I run a casino in the immortal realm.

The Heavenly Dragon Dynasty, the capital city of Jinfeng.

The atmosphere in the study of Prince Gong's mansion was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Snapped!"

A bright yellow memorial was slammed heavily onto the rosewood desk and slid to the floor.

The Third Prince, Long Zhan, had a livid face, and his chest heaved violently.

He wore a dark purple python robe, and his brows revealed an undisguised ferocity and gloom.

"Five hundred billion gold coins! What a brilliant disaster relief lottery! What masterful planning!"

Long Zhan gritted his teeth, his voice sounding like it was squeezed out from between rocks: "That good-for-nothing Lao Jiu, when did he acquire such skills? And that Zheng Yifei, a mere deputy judicial commissioner in a local area, an ant in the Nascent Soul stage, actually managed to cause such a commotion!"

Below the desk stood a gaunt old man dressed in the robes of a second-rank official.

He was none other than Pang Shun, the Minister of Personnel of the current dynasty and the core strategist of the Third Prince's faction.

Pang Shun bent down to pick up the memorial from the ground, gently brushed off the dust, and placed it back on the table. He said in a calm tone, "Your Highness, please calm down. Zhu Zhenbang's memorial has already caused a great uproar in the court."

Tanzhou successfully defended against the invasion of sea monsters and completed post-disaster reconstruction; both were monumental achievements.

In particular, the five hundred billion gold coins not only filled the gap in disaster relief but also saved the national treasury a large sum of money. His Majesty was delighted when he read the memorial yesterday and praised the Ninth Prince three times in a row.

How could I not be angry?

Long Zhan suddenly turned around and stared intently at Pang Shun: "Father has many sons, but only a few of us who are older can be granted the title of Prince. Ninth Prince used to be a playboy who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun. Father didn't think much of him at all."

But what about now? With this merit, his father will surely bestow upon him the title of Prince! Once he's a Prince, he'll have the right to participate in government affairs and enter the core circle of the royal family. This would be like giving the Crown Prince a huge, unexpected boost!

Long Zhan became increasingly depressed as he thought about it.

He originally intended to use the sea monster tide and the lack of funds for disaster relief in Tanzhou to pin the Ninth Prince down in Tanzhou, and even take the opportunity to weaken the Crown Prince's power.

Who knew that Zheng Yifei would suddenly appear out of nowhere, not only turning the deadlock around but also enabling Lao Jiu to make an unparalleled contribution.

"Your Highness, what's done is done, and the merits cannot be erased."

Pang Shun stroked his beard, a sinister glint in his eyes: "Since the Ninth Prince's investiture as a king is a done deal, why don't we go with the flow and give him a 'good' place?"

Long Zhan frowned and looked at Pang Shun: "What does Lord Pang mean?"

"Does Your Highness know of the recent battle reports from the western frontier?"

Pang Shun lowered his voice.

Long Zhan pondered for a moment and said, "The Western Rong Kingdom has invaded our borders again? These orcs come to raid our fields every year before winter; it's nothing new."

The Western Rong Kingdom, located in the western part of the Tianlong Dynasty, is a kingdom composed of orcs.

These orcs are physically powerful, possess superhuman strength, and are extremely fierce. However, the western lands are barren and they are not good at farming, so the main way of survival for the Western Rong Kingdom is to plunder neighboring countries.

As the wealthiest dynasty in the eastern part of the Western Rong Kingdom, the Tianlong Dynasty naturally became a tempting target for the Western Rong Kingdom.

Every year, the Tianlong Dynasty spends a huge amount of resources and manpower on the western frontier to defend against the attacks of the Western Rong army.

"Your Highness, the situation is different this year."

Pang Shun sneered, "According to a secret report from the Ministry of War, the Western Rong Kingdom has a new wolf lord who has integrated the eight major western tribes and gathered 300,000 elite troops, preparing to launch a major southward invasion. The three prefectures of the western frontier are now in turmoil."

The five generals who guarded the western frontier have changed in recent years; four died in battle, and one was seriously wounded and disabled.

Long Zhan narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he had grasped something.

Pang Shun continued, "Since His Highness the Ninth Prince is 'strategizing' in Tanzhou, and Zheng Yifei is 'leading the charge' and fighting bravely to repel the sea monster tide, then our Ministry of Personnel will submit a memorial to His Majesty suggesting that His Highness the Ninth Prince be enfeoffed as the Prince of Pingxi and sent to the western frontier to defend against the Western Rong."

As for Zheng Yifei, appoint him as a fourth-rank general and send him to the front lines to fight the orcs to the death.

Upon hearing this, the gloom in Long Zhan's eyes vanished instantly, and he couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh loudly: "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Lord Pang's plan is simply killing without shedding blood!"

Sending Lao Jiu to the meat grinder of the Western Frontier was nominally a way to give him an important position and bestow upon him the title of king, but in reality, it was just sending him to his death.

The Western Rong orcs are incredibly ferocious. How many days could the pampered Ninth Prince possibly survive there?

Will His Majesty agree?

After laughing, Long Zhan asked with some concern.

"His Majesty will surely agree."

Pang Shun was confident: "The war in the Western Frontier is critical, and the generals in the court are unwilling to risk their lives. The Ninth Prince has just made great contributions and is riding high. Sending him to boost morale is perfectly reasonable. Even the Crown Prince would not be able to find a reason to stop him. After all, it is the duty of a prince to defend the border for the country."

"good!"

Long Zhan waved his hand dismissively: "Lord Pang, you immediately draft the memorial and submit it to the cabinet first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Your humble servant obeys." Pang Shun bowed and withdrew.

The next day, the cabinet was on duty.

The incense burner was filled with the refreshing scent of sandalwood, and five Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet sat around a long table, reviewing a mountain of memorials.

Pang Shun's memorial was placed right in the center of the table.

Grand Secretary Wan Chaozong, an old man with white hair and beard and a stern face, frowned deeply after reading the memorial.

"What do you all think of Pang Shun's memorial?"

Wan Chaozong pushed the memorial to the center of the table and glanced at the other four people.

Second Grand Secretary Zhao Yannian, a staunch supporter of the Third Prince, coughed and said slowly, "I think Minister Pang's suggestion is excellent. His Highness the Ninth Prince has demonstrated outstanding military talent in Tanzhou. Now that the Western Frontier is in dire need of a prestigious and capable member of the imperial family to take charge."

The title of Prince of Pingxi, granting him command of the military and political affairs of the Western Frontier, is the greatest affirmation for His Highness the Ninth Prince.

"I second that."

One cabinet minister immediately stated, "That Zheng Yifei is also a talented individual. He was able to slay high-level sea beasts during the sea beast tide. Transferring him to the Western Frontier as a general would be the best use of his abilities."

Of the five cabinet ministers, three were from the Third Prince's faction, so there was absolutely no suspense in the cabinet's drafting process.

Wan Chaozong sneered inwardly. He knew perfectly well what these people were really up to, despite their high-sounding words.

What kind of place is Western Xinjiang? It's a bottomless pit for people to die. Sending Lao Jiu there is clearly a way to use someone else to do the dirty work.

But he did not refute it on the spot. Cabinet rules dictate that the minority must obey the majority; if he were to forcefully suppress it, he would only give others grounds for criticism.

"Since everyone agrees, let's draft the proposal and submit it to His Majesty for approval."

Wan Chaozong said expressionlessly.

After his duty was over, Wan Chaozong did not return to his residence. Instead, he rode in a sedan chair and quietly entered the East Palace through a side gate.

Crown Prince Long Jing, dressed in a bright yellow casual robe, was practicing calligraphy in his study.

Upon hearing Wan Chaozong's report, he paused in his writing, and a drop of ink fell onto the Xuan paper, spreading out.

"Third brother's move was quite vicious."

The prince put down his brush, took the hot towel handed to him by the eunuch, wiped his hands, and spoke calmly, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Your Highness, the situation in the Western Frontier is dire. If the Ninth Prince were to go, I fear his fate would be grim. Should we try to intervene with His Majesty?"

Wan Chaozong asked with concern.

The Crown Prince shook his head: "It can't be negotiated. Father values ​​military merit the most and also the courage of the princes. Ninth Prince has made meritorious contributions in Tanzhou, and Father wants to see if he really has the ability to stand alone."

Pang Shun's memorial is exactly what Father Emperor wants. If we obstruct it, Father Emperor will think we are forming cliques, protecting our own, and being cowardly.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch His Highness jump into the fire?"

"Going to the western frontier may not necessarily be a dead end."

The Crown Prince walked to the window and looked at the gloomy sky outside: "Isn't there Zheng Yifei by Ninth Prince's side?"

Upon hearing Zheng Yifei's name, Wan Chaozong's expression shifted: "Your Highness, are you referring to the Deputy Commissioner of Justice who orchestrated the disaster relief lottery?"

"good."

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "I have carefully reviewed the files from Tanzhou. Whether it was defending the city and killing demons or the later lottery fundraising, Lao Jiu was just a front. The one who truly devised the plan and turned the tide was this Zheng Yifei."

This person not only has rapidly improved cultivation, but is also extremely intelligent. The third brother wants to use the orc's knife to kill the ninth brother; perhaps, that knife will ultimately harm the third brother himself.

"What does Your Highness mean?"

"Send a message to Lao Jiu."

The Crown Prince turned around, his eyes showing determination: "Tell him that the matter of going to the Western Frontier to guard the border is a done deal and cannot be changed. Tell him to go and discuss with Zheng Yifei immediately to see what conditions are needed."

"As long as they dare to go to the Western Frontier, whatever people or power they need, I will go to my father and fight for them!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."