Damn!
Lin Yi's face immediately darkened. This guy had actually impeached him too. No wonder he hadn't dared look him in the eye earlier.
This guy really had some nerve. After impeaching him, he still dared to come deliver the imperial decree. Did he really think Lin Yi wouldn't dare kill him?
Seeing his young lord fly into a rage, Zhang Long instantly bristled with murderous intent. "Young lord, I'll go after him and kill him right now. How dare he cause trouble for you? He's courting death!"
"That's right. He deserves to die!"
Han Song's face was gloomy as well. The young lord was such a good man, yet Zhang Huisheng had impeached him. He must have something to do with the assassins.
Wang Ziwen shook his head and smiled. "Heaven cherishes life. There's no need to bother with him. All of you go outside first. I have something important to discuss with the young lord."
Everyone understood at once. The chief steward was going to convey the prince's wishes.
What remained was not for them to hear, so they all left the sitting room. Even the guards stationed outside withdrew.
Seeing all this, Lin Yi couldn't help smiling. "Uncle Wang, what is it that calls for so much caution?"
"It never hurts to be careful!"
After saying that, Wang Ziwen poured himself a cup of tea and drank. He couldn't help letting out a soft sigh. It had been many days since he'd had tea made with water from Northern Liang City.
The water from home really did taste better!
Lin Yi fell into thought. It seemed Uncle Wang also knew there were spies in the prince's residence, or he wouldn't have been so careful. But what message did his father have for him?
Wang Ziwen smiled and said, "Young lord, you don't need to concern yourself with Zhang Huisheng. The prince has already sent people to the capital. They'll take care of it." He had long since noticed Lin Yi's displeasure and had mentioned it to keep him from wasting time.
Gulp!
Hearing that, Lin Yi understood at once. They weren't planning to kill Zhang Huisheng alone. They were going to kill his whole family.
How brutal. How very Northern Liang.
Lin Yi couldn't help clicking his tongue. His father really had some nerve, preparing to wipe out a whole family in the capital. Wasn't that practically declaring war on the emperor?
Seeing Lin Yi's expression, Wang Ziwen knew what he was thinking and explained, "This man has considerable ties to whoever is behind the assassins. Even if they weren't the ones who ordered it, their connection must run deep. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so quick to jump out at court. The prince naturally won't let such an enemy go."
"Didn't the great general say the assassins were from the Ran Clan?" Lin Yi asked tentatively.
He wanted to know what exactly was going on with the great general, Xu Zhong, and why he had leaked the information to him.
At the mention of Xu Zhong, a complicated look flashed through Wang Ziwen's eyes. He smiled and said, "Xu Zhong can be trusted. He won't betray Northern Liang. But whether you can persuade him will depend on your methods, young lord!"
The implication was clear, and Lin Yi understood at once.
Xu Zhong wouldn't betray Northern Liang, but that didn't mean he would submit to Lin Yi either. The man wasn't entirely convinced.
He couldn't help sneering inwardly. Some great general you are. I hope you know what's good for you, or don't blame me for leaving you out of the game. I have no shortage of people!
With the Winning People Over with Virtue System, he could draw military generals at any time. He really didn't need Xu Zhong.
Leaving everyone else aside, even the current Ma Chao was already Xu Zhong's equal, if not better. If Xu Zhong really didn't know what was good for him, he'd only be asking for embarrassment.
Seeing the domineering look in his eyes, Wang Ziwen's heart stirred. It seemed this little fellow wasn't willing to back down either.
He smiled and said no more. Instead, he took a letter from his robes and handed it to Lin Yi. "This is a letter from your father. Read it carefully. It contains his arrangements for you!"
A letter from the Prince of Northern Liang!
Hearing that, Lin Yi couldn't help being taken aback. He accepted the letter, but for some reason, he felt a little nervous.
What would this father he'd gained for free say?
He'd caused such a huge commotion, and the Prince of Northern Liang probably wasn't having an easy time of it either. Was he going to give Lin Yi a thorough scolding?
But when Lin Yi saw the letter, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he was even a little speechless.
The letter was simple, containing only two sentences.
[Good lad, well done! You haven't made your father lose face!]
[Since you've gone and created this Xiliang Iron Cavalry and want to strike out on your own, I'll give you the chance. From now on, you're the governor of Xiliang!]
[Also, you've gotten your hands on so much money. I can't take the blame for nothing, so I'll only take seventy percent.]
Lin Yi was dumbfounded by the succinct letter. The old man really was direct and to the point.
Lin Yi had caused such a huge commotion, yet the old man treated it so lightly. Surely he had a little too much faith in his son.
And the old man actually wanted seventy percent. Wasn't that a bit too greedy?
His face dark, Lin Yi said crossly, "Uncle Wang, tell me, is anyone greedier than my father? He asks for seventy percent right off the bat. That's daylight robbery."
"Ah, your father hasn't had it easy lately either. He's in a difficult position. If he could rob you, he would have done it already," Wang Ziwen said with a wry smile, seeing his dissatisfaction.
Lin Yi suddenly understood. He remembered that his father apparently had to cover the pay of an army of a hundred thousand. It seemed he really was under pressure.
He said crossly, "Forget it. I'll give it to him!"
It was only money. He'd treat it as an early investment. Besides, it was ill-gotten wealth he'd seized anyway, and it pricked his hands to use it.
But what the hell was this governor of Xiliang? Northern Liang apparently had only three commanderies, and there didn't seem to be any place called Xiliang.
He'd crammed up on Northern Liang before, but he'd never heard of such a place. Was the old man pulling his leg?
He looked at Wang Ziwen and frowned. "Uncle Wang, there doesn't seem to be a place called Xiliang in Northern Liang, does there?"
"Who says there isn't?"
Wang Ziwen chuckled, pulled a map from his robes, and handed it to Lin Yi. "This is a map your father gave you. Xiliang's location is on it."
There was a map too?
Lin Yi's eyes lit up, and he immediately took it. It was an extremely crude map, with the three commanderies of Baiyuan, Beichuan, and Yongzhou clearly marked. As for Xiliang, he really couldn't see it.
He nearly took out a magnifying glass.
Only after Lin Yi had looked over the entire map did he finally find the so-called Xiliang. It wasn't in Northern Liang's territory at all, but on the Northern Region barbarians' turf.
Moreover, Xiliang wasn't in the west, but in the east. To put it plainly, it lay where Great Ning, Northern Liang, and the Northern Region met.
That location was a bit ridiculous.
He looked at Wang Ziwen and smiled. "Uncle Wang, what's my father playing at? Does he want me to fight the Northern Region barbarians?"
Good grief. He really thought too highly of him.
The barbarians had at least three or four hundred thousand troops, and their potential wartime strength was at least over five hundred thousand. His dear father wanted him to seize the barbarians' territory. Now he was beginning to wonder whether he was really his father's son.
"Ahem!"
Wang Ziwen coughed lightly and said awkwardly, "Your father said that since you created the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and openly wanted to strike out on your own, he'd give you a chance to start from scratch, as a trial for inheriting the title of Prince of Northern Liang."
A trial!
Lin Yi's face turned green. He muttered, "Good grief, what kind of father sets his son up like this? You could at least have prepared an army of three hundred thousand for me. Now you want me to start from scratch and fight the barbarians? You've cranked the difficulty straight to the maximum."
I may have a system, but throwing me straight into a fight with the max-level Northern Region barbarians like this is still a bit beyond my strength.
"Haha, look how scared you are, lad. Xiliang is actually the weakest part of the Northern Region. After all, it's where three territories meet, and the barbarians don't have a strong hold over it."
"The prince has already conquered Xiliang for you, and there are a hundred thousand Northern Liang Iron Cavalry nearby to support you, so you'll be fine," Wang Ziwen said with a smile.
If Lin Yi really had been sent there alone, Wang Ziwen wouldn't have agreed to it either.
After all, the young lord was an only son. Without some guarantee of his safety, Wang Ziwen wouldn't have stood by and let him go to his death.
There were a hundred thousand Northern Liang Iron Cavalry in White Tiger City. That alone was enough to guarantee the young lord's safety.
As for the remaining risks, they could be treated as tempering, an indispensable part of becoming strong.