Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 866: Chapter 862: The Deal

Zhou Yifan quickly caught up with the two middle-aged men.

They split into two directions, left and right, and Zhou Yifan first caught up with the tall middle-aged man.

”Mr. Feng, my apologies.” Zhou Yifan revealed himself, his face full of helplessness: ”Please stay.”

His sword light suddenly brightened, and with a ”buzz” covered the tall middle-aged man with a sheet of sword light.

The tall middle-aged man met the attack with a palm, sneering: ”Xiao Zhou, don’t cause trouble for yourself!”

Zhou Yifan replied helplessly, ”Mr. Feng, what other choice do I have? I can only choose to keep you both here.”

”Paper can’t wrap fire, Xiao Zhou, think it through.”

”Stalling for time is still something. I can’t let you two go back and report.”

”Then don’t blame us for taking you down with us, even at death’s door.”

”Rest assured, gentlemen, I won’t kill you, just keep you here.” As he spoke, the sword light brightened again, its speed suddenly increasing.

In an instant, it pierced through the palm shadow and struck the tall middle-aged man’s left shoulder.

The tall middle-aged man immediately felt half of his body go numb and fell straight down.

Zhou Yifan, his face pale, appeared in front of the short middle-aged man a hundred meters away, said nothing more, and flashed his sword light again, stabbing the short middle-aged man’s left shoulder.

The short middle-aged man also fell straight down, his face filled with disbelief.

Zhou Yifan sighed, ”This is the Thunder Sword Technique I gained from my encounter.”

The power on the sword was strange, with a lightning-like effect, paralyzing the entire body once it entered.

”What a formidable swordsmanship.” Fu Zheng appeared beside him, clapping her hands in admiration.

At the same time, she had already sealed the acupoints of the two middle-aged men, chuckling lightly: ”Zhou Yifan, do you still have the strength for a fight?”

”Miss Fu wouldn’t take advantage of someone in danger, would she?”

”Why wouldn’t I?” Fu Zheng flicked her longsword, chuckling: ”Come on.”

”Forget it.” Zhou Yifan sheathed his sword, saying helplessly: ”I surely couldn’t be a match for Miss Fu.”

Fu Zheng snorted, ”Being sly, huh.”

Zhou Yifan shook his head, turning to Chu Zhiyuan: ”Prince Consort, these two...”

”Take them back.” Chu Zhiyuan said lightly, ”Have the Rain Listening Platform find out what tricks they’re playing.”

”...Yes.” Zhou Yifan showed a bitter expression.

All the dirty and tiring work was handed over to him; this Twelfth Prince Consort never got involved.

Truly a masterly tactic.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”The Rain Listening Platform is becoming more and more formidable, knowing someone intended to assassinate me, yet pretending not to know.”

Zhou Yifan showed a bitter expression.

This matter was also troublesome, no matter what, the Twelfth Prince Consort was a member of the Imperial Family.

Once this was publicized, the other members of the Imperial Family would definitely be suspicious.

If they could treat the Twelfth Prince Consort like this, who’s to say they wouldn’t treat others the same way?

The Rain Listening Platform would become the target of public criticism.

The reputation of the Rain Listening Platform was already poor; all the civil and military officials were dissatisfied. Offending the Imperial Family was truly unwise.

Chu Zhiyuan waved a hand: ”Go.”

”...Yes.” Zhou Yifan opened his mouth, then closed it, knowing he had no standing to speak.

How to make the Twelfth Prince Consort keep quiet required negotiating at a higher level, something beyond his power.

”Then I shall take my leave.” He picked up the two motionless middle-aged men and floated away.

Fu Zheng’s bright eyes flickered as she whispered, ”Your Highness, just let him go like that?”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”Shall I beat him up or cripple him?”

”At least give him a beating,” Fu Zheng snorted, ”to curb his arrogance.”

Clearly, Zhou Yifan was overconfident in his miracle technique, looking down on everything, even disregarding His Highness.

This was shortsightedness; he should be taught a lesson to make him recognize the vastness of heaven and earth.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”No need, after all, he is with the Rain Listening Platform.”

”Didn’t expect, it turns out he’s with the Rain Listening Platform... was from the Listening Wind Pavilion, this guy!”

”The Rain Listening Platform is indeed very powerful.”

Fu Zheng’s expression was grave: ”Your Highness, has Qianji Tower been seized by the Rain Listening Platform?”

She thought, the Rain Listening Platform would not only have one hand in the Qianji Tower.

Besides Zhou Yifan, there were likely others.

Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

He had the same judgment; the Qianji Tower should be under the control of the Rain Listening Platform.

He could see Qianji Tower, and as an intelligence organization, the Rain Listening Platform could see even more.

Thus, they took the opportunity to annex the Qianji Tower, increasing their sources of information.

”Your Highness, then...”

”I will try to negotiate terms with them, have Zhou Yifan cooperate with you.”

Since Zhou Yifan was with the Rain Listening Platform, don’t expect to suppress and command him solely with martial arts and status.

It would have to be negotiated at a higher level.

——

The actions of the Rain Listening Platform were faster than he imagined.

He had just returned to the mansion for less than an hour when the Seventh Imperial Uncle, Prince Cheng, personally came to the Prince Consort Mansion.

Prince Cheng was a jolly old man with a rounded figure, glowing with health, resembling the Immortal of the South Pole.

He was accompanied by two middle-aged men.

Chu Zhiyuan respectfully welcomed them into the front hall, where Fu Zheng personally brewed tea and then stood aside.

”Hehe...”

Prince Cheng laughed before speaking, shaking his head: ”Prince Consort, I apologize, this time their actions were indeed inappropriate.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”The Rain Listening Platform didn’t inform me beforehand, I was indeed a bit disappointed. Now that I think about it, perhaps I overthought.”

He shook his head, ”After all, I am not an ordinary Prince Consort.”

Prince Cheng chuckled, ”Prince Consort, you are a martial hero, renowned, with significant merit to our Phoenix. I can’t shirk responsibility for such an oversight!”

He clasped his fists, facing the Imperial Palace, saying solemnly, ”I shall apologize to the Emperor personally.”

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, ”That’s too serious, why trouble the Emperor over such a small matter?”

”When it involves the Prince Consort, it’s no small matter,” Prince Cheng shook his head, ”Moreover, if Tan’er finds out when she exits seclusion, she’ll definitely trouble me.”

He sighed, ”She might even tug at my beard, or come to my mansion and scold me.”

Chu Zhiyuan couldn’t help but smile, ”Not that serious, surely?”

”She would do it, might even scold my useless sons.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head, ”Lady, she...”

Then he became serious, ”Prince, since entering the Imperial City, I’ve been muddle-headed, overwhelmed, truly not wishing for this. With the Inspection Department being unreliable, I can only resort to a lower-tier group like Qianji Tower.”

Compared to the Rain Listening Platform, Qianji Tower was undoubtedly lower-tier.

He spoke this way to downplay the status of the Qianji Tower, hoping to gain control over it.

”Hehe... I understand,” Prince Cheng nodded, stroking his white beard, ”Qianji Tower does have quite a few spies; if His Highness wishes to utilize them, they will cooperate.”

If it involved the Rain Listening Platform, that was clearly impossible; no member of the Imperial Family or nobility could stretch their hands into the Rain Listening Platform.

The Qianji Tower was different.

A minor power, within the Imperial City, there were nine or ten such minor powers.

For a Prince Consort, such minor powers were negligible.

”Thank you, Prince.” Chu Zhiyuan solemnly cupped his fists.

This marked the conclusion of a deal.

Prince Cheng felt a bit embarrassed, finding it somewhat pitiful that this prince suffered so much, and chuckled, ”Did the Prince fall out with the Inspection Department?”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”Yujing feels I’ve forgotten my origins after marriage, betraying Yujing.”

”Your position as Prince Consort is indeed challenging,” Prince Cheng said, ”The Phoenix trusts the Prince Consort.”

Chu Zhiyuan smiled without speaking.

Prince Cheng added, ”There is a peculiar object hidden within Qiyun Valley, capable of assassinating the Prince Consort; it’s fortunate you didn’t go.”

”What sort of peculiar object?”

”Nine-star Vine, causing one to unknowingly enter an illusion realm, unable to extricate themselves.”

Chu Zhiyuan contemplated for a moment, shaking his head.