Chapter Fifty: Whispered Conspiracy

"General Li, what are your brilliant insights?"

The Third Prince tossed his whip aside casually, leaning back in his chair with a grave expression.

Although General Li's subordinates were incompetent, the strategy he had devised was actually quite good.

He was entirely qualified to serve as the chief strategist under his command.

Hearing these words, General Li plastered a smile across his face and naturally laid out his entire plan.

"Look, Your Highness, although the First Prince appears to be at the zenith of his power within the imperial city, this is merely a superficial phenomenon. Deep down, he still does not dare to contend with you."

This was the first time the Third Prince had ever heard such a claim. He tossed his head back slightly, a look of skepticism flickering in his eyes.

"How do you figure that? Are you telling me that even after he cleaned out my coffers, he still doesn't dare to contend with me?"

As he spoke, the Third Prince's hand reached for his whip once more. If General Li failed to provide a reasonable explanation,

that whip would descend upon him again.

"Your Highness, please do not be impatient. Just listen to me carefully. In today's court session, the First Prince made himself abundantly clear."

"He claimed that the assassin was falsely accused of serving you, yet the First Prince refused to believe it and drew his sword to execute him on the spot."

"How could those common soldiers possibly know who they were truly serving? This was clearly a warning to you from the First Prince."

"His underlying message was simply: 'I am aware of your movements and what you are trying to accomplish, but I am sparing your dignity.'"

"Think about it, Your Highness. If Zhou Hao truly had the power to cover the sky with one hand, why would he bother sparing your dignity?"

"Wouldn't he simply have the current Emperor completely overthrown?"

"Why go through the trouble of speaking to you in such a roundabout way?"

Hearing this, the Third Prince finally came to his senses. Although it seemed insignificant on the surface, this was clearly a signal of capitulation from Zhou Hao.

Zhou Hao needed a powerful backing to justify that his confiscation of illicit salt and iron was entirely lawful and legitimate.

Even if someone was profiting from it behind the scenes, it could not be brought to the imperial court—or at least, not exposed where he could catch them.

Even if it were truly discovered, the punishment would likely be raised high only to fall softly.

Yet for the First Prince, this served as an imperial pardon of sorts.

As long as no one dared to investigate the matter of the illicit salt and iron, then regardless of what the First Prince said or did regarding the confiscation, wouldn't the final narrative still be dictated entirely by him?

And what if someone did choose to investigate?

An investigation would ultimately do nothing more than redirect the spearhead toward a point that could no longer be investigated at all.

General Li was somewhat clever after all. Faced with such a situation, a brief moment of reflection allowed him to comprehend Zhou Hao's true intentions.

And it was only after hearing General Li's detailed explanations that the Third Prince finally understood.

So that had been Zhou Hao's underlying thought process and strategy all along.

Even though he had won this round, how many times could he pull off such a feat?

Realizing this, the Third Prince's expression relaxed into a smile, and the excitement in his eyes broke through.

"Then, according to your plan, how should we deal with the First Prince?"

General Li offered a faint smile, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

"It is very simple: endure. Endure for these next few days. No matter what provocations or actions the First Prince makes, you must remain completely still."

"Remain still? Are you telling me to cower like a turtle?"

The Third Prince's expression darkened once more. After pondering for so long, this was the only solution General Li could come up with?

It seemed General Li's brain was not working very well after all.

Seeing the shifting expression on the Third Prince's face, General Li's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, the Third Prince had not taken his advice to heart.

"Your Highness, please do not be so hasty. How many resources do you actually have at your disposal within the imperial city?"

"Whether it was assassins, covert executions, or forging an imperial decree, we have already tried every single one of them. Do you intend to try them a second time?"

If it were merely assassins or covert executions, Emperor Zhou would likely just smile and let the matter pass.

Since it was the Third Prince trying to assassinate the First Prince, Emperor Zhou would naturally turn a blind eye, provided the Third Prince did not make it too unsightly.

If he happened to get rid of the First Prince along the way, Emperor Zhou certainly would not punish the Third Prince.

The previous attempt was simply forced by circumstances.

Not to mention the fact that forging an imperial decree was something that could never be repeated.

General Li understood all too well: the first time could be excused as the Third Prince acting out of sudden rage, gambling his life on a whim.

If he attempted it a second time, given Emperor Zhou's temperament, he would most likely have the Third Prince beheaded on the spot.

One act of transgression was not enough; he wanted to rush into a second transgression?

If Emperor Zhou could still swallow that, it would only prove that the man was an utter bastard,

and that all the favoritism he had shown was wasted on a dog!

Hearing these words, the Third Prince's face turned alternately pale and flushed, unable to formulate a rebuttal against General Li.

What General Li said was entirely correct. His previous methods, though seemingly ingenious, had long since been seen through by Zhou Hao.

Even if he wanted to eliminate Zhou Hao, he had to wait for a favorable opportunity and a proper method that would leave Zhou Hao completely unsupported.

"General Li, let us stick to your original plan: we will ambush and intercept the First Prince halfway."

"If any remains of his corpse are left, just send them directly to me."

Hearing this, a cold, sinister smile crept onto General Li's face.

In matters of this kind, General Li was exceptionally skilled and experienced.

It was not merely because the First Prince possessed vast amounts of gold and silver; more importantly,

such roads were rarely traveled, and there would be no hidden ambushes or traps waiting for them.

This would allow General Li to strike at will, without having to worry about any subsequent retaliation.

As for whether the Third Prince disagreed, what choice did he have?

He had no option but to approve General Li's operation first.

As for what to do after the First Prince was dead?

The Third Prince had already anticipated this long ago.

"General Li, arrange your troops and prepare the ambush. I will submit a memorial to hasten Zhou Hao's departure from the imperial city."

"I shall claim that the First Prince has a deep fondness for the bitter and desolate borderlands."

"Once his fief is officially assigned down there, he won't even have the chance to appeal his case."

A ferocious and frantic expression distorted the Third Prince's features.

Right now, his only goal was the First Prince's death!

He was prepared to make the worst-case scenario a reality and have the First Prince die along the road.

General Li had long since grasped the Third Prince's intentions.

"Your Highness, simply doing that will not suffice. You should still dispatch a few servants to station themselves outside the First Prince's residence and keep constant watch over his movements."

"In this way, we can utilize those updates to ensure the First Prince meets his end swiftly and decisively at the very end."

"Furthermore, you had best make one thing clear to the Emperor: that for these past few days, you have been unwilling to step outside precisely to avoid the First Prince."

At this point, General Li broke into a wide grin.

He understood that the current Emperor favored the Third Prince above all others.

Upon hearing that the Third Prince was actively avoiding the First Prince, the Emperor would naturally choose an even more desolate and impoverished region for the First Prince's fief.

Not only would this please the Third Prince, but the route along which the First Prince would be ambushed would be even more deserted, eliminating any fear of discovery.