189 Negotiation

now what Qin Feng could do, but he instinctively felt that her situation would only become worse.Mo Xiuyao smiled and looked up at him, asking, "Doesn’t Su Zuidie think that I still have lingering fee...189. Negotiations

189。 Negotiations

In the dungeon of the Prefect's residence, Tan Jizhi sat in a corner expressionlessly staring at the dark and gloomy cell. He had been locked up here for three days without seeing either Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li once. Only Feng Zhirao occasionally came to visit him with clear intentions: he only wanted to know the whereabouts of Bluetail Flower (Bailu Hua) and the antidote for Mo Xiuyao's poison. Tan Jizhi

naturally wouldn't easily tell Feng Zhirao, as he didn't believe that revealing this information would lead to his immediate release by Mo Xiuyao. However, he was also clear that staying here longer would be increasingly disadvantageous for him. He had to leave before Su Zuodie, the despicable woman opposite him, broke down and revealed everything.

Shu Manlin was locked in a room directly opposite Tan Jizhi's cell, though only a few steps separated them, they could merely gaze at each other from afar. Shu Manlin, as the Holy Maiden of Southern Frontier, was also an exceptionally pampered lady who had never suffered hardship since childhood. Initially, she still had enough energy to curse and shout, but after being deprived of meals twice by Feng Zhirao's men, she obediently remained silent. However, she frequently looked towards Tan Jizhi with tears streaming down her face like a rain-soaked pear blossom, which only irritated the already frustrated Tan Jizhi even more. He simply chose to ignore her; there was nothing much to say between them in their cell anyway. Tan Jizhi sat pensively by the side, formulating plans while Shu Manlin sobbed and occasionally grumbled.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and though Tan Jizhi's expression remained unchanged, his eyes swiftly darted towards the entrance. A pair of perfect lovers entered amidst a crowd. The first person Tan Jizhi's gaze landed on was Ye Li. She had changed out of her simple cotton clothes into a delicate water cloud brocade robe adorned with light-colored lotus patterns, exuding an exquisite elegance that stood out in this scorching summer. It also made Tan Jizhi secretly marvel at the hidden strength of the Prince Ding's王府 (Ding Wangfu).

With Mo Jingqi having already stripped Mo Xiuyao of his titles and fully sealed off all economic exchanges between Northwest China and Chu Kingdom, the Prince Ding's王府 was still able to produce this year’s latest Nan Zhao specialty fabric, water cloud brocade. This clearly demonstrated their immense financial power and extensive connections. It was worth noting that even in the imperial palace, there were only about ten pieces of such brocade a year; since the war broke out last year, they had completely ceased production.

Tan Jizhi had never thought Ye Li to be particularly beautiful because he had seen too many exceptionally gorgeous women. But at this moment, he couldn't help but admit that Mo Xiuyao's taste was indeed excellent; this woman’s beauty wasn't shocking yet felt incredibly soothing and reassuring. Her composed demeanor coupled with the subtle brilliance hidden behind her gentle eyes also conveyed confidence. It suddenly made any other beautiful woman seem mediocre in comparison.

"Humph!" Mo Xiuyao snorted softly, his gaze slowly sweeping over Tan Jizhi, exuding a dangerous aura. Tan Jizhi felt a chill run through him and quickly withdrew his gaze from Ye Li, standing up to greet the doorway with a smile: "Your humble servant Tan Jizhi greets Your Highness and Lady."

Moxiu Yao raised his eyebrows and looked at him, saying, "Very well, your courage is commendable." Indeed, there weren't many people who could remain calm and composed to the extent of bowing before him. Moxiu Yao couldn’t help but think highly of the man in front of him. However, this did not change his impending fate.

Behind them, someone brought two cushioned chairs and placed them outside the cell. Moxiu Yao pulled Ye Li to sit down. Even in such a gloomy and dirty prison, the two of them remained calm and composed as if they were enjoying a beautiful garden. Someone served tea, but it was obvious that this wasn’t a good place for drinking tea. Moxiu Yao frowned and took the teacup from Ye Li’s hand to put it on the table beside him.

Ye Li smiled faintly and looked at Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin, asking, "Your Excellency Tan, in these few days, this concubine and Prince have been busy with our duties. I hope you can forgive us for any inconvenience caused. How are the two of you" Tan Jizhi gave a bitter smile as he looked at Ye Li, saying, "Concubine, your words are too polite. Since I lost to someone who is better than me, I accept my defeat."

Ye Li nodded and asked with a smile, "Then... Your Excellency Tan should know what this concubine wants. May I ask what your answer is"

Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "I understand that Concubine desires the Bile Luo Flower… For more than a year now, it’s obvious that Concubine has put in much effort for this. However, I advise Concubine not to waste any thoughts on that Li fellow. That fellow can’t even find the flower."

"Oh" Ye Li frowned slightly as she rubbed her temples and asked, "Why should I believe Your Excellency Tan Or rather... Even if what Your Excellency Tan says is true, so what" Tan Jizhi replied, "The Bile Luo Flower is a sacred treasure from the southern frontier. Does Concubine really think that the Nanzhao royal family would entrust such a precious item to a wealthy businessman from Chu They say merchants prioritize profit; do they not consider the possibility that he might seize it for himself" Ye Li sighed and looked at Tan Jizhi with some helplessness, saying, "Your Excellency Tan, since you dare use the Bile Luo Flower as collateral for your life, this concubine has no doubts about whether or not you know where the flower is. Therefore, there’s really no need to say so much. However... You should know that before finding anything, what you say will be useless."

Tan Jizhi's eyes flickered as he stared at Ye Li and said, "What after finding something Are you trying to persuade me to believe that the Dingwang Mansion is a man of his word"

Standing behind the two people, Feng Zhirao glanced sideways at him with a smile and asked, "Your Excellency Tan, what difference does it make if you don’t believe"

Tan Jizhi fell silent. Indeed, since he had already fallen into Dingwang Mansion's hands, what was the point of not believing Believing might give him a chance to survive, but not believing would only lead to death. If it were any other time, Tan Jizhi wouldn’t mind taking this gamble. But now, he dared not take such a risk because he had no time. Once certain matters erupted, even if he told Moxiu Yao about the Bile Luo Flower’s whereabouts or personally presented the flower to him, there would still be risks involved. Thinking of this, Tan Jizhi shook his head and said, "Sorry, Concubine should understand that even knowing where the Bile Luo Flower is doesn’t mean it can be obtained overnight. However, I have matters to attend to and cannot stay here for long. Perhaps... The emperor’s envoy has already arrived in Rushang by now" Tan Jizhi was still confident about his previous arrangements. As long as Moxiu Yao hadn't openly declared rebellion against Chu, he would still need to consider the court's envoy.

"Tan Jizhi… Lin Yuan, are you reminding this King of your other identity" Mo Xiuyao squinted and asked. Even if he disliked Emperor Jingqi, it didn’t mean that he would let go of a remnant from the previous dynasty. After all, it was not only the Founding Emperor who brought down the previous regime; ancestors of the Ding王府 also played a major role in it, so they were natural enemies by birth. Tan Jizhi.

He gave an exasperated chuckle; he now had to question whether there was any chance for him to survive and leave Ruyang City. After pondering for a moment, Tan Jizhi said, "Your Highness, regardless of whether I am Tan Jizhi or Lin Yuan, we currently do not have conflicting interests, right Killing one Tan Jizhi would be of no benefit to the northwest region or the Ding王府, and also… Your Highness knows the emperor well. The emperor will certainly use this incident to tarnish the reputation of the Ding王府."

Mo Xiuyao gave a cold sneer of disdain. "Do you think I care about that"

Tan Jizhi was indifferent; he truly couldn’t tell if Mo Xiuyao cared about the Ding王 family’s reputation or not. This was also what he found most perplexing: whoever wasn’t an idiot or a naturally incompetent ruler would know how crucial it was to gain public support. Even someone like Emperor Jingqi, who clearly didn’t care about people's lives and deaths, still valued public opinion greatly. However, for the past half year, regardless of what Emperor Jingqi said, the northwest region had not given any response, as if tacitly approving everything he said. This situation made Tan Jizhi feel uneasy. Mo Xiuyao’s reaction indicated that either he was in a state of despair and didn’t care about anything anymore or he was preparing to cause chaos across the kingdom. Regardless, they would have to fight sooner or later, so it might as well be better if he remained silent from the start instead of trying his best to explain now only for people to think him hypocritical in the future.

Tan Jizhi took a deep breath and tried his best to calm himself down. After pondering for a moment, he said with a lowered head, "This time, falling into your hands is my misfortune. The empress dowager has also been to that imperial tomb, so all the treasures inside will serve as an apology from me for offending her. Additionally, I can give you the whereabouts of Blue Heaven Flower in exchange for my life. What do you think, Your Highness" Mo Xiuyao’s expression remained indifferent and clearly showed no interest. The imperial tomb was originally within the northwest region; if Mo Xiuyao wanted to dig it up, he could have done so anytime without needing Tan Jizhi's help. Tan Jizhi had never expected this simple offer would work in the first place; after some thought, he continued, "In addition, I will also present ten thousand taels of gold and all undercover agents within the northwest region and the capital city. Would that be enough to show sincerity" Ye Li looked at him with great interest and smiled, saying, "Director Tan is really willing to put his life on the line." Tan Jizhi gave a helpless smile and said, "No matter what, life is more important than anything else; without my life, what use are all these things Empress Dowager, I have been treating you with respect throughout this period. The previous rudeness was also in accordance with common human behavior. Haven’t I paid enough for that"

Ye Li nodded and agreed with him. If the purpose was to threaten Mo Family Army by capturing him, such a price and apology were indeed substantial. After all, he hadn’t truly succeeded in taking her away to threaten Mo Xiuyao; it could be said that he failed to get what he wanted and lost something valuable instead. However, for some reason, Ye Li felt that Tan Jizhi still had more important secrets than his identity. Lowering her gaze, she thought for a moment before asking, "Director Tan, how did you know about the poison on Your Highness and its antidote"

Tan Jizhi calmly met her gaze and smiled, saying, "I have also studied the medical records of Your Highness in the Imperial Medical Bureau. Furthermore, Empress Dowager should be aware that my father’s medical skills are no less than those so-called miracle doctors; having witnessed this since childhood, I naturally gained some insights." Ye Li stared at him silently for a long time before finally asking, "Director Tan, how did you meet Su Zuodie"

Indeed, it was the slut! Although she had known about her identity being revealed for quite some time already, Tang Jizhi still felt like tearing that woman apart when Ye Li brought up the subject. He had calculated everything meticulously and remained hidden beside Emperor Jingqi for ten years without revealing any clues, believing himself to be infallible in his plans. Yet he ended up falling into this trap because of her. Tan Jizhi could not help but feel regretful; he should have never underestimated Mo Xiuyao and Han Mingyue. There must have been ways to avoid these two people while getting rid of that woman.

"Well…" Although Tang Jizhi wished to tear Su Zuodie apart piece by piece within his heart, there was no trace of it on his face. He looked at Mo Xiuyao with a half-smile and said, "Back then, Miss Su was the most beautiful woman in Great Chu; she had friends not only me. Even renowned Mingyue Scholar worshiped at her feet. Youthful infatuation… It’s rather embarrassing for Empress Dowager to see." The expressions of everyone present became strange as if they knew what Tan Jizhi said about Su Zuodie. Those who were here were all trusted by the Ding王府, and naturally understood Su Zuodie's identity. By saying this, Tan Jizhi was openly telling Mo Xiuyao that his former fiancée had put more than one green hat on him.

However, Mo Xiuyao remained calm, slightly raising his prominent chin as he looked at Tan Jizhi and asked, "Are you hoping for this King to kill Su Zuodie immediately"

Tan Jizhi felt a chill in his heart and reminded himself not to be too overbearing. He said with a smile on his face, "If she hadn’t interfered, Your Highness might still be unaware of my identity now; who knew that such a minor mistake would lead me into this predicament Of course, I naturally don’t wish for Su Zuodie to continue living."

"What" Mo Xiuyao gave a faint smile and no longer paid attention to Tan Jizhi. Tan Jizhi secretly relaxed his heart, knowing that he was now completely dependent on Ye Li’s will to survive. And what Ye Li valued most was actually Mo Xiuyao's life.

"Sir Tan, how do you want me to believe the whereabouts of Blue Heaven Flower you provide is true" Ye Li asked softly.

Tan Jizhi sneered arrogantly and said, "Because apart from me, no one knows the true whereabouts of the Blue Heaven Flower." Ye Li raised her eyebrows and smiled. "If it's like that, this concubine can't believe you either. After all, you don't want to wait for me until I get the Blue Heaven Flower. Isn’t that making things difficult Therefore… Minister Tan can leave, but Shu Manlin must stay." Everyone’s gazes fell onto Shu Manlin in another cell. She had not spoken because she knew she could not help them, yet it turned out that they involved her in this matter at last. Unable to stand still any longer, she rushed towards the bars of her prison and glared angrily at Ye Li. "Ye Li, you’re being overbearing! I am the Holy Maiden of Southern Qiong, how dare you imprison me!"

Ye Li raised an eyebrow without saying anything; however, Feng Zhiyao was surprised to hear this and said in a smiling tone, "The Holy Maiden of Southern Qiong This young lord has never seen the Holy Maiden. I am truly blessed by Concubine Wang for having such an opportunity. However… it seems that the Holy Maiden should not see any outsiders, let alone leave the city of Southern Zhaung. Is this maiden a fake" Ye Li smiled and said, "It’s genuine."

Shu Manlin paled at her words although she was favored by King Zhaung; however, as the Holy Maiden of Southern Qiong, secretly running to the Great Chu Kingdom and letting people see her face was a crime in the eyes of people from Southern Qiong. If this were leaked out, it wouldn’t just be that she could not stay at the holy land to live out her old age, but she would even have been burned to death by people from Southern Qiong. This had been the rule for hundreds of years and King Zhaung was unable to save her either. Not to mention she still had a political rival who was eyeing her closely, Princess Anxi. If this news reached Princess Anxi’s ears, there would be no way out for her.

Tan Jizhi could not help but frown when Ye Li made such demands. After a long time, he said, "Concubine Wang is indeed very smart and I have to admit it." His identity had been exposed which meant that his ten years of hard work in the capital city would be destroyed or almost completely ruined. He could not go back near Emperor Jingqi any longer. In this case, Southern Qiong was the last trump card he held and he could only control Southern Qiong with Shu Manlin’s help. Ye Li had obviously seen through this point as well which was why she proposed to hold Shu Manlin captive. If anything happened to Shu Manlin, even if he escaped the northwest, it would be very likely that he would be chased down by people from both the Great Chu Kingdom and Southern Qiong once Dingwang Manor made a move, leaving no place in the world for him to hide. Ye Li smiled with her lips pursed. "Minister Tan is flattering me."

Meng Xiuyao stood up and helped Ye Li leave. Ye Li smiled at Tan Jizhi and said, "Minister Tan, you can think about this overnight. Tell me your answer tomorrow morning. Keep Shu Manlin here and if I get the Blue Heaven Flower, we’ll wipe the slate clean." Tan Jizhi laughed helplessly. "Do I have any other choice" If he could go back in time, Tan Jizhi would swear that he would never care about whether Ye Li was Princess Consort Ding or not, and immediately leave northwest after leaving that damned imperial tomb. Northwest was never a place where the Lin family should stay for long.

Ye Li left with Meng Xiuyao; people inside the prison cell quickly cleared out, leaving only Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin in silence. After a while, Shu Manlin asked tremulously, "Zhijie… do you really want to leave me here" Tan Jizhi sighed gently, his gaze filled with tenderness when he looked at Shu Manlin. "Lingling, you can tell that we have no choice now. If we don’t agree to them, the two of us will die here. Don’t worry; as long as Ye Li gets the Blue Heaven Flower, she will definitely let you go."

Shu Manlin looked at him hesitantly. "Are we really going to give them the Blue Heaven Flower"

Tan Jizhi said gently, "No matter how valuable the Blue Heaven Flower is, it’s still a dead object which can’t compare with you. As long as we’re alive, there will be opportunities. Isn’t that right"

How could Shu Manlin not know that they had no other choice at this time Even if she refused to stay in the northwest, who would listen to her opinion anyway Although Tan Jizhi was only saying sweet words, Shu Manlin still knew that he wouldn’t abandon her. Since there was no way out, she had to make him feel more guilty about leaving her behind. She nodded with tears in her eyes and said, "I understand, Zhijie, I will stay in the northwest. You have to be careful too."

Tan Jizhi’s gaze at her turned even warmer as he said gently, "Lingling, thank you. Zhijie won’t let you down."

Shu Manlin nodded and said, “We’ve known each other for so many years; I naturally trust you. Zhijie, I’ll wait for you.” Although they were in a gloomy prison cell, the look in their eyes was filled with moving affection and coquettishness which gave the place some warmth. However, no one could know what thoughts or schemes lay behind this emotion and coquettishness.

Sidenote:e emperor, they preferred to live peacefully under Ding王府's rule.Thus, among the crowds outside the city that were packed tightly together, those who came to see off or out of curiosity outnumbered th...