Chapter 852: Deal

It was not yet bright outside, but some soldiers were already busying themselves doing chores. They were pushing the crude scaling ladder out of the camp and, under the supervision of the first corps, heading for Thousand Horsemen Pass.

That was the scene that Luo Ningcha arrived to. As she looked at the huge camp and the soldiers shuttling back and forth, she felt very excited, and even wondered why she had used to dislike the fact that there were many people in the Iron Mountain Gang. When she found the Dragon King’s tent and saw that it was no different from an ordinary officer’s, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Gu Shenwei was wearing leather armor when he was informed that ‘Lady Luo’ was asking to see him. He thought awhile before realizing who this person was and allowed her to come in.

Luo Ningcha’s entourage was left outside, as she thought that it would be a private meeting. But when she saw the two teenage guards standing inside, each with a saber, she immediately frowned. “These two kids are always causing trouble. Why does the Dragon King still have them around?”

Tie Linglong had once broken into Golden Roc Castle with Chu Nanping and escaped with the help of Luo Ningcha, so she knew why Luo Ningcha said this. However, Nie Zeng was puzzled.

Luo Ningcha had mistaken Nie Zeng for Chu Nanping. She just vaguely felt that the kid did not look as pretty as he used to, but she did not care. After walking straight to the Dragon King, she took off her hood and said, “I want to talk to you alone.”

“You are talking to me alone right now.” Gu Shenwei’s voice was cold.

Luo Ningcha stubbornly shook her head and said, “No, this is very important. I don’t trust these two kids.”

“Wait at the door.” Gu Shenwei finally said after waiting for a while.

Nie Zeng and Tie Linglong received their order and left, both of them gaining a bad impression of Luo Ningcha.

“Tell me, did that Prince Xiao send you here?”

Luo Ningcha nodded and seriously said, “I knew that that ugly old woman would mess it up, so I volunteered. Sure enough, I was still on my way when I already heard that she had failed her mission.”

“A quarter of an hour.”

“What?”

“You have a quarter of an hour. You see, I’m busy.”

“Haha, I know that you are busy, but you can’t be too busy to not see me. You saved Prince Xiao and the soldiers of the Central Plains for me, didn’t you? But I have a man now and can’t repay you. But I can still give you some other benefits…”

‘This Luo Ningcha, she hasn’t changed at all.’ Gu Shenwei couldn’t stop his malicious thoughts from surfacing. ‘What kind of person would trust and send such a woman for such important negotiations?’ In his mind, Prince Xiao of the Central Plains’ value had been greatly reduced by Luo Ningcha’s presence.

“Congratulations on finally getting rid of Golden Roc Castle.”

“I can’t say I’ve gotten rid of Golden Roc Castle yet. It’s just a little success.” Luo Ningcha was very proud of her accomplishments. “Servant Huan… Dragon King, I still remember everything you taught me and I even have some of my own understandings now. Now I realize how simple I was back then. Fortunately, I did not pay too drastic a price in the Royal Court. It’s the Central Plains that really dominates the Western Regions.”

“What on earth did Prince Xiao send you here to say?” Gu Shenwei stopped her from nagging more, just in time.

Luo Ningcha frowned slightly, annoyed by the interruption in the conversation. But after she remembered the real purpose of her trip, she suppressed her anger. ‘This is change,’ she thought. ‘I can control my emotions now.’ Then she continued speaking. “The Central Plains has been preparing for this war ever since the former emperor’s reign and has spent more than ten years on it. The military supplies pile up like mountains. There are 300,000 steeds and 600,000 soldiers. Even if the old Khan were still alive and gathered all the strength of the prairie, he wouldn’t be able to resist such a fatal strike, not to mention this little new Khan of a divided prairie.”

Luo Ningcha had obviously memorized these words in advance, and her tone had even changed to become something cadenced somewhat similar to Counselor Fang’s.

“Since the Central Plains is so well-prepared, then they should be more eager to go to war.” Gu Shenwei did not believe Tu Pianpian’s threat, so he would naturally not believe Luo Ningcha’s either. The so-called 300,000 steeds and 600,000 soldiers were nothing but an empty boast.

Luo Ningcha had memorized several explanations which had a fixed order, so she continued, heedless of what the Dragon King had said. “The war was originally supposed to be fought at the northern border, but now the battlefield was suddenly changed to be the Western Regions. This makes it quite inconvenient for the huge army, so Prince Xiao has an idea.”

“Hmm.” The fact that Prince Xiao had admitted the disadvantage of the Central Plains made Gu Shenwei suddenly feel a bit more interested.

“The Norland Cavalry defeated the Central Plains Army in the Loulan Kingdom and must be punished. Otherwise, the dignity of the Emperor will be all but gone. But since the Dragon King has avenged the Central Plains, the previously planned war next would be completely unnecessary. So why not have each side take a step back? The Dragon King will ask the Norland to withdraw their army, and the Central Plains Army will report the good news of the war. In that way, everyone will be happy. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Gu Shenwei suddenly understood. Luo Ningcha’s words were ambiguous precisely because Prince Xiao did not want the situation to be clarified. “Prince Xiao wants to take all the credit of defeating Luoluo’s army by himself?” asked Gu Shenwei.

In Gu Shenwei’s opinion, this Prince Xiao’s efforts that he put into wishful thinking really matched Luo Ningcha well.

“No, it belongs to both Prince Xiao and the Dragon King.” Luo Ningcha thought that the Dragon King was tempted by her words, and her big eyes filled with eagerness and enthusiasm. “The 20,000 soldiers of the Central Plains together with the Dragon King’s 100,000 soldiers guarded Thousand Horsemen Pass against 200,000 horsemen of the Norland. They forced the usurper, Luoluo, to flee despite their weaker and outnumbered armies. This will be the best story told through the ages.”

A vague image of the pompous Imperial Uncle of the Central Plains appeared in Gu Shenwei’s mind. “Prince Xiao is really good at making up stories.”

“Without my help, he wouldn’t have been able to make it up.” Luo Ningcha said proudly in her original tone.

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“In this way, Prince Xiao will make a magnificent contribution to the Central Plains.”

“Yes.”

“The Central Plains will withdraw its soldiers and the Norland Cavalry will return home, each taking what they need.”

“Exactly.”

“And the Dragon Army will gain nothing but a bubble’s reputation.”

“Yes… No, of course not. The Dragon King will get some benefits too. Just hear me out.” Luo Ningcha’s tone became tough. “The benefit that the Dragon King will obtain is Jade City and the condition is that you must keep a good relationship with the Central Plains.”

“The Lord of Jade City.”

“That’s it.” Luo Ningcha’s eyes became even brighter. “Now do you understand? Without even going to war, the Dragon King can become the Lord of Jade City. Of course, your title, ‘Dragon King,’ will also be acknowledged by the Central Plains. From now on, you will own half of the Western Regions, let alone just Golden Roc Castle. In the future, you will pass the throne on to our son…”

“I don’t have a son with you.” Gu Shenwei hurriedly interrupted.

“Haven’t you asked Shangguan Ru?” Luo Ningcha looked very surprised.

Gu Shenwei was not at all convinced by this woman’s story. Her sureness of her son’s father was closely related to the Dragon King’s strength. From keeping her mouth shut to frequently mentioning it and speaking with certainty, her child’s situation corresponded exactly to the Dragon King’s strength. It had also grown from a small power to a big power that completely overwhelmed Golden Roc Castle.

“It has nothing to do with her.” Gu Shenwei said coldly. “And about the Lord of Jade City, does Prince Xiao have any more words to say?”

“That ugly old woman must not have told the Dragon King anything, right? Because Prince Xiao doesn’t trust her at all.” Luo Ningcha was completely immersed in her own joy and automatically disregarded the Dragon King’s expression. “Prince Xiao will organize a kung fu competition and the winner will become the Lord of Jade City. There will be no custom of the three countries taking turns to arrange a governor ever again.”

A quarter of an hour had almost passed. Gu Shenwei was confused again by what had already been sorted out. This Prince Xiao was like a child who had just become an adult. Every idea of his was whimsical, seemingly extremely clever, but also very foolish. “Kung fu competition? Prince Xiao wants to organize a kung fu competition?”

“Right. Your kung fu is so good that you are sure to win. This is the so-called ‘gaining ownership of Jade City on your own without going to war.”

“Both you and Prince Xiao overestimate me. I’m no match for the Unique King.”

“How do you know…”

“I’ve tried.”

Luo Ningcha nodded understandingly as she consoled, “That doesn’t matter. The contest is open to the public and everyone can join. Prince Xiao will find some kung fu masters from the Central Plains to help you defeat the Unique King. Then… Do you understand?”

Gu Shenwei shook his head.

“You are kidding me, aren’t you?” Luo Ningcha looked slightly dissatisfied, “Prince Xiao said that you saved his life, so he must repay your favor. Thus, the kung fu masters from the Central Plains will not show their full power and admit defeat when facing the Dragon King.”

“Hmph.” If Luo Ningcha had not been known for her simplicity, Gu Shenwei would have issued a challenge right then and there. “Go back and tell Prince Xiao that I don’t need his help, and nor am I interested in any kung fu competition for the Lord of Jade City. In less than half a month, I will break through Golden Roc Castle on my own. At that time, the Central Plains Army will still be on their way.”

Surprisingly, Luo Ningcha didn’t get angry. She had obviously expected the Dragon King’s answer, or maybe Prince Xiao had expected this and taught her this response beforehand. “The Dragon King probably does not know this yet. The Unique King has offered Thousand Horsemen Pass to the Central Plains. As long as the Dragon King launches an attack today, it’ll be a declaration of war on the Central Plains. You can seize the pass, conquer the city, or even make yourself the king while the Central Plains doesn’t have time to intervene. However, sooner or later, the army will arrive. By that time, the Norland Cavalry will be able to run into the desolate prairie and continue herding sheep and horses, but what is the Dragon King going to do? Flee like the Norland people and give up on the newly obtained Jade city, defend the pass to death, or become a lone city ruler like the Unique King?”

Luo Ningcha had issued a powerful threat for the first time in her life. Even she herself was shocked and didn’t speak for a long time, quietly basking in the pleasure of it.

Gu Shenwei also kept silent, but contrary to Luo Ningcha’s understanding, he was neither afraid nor tempted. Prince Xiao, who appeared to be a pompous man, might actually be a wise man. However, he did not know the Dragon King’s real intentions.

“I look forward to a battle against the Central Plains,” Gu Shenwei said in a flat tone. Although he did not believe the story told by the Second Consort, he was quite sure that the person who had hired the golden roc killers to wipe out the Gu family must be from the Central Plains. Perhaps it had something to do with the origin of someone in his family. In any case, his hatred would not abate after the death of the Unique King. Instead, it would just point to an even stronger enemy.

The scene that Luo Ningcha had anticipated didn’t happen, which threw her into confusion. She had said all the words that Prince Xiao had taught her, and could no longer think of any solution herself. Thus, her own reaction was to become exasperated. “You… Are you a fool? It’s such a good deal. You can get Jade City and your title will be acknowledged by the Central Plains. Even if you do not think for yourself, you should think of me and our son. He’s your son. If someone else becomes the Lord of Jade City, he’ll end up with nothing. You have to accept the deal. You must accept the deal.”

“You can leave now, or you can stay to see how I take down Thousand Horsemen Pass today and ‘declare war’ on the Central Plains.”

“I’m not leaving!” Luo Ningcha’s well-kept facade of coolness was long gone. “Idiot, do I have to sleep with you to make you a bit smarter? All right. As long as you can keep it a secret, I can accept it once.”

Gu Shenwei started walking out of the tent.

“Twice… Three times, as many times as you wish, Dragon King…”

Luo Ningcha was so angry that she wanted to smash something, but there were too few items in the Dragon King’s tent. There were only a few cups and bowls for her to vent her anger on, which fell on the blanket and made a dull noise without cracking.

Neither she nor the Dragon King could have imagined that the attack on Thousand Horsemen Pass was doomed to not take place on this day.