Chapter 589: Delaying Tactics_1

“Lord Tian, are you sure you’re not mistaken? Here is the residence of King Rui, filled with its people, none of whom are traitors.” Wei Ruo said.

“I haven’t been mistaken, the turncoat spy Xu Zhengyong is right here as we speak.”

“Xu Zhengyong is a Sixth-rank Zhouwu General. How could he be a traitor? Even if he was, such judgment should be made by the governor.” Wei Ruo said.

“It would seem you’re inclined to harbor a criminal then?”

“Lord Tian, why do you pretend not to understand my words? The judgment of treachery is for the governor to decide, why do you insist on using force here?” Wei Ruo said.

“No, it’s my perception that you’re trying to protect a criminal. If you refuse to cooperate, you leave me no choice but to take you down by force.”

Saying this, Tian Yuande was about to command his men to take action.

Yun Zixiu and the people behind him, inside the courtyard, were suddenly put on high alert.

The enemy had the numerical advantage, and they only had a few dozen people here. Plus, with the Prince heavily injured, their chances of winning a confrontation were quite low!

“Hold on.” Wei Ruo commanded, “Lord Tian, all you want is to cover up your ill-treatment of Xu Zhengyong. This issue is not a big deal. Why involve us, the people of King Rui’s estate in this?”

Tian Yuande squinted his eyes, looking at Wei Ruo again more closely.

Taking this opportunity, Wei Ruo continued, “Lord Tian, you deliberately assigned Xu Zhengyong, along with a small team, on a patrol in the enemy territory, to be captured. Am I right? The reason is simple enough: Xu Zhengyong disagrees with you on many issues, and you are afraid he might take your position.”

Unruffled by Wei Ruo’s accurate conjecture, Tian Yuande started to clap slowly.

“Interesting, it seems the sickly prince does have some capable subordinates. Pity that you got one thing wrong. Even if you die here in Ji Town, I can easily find a thousand reasons to explain it to King Rui’s Residence and Capital City. The borderlands are always restless with enemy spies, roaming bandits, rampaging refugees; any one of those unpredictable factors could claim your lives.”

Wei Ruo continued, “I understand that Lord Tian has a well-thought-out strategy, but it works under the assumption that the people present represent unimportant roles in King Rui’s Residence. If someone important from our side is present, the excuses you mentioned will not hold water. Prince Rui will certainly petition for a thorough investigation, and the Emperor, who favors the prince, will absolutely see this matter through.”

“Ha, such foolish dreams!” Tian Yuande chuckled, “Talking about King Rui being favored? If he was favored, why would he be demoted to Jiliao? Seems like all those rumors about King Rui’s favoritism are merely hearsay!”

“King Rui’s demotion to Jiliao has more to do with his illness than lacking favor.” Wei Ruo replied composedly.

“I don’t believe such stories; I see the reality of things. King Rui is clearly not favored! Even if he was, no matter how much favor he garners, what can a dying man do? Once in Jiliao, he is stuck; things are not as easy as they were in Capital City.”

Wei Ruo shot back, “What if Lord Tian’s judgment is wrong? Why gamble on this? It is a trivial matter involving Xu Zhengyong, whom I can assure you, is no threat. But if it ends up turning King Rui’s Residence into an enemy-even if they may not be in favor-the situation will become much more troublesome.”

Even though Tian Yuande maintained a defiant appearance, doubts started to creep inside his mind.

He indeed did not want to escalate the situation further.

Originally, all he wanted was some excuse to get rid of dissenters. He initially thought that Xu Zhengyong, once captured by the Jurchen tribe, would be as good as dead. Without evidence, his death would’ve been conveniently forgotten.

Now, Xu Zhengyong was alive and back within Daye Border; this could turn into a significant issue for Tian Yuande.

Using force in Ji Town against the many people of King Rui’s Residence would multiply the risk for him a hundredfold, let alone a thousandfold.

Wei Ruo further suggested, “I wonder if Lord Tian is aware of the close relationship between Queen Rui and the Lu Family from Capital City. Even if King Rui’s Residence is not favored, I suppose Lord Tian would still prefer to steer clear of angering the Lu family?”

Tian Yuande responded sarcastically, “Are you threatening me?”

Wei Ruo replied, “I am trying to negotiate with Lord Tian.”

Tian Yuande said, “It’s simple to negotiate. First, hand over Xu Zhengyong, and then we can slowly discuss other matters.”

Wei Ruo responded, “Lord Tian, you should know that Xu Zhengyong is our queen’s sworn brother. It would be quite inconvenient for us to hand him over to you.”

Tian Yuande looked at Wei Ruo, his eyes radiating with a bone-chilling cold, “So after all this, you still refuse to hand Xu Zhengyong over to me, and yet you expect to negotiate with me? You mustn’t believe that I’m genuinely scared of what you were saying, right? If so, you’re incredibly naive. If all of you here die today, no one will know about it. Whether it’s about King Rui or the Lu Family, they won’t even get wind of it.”

Wei Ruo answered, “Lord Tian, please don’t rush. Perhaps there’s another solution that doesn’t involve us handing over Xu Zhengyong, and would even save you from surrounding us. It may also help alleviate your worries.”

Tian Yuande replied, “Fine, let me hear it. What solution do you propose?”

“It’s hard to explain in a few words. Why not sit down and enjoy a cup of tea while we discuss it?” Wei Ruo suggested.

“Are you trying to set me up?” Tian Yuande, being a cautious man, was not quick to trust.

“Of course not. If it would make you feel better, I can order the table and chairs to be brought over here.” Wei Ruo said.

“No need for such trouble. Just spit it out.” Tian Yuande had little patience.

“Then, why not sample some fine wine that we brought from Capital City?” Wei Ruo proposed again.

“Enough with your nonsense. Tell me your solution!” Tian Yuande suddenly drew his sword, pointing it at Wei Ruo.

Looking up at the armed and ready Tian Yuande, Wei Ruo quickly corrected himself, “Lord Tian, don’t get anxious, it’s okay if you don’t want to drink.”

Tian Yuande growled, “After all this babbling, what exactly do you want to say? I don’t have the patience to listen to your nonsense! You have until the time it takes to burn an incense stick to clearly explain your solution. If you cannot convince me in this time, I will slaughter everyone in this courtyard!”

Nevertheless, Wei Ruo remained calm, “Well, Lord Tian, you’ve already come so far; it’s not like you can’t spare the time, can you? I am simply analyzing the pros and cons for your consideration. Once the battle starts, it’s hard to stop halfway. Our King Rui’s Residence also does not want to make an enemy so soon after arriving in Jiliao, and I presume Lord Tian also wouldn’t want an unnecessary obstacle in his career.”

“Enough! You talk too much! I thought you were smart, but it seems that you’re nothing special. It seems I have to get rough.”

“Really, there’s no room for negotiation?”