Chapter 31: The Eve

In the study of the Yan Prince Mansion, Liu Fu stood waiting by Zhao Xu's side.

"Your Highness, Zhang Kang has agreed to everything."

Having returned from the Government Office, he had not even taken a sip of water before coming straight to report.

"Oh?" Zhao Xu was slightly surprised.

Overnight, the Zhang Family had transformed from a fierce tiger into a docile kitten; it was truly unexpected.

Yet, this only made him more uneasy.

After all, one does not fear those who are fierce on the outside but weak on the inside; one fears those who hide needles in silk.

"I have thought it over and over. For the Zhang Family to adopt such a submissive posture, it is either because they fear the Prince Mansion or it is a delaying tactic. By comparison, I believe more in the latter. To the Zhang Family, Yan Commandery is their private preserve; how could they just hand it over to me like this?" Zhao Xu said in a deep voice.

In this chaotic world of deceit and treachery, he could not help but view his enemies' actions with the greatest malice.

"This is also what your subordinate is worried about," Liu Fu frowned. "Regardless of the Zhang Family's intentions, the grand plan for the Prince Mansion to control Yan Commandery cannot be relaxed. Since this attempt at probing has failed, why not take this opportunity to prune the Zhang Family's wings—the Huang Family and the Du Family—and see how they react?"

Zhao Xu nodded; the strategy Liu Fu proposed was quite ruthless.

Following the administrative decrees with this move was equivalent to squeezing the Zhang Family's living space step by step, forcing them to reveal their true colors.

"I am already doing so. These next two days will be the time of the Huang Family's destruction." Zhao Xu narrowed his eyes and told Liu Fu about how he had utilized the Huang Family's spies.

"Your Highness is brilliant. However, your subordinate feels this should be turned into a plan to kill two birds with one stone," Liu Fu's eyes darted around. "In pruning the Huang Family this time, Your Highness should mobilize the private soldiers of the Dong, Yang, and Lv families to take the Huang Family Fortress together. In this way, not only can we reduce the casualties of the Prince's Personal Army, but we can also completely bind these three families to the Prince Mansion's war chariot."

Zhao Xu glanced sideways at Liu Fu.

Ever since he woke up, he could tell that this young man was bold and strategic by his choice to stand on his side.

The ideas he had proposed in recent days were all to his liking; he was worth continuing to cultivate.

He said: "That is exactly my intention. You send word for the three families to come to the Prince Mansion. Also, dispatch officials from the Prince Mansion's offices and guards to take over the Armory Department."

"Yes, Your Highness." Liu Fu bowed and left.

Not long after.

Dong An and his father Dong Yuan, Yang He and his father Yang Cheng, and Lv Chang with his father Lv Ran arrived at the Prince Mansion.

The death of Zhang Qian had already caused a great stir in Yancheng.

They had also received the news that Zhang Kang was currying favor with the Prince Mansion.

This news made them uneasy; the Prince Mansion accepting the Zhang Family was not what they wished for.

Therefore, they were discussing whether to come to the Prince Mansion to probe the Yan Wang's attitude.

They had not expected the Prince Mansion to summon them first.

"Your Highness."

The three heads of the family and their eldest sons bowed to Zhao Xu.

"You must have already heard about Zhang Qian's affair," Zhao Xu asked.

Dong Yuan nodded, "Zhang Qian's death is very suspicious. Based on my understanding of Zhang Qian, he had no hidden illnesses; the talk of a sudden death is truly absurd."

"It is most likely the work of Zhang Kang," Lv Ran said bluntly.

Yang Cheng echoed, "Indeed. Your Highness, Zhang Qian was but a brute; Zhang Kang's wit and strategy are ten times his. We cannot trust him lightly."

"You need not worry. Destroying the Zhang Family is my ambition; how could I slacken because of a few flowery words? It makes no difference whether Zhang Qian or Zhang Kang is in charge of the Zhang Family. Today, I have asked you all here to discuss the matter of pruning the Zhang Family's power..." Zhao Xu stated his intention to borrow troops from the three families to destroy the Huang Family.

Hearing that Zhao Xu wanted them to send out their private soldiers to take the Huang Family's fortress in the countryside, the three men were stunned.

They knew that if they did not send troops, they could still play both sides in Yan Commandery.

Once they sent troops, it would be equivalent to truly tearing off the mask with the Zhang Family faction, and from then on, they would only be able to rely on the Prince Mansion.

Yet, if they did not send troops, they worried that the Prince Mansion might truly be colluding with Zhang Kang and would turn to deal with them instead.

After weighing the options, they felt the latter was the most disadvantageous to them.

Now, they could only walk the dark path to the end with the Prince Mansion.

The Dong Family had gained the most from the Prince Mansion, so Dong Yuan said loudly: "Your Highness's worries are the worries of our Dong Family. The Huang and Du families have been a scourge in Yan Commandery for many years; it is time to deal with them."

"My Lv Family has five thousand elite soldiers and is willing to die for Your Highness," Lv Ran said.

Seeing that both the Dong and Lv families had expressed their stance, Yang Cheng hurriedly said: "Your Highness, the Huang Family Fortress is only thirty miles from our Yang Family Fortress. Tonight, I will send men to scout it in preparation for the attack."

With all three families agreeing, Zhao Xu was overjoyed.

The strength of the Personal Army and County Soldiers currently controlled by the Prince Mansion was naturally no match for the Zhang Family faction.

But now that the troops of the Dong, Yang, and Lv families were also willing to serve him, it was different.

Since waking up, he had always felt a sense of powerlessness in Yan Commandery.

Now, for the first time, he felt he possessed the power to control Yan Commandery.

And what remained was to remove the rich clan power of the Zhang Family faction.

As for the Dong, Yang, and Lv families, he would give them some benefits to let them transition gently and no longer hold land.

Thereby allowing the Yan Prince Mansion to completely control Yan Commandery.

Having settled this matter, Zhao Xu discussed some details with the three families and let them return to prepare and wait for the Prince Mansion's orders.

After seeing the three off.

Zhao Xu called for Zhou Yi and inquired about the spies.

"All three have entered the Wine Workshop; I estimate they will soon find an opportunity to leave the Prince Mansion," Zhou Yi said.

Zhao Xu pondered, "Tonight, you will deliberately set a fire in the West Courtyard to create chaos so they can escape. If they leave, send men to follow them."

Sneering a few times, Zhou Yi nodded with a wicked smile.

These three spies were as disgusting as flies.

He had long wanted to get rid of them...

Midnight.

The cold moonlight spilled over the West Courtyard of the Prince Mansion.

In the side chamber where the servants lived, the three servants lying together tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

They were the spies the Huang Family had planted in the Prince's Mansion.

Since entering the Prince's Mansion, they had been watched very closely by the guards and had no opportunity to approach the Workshop in the central courtyard.

Today, three people in the central courtyard fell ill, so they were temporarily assigned to work in the Wine Workshop.

After a full day, they had basically seen everything in the Wine Workshop.

After finishing their work and returning, they began thinking of ways to escape the Prince's Mansion.

However, the West Courtyard was always heavily guarded, and after thinking hard for a long time, they could not come up with any method.

Just as they were worrying, a sudden, noisy commotion broke out.

There were many people running back and forth in the courtyard, shouting loudly.

"Fire! Hurry and put out the fire!"

Hearing this, the three of them sat up at once and saw flames flickering in the large courtyard.

They were all delighted; they exchanged glances and immediately ran out of the side chamber.

Sure enough, a side chamber was on fire, and the courtyard was in chaos; the servants and guards were all busy fighting the fire, and no one was guarding the gate.

Exchanging a look, they took advantage of the panic to sneak out of the Prince's Mansion and head toward the place agreed upon with the Huang Family.

After they left, the figure of Chang Wei appeared at the gate.

Giving a hand signal, over a hundred Prince's Mansion guards dressed in night-traveling clothes followed behind them.

At the same time.

Wang Yanzhong and Xu Lie arrived in front of an inconspicuous courtyard in the west of Yancheng.

After planting the three spies in the Prince's Mansion, Huang Yu thought he had grasped Wang Yanzhong's weak point.

Plus, because Wang Yanzhong had followed Zhao Xu's instructions and spoken about what he had seen and heard in the Prince's Mansion and some of the layouts in the central courtyard, he believed even more that Wang Yanzhong had submitted to him, and he relaxed his vigilance against Wang Yanzhong.

At Wang Yanzhong's desperate pleading, he even allowed him to see his wife and children once.

It was precisely this time that Wang Yanzhong remembered the location where his wife and children were being held.

"Kill!"

Kicking open the courtyard gate, Wang Yanzhong charged in with his blade drawn.

Those who deal in the slave trade are already living life on the edge of a blade.

The Huang Family bullying his wife and children had touched his reverse scale.

Tonight, he would completely break with the Huang Family.

From now on, he would rather be a loyal dog of the Prince's Mansion than continue to suffer the oppression of the Rich Clan of Yan Commandery!