Kidnap Them

As soon as the words left Xu Yuan's mouth, a flood of thoughts rushed through Li Junqing's mind. Setting aside the treasonous act of raising private troops, the very notion that Xu Yuan possessed an army independent of the Prime Minister's Manor was utterly absurd. Though he had never held military command, as the helmsman of the imperial family's merchant guild, Li Junqing had at least some grasp of the sheer manpower and material resources required to cultivate an army. From the initial screening of raw talent onward, every single step cost an astronomical sum. At the thought, Li Junqing's gaze toward Xu Yuan turned rather peculiar, and two words involuntarily surfaced in his mind: *Hiding brilliance.* Throughout Great Yan's thirteen-hundred-year history, there was no shortage of ancient sages who had endured hardships, intentionally concealed their talents, and later astonished the world with a single brilliant feat. Yet cold reason continually told Li Junqing that such a thing could never be associated with the Xu Yuan before him. Enduring hardships to bide his time? The petty rascal was busy settling scores from dawn till dusk! Even setting that aside, suppose Xu Yuan's temperament and conduct were all an act, and he had indeed spent the past years secretly building an immense network of power. What would be the point? Those who had intentionally concealed their brilliance in the past had all faced mortal peril. If they didn't hide their light, they died. And what about Xu Yuan? In a household like the Chancellor's Manor, whenever Xu Yuan ran into trouble, he could resolve it simply by calling for his brother. And if that truly wasn't enough, he could just call for his father. Reality was no storybook. Over the past several decades, the Prime Minister had built the Chancellor's Manor into a colossal behemoth. Why would Xu Yuan bother starting from scratch when he had such a massive foundation ready at his disposal? Wouldn't that be taking off his pants just to fart? Sifting through all these glaring contradictions, Li Junqing's gaze grew tinged with wariness. Judging by past experience... This scoundrel was most likely plotting to swindle him out of his coffin money again. "So, Changtian, how many troops can you lend me?" "..." His pale golden irises scanning the bustling street below, Xu Yuan failed to notice the shift in Li Junqing's expression. After a brief pause, he answered quietly, "Initially, I should be able to lend you a full battalion." Hearing this, Li Junqing grew even more guarded, probing, "Five thousand men to start? What cultivation level?" Xu Yuan recalled the report Xiao Bai had given him and replied, "Seventh rank at minimum." Li Junqing's brow twitched. *That's quite a piece of bait,* he thought, though he smiled on the surface. "While not quite matching a true elite legion, that still counts as a fierce and seasoned force." Xu Yuan smiled faintly, his pale golden eyes locked onto the two foreigners emerging from the lobby of Yacui Palace. "The Sienese possess formidable national strength. If I lend you too few troops, not only might you end up dead, but the soldiers I send with you would be buried alongside you." The corner of Li Junqing's eye twitched. Keeping his pleasant facade, he chuckled. "Rest assured, this prince loves his soldiers like his own sons. I will certainly treat the men you lend me with care. I only wonder where these troops are stationed—and if you might take me to have a look?" With that, Li Junqing gazed at Xu Yuan with a hint of nervous anticipation. Even a clever housewife could not cook a meal without rice. The measly scraps his imperial father had tossed him forced him to tread on eggshells and maneuver cautiously regarding Dongying Island. And on top of that, he still had to pander to the whims of the Sien Empire. Therefore, even though Li Junqing doubted Xu Changtian could suddenly pull such a massive force out of thin air, a flicker of hope lingered in his chest. After all... Once he arrived on Dongying Island, the more troops he commanded, the safer he would be, and the more he could accomplish. If the numbers reached a critical threshold, the leverage would be enough for him to overturn and redraw all the plans he had painstakingly devised over the past several days. Yet beneath Li Junqing's ardent gaze, Xu Yuan fell silent. Only after a long while did he squeeze out a reply: "Not right now." "..." Li Junqing stared. Smacking his lips, Li Junqing asked, "Why?" Only now did Xu Yuan belatedly catch the underlying meaning behind his words. Turning his eyes back, he countered directly, "You doubt me?" Beneath his flowing sleeves, Li Junqing's fists instantly clenched. With a tight, insincere smile, he said, "Doubt you? How could I? Even if this prince doesn't trust my own imperial brother, I would still trust you, Changtian. After all, we've conducted business so many times—I know your character all too well." Xu Yuan frowned. "Wait, when has Xu Changtian ever swindled you?" "Heh," Li Junqing scoffed. "Tch." "Ha." "..." "..." The atmosphere abruptly fell silent. For a moment, Xu Yuan felt genuinely hurt. He had poured his heart and soul into this, yet Li Junqing judged his character this way just because of a bit of petty cash in the past. However, even if trust had crumbled, he still had to step in and set up his pieces. Dongying Island no longer concerned just a solitary offshore territory, and Li Junqing, armed with the imperial decree to serve as envoy to Dongying, was destined to be the best proxy available. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Xu Yuan pondered in silence for a moment before grasping what Li Junqing was really worried about. He said softly, "I suppose I know what you're doubting, and I can understand your suspicion. Given my position in the Chancellor's Manor, there is indeed no need for me, Xu Changtian, to start a new enterprise from scratch." Hearing this, Li Junqing's expression eased slightly, though he still said nothing. Seeing that, Xu Yuan chuckled and said leisurely, "Had you believed me right away, I actually intended to ask you for a portion of the mercenary fee tonight. But it seems that won't work now. Tch..." "..." Li Junqing fell silent. Weighing his words, Xu Yuan proposed, "How about this? Since you don't trust me right now, let's put the mercenary fee aside for the moment. Once you see the actual troops, we can discuss the price of borrowing them. That way, you won't lose a thing. "Of course... "When that time comes, to compensate for your lack of trust in me, the price will certainly be a bit higher than it is now." *You're doing this just to spite me, aren't you?* Li Junqing cursed inwardly, but before he could speak, Xu Yuan chuckled and waved a hand. "Just joking. While I will ask you for a mercenary fee, the price definitely won't be high." Saying so, Xu Yuan's expression turned solemn. "After all, what is happening on Dongying Island is no longer confined to a mere speck of an island nation." Li Junqing parted his lips, looking at the serious expression on Xu Yuan's face. For some reason, he felt a strange touch of emotion, but he quickly suppressed it and let out a light laugh. "It seems you take this Sien Empire very seriously, Changtian?" "Yes." Xu Yuan did not hide his thoughts. "Given Great Yan's current situation, an unknown power of uncertain strength must be taken seriously." As he spoke, Xu Yuan pointed toward the street below, indicating the stunning blonde woman and the tin can of a knight who were slowly stepping into a carriage. With a faint smile, he added: "So, Junqing, let's go kidnap them right now."