Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The next day, Liu Yong'an, accompanied by Dai, went to visit Old Chancellor Cui Zhongyi. Although Cui Zhongyi was already sixty-five years old, he remained an irreplaceable figure in the Starfall Kingdom.
Thus, after seizing the throne, Sun Yong's first move was to win over Chancellor Cui Zhongyi. According to the initial plan, and for the stability of the Starfall Kingdom, Cui Zhongyi agreed to Sun Yong's overtures.
Liu Yong'an's purpose in visiting Cui Zhongyi was to see if he still had the heart to assist the Third Prince. At that moment, the morning court session had just concluded, and Cui Zhongyi was having breakfast at home.
Liu Yong'an arrived at the entrance of the Prime Minister's Residence, where two guards blocked his path. "Who are you? Why have you come to the Prime Minister's Residence?" The guards recognized Liu Yong'an's attire indicated he was a person of status, so they spoke relatively politely.
Liu Yong'an cupped his fists towards the two guards. "Brothers, I am here to pay my respects to Prime Minister Cui. Please inform him."
"Please state your name so we can relay it when the master inquires," one of the guards replied.
Liu Yong'an took out half a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to the guard. "This young man, if you deliver this half jade pendant to Prime Minister Cui, he will naturally come to see me."
Upon seeing the pendant, the guard held it in his hand. "Please wait here for a moment; I will report to the Chancellor." With that, one guard turned and entered the Prime Minister's Residence.
Before long, that guard returned and said to Liu Yong'an, "Gentlemen, our Chancellor requests your presence; please follow me."
Liu Yong'an and Dai followed the guard into the Prime Minister's Residence. Soon, they arrived at a small room's door. The guard gently knocked on the door and said inside, "I have brought them as instructed."
A deep voice came from within: "Let them in."
After pushing open the door, the guard gestured for Liu Yong'an to enter. Liu Yong'an and Dai stepped inside one after another, and after closing the door behind them, the guard left.
The room was a study, not very large in size. The decor was quite simple, with only a desk, two chairs, and two bookshelves.
At that moment, an elderly man sat behind the desk; this man was none other than Chancellor Cui Zhongyi of the Starfall Kingdom.
Liu Yong'an cupped his fists towards Cui Zhongyi. "Old Chancellor, it has been years since we last met; how have you been?"
Cui Zhongyi smiled and nodded, "General Liu, you are doing well too."
"Thanks to Old Chancellor, things are not bad."
"Come, sit down."
Liu Yong'an took a seat, while Dai stood straight behind him. Cui Zhongyi looked at Dai and asked, "Old General, who is this?"
"This is the guard my son arranged for me, and he is the Hall Master of One-Pin Hall. My son hasn't met you yet."
Dai cupped his fists and bowed to Cui Zhongyi, "Junior pays respects to Old Chancellor."
"One-Pin Hall is quite well-known in our Starfall Kingdom now. I didn't expect the Hall Master to be such a young person; it’s truly remarkable."
"You flatter me, sir," Dai humbly replied.
Cui Zhongyi initially did not want to discuss matters in front of Dai, but seeing Liu Yong'an's difficulty, he understood the reason and said to Cui Zhongyi, "Old Chancellor, you need not feel awkward. He is also a participant in this operation. So there’s no need to avoid him, and he is also my son's attendant."
Cui Zhongyi was taken aback. He was somewhat familiar with One-Pin Hall, which claimed it could kill anyone as long as you named them. Even the current guardian would be targeted if the price was right. To have the leader of such an organization as Liu Yong'an's son's attendant made him wonder what kind of person his son was.
However, having someone from One-Pin Hall assisting them significantly increased their chances of success. Thus, Cui Zhongyi offered Dai an apologetic smile.
"Old General, I wonder how you plan to proceed with this matter. Is there anything you need my assistance with?"
"Old Chancellor, now that Sun Yong has become king, he has turned the entire Starfall Kingdom into what it is today. Moreover, he sent people to kill my entire family; for both personal and public reasons, I must overthrow him. It can also be seen as repaying a favor to His Majesty."
Cui Zhongyi nodded, "When you were captured by Sun Yong, I initially thought His Majesty's plan would be thwarted. But unexpectedly, he did not kill you, and you were rescued. At that moment, I realized our plan could still proceed. Although I have rarely voiced my opinions in court these past few years, I have secretly gathered quite a bit of evidence against Sun Yong, including how he committed regicide. I have kept this physical and testimonial evidence hidden while waiting for your return."
"Old Chancellor, you have suffered during these years."
Cui Zhongyi shook his head and said, "It's not suffering. Compared to what you have endured, my hardships are nothing. You have truly dedicated yourself for the sake of our Starfall Kingdom."
"Everything is almost over. Old Chancellor, I have already brought the Third Prince to my side, and we are fully prepared here. We just need to find a time to eliminate that wretched child."
"What do you plan to do to eliminate that wretched child?"
"Our approach is simple: we will surround the palace with our people and forcefully place the Third Prince on the throne."
"Isn't that approach too risky? The palace is heavily guarded; it won't be easy to breach."
"Old Chancellor, you can rest assured. Haven't you seen that the Hall Master of One-Pin Hall is with me? For them, opening the palace gates is not a difficult task. At that time, all you need to do is stabilize the hearts of all the officials. The rest we can handle ourselves."
"Old General, you must be careful. Sun Yong's surroundings are not what they used to be; he is always accompanied by two Advanced Knights for protection, and both of these Advanced Knights are formidable mid-level ones."
Liu Yong'an smiled slightly and said, "Old Chancellor, even if there were ten Advanced Knights by his side, they would still meet their end."
Cui Zhongyi initially thought that two Advanced Knights were already quite a lot. How many Advanced Knights are there in the entire Starfall Kingdom? Even Liu Yong'an was just a low-level Advanced Knight back then; how could he now disregard mid-level knights after a few years?
"Old General, do you really have this confidence? We cannot afford to lose this battle; our lives are at stake. If we fail, the entire Starfall Kingdom will be finished."
"Old Chancellor, you can rest assured. When have I, Liu Yong'an, ever lied to you?"
Cui Zhongyi nodded and said, "It seems that His Majesty's judgment back then was indeed very good. Among all of Cui Wenwu's officials, only you could accept this mission. When do you plan to take action?"
"Prime Minister Cui, I came here this time to prepare you mentally. We will notify you when we take action; I think it will be in the next few days."
Cui Zhongyi stood up and took a small wooden box from the bookshelf behind him, placing it on the table. "General Liu, this box contains evidence I have collected over the years. When you infiltrate the palace, it will help ensure that Cui Wenwu and all the officials are convinced and avoid unnecessary trouble."
Liu Yong'an took the small wooden box and placed it in his arms before saying to Cui Zhongyi, "Old Chancellor, please endure for a few more days."
"After all these years, a few more days won't make a difference. I just want to remind you once again to ensure that everything is foolproof."
Liu Yong'an did not respond but simply nodded firmly.
"Old Chancellor, we will take our leave now. I will send someone to notify you when it's time to act," Liu Yong'an said as he stood up.
At this moment, Dai, who had been standing behind, suddenly spoke up: "Old Chancellor, you are the pillar of our Starfall City, but the guards here are indeed too lax."
Cui Zhongyi smiled and looked at Dai, saying, "Young man, I know you are quite capable, but you can't say that my defenses are inadequate, can you?"
Dai's expression was serious: "Sir, I'm not boasting. If someone were really hired to assassinate you, those two on the beam above wouldn't even have time to intervene. Even the Six People in the courtyard wouldn't be able to stop me from entering your room."
Hearing this, Cui Zhongyi was taken aback; he hadn't expected that what he thought was a strong defense would be deemed useless by the other party.
Dai then looked up at the beam and said, "Brothers, you've worked hard. Come down now."
Immediately, two shadows appeared beside Cui Zhongyi, looking at Dai with vigilance. Dai smiled broadly: "There's no need to be nervous. In fact, you two have done very well. As a killer, I am naturally very sensitive and knowledgeable about stealth; it's normal for me to see through you."
Cui Zhongyi also reassured the two guards: "You don't need to be overly tense. You heard what he said. Since you know who he is, there's no shame in front of him; after all, he is the professional here."
"Old Chancellor, to ensure your safety tonight, I will send two brothers from One-Pin Hall to assist in protecting you. After everything settles down, if they are willing, I will arrange for further specialized training for them so they can better ensure your safety."
Cui Zhongyi nodded without hesitation: "Alright, thank you for your consideration. I'll thank them on their behalf."
"Old Chancellor, you're too kind. This is what we should do. I will take my leave now."
"When your people arrive, just tell them they were sent by you and the guards will let them through. I will inform the guards," Cui Zhongyi added.
Dai smiled again: "Sir, there's no need for that. If it takes so much effort just to meet you, then keeping them around would be pointless. They will come to see you in this study after your dinner."
Hearing Dai's confidence, Cui Zhongyi also wanted to see just how impressive this One-Pin Hall was. He nodded and said, "Alright, Old Man will wait for their arrival in this study."
Liu Yong'an and Dai left the Prime Minister's Residence. Upon returning to the Red Star Mercenary Group, Dai immediately called for his two capable subordinates and informed them about the mission, including the location of the study within the Prime Minister's Residence.
At this moment, Dai looked at his two subordinates and said, "You two listen carefully. Your task today is to infiltrate the Prime Minister's Residence, and you must protect the safety of the Prime Minister for twenty-four hours. Even during court sessions, you need to find a way to stay close to him. Do you understand?"
"Hall Master, rest assured, we will complete the mission."
"Also, if you are discovered while infiltrating the residence, you won't need to come back to me. We at One-Pin Hall do not want useless people."
The two exchanged glances and smiled. "Hall Master, don't worry. Even if we entered the palace, they wouldn't notice us; let alone a mere residence."
"That's best. You two go now. As I mentioned, the time is set for after dinner; manage your time accordingly."
"Hall Master, take care." After saying this, they exerted themselves and disappeared before Dai.
Meanwhile, within the residence, Cui Zhongyi developed a strong interest in One-Pin Hall. He turned to his two bodyguards and said, "You both need to keep a close watch; don't let anyone look down on you."
"Prime Minister, you can rest assured. I will make sure those two leave today covered in dirt."
Cui Zhongyi nodded. "Confidence is good, but remember not to be arrogant."
During the time before dinner, Cui Zhongyi remained in his study until a maid came to call him out. To ensure the Prime Minister's safety, his two personal bodyguards stayed close by his side. Although they were Sentinels, they remained diligent and responsible. Before leaving, they instructed their brothers in the courtyard to stay alert.
Comment 0 Comment Count