Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The accumulated water in the cabin had been cleared, but the dampness and oppressive atmosphere lingered. Sima Xuan, Prince of Jin, sat casually on a cushioned armchair, as if the "flooding of the seven armies" scene had never happened. He looked at Zhang Jingwei, who looked a little embarrassed but still had a clear gaze, and spoke slowly, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity:

"Zhang Jingwei, actually, I've wanted to meet you for a long time."

Zhang Jingwei was alert in his heart, but his face became more respectful. He bowed again and said, "I have offended Your Highness the Crown Prince many times before in Jinzhou. I was helpless. I hope Your Highness will forgive me and not blame me."

Sima Xuan waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned. "Han Ye has been entrenched in Yunzhou for many years, commanding his own troops and acting lawlessly. Even your father-in-law, the Northern Marquis Huangfu Changshui, was unable to do anything about him. Yet, you, a mere scholar, capitalized on the situation and used your cunning tactics to seize the Water Defense Camp in one fell swoop, bringing down this entangled and powerful tree. From that moment on, I felt that you were a rare talent."

Zhang Jingwei didn't dare take credit for it, and humbly said, "Your Excellency, you are too kind. At that time, I was just a scholar with no power at all. I succeeded by chance, which was really a stroke of luck."

Sima Xuan's gaze grew penetrating. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze inquiring. "It's precisely because you were just a scholar back then that I'm even more curious. Could it be that all of Li Zaizhi's students possessed such capacities for influencing others? Is his 'Xinxue' (learning of the mind) truly that profound?"

Zhang Jingwei's heart trembled, and he immediately distanced himself from the matter, his tone firm: "Your Majesty, I am wise and understanding! I was taught by my benefactor Liu Yanzhi, and I am a graduate of a proper official school. I have absolutely nothing to do with that Mr. Li and his philosophy of mind! Heaven and earth can bear witness to this!"

Sima Xuan looked at him eager to distance himself from the matter and suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter echoed in the empty cabin, with a bit of mockery, but also with a bit of calmness as if he was in control of everything: "Hahaha... don't be so nervous. Relax, here, what you and I say, out of your mouth, into my ears, will never be known to a third person." He pointed around, hinting at the privacy of the cabin.

"Your humble servant..." Zhang Jingwei didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"Hey," Sima Xuan interrupted him, saying casually, "You are not a vassal official of our Jin. There is no need to refer to yourself as 'your humble servant' or 'minister' all the time. It sounds strange. For today's matter, just treat it as... an elder, chatting with you about family matters."

Zhang Jingwei readily agreed, but still maintained his distance. "Yes. Zhang Jingwei's reckless intrusion into Jinzhou today was simply to find my wife, and I had no intention of offending the Thousand Years Tiger. I hope you can forgive me for any inconvenience I may have caused you."

Sima Xuan seemed to have not heard his explanation. He suddenly changed the subject, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing the deepest secrets in Zhang Jingwei's heart: "Your wife, Huangfu Ling, is ill. It's a hidden gynecological disease, and no medicine can cure it, right? Now you are running around, even risking your life, in search of a legendary item - 'Qilin Blood'. Am I right?"

Zhang Jingwei's whole body trembled, and he suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with unconcealable shock and anxiety: "Your Highness...how...how did you know? Do you know the whereabouts of this 'Qilin Blood'?!" The fire of hope instantly ignited in his eyes.

Sima Xuan's lips curled up into a meaningful smile, and he said slowly, "Of course I know. The whole world belongs to the king. The royal family always knows more about the rare treasures in this world than ordinary people. But... this 'Qilin Blood' is a spiritual object of heaven and earth, it is extraordinary, how can it be measured by ordinary gold and silver? What price do you plan to offer for it?"

Zhang Jingwei said without hesitation, "As long as Your Majesty is willing to give me the medicine, I will offer you all my wealth, even millions of taels of silver, without any hesitation!"

"Tens of thousands of taels of wealth?" Sima Xuan chuckled and shook his head, his tone tinged with disdain. "Zhang Jingwei, what does this little money mean to you? It's just a drop in the bucket. If you want to exchange it for something life-saving, you have to show real sincerity."

Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath, knowing that the other party had great ambitions. He said in a deep voice, "Since that's the case, Jingwei, I dare you to name your price! As long as I can do it, I will never refuse!"

Sima Xuan restrained his smile, sat up straight, and fixed his gaze on Zhang Jingwei as if it were real. He slowly and clearly stated his conditions:

"I want your 'Military March'."

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

Zhang Jingwei's pupils suddenly constricted, and the color drained from his face. Junxing, the company he had founded with his own hands, condensed countless efforts. It now permeated the economic lifeline of Yunzhou and even the wider region. It was the foundation for realizing his many ideas and ambitions, and a crucial part of his future plans.

However, after only a moment of struggle, he almost gritted his teeth and squeezed out a word from his throat:

"Give!"

His voice trembled slightly with excitement and determination: "As long as I can exchange it for 'Qilin Blood' and save Ling'er's life, Junxing, I will give it to you!"

Now, it was Sima Xuan's turn to be surprised. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhang Jingwei, his tone a mixture of amusement and confirmation: "Have you thought it through? Although this 'Qilin Blood' is said to be able to cure all diseases and bring back the dead, it's still illusory. Whether it can truly cure your wife's illness is still unknown. Are you sure you want to give up this 'military operation' that could shake up the economy of a region so easily?"

"Sure!" Zhang Jingwei answered without hesitation, his eyes filled with a desperate determination. "Even if there's only a glimmer of hope, even if it ultimately proves to be a mirage, I will never give up! As long as I can get that glimmer of hope, I'll pay any price!"

Sima Xuan stared at him for a long moment before he sighed softly, his voice half-hearted, perhaps expressing admiration or regret. "What a profound friendship! Zhang Jingwei, you know, this 'Junhang' (Military Bank) is, at best, a massive trading company that rakes in billions of dollars daily. But at worst... it controls logistics, influences prices, and can even mobilize civilian resources. Given time, it could shake the very foundations of our dynasty's economy! Are you truly willing to part with it?"

Zhang Jingwei, however, calmed down. He met the Prince of Jin's gaze, his tone returning to its previous composure, even with a subtle edge. "Your Highness, you are too kind. The military is merely a collection of peddlers, artisans, and farmers, doing a business to support their families. How can it possibly shake the foundations of our nation? The foundation of our nation will always be in the hands of those like you, Your Highness, who hold great power and control a region."

Sima Xuan keenly grasped the implication in his words and pressed on, "Someone like me? In your eyes, Zhang Jingwei, what kind of person am I?"

Zhang Jingwei said without hesitation, "He is extremely powerful and ambitious!"

Sima Xuan's eyes flashed, but instead of getting angry, he seemed to have been stricken. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deeper voice, "Ambitious? Zhang Jingwei, you must remember that this world belongs to our Sima family! I'm a prince of the imperial clan, so why do you say I'm ambitious?"

Zhang Jingwei knew he had touched upon the core of the matter. He took a deep breath, speaking earnestly but unyieldingly, "Your Highness and the late Emperor are brothers of the same clan, connected by blood. Yet, a single step separates us from a world of difference. The distinction between ruler and subject is a matter of course, unchallenged. This is the universal consensus."

"Consensus?" Sima Xuan was like a blast of dynamite, his suppressed emotions finally showing a slight wave. He raised his voice, carrying years of pent-up resentment and unwillingness, "Is consensus right?! Back then, I was Emperor Taizong's favorite grandson! My father ordered my eldest brother and I to lead the army to the north to reclaim the lost territory in the north! Which tough battle didn't I charge into? Which wound didn't bleed my blood?! I have made the greatest contribution! I have shed the most blood! Why?! Why can't I be the one to sit in that position in the end?! Why did my father insist on listening to the slander of those corrupt scholars and clinging to the outdated rule of 'establishing the eldest son or the legitimate heir'! Establishing the eldest son instead of the most capable one is so absurd!"

"Your Highness! Be careful with your words!" Zhang Jingwei's heart was pounding as he quickly spoke out to stop him. If such outrageous words were to get out, it would instantly lead to a catastrophic disaster.

Sima Xuan realized he had lost his composure and abruptly stopped talking, his chest rising and falling slightly. After a moment, he slowly leaned back in his chair, his face regaining some composure, but the fire in his eyes remained unextinguished. He waved his hand, his tone tinged with fatigue and distance, "Forget it... Talking to a minister from another family like you, you naturally don't understand the internal grievances of our Sima family, much less my ambitions."

Zhang Jingwei didn't want to dwell on this dangerous royal secret any further. He brought the topic back to their original purpose and bowed deeply. "Your Highness has great ambitions, and I dare not speculate. But I know what possessing Junxing means to you. However, my wife's life is more important to me than anything else! I beg Your Highness to show mercy and bestow upon me the 'Qilin Blood'. I will be deeply grateful. Junxing... will begin the handover immediately!"

Sima Xuan looked at him, who was willing to sacrifice everything for his wife. He was silent for a moment, but finally gave an unexpected answer:

"I don't have 'Qilin blood'."

Zhang Jingwei suddenly looked up, his eyes full of surprise and disbelief.

Sima Xuan looked at his shocked expression and added slowly, "But I know who can find it, and I know where it might be."

Hope once again rose from the ashes of despair, and Zhang Jingwei asked anxiously: "Then... Can Qiansui..."

Sima Xuan interrupted him: "I will send someone to look for it. But this will take time and also requires opportunity."

Zhang Jingwei felt mixed emotions, but at this moment, he had no choice but to bow and say, "Then... thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Jingwei is in Yunzhou, awaiting your good news. If Your Highness has no other instructions, may we... please leave?"

Sima Xuan gave him a deep look, a look that was complex and difficult to interpret, containing admiration, calculation, and perhaps a hint of subtle pity. He waved his hand, his tone returning to its original calmness:

"No delivery."

Zhang Jingwei said no more, bowed again, then turned around, with a heavy heart and a glimmer of hope, and staggered out of the cabin filled with the atmosphere of power struggles and transactions.