The Prodigal Son

The State of Yan.

Within Luzhou.

Compared to Qin Yu and his group who were traveling at breakneck speed, Yan Li was much more leisurely.

He was traveling from Huyao to Zhujun to meet with Qin Yu, and he also planned to inspect the local area along the way.

Compared to last year, the lives of ordinary people in the Yan Kingdom have improved dramatically.

Through trade with Da Ning, the Yan Kingdom's resources became abundant.

Although the people were not wealthy, there were far fewer people going hungry.

He gained the support of many ministers in the court and successfully seized the position of crown prince because he facilitated the resumption of trade between Yan and Da Ning, and also because he took a large share of the spoils from Da Ning when attacking Min last year.

"Report..."

A voice with a long, drawn-out ending rang out from afar.

Soon, a messenger, led by a guard, arrived at Yan Li's carriage.

The messenger quickly dismounted: "Your Highness, news has come from every prefecture that Ning Shi Qin Yu arrived in Panyang two days ago!"

"understood."

Yan Li responded from inside the carriage, a smile appearing on his face.

A staff member named Feng Shu also smiled, "It seems that Da Ning is in a hurry."

"There shouldn't be any rush."

Yan Li smiled, "However, autumn is almost here, and Da Ning definitely wants to reach an agreement with us as soon as possible!"

They also received news that Da Ning and Bei Qi were about to start another war in Shuozhou.

The war will definitely begin around the time of the autumn harvest.

Da Ning certainly hoped to reach some agreements with the Yan state before the war began.

They even hoped that the Yan state could send troops from Panshan Pass to contain the Northern Qi.

However, the Yan state would definitely not send troops to attack Bei Qi.

Now that the treasury of Daning is full, we must not allow Daning to cripple Beiqi.

Once the threat from Beiqi is eliminated, Da Ning should turn its attention to Yan.

The way for the Yan Kingdom to survive was to maintain a balance between Bei Qi and Da Ning, so that neither could easily cripple the other.

Only in this way could the Yan state, struggling to survive in the cracks, manage to gain advantages from both sides and continuously obtain benefits from Da Ning and Bei Qi.

In fact, people at Panshan Pass were already having secret talks with Bei Qi.

"How does Your Highness intend to discuss this with Qin Yu?"

Feng Shu asked Yan Li with a smile.

"It's not about how I talk to Qin Yu, but how Qin Yu talks to me!"

Yan Li's smile deepened. "Qin Yu is a very cunning man. Even if he needs our help, he won't compromise easily! Let's see what he wants from us first, then we can talk about anything else!"

He had dealt with Qin Yu several times and had a fairly good understanding of Qin Yu's temperament.

Qin Yu is not only cunning, but also shameless!

He only cares about profit and doesn't care about reputation or morality.

Dealing with this kind of person requires extreme caution.

Otherwise, you might easily fall into his trap.

Feng Shu lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then asked, "What if Da Ning forces us to send troops by suspending trade?"

"Sending troops is easy!"

Yan Li smiled slyly, "Even if we send troops, we can avoid fighting with Northern Qi!"

He had thought about these things long ago.

If necessary, they can put on a show with Bei Qi!

If Da Ning really wants to force Yan to send troops, what difficulty would it be for Yan to cooperate with Bei Qi in putting on a show as long as it offers enough benefits?

In that case, we might be able to get enough benefits from Bei Qi!

"Haha! That's what I think too!"

Upon hearing Yan Li's words, Feng Shu burst into laughter.

The two chatted and laughed all the way.

At dusk, they arrived at Shangxing County.

Shangying is located at the junction of Luzhou and Wangzhou, and is the gateway to Luzhou.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Daming, Daming and Yan frequently engaged in trade.

Thanks to its advantageous location and the constant stream of merchants, Shangxing was able to develop rapidly and was once very prosperous.

Later, the State of Yan launched a surprise attack on Dingzhou, completely severing trade between the two states.

In just a few years, Shangxing quickly became desolate.

Upon entering Shangxing, Yan Li lifted the curtain of the carriage to survey the situation on the street.

Thanks to the resumption of trade with Ningguo, Shangxing County, which had been depressed for several years, was able to become lively again.

However, it is still somewhat different from the most prosperous time in Shangxing.

If only the trade between Da Ning and Yan could continue indefinitely.

The Yan state's development was indeed inseparable from its trade with Da Ning.

Just as Yan Li was feeling sentimental, a commotion arose in the distance.

Faintly, one could also hear the sounds of clashing swords.

Yan Li's guards quickly surrounded his carriage, vigilantly watching their every move.

Soon, a guard came to report: "Your Highness, there are two groups of people fighting in the street ahead, blocking the road."

"Go, separate them!"

Yan Li's face fell. "Pass on my order: anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"

"yes!"

The guard quickly obeyed and left.

Yan Li ordered the carriage to stop and quickly got out.

Protected by a large group of heavily armed guards, Yan Li headed forward in the direction from which the sounds of fighting were coming.

As Yan Li walked in that direction, a group of guards rushed into the midst of the fierce battle between the two sides.

"Stop! All of you, stop!"

"How dare you disturb the Crown Prince's carriage!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that the fighting cease immediately! Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"

With a group of guards separating them, the two groups finally stopped fighting.

Upon learning that the Crown Prince had arrived, both groups disregarded their own wounded and knelt on the ground, but their eyes were still filled with ferocity as they looked at each other.

A moment later, Yan Li walked over, surrounded by guards.

Seeing the people lying in pools of blood, Yan Li's face hardened further, and he demanded sharply, "What happened? Why were you fighting and committing violence in the street?"

Faced with Yan Li's questioning, a slightly overweight middle-aged man raised his head tremblingly, "Your Highness, it is not that this humble subject deliberately disturbed Your Highness's carriage, but rather that they have gone too far..."

"fart!"

The leader of the other group suddenly looked up and shouted angrily, then hurriedly explained to Yan Li, "Your Highness, they were the ones who bullied and monopolized the market, and they even attacked and injured people first. I couldn't stand it, so I fought with them..."

"Nonsense!"

The slightly overweight middle-aged man angrily retorted, "I already negotiated the price for that basket of goods with someone; you're the ones who insisted on robbing me!"

What constitutes robbery?

Another person retorted, "Goods are always sold to the highest bidder! If you can't afford it, why shouldn't others buy it?"

The two quickly lost their tempers and started arguing right in front of Yan Li.

Seeing the two arguing more and more fiercely, Yan Li suddenly shouted, "Shut up, both of you!"

asshole!

They're all bastards!

How dare they make such a scene in front of the Crown Prince himself?

He even suspected that if he hadn't happened to be there today, these two groups would have killed one side completely before they would have stopped.

With Yan Li's loud shout, the two of them jolted and quickly lowered their bodies again.

"I, a commoner, am guilty!"

The two of them were trembling with fear, their heads pressed against the ground.

Yan Li coldly glanced at the two of them and ordered the guard beside him, "Go and investigate what exactly happened!"