CHAPTER 706: CHAPTER 435, IT’S TIME TO SHOW OUR TRUE POWER!

"Negotiation?"

"What are we talking about?"

"What’s there to negotiate with them?"

The old man’s mood seemed off, launching into a deadly trio of questions upon meeting Tang Fei.

Tang Fei silently sat down in front of the old man, picked up the teapot, poured him a cup of tea, and signaled him to drink it.

The old man locked eyes with Tang Fei, then picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp, sighing, "Old Land is really something, though those old tree roots don’t taste great, drinking them is satisfying."

"A whole vat goes down, and every pore in the body feels clear. That sensation, tsk tsk tsk..."

Back in Old Land, Tang Fei would often dig up roots of the Chicken Shit Vine to make tea for the old man.

It was slightly bitter upon the first taste but sweetly refreshing afterward.

And it had antiseptic and lipid-lowering properties.

Though in Old Land, there wasn’t really any lipid to lower...

Little Fatty being the exception.

"Regretting now?" Tang Fei asked with a chuckle.

"Regret my ass." The old man cursed gruffly: "You have no idea how many years I’ve waited for this day. I’d love to tear their flesh with my teeth, to drink their blood eagerly..."

"Do you know how thrilled I am right now? Regret? That’s impossible."

"I’m sorry." Tang Fei said, looking at the old man.

The old man’s obsession was Zhong Daolong, and his greatest desire was to kill him.

But because of himself, and because of Phoenix...

Zhong Daolong was still alive until now.

"It’s all because of that failure, Chen Fenglei, who couldn’t seize such a good opportunity," the old man cursed loudly, "The plan was all set: Before you walked into the Phoenix Palace, Zhong Daolong was to be killed, best if by Zhong Tianyi’s own hand..."

"I didn’t expect him to mess up such a simple task... even letting Phoenix slip out of control and go to the Taiji Palace to plead for him..."

"Do you think Chen Fenglei did it on purpose?" the old man looked at Tang Fei and asked coldly: "If he really wanted to trap Phoenix, he wouldn’t have stationed a few idiots at the door of the Phoenix Pavilion."

"If he truly wanted to kill Zhong Daolong... he wouldn’t have delayed for so long, something that could have been resolved with a single shot."

Tang Fei knew the old man had doubts about Chen Fenglei’s cooperation.

And of course, his doubts had merit.

They were ambushed outside the palace, while the inside disorder was coordinated by Chen Fenglei.

If he had genuinely intended to kill Zhong Daolong, Zhong Daolong wouldn’t have survived.

"We have our interests, and he has his personal interests."

"He’s not one of us, we’re just partners ..."

"He’s been following Zhong Daolong for many years, and Zhong Daolong trusts him a lot, allowing him to manage the entire Phoenix Palace."

"Then there’s the relationship with the Empress; if he truly forced Zhong Tianyi to kill Zhong Daolong, he’s afraid Phoenix wouldn’t accept it, and he’d also betray his feelings with the Empress..."

"So, hesitation is normal."

"Alas." The old man grumbled, "If Zhong Daolong doesn’t die, the situation will become complicated."

"If he’s dead, what should we do next?"

"Run." Lu Yu declared. "Run as far as possible."

"And if he doesn’t die?"

"Run." Lu Yu answered crisply: "Run as far as possible."

"So whether he dies or not, the result is the same? What makes the situation complicated?"

"My feelings are complicated."

"..."

The old man heaved a sigh, "Do you think I want this? I too wanted to plan carefully and play a long game... but they’re closing their nets early, trying to eradicate us in one swoop..."

"What can we do then? We can only come out and fight for our lives. Could we still hide at that time?"

Tang Fei knew if it weren’t for the Security Bureau’s sudden move against Sunshine Orphanage, they wouldn’t have engaged in haste.

In their game of cat and mouse with Zhong Daolong, Zhong Daolong had grown impatient and pulled the rug from under them...

He sent people to directly eliminate himself and the old man, and with that, all their plots and schemes would dissolve.

This was the outcome that Zhong Daolong and Yan Wenli had agreed upon from the start.

Pretend to be unaware of Tang Fei’s true identity, throw him into the Monitoring Bureau, and let him stir up trouble.

Enter the game themselves to help them prune and weaken the nine major families’ power, probing reactions from all sides.

Regrettably, they didn’t expect Tang Fei and the old man to survive their ambush.

They also didn’t foresee Chen Fenglei and Yan Jinnian switching sides at a critical moment, capturing them instead.

As the situation unexpectedly shifted, the Shen Family and other major families selfishly calculated, taking no action, just waiting for the outcome...

"If we don’t want to run?" Tang Fei asked.

"Then they’ll have to see our trump card," the old man asserted: "What can a few people in the Phoenix Palace do?"

"If Shen Wuxiang is resolute, a single charge could take down the Phoenix Palace."

"Won’t run? Should we just surrender and let them slaughter us?"

"But where can we run to? Back to Old Land?" Tang Fei asked.

"If we could return, that wouldn’t be a bad move."

"..."

"Shen Wuxiang wants to negotiate because Zhong Daolong is still alive; he doesn’t want to bear the stigma of ’regicide’..."

"Courtesy before force; if we refuse to negotiate, or if we don’t accept their terms... they will resort to tough measures."

"But now with Phoenix Palace surrounded and Lu Ban Mountain under siege, it’s not the time to negotiate."

"We can negotiate, but we must have some say in the matter. It can’t be whatever he says goes, giving him whatever he wants."

"That way, even if we can temporarily escape danger, in time, they will gradually wear us down... Shen Wuxiang is not like Zhong Daolong, he’s a military man, truly ruthless and harsh."

"Lu Ban Mountain is under siege; we have no way out..." Tang Fei looked at the old man and asked: "From which aspect do you want to start?"

"From the aspect of our friends." Lu Yu looked at Tang Fei, aware that the young man understood what he meant; he was always a bit smarter than what he’d expected.

If only he didn’t like women.

Or rather, if only he didn’t like Phoenix.

Is being a womanizer that bad?

In the old man’s view, that girl from the Sheng Family wasn’t too bad either.

"It’s time to show our real strength."

------

"They refused to negotiate?"

Shen Wuxiang sat upright on a tiger-head chair made of Blue Star Redwood, his presence deep and imposing, his aura commanding.

"Yes," Sun Shehu stroked the few strands of goat’s beard by his lips as he spoke.

He was Shen Wuxiang’s strategist and the representative for this negotiation.

He represented Shen Wuxiang rushing to the Phoenix Palace, only to be met with the message from within: no negotiation.

There was some discontent in his heart; the overall situation was set, and the time for discussing merits and rewards was fast approaching.

If he could’ve managed to successfully negotiate this matter, wouldn’t he become the foremost contributor in the Dragon’s rise? Who else could compete with his significance in "Prime Minister Cao’s" eyes?

"Whom did you see?" Shen Wuxiang asked.

There weren’t many in the Phoenix Palace who could make decisions. There used to be one, and now there were two.

"Lu Yu."

"Oh," Shen Wuxiang understood.

He was one of those two who could make decisions.

If he said no negotiation, he essentially represented the current stance of the Phoenix Palace.

"Their tone was very firm; it didn’t seem like they were just feigning stubbornness," Sun Shehu said with a puzzled expression, voicing a question, "Where does their confidence come from?"

Indeed, where was this confidence coming from?

Shen Wuxiang pondered this question in his mind too.

Although Tang Fei and Chen Fenglei had joined forces inside and outside to take control of the Phoenix Palace, imprisoning the King Zhong Daolong...

Actually, Shen Wuxiang didn’t care about this.

In fact, Shen Wuxiang even hoped Tang Fei would take more drastic measures.

It would have been best if he had simply gotten rid of Zhong Daolong.

That way, the Zhong Tianque in his hands would be even more valuable.

The fact that Tang Fei hadn’t killed Zhong Daolong was what surprised him because they also held a Zhong Tianyi in their hands.

If Zhong Daolong didn’t die, how could Zhong Tianyi rise to power?

Was Zhong Tianyi willing to be a puppet and even risk the infamy of "regicide" or "patricide" without a bit of ambition?

Before the palace coup, he was the Second Prince. After the coup, he was still the Second Prince...

It might be better not to even bother with this palace.

Indecision, a major taboo in the art of war.

At this thought, his estimation of Tang Fei dropped even further.

"They have control of the Phoenix Palace, but how many people are inside?"

As a strategist, Sun Shehu began to analyze the situation for Shen Wuxiang and offer his advice.

"Apart from the Beehive controlled by Chen Fenglei, there are only three hundred Imperial Guard Army soldiers. Even if their individual combat skills are formidable... against a siege ten or a hundred times their number, how long could they last?"

"Yan Jinnian has five thousand Black Cavalry at his command, the most powerful force in their possession... but they’re blockaded outside the Phoenix Palace. The idea of them getting inside to help is unrealistic."

"Our aerial forces are not to be trifled with either. If it really comes down to it, we could use Lightning Camp and the Unicorn Troop to keep a close watch on them... If they dare show their heads, we’ll cover them with firepower and tear them to shreds."

"The Lu Clan... the entire Lu Ban Mountain is encircled by our men. Even if they wanted to help, they’d have more than enough will but not nearly enough strength..."

"So, I’m very puzzled. What is the source of their confidence in refusing to negotiate? Could they be holding cards we do not know about?"

"Could it be..." Shen Wuxiang’s gaze deepened as he spoke, "Could it be that some people have already reached a tacit agreement with them, ready to help at a critical moment?"

"It’s not an impossibility," Sun Shehu nodded in agreement. "But then, which family would be so foolish?"

"The situation is already very clear. It’s obvious that we control the military, we control the overall situation... and we will be the final victors of this dispute."

"To snatch chestnuts from the fire can indeed yield fine rewards, yet, if it results in making an enemy out of us, standing on the opposite side of the greater picture... isn’t that too risky?"

"Trust in our strength, but also trust in the wisdom of our foes," Shen Wuxiang lifted his head and looked at Sun Shehu, "A man who has been dead for so many years yet can still stir the storm, turning the Phoenix Palace upside down, even taking the current King into his hands..."

"Can you do it? Can I?"

"Isn’t such a person someone we should not underestimate?"

"Your words are very true, Military Minister. I was blinded by victory, and I’ve been too optimistic about the situation," Sun Shehu immediately apologized.

He warned himself inwardly, for he had indeed been getting somewhat carried away by the sight of victory on the horizon.

Zhuge lived a life of caution; he had much to learn from that predecessor.

After a mild reprimand, Shen Wuxiang wasn’t willing to let his long-time companion lose face, and so he offered words of comfort, "There’s no need to be so hard on yourself, sir. You are the most trusted person to me, and you’ve made great contributions to both me and the Shen Family."

"Our two houses are bound together, sharing both glory and loss. The closer we get to the critical moment, the more careful and cautious we must be."

"A careful helmsman sails for a thousand years. Always think more, be more thorough. If the boat capsizes in the gutter, to fall in the darkness before dawn... then regret would be in vain."

"I would die for the Military Minister."

Sun Shehu was deeply moved and bowed deeply.

Shen Wuxiang waved his hand and said, "No need to die; you need to live well. The glory of the Shen Family is just beginning, and you must witness it with your own eyes."

"It would be my honor."

"Hmm, sir, what do you think our next move should be?"

"Let’s hold our forces back," Sun Shehu looked at Shen Wuxiang and respectfully said. "I am also quite curious to see what kind of chips they can pull out under such a dire situation."

Shen Wuxiang pondered briefly, nodded, and said, "Well then, let’s contain but not attack..."

The same goes for the Phoenix Palace.

The same for Lu Ban Mountain.

Everything was within their control.

"I want to see where their courage to refuse negotiation comes from."

It would be even better if they could lure out their collaborators.

He liked to catch them all in one net.

It was the same twenty years ago.

And it remained the same after twenty years.

Weeds that aren’t rooted out will grow back with the spring breeze.

At that moment, an aide reported, "Military Minister, young master Xing Lan has arrived and wishes to see you."

"Let him in," Shen Wuxiang nodded.

He was also eager to see this grandson in whom he had placed great hopes, having heard that the young man had recently suffered no small setback.