“So it’s Princess Anyang. I completely forgot about her,”
Upon hearing this, Qian Jin couldn’t help but
nod.
Although Princess Anyang --- Margaret --- was a
woman, she enjoyed deep trust from the emperor. Not only was she granted access
to the Royal Observatory, but she also secretly controlled Dragonmarsh’s most
powerful intelligence agency.
This intelligence network traditionally served
only the imperial throne, so even those who were aware of it treated the matter
as taboo and dared not interfere.
“There are very few neutral forces left. If I
can bring Margaret into my camp, my chances of winning would increase by at
least 20%,” Li Wenxing said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“Your Highness, Princess Margaret is no simple
character. To win her over, we’ll likely have to pay a hefty price,” Qian Jin
reminded him.
“It’s not easy to recruit Margaret, but getting
a bit of intel out of her shouldn’t be that hard,” Li Wenxing said with a calm
smile.
From what he knew, Margaret sometimes sold
information under the table to help subsidize the national treasury.
As long as the price was right and it didn’t
compromise national interests, she would usually sell most information.
“Uncle Qian, there’s no time to waste. Prepare
the carriage --- we’re going to the Sun and Moon Tower.”
Li Wenxing didn’t say more. After giving the
order, he threw on his coat and left.
Opportunities wait for no one.
If he could think of this, then so could Li
Guanglong and Li Juntang. He had to make the first move.
Strike first, and every step ahead counts --- that
was his edge.
...
An hour later.
A black business vehicle pulled up in front of
the Sun and Moon Tower.
Li Wenxing and Qian Jin stepped out one after
the other. But as they approached the entrance, two bodyguards blocked their
path.
“Sorry, we don’t accept unknown guests,” said
the guard on the left.
“I’m here to see your boss --- Margaret,” Li
Wenxing got straight to the point.
The two bodyguards exchanged glances,
surprised.
Anyone who dared to call their boss by her full
name clearly wasn’t ordinary.
“May I ask if you had an appointment?” the left
guard asked again, now more polite.
“No appointment? And I still can’t see her?”
Li Wenxing removed his hat and said coolly,
“Just tell Margaret that her eldest brother is here. Let’s see how she reacts
to that.”
Upon hearing this, both guards’ expressions
changed immediately.
“Please wait a moment.”
The left guard nodded respectfully and walked
into the building.
At that moment, in a quiet room behind the Sun
and Moon Tower’s garden ---
Margaret was studying freshly collected
intelligence while Dustin sat beside her, leisurely sipping tea and eating
snacks.
After a night of relentless pursuit, the
remnants of the Temple of the Gods embedded in Stonia had been almost
completely eradicated.
The few remaining stragglers were either in
hiding or fleeing, no longer a real threat.
The final cleanup was now in the hands of
official forces.
Knock knock knock…
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
“What is it?”
Margaret didn’t even look up, continuing to
scan her intel reports.
“Boss, the Crown Prince Li Wenxing is here to
see you,” came a trusted aide’s voice from outside.
“Hmm?”
Hearing that, Margaret finally looked up. “Li
Wenxing? What’s he doing here?”
“Unclear at the moment. Should I turn him
away?” the aide asked.
“No need. Escort him to the Moon Pavilion. I’ll
be there shortly,” Margaret instructed.
“Yes, ma’am,” the aide replied and quickly
left.
“Li Wenxing showing up this early probably has
to do with last night’s purging of the Temple of the Gods,” Dustin said
casually.
“My eldest brother has had some private
dealings with the Temple. Last night’s sweep must’ve damaged parts of his
business. Looks like he’s scared and wants to fish for information,” Margaret
chuckled.
As the saying goes, ‘No one visits the
temple of three treasures without a reason.’ His sudden visit was clearly
with ulterior motives.
“What are you planning to do?”
Dustin picked up a pastry from the plate,
tossed it in the air, and caught it in his mouth with ease, enjoying its taste.
“I’ll go with your decision. I can either tell
him the truth or just brush him off,” Margaret said with a faint smile. “By the
way, I haven’t asked you yet --- among the three princes, who do you support
for the throne?”
“Me?” Dustin shook his head. “None of them.”
“Why not?”
Margaret looked puzzled. “With the national
fortune in your body and your recent breakthrough, you have the strength and
status to push anyone to the throne. Becoming a kingmaker --- why not?”
“To be honest, I don’t like any of your
brothers,” Dustin said plainly. “Li Wenxing pretends to be noble but is a
schemer willing to do anything for power. Li Guanglong? Don’t even mention him.
A military brute, violent and short-tempered. He’s fit to be a general, not a
king.”
“And what about Li Juntang? Talented in both
civil and military affairs --- surely he’s better?” Margaret asked.
“Selfish. Cold. Petty. Sees human life as
disposable. If he takes the throne, countless people in Dragonmarsh will
suffer. Even your other brothers won’t be spared,” Dustin replied with a
precise evaluation.
“With Father’s time drawing near, a successor
must be chosen eventually,” Margaret said helplessly.
“Speaking of succession…” Dustin suddenly
smiled mysteriously. “I’ve already chosen someone.”
“Who?” Margaret’s curiosity was instantly
piqued.
“You,” Dustin said, pointing directly at her.
“Me?” Margaret was stunned.
She had just gone through several names in her
head, but never expected Dustin to choose her. - Ton
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