Chapter 2189: Miserly Rich Man

Fantasy Novel

"Alright," You Huan said, looking into her bright, clear eyes. He suddenly asked, "Others always have endless questions for me when they see me. Why don't you?"

"Aren't you tired of being asked so many questions by others already?" Mei Wuniang blinked. "Do you want to add me to the list?"

She knew this man was testing her again.

Outwardly, You Huan appeared unrestrained and uninhibited, but he was actually very suspicious, constantly probing and verifying everything.

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact," You Huan smiled. "The Mou Kingdom is perpetually at war. Haven't you ever been worried?"

"Whether one worries or not, life goes on. We ordinary folk are just ants before heaven's might. If we can live well for one day, that's one day. Why bother thinking so much?" Mei Wuniang tilted her head to look at him. "Grand Chancellor, the Mou Kingdom has immortals; surely it won't lose, right?"

Wasn't he complaining that she didn't ask questions? Well, she'd ask one.

You Huan smiled slightly. "Of course not."

"That's good then."

"I also have something to ask you."

"Oh, what is it?" Mei Wuniang looked at him earnestly.

You Huan hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "If a beauty like you wanted to swindle all the assets from a miserly rich old man, what methods would you use?"

Mei Wuniang's eyes showed surprise, mixed with a hint of annoyance, as if he'd touched a raw nerve. "Why are you asking that?"

Wasn't that precisely how she had acquired her wealth? Why was You deliberately bringing this up?

She knew You Huan must have investigated her background. But why was he bringing it out into the open now?

Had she exposed some vulnerability? Was he going to confront her?

You Huan grasped her chin and gently lifted it. "I said 'if,' not that you are like that."

"I don't know," Mei Wuniang grumbled.

"Then help me think. You're a smart woman and you have advantages," You Huan said, applying pressure to her jaw to prevent her from turning away. "If it were you, what would you do?"

His face hardened, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

This reminded Mei Wuniang that the man before her was no ordinary guest.

Nor was he flirting with her now.

"You..." Mei Wuniang couldn't resist him. After biting her lip for a long time, she finally said, "The more you want to seize someone's assets, the more you must appear not to covet them. Do what he most wants you to do, lower his guard, and then lure him in little by little."

"Not coveting... lowering defenses... Hm," You Huan actually repeated these phrases softly two or three times. "Does that really work?"

"How would I know?" Mei Wuniang was no longer angry, offering a strained smile. "Why don't I go find a rich old man, try it out myself, and then come back and tell you the result?"

"Alright, alright, don't get upset," You Huan said, rubbing her neck. "I'm asking for your advice, just as the Emperor usually consults me."

"Is my advice useful?"

"Yes," You Huan released her.

"Then I'm leaving." Mei Wuniang kissed him on the cheek, stood up, and left, her steps betraying a sense of hurry.

"..." This woman was always both straightforward and perfunctory.

Was she ever truly sincere with people? Of course, but there was always a price!

Mei Wuniang walked all the way back to the tea house at the front before a pensive look crossed her face.

Could even the Mou capital's civilian draft horses be conscripted? It seemed the war would continue for some time and wouldn't end quickly.

The question was, would these horses be conscripted for the western front, the Beijia battlefield, or the eastern front, the Ya Kingdom battlefield?

She leaned towards the eastern front, as the Mou Kingdom had another major city, Xuri City, closer to the western front, from where it would be much more convenient to transfer cattle and horses.

Heh, You Huan had even asked her about swindling an old rich man's fortune.

She believed You Huan didn't care at all whether she had swindled all of Tao Ying's family assets. He thought very highly of himself, convinced that she couldn't trick anything useful out of him, and perhaps even viewed their interactions as a playful game.

Instead, she knew that as Grand Chancellor, You Huan was under immense pressure lately, often burning the midnight oil until the wee hours and frequently had bloodshot eyes.

The Mou Kingdom was currently fighting a two-front war against two major powers, suffering significant losses. There was much discussion in court and among the populace, with all sorts of opinions, and the Mou Emperor summoned You Huan frequently.

His predecessor, Guo Shaoping, had been removed for poor performance in strategic discussions. You Huan had assumed the post in a critical situation and should be entirely focused on how to counter the enemy.

Could it be that he was indecisive and unable to make a choice, so he asked casually?

Sometimes, for problems that are impossible to figure out, a casual question to an unrelated person can occasionally lead to a sudden flash of insight.

If that were the case, what would "the miserly rich old man" symbolize?

Mei Wuniang pondered this as she worked, but she couldn't make sense of it.

Never mind, she was just an intelligence broker. Why bother racking her brain?

Mei Wuniang tossed her beautiful hair. Heh, let the Great Emperor of Nine Underworlds worry about it!

Just after breakfast that day, He Lingchuan received intelligence from the west:

The Mou Kingdom had once again sent envoys to the Ya Kingdom, demanding negotiations.

Dong Rui had just emerged from seclusion and came to scrounge some food and drink from him. Upon hearing the news, he asked, "Is the Ya-Mou war about to end?"

He Lingchuan shook his head. "This time, the Mou Kingdom has presented its terms. See for yourself."

Dong Rui took the letter He Lingchuan handed him, glanced at it twice, and exclaimed, "Is it really that outrageous?"

A quick scan showed at least sixteen or seventeen clauses listed, an extensive array. If the Ya Kingdom were to agree to this treaty, it would have to cede at least sixty percent of its territory.

One could imagine King Ya's blood vessels would probably burst from rage upon seeing this agreement.

He Lingchuan yawned. "All terms are negotiable, as long as they're not in a hurry to end the war."

Dong Rui pointed casually to one of the clauses. "I remember the Mou Kingdom previously said the lower reaches of the Yingbo River could be returned to the Ya Kingdom, didn't they? Why isn't it mentioned this time?"

"What you call 'previously' is old news from two months ago," He Lingchuan said. He knew Dong Rui emerged from seclusion only once every half-month or month. "That time, the Ya Kingdom disagreed and immediately attacked the Mou Kingdom's main camp by the Yingbo River, so the Mou Kingdom removed that condition."

After the Battle of Hundred Hills Spring, the Ya Kingdom had sent truce requests to both Cang Yan and the Mou Kingdom. Because the Emperor of Nine Underworlds' side agreed first, negotiations between the Ya Kingdom and the Mou Kingdom came to an abrupt halt.

Then, the Ya Kingdom focused on fiercely attacking the Mou Kingdom. Both sides fought brutally, with increasing ferocity.

He Lingchuan was even a little surprised that the Ya-Mou War dragged on for so long.

Initially, the Mou army had repeatedly adjusted its tactics, achieving several consecutive great victories, which boosted their morale, prompting them to continue their advance.

However, after leaving the mountains, the Mou army encountered fierce resistance from the Ya Kingdom.

The plains were the Ya army's home turf. The Ya Kingdom's cavalry finally performed to its expected standard, bringing the Mou army's rapid advance to an abrupt halt.

The grasslands, hills, and rivers all became meat grinders. The truly brutal war was just beginning.

He Lingchuan understood clearly that if the Dragon God Army were to contend with the main Ya army on the vast plains, it would also fall into such a predicament, and would be even worse off than the Mou army.

The war at this point far surpassed the Battle of Hundred Hills Spring; it was no longer a conflict that could be stopped by either side simply calling for a halt.