Clasping the Eldest Son's shoulder, Liya signaled to Chen Yu.
"Deal!"
If the Eldest Son hadn't come to apologize in person, Liya wouldn't have been so sure he could help Chen Yu with this matter. With the Eldest Son here, it was practically a done deal.
As long as the Eldest Son still had aspirations for the throne of the Tatu Kingdom, he would never dare to offend Liya, the young master with a powerful Chief Financial Officer for a father.
The Eldest Son's current situation was already dire. Even Tar had fled. He had nowhere left to retreat. The Eldest Son understood the consequences of offending Liya at this juncture.
Unbeknownst to them, the Eldest Son was filled with a multitude of emotions. How wonderful it was. He truly envied Liya. Although Liya's father was not the King of the Tatu Kingdom, the Chief Financial Officer was undoubtedly the foremost figure below the monarch. This high position came with only one wife and a single child, Liya. Despite the collateral relatives’ grumblings, the Financial Officer’s love for Liya was one hundred percent. This was why Liya could be so fearless, doing as he pleased within the city, commanding respect from everyone he encountered. Even among the many princes of the royal family, those of lower status could barely look Liya in the eye. It was like Tar, who could only endure Liya's humiliation without retaliation.
Then there was himself, the Eldest Son. A legitimate heir, yet he lived at the whim of the King, his honor and disgrace dependent on the monarch's slightest thought. By now, he didn't even have a single person he could command.
"Eldest Son?"
A whisper, soft as a spring breeze, brushed against the Eldest Son's ear. He finally snapped back to reality and offered Liya an apologetic smile.
"What is it that my brother wishes me to help with? You know my current situation..."
The Eldest Son trailed off, a self-deprecating smile on his face. Since the Queen fell out of favor, the Eldest Son's status within the royal family had plummeted, leaving him with little say in many matters. If this were more than a decade ago, he would never have shown such a dejected demeanor.
"Eldest Son, what are you saying? Since I'm asking for your help, it's naturally within your capabilities," Liya grinned and extended a hand to Chen Yu. "For the specific details, you can discuss them with this gentleman."
"Oh, so Mr. Chen requires my assistance?" The Eldest Son's eyes lit up.
The Eldest Son had almost no foothold left in the royal family. He had sent Tar to the city's outskirts specifically to connect with Chen Yu. Now that Chen Yu had a request, it was a good opportunity for him.
"You know him?" Liya's face was filled with shock.
"My dear brother, although I reside within the inner city, I am not ignorant of affairs outside. Mr. Chen's name is likely known throughout the entire cave. How could I not know him?" The Eldest Son chuckled softly.
"Is that so?"
Liya's shock intensified. His mouth gaped as he looked at Chen Yu, wide enough to swallow a goose egg. "I had no idea you were so renowned outside, sir."
Hearing Liya's flattery, Chen Yu merely smiled without speaking. Liya likely knew who he truly was, but he chose not to expose it, and Chen Yu wasn't about to be the one to ruin the game.
"May I know what Mr. Chen requires of me?"
"It's quite simple," Chen Yu said with a smile. "I have an unclaimed city that I recently conquered. Without kingdom certification, its development will be greatly restricted, and the surrounding bandits also pose a constant nuisance. I was hoping you could help get my city certified as a small city under the Tatu Kingdom. I'm willing to pay taxes to the kingdom, but the governance rights must remain with me."
"Hiss!"
His face was all smiles just moments before, but as Chen Yu finished speaking, the Eldest Son gasped and furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a long time. Seeing this, Liya could no longer sit still.
"What do you mean by this?"
"My dear brother, please don't rush," the Eldest Son said with a wry smile. "This city certification is indeed rather difficult at the moment, as you should know."
"Nonsense." Liya glared and sneered. "That's precisely why I'm asking you. If it were easy, do you think I couldn't handle it myself? And besides, aren't you in charge of this matter? If others can't do it, surely you can?"
"The King's decree..."
"There's a policy for every measure, and a countermeasure for every policy. You are the one in charge, so what's difficult about a little maneuvering? It's just the certification of a single city, not treason. Do you suspect our benefactor is a spy sent by the Batu Federation?"
"Of course, I don't mean that." The Eldest Son shook his head, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. "My dear brother may not know, but this certification matter is no longer solely my responsibility. The King has issued an order, appointing the Seventh Prince to jointly handle it. This means that mere approval is insufficient; the Seventh Prince's consent is also required."
"How is that possible?" Upon hearing this, Liya's eyes widened in disbelief, and he let out a startled exclamation. "The King, didn't he already..."
Halfway through his sentence, Liya quickly covered his mouth, desperately using a cough to mask his slip-up, and coughed dryly twice. "How could the King change his mind about this certification so abruptly? And so coincidentally, it's the Seventh Prince?"
"It's just that coincidental," the Eldest Son replied bitterly. "The Seventh Prince's influence is present in every major and minor affair I handle. No matter what I do, I am subject to the Seventh Prince's constraints. I, the Eldest Son, am more stifled than anyone."
"Eldest Son, do not be so self-deprecating." Chen Yu's voice was gentle as he smiled at the Eldest Son. "Everyone goes through troughs in life, but that doesn't mean one must remain in the trough forever. Life is always full of opportunities. As long as the Eldest Son can seize the opportunities before him, who can guarantee that he won't rise again?"
"Mr. Chen... what do you mean..." The Eldest Son's breathing quickened. Chen Yu, however, smiled and shook his head. "I don't mean anything in particular, I'm just sharing my thoughts with the Eldest Son. I believe the Eldest Son has great potential for development and will not be completely defeated. As for this city-state certification, I would trouble the Eldest Son to give it his attention. If you can help with this, I will certainly offer a satisfactory reward."
"If Mr. Chen puts it that way, then I'll take the plunge." The Eldest Son's brows knitted together. "Actually, it's not entirely impossible to get it certified through the Seventh Prince. He has a strategist under him whom he highly values, but this person has a characteristic: he is greedy, and... extremely greedy!"