We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Li Che felt relieved when he heard Li Neng's words.

As expected of Emperor Qing's offspring, he still has some backbone even after being semi-imprisoned for three years.

This morning, seeing his timid look, Li Che was really angry at his lack of fighting spirit.

Especially when he thought about how four years ago, he and Li Lin had a fight with the King of Qin and the King of Chu, and the fight was brought to the emperor's presence, and they were framed by the King of Shu. Among all the princes, only the youngest Li Tan dared to stand up and speak for justice.

At that time, Li Neng was just a half-grown boy, yet he still had such courage. Li Che was really afraid that he would be suppressed by Gong Qingwen and would never be able to stand up again.

"Sixth brother, just tell me, how many soldiers are needed?" Li Neng's eyes gleamed. "I can't mobilize all 3,000 guards in the palace, but I can at least command half of them."

Li Che also smiled with satisfaction: "We don't need too many, five hundred elite soldiers are enough, they need to be water-smart and keep their mouths shut."

"No problem, I'll call my personal guards over right away!" Li Neng no longer hesitated, and immediately stood up and walked towards the door.

Under the cover of night, the commander of Prince Fu's personal guards was secretly summoned.

This person has been serving Li Neng since he was still the Prince of Tan, and is a true confidant.

Li Neng personally issued the order, saying only, "The king has a secret mission concerning the safety of Fuzhou."

Then, five hundred of the most reliable guards of the palace were selected, assembled overnight, and secretly handed over to Qiu Bai and Qu Jinshan who had been waiting outside the palace.

Qiu Bai and the other man immediately led everyone away into the night and headed towards the Feng State fleet docked at the pier.

Li Neng still wanted to go with them, but was calmed down by Li Che with just a few words.

At such a sensitive moment, it would be better for him to stay in the palace.

Gong Qingwen and the prefect were obviously familiar with each other, and they might have been in collusion for a long time. If Li Shen suddenly left Prince Fu's Mansion, it would inevitably arouse the vigilance of the two.

Just let Li Neng stay in the mansion and come to see him after everything is over.

Although Li Neng was a little disappointed, he still agreed.

Li Che and the other two were relieved and said goodbye and left.

The next day, the sunlight in Fuzhou City seemed to carry a hint of uneasy heat.

Li Che and Li Lin arrived at the Fuzhou government office early, and Chen Wenrui forced himself to stay awake to receive them in the second hall.

But the anxiety deep in his eyes revealed his inner torment.

No one was willing to receive two vassal kings, let alone the fact that these two were the only two powerful vassal kings left in Daqing.

Every day Li Che and his companion stayed in Fuzhou longer meant a day more risk of being exposed. This ominous feeling made him extremely anxious.

"Should Lord Chen, I've given the case of Gong Changshi much thought." Li Che picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and spoke with sympathy. "Although this man's behavior is not proper, he is still an official appointed by the court and represents the reputation of my father."

"If the punishment is too harsh and a big uproar is caused, it will damage the reputation of the court and will also be detrimental to the situation of my tenth brother."

When Chen Wenrui heard this, he felt relieved.

What he feared most was that Li Che would keep holding on to Gong Qingwen and dig deeper.

Now that Li Che had taken the initiative to suggest that they stop, it was like a pillow being delivered to him when he was sleepy, and his tense nerves immediately relaxed a little.

A grateful smile immediately appeared on his face, and Chen Wenrui bowed repeatedly:

"Your Highness should be considerate of the people and take the overall situation into consideration. The matter of Gong Changshi should not be publicized."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will handle this properly, punishing his mistakes while preserving the dignity of the court!"

He was secretly rejoicing that the storm was about to subside, but he saw a trusted advisor outside the door like an ant on hot pan, pacing anxiously at the door, looking into the hall frequently with an extremely ugly expression.

Chen Wenrui's good mood was instantly interrupted. He frowned and scolded in a feigned displeasure:

"Why are you so sneaky? Can't you see I'm discussing matters with the two princes?"

"This..." The lawyer wiped his sweat, "Master, may I have a word with you?"

"Come in!" Chen Wenrui said in a dignified manner, "If you have anything to say, please speak to your Highness. I am an upright official and I will say anything I want to tell anyone!"

The master trembled all over after being scolded. He trotted in with a bitter face, his eyes evasive as he said, "Master, there is...there is a problem with Yang Ling..."

His voice was so low that it was unclear, but Chen Wenrui still heard the name Yang Ling.

His face turned pale in an instant, and his body shook almost imperceptibly.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, forced a smile that was uglier than crying, and bowed to Li Che and Li Lin repeatedly:

"Your Highnesses, please forgive me. Some of my useless relatives are causing trouble outside again. Your humble servant...your humble servant will be away for a moment. I will be back soon!"

Li Che held the tea and smiled gently, "It's okay for Governor Chen to go. I will wait here."

Chen Wenrui forced a smile, almost crawling out of the second hall, and pulled the lawyer behind a secluded corridor pillar.

Li Che and Li Lin looked at each other, and at the same time, a smile of understanding appeared on the corners of their mouths.

Behind the pillars, Chen Wenrui lowered his voice: "What happened to Yang Ling? Didn't I strictly order them to relinquish their sails and return to the island? Not a single mouse can be released without my order?"

The lawyer had a sad face and a sobbing voice: "Master, disaster has occurred!"

"What's the matter? Tell me quickly!" Chen Wenrui's eyes almost popped out.

"Just this morning, the cargo ship that Mr. Zhao had just put out to sea was hijacked. The ship was burned, and the cargo was stolen. I heard that many people died."

"There was also a group of people who stormed into Liujiazhuang, a suburb of the city, burned the granary, and kidnapped Mr. Liu."

"In several villages outside the city, people have been kidnapped and left messages demanding a ransom. Rumors are rife inside and outside the city that the Japanese pirates are about to break into the city. Many wealthy families and merchants are blocking the entrance to the government office, demanding an explanation!"

Chen Wenrui felt dizzy and his hands and feet were cold.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

He muttered to himself, his mind in a mess.

Could it be that some of Yang Ling's men disobeyed orders and went out to hunt for food on their own?

Or... are there really bandits who saw that Fuzhou was rich and came to steal food?

In either case, it would mean a huge loss of control, and the balance he had worked so hard to build would be broken.

Especially since Li Che and Li Lin are still in Fuzhou City, if the situation is not handled properly, it will be a disaster.

"Quick!" Chen Wenrui grabbed the master's arm, his nails almost digging into the flesh. "Right now! Immediately! Send someone to find Yang Ling!"

"Ask him if all his men are on the island. Were these things happening outside done by some blind bastard under his command? Tell him to find out immediately!"

"Also... have his men get ready. If they're really new here, have them wipe out these clueless bastards completely!"

"We can't let them ruin everything! Go! Quickly!"

The master was so frightened by his ferocious appearance that he pissed and shit himself, and ran out crawling to make arrangements.

Chen Wenrui was panting in the corridor, trying to calm his pounding heart, looking towards the second hall.

This matter was too strange. Ever since Li Che and the other man arrived in Fuzhou, he had been making trouble. This made him wonder if Li Che was behind it.

Thinking of this, Chen Wenrui became murderous and his eyes became much colder.

Fuzhou is different from other places. It is too close to the sea. Even though the imperial court implements the strictest maritime ban policy, the local big families still have several large ships that can go out to sea.

There were similar jokes in later generations that people from Fuzhou did not need to apply for a passport when traveling abroad, they could just ask Mazu for permission.

This is also why, once the matter failed, Chen Wenrui could easily kill Li Che and the other two and then flee overseas.

The ocean is so vast that even if the Fengguo fleet traverses the four seas, it will not be able to find me.

Of course, that is the last resort in extreme circumstances, and the situation is not yet that serious.

Chen Wenrui straightened his clothes and tried to look calmer before returning to the second hall.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw Li Che and Li Lin sipping tea leisurely, as if nothing had happened just now.

Li Che put down his teacup, his face showing just the right amount of concern. "Master Chen, have you sorted out your family affairs? You don't look too well, but what difficulties have you encountered? If there's anything I can help you with, please feel free to ask."

Chen Wenrui looked at Li Che's frank and clear eyes, and the doubts that had just arisen in his heart disappeared instantly.

No matter how powerful Prince Feng is, he is just a young man in his early twenties. How could he have such deep thoughts?

While chatting and laughing with him, he made such a big noise outside the city.

If he really did it, wouldn't he be a monster?

impossible! Absolutely impossible!

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness." Chen Wenrui quickly forced a smile and bowed, saying, "I'm sorry to have caused your Highness some trouble with these minor family scandals. We have now taken care of them, so there is no need for your Highness to worry."

He paused, a worried expression on his face. "It's just... I just learned that there seems to be another wave of Japanese pirates causing trouble outside the city. They've attacked merchant ships and manors, and even kidnapped hostages."

"Alas, these are truly troubled times. Your Highness and His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan are both of noble status. I'm afraid the city is not at peace right now. I ask both of you to be extra careful and bring guards with you whenever you go out."

"Oh? Another wave of Japanese pirates?" Li Che's face showed a look of worry as he stood up suddenly. "How dare they be so rampant that they even dare to attack merchant ships and manors?"

"Oh no! My family is still in the inn. I have to go back and check on them immediately! Fourth brother, please stay here with Governor Chen. I'll be back soon!"

Chen Wenrui was eager for Li Che to leave so that he could go and deal with the mess outside. He said quickly, "Your Highness is concerned about his family. It's human nature. Please do as you please."

Li Lin also stood up immediately, with a look of righteousness on his face: "Sixth Brother, go and settle the nephews. I will stay here with Prefect Chen."

"I want to see if these Japanese pirates can still cause trouble. Master Chen, don't you agree?"

Chen Wenrui cursed in his heart, but seeing Li Lin's scorching eyes, which made him feel uneasy, he could only laugh dryly and responded:

"Yes, yes, with His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan here, I feel much more at ease."

Li Che winked at Li Lin, said no more, and hurriedly left the government office.

As soon as he walked out of the government office gate, the anxious look on Li Che's face disappeared instantly, and several night watchmen approached him quietly like shadows.

"What's the situation?" Li Che asked in a deep voice.