mtl008 Chapter 909 Prince Jin, I Want Your Kunyang Prefecture
Chapter 909 Prince Jin, I Want Your Kunyang Prefecture
Qiao Lian'er looked at the Prince of Yan. She and the Prince of Yan had almost no interaction, and she would never invite him to banquets or gatherings. Moreover, she seemed to have stolen the Prince of Yan's thunder. Although the Prince of Yan did not show any dissatisfaction, she wondered if he harbored any hidden resentment towards her.
Unexpectedly, when she faced much criticism from those around her, the Prince of Yan stood up for her.
The Prince of Yan nodded slightly to Qiao Lian'er, his expression still cold and indifferent.
He cupped his hands to the emperor, then looked around at the court officials and said, “All along, Princess Zhenguo’s decisions and proposals have been based on her own considerations, and the results have proven that her ideas are not wrong. Such a big matter as foreign invasion is something that Princess Zhenguo would naturally not dare to neglect. Just give her some time and wait and see. I believe she will not disappoint you. I ask you all not to be impetuous. Princess Zhenguo would not dare to joke about matters of national importance.”
“But Jinglang Prefecture is almost half occupied. Whatever Princess Zhenguo’s plans are, we shouldn’t delay at this time. What’s the difference between this and sitting and waiting for death?” Prince Su said.
“That’s right. I’m afraid some people just couldn’t think of a way out. I heard they’ve used all the formations they’ve trained so far, but it’s all been useless. They can only pray that the soldiers don’t retreat to the capital. If the fire spreads here and endangers the Emperor’s safety, some people could die a thousand times or ten thousand times and still not atone for their sins.” Prince Jin said sarcastically.
"Within five days, at most seven days," Qiao Lian'er promised.
When Prince Jin saw that Qiao Lian'er dared to guarantee such a short period of time, he almost jumped up.
"Fine, you said it yourself: if you can't repel the enemy within seven days, you'll have to give up your identity and everything you currently possess, let the capable rise to the top, and your Qiao family will be kicked out of the capital forever."
Qiao Lian'er stared at him coldly, her eyes like a deep pool, quietly surging with icy energy.
“Prince Jin, you have repeatedly found fault with me. The seven days I mentioned are a promise to everyone, and also a gamble with you.”
Prince Jin was taken aback: "What are you betting with me on?"
“If I cannot do that, then as you said, I will not be the Princess Zhenguo, I will hand over all my fiefdoms, and our Qiao family will leave the capital.”
"But if I succeed, you have to pay me 200,000 taels of silver, as well as the three fiefdoms under your name. I want one of them, which is Kunyang Prefecture."
Prince Jin was speechless: "You, what right do you have to ask me for so much silver, and you also want my fiefdom? You're dreaming! You're not even a Chu, and you've already received three fiefdoms. You still want more from me? Is that even possible? You're truly insatiable.
"It seems that Prince Jin is all talk and no action, but when it comes to actually making a bet, he'll be a coward. He's truly despicable," Qiao Lian'er sneered.
The court officials all stared at Prince Jin, seemingly laughing at his reluctance to gamble.
Regardless of how this war will unfold, or whether Princess Zhenguo has any plans for defense or counterattack, her willingness to promise a very short timeframe and gamble with her own status and position is admirable.
Prince Jin's face burned with embarrassment.
He was caught in a dilemma, unable to move forward or backward.
Although he doesn't think highly of Qiao Lian'er now, believing that she's at her wit's end or has run out of ideas, Qiao Lian'er has always been quick to rise through the ranks and decisive in her actions. With that kind of inertia, how could he really dare to gamble away a piece of his fiefdom?
Under the watchful eyes of so many people, Prince Jin was quite embarrassed.
He shamelessly waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. I don't care if you can repel the enemy or not. I was just saying it casually. If you can't repel them, the Da Nu Kingdom will invade. We'll all be finished together. It's not like I'm the only one who dies. Don't even think about coveting my fiefdom."
Qiao Lian'er wouldn't let him off easily.
“If I lose, I will no longer be the Princess of the Nation, but just a commoner. I will lose my fiefdom, and my family will be forced to wander outside the capital with me, homeless. What situation could be more pitiful than that?”
"The Prince of Jin dislikes me so much, this is a great opportunity for you, how can you bear to give it up?"
Qiao Lian'er smiled, but to Prince Jin, her smile seemed like a demon from hell, ready to take his life.
He doesn't even dare to look at Qiao Lian'er anymore.
He simply covered his eyes with his hands, and his voice trembled as he spoke.
"Grandma, just take it as a joke, ah, just take it as me being too busy with state affairs. Don't take those things you don't like to hear or that you feel are offensive to you to heart. You're not that petty, are you?"
"Eleventh brother, why are you scared now?" The emperor sneered: "Since you are so unwilling to submit to my princess, I will be the guarantor of your bet this time. You always shout loudly, so be a man this time. If you win, you will never have to see the princess you dislike again. If you lose, you will accept your loss."
Upon hearing the emperor's decision, Prince Jin looked like he was about to cry.
Qiao Lian'er raised an eyebrow, and that condescending gaze almost made him collapse to the ground.
His three fiefdoms were his most prized possessions. One was managed by his daughter, one by his son, and the other by him personally. They were economically prosperous, generated abundant tax revenue, and served as the livelihood of his entire family.
Taking away one piece is like tearing out one's heart and lungs.
Now that the emperor has spoken, he only hopes that Qiao Lian'er's confidence and certainty are all an act. He hopes she will lose, regardless of the consequences of her defeat or whether the capital will be flooded. He just wants to protect his fiefdom.
Seeing that Prince Jin could no longer cause trouble, the emperor glared at him sternly.
He did this, of course, to give Prince Jin a warning and a lesson.
At the same time, it also puts pressure on Qiao Lian'er. Now the situation is urgent, and if left unchecked, it will only get worse. If Qiao Lian'er cannot repel the enemy, she will lose everything, including her own head.
The morning court session was noisy and chaotic, and the emperor had not fully recovered before the session ended.
As Qiao Lian'er walked out of the Golden Palace, she could feel the Prince of Jin's hateful gaze fixed on her.
“Oh, Prince Jin, you haven’t even lost your fiefdom yet, and you hate me like this. If you really lose it, won’t you cry and scream and threaten to hang yourself?”
Prince Jin gave a cold laugh.
“Kunyang Prefecture is occupied by my daughter, Princess Yaoguang. Given her personality, she will never give up this prefecture to you.”
Qiao Lian'er said, "It doesn't matter who occupies it now. If Prince Jin loses, he has to give me the token of this state so I can take over. As for the other irrelevant people, anyone who disobeys should be expelled."
Prince Jin leaned back and stubbornly retorted.
"I'm afraid it won't be as easy as you think."