Your Majesty said that my life is worthless, so why are you crying when I increase my troops?

"What's wrong? What are you all standing here for?"

Xia Mingyuan turned around and looked at Zhao Hongying and Lu Xiucai.

Looking at the two people with dazed and stunned expressions, he couldn't help but frown.

"Don't you think I shouldn't rob his food supply team?"

Zhao Hongying couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "That's not the case. I just didn't expect my husband to be so mean."

"But since we're dealing with a profiteer like Huang Paopi, it does make me feel relieved."

"What are you talking about! What do you mean by despicable means?" Xia Mingyuan said with dissatisfaction, "I just want to make our Mr. Huang understand that the world is dangerous and that suppressing bandits is a long and arduous task."

"After being robbed a few times, maybe he'll understand that you get what you pay for."

"Aren't you right, Lao Lu?"

Xia Mingyuan turned to look at Lu Xiucai with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

Lu Xiucai quickly replied, "Sir, you are right. A man like Huang Baopi deserves punishment no matter how he is dealt with. By robbing his grain transport team, you are acting on behalf of Heaven and eliminating harm for the people!"

"Your heart is as clear as a mirror, and everything you do is just. I, Lu Fengxian, wholeheartedly support you."

Xia Mingyuan nodded in satisfaction. "That's right, Old Lu. You're certainly not a corrupt scholar who only knows how to read books of sages. This young master's money is well spent."

"Let's go. I've given the orders I need to give. Now we'll just have to wait for Mr. Huang to come and beg me. Let's go back."

After returning to Hanyang City, Xia Mingyuan threw another silver note of five hundred taels to Lu Xiucai and asked him to go to the city to buy a place and prepare to set up his own security company.

Once I make my security company famous, I won’t have to worry about rich people giving me money.

As for how to make a name for himself, he already has an idea in mind.

Lu Xiucai took the banknote and was so grateful for Xia Mingyuan's trust that his eyes were filled with tears. He patted his chest and made promises repeatedly.

"Sir, I, Lü Fengxian, have been poor for over twenty years. I've never spent so much money in my life. Please be kind and I will buy you a satisfactory house."

In less than half a day, Lu Xiucai spent four hundred taels to buy a house with three entrances and three exits, close to the street, in the west of Hanyang City.

In addition, he also followed Xia Mingyuan's instructions and asked someone to make a huge plaque with the four big words "Kunlun Security" written on it as the door sign.

On the other side, Xia Mingyuan was not idle either.

At this moment, in Princess Xia Xue's room.

Xia Xue frowned and stared at his adopted nephew with vigilance.

"You're going to hold a martial arts tournament in Hanyang in my name? What are you planning to do?"

Xia Mingyuan smiled and said, "Aunt, since we are going to send troops to suppress the bandits, the first step is naturally to recruit local militia. My nephew suggests that we hold a martial arts competition and offer a prize. Then, naturally, masters will come."

"As the saying goes, it's easy to get a thousand soldiers, but it's hard to get a good general. If we don't come up with some gimmicks, how can we recruit a true general?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Xue couldn't help but nodded slightly.

Although she hated Xia Mingyuan in her heart, she had to admit that her nephew had some truth in what he said.

After hesitating for a while, Xia Xue still asked in a cold voice: "If you want to hold the martial arts competition, then go ahead and do it. Why do you need to use my name?"

Xia Mingyuan sighed, his face full of worry.

"My dear aunt, if it weren't for you, Princess Hanyang, who would know who I, Xia Mingyuan, am?

"Now that I've made a bet with Magistrate Sun, they naturally won't show up. Looking across all of Hanyang, I'm afraid you're the only one who can help me."

Xia Xue was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth rose slightly.

"Xia Mingyuan, do you regret it now?"

"I remember you were quite arrogant last night, actually clamoring in public to resolve the Hanyang bandit problem within a month."

"Why do you have to ask me for this?"

Xia Mingyuan twitched his lips and said with a playful smile: "Isn't it just that I want to earn some face for my aunt, so that those people won't dare to look down on our princess's mansion."

"Don't give me that!" Xia Xue glared at him. "Do you think you can still deceive me now?"

"I think you're completely fascinated by his money. You're so young, yet you're so obsessed with money. You're just like that guy!"

Xia Mingyuan suppressed the smile on his face and looked at Xia Xue seriously, "Aunt, please don't always compare me with that guy. He's not worthy at all!"

"Humph, you can do it, so why don't you let me tell you!"

Xia Xue sneered and said sarcastically, "Xia Mingyuan, since you've come to me for help, is this how you approach asking for help?"

"It's not difficult for me to hold that martial arts tournament, but how can I help you?"

"Give me a reason."

"Why? Auntie, don't you want to wipe out these bandits in Hanyang as soon as possible?"

Xia Mingyuan's voice suddenly rose, he stood up from his seat abruptly, and looked at Xia Xue with indignation.

"I originally thought that as the Princess of Dayan, my aunt would be different from those petty and despicable people in the court. She would put the people first!"

"I didn't expect that my aunt would deliberately refuse this matter because of the grudge between you and me!"

"I dare to ask, Auntie, is the feud between you and me more personal, or is the more important public matter of eliminating the banditry as soon as possible and restoring peace and order to the people of Hanyang?"

Xia Xue was stunned by Xia Mingyuan's question and blurted out subconsciously: "Of course, public affairs come first..."

"That's my reason!"

Xia Mingyuan's expression was resolute. "Because the aunt in my nephew's mind clearly distinguishes between public and private affairs. She would never ignore the people because of one person's selfish motives."

Xia Xue's face suddenly turned red.

For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of guilt.

Previously, in order to make things difficult for Xia Mingyuan, she had actually forgotten about the bandit suppression.

"I...I...Xia Mingyuan, what you said is correct, but even if you didn't go to suppress the bandits, County Magistrate Sun would have done the same."

Xia Xue's momentum weakened a bit, but she gritted her teeth and started to explain for the sake of face.

"Haha, auntie, you are wrong again!"

Xia Mingyuan sneered again, "For my nephew's twenty thousand taels of silver, County Magistrate Sun is willing to gamble away hundreds of thousands of taels of the people's hard-earned money, even delaying the bandit suppression by a month. Could it be that Aunt still believes he's truly committed to suppressing the bandits?"

"In my opinion, he doesn't have any orders to suppress bandits, but he's using the guise of suppressing bandits to make money. This guy is more daring than anyone else!"

"This..." Xia Xue suddenly fell silent.

Xia Mingyuan was right. If County Magistrate Sun really wanted to suppress bandits for the people, he would never make suppressing bandits a gamble.

Seeing Xia Xue speechless, Xia Mingyuan was delighted and took advantage of the victory to pursue her again, "Aunt, we can't delay the suppression of bandits for a single day!"

"If we delay for even a day, who knows how many civilians will die at the hands of bandits."

"I beg you, Auntie, to put aside the grudge between us for now and make all your efforts to facilitate the competition!"

"For the Great Xia Dynasty, for the people of Hanyang!"