Lian Ke’s words were like poison. Even as he had spoken them with an easygoing tone, his offer still became extremely alluring.
Qin Jue couldn’t help but be reminded that if he had been offered this a month ago, he definitely would have accepted it.
Seeing that Qin Jue isn’t answering, Lian Ke continued.
“You’re the Crown Prince of Qin Nation, the rightful heir to the throne. Are you really satisfied with being decrowned like this? If you are dissatisfied with this, we can help you. We’ll help you return to Capital City, to return to your original position.
As a matter of fact, we’ll even lend soldiers to you to gain control of the throne!”
Qin Jue’s eyes flashed upon hearing this.
“Is this your way of saying that Ze Nation already has control of the inner workings of Qin Nation?”
After all, not just anyone has the power to help him re-enter Capital City, much less help him regain his position.
Lian Ke laughed, “That’s not something you should be worrying about. You just need to confirm whether you’re willing to cooperate with us or not. If you agree, Our Majesty will award you with the utmost respect, crowning you as the emperor of Qin Nation.”
Qin Jue asked, “What if I’m not willing?”
Lian Ke paused for a second, his face darkening, “Then there’ll be no other choice but to remove you… Ze Nation has no use for someone who does not contribute!”
Having said that, his subordinates opened the window, allowing Qin Jue to see the outside.
They were already sailing over the lake. A strange smell wafted through the open window as the frosted wind flew in.
Other than the boat they were currently in, there were around twenty to thirty other medium-sized cargo ships on the lake. Because of the lake’s narrowness, the boats must spread out. And due to that, the whole lake appeared extra packed and occupied.
After estimating the number of boats with a glance, Qin Jue asked nonchalantly, “So the people on these boats are all disguised Ze people that have been working as merchants in Qin Nation?”
Lian Ke laughed, “How is that possible? It’s not such an easy task to infiltrate into another country. However, they are all our men. They are notoriously known as the water bandits! The whole water area surrounding Xiang City belongs to us! And as for these boats, naturally, they were all previously merchant boats that we had hijacked!”
Qin Jue immediately understood what this meant.
Xiang City serves as the border city of Qin Nation and the national border between Qin and Ze Nation is marked by the Wan River.
Because the Wan River lies on the territory between two countries, it’s difficult to determine a set of laws to follow. On top of that, the cities surrounding Wan River are where the exiles and the criminals have come to settle. Over time, this became the place for the water bandit camp and many other water gangs, adding up to a total of three to five thousand people.
Sometimes, they will disturb the borders of Ze Nation, and other times they come to rob Qin Nation. Although the emperors of both nations had tried sending soldiers to surround and capture them in the past, it was completely impossible given Wan River’s size. As a result, this issue was dropped. One can say that the water bandits belong to neither Ze Nation nor Qin Nation. As people that reside in a gray area, it’s not surprising that they became a tool in this scheme.
Qin Jue asked in a curious tone, “So you’re escaping towards Wan River with your men right now?”
“Of course.”
Perhaps Lian Ke didn’t deem Qin Jue to be too much of a threat so he kept on speaking.
“We drew too much attention inviting Your Highness with us earlier, so they’re probably searching everywhere for us.
But that won’t be a problem soon. Once we cross Red Sand Valley, we’ll be heading straight into Wan River and nobody will be able to catch us, not even the heavens!”
Red Sand Valley.
Hearing this name drew a chuckle from Qin Jue.
He had already guessed that this was where their hideout was when Xie Lin Lang first called out they were Ze people.
After all, the entire Xiang City had been under his surveillance; it would be impossible for anyone to conduct espionage to find their way in without him noticing. So, the only plausible answer was that they have been hiding outside of the city, at a place with both easy access to information and a place convenient for escape.
Out of all the places around here, the only place he could think of was the boats he and Xie Lin Lang saw on their way here.
Because the bandits came here on boats, they must leave by boats as well. The best way to avoid being captured while achieving all of the above would be no other than traveling through the Wan River.
However, in order to access Wan River, they must pass by Red Sand Valley, hence why Qin Jue could let himself be captured without resisting.
He could see that they came with an attitude for negotiation and it was perfect for him to find out what tricks they have up their sleeves.
Seeing that Qin Jue remained silent, Lian Ke scoffed, “You’ve done enough questioning now. As you can see, struggling is futile. No one will be able to come to rescue you and you won’t be escaping either! After all, we boarded the merchant boat the moment we took you with us. The other men are probably still looking for you house by house inside the city!
When they finally realize their mistakes, we will be long gone! So don’t even bother trying to stall for time and make your decision now!
Will you cooperate? Or will you die?”
Under the icy scrutiny of the man, Qin Jue chuckled weakly.
He sighed, “Do I have a choice? I’ve already become an exiled prince with no power. Rather, tell me what the Ze Nation’s Emperor would like me to do?”
Seeing Qin Jue’s awareness of his position, Lian Ke sneered, “It’s good that you’re so decisive. Well, I’ll be getting to the point as well. The reason that Our Majesty chose to help you out of everyone is because of your heritage and bloodline!
We can help you ascend to the Emperor’s throne in Qin Nation, and as payback, when the deed is done, you must offer the land starting from Qi Lian in the South all the way to Bo Yang in the East all to Ze Nation. Doesn’t this sound like a reasonable deal?”
Qin Jue couldn’t help but scoff at his words. Taking all the land from the South of Qin Nation to the East was essentially taking all of the valuable lands away from Qin Nation. This was no different compared to if they had just directly conquered the entire Qin Nation.
But on the surface, Qin Jue answered calmly, “So that’s what it was. Since I have gained the favor of the Ze Emperor, as a powerless Crown Prince deprived of everything, there’s nothing for me to lose if I agree to this deal. As long as His Majesty is able to keep his promise to me to help me take revenge, it is reasonable to not just offer up territories, but also have the Qin Nation become a part of Ze Nation’s territory as well.”
As expected, his words pleased Lian Ke greatly! It seemed like Qin Jue was even easier to talk business with than he had imagined!
“Great!” He laughed loudly, “As long as you keep this type of dedication up, the Emperor will only come to value you more and more! Servant, bring the alcohol! Today, I, Lian Ke, will be toasting three hundred shots to the future Emperor of Qin Nation!”
“Yes!”
(This translation was brought to you by LeafInBloom on Patreon and Sleepy Translations.)
His subordinate quickly went to retrieve alcohol. The cabin they stayed in was extremely luxurious, comprising an assortment of activities ranging from instruments to books and arts, as well as alcohol and refreshments.
Qin Jue’s appearance remained composed. He recalled how similar that substitute looked compared to him. Even he would have a hard time differentiating between himself and the substitute, so he wouldn’t be surprised if Xie Lin Lang is unable to notice quickly. Perhaps… she wouldn’t even notice.
As a result, he has plenty of time to deal with these people in front of him, and plenty of time to make sure they never come back.
Originally, he already had nothing left in Qin Nation. Even if he had known Lian Ke was from Ze Nation, he wouldn’t be holding so much hostility towards him. However, Xie Lin Lang’s words that night became a reminder for him.
Even if you never cross your enemies, it doesn’t mean your enemies won’t cross you. A narrow bed would not allow two people to sleep soundly on it.
Therefore, Lian Ke and his men must die!
Because… Xiang City belonged to him!
It did not matter to him how many spies Ze Nation wanted to plant inside Qin Nation. However, Xiang City will be directly under his protection solely and no one was to mess with it!
The alcohol was brought quickly. Lian Ke had been urging Qin Jue to drink all the meanwhile describing all the benefits of this partnership to Qin Jue, complimenting him on the wise decision he made!
Naturally, as he sees it, Qin Jue had no reason to refuse this offer. After all, someone finally willing to support a decrowned Crown Prince like him was an opportunity of a lifetime!
Even if Qin Jue would only become a puppet emperor of Ze Nation in the future, so what? It’s not as if being trapped in Xiang City for the rest of his life was a much better choice.