Tao Hua had lived for half a lifetime, seen all sorts of people.
But someone like Ji Zizhao, he hadn't even heard of.
He had seen people hire assassins to kill others, but who hired assassins to kill themselves?
His worldview was shattered!
Facing Tao Hua's gaping mouth, Ji Zizhao remained as calm as ever. "You took Mu Man's silver. Until you kill me, you cannot leave Yulin. Why don't we settle this quickly? What do you think?"
Tao Hua moved his stiff lips. "You, what has gotten into you?"
Ji Zizhao replied, "I want to make a deal with you."
Tao Hua: "..."
Oh, not only hiring assassins to kill himself, but also negotiating with the assassin…
His worldview was still shattering.
"Why should I agree to you?" Tao Hua frowned, looking at Ji Zizhao.
"If you don't agree, with your skills, you'll have a hard time even getting close to me. If we drag this out, you might spend the rest of your life in Yulin. But if you agree to my deal, every time you bring me news, it will be your best chance to get close to me. I guarantee with my honor, my people will no longer obstruct you."
This was quite tempting indeed.
Tao Hua wasn't afraid of Mo Hen and Xue Ying beside Ji Zizhao. The problem was that after wasting his energy on those two every time, he would be exhausted. By the time he saw Ji Zizhao again, forget killing her, he could barely walk.
With such a large pie placed before him, Tao Hua couldn't help but be tempted. "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"
"Monitor the Fourth Prince."
The Fourth Prince's mansion was heavily guarded.
With Tang Di and Huo Nian Gong present, even a mosquito wouldn't be able to fly into the Fourth Prince's mansion.
Moreover, if he found someone else to monitor and investigate, with Xie Jinglan's cunning, it might alert him.
Therefore, no matter how you looked at it, Tao Hua was the most suitable for this task.
"Anything involving the Fourth Prince and Xirong, even just a few words or insignificant news, as long as you deliver it to me, it will count as a chance to kill me."
"Ji Zizhao, aren't you afraid I'll really kill you? With your martial arts, you can't beat me."
"My martial arts are inferior to yours, but which time have you evaded my poison?"
That hit a nerve…
Low in damage, extremely insulting!
Tao Hua's face turned green.
He realized this woman always attacked where it hurt the most!
"By the way, aren't you on good terms with the Fourth Prince of Yulin? And I saw he treated you well. Can you bear to monitor such a person?"
Others might not understand what surveillance meant, but Tao Hua did.
A prince of a country corresponding with another country, regardless of the reason, was treason punishable by death if caught.
Ji Zizhao silently drank her tea, showing no intention of explaining.
Tao Hua waited for a while, and seeing Ji Zizhao still silent, he patted his backside and stood up. "Fine. Since you don't regret it, then it's settled. You just wait for me to bring you news to kill you."
Regret?
Ji Zizhao didn't think so.
She could not stand by and watch the empire her ancestors built be divided by Xirong.
But she had never intended to expose the Fourth Prince to the public.
Therefore, everything had to be stopped in secret, hoping it wasn't too late.
"Does Madam wish to sleep?" Shui Ling pushed aside the curtain and entered.
Ji Zizhao rose and walked towards the desk. "Grind ink for me."
As long as the situation in Tonglin did not ease, the watchful eyes in the imperial court would not relax.
The best way to silence those people was to bring good news from Tonglin.
Ji Zizhao was not skilled in leading troops, but she could offer advice on how to make that husky, Seven, obey orders.
That night, after finishing her letter, Ji Zizhao asked Mo Hen to deliver it to the Fourth Prince's mansion.
With so many people now fixated on Tonglin, she absolutely could not involve those around her.
Ji Zizhao's guess was correct. For several consecutive days, the imperial court debated the war in Tonglin.
Emperor Xiaochang attended court with a gloomy expression and left with thunderous roars. For many days, he had not entered the inner palace.
The ministers of the Fifth Prince's faction, seeing that they could not persuade the Emperor, began to incite other ministers.
During the previous imperial selection of consorts, many ministers' daughters were on the list.
These young ladies were supposed to wait for the army's triumphant return to the capital before marrying. Now that the Seventh Prince was unruly and causing trouble, how could their daughters get married?
Would they really have to be sent to a nunnery and have their hair shaved to become nuns?!
Under the instigation of the Fifth Prince's faction, the ministers went to the Imperial Study daily, surrounding and besieging Emperor Xiaochang.
The other princes knew that the Fourth Prince and the Seventh Prince were on good terms, and they were afraid that the Fourth Prince might make some moves behind the scenes, so they frequented the Fourth Prince's mansion every day.
The Fifth Prince, Xie Jingzhou, was naturally among them.
However, Xie Jinglan, faced with these princes who had taken root in his mansion every day, not only showed no impatience but even treated them to meals three times a day.
As for Xie Jinglan, his daily routine was a straight line: Ministry of Revenue, mansion, mansion, Ministry of Revenue…
He appeared to be completely uninvolved in everything.
This, however, made the other princes, who were constantly lurking in the Fourth Prince's mansion, suffer greatly.
The Fourth Prince was the least favored by the Emperor, and his monthly stipend was the smallest among all the princes.
These past few days, while staying at the Fourth Prince's mansion, they had been eating steamed buns and drinking plain congee, their mouths utterly tasteless.
How could they, as noble princes, endure such hardship?
Oh, they remembered. It was the Fifth Prince who said that the Fourth Prince and the Seventh Prince were close, and that the Fourth Prince would not stand idly by if the Seventh Prince got into trouble.
Xie Jingzhou: "..."
He hadn't expected his Fourth Brother to be so steadfast!
Seeing Xie Jinglan entering the mansion, Xie Jingzhou hurried forward. "Now that the Seventh Prince has caused such a huge mess in Tonglin, aren't you the least bit worried, Fourth Brother?"
Xie Jinglan glanced at Xie Jingzhou with a faint smile. "What use is worry? One must fulfill their duty in their position. Even if the Ministry of Revenue extends its reach, it cannot reach Tonglin. Fifth Brother, it would be better to speak cautiously. If this matter reaches Father Emperor's ears, it might displease him."
Xie Jingzhou: "..."
He felt the resentment from the other princes deepen.
Xie Jingzhou naturally didn't believe what Xie Jinglan said.
But no matter how he watched or investigated, Xie Jinglan's daily routine remained only between the Ministry of Revenue and his mansion.
As a result, the other princes began to concede defeat without a fight.
Drinking plain congee and eating steamed buns all day – who could endure that?
At this point, no matter how Xie Jingzhou persuaded them, the princes left the Fourth Prince's mansion without looking back.