HLnovel Chapter 331 Trading again
Chapter 331 Trading again
Zhen Chenyao didn't say anything more; he had more important things to do now.
"Seventh Prince, let me get straight to the point. What have you thought about what I told you before?"
The Seventh Prince was surprised that Zhen Chenyao asked the question right away.
He also prefers straightforwardness and wanted to agree immediately.
At this moment, Zhou's advisor stepped forward and said with a smile:
"Master and Second Master Zhen, may I ask a question?"
Since they were brought by the Seventh Prince, Zhen Chenyao didn't reply first, but looked at the Seventh Prince.
The Seventh Prince frowned. He knew this person's arrival today was not so simple, but since he was the one who brought him, he couldn't lose face.
"Ask us your questions quickly, don't waste our time."
Zhou's advisor smiled at the two of them:
"I apologize for disturbing you, but I have duties to perform and cannot help but ask a few more questions."
"I want to ask Master Zhen, why did you approach my master for a collaboration? Among the adult princes who came, my master is the youngest. The conditions you offered are very generous; you are fully capable of finding a prince who already holds real power."
These words caused the Seventh Prince's face to darken. He shouldn't have brought him here in the first place; the first thing the emperor said was to deny his own authority. He was the youngest of the adult children, so what did he mean by having no real power? Was he implying that he hadn't yet received a position assigned to him by his father?
Looking at his master's expression, Zhou, the advisor, thought to himself, "I was really foolish. I forgot that this man has a temper and doesn't understand what I'm saying."
Zhou's advisor quickly added:
"Of course, our master is excellent, but I'd like to know, what made you make this decision?"
Zhen Chenyao could tell from his words that this man was not simple and not as easy to fool as the Seventh Prince. He would probably have to put in some effort today.
Zhen Chenyao felt that there was no harm in explaining the purpose of his actions.
"I told the Seventh Prince before that I just wanted to get rid of the Zhen family's control, and I hope to be able to control the Zhen family in the future."
Zhou's advisor laughed:
"Master Zhen is a straightforward man. Actually, I asked so many questions because I was worried, after all, his sister is Consort Zhen in the palace."
Everyone in the palace knows that the Imperial Concubine is greatly favored by the Emperor and currently has a prince by her side. She wields considerable power and influence in the harem. I truly do not understand why you would choose such a distant and precarious position.
Zhen Chenyao's face turned worried, and he sighed and said:
"As the saying goes, 'Don't wash your dirty linen in public.' But when it comes to making deals, the key is to tell the truth. I'm not afraid of losing face."
I've already mentioned that my elder sister, the Imperial Concubine, is biased and only favors my eldest brother, which has led my father to also side with my eldest brother's family.
"If Father allows us to separate the family property later, I can go out and make a career for myself. But Father has already made a decision that even after he passes away, he will not allow the two branches of the family to separate. Wouldn't that mean we will continue to be oppressed by the eldest branch of the family?"
Zhen Chenyao said with a wry smile:
"I hope you two will laugh at me for saying this, but if we are not forced to a certain point, who would be willing to kill their own flesh and blood?"
I chose the Seventh Prince because the Sixth Prince is known for his benevolence and kindness.
I believe that if the Sixth Prince were to attain that position, he would treat my sister leniently, and even more so, the Zhen family.
These words were spoken with genuine feeling. Zhou, the advisor, saw that he was indeed sincere. If it weren't for his master's letter saying that the emperor wanted to take action against the Zhen family, this Second Master Zhen would truly be a good partner.
"Every family has its own troubles. Second Master, you've worked hard. Your words are sincere and heartfelt, which has deeply moved me."
However, with the Emperor currently in good health and the Crown Prince still in the palace, no one can be certain about the throne.
The matter of the throne cannot be decided overnight. Even if we agree now, what can we offer you?
Zhen Chenyao thought there was a chance.
“I am currently under considerable control by the Zhen family. I hope to get the help of the Sixth Prince and make contact with the local people. In this way, I can also provide the Sixth Prince with intelligence from this area, as well as financial support.”
The Seventh Prince couldn't contain himself any longer. Was he the master, or was he the master? He was brought here to discuss something, and the prince was putting on airs.
The Seventh Prince stood up and said:
"I have agreed to your request, and I hope you will keep your promise."
Zhen Chenyao was overjoyed and said happily:
"Thank you, Seventh Prince. A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. My salt field will belong to the Sixth Prince from now on."
When Zhou, the advisor, saw that the Seventh Prince had agreed, he wasn't surprised at all; it would be strange if the Seventh Prince could hold back. Now that there were only the three of them in the room, it wouldn't matter if he denied it later.
"Now that our master has agreed to your request, we have a common problem to solve."
Having made his promise, Zhen Chenyao felt much more relaxed and smiled, saying:
"Since we're allies now, feel free to speak your mind."
Zhou, admiring Master Zhen's shrewdness, put on a cold face and said:
"Our common enemy now is Jia Hu."
We've been here for a while now, so you should know how much Jia Hu loves to show off.
Moreover, he's on the Crown Prince's side, and the better he does, the more disadvantageous it is for us. We've been looking for an opportunity to get rid of him, but we haven't found one yet.
I heard that what happened on the ship last time was your doing, and it almost succeeded. In unfamiliar territory, you were so close to succeeding; now that we're on your land, I believe eliminating Jia Hu should be a piece of cake.”
When Zhen Chenyao heard that it was Jia Hu, and then heard what Zhou, the advisor, said, he realized that he was being put on a pedestal and forced to kill Jia Hu in order to demonstrate his usefulness.
But this was no easy task, and Zhen Chenyao looked extremely conflicted.
Zhou's advisors immediately pressed their advantage and pursued the attack.
"Could it be that Second Master Zhen can't do it? You claimed you could provide us with intelligence. If you can't even handle a child, how can we trust you?"
Zhen Chenyao said with a bitter face:
“It’s not that I don’t want to kill him. Since you know about what happened on the ship, you should know what happened afterward. This Jia Hu must be possessed by a demon.”
Zhou's advisor smiled dismissively upon hearing this.
"If you can't do it, you can't do it. Why bring up such superstitious things? That would only embarrass you, Master Zhen."
Zhen Chenyao frowned, somewhat angry.
"What face do I have left! Let me tell you, I went to great lengths to investigate before surrendering."
Jia Hu had previously fallen into the water in an accident and had since developed a great fear of water and couldn't swim. But when my men dragged him into the water, they clearly saw that he was no longer moving and should have stopped breathing. Only when my men relaxed their guard did Jia Hu suddenly come back to life, escape, and even manage to stay in the water for such a long time!
You're saying that such a small child, afraid of water and unable to swim, could endure so long in cold, dark water? Even an adult who can swim wouldn't be able to keep going.
I already spoke with the Seventh Prince last time; this Jia Hu is problematic.
The Seventh Prince listened and nodded in agreement. He also felt that there was something wrong with Jia Hu. How could a child be so prodigy? If he was a prodigy, he should have revealed himself long ago. Jia Hu seemed to have suddenly become powerful. And what about that master who had never shown himself? Who knew who he was or whether he was real or fake?
Zhou's advisor sighed.
"It seems that Master Zhen has no choice but to accept that Jia Hu cannot be killed."
I won't make things difficult for Second Master. I'll write to the Sixth Prince about this matter and see if he has any ideas on how to kill Jia Hu.