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Bozhou.
As Xiao Qi emerged from the Prince of Yan’s residence, he ran into Zhan Xingchang.
He had seen Zhan Xingchang during his previous mission to Qingzhou and knew that Zhan Xingchang was resourceful. At this moment, Zhan Xingchang’s presence here was undoubtedly for a specific purpose.
“I didn’t expect King Qi’s intelligence to be so keen, knowing King Wei’s plan so quickly. I just wonder if Governor Zhan also brought assassins to kill me.” Xiao Qi sneered.
Zhan Xingchang had also met Xiao Qi before. From the tone of his words, Xiao Qi deliberately used the title of Governor Zhan to provoke him, merely wanting to annoy him. He said, “If I wanted to kill you, why would I come to Bozhou personally? And you underestimate His Highness too much. What you can do, we can also do, and do it better.” Zhan Xingchang said.
Xiao Qi’s face changed slightly. Zhan Xingchang’s simple words had already revealed the purpose of his trip; he, too, had come to seek an alliance.
As for why Xiao Ming wanted an alliance, anyone with discerning eyes could see that it was to unite with the Prince of Yan to attack the Prince of Wei.
Sneering twice, Zhan Xingchang didn’t want to say more to Xiao Qi. He turned and headed towards the Prince of Yan’s residence.
Xiao Qi’s brow immediately furrowed. He had been in Bozhou for five days, and during this time, he had met both the Fourth Prince and the Prince of Yan.
However, despite his earnest persuasion, the Prince of Yan’s words were always vague, seemingly agreeing but also seemingly hesitant. Overall, his meaning was that if either the Prince of Liang or the Prince of Zhao agreed, he would send troops.
So this time, he was preparing to go to the Prince of Liang to lobby, as he also knew that the Prince of Liang had always secretly resented King Qi, so reaching an alliance with him would not be a problem.
His departure this time was precisely to head to Liang’s territory, but now Zhan Xingchang’s arrival made him feel uneasy. This was the only way to save Wei’s territory. If it could not be achieved, Wei’s territory would fall into eternal damnation.
Looking back at the Prince of Yan’s residence, Xiao Qi still decided to go to the Prince of Liang. At the Prince of Yan’s place, he had already made the stakes clear, and he believed the Prince of Yan would not go back on his decision.
As Xiao Qi departed, Zhan Xingchang had already arrived in the main hall of the Prince of Yan’s residence. At this moment, the Prince of Yan was waiting for him in the main hall.
“You are Zhan Xingchang? It is said that the Battle of Jizhou also had your contribution.” The Prince of Yan said loudly.
Zhan Xingchang looked up at the Prince of Yan. In his eyes, the Prince of Yan was thin, with a long face and wide mouth, looking somewhat ugly, like a donkey’s face.
“Reporting to Your Royal Highness the Prince of Yan, I am indeed he. However, the credit for the Battle of Jizhou belongs to His Highness, not to me.” Zhan Xingchang said cautiously.
The Prince of Yan stared at Zhan Xingchang and said, “First the Prince of Wei, and now King Qi. What’s going on now? What wind blew you all here?”
Zhan Xingchang thought to himself, ‘The Prince of Yan is indeed an old fox. He’s clearly feigning ignorance.’ The Prince of Yan was pretending not to know anything, even though Xiao Qi had just left.
So Zhan Xingchang said, “Your Highness, I have been dispatched by King Qi not for anything else, but to present Your Highness with a grand gift.”
“Oh? King Qi’s grand gifts are rarely seen. Do tell.” The Prince of Yan said with a smile.
Zhan Xingchang said lightly, “Shouzhou.”
“Shouzhou?”
A glint flashed in the Prince of Yan’s eyes, a detail noticed by Zhan Xingchang.
“That’s right, it’s Shouzhou in Wei’s territory. Your Highness has always longed for Shouzhou. Now, His Royal Highness King Qi is willing to take Shouzhou with Your Highness and give it to Your Highness.” Zhan Xingchang said.
The Prince of Yan remained outwardly calm. He said, “Shouzhou is where my Zheng family’s ancestral home is located. However, the matters of ancestors are, after all, the matters of ancestors. When it comes to me, some things should be let go, shouldn’t they? I don’t want to make a big fuss over this matter. Besides, even if I take Shouzhou, it’s not certain who it will ultimately belong to.”
With that, the Prince of Yan lightly sipped his tea, awaiting Zhan Xingchang’s words.
“So, the Prince of Yan has decided to deal with us alongside the Prince of Wei?” Zhan Xingchang asked, neither subservient nor arrogant.
The Prince of Yan let out a puff of hot air and said indifferently, “I am not foolish. I know very well whether Shouzhou is more important or the safety of Yan’s territory is more important. To abandon Shouzhou and sit by while King Qi annexes the entire Wei’s territory, then King Qi’s next target will be me, won’t it?”
Zhan Xingchang grew more cautious. This Prince of Yan was exceptionally calm and saw things very clearly; this was precisely their next step.
“But does the Prince of Yan truly believe that the four armies can break through Qi’s territory?”
“Perhaps not, but it will be enough to severely weaken Qi’s territory, preventing it from further encroaching on the lands of other vassal kings.” The Prince of Yan tapped the table. “And the strengths of the other vassal kings are comparable. Even if they fight each other, they cannot easily annex territory like King Qi annexing Wei’s territory. Therefore, I am more willing to trust the Prince of Wei than to dig my own grave for a temporary small gain.”
Zhan Xingchang inwardly thought, ‘This is bad.’ This Prince of Yan was exceptionally calm and saw things very clearly. He said, “What if His Highness and Wei’s territory improve their relationship? Don’t forget, the Prince of Wei and His Highness are both imperial kinsmen. This war is merely over some unpleasant matters, just like a couple’s squabble in bed that reconciles by the bedside.”
“Hahahaha…” The Prince of Yan suddenly burst into laughter. “If I didn’t know Xiao Qi’s identity, I might believe you, but knowing his identity, I understand that the Prince of Wei will absolutely not seek peace with Xiao Ming!”
“Xiao Qi’s identity?” Zhan Xingchang’s expression was puzzled.
The Prince of Yan seemed unwilling to conceal the matter. He directly said, “This Xiao Qi is none other than the son of the Prince of Ning. Back then, Xiao Wenxuan killed the Prince of Ning for his throne. The Prince of Wei concealed his son and raised him by his side. It can be said that the Prince of Wei had harbored rebellious intentions for a long time. King Qi is Xiao Wenxuan’s son, so how could the Prince of Wei submit to him? Although the Prince of Wei is extravagant and unrestrained, I know that the Prince of Wei still has some backbone.”
Zhan Xingchang looked shocked. He had also heard about the major case of the Prince of Ning. With the Prince of Yan saying this, he finally understood why the Prince of Wei refused to ally with Xiao Ming. It turned out that in his heart, he had always harbored hatred towards Xiao Wenxuan and his descendants.
“So that’s it.” Zhan Xingchang’s eyes narrowed. However, he still had a trump card. He believed the Prince of Yan would not refuse, because in the current situation, this was something everyone wanted.
After a moment of thought, Zhan Xingchang’s eyes darted around. He bluffed, “Actually, His Royal Highness King Qi has long known Xiao Qi’s identity, so the war with the Prince of Wei is merely a personal grudge. His Highness has no intention of contending for the world; he merely wishes to guard his fief and live a carefree life. To prove His Highness’s innocence, His Highness instructed me that the firearm manufacturing technology can be imparted to your Yan territory.”
The Prince of Yan’s eyes suddenly narrowed, and his heart, disobediently, pounded violently a few times. It had to be said that this condition was simply too tempting.