Chapter 1 Confrontation

Mao Yongming stepped forward to question the people of Xian Yue Trading Company, and naturally, Jin Ze came out to answer.

Seeing Mao Yongming arrive, Jin Ze feigned excitement: "Sir, you've finally come! When did Chun Nan's security become so bad? Last night, we encountered bandits who demanded that we leave ten percent of the value of our goods before they would let us pass. Fortunately, my guards had some skill, so we managed to get through... Sir, is it going to be like this all the way? We are just small merchants, doing business strictly according to the laws of both countries, and we really can't afford this."

Mao Yongming figured out what was going on, and the anger of the soldiers under his command rose. But as a commander of a battalion of soldiers, he had some discernment. Why was everything fine before, but now that Ye Tao is here, there are so many troubles? No one would believe that Ye Tao didn't play a role in this. Moreover, this matter couldn't be brought out into the open. After all, this kind of extortion along the way is indeed a violation of the agreement between the two countries.

Mao Yongming immediately took his men to see Ye Tao. But the person who came out to answer was an officer with the rank of battalion commander, who neither explained the reason nor felt that there was anything to hide, and bluntly replied, "He won't see you!"

Mao Yongming retreated dejectedly. He didn't dare to do anything to Ye Tao, even though this was Chun Nan's territory. He could roughly tell that the people Ye Tao brought with him wouldn't have much trouble wiping out his few thousand men.

Back in the camp, Mao Yongming was furious. He lost hundreds of men but had nowhere to vent his anger, and he was ignored. This matter definitely couldn't be resolved through official channels, but reporting to the superiors who had promoted him was necessary.

Ye Tao didn't find it convenient to continue looking for opportunities to kill Chun Nan soldiers, but he had all the Dong Ping merchant caravans follow the delegation. Ye Tao said, "If you encounter anyone with no eyes, tell them to come to me for money."

Unexpectedly, there really was such a blind person. About three hundred *li* away from Yu Hang, a general who was used to being domineering brought a thousand men to demand money, didn't realize it was sarcasm, and directly rushed up to block the delegation's path. This time, Ye Tao was also furious. With a command, he disarmed them all and tied them to the trees by the roadside.

Many similar things had happened, and they had all been reported to Yu Hang, but the two princes and several important officials discussed for a long time without any results. Although Ye Tao was overbearing, could you say he was wrong? You could only say that he came to make Chun Nan look bad, and this just gave him the opportunity. Not only was there the problem on the road, but Ye Tao even had the Dong Ping merchants compile records of their extra donations and bribes when they sought protection and publicly declared that he would solve this problem this time. Such words naturally quickly spread to Yu Hang.

Ye Tao led an increasingly large merchant caravan towards Yu Hang unhurriedly. Naturally, he wasn't in a hurry. This trip wasn't easy, and his slow progress was to allow the preparations in Yu Hang to be implemented one by one.

The Chun Nan government was extremely wary of Ye Tao, but the superficial etiquette was not lacking at all. The two princes, along with many important officials, greeted him twenty *li* outside the city. Along the way, Ye Tao only briefly chatted with the two princes about some interesting things about Dong Ping's conquest of Bei Liao. Ye Tao was quite optimistic about the current governance of Bei Liao, and everything was progressing smoothly. But the strong confidence displayed in his tone was enough to make the two Chun Nan princes feel uneasy. The faster Dong Ping digested Bei Liao, the faster they would prepare for a new war, which everyone knew. And Ye Tao's unfriendly attitude along the way seemed to be making some kind of statement.

"Envoy Ye, those things along the way shouldn't have bothered you. Actually, if you had sent me a message, I would have naturally had someone deal with it. It's our fault for troubling Envoy Ye with such trivial matters," said the Second Prince.

"Diplomacy is no small matter," Ye Tao replied indifferently. "Moreover, I am also concerned about the Chun Nan court. What I have seen along the way is extremely worrying. With the old king dead and the new ruler not yet established, it seems that the Chun Nan court's control over the regions is somewhat problematic. If you hurt these merchants, they won't come again in the future. Both of our countries will lose a lot of tax revenue. It will only benefit those who shouldn't get the money... Hehe, I won't say more. Since I have made a promise to the merchants, I will naturally solve it. Since both princes are here, you might as well think together about how to solve this matter."

The two princes looked gloomy. In the current political situation, how could the two princes give up control over the regions? Without control of the central government, regional control became their most important bargaining chip. Now, the forces of the two princes together almost covered ninety percent of Chun Nan's territory. It could be said that this was the most solid moment in history for the local control of Chun Nan. However, this control was indulgent. Since they wanted the generals below to follow them in desperate times, regardless of anything, at any cost, then they would have to give them enough benefits now. It was really not easy for Ye Tao to eliminate the extra levies imposed on merchants. Except for a few direct descendants and those with particularly close relationships, it was very difficult to contact those generals at this time. But the two princes had to try. It was better for Ye Tao to investigate in this regard than to solve the problem by conquering with a large army, right?

Once inside Yu Hang city, Ye Tao resided in a mansion provided by a Dong Ping giant merchant. In reality, this giant merchant was an official of the intelligence agency, covering up the local spies and providing them with sufficient funds. However, this official was hidden very deeply and would not easily be involved in those intelligence scouting tasks, but rather maintained a fairly detached merchant status.

"Envoy Ye, will you attend the banquet tonight?" Nie Rui, disguised, came to ask Ye Tao.

"Who's going?" Ye Tao asked casually.

"The two princes, the Song family will be represented by Song Xiangjun and her husband, three ministers, two grand scholars, and... various unimportant people," Nie Rui snorted, clearly dissatisfied with the list.

"Chang Ling isn't planning to show her face?" Ye Tao was also extremely dissatisfied. This Chang Ling was becoming more and more excessive. Even at the very least, meeting with Ye Tao would be a sign of goodwill. "Jin Ze, take my invitation and arrange to meet Chang Ling. Tomorrow afternoon, just... never mind, you can find a place."

Ye Tao would never use the word "request to see" for Chang Ling. In Dong Ping, his status was much higher than Chang Ling's. His current treatment in Dong Ping was not just the superficial things like being exempt from bowing and allowed to carry a sword into the court. He didn't even bother to carry it. A sword, even if it was just for ceremonial purposes, a light and beautiful one, was still very heavy. This status still existed in Yu Hang. Ye Tao was arranging to meet a Dong Ping Princess Consort, not a Chun Nan princess.

Jin Ze naturally knew how to handle this. Although Chang Ling was half dead with anger, she really couldn't refuse this request. But she turned around and went to her second brother, hoping he would help her out.

The location Jin Ze decided on was outside the city, at the Sea-Viewing Tower built near the sea dike. This somewhat remote restaurant was now one of the most famous restaurants in Yu Hang and was also a very heroic restaurant. And Ye Tao, predictably, booked an entire floor.

Chang Ling arrived late, her demeanor revealing a mix of arrogance and trepidation.

"Greetings, Consort Lian," Ye Tao said indifferently.

"Envoy Ye, it's been a long time," Tan Weizai said with some enthusiasm. Although it had been many years since they last met, Ye's Workshop always remembered to send him a copy of anything fun. Ye Tao himself wouldn't remember these things, but his subordinates would always do things more thoughtfully. Tan Weizai might not have many opportunities to play with his toys, after all, he had too many things he didn't understand to learn on weekdays, but the child remembered this kindness.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Ye Tao patted Tan Weizai's head, affectionately, but as a matter of course.

"Envoy Ye has summoned me, I wonder... what is the matter?" Chang Ling asked after taking a seat.

"After the end of the mission, I will take Your Highness back to Danyang," Ye Tao said briefly, clearly notifying, not requesting.

"This..." Chang Ling's face turned red, and after calming her breath slightly, she said, "Weizai's studies are quite demanding, and besides, my father passed away not long ago, and I have not yet completed the mourning period, so it may be inconvenient."

"It will be half a year by the twelfth of next month. You haven't completed the mourning period yet? If the Chun Nan Ministry of Rites is handling it according to the princess's procedures for you, then I will have to look down on them a little," Ye Tao said coldly. "Consort Lian, please remember that you are first and foremost a Dong Ping Princess Consort. I am not asking for your consent in this matter, but just informing you. The two princes miss their younger brother, and besides, our Dong Ping princes naturally have their own set of educations." Ye Tao's words were already very heavy. Ye Tao glanced at Tan Weizai, who was obviously a little excited and probably quite annoyed by the Chun Nan education. But with his mother and Ye Tao at such odds, Tan Weizai was also a little uneasy.

"Envoy Ye... what great power!" Chang Ling was already on the verge of exploding. But no matter how she looked at it, the current situation was not in her favor. This time, whether it was her eldest brother or second brother, they seemed to be relatively weak when dealing with Ye Tao. But Chang Ling knew that if she returned to Dong Ping, she would be treated as if she was in a cold palace, far less carefree than in Yu Hang.

This meeting was a statement, but it was also testing Chun Nan's bottom line. Now it seemed that both princes were relatively rational and at least didn't want to stand up for Chang Ling. Chang Ling had no reason to stay in Yu Hang, logically or emotionally. Even a six-month mourning period was already excessive for a princess who had married far away.

Back at the mansion, Ye Tao began to make arrangements in full swing. Chang Ling probably wouldn't give in easily. Although the two princes didn't respond directly, if they didn't use this matter to make a fuss, then Ye Tao would have to look down on them. To others, Ye Tao seemed to be inviting some well-known Dong Ping people in Chun Nan all day long to exchange information, and leaving the negotiations to Feng Zi, but in reality, Ye Tao was constantly sending some messages out through those people. Ye Tao met with the Second Prince twice in private, promising to help him ascend the throne, but Chang Ling and Tan Weizai must return to Danyang. Unknowingly, Chang Ling was betrayed by her trusted second brother. Besides that, the negotiation process was not smooth. Having realized Dong Ping's ambition and power, Chun Nan was being very strict with various conditions. Even in terms of trade taxes, some people even wanted to set the additional levies along the way after entering the country. This was naturally not allowed, and Feng Zi even threatened to close the borders between the two countries. At the same time, a large number of sensitive materials, such as military equipment and armor, were completely blocked. Chun Nan still refused to yield. And the atmosphere of the meeting became more and more tense.

Ye Tao wasn't too worried about this situation. Since the Second Prince had already reached such an agreement with him, any negotiations now were just superficial, not to mention that Ye Tao didn't really think the negotiations were that important. But unexpected things still happened. Ye Tao knew nothing about the Fuhu Tang (Crouching Tiger Hall), but the Fuhu Tang regarded Ye Tao as a great enemy. Jiang Yan, who had begun to set up the Fuhu Tang with the status of an important central official, how could he relax his vigilance against Chun Nan's important figures? There was a maid beside Chang Ling who was from the Fuhu Tang. The maid pretended to have heard from the Second Prince's guards that Ye Tao had met with the Second Prince several times. Just this news made Chang Ling worried.

Destiny must always be in one's own hands, and Chang Ling was not willing to be lonely. Originally, she had always been dependent on the Second Prince, but now, although it was a bit urgent, she still had to start building her own network of relationships. Chang Ling met with several ministers who participated in the negotiations between the two countries. After all, she was a Dong Ping Princess Consort, and it was reasonable for her to be concerned about these matters. The ministers naturally told her everything they knew. But she hinted to these ministers that they must be careful of Dong Ping's strategic layout.

Yu Hang fell into a strange atmosphere during those days. Several of the most honorable and important figures seemed to be constantly meeting with people from all sides. Ye Tao was like that, the two princes were like that, and even Chang Ling was like that. And at this moment, a shocking thing happened. Chang Ling encountered assassins when she went out. The captain of the guards, the Dong Ping Forbidden Army battalion commander Zhuo Xiansen, died while defending against the enemy. Zhuo Xiansen was a member of the Zhuo family. At the age of twenty-two, he could be said to have a bright future. He came to Chun Nan to learn more about Chun Nan's situation. Tan Xiaopei was planning to fight Chun Nan for a while. Military officers who understood Chun Nan's situation might not be able to play a big role in the early stages, but when the war entered the middle and late stages and it was necessary to appease the local areas and wipe out various remnants of resistance, these officers could play a huge role. But now, Zhuo Xiansen fell into the hands of assassins.

In less than two hours, Ye Tao learned the truth of the matter through Nie Rui. After the assassination attempt, Zhuo Xiansen immediately ran to Chang Ling's carriage to ask for instructions and to comfort Chang Ling's emotions. But at that time, there was another person in the carriage who instantly grabbed Zhuo Xiansen's wrist, and he couldn't move. And the assassin attacked at this time, stabbing Zhuo Xiansen to death with a sword. He couldn't resist at all. Zhuo Xiansen's deputy Yu Jun caught a glimpse of this, but he endured it. This matter was not something he could solve, and avenging Zhuo Xiansen was not something he could do. That night, Chang Ling, "still shaken," reorganized the guard forces. Jin Chan'er, the maid who had always followed Chang Ling, skillfully adjusted the layout of the guard team, drawing a group of people from the Chun Nan Forbidden Army and the palace guards. Then, several Jianghu people (martial artists) joined the guard team. For a time, Chang Ling's guard team became a force to be reckoned with in Yu Hang, especially the Jianghu experts who joined, all of whom were very skilled.

The Fuhu Tang also took advantage of this measure to directly intervene in the complicated situation. Yu Hang was in a state of anxiety for a while.

"It's good to make such a fuss, it's better to see a person's true face and temperament than to think about it later. It's just a pity for Zhuo Xiansen," Ye Tao said. He was also brewing a strong killing intent in his heart. Originally, he didn't want to be too ruthless. If Chang Ling obediently followed him back, everyone would be better off, and even Chang Ling would continue to maintain relatively high standards of supply in Danyang and would not change because of anything that happened in Chun Nan. But now, Chang Ling's posture clearly said: No one can decide where I go, if you want to mess around, don't blame me for going crazy!

Unreasonable people can only be dealt with in unreasonable ways. So, Ye Tao had Jin Ze pass on a hard-line message to the Second Prince: "If you don't have the ability to control Chang Ling, then I will." Then, Ye Tao summoned a group of people overnight to prepare another plan.