Chapter 850: The Plight of Li Xuanya

"One hundred thousand gold?"

Liu Zheng also laughed along with Piao Zhengyong.

Piao Zhengyong winked: "Once you go to Joseon, there will be even more!"

The two looked at each other and laughed.

Liu Zheng feigned a look of intimacy, began to put his arm around Piao Zhengyong's shoulder, and asked with a chuckle: "Then, Lord Piao, Liu Zheng must still ask, why won't one hundred thousand troops do, and why must it be fifty thousand?"

An awkward smile appeared on Piao Zhengyong's face.

Liu Zheng smiled and said nothing.

In fact, he understood in his heart that this was Joseon guarding against the Longyan Dynasty.

Inviting a wolf into the house—this had happened before in ancient history. The act of occupying territory under the guise of borrowing a path had also occurred before.

It was just that Liu Zheng had not expected that, given the state the Wa had beaten Joseon into, they would still have the heart to guard against him.

Good heavens.

: rg

This fellow is a natural-born actor.

"Then I understand."

Piao Zhengyong laughed it off and feigned a mysterious look: "Lord Liu, it is truly because in Joseon today, treacherous sycophants are rampant and the political situation is chaotic; we can only look to Zhang Shuyuan to set things right! Otherwise, it is the common people who will suffer. Fifty thousand Longyan troops entering Joseon is something the people can still accept; if it were one hundred thousand, I fear it would..."

He wore a look of deep distress, worried about the country and the people.

This left even Liu Zheng stunned.

"Hahahaha, say no more, say no more!"

This was him asking for benefits for himself.

Liu Zheng was not stingy at all and handed ten thousand gold directly to Piao Zhengyong, who left in great joy.

Liu Zheng patted his shoulder with "understanding."

"So, my lord,"

Piao Zhengyong exchanged a look with Liu Zheng again, and at this moment, the man's hand made a subtle, rubbing gesture at his waist.

Kill her?

Liu Zheng chuckled.

Soon, the Prince of Yong and Li Xuanya entered together.

Watching the back of Piao Zhengyong as he left, the smile on Liu Zheng's face slowly faded.

Kill Li Xuanya?

These people likely did not know that Xie Chan already treated Li Xuanya as a sister, and the people of the Longyan Dynasty had also come to see her as one of their own. Even without this status, Li Xuanya had risked her life to save his own back in the tomb.

Liu Zheng nodded with a smile: "Tell me, what is the situation in Joseon right now?"

Li Xuanya could no longer hold back, tears streaming down her face as she said sorrowfully: "After that Zhang Yuzhen returned to the palace, she gave birth to a son, and using this as a pretext, she had my uncle, Li Cheng, the Inspector General of the Office of the Inspector General, beaten to death!"

"What?"

"Young Master."

Li Xuanya looked at Liu Zheng, wanting to speak but hesitating.

It seemed she had just been crying; that appearance of pear blossoms drenched in rain was truly pitiful.

Nowadays.

Li Xuanya's biological mother, Queen Inhyeon, was still on the throne.

But Zhang Yuzhen's power had already become overwhelming, and she had even found an excuse to have the Princess's own uncle beaten to death!

Liu Zheng frowned.

He had not expected that Li Xuanya's situation had deteriorated to this extent.

He knew the history of Joseon; this woman, known as the number one enchantress of Joseon, had given birth to the first son for Suzong. Before her, all of Sukjong's children were daughters, and Li Xuanya was one of them. For a royal family, the importance of a son went without saying. Zhang Yuzhen had also always enjoyed Sukjong's favor, so she began to cultivate her own power, and her confidants began to cultivate their own confidants. Consequently, Sukjong's sisters and aunts all found Zhang Yuzhen intolerable, and Sukjong therefore alienated these relatives of his.

Liu Zheng felt a pang of heartache.

According to history, this Zhang Yuzhen would run rampant in Joseon for many years. Later, she even had Suzong use the charge of "jealousy" to depose Li Xuanya's biological mother, Queen Inhyeon, from her position as Queen, driving her out of the palace and demoting her to a private residence. She even promoted the Southern Faction on a large scale, expelled the Western Faction that supported Queen Inhyeon from the court, and had important Western Faction officials like Kim Su-hang and Song Si-yeol put to death—an event known in history as the "Gisa Hwan-guk."

But since he had encountered it...

If things continued like this, I fear this Joseon would be entirely controlled by this Zhang Yuzhen!

Li Xuanya wept incessantly: "Young Master, my mother is kind-hearted. Because my father had no heirs, she welcomed this Zhang Yuzhen into the palace. I never expected, never expected that this was welcoming a hungry wolf!"

She was choked with sobs, pear blossoms drenched in rain.

In the room, only Liu Zheng and the Prince of Yong remained, smiling bitterly at each other.

"It seems the Prince of Yong will have to worry more about the affairs in Liaodong."

Liu Zheng heaved a deep sigh.

Liu Zheng still wanted to see if he could change this piece of history.

"Princess, rest assured, Liu Zheng has his own decision! Remember, on this journey, you only need to act as you normally would."

Liu Zheng comforted her, and Li Xuanya looked at him deeply for a few moments before leaving.

That night, Liu Zheng returned to the Liaodong Palace, and Xie Chan was already waiting.

"I am going with you."

Xie Chan had long known about this matter regarding Li Xuanya, and she stared at Liu Zheng.

The Prince of Yong laughed heartily: "Vice Minister Liu, feel free to go; after all, the little wife is important."

Liu Zheng was rendered speechless and smiled.

The fifty thousand troops would still need some time to prepare, and provisions and baggage also needed to be properly readied.

"But Young Master, you must help Sister Xuanya; she is very pitiful."

Xie Chan's eyes reddened, and her tone became exceptionally gentle.

Liu Zheng let out a laugh and nodded heavily.

Liu Zheng was startled: "Don't even think about it. This time, Joseon can be considered a dragon's den and a tiger's lair; I wouldn't be at ease if you went."

Xie Chan also knew that her current status was no small matter, so she had said that on purpose. Seeing Liu Zheng care for her so much, she smiled sweetly: "Hehe, I won't go. I'll stay in Liaodong and help you reclaim the land!"

Liu Zheng felt a warmth in his heart.

"If you need to, Young Master, why not just take Li Xuanya in Joseon..."

Liu Zheng was instantly mortified upon hearing this and hurriedly fled.

"Hmph, coward!"

He knew that Xie Chan had been a Princess since she was young. Because of her noble status, she had few confidants around her. After Taozi died, she was even more lonely as snow. This time in Liaodong, becoming sisters with Li Xuanya and having so much in common was truly not easy for her.

"Rest assured, Chan'er."

Xie Chan suddenly gave a playful smile, walked to Liu Zheng's ear, and whispered a sentence.

Fifty thousand-strong army.

After thinking about it for a night, Liu Zheng felt that this number one demoness of Joseon was truly not simple. Joseon currently had only five hundred thousand troops on the surface, but the territory of Joseon consisted of eight provinces and three islands.

This time, Wa had mobilized almost its entire force, swearing to annihilate Joseon.

Xie Chan giggled as she watched Liu Zheng's disheveled appearance.

The next day.

Liu Zheng got up, and the camp was already bustling with activity.

The Northerners, the Southerner Party, and the Westerner Party were each fighting for their own interests, deceiving and crushing one another, which led to the low morale of the soldiers on the front lines.

At this moment.

Zhang Yuzhen's idea was very simple: if she wanted to seize the opportunity to control the government, she could only bring in Longyan reinforcements. However, she did not need many; just one army capable of breaking the balance, but not enough to change the situation in Joseon, would suffice.

The five hundred thousand-strong army of Wa set out in ten columns, striking with the force of a thunderbolt, leaving Joseon unable to even lift its head.

Fifty thousand against fifty thousand; why were they fighting so miserably?

This was still related to the internal Bitter Remonstrance within Joseon.

The idea is good.

Unfortunately.

She encountered Liu Zheng.