Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

The land of Jiuzhou is divided into Hanzhou, Qingzhou, Zhongzhou, Lanzhou, Wanzhou, Yuezhou, Leizhou, Yunzhou, and Shangzhou.

The Lower Tang Kingdom was located in the Chu-Tang Plain of Wanzhou, possessing most of the original Tang Kingdom's territory, and its capital, Nanhuai City, was also the former capital of Tang.

The Chu-Tang Plain is a fertile land, and the Lower Tang controls several seaports. Trade exchanges with the merchant guilds of various cities in Wanzhou are very active, so its financial strength is the strongest among the countries of the Eastern Continent. Nanhuai City is also the most prosperous city in the Nine Provinces, second only to Tianqi.

The land is rich in treasures and exudes a royal aura. Even the city gates here are different from those elsewhere, being exceptionally majestic and sturdy.

In a fairly spacious courtyard, the windows were open, and warm sunlight streamed in through the carved windows, casting a soft glow on the study. The sound of flowing water outside was particularly pleasant.

Upon arriving here, one can't help but calm down.

Outside, amidst the endless stream of people entering the city, a blue-canopied, double-shafted carriage inconspicuously swayed and slowly came to a stop in front of this mansion.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a slightly hunched middle-aged man and a beautiful woman with a good figure stepped out of the carriage.

It was none other than Baili Jinghong, the ruler of the Lower Tang Kingdom, and his Grand Preceptor, Gong Yuyi.

The two entered the courtyard and went straight to the study. They opened the door and found Russell painting inside.

He sat in a wheelchair, even though it was late autumn. He was wearing a fox fur coat, holding a thermos in his left hand, and a beautiful and graceful maid was grinding ink for him beside him.

As soon as he entered, Baili Jinghong laughed loudly, "Mr. Luo seems to be enjoying himself."

His words were quite friendly, because Russell had already helped him with many things before this, including the Wanzhou Chamber of Commerce's control over Nanhuai City and the alliance with the Qingyang tribe.

Baili Jinghong both respected and feared Russell.

This person is too deep-seated and unpredictable. If it weren't for his poor health, he would never have been allowed to live in this world.

As for why he knew about the other party's physical condition, it was naturally because he had asked the Imperial Preceptor Gong Yuyi to take care of him.

The Imperial Advisor hails from the Feather Clan of Ningzhou and possesses royal blood. In addition to his strategic acumen and cunning, he also has profound expertise in medicine.

Compared to Russell, whose origins and motives are unclear, Gong Yuyi, who has the goal of reviving the Feather Clan and has worked with him for many years, is more worthy of his trust.

Russell was well aware of what Baili Jinghong, that old fox, was thinking. He had made preparations before coming to Xia Tang Kingdom. The reason why the other party had not yet made a move against him was simply because he was still of some use.

Of course, his intentions were indeed impure; all he coveted was the entire Xia Tang Kingdom.

Russell felt a sense of helplessness when he thought about this.

The golden finger arrived too late; by the time he gained enough power, the snowball had already started rolling.

Even if you know that the sunk costs in the early stages will not be involved in major decisions, it is still difficult to just stop and go for a sideways approach.

All I can say is that Garlic Bird will continue with the original plan for now. When he finds someone trying to overturn the table, he'll stand up from his wheelchair and punch the other person in the head twice.

Russell put down his pen, chuckled, and waved his hand, instructing a maid named Ling Yuan to go and entertain them. Then he looked at Baili Jinghong and Gong Yuyi, who had already sat down, and said, "What brings the King and the Grand Preceptor here today?"

Baili Jinghong said, "Of course I have something to ask you, sir."

In his seat, Baili Jinghong sipped the hot tea served by Ling Yuan, but his gaze never left Russell in his wheelchair.

Russell, wrapped in his fox fur, gently stroked the thermos with his fingertips. His pale face showed a hint of weariness, as if these few words had exhausted his strength.

"As you said, Prince Lü Guichen of Qingyang will be arriving in Nanhuai tomorrow." Baili Jinghong put down his teacup and got straight to the point.

Russell nodded slightly, his voice gentle: "The Crown Prince of Qingyang is the only choice for the future Great Ruler of the Northern Lands. A marriage alliance between the King and him would be entirely beneficial. Is there anything wrong with it?"

A hint of worry flashed in Baili Jinghong's eyes: "It's a good game, but it's not easy to make a move. The Qingyang tribe is not a monolithic entity. The heir is young, and Lü Song has more than one son. I always feel uneasy."

Damn it, they didn't mention it when they were making the alliance, and only came to ask him about it when the alliance was already signed and they were almost in Nanhuai.

Russell smiled on the outside, but was cursing inwardly.

The sight of Baili Jinghong reminded him of his former boss, the scoundrel who was looking for someone to take the blame, just like Baili Jinghong was now.

He vaguely remembered that on that day, he asked that bastard, "Is the meeting on the afternoon of the 25th right?" and the bastard replied, "Yes."

He wanted to smash the ashtray in his hand over that bastard's head.

The past is just like this moment.

Just one sentence was enough to instantly ignite Russell's murderous intent.

He had reservations back then, but now he has the ability.

The saying "He who possesses a sharp weapon will naturally harbor murderous intent" perfectly illustrates this point.

Looking at Baili Jinghong, who was still waiting for an answer, Russell narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly thinking, but in reality, he was already considering which direction to take.

Ling Yuan, who was standing beside Baili Jinghong, noticed that her master seemed to have murderous intent, and her right hand reached into her left sleeve.

There was an iron wire there, and with her skill, she wouldn't let Baili Jinghong make a sound from the moment she made the move until it was finished.

"Given your shrewdness, you should have already devised a countermeasure. Since the King is willing to condescend to come here, he must trust you enough. Please do not hold back and speak frankly," Gong Yuyi said at this moment.

“Although my meaning is exactly the same as the Grand Preceptor’s, the Grand Preceptor was wrong in saying something just now. I came here not to condescend, but to seek your guidance,” Baili Jinghong added.

"It was my fault for speaking out of turn." Gong Yuyi lowered her eyes, exuding both gentleness and charm.

Upon hearing Gong Yuyi's words, Russell's murderous intent subsided. He wasn't in a hurry to overturn the table; he wanted to first clarify things with those around him to avoid catching his own people off guard. A half-smile played on his lips.

"The reason why the crown prince is so noble is because he is the crown prince. With the king's strategy, he should naturally know the means of using the emperor to command the disobedient. This universally acknowledged crown prince's status on the grassland is no less than that of the emperor."

“To command the disobedient in accordance with the emperor’s will is indeed an apt phrase.” Baili Jinghong raised an eyebrow and continued, “But the problem now is how to get this Prince Qingyang to cooperate with us.”

"Does Your Majesty know about this prince's past?" Russell asked, taking a sip of tea.

"Appreciate further details."

"Prince Asule was raised by the Zhenyan tribe from a young age due to his weak health, and he recognized Longge Zhenhuang of the Zhenyan tribe as his father," Russell said calmly.

"The Zhenyan tribe?" Baili Jinghong frowned and hesitated, "I seem to remember that the Zhenyan tribe seems to be..."

Russell nodded: "What the king said is correct. The Zhenyan tribe has been wiped out by the Qingyang tribe for rebelling against the Kulig Assembly. Prince Asule was only recently brought back to the Qingyang tribe and appointed as the heir apparent."

"So that's how it is." Baili Jinghong was surprised, and his wariness of Russell deepened.

This strategist knew everything that even the ruler of a nation didn't. "That's why the relationship between Grand Prince Qingyang and the Crown Prince isn't actually harmonious, and this is our opportunity," Russell continued.

A glint of light flashed in Baili Jinghong's eyes: "Sir, are you referring to a plan to sow discord?"

“No.” Russell shook his head: “It is a combination of bestowing favors and establishing authority. The king should not only be a condescending benefactor to the crown prince, but also become his only support and most trustworthy elder in this foreign land. Let him feel that only in Xia Tang, only the king, is he truly cared for.”

"As for the Crown Prince's elder brothers..."

Russell paused, then lightly tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his fingertip:
“They are ambitious and a hidden danger, but they can also be pawns. The king can secretly send people to contact them, offer some benefits, and make them think that the king also has plans for them. This will keep them in check and even use them to put pressure on the crown prince, making the crown prince more dependent on the king.”

But remember, ultimately, the safety of the Crown Prince must be ensured. A living, grateful Crown Prince is far more valuable than a dead one or a disloyal and powerful minister.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!" Baili Jinghong clapped his hands and laughed after hearing this. He quickly stood up and his tone became even more affectionate: "I am deeply grateful for your trouble, sir. I will present you with a small gift later. Please take good care of yourself."

Russell nodded slightly: "Your Majesty is too kind. It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens."

After seeing off the satisfied Baili Jinghong and the pensive Gong Yuyi, the study returned to silence.

Ling Yuan poured Russell a new cup of hot tea and said softly, "Master, why bother talking so much to them? Didn't you say that too much talk leads to mistakes?"

Russell withdrew his gaze, took the teacup, felt the warmth from his fingertips, and smiled, "Things are different now. Some things don't need to be as cautious as before."

Ling Yuan nodded as if she understood, then lowered her head and remained silent. She knew that Russell's ambitions extended far beyond just the Lower Tang Kingdom.

Russell gently blew away the tea froth, then asked, "How is things going with the sect leader?"

“The person has been brought back, and their life has been saved. They have been settled in a villa on the outskirts of the city,” Ling Yuan replied.

Russell nodded and leaned back. Ling Yuan understood and came behind Russell, pushing him back into the room.

The sect leader he was referring to was Yi Tianzhan Gumo Stark, the current leader of the Sky Chaser Warriors.

Many years ago, the main reason Russell decided to rise to power despite his frail health was because he encountered the Iron Emperor.

Sky Chaser needs to be vindicated and needs to uphold justice for the world, and he just needs an opportunity.

A real man cannot eat from five tripods when he is alive, but he should be cooked in five tripods when he is dead.

Then came the well-known story of the publicity campaign.

The saying "The talented scholar of Qilin, the young master of the Tang Dynasty, who can bring you the world" originated from this.

In other words, we live in a chaotic world. If things were more stable and the royal family held more power, Russell would have been doomed after uttering those words.

As for why he was chosen as a staff member by Baili Jinghong, we have to mention another person.

After dismissing Ling Yuan, Russell stood up from his wheelchair, walked to the window, opened it, and looked up at the bright moon.

It's unknown how many punches he could deliver to Qingyang Dajun Asule and Yulie Wang Jiye, who are from the later stages of the story.

And then there's Lei Bicheng, who I don't know what he's doing, but he's always causing trouble.

Spiritual techniques are somewhat troublesome, but not too troublesome.

"I thought you weren't coming tonight." After a moment, the thought in Russell's eyes faded, and he chuckled softly.

"I'm very curious about what exactly happened." On the rooftop, Gong Yuyi, who had left with Baili Jinghong that afternoon, spoke calmly: "You clearly had murderous intent back then."

“It’s cold outside, come inside.” Russell left the window and poured a glass of water into the teacup on the table.

The next moment, Gong Yuyi spread her wings and slowly descended, vaulting in through the window.

Seeing Russell's appearance in the candlelight, she became curious: "Your complexion..."

She knew Russell's body better than anyone; it was the kind of body that would be a life-or-death struggle even against a stray dog.

Tonight, however, seems exceptionally different.

She stepped forward in confusion, wanting to use the secret techniques of the Feather Clan to examine his body, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forcefully, throwing her uncontrollably onto the bed.

That's some real strength...

Gong Yuyi was somewhat taken aback: "Your body has recovered?"

"Obviously," Russell said, a smirk playing on his lips, "very good news, isn't it?"

"indeed so."

Gong Yuyi smiled as well, shifting to a side-lying position. Her smooth, black hair cascaded down, and the pearls under her earlobes swayed gently. Her long, straight legs crossed slightly, as if inviting Russell to look at her. Her alluring figure was even more captivating, appearing both alluring and elusive under the thin veil.

Their relationship is much closer than others realize.

Russell was able to enter Baili Jinghong's field of vision so easily thanks to the indispensable role played by the Grand Preceptor.

Gong Yuyi slowly rose, and like a model on a runway, she swayed her alluring figure as she walked across the floor tiles to Luo Su's side. A smile graced her exquisitely beautiful face, and a mischievous glint shone in her dark eyes. Then, she parted her thin lips and uttered a fragrant utterance:

"You are indeed quite strong, but I wonder if you are equally strong in another aspect."

"Let's get down to business, stop with the nonsense." Russell flicked the female national advisor's forehead, then gently pushed her back onto the bed, before settling into a seat.

Although tonight is destined to be a sleepless night, there are still some things that need to be explained beforehand, lest Gong Yuyi think he is talking nonsense in bed.

Upon seeing this, Gong Yuyi's charming expression vanished instantly, replaced by a cold and aloof demeanor: "Is it related to that Prince Qingyang? He is the key to all our plans; you've said this many times already."

Russell shook his head and said, "What I'm trying to say is that you can try to relax a bit."

"What do you mean?" Gong Yuyi asked, puzzled.

Without the genuine sincerity of Prince Qingyang, they would not have sufficient troops or the formidable Ironclad Cavalry.

Without these two things, the two of them and the Skyward Warriors alone could not accomplish anything.

“It’s different now,” Russell said earnestly.

Planning and weighing options are things an emperor needs to do, not a monarch. (End of Chapter)