The playboy county magistrate

The deliberate praise and well-placed flattery made the Second Prince of Mobei even more certain that he had Li Xuanzhi under his control.

It can only be said that Princess Ning'an, a mere woman, was able to become a candidate for the next successor of the Northern Desert Royal Court, which is largely due to the fact that the princes of the Northern Desert Royal Court are not very bright.

The Second Prince of the Northern Desert was still trying to appear calm, though he was overjoyed inside, he became even more humble on the surface.

"You flatter me, sir. However, being a member of the royal family, I have no choice in the matter. I do not wish for the lives of people in both countries to be lost, nor do I wish to watch my younger sister Ning'an destroy the foundation of the northern frontier and the diplomatic relations between the two countries for her own selfish desires."

In order to completely gain Li Xuanzhi's trust, he even took the initiative to offer his own bargaining chips.

"Lord Li, I know the hardships of the border region. This time I have brought a hundred chests of furs and dozens of chests of rare medicinal herbs, all specialties of the northern desert. I present them to you as a token of my sincerity in making peace. In the future, whatever you need, whatever is available in the northern desert, I will do my best to procure it."

The Second Prince of the Northern Desert straightened his back, imagining a whole host of things and inwardly boasting wildly.

Look! They're all from the Northern Desert Royal Court, but he, the Second Prince, is the most generous one.

After being schemed against by Ning An for so long, Li Xuanzhi must be incredibly moved to tears to meet someone like himself now.

Li Xuanzhi nodded slightly, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"I appreciate the Second Prince's sincerity. However, the relationship between our two countries is based on equality, and it is against the rules to accept gifts without due cause."

The Second Prince of the Northern Desert immediately became anxious and quickly replied.

"Lord Li, there's no need to be so formal! We are friends with sincerity, so why bother with complicated procedures? As long as you are willing to trust me and befriend me, this small gift is nothing to worry about."

He was so eager to forge a relationship that he no longer cared about weighing the pros and cons; all he could think about was using Li Xuanzhi's power to bring down Princess Ning'an.

Looking at his eager and opportunistic appearance, Li Xuanzhi sneered inwardly, but remained calm and composed on the surface, slowly stating his conditions.

"Since the Second Prince is sincere in seeking peace and is determined to maintain stability, then I will make two small requests. If the Prince agrees, then we can treat each other with sincerity and share resources."

A glint flashed in the eyes of the Second Prince of the Northern Desert, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please speak, Lord Li! As long as it's within my power, I will grant it!"

In his view, Li Xuanzhi's request was nothing more than some supplies and preferential treatment, which were all trivial matters.

As long as we can win over this important minister of the Great Yong Dynasty, everything will be worthwhile.

Li Xuanzhi spoke slowly and clearly, each word distinct.

"Firstly, the two cities of Yunlan and Hanshuo, located at the border, have been plagued by constant warfare. This is not conducive to the recuperation of the northern desert, nor does it hinder the stability of the border of our Great Yong. Since the Second Prince advocates peace, he has ceded these two cities to our Great Yong."

"Secondly, I've heard that the Flame-Cold Flower is unique to the northern desert. I won't take advantage of it; I'll just send five hundred boxes of good quality and intact Flame-Cold Flowers to the interior."

The air froze as soon as those two sentences were spoken.

The smile on the Second Prince of the Northern Desert froze instantly, replaced by an expression of disbelief.

He had anticipated countless demands that Li Xuanzhi might make: fame, fortune, resources, privileges—but he never expected that the other party would ask for territory and treasures as soon as he opened his mouth. His appetite was far beyond imagination!

Although Yunlan and Hanshuo are small cities, they are the gateways to the northern desert and strategic locations on the border.

Once ceded, the northern gateway will be wide open, with no more barriers!

Although the Flame-Cold Flower is a rare medicinal herb unique to the northern desert, its yield is not as high as rumored.

Five hundred boxes—that's almost all of the reserves in northern Mongolia in recent years!

The Second Prince of the Northern Desert turned pale and then red, his heart filled with shock and anger.

He had come with the intention of scheming against others and seizing power, but unexpectedly, after only a few words of conversation, the other party demanded exorbitant profits and made outrageous offers.

Seeing this, Li Xuanzhi feigned confusion and asked:

"What? Second Prince, were your words just now about frank and open communication, with nothing to object to? Were they merely polite formalities?"

"Of course not!" The Second Prince of the Northern Desert forcibly suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth to hold on.

He truly understood what it meant to be caught in a dilemma.

If they refuse on the spot, it will confirm that they are only pretending to reconcile and have ulterior motives. Not only will they fail to win over Li Xuanzhi, but they will also completely offend him and give him ammunition to criticize them.

He could only force himself to comfort himself, thinking that the two dilapidated small towns and the Yanhan flowers that could still grow later were all worth it if they could really get Li Xuanzhi's secret help to bring down Princess Ning'an.

Once he takes power, he will still find a way to reclaim the city's treasures!

Thinking of this, the Second Prince of the Northern Desert gritted his teeth and bowed.

"Lord Li is absolutely right! For the peace between our two nations and the stability of our borders, some sacrifices are only right. I will immediately order the royal court to transfer the city deeds for Yunlan and Hanshuo, and to dispatch five hundred boxes of Yanhan Flowers to Zhenxi Pass!"

He spoke with magnanimity and righteousness, but in reality he was full of resentment. Yet he still thought himself clever, treating it as a long-term investment.

A fleeting glint of cold light flashed in Li Xuanzhi's eyes, but his smile grew even more gentle.

"The Second Prince is truly wise and righteous, far surpassing Princess Ning'an. From now on, I will naturally know who is worthy of my friendship and who is a source of trouble."

Ha, you idiot.

It's rare to see a fool who would willingly sell themselves out by weight when negotiating cooperation with someone from a clearly different camp.

Li Xuanzhi knew that the Northern Desert had chosen to send a princess to take the position because the princes there were incompetent. But he hadn't anticipated that they would be this incompetent.

The Second Prince of the Northern Desert felt instantly reassured by Li Xuanzhi's words, and even though he had suffered a great loss, he was secretly delighted. He thought he had grasped Li Xuanzhi's weakness and had already won the game.

He was completely unaware that from the moment he stepped into Zhenxiguan, attempting to seize power using Li Xuanzhi, all his schemes and all his trump cards had already been seen through by the other party.

He thought he was using the situation to his advantage and manipulating power, but little did he know that in Li Xuanzhi's eyes, he was nothing more than a pawn who had willingly offered himself up and was at Li Xuanzhi's mercy.

Three days later, no one knows how this stupid second prince managed to do it, but the Northern Desert Royal Court actually issued an edict as he had agreed.

The city contracts for Yunlan and Hanshuo were officially transferred, and the cities were incorporated into the territory of Dayong.

Five hundred boxes of rare and precious Yanhan flowers were neatly transported into the Zhenxiguan warehouse.

Li Xuanzhi truthfully wrote down all the news, including that the true ruler of the Northern Kingdom, the King of the Northern Kingdom, had fallen ill and was unconscious, in a secret letter and ordered someone to send it to the palace as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, in the northern desert, the second prince stood by his unconscious father's bedside, still smugly pleased with himself as he looked at the two copies of the handover document stamped with his seal. He was simply waiting for the right moment to seize power in the northern desert, using Li Xuanzhi's influence as leverage.

Li Xuanzhi was in a good mood today and returned to his residence in Mobei early.

Pei Qingyuan looked at the city deeds, the list of Yanhan flowers and other specialties of the northern desert on the table, and smiled softly as she looked at Li Xuanzhi sitting calmly beside her.

"This second prince thinks he's a master strategist, completely outmaneuvered. Little does he know he's been played like a fool from beginning to end."