"Besides, didn't you sense how heartfelt he sounded when he said he was like a fish in water? That isn't something a thirteen-year-old brat could fake."
Most of the elders agreed with this. The Elder Council had suffered greatly over the years because of Dai Weisi. Dai Qinghong's remark about being like a fish in water had given them all sorts of fantasies about the wonderful life they would have controlling him after he ascended the throne.
Thus, the Elder Council's suspicions toward Dai Qinghong had barely begun before they were overturned.
Only one issue remained—
Second Prince Dai Qinghong's asking price was rather steep.
Although the Elder Council intended to help Dai Qinghong compete for the throne, they believed that his personal strength was weak and that he would be unable to truly lead troops. Therefore, the ones who would actually control the Soul Master army would be three deputy generals.
Those three deputy generals had to be their people.
Dai Qinghong did not flatly refuse this demand. He merely stated his own conditions.
He could refrain from personally controlling the army, but he wanted a large amount of housing and land in return.
The Elder Council and Dai Qinghong were still in their honeymoon phase, so naturally they would not refuse such a request. Besides, the fact that Dai Qinghong wanted something only further proved that he was genuinely willing to cooperate with the Elder Council.
Otherwise, if the Elder Council exposed the benefits Dai Qinghong had accepted, he would have no way back with the imperial family either.
Therefore, the houses and land Dai Qinghong wanted had to be given.
The only question was—how much?
Several elders discussed it for a long time. In the end, the First Elder made the final decision. Since they wanted to