The Green Hill Foxes Must Repay Their Debt

But times had changed. Not long ago, when Cao Yiyan had planned to feign allegiance to Prince Qi, he had held plenty of trump cards and could have handled any situation with ease.

Now, however, the Great Wei Orthodoxy at the Dragon Palace had been severed, leaving him unable to interfere there again. He no longer had any chance of gaining power through dragon transformation. With his vitality grievously depleted, he found himself hesitating for once.

If I went over to Prince Qi only to fall under his control, I would end up losing the rice without stealing the chicken. That would be laughable.

Cao Yiyan slowly unfolded the letter. Sure enough, its contents made his brow furrow even more deeply.

He wants me to deal with Su Ziji? Does he think I don't know who Su Ziji is? Prince Qi's intentions deserve death. It seems even making a feint won't work.

Without betraying his thoughts, he glanced again toward where Su Ziji stood, then handed the letter to the middle-aged man. Only after the man had finished reading did he ask, "Dou Fengming, what do you think of Su Ziji? I told you before that he might be the crown prince's son. He hasn't yet been acknowledged by his clan or entered into its genealogy. Can he be killed?"

The middle-aged man, Dou Fengming, had already looked startled. At Cao Yiyan's question, his expression immediately turned grave, and he urged, "Your High... young master, absolutely not!"

Dou Fengming had previously caught a fleeting glimpse of Su Ziji. They had merely brushed past each other, so Su Ziji had not noticed his scrutiny. Yet that single encounter had left the middle-aged man deeply shaken.

Now, another glance toward where Su Ziji stood left him even more alarmed.

He urged, "Young