The news of Zhang Shizhao instigating his followers to assassinate the Chieftain spread like wildfire. On one hand, Yang Yinglong sent people to capture the two missing assassins, on the other hand, he conducted a thorough investigation of his trusted guards. Everyone who believed in Taoism or was just an ordinary follower was removed from his direct guard as a precaution.
At the same time, Yang Yinglong, who had dispelled his suspicions towards Wang Shiqi, had frequent contact with the imperial envoy to discuss the concessions he had promised verbally. Seeing that the negotiations were coming to an end, Tian Xiufeng rushed over with Ye Xiaotian in tow.
Yang Yinglong had just sent Wang Shiqi back to the posthouse with a beaming face. When he returned to the rear residence and saw Ye Xiaotian, his face immediately darkened. Tian Xiufeng bowed to Yang Yinglong and said: "I have not failed you!"
Yang Yinglong stepped forward and held her hand. Seeing her travel-worn appearance, he said gently: "Madam, you have worked hard. Go take a bath and rest!"
Tian Xiufeng smiled sweetly at him and nodded her head gently before turning around and leaving. In front of a man who was far more powerful than her, this female phoenix would always look gentle and cute, even more obedient than a kitten. Yang Yinglong looked at Ye Xiaotian again and his face darkened.
Ye Xiaotian hurriedly stepped forward and very deftly knelt down: "Chieftain, Xiao An... is guilty!"
Ye Xiaotian was a treasure dug out from the prison guards of the Heavenly Prison. There was no one better than him who understood the principle of being flexible. In front of Ye Mengxiong, Ye Xiaotian would not kneel even if he could. The more arrogant he was, the more it showed his weight. At this moment, in front of Yang Yinglong, he had to pretend to be trembling with fear.
Yang Yinglong snorted coldly and sat down on his seat. He picked up his teacup and wiped the tea on it before taking a sip. Only then did he lift his eyelids and glance at Ye Xiaotian. In a cold voice, he said, "According to this Yang's temper, trash like you would have long been chopped up and fed to the dogs!"
Ye Xiaotian was quick-witted and hurriedly bowed his head, "Xiao … Xiao An knows his mistake. Chieftain, please forgive me!"
Yang Yinglong snorted. After a moment of silence, he said, "You actually went to provoke Tian Miaowen with your lust. You really don't know what's good for you! Forget it, this Yang will forgive you this once. Since you've already fallen out with Tian Miaowen, you can stay in Bozhou … "
Ye Xiaotian raised his head and said, "Sir …"
Yang Yinglong chuckled. "Why? You also know that if you stay in Bozhou, you're not even as good as a dog? "
Yang Yinglong's face darkened. He slammed his teacup down heavily and leapt to his feet. "Since you know, then take back the Crouching Bull Ridge!"
Yang Yinglong made his way to Ye Xiaotian's side and bent down. "This is your last chance. Do you understand?"
Ye Xiaotian's expression slowly became determined, like a gambler who had staked everything on a single throw. He nodded firmly. "I understand!"
Yang Yinglong patted his shoulder and said to the caretaker on the side, "Take Chieftain Ye to rest."
The caretaker led Ye Xiaotian away. Yang Yinglong thought about it and said to Yang Zhaolong, "Invite Wang Shiqi to a banquet tomorrow. Bring Ye Xiao 'an over then."
Yang Zhaolong said, "What do you mean, brother?"
Yang Yinglong chuckled. "Ye Xiaotian was chased out by a peasant woman and sought shelter with me. Isn't it better if there's an imperial envoy to bear witness to this?"
Yang Zhaolong understood and smiled.
The imperial court's management of highly autonomous local governments like the chieftains was rather special. They had relatively strict requirements when it came to things like taxes, corvee labor, and sending troops. However, they were given a certain degree of freedom when it came to internal affairs.
For example, Yang Yinglong's father and grandmother had chased out his grandfather, Yang Xiang, who had fled to Shuixi. Another example would be the current chieftain of the stone pillar, Ma Douhu, and his eldest son were imprisoned. The madam of the Tan clan was in power, and the Ma clan was dissatisfied. They were currently besieging the Tan clan, but the imperial court did not care about any of these matters.
The chased out of their husbands by their wives and children was a family matter to the imperial court. They did not care about family matters. As long as the person who continued to wield power was one of the legal heirs and remained respectful to the imperial court, they would normally rather have less trouble than less trouble.
Of course, these situations also depended on whether the emperor's personality was forceful or not. If it were Zhu Yuanzhang or Zhu Di, they might not be willing to sit and watch. As forceful as these two emperors were, they would not tolerate even a grain of sand in their eyes.
The next day, Yang Yinglong hosted a banquet to entertain Wang Shiqi. By now, the two sides had already finished discussing the details of the negotiations and were about to sign the agreement. The atmosphere between the two sides had eased up greatly, so the banquet was very lively. Yang Yinglong and Wang Shiqi sat side by side. Just as they were drinking, Yang Yinglong hurried into the hall according to prior arrangements. He clasped his hands at Yang Yinglong and said, "Brother, the officer of the Crouching Bull Bureau, Ye Xiaotian, has arrived. He wishes to see you."
"Hmm?" Yang Yinglong stopped drinking and seemed surprised. "Officer Ye, why is he here? Invite him in!"
Yang Yinglong dusted off his sleeves and stood up.
Wang Shiqi looked at Yang Yinglong, and Yang Yinglong said, "The Crouching Bull Ridge and my Bozhou have always been on friendly terms. Not long ago, I once invited officer Ye to a banquet at my old estate in Bozhou. Afterwards, because my wife was unfaithful … I killed her out of anger, which led to a misunderstanding in the court. I once asked officer Ye to explain on my behalf … "
Wang Shiqi came to a realization. "Oh … That's right! Now that you mention it, I do remember. "
Ye Xiaotian stood in the courtyard. His clothes were tattered, and his hair was disheveled and his face was dirty. He seemed like he had fled here in a hurry. Yang Zhaolong came out in a hurry to receive him. He said to Ye Xiaotian, "Chieftain Ye, please!"
Ye Xiaotian followed Yang Zhaolong into the hall. When he reached the corridor, he happened to see a person walking over leisurely with a blade in hand, walking to the left of the corridor. As soon as Ye Xiaotian saw who it was, he couldn't help but jump in fright. His footsteps slowed down, and because of this, he almost tripped and fell. In the end, he rushed forward a few steps and plunged into the hall.
Yang Zhaolong did not know what was going on. When he saw this scene, he secretly raised his thumb. "This brat is not completely useless. This panicked appearance really does make him look like a stray dog."
Yu Wuguo also jumped in fright as he stood in the corridor. He did not expect to see Ye Xiaotian here. Luckily, Yang Zhaolong did not notice him. Yu Wuguo was stunned for a moment. He walked away with his blade, but he had already begun to pay attention to the movements in the hall.
When Ye Xiaotian entered the hall, he let out a sorrowful wail. "Chieftain Yang, you must help your brother out!" Coupled with his dog-eat-shit entrance, it was truly incomparably miserable.
…
After the banquet ended, Wang Shiqi returned to the courier hostel. Yu Wuguo immediately rushed over. Wang Shiqi recounted to Yu Wuguo what Ye Xiaotian had said during the banquet. Yu Wuguo muttered, "What exactly is Ye Xiaotian doing?"
Wang Shiqi said, "I think his appetite is too big. He doesn't want to reveal his identity, so he wants to fish some benefits out of Yang Yinglong."
Yu Wuguo shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Entering the tiger's den alone. He is indeed too daring."
Wang Shiqi smiled. "Aren't you the same? There was originally no need for the dignified Embroidered Uniform Commander to come personally."
Yu Wuguo shook his head. "Yang Yinglong is like a torch in the darkness. All the flying insects from all directions are attracted to it."
Wang Shiqi's eyes flashed. "What a pity! There are too many who want to extinguish it. There are too few who want to add fuel! "
The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
In the guest room of Yang Yinglong's mansion, Yang Yinglong praised Ye Xiaotian's performance today. He turned around and returned to the reception hall where he lived. Tian Xiufeng came up to him in a light dress.
Tian Xiufeng snuggled up against Yang Yinglong and sat down. She picked up a cup of tea and helped him take a few sips. She asked, "When can Ye Xiaotian make a public appearance? Once we get him to publicly accuse Tian Miaowen of usurping the throne, the Crouching Ox Ridge will immediately fall into chaos! "
Reaching there, Tian Xiufeng was in high spirits. A complacent smile appeared in her eyes.
Yang Yinglong thought about it and said, "There's no hurry! If we bring up the fight between Ye Xiaotian and Tian Miaowen right now, we can indeed make the Crouching Ox Ridge fall apart. However, in order to dispel the court's wariness, I've already decided to step down and accept a series of punishments from the court. If we send troops to Tongren right now, how will we explain that? If we can't send troops, how will we take advantage of the chaos to take the Crouching Ox Ridge? "
Tian Xiufeng said, "Then what do you mean, heavenly king?"
Yang Yinglong said, "We've saved Ye Xiaotian. The one who's panicking the most is Tian Miaowen. As long as we haven't done anything yet, she won't know how we're going to deal with her. A killing move is the greatest deterrence before it's used! "
Tian Xiufeng said worriedly, "Tian Miaowen isn't a normal person. If we drag this out, she'll probably have some countermeasures."
Yang Yinglong smiled faintly. "Unfortunately, the matter of Ye Xiaotian is unresolvable to her, especially since she still has no heirs! Moreover, Ye Xiaotian's use to me right now is just a reason for me to finish my apprenticeship. Do you think I'll still use such covert methods when I attack the Crouching Ox Ridge next time? I'll … lead troops! "
Yang Yinglong thought about it and said, "After I deal with Wang Shiqi here, I'll have to arrange for Chao Dong to temporarily take my place. Kedong has to go to Chongqing as a hostage, so he won't be able to leave for now. Xiufeng, you'll have to make a trip for me."
Tian Xiufeng raised an eyebrow and looked at Yang Yinglong.
Yang Yinglong said, "On the other side of the stone pillar, Ma Doubo and Ma Qiancheng have both been imprisoned. The Tan clan is temporarily taking their place, but the clansmen of the Ma clan refuse to accept this. They've gathered together to attack the Tan clan. The Tan clan is struggling to hold on. I think …"
Tian Xiufeng said sourly, "The heavenly king is about to resign from his position as chieftain in order to hide his strength and bide his time, yet he's still worried about that foxy lover on the stone pillar? If we interfere with the matter of the stone pillar, aren't we afraid of raising the alarm of the imperial court? "
Yang Yinglong wrapped his arm around her slender waist and smiled. "What are you being jealous for? The one I love the most has always been you. The Tan clan is our daughter's in-laws, so isn't it only right and proper for you to step forward? Not only will you be helping your in-laws, but you'll also be helping me out! "
Tian Xiufeng snorted gently and said in annoyance, "Cut the flowery words. Don't you know what's going on with in-laws? I'm just holding on to this title. The daughter isn't mine, so the son-in-law naturally isn't mine either. That cheap in-law has nothing to do with me. "
Yang Yinglong wrapped his arm around her slender waist and fiercely slapped her plump buttocks. Glaring at her, he said, "Zhang shi is already dead. My position as the Handprint Lady will be yours sooner or later. The Tan clan won't even have a title. What are you worried about? "
Tian Xiufeng knew very well that Yang Yinglong was indeed particularly infatuated with that foxy Tan. Just from the fact that he had deliberately arranged the marriage between the two clans to dispel Ma Doubo's suspicions about the Tan clan, she could see that he was special to the Tan clan. Towards other women, he would brush his robes and leave without any care.
Therefore, Tian Xiufeng was very afraid of the Tan clan. But since Yang Yinglong had promised that the position of Handprint Lady would definitely be hers, her anger turned into joy. Twisting her delicate body, she said, "Then … how do you want me to help her?"
Yang Yinglong said, "The best plan is naturally to help her stand firm and unify the stone pillars!"
Tian Xiufeng said, "What if the enemy outnumbers us and this plan doesn't work?"
Yang Yinglong thought for a moment, then said, "Then help her leave the stone pillars and come to my Bozhou. If she can come, she will definitely bring along a trusted aide. She will be useful. In the future, when I aspire to rule the world, it will be much easier to conquer the stone pillars with her around. "
Tian Xiufeng glared at Yang Yinglong and said, "What if I can't even take her away from the stone pillars?"
Yang Yinglong's face darkened. "Xiufeng!"
Tian Xiufeng smiled charmingly and said, "Alright, alright. I'm just thinking about defeat before I think about victory! Don't worry, I will do my best to help you share your burden. "
As Tian Xiufeng said this, she secretly thought to herself, Ma Qiansi is your biological son. If I don't rescue him, I will definitely make you unhappy! However, that seductress … She poses a small threat, but I have to nip her in the bud. I definitely can't take her back to Bozhou.
Tian Xiufeng thought about it and said, "Since the heavenly king doesn't want to move against the Crouching Bull Ridge immediately, then I'll take Ye Xiao 'an with me."
Yang Yinglong raised an eyebrow and said, "Why are you taking him with you? That A 'Dou, hmph! "
Tian Xiufeng obviously had her own selfish reasons for taking Ye Xiaotian with her. Yang Yinglong had yet to rule the world, but she had already begun planning what she would do after she did. Her first and second brothers were the foundation for her to establish herself in the harem and strengthen the Tian Clan, but it was still not enough.
The Crouching Bull Ridge was not just the Crouching Bull Ridge. Ye Xiaotian was the spiritual leader shared by countless people in the myriad mountains. He was a treasure trove that had yet to be completely excavated. If she could completely grasp him, the power he could influence in the future would become another guarantee for the Tian Clan.
However, Tian Xiufeng obviously could not tell Yang Yinglong about her intentions. All she could do was smile bitterly and reply, "It's exactly because he's a useless person that I want to take him with me to train and teach him. The heavenly king is busy every day, so how can he have the time to deal with him? I'll obviously do it for him! "
Yang Yinglong did not suspect anything. He was overjoyed when he heard that. He kissed Tian Xiufeng's cheek and praised, "You really are my good wife. If I take over the world in the future, you'll definitely be the mother of the six palaces!"
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