roccoschili Chapter 183 The Double Agent of the Sui Dynasty, Cheng Yaojin
Chapter 183 The Double Agent of the Sui Dynasty, Cheng Yaojin
After saying that, he buried his head and continued eating.
This trip was definitely worthwhile!
The food at the Prince's Mansion is delicious!
It tasted better than anything he had ever eaten in his life!
I should have... I should have brought my mother along!
How could I have forgotten about that!
"Here, you can have this too, don't eat me."
Seeing this, Yuwen Chenglong silently pushed the plate of fish in front of him over.
He watched Cheng Yaojin and the others eat and felt inexplicably afraid.
What if these people get so hungry that they eat him too?
At the main table not far away, Lü Xiao witnessed the entire scene.
He picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
When we returned from the last campaign against Wagang, that brat Yuwen Chenglong ransacked Wagang Village.
He could probably imagine how poor Wagang was now.
Eat up, eat as much as you like.
Anyway, they can't bankrupt the Prince Shuo's mansion.
Lu Xiao beckoned a guard over and whispered, "Go, add another new table for that one."
The guard obeyed and left.
Soon after, the banquet came to an end.
The guests gradually rose to take their leave.
Following Lü Xiao's instructions, Xue Liang stood guard at the gate of the mansion and saw everyone off.
He wore a polite smile and said things like "Take care" and "I apologize for the poor hospitality."
But Cheng Yaojin was not in a hurry to leave.
He moved among the tables that hadn't been cleared yet, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
Whenever he saw any table with untouched meat or vegetables, he would unceremoniously pull out a food box and put them in.
The food box was something he brought specially; it wasn't big, but it could hold quite a lot of things.
It's winter now, and it's freezing cold, so the food won't spoil anytime soon.
He had to take it back so his mother could also taste the flavors of the Prince's mansion.
"Brother Cheng, it's been a long time."
A voice came from behind.
Cheng Yaojin turned around and saw that Lü Xiao was standing behind him at some point.
He quickly put down the food box, rubbed his hands together, and smiled somewhat embarrassedly.
"Hehe, Zi Lie, how could I possibly be worthy of being called Brother Cheng by you?"
He genuinely felt he didn't deserve it.
Now that Lü Xiao is a prince, what is he?
A poor village chief in a remote mountain village was so poor that he could barely afford to eat.
"Back in the old Wagang days, we were the closest of friends, and you took good care of me." Lü Xiao sat down next to him, speaking casually, "Calling me Brother Cheng is not an exaggeration."
Cheng Yaojin scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
There were quite a few guests at this table.
Yuwen Chenglong, Pei Yuanqing, and Luo Cheng have not left yet.
Lu Xiao glanced at it and said to Pei Yuanqing, "Yuanqing, take Zhen'er to play somewhere else."
"Alright!" Pei Yuanqing stood up, pulled Lü Zhen, and walked out.
Seeing this, Luo Cheng also stood up: "Your Highness, I shall also take my leave."
He really didn't want to face Lü Xiao.
Every time he saw this person, he was reminded of the humiliation of being detained in Dongdu.
"Um."
Lu Xiao nodded, signaling the guards to escort him away.
He had something to tell Luo Cheng, but there was no rush; dealing with Cheng Yaojin's matter was more important.
As the unrelated personnel left one by one, only Cheng Yaojin, You Junda, Yuwen Chenglong, and a few henchmen remained at the table, with Cheng Yaojin sending them to sit aside.
"Your Highness, just call me Old Cheng." Cheng Yaojin rubbed his hands together, his face crinkling with smiles.
"Alright, Lao Cheng." Lü Xiao didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "What brings you here from Wagang?"
Cheng Yaojin chuckled and lowered his voice mysteriously.
"Celebrating the Second Young Master's 100th birthday is one thing, but there's another important matter!"
As he spoke, he took out several letters from his pocket and handed them over with both hands.
"Let me see."
As Lü Xiao's number one lackey, Yuwen Chenglong always had to scrutinize anything of dubious origin first.
What if the letter is poisoned?
Even if it's poisonous, it will only poison him, not Lü Xiao.
He took the letter and read it carefully.
After a moment, he raised his head: "Your Highness, these are letters from some rebels."
He read out several names, all of whom were rebel kings who had been making quite a fuss recently.
These people gradually gained influence, recruiting followers everywhere in an attempt to expand their power.
Lü Xiao nodded, understanding the general idea in his mind.
Although Wagangzhai has dispersed, Shan Xiongxin, Cheng Yaojin, You Junda, and others are still around.
In particular, Shan Xiongxin and You Junda were already well-known figures in the underworld, and had considerable influence in the martial arts world.
If we can win them over, we might actually be able to raise an army with a single call to arms.
Therefore, those rebel leaders set their sights on Wagang.
"Old Cheng," Lü Xiao looked at Cheng Yaojin, "since you've sent this letter, does that mean you want to join the imperial court?"
He's short-handed.
Shan Xiongxin, You Junda and the others are all quite capable. If we could recruit them, they would be a great asset.
Cheng Yaojin shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
"No, that's not it! I'm just here to tell you that Wagang Village is not the Wagang Village of Li Mi and Wang Bodang anymore. We will not oppose the imperial court."
He paused, then added.
"Of course, if Your Highness needs our help, it would be our honor, and we will certainly lend a hand!"
Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly.
He neither joined the imperial court nor surrendered to the rebels, yet he wanted to offend neither side.
"Wagang is short of food and soldiers now," Lü Xiao said calmly. "If you neither join the imperial court nor agree to their demands, I'm afraid it will be difficult to sustain this."
Cheng Yaojin scratched his head, somewhat confused: "Then what does Your Highness mean?"
"What Your Highness means is," Yuwen Chenglong, quick-witted, eager to explain, "that you join the imperial court on one hand, and the rebels on the other."
Cheng Yaojin was stunned.
Yuwen Chenglong's mind worked incredibly fast.
The rebel forces are growing stronger, and although they can't affect the capital, the court still needs to make some preparations.
Since the rebels value Wagang so much, let the Wagang members infiltrate the rebel forces.
It can not only provide intelligence, but also help you know yourself and your enemy, ensuring victory in every battle.
Cheng Yaojin understood. He turned to look at Lü Xiao and asked, "Your Highness, is that what you mean?"
"If you are unwilling, I will not force you." Lu Xiao picked up his teacup, blew on it gently, and spoke calmly.
He certainly didn't force him.
He never took those rebels seriously.
If Wagangzhai were willing to act as spies, that would be the icing on the cake.
If he doesn't want to, he doesn't care.
Cheng Yaojin remained silent.
He looked down at the empty plates in front of him, then at the letters from the rebels, and quickly began to calculate in his mind.
On one side was the imperial court, and on the other side were the rebels.
With Lü Xiao around, the imperial court has food to eat and money to earn.
On the rebel side, they lived a life of luxury, and were able to gather intelligence without offending either side.
Most importantly, they are now dirt poor and can barely afford to support their elderly mothers.
"Yes! We're willing!"
Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh, his face beaming with joy.
This deal is a sure thing!
They were eating the government's food on one hand and the rebels' food on the other.
Where can such a good thing be found?