Kidnapped

As soon as he finished speaking, a flood of information rushed through Li Yunqing's mind.

Putting aside the heinous act of raising a private army, the fact that Xu Yuan possessed an army that did not belong to the Prime Minister's Mansion's residence is absurd in itself.

Although he had never been involved in military affairs, as the head of the Imperial Clan Chamber of Commerce, Li Yunqing was more or less aware of the manpower and resources required to train an army.

From the initial screening of qualifications, the cost at each step is astronomical.

Thinking of this, Li Yunqing's gaze towards Xu Yuan became somewhat strange, and two words subconsciously surfaced in his mind.

Conceal one's shortcomings.

Throughout the more than 1,300-year history of the Great Yan, there have been many wise men who endured hardship and deliberately concealed their talents, only to later achieve remarkable success. However, reason kept telling Li Yunqing that such a thing could not possibly be related to Xu Yuan in front of him.

Enduring hardship and biding one's time? A petty person seeks revenge all day long!

Even setting aside these issues, Xu Yuan's temperament and style of doing things are all an act, and he has secretly built a huge network of power over the years.

But is it necessary?

Those who deliberately concealed their abilities were invariably in absolute danger.

Those who don't conceal their talents will perish.

And what about Xu Yuan?

In the family environment of the Prime Minister's Estate, Xu Yuan could solve any problem by simply saying "Brother is here"; if that didn't work, he would add "Father is here."

Reality is not a picture book story.

Over the past few decades, that prime minister has built his Prime Minister's Estate into a behemoth. Why waste what already exists, and instead have Xu Yuan start from scratch? It's like taking off your pants to fart.

After considering all the illogical information, Li Yunqing's gaze towards Xu Yuan gradually became wary.

Based on past experience,

This guy is probably planning to swindle him out of his life savings again.

"How many soldiers can you lend me Changtian?"

"."

Xu Yuan's pale golden pupils scanned the bustling street below, oblivious to Li Yunqing's change in expression. After a moment's hesitation, he replied softly:

"Initially, we should be able to lend you a full battalion."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing's eyes became even more wary, and he tentatively asked:

"Five thousand people in the initial stage? What is their cultivation level?"

Xu Yuan recalled the information Little White had given him back then and replied:

"Guaranteed grade seven."

Li Yunqing raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this was quite a bait, but smiled and said:

"Although this army cannot compare to the truly elite troops, it can still be considered a brave and valiant force."

Xu Yuan smiled slightly, his pale golden pupils locking onto the two foreigners who had just emerged from the main hall of the Elegant Jade Palace:

"The strength of the Xien is not weak. If I lend you too few troops, you may die, not to mention that the troops I lend out will also perish with you."

Li Yunqing's eye twitched, but he maintained his previous expression and asked with a smile:

"Rest assured, I am a man who cherishes his soldiers like his own children. I will treat the troops you lend me very well. I just don't know where these troops are stationed, and could you take me there to see them?"

After saying that,

Li Yunqing looked at Xu Yuan with a slightly nervous expression.

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

The meager allowance his father gave him meant he could only navigate the situation in the Dongying Island with utmost caution and tact.

And even so, they still have to consider the attitude of the Xien Empire.

Therefore, even though Li Yunqing didn't believe that Xu Changtian could suddenly pull out such a large army from his crotch, he still had some hope.

after all,

The more troops he has after arriving in Dongying Island, the safer he will be, and the more he can do Dongying Island.

If these chips accumulate to a critical point, they could even be enough for him to completely overturn and start over the entire plan he has devised over the past few days.

Under Li Yunqing's affectionate gaze, Xu Yuan remained silent.

After a long while, he finally managed to utter a sentence:

"Not yet."

"." Li Yunqing.

Smacking his lips, Li Yunqing asked:

"Why?"

Xu Yuan belatedly realized the meaning behind Li Yunqing's words, turned his gaze back, and directly asked:

You doubt me?

Li Yunqing's fist hardened beneath his sleeve, his smile becoming forced and insincere.

"Doubt? How could that be? Even if I don't trust my elder brother, I will trust you, Changtian. After all, we've traded here so many times, I know your character all too well."

Xu Yuan frowned:

"No, when have I, Xu Changtian, ever cheated you?"

"Hehe." Li Yunqing.

"Tsk"

"Ha."

"."

"."

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

For a moment, Xu Yuan felt very sad.

He had been completely open and honest with Li Junqing, yet Li Yunqing viewed his character so negatively because of a small amount of money they had spent together in the past.

Even though trust has collapsed, he still has to get involved and make arrangements. After all, the current Dongying Island is not just about Dongying Island itself, and Li Yunqing's mission to Eastern Isles under the guise of imperial authority makes him the best proxy for the time being.

Rubbing his temples, Xu Yuan pondered for a while before finally understanding the source of Li Yunqing's doubts. He said softly:

"I roughly know what you suspect, and I can understand your suspicions. After all, given the situation of my Prime Minister's Mansion, I, Xu Changtian, really have no need to start from scratch."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing's expression softened slightly, but he still remained silent.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled and said leisurely:

"If you had believed me, I was actually planning to pay you part of your wages tonight, but it seems that won't work now, tsk."

"." Li Yunqing.

Xu Yuan considered his words briefly and suggested:

"How about this, since you don't believe me now, let's not talk about the hiring fee for now. We can discuss the price of borrowing troops after you see the actual goods, okay? That way you won't lose anything."

"Certainly,

"If that time really comes, the price will definitely be higher than it is now, to compensate for your distrust of me."

Are you deliberately trying to disgust people?

Li Yunqing cursed inwardly, but before he could speak, Xu Yuan chuckled and waved his hand, saying:

"I'm just kidding. While it's true you'll have to pay some wages, the price won't be high."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan's expression turned serious:

"After all, the matter of Dongying Island is no longer limited to that small island nation."

Li Yunqing opened his mouth, looking at the expression on the other person's face, and felt inexplicably moved, but he quickly suppressed this feeling and chuckled softly:

"It seems you also value the Xien Empire, Changtian?"

"Yes."

Xu Yuan did not hide his thoughts. "Given the current situation in our Great Yan, we must pay attention to an unknown force whose strength is unknown."

While speaking,

Xu Yuan raised his finger and pointed to the stunning blonde woman slowly walking into the carriage below, as well as the man in the tin can, and smiled slightly:

"So Junqing, let's go tie them up now."