put on brilliant smiles and sincerely agreed.
Although they didn't know who had caused such a great disaster, they all understood that their General was currently at the peak of his rage. If they couldn't resist provoking him again, their end would definitely be tragic.
The carriage slowed. Tang Shan was the first to alight, lifting the curtain, and then Xue Qinghe, dressed in luxurious attire and wearing a gentle smile—
only then stepped down from the carriage.
"Greetings, First Prince."
Before either of them could move, General Hong Zhen led a group of people out to meet them at the gate, their faces full of hearty, forthright smiles.
"First Prince, my respects."
General strode forward, went before Xue Qinghe, and bowed without hesitation.
Only after the other party had completed his bow did Xue Qinghe step forward and help General up.
"General, your position in Iron Wall City is unique. I am but a humble prince; how can I accept such a grand Rei?"
General's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat immediately streamed down his forehead.
What did he mean by 'unique position in Iron Wall City'? Such words couldn't be used carelessly. Feeling Xue Qinghe's attitude had clearly changed, General had a bitter taste in his mouth. 'First Prince, those were all rumors. Our Iron Wall City truly hasn't taken a side.'
Although he was depressed, the outward etiquette could not be neglected. If he made a mistake and was accused of disrespecting the imperial family, he would truly be doomed forever.
"Your Highness, please."
General led the way, Xue Qinghe followed behind him, and Tang Shan lagged half a step behind Xue Qinghe. Behind him were the various military generals brought out by General.
Tang Shan could clearly sense that among the several people behind him, many were scrutinizing him and Xue Qinghe with burning gazes. Clearly, some suspected that the recent turmoil in Iron Wall City was caused by the First Prince.
What good is your suspicion? No one knows better than you how many people the First Prince brought. On the surface, the First Prince simply doesn't have the power to do this.
Xue Qinghe and Tang Shan inadvertently exchanged glances, a brilliant smile simultaneously appearing on their faces. Everything was unfolding as they had anticipated.
They walked to the heart of the military camp, and General led the two into the largest reception hall. He had his subordinates bring in several chairs, and he personally prepared tea.
He clearly hadn't done this many times, and his movements appeared somewhat clumsy. General felt quite helpless.
Normally, he only drank plain water in the army, rarely touching tea. He never expected that one day he would personally make tea for someone else. Such treatment was only afforded to His Majesty. After all, his core mission was to be an impregnable barrier at the front of the Heaven Dou Empire. As long as he did that well, his position would be incredibly stable, and he wouldn't have to worry about any accidents. After all, most nobles and the Emperor weren't fools. As a barrier, you didn't need to be skilled in social graces; being good at defense was enough.
Today, it was ultimately out of necessity. He didn't know which of his brain-dead subordinates had caused such a huge mess. If Xue Qinghe really reported everything truthfully when he returned, the army he had painstakingly built might fall apart.
So, out of desperation, General could only try his best to curry favor with Xue Qinghe.
A cup of hot tea was brought to Xue Qinghe by General, and he was about to hand another cup to Tang Shan, who was sitting beside him.
Although he didn't know what relationship Tang Shan had with Xue Qinghe, the mere fact that Xue Qinghe allowed him to sit together showed how highly he regarded Tang Shan.
"General, you're too kind."
Tang Shan did not let the elderly man hand him the tea, but quickly took it with both hands.
After all, he wasn't the First Prince, so there was no need to accept such courtesy.
He looked with some curiosity at this character who had never appeared in the original work. The other party's army had a slight resemblance to the army of his previous life's country. Their every move exuded a strong military aura, which was very rare on the Douluo Continent. One must know how the temperament of soldiers in his previous life was cultivated: it required absolute self-discipline, a complete system, abundant resources, and a certain level of social and civilized consciousness.
Although the temperament of the army under his command was less than one percent of that in his previous life, it still showed that this person possessed extraordinary methods.
"Your Highness, there have been some disturbances in Iron Wall City recently. Some spies from the Star Luo Empire came to our Iron Wall City to spread rumors, and we failed to deal with them in time, causing unrest among the people. It is my oversight."
Seeing Xue Qinghe continuously smile but remain silent, General had no choice but to speak first. After all, his army had made the initial mistake.
"General, how have these spies been dealt with?"
Xue Qinghe's reply was casual, and his indifferent attitude undoubtedly indicated, 'You can say that, and I'll listen, but we both know the truth.'
She caressed the teacup, as if something within it deeply captivated her.
Seeing that beating around the bush wasn't working, General decided to speak frankly, as he himself wasn't skilled in schemes.
"Reporting to the First Prince, our Iron Wall City's Barrier Army has absolutely no other intentions. We are also investigating the source of the information, hoping to find the mastermind behind the rumors. We will always be the Empire's barrier and will always serve Your Majesty.
95
Tang Shan looked at the old man before him and sighed inwardly. The other party still hadn't seen the big picture.
If the other party had immediately curbed the rumors when they first started spreading, there would have been no need to be so subservient. But by allowing the rumors to spread freely, they put themselves in a disadvantageous position.
And now, wanting to deal with it, yet still harboring ulterior motives and wanting to help neither side, this choice was even more wrong.
Saying they only served His Majesty, such words in Emperor Xue Ye's eyes might seem more like forced loyalty after their ulterior motives were discovered.
Their best course of action should have been to proactively align with Xue Qinghe. This way, while seemingly favoring one side, the situation would actually return to balance, and balance is what an emperor desires most.
A hint of pity flashed in Tang Shan's eyes. Since you haven't handled it well, then we won't be polite. After all, simply balancing the situation isn't what Xue Qinghe and I want.
"General Hong, rest assured, I already know the situation here. It is not your fault."
Before General could even breathe a sigh of relief, Xue Qinghe's next words made his heart jump to his throat again.
"I will report everything I have seen, heard, and felt these past few days to Imperial Father, without any bias."
That usually gentle voice now felt like a demon, exuding intense malice. What did he mean by reporting what he had seen, heard, and felt, and without bias? If you report what you 'felt,' how can it not be biased?
"First Prince, this—"
General's forehead was covered in cold sweat, feeling utterly at a loss.
"Actually, the report to Imperial Father isn't entirely unchangeable. It might just require General Hong Zhen to do a small favor."
Seeing the other party's flustered state, and feeling the satisfaction of intellectual superiority, Xue Qinghe quickly offered a way out, though a small trap lay hidden beneath this step.
"Is there anything I, General, can help with? I will certainly not refuse anything within my capabilities."
Even knowing there was a trap, General could only step into it, and he seemed to have aged a few years.
"This is Tang Shan, a Spirit Master Genius I've cultivated. He has already reached Level 19 and possesses extraordinary talent. I want him to spar with the Spirit Masters and Spirit Grandmasters in the army to hone his strength. As long as he can defeat him, everything is negotiable. After all, there's no misunderstanding between us to begin with."
As the head of an army until now, General was naturally not a fool. He easily understood Xue Qinghe's unspoken meaning: 'A few days ago, your attitude towards me wasn't great. Today, I've brought a Spirit Master Genius to challenge you. He's very strong, but only has one ring. Let him fight all your two-ring Spirit Masters. If he wins, everything is negotiable. I can also overlook the neglect from a few days ago, and treat the Iron Wall City incident as if it never happened. But if he loses, I will make you lose face, and other matters will not be easily resolved.'
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