Too high to reach

Chapter 394 I'm Going to Be Angry
At the morning court session, the officials were both surprised and delighted to see His Highness Prince Qi return safely.

The Crown Prince's faction and Prince Yong'an are excluded.

After the court proceedings concluded, Li Jing solemnly reported on what he had "done" and "achieved" over the past six months. He also mentioned the assistance he had received from various parties, explaining how everyone had worked together to successfully complete the bandit suppression mission.

He even gave his approval to the Niu family.

Of course, he also gave a perfectly legitimate explanation for the mobilization of Zhao Jiajun.

The Emperor had already read the report; it was perfect and flawless. By the time he realized what was happening and sent people to investigate, the situation was already in complete chaos, with rumors flying everywhere, and he didn't know where to begin.

Now... the battlefield has probably been "cleaned up," and there's no way to find anything anymore...

Listening to Li Jing's words, he had no way of distinguishing between truth and falsehood. This sense of powerlessness made him feel exhausted and defeated.

I am such a pathetic emperor, being arranged for me like this!

The emperor's expression was no longer concealed.

So, no one knew that Prince Yong'an was heartbroken.

When he learned that Li Jing had appeared and was on his way back, Li Jing was only a day's journey from the capital. He still had some men at his disposal, and if he ordered an interception and assassination... he feared it might not go well and he would have to go back in again.

The key point is: it's all for naught.

The tide has turned... The alliance with the Empress Dowager has also fallen through, and that old woman is probably in dire straits herself...

If you can't get that position, do you die?

No, I don't want to die yet. My darling is right: two people, living an ordinary life... that wouldn't be bad.

Therefore, those who should stay must remain, and backup plans must be in place. However, it won't be about "living an ordinary life," but rather a life of secluded wealth, like that of a divine couple…

Thinking about it this way, I'm actually quite excited!

She picks flowers, I paint. I play the zither, she dances. We can take advantage of our youth, spend a few days in bed, and have a truly exhilarating time…

He felt hot all over... Or, she could even give me another daughter! Great!

A smile involuntarily crept across my face. I always manage to get things done, either this way or that way!
But in the blink of an eye, Li Jing appeared again, treating everyone like fools!

If I didn't want to live, I would have skinned you alive right now!

How could he do this?
It really pisses me off!

People, money, so many years of painstaking effort and exhaustive thinking...

This world was destined to give birth to a handsome monarch whose fame would last for generations, but this bastard ruined it all...

I'm just baffled: you haven't avenged your own family yet! The people who killed your mother, brother, and sister haven't been caught, so why are you meddling in my business? For so many years, I've only focused on amassing wealth and building up my army, maintaining a peaceful relationship with you without ever offending you. My dear... you even bought things from your wife, it's truly ungrateful, utterly inexplicable...

The Prince of Yong'an became increasingly frustrated: Even if you killed the Crown Prince first and then came after me, I could understand!

“Cousin? What are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought…” Li Jing’s voice suddenly appeared in his ear.

This startled Prince Yong'an, who turned and stared intently at Li Jing.

"What kind of look is that?" Li Jing sized him up. "Why do you look at me like I owe you a million taels of silver and I'm not paying it back?"

Prince Yong'an has done the math, and even a million isn't enough!
He kept his mouth shut and didn't say anything.

"Why does my cousin look so pale and his eyes are bloodshot? He also looks constipated... What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Prince Yong'an stared blankly at Li Jing for a long while, then forced a smile: "What could possibly happen? My life has always been ordinary. It's always been like this. Unlike my seventh cousin... Oh, it's Your Highness Prince Qi! I just heard your report, it was truly exhilarating and exhilarating. Such a large battlefield, such great achievements... Tsk tsk!"

He praised her outwardly, but cursed inwardly: "That bastard, he really dares to make things up."

"I am so... envious."

"Is that so?" Li Jing wore a smile that the Prince of Yong'an loathed. "Speaking of which... there is something I'd like to ask you!" Li Jing didn't mince words. "Please speak..."

“A few days ago, a group of men in black entered my manor, intending to kill my pregnant wife. They were all highly skilled! The legendary assassins… Fortunately, we were prepared and managed to capture and kill them all. However, one of my concubines was murdered, and my eldest son was seriously injured. I heard… one of the men in black said before he died… that they were sent by you.”

“Absolutely not!” Prince Yong’an immediately shook his head. “I swear to God, this is absolutely not true! How could this be?”

"Not one of yours?"

"Of course not! We're cousins..." Prince Yong'an said solemnly, "We've always kept to ourselves and never crossed paths! We have no grudges against each other, so why would I make a fuss? Your Highness, perhaps you should think carefully about who you might have intentionally or unintentionally harmed. Or... who you might have bothered?"

He turned his head and gestured with his chin to point at the Crown Prince, who was speaking to the Emperor. The implication was clear…

Li Jing laughed again: "Ah! Cousin, you've hit the nail on the head. Could it be that my trip this time...unintentionally...harmed your interests?"

"You didn't mean it! You were just trying to harm my interests..." Prince Yong'an screamed inwardly.

Then, his pupils dilated... He knew that was my foundation?

Hiss… A flash of inspiration struck him as he tried to pinpoint the problem. He was incredibly cautious in his actions! Layer upon layer of barriers, level upon level of management. False names, false identities—he was truly elusive, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail…

So where did the secret slip up?
His mind raced, but he kept a good expression: "Wasn't His Highness Prince Qi going to suppress bandits? What he just told sounded so real and reliable. Could it be that His Highness made it up himself?" He looked very surprised.

“It wasn’t me who made it up,” Li Jing shook his head. “It was my advisor who made it up.”

He...he admitted it?

"You really don't take me seriously..." He asked through gritted teeth, "This is a crime of deceiving the emperor! Aren't you afraid I'll tell the emperor?"

"You won't tell," Li Jing chuckled. To outsiders, it would seem as if they were having a pleasant conversation.

"To be honest, although this trip was fraught with danger, I am very satisfied with the result. I gained nearly 30,000 men... These men are skilled soldiers in attacking cities, setting up formations, fighting, and garrisoning. Their skills are very solid! They are no less than the Zhao family army!"

He really intends to drive me crazy!

Prince Yong'an glared hatefully at Li Jing.

"What's even more valuable is that these people are skilled in many areas! Farming, building houses, constructing irrigation systems, reclaiming wasteland, and mining. They excel at everything. It's just that their horsemanship and archery... are slightly lacking. But, with their excellent equipment, abundant reserves, and... a lot of silver, they can completely make up for that deficiency."

Another crucial point is that those people, who also have official positions, are overjoyed! Everyone is as happy as if they've found a gold nugget on the street..." After saying that, he chuckled again.

That bastard!

Why couldn't I kill him?
This is infuriating...

Prince Yong'an grinned maliciously: "Is that so! Congratulations... Such a good thing is unheard of. However, you should also be careful. There is no such thing as a free lunch. It's not pleasant to eat too much and then throw it up."

"This can't exactly be considered a windfall, can it?" Li Jing thought seriously before answering, "I've been busy for half a year!"

But that's what I've been running for over ten years!
Prince Yong'an barely managed to hold back from punching him... because he couldn't beat him, and he couldn't fight back.

If he stayed any longer, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold back...

In the blink of an eye, I saw the Crown Prince.

"What are your thoughts on the marriage between the Crown Prince and Lady Niu? What does it mean that the Emperor has agreed?"

"This is great news! I'm sure the wedding will be a lot of fun."

“Is that so…” Prince Yong’an looked at him cautiously, trying to decipher the meaning of his words.

“Yes! Cousin, would you like to join in?” Li Jing asked with a smile.

“Uh…” The fire in Prince Yong’an’s heart was extinguished.

(End of this chapter)