Xue Qinghe's request, Tang Shan's plan

"That's right. Just a nobody."

No clear emotion showed on Xue Qinghe's face, but Tang Shan knew without guessing that he must have been seething with rage.

Only then did Su Yuntao grasp the situation. He frowned in disbelief. "Where did he get the nerve to provoke the empire's First Prince?"

"He might not have that much nerve on his own. Someone could be backing him." After answering Su Yuntao, Tang Shan turned to Xue Qinghe and asked, "Your Highness, what exactly happened?"

Xue Qinghe's stern expression gradually relaxed, and his earlier gentle smile returned. "Let's eat first. We can talk over the meal."

He picked up his chopsticks first. Seeing that, the others stopped hesitating and tucked into the feast before them.

"Father sent us to the empire's major cities to learn how the people were living. I was assigned Ironwall City. After arriving, I noticed that the soldiers here didn't seem particularly welcoming. Later, I asked these two seniors to investigate discreetly and learned that this army seemed to favor the Second Prince."

The nutrient-rich leafy vegetables released a cool current as they entered his mouth, instantly clearing Xue Qinghe's head and suppressing his surging anger. He slowly recounted to Tang Shan what he had seen and heard since arriving in Ironwall City.

The Second Prince? Tang Shan's thoughts churned. According to the original story, Xue Qinghe would poison the Second Prince within the next two years. Could this have been what drove him to act?

"Why does Ironwall City's army support the Second Prince so strongly?" Curious, Tang Shan couldn't help asking.

"What else could it be? His manner and conduct suited their tastes. A few years ago, that dear younger brother of mine happened to visit Ironwall City and put on a show of eating, living,