Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 71 This is the plan...

"I never imagined that the dignified Prince Erzhu would do such a despicable thing."

Gong Yu said through gritted teeth, her fair face bearing a fierce yet adorable expression. Bound like a rice dumpling, she couldn't muster any strength.

Su Li chuckled softly, reached out and pinched her fair chin, a playful glint in her eyes.

"A woman who only knows how to talk big isn't likable. Although our start wasn't great, you'll be my concubine after I ascend the throne, enjoying endless wealth and luxury. You'd better behave yourself!"

Gong Yu's pretty face flushed with anger, and she said disdainfully, "Pah, I don't want to be any kind of concubine, it's despicable and disgusting—"

Su Li pulled her into her arms and leaned closer, saying, "If you keep repeating the same few sentences over and over, I'm going to take action."

Gong Yu's pretty face paled, her lips tightening: "W-What do you want to do?"

"Nonsense, what else can a lone man and woman do? Of course, they'll do what they're supposed to do."

Zurich spoke casually, as if it were a trivial matter, while his hands continued moving as if he were inspecting this perfect work of art.

"Don't even think about it. If you dare touch me, I'll bite my tongue and kill myself." Gong Yu's face turned cold, and her pretty face hardened.

Su Li's face remained expressionless as she calmly said, "So you don't want revenge anymore, the revenge for Xie Yu killing your entire family?"

"What? You—how did you know?"

Gong Yu's pretty face showed surprise. This was her biggest secret, and only the sect leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance knew about it.

"I not only know, but I know more details than you do. You are a member of the Jiangzuo Alliance. Mei Changsu came to the capital under the alias Su Zhe to stir up trouble in Jinling. Bringing down Xie Yu was his promise to you, and it is also one of the reasons why you stayed in the Jiangzuo Alliance."

"As for his next move, I know it all too well: to let the Crown Prince and Prince Yu fight amongst themselves, while Prince Jing reaps the benefits."

Hearing the other person's words, Gong Yu's heart was instantly filled with shock. She bit her lip and said, "How do you know? This—this is impossible. Could it be that you have planted a spy next to the sect leader?"

"How would I know that's my business?" Su Li reached out and grabbed her fair and delicate neck, meeting her gaze. "I'll help you get revenge. How about you repay me with your body? Maybe with you by my side, I'll spare Mei Changsu's life in the future."

"It was the sect leader who spared your life. The sect leader will not be defeated," Gong Yu retorted, mustering his courage.

"Then you stay by my side and watch, see if he will lose—"

"No—uh-ooh!"

The mysterious disappearance of Gong Yu from Miaoyinfang caused a minor commotion among the noble children of the royal palace. Even Prince Ji personally inquired about the matter, but no one knew where this top courtesan of Jinling was!

When the case of Duke Qing began, Su Li and Prince Jing presided over the trial simultaneously. The latter was upright and incorruptible, and he reviewed all the case files that had been investigated. Once the investigation continued, the crimes of Duke Qing would be much more serious.

Prince Yu immediately sent a message to Su Li, saying, "Eighth Brother, you've accepted all the gifts, you can't just leave without doing anything."

Su Li certainly wouldn't break her promise. To be honest, the Duke of Qing truly deserved to die; he had plundered the people's wealth, annexed land from commoners, and fabricated false cases—

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to exterminate the entire family.

But the imperial court is a political arena, and Su Li had a rough idea of ​​what Emperor Gan Liang was thinking.

"Father, the Duke of Qing is indeed guilty of heinous crimes, but he is, after all, a long-time minister who has followed you for many years. Even if he has no merit, he has worked hard. If he is executed, other military officers will feel uneasy. It would be better to demote his whole family to commoners, confiscate all their property, and exile them to the northern border to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land to atone for their crimes. This way, you can both demonstrate your majesty and your benevolence."

Inside the study, Emperor Liang sat at the head of the table, while Su Li spoke eloquently.

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing immediately stepped forward and said, "Eighth Brother, you are mistaken. A country has its laws and a family has its rules. The case of the Duke of Qing involves a wide range of people, including hundreds of officials of all ranks. If we punish them severely and let them off lightly, the court officials will treat the court as nothing in the future."

Su Li listened without changing his expression, then frowned and said, "Does Seventh Brother know that the land annexation within the territory of Daliang is extremely serious? It's not just the Duke of Qing, but officials, wealthy families, and merchants of all ranks in several prefectures and counties are constantly engaged in this matter."

The ultimate reason, besides human greed, is that there are too many people and too little land. To eradicate the land annexation policy, one can only acquire more land. The border is different; there are few people and much land, and it is constantly at war, so no one is willing to migrate.

Only these leaders are willing to go to the border to cultivate the land. If what you said, Brother Ba, is true, it will only kill some people and won't serve any other purpose.

Of course, what Zurich said was only a temporary solution, not a fundamental one. Land annexation was the same in every dynasty, while expanding territory outwards was indeed a way to relieve pressure.

Prince Jing's expression hardened, and like a stubborn mule, he spoke again: "I said—"

"Alright, you two stop arguing. Jingyan is right, and Jinglin is right too."

After pondering for a moment, Emperor Liang glanced at Su Li and said, "Let's do as Jing Lin says."

"Yes—" Su Li bowed.

Prince Jing opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

The two left the study, and Prince Jing disappeared without a word of farewell, looking somewhat angry.

Su Li smiled and ignored him. He had seen the other party's stubbornness clearly over the years. If it weren't for Mei Changsu's planning behind the scenes, and the fact that Prince Yu and the Crown Prince were both simpletons, he wouldn't have been the one to rise to power.

After passing through the corridor and turning left and right across two separate courtyards, a slender, delicate, and pure-looking maid in a red palace dress, standing behind a rockery, hurriedly came running over with small, quick steps.

She gave a graceful bow: "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Su Li turned and pulled her into his arms, stroking the girl's soft body, and asked, "Has anything been going on with Consort Jing lately?"

"No, it's been lying low as before."

"That's good. Inform me immediately if she makes any moves."

The girl in front of him was Xiao Xin, Consort Jing's personal maid. In secret, she was an informant arranged by Qin Banruo of Hongxiuzhao. However, after he entered the palace several times and had several chance encounters with her, she directly became one of his own.

Su Li promised to take her as a concubine after he ascended the throne. When had Xiao Xin, a person of the lower class, ever enjoyed such treatment?

He immediately and ruthlessly transformed into a triple agent, becoming completely his man.

"Do you have plenty of time?" Su Li asked, looking at her.

Xiao Xin's delicate face flushed slightly as she gently nodded: "I came out under the pretext of collecting this month's offerings for Your Majesty, and I have some time."

"Then let's get intimate."

Su Li picked up the girl around the waist and pushed open the door to enter the room in the other courtyard.

Half an hour later they parted ways; one left the palace, while the other, whose legs were slightly weak, went to receive offerings.

Back at the Ling Prince's residence, I strode into the backyard, where a woman in a blue and white fairy dress was playing the zither in the pavilion, under the watchful eyes of several female guards.

"Greetings, Your Highness—" The female guards on both sides bowed in greeting.

Su Li waved his hand, picked up Gong Yu with a soft cry, and kicked open the door to enter the nearest room.

The female guards were used to it, and some even chuckled softly. One of them stepped forward and locked the door to prevent the intoxicating sounds from escaping.

Two hours later, Su Li finally extinguished the flame in his heart. He was completely unable to unleash his full potential during the half hour he spent with Xiao Xin in the palace.

But they couldn't just leave the plants unwatered, since the girl spent most of her time in the palace with no entertainment, and it was a rare treat for her to have a prince come and comfort her.

What if it turns black if I don't water it?

"You said you'd avenge me, but when are you going to kill Xie Yu?"

With her fair skin and rosy cheeks, Gong Yu pulled the blanket up over herself and looked at the man with a perfect, aesthetically pleasing physique, as if he were in the golden ratio.

She lost her virginity, was imprisoned in a grand mansion, and was given some unknown drug that rendered her powerless. Now, all she has left is this thought.