"Young Master Lu, this joke isn't funny."
Yao Ye narrowed her eyes and spoke word by word.
"Does Your Highness think I look like I'm joking?"
Lu Yunxiao slightly raised his gaze and asked calmly.
Yao Ye's pupils contracted slightly as she forced a smile. "With Young Master Lu's strength, you shouldn't need the army's help at all. If there are foes even you cannot handle, these troops would be even more useless."
"I may not need them, but the Mittel Family does. Princess Yao Ye, do you understand what I mean?"
Seeing Yao Ye's tightly furrowed brow, Lu Yunxiao spoke softly.
Yao Ye pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Naturally, she understood Lu Yunxiao's meaning. The Mittel Family was already the empire's largest merchant family. If it gained a foothold in the military as well, its power would undoubtedly soar by another tremendous margin.
By then, the Mittel Family would be too powerful, posing a threat to the imperial family.
From the bottom of her heart, she did not want to agree. Yet looking at Lu Yunxiao across from her, she did not dare refuse him outright.
It was true that the Mittel Family gaining military authority would threaten the imperial family, but Lu Yunxiao could already coerce the imperial family as things stood.
She did not want to agree, but neither did she want to offend Lu Yunxiao and tear all pretense apart. That would be anything but good for the imperial family.
She had witnessed firsthand just how mad and reckless Lu Yunxiao could be.
He had killed Mu Chen as easily as slaughtering a chicken, without the slightest hesitation. If he truly became angry, it was not impossible that he would directly attack the imperial family.
She did not dare casually provoke such a dangerous