Chapter 25.2

In the inner study of Zhaohui Hall, Jin Wang sat behind the bookcase, with several other people sitting on the armchairs around him.

The inner study room was used by Jin Wang to deal with private affairs that were not to be brought out into the open. Being able to enter this place was enough to prove that they were Jin Wang’s confidants.

They were all staff or clerks working in Jin Wang Mansion and they were called differently. But without exception, they were all Jin Wang’s people.

Yes, not Jin Wang Mansion, but Jin Wang.

Although the Jin Wang Mansion was the prince’s residence, with the mix of dragons and snakes, it was not an iron bucket. There was also a Changshi Division in the palace. This Changshi Division was established by the court to monitor the vassal lords. In particular, Jinzhou was different from other places. It was close to the borders and Jin Wang had military power in his hands. It was obvious that the imperial court would instil their own people here.

Jin Wang treated other vassal lords like that too. The differentiation was very clear.

The first person sitting on the left was a man wearing Taoist robes and holding a feather fan. His age was unknown. His hair was white, but his face looked very young and he had no beard. This person's surname was Liu and was known as Liu Da. Few people knew his origins, but he was highly valued by Jin Wang. He sat firmly at the top of the staff of Jin Wang.

Sitting next to him was a black-faced man. If one knew him well, they would know that he was the commander of the guards of Jin Wang Mansion, Qiu Zhan. He was a general who commanded 9000 soldiers working under Jin Wang and was highly trusted by him.

There were two other people, one in a monk robe and another wearing a Confucian shirt. The person who was wearing the Confucian shirt looked fierce, as if someone dared to provoke him, then he would eradicate their entire family. The one in the monk robe was fat with a large head and a big belly. His head wasn’t shaved and he didn’t even resemble a monk. All in all, among the four present here, only Qiu Zhan looked normal.

Jin Wang was discussing with them.

Liu Da slapped the feather fan in his hand and said, "Well, has Yong Wang gotten rid of the suspicion?"

The person who was dressed normally with a fierce look was surnamed Hei*. He interjected immediately before Liu Da finished speaking, “Even if it's not him, he must have something to do with it.”

The man surnamed Hei spoke the Shu dialect. Even after coming to Jin Wang Mansion for many years, he couldn't speak standard Mandarin and others all called him stupid.

Because of his accent, when he first came to Jin Wang Mansion, he was met with a lot of teasing. But after almost a month, no one dared to laugh at him. They all rushed to avoid him whenever they saw him. The man was aptly named. He was used to using brutal stratagems and would not bat an eye when hurting or killing people.

If Liu Da were an upright man, he would be the one using righteous ways. Whereas the man surnamed Hei would be the one with crooked and devilish schemes.

As for Li Maotian in the monk robe, he could be seen as neutralizing the personalities of Liu Da and Mr. Hei. He could be considered as ordinary without any surprises, but he was a careful and detailed man.

Sitting on the armchair that seemed to be crushed under his weight, he rubbed his nose and said, "The Crown Prince is the most suspicious, but… "

The incident happened nearly a year ago, and a lot of people under Jin Wang were dispatched secretly. They searched the entire Yongzhou inch by inch and many scouts were sent to Yong Wang Mansion. But the information received showed that the incident was not done by Yong Wang. In the end, Crown Prince who was in the Capital City was most suspicious.

Crown Prince?

He was over 40 years old but was still a Crown Prince. He was completely suppressed by Emperor Hong Jing. Although he was the Crown Prince, the Emperor’s grandson was more favoured than him.

It was unbelievable, but the news showed that it was indeed the Crown Prince from the Eastern Palace. But it’s more likely that it was the imperial grandson who stole the limelight of the Crown Prince.

But why did he do this? Did he want to provoke Jin Wang and Yong Wang to fight against each other? Although it didn’t seem like a major event, it was by no means a trivial matter. Although it trampled a man’s dignity, it wasn’t fighting to the death. It seemed unreasonable for the Eastern Palace to put in so much effort only to do this small thing.

Li Maotian expressed his doubts.

Jin Wang's face was so cold and calm that others couldn’t guess his thoughts. But his left hand played with the jade ring on his right thumb, turning it occasionally.

Mr. Hei smiled, but his eyes shifted. He reached out and patted Li Maotian's meaty back, then said with a loud voice, "You stupid, why do you worry so much? Don't overthink it. They must have their own reasons… "

Li Maotian couldn't think straight for a moment. His ears and mind were filled with a series of hard-sounding Shu dialects.

"There’s a meaning to everything. The other party really didn’t need to spend so much time and effort…"

"Look at yourself! You are asking for trouble. So stupid."

No matter how stupid Li Maotian was, he also realized Mr. Hei’s strangeness. Normally, this black egg wasn’t so unreasonable. Unless…

He hesitated, finally realizing that there was something weird.

From the beginning to the end, Jin Wang never expressed any suspicion as to why the Eastern Palace had spent so much time doing such a ridiculous thing. Since Jin Wang had no objections, it meant that the Eastern Palace must have a reason to do so. But what was the reason?

Could it be that –

Li Maotian didn't think about it anymore. He followed Jin Wang for many years and knew that his master's strategies were outstanding. These so-called aides did not provide suggestions but were there to cover up for any mistakes. After all, no one was perfect, and there would always be unexpected things. As for the general direction, Jin Wang had never made a mistake.

Since Li Maotian knew that he couldn't continue, he immediately started cursing Mr. Hei because he had called him "stupid". Once he started scolding, he adopted a dauntless and unrelenting attitude.

The two funny fellows were born with anomalies. When they were not serious, it made people amused.

Liu Da shook his head and smiled. Waving his feather fan, he said, "Okay, if you wish to continue to argue, please go out. Don't obstruct His Highness here."

They moved quickly. After paying respect to Jin Wang, they pulled each other's sleeves and went out. Their quarrelling could still be heard until they were outside.