knife

Chapter 182: Angry to death without paying for your life
Inside the small hall, Tiele and Akdun stared at each other like two fighting cocks.

"Did you kill Astu?" Aktun demanded.

Tiele sneered: "Do you think I have that kind of strength? If I did, wouldn't it be more direct to just kill you?"

Akdun, panting heavily, looked at the calm-faced Tiele.

Yes, this bastard is quite powerful in the southern borderlands, but in Yandu, his strength is really nothing special.

"Zebe, I'm going to kill Jebe!"

Tiele chuckled: "I don't think you have that ability. Zhebie himself is a ninth-grade Xuan Yuan martial arts cultivator. In terms of personal ability, he could easily take on both of us."

"We are kings, not street thugs!" Aktun sneered. "Second brother, I think you wouldn't want the garrison of Yandu to fall into Jebe's hands, would you?"

“I don’t want to, but I’m afraid you’re even more anxious,” Tiele said.

“Let’s stop beating around the bush!” Akdun said. “Father is like this; he won’t live much longer. And given the current situation, once Father passes away, the one with the best chance of taking the throne is Jebe. According to the old rules of our Great Yuan, once Jebe takes the throne, will you and I still have a chance to survive?”

"What do you want?" Tiele asked calmly.

“No matter what happens to us in the future, we have to take down the leader first!” Akdun said. “And the first step is to prevent him from holding the power to defend Yandu. Second brother, on this point, we can only succeed if we stick together.”

"and then?"

"Then find a way to drive Jebe to the southern border!" Akdun said. "You have to find a way to make the southern border fight. If Shalevin loses and the southern border becomes peaceful again, that won't work. Only when the fighting there gets intense will Yandu send someone of importance to guard it. And isn't Jebe a man of great martial prowess? Isn't he the most suitable candidate?"

Tiele laughed loudly: "You wish! I supported you in gaining the garrison power of Yandu, and then I supported you in sending Jebe to the southern border to replace me. You got all the good things, while I ended up with nothing!"

"In your current state, can you really return to the southern border and lead a large army?"

"I can compete for the garrison post of Yandu!" Tiele chuckled.

"Do you think you can handle things in Yandu?" Akdun sneered. "Can you gain everyone's consensus when you come to take on the power of garrisoning?"

"What do I have?" Tiele asked directly.

Akdun let out a breath and slowly said, "The prefects of Zhen Ding Prefecture and Da Ding Prefecture are vacant. How about your men fill the positions?"

"Too little!" Tiele picked up the wine in front of him and drank it all in one gulp. "Isn't Yue Zuo, the Vice Minister of War, ill this time? He's getting old, and this time he'll probably retire directly. This position should go to me!"

“Your appetite has grown too big!” Akdun roared.

Yue Zuo was not merely the Vice Minister of War; that position was just a nominal one for him. What was important was the Bureau of Military Affairs under his leadership, which was commonly referred to as the Wolf Fortress. This was the entire Yuan Dynasty's intelligence agency, both internally and externally.

This position has always been held by the emperor's confidants, but now that Yingzhuo is in this state, everyone dares to start coveting it.

Aktun was clearly unwilling to give up the position, as he was well aware of its importance.

Tiele remained silent, slowly picking up the vegetables and chewing them leisurely.

He's not in a hurry.

Compared to the Ministry of Personnel, it was clear that the garrison command of Yandu was more important to Akedun. After weighing the options, Akedun had no choice but to make this exchange with himself.

Aktun's expression shifted, and finally he slammed his fist on the table and said, "Fine, this seat is yours too!"

Tiele laughed, threw down his chopsticks, stood up, and said, "That's settled then."

When will the fighting break out in southern Xinjiang?

"When you need me!" Tiele laughed, flicked his sleeve, and strode away.

Watching Tiele's dashing figure disappear into the distance, Akdun almost ground his teeth to powder.

If it weren't for this accident, what would this mixed-race kid be? He would be easy to deal with.

Tiele, who had returned satisfied with Aktun, had just arrived outside his manor when he saw someone leading a horse, with a medicine chest slung across his shoulder, standing with a broad smile under a large tree by the roadside outside the gate.

Who else could it be but Li Dachui?
Tiele glared at him fiercely, ignored him, and walked straight into the manor.

Li Dachui rushed forward to catch up with Tiele and laughed, "Second Prince, I successfully completed the mission according to your requirements, so I can be considered a hero. Is this how you usually treat your subordinates who return victorious? This really chills my heart!"

“My men, I can make them live or die as I please. Can you do that?” Tiele said.

"No!" Li Dachui said, "So even though His Highness's attitude towards me was bad, I tolerated it. As one party to the transaction, we have successfully completed the mission, and it seems that His Highness has obtained satisfactory terms from the Third Prince. So now, shouldn't we start to fulfill my demands?"

As they spoke, the two had already entered the small hall.

With a bang, Tiele slammed the door to the small hall, turned around abruptly, stared intently at Li Dachui, and said, word by word, "Tell me, how did you do it?" Li Dachui took two steps back, sat down in a chair, and said, "Second Prince, this is going too far. Everyone has secrets, and this is my most valuable asset. How could I possibly tell you!"

"I can't help but worry that one day you might do the same to me!" Tiele said.

"This is a one-time thing!" Li Dachui shrugged. "Will you give me this chance?"

Where did the people come from?

"I'm a bandit!" Li Dachui said. "When scattered, we are civilians; when gathered, we are soldiers. Besides, all bandits under heaven are one family. As long as I offer enough, people will naturally come to my aid! Second Prince, I've really bleed money this time for your request. Those bastards are asking for exorbitant prices and won't even let me bargain. Damn them, I'll kill them one day."

"I know who it is!" Tiele breathed a sigh of relief. "The Eagle Bandits! Only they can appear and disappear without a trace. Li Dachui, you cunning fellow, didn't you take the opportunity to investigate them and find their hideout?"

"I wish I could!" Li Dachui sighed. "They ignore me. The only connection I have with them is from years ago when they robbed me of some goods, and I never got them back. They're a bunch of ruthless bastards!"

Unexpectedly, Tiele poured Li Dachui a cup of tea.

"Are you already at the Innate level?"

"Just a tiny bit short!" Li Dachui looked at Tiele smugly: "What's wrong? Think your cultivation level is too low?"

"How did you cultivate so quickly?"

"Take drugs!"

"What?"

"Taking drugs, huh!" Li Dachui said with a grin. "Have you forgotten that I'm a disciple of Changchun Valley? Elder Fu, the Valley Master, is my grandmaster, so I eat all sorts of drugs that strengthen the body and improve one's meridians like candy. And I can even refine them!"

At this point, Li Dachui took out a few colorful pills from the medicine box beside him and placed them on the table: "Want to take one?"

Tiele shook his head: "I will never taste anything that comes from your hands!"

"If you don't trust me that much, you can go and ask Valley Master Fu for help!" Li Dachui laughed. "With my aunt's status, it shouldn't be difficult for her to ask the Valley Master to refine a batch of pills!"

"Things that rely on external aids will not last long!" Tiele said coldly. "I'd better take it slow!"

"Then you'll drift further and further away from me!"

“Not necessarily!” Tiele said. “My mother told me the story of the tortoise and the hare. You run very fast, but there will eventually be a threshold that will stop you, while I may walk slowly, but I will never stop.”

Li Dachui shook his head: "This is the first time I've ever seen someone call themselves a turtle. You're the first!"

Tiele was furious and wanted to lash out, but he held back.

"I need southern Xinjiang to be in chaos right now."

"Shall we make a move?" Li Dachui laughed. "That's easy. Our army will launch an attack immediately. You just need to coordinate! After you suffer a few defeats, Zhebie will probably have to go to the southern border."

"I hope you have the ability to defeat Jebe. If he displays his might in the south and beats you to a pulp, then it will backfire!"

"With you cooperating with us, how could we lose?" Li Dachui said, "You've been operating in the Southern Frontier for so many years. If you can't even handle this little thing, I'll look down on you. What's the point of competing with Aktun? Just kneel down at his feet and submit to him, and let him give you the scraps!"

Seeing that Tiele was on the verge of exploding in rage again, Li Dachui laughed and took his leave.

"It seems the Second Prince has no intention of inviting me to dinner, but the Third Prince has sent people to invite me several times. I'll go to the Third Prince's place for a drink now!"

"Get out!" Tiele spat out the word through gritted teeth.

What goes around comes around. He had just angered Akedun to the point of near death, but as soon as he returned, he immediately suffered his just deserts and was nearly driven to his death by that bastard Li Dachui.

Walking leisurely along the main road of Yandu, I noticed the atmosphere on the street had become noticeably tense, with a significant increase in the number of soldiers coming and going. It seemed that the impact of Astu's death was still unfolding.

It's best if things get chaotic!
Li Dachui thought to himself with delight.

The princes of the Great Yuan are currently engaged in a fierce battle of wits, going back and forth with great enthusiasm. If Ying Zhuo, a hero who has lived a life of heroism, were to die of anger all at once, the sky in Yandu would probably collapse.

However, considering that Fu Qingzhu is currently by Ying Zhuo's side, this possibility is unlikely.

Moreover, now that Yingzhuo is really dead, the most likely successor is probably Jebe, which is not in his own interest.

It would be best to let Yingzhuo live a few more days, and wait until the second and third brothers killed Zhebie before killing him.

Li Dachui wore a white robe with the Changchun Valley logo. People would bow to him from time to time along the way. While riding his horse, he would return the bows with a smile, thinking about how to cause chaos in Yandu.

Akton's mansion was already in sight.

(End of this chapter)