Chapter 1451: What Kind of Threat Could It Be?

Chapter 1436: What Threat Could There Be?

With his objective achieved, He Lingchuan made a graceful exit without overstaying his welcome.

King Jiao smiled benignly and said, "Go on, then." The thought of Qingyang’s future expression brought him great satisfaction.

He Lingchuan left the imperial study, passing by Jade Spring Palace once more. During his ingress and egress, the divine bone necklace persisted, consistently emitting heat. While the palace servants ahead were distracted, He Lingchuan took out the pink pear blossom with gold-painted edges and pressed it against his chest. With a whoosh, the pear blossom vanished. The divine bone necklace stopped heating up. Indeed, what it had been longing for was this very pear blossom.

It was just a small flower, one that would wither and die in a day. What was there to be so attached to? He glanced at the old pear tree again; it was now quiet, no longer sending him secretive whispers, looking no different from any ordinary tree.

A gardener beneath the tree was digging, and with two thuds of his spade, he unearthed a shallow pit. "It's loose, the soil is loose!" Several gardeners cheered. The ground in Cold Spring was as hard as iron; why was it so surprisingly soft after just a few shovels?

As soon as He Lingchuan left, the King picked up the Azure Phoenix Seal from the table and examined it, his expression relaxed. The elderly palace attendant, who had served by his side for forty years, immediately said, "The return of this treasure at such a crucial moment indicates divine favor for Your Majesty. This is truly something to celebrate!"

The King smiled and carefully put away the Azure Phoenix Seal. "With this treasure back, the royal family's substantial assets in Begar can be unfrozen. We won't have to go through Qingyang anymore. Thus, Qingyang has one less bargaining chip against me—a critically important one."

Money begets money, and where in the world does money grow fastest? Begar. That's why many nobles of King Jiao's court and the State of Jiao had invested vast wealth in Begar, converting it into assets there. This was the safest vault in the entire world. Regardless of internal turmoil or changes within the State of Jiao, even if a noble's estate was confiscated, the assets held in Begar would remain safe and would not be seized along with their domestic property. However, the token for the Jiao royal family to access these assets was the Azure Phoenix Seal. Without this seal, the immense wealth would simply lie dormant in Begar. The Azure Phoenix Seal had previously been smuggled out of the country and subsequently sank in the Yangshan waters, only to be returned to its rightful owner just before the birthday celebration. The King felt that after so many twists and turns, he had finally received a good omen.

"You heard He Lingchuan's request just now, didn't you?" He instructed the elderly palace attendant, "Go tell those departments to complete the land sale procedures for Misty Lake within today and tomorrow. The price doesn't need to be too high; one thousand taels will suffice. Later, they are to cooperate with He Lingchuan in building the Misty Lake Estate. Be accommodating with his requests."

The elderly palace attendant was moved and responded, "Yes, Your Majesty." The implications of "cooperate" and "be accommodating" were quite profound. This young merchant, He, was truly fortunate. This time, he had received a golden plaque personally bestowed by the monarch; he was surely destined for great success in Tianshui City. But he also knew very well that the King's favor was not easily obtained. The monarch's sudden generosity was merely feeding the horse a bit of grass to make it run.

"Furthermore, since he plans to sell at Crimson Fortress, go to King Qing's Residence and convey my intentions."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" After so many days, it was rare to see a smile on the monarch's face. The old palace attendant carefully inquired, "Your Majesty, this He Lingchuan also has his own little tricks, profiting greatly by using your name." If all went smoothly, He Lingchuan would earn an immense fortune that others could only dream of in several lifetimes.

"It's just a small sum," the King chuckled. "If he can get the job done, what does it matter if he pockets a small amount? He Lingchuan is both clever and shrewd, but he's too greedy! Standing opposite Regent Qingyang, he still dares to scheme for a few extra coppers." Despite these words, the King was in a good mood. A person with weaknesses is easy to control.

"Does he have something to rely on?"

"Of course," the King stated matter-of-factly. "Otherwise, why would I summon him to Tianshui City? Why wouldn't I simply have my own subjects handle this matter? Should we have someone keep a close eye on him?" King Jiao was about to say "no need," but changed his mind mid-sentence: "Alright, you can arrange it. Heh heh, he's just an itinerant merchant from outside. What trouble could he possibly stir up on my territory?"

Buying land to build property? Did He Lingchuan think the King wouldn't know about his self-serving intentions? Merchants prioritize profit. However, since He Lingchuan dared to be the one to step forward, the King didn't mind giving him some benefits. To use people, one must be generous. Besides, how large is Yangshan Archipelago? A small place is just a small place. Even if He Lingchuan is skilled in strategy, how much power can he accumulate? At most, he brought a few dozen people to Tianshui City. In this great capital, what could a few dozen people accomplish? What threat could they pose to him, the monarch of a nation?

Stepping out of the palace, He Lingchuan gazed up at the clear blue sky and let out a long breath. It was done. His first, and crucially important, step in arriving at Jiao Capital was accomplished. Fan Shuang had already returned earlier. He Lingchuan got into a mule carriage, told the driver his destination, and the carriage set off. Watching the streetscapes pass by, a slight smile touched his lips.

"Did the King really agree?" The Soul-Scrying Mirror sounded a bit surprised. "No noble has dared to build a house in Misty Lake for over a hundred years, yet he's willing to give it to you."

"It's just a piece of land in the suburbs with a nice view; what's there to be reluctant about?" He Lingchuan replied. "But, of course, the main reason is that Qingyang lives there. Land is inanimate, but people are alive." He Lingchuan saw it clearly. "Besides, all land within the nation belongs to the King. If the King ever becomes displeased with me, he can take back Misty Lake at any time. What loss would that be for him?" The King couldn't lose on this deal, no matter how he calculated it, which is why he acted so generously. "Furthermore, if he wants me to do a good job, he needs to show some incentive." He Lingchuan smiled, "After all, this is the price for my life, which I've earned."

The mirror was startled: "What 'price for your life'?"

"Why do you think the King insisted on inviting me to Tianshui City for the ceremony? Does he truly value the potential of Yangshan Archipelago, or is he genuinely interested in it?" Given his arrogance, that's impossible.

The mirror pondered, "Is it because of Qingyang?"

"Since the King doesn't care for Yangshan, his only reason for inviting me was likely to embarrass Qingyang." He Lingchuan's mind was clear. "If I hadn't proactively sought out a project, the King would have arranged something for me, and I would have been even more passive then." In that scenario, he would have offended Qingyang and been used as a puppet by the King, with a grim outcome.

What He Lingchuan needed to do now was to maximize the demonstration of his value. He needed to make King Jiao understand that his proposed method could cause even greater embarrassment to Qingyang. From the current perspective, the King was very interested in his plan. So, he had initially gained the upper hand. Now, it was up to his execution. If he didn't perform well, the King would entertain other ideas.