Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

After listening to Qi Lin's detailed description, Xiao Ce nodded.

"However, Qi Lin! You just mentioned that those resistance organizations are secretly supported by disgruntled individuals. Could these disgruntled individuals include some members of the Golden Society?"

"Or, under the great tree of the Golden Society, have some branches also sprung up, relying on its wealth and power, starting to challenge the rules, trying to seize more, and perhaps even secretly colluding with the resistance organizations?"

Qi Lin's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said solemnly, "Your Highness is very discerning! This humble general dares not conceal anything. The Golden Society is not a monolithic entity. As its power has grown, some members have indeed become dissatisfied with the status quo, either due to the expansion of their families' ambitions or because they have been co-opted and corrupted by the old forces."

He lowered his voice: "Prime Minister Yin and Marshal Han, including Chairman Qian Lai, as well as the Qian brothers, Dafang and Dahai, are not entirely unaware of this."

Yoon Sang is adept at using overt strategies to maintain balance, guiding through policies and constraining through market rules; Marshal Han, on the other hand, is more concerned with whether there are any actions that endanger national security, and once the red line is crossed, military law will be ruthless.

President Qian Lai and the two brothers, Qian Dafang and Qian Dahai, were well aware of the principle that a tall tree catches the wind. They strictly enforced the rules of the association and dealt with members who had dissent or misconduct without hesitation, either by warning or by expelling them.

Last year, a major member who controlled the mining industry in three provinces was investigated by the Gold Society for attempting to manipulate mineral prices, hoarding goods, and secretly funding armed groups. After verification, Qian Dafang personally expelled him from the society and handed over the evidence to the authorities for investigation. Most of his assets were confiscated as a deterrent. This incident caused a great stir and temporarily suppressed many restless ambitions.

"But..." Qi Lin's voice grew increasingly serious.

"Even a centipede with a hundred legs does not fall down when it dies. In fact, what the higher-ups have always been worried about is whether the remaining forces or those who harbor resentment among these suppressed forces might collude with the mysterious undercurrent that kidnapped the King of the Town and spread rumors about his life or death?"

They may not dare to openly oppose the Gold Society, but secretly providing funds, channels, and even hiding places to those desperate criminals is impossible to guard against. This is one of the reasons why resistance organizations are difficult to eradicate; their roots can be intricate and extend deep into certain dark corners.

Xiao Ce's eyes turned completely cold.

Qi Lin's analysis confirmed his underlying concerns.

The abduction of the imperial uncle was by no means an isolated incident.

The opponent chose to act in the West, yet drew the battlefield back to Xiao Kingdom, their target being him personally; their intentions must be far greater...

I wonder if it's the same as the Hidden Dragon Tomb.

Those old nobles who lost power in the economic reforms, the greedy new nouveau riche, and the unscrupulous merchants suppressed by the Golden Society and national policies are all potential allies or pawns that can be used.

This undercurrent is quietly brewing and spreading, taking advantage of the internal contradictions and social gaps that inevitably arise during the development of the Xiao Kingdom...

"Very good, Qi Lin... the information you provided is crucial," Xiao Ce praised Qi Lin.

Upon hearing Xiao Ce's words, Qi Lin directly addressed him, "Your Highness, these messages were actually mentioned by Grand Marshal Han Da during a meeting with us. The purpose was to urge us to strengthen internal checks within the army, to prevent those cancerous elements from infiltrating our ranks..."

Xiao Ce nodded, but did not rush to speak.

After pondering for a moment, he slowly spoke.

"Issue my secret order! First, my arrival at Panshi Port and my subsequent itinerary are classified as top secret and are only to be known by you and Xing Wudao. There is no need to mention it to Han Da for the time being. I will make arrangements when I arrive in Kyoto."

Second, use your channels to discreetly investigate whether there have been any unusual fund flows within the Gold Society recently, and investigate the movements of the key figures of those forces suppressed by Yin Xiang and Qian Shi in the past six months, especially their suspicious connections overseas.

Third, closely monitor Panshi Port and its surrounding area, and be alert for any suspicious individuals attempting to gather information about our arrival, but do not alert them.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Qi Lin said earnestly.

Yin Pan'er said to Qi Lin, "Are you able to carry out all these orders? If you find it difficult, you can just say so..."

Qi Lin naturally understood Yin Pan'er's implied meaning and immediately said, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. I am capable of doing so... Your Highness is right, Grand Marshal Han Da has indeed entrusted me with many tasks here. Therefore, I am fully capable of fulfilling Your Highness's orders..."

Xiao Ce turned around, his gaze sweeping over Yin Pan'er, Da Lei, Director Mi, and others, before finally landing on Qi Lin.

"Make preparations. After dawn, I will depart for Dragon Capital as soon as possible, posing as 'Mr. Xiao of the Golden Merchant Guild.' You will arrange the route; it must be fast and absolutely secretive. I need to meet with that 'messenger who left the letter,' and I also want to see for myself what kind of demons and monsters are lurking beneath this dragon's den!"

"Yes, Your Highness! This humble general will take care of it immediately! I guarantee that the arrangements will be flawless!" Qi Lin said with a serious expression.

Xiao Ce nodded, then said to Qi Lin, "Alright, while you're at it, prepare some carriages for me as well."

Qi Lin said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, what do you think? How about a car...? It's more comfortable and faster..."

Upon hearing Qi Lin's words, Xiao Ce suddenly remembered that he had seen some cars at the dock.

Their collection of cars seems to be more diverse than the Dark Light brand cars and the cars that Xiao Ce originally drew.

His previous thinking was based on habit, so it was natural for him to want a horse-drawn carriage.

Xiao Ce nodded: "It would be great if we could have one... but wouldn't that be too arrogant?"

Qi Lin smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your Highness, no... I've heard that cars exist in the West too, right..."

After hearing Qi Lin's words, Xiao Ce nodded: "That's right, but it's not widespread...it's something only a few people possess..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Qi Lin nodded, understanding Xiao Ce's concerns and worries.

Qi Lin said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, are you worried about being too conspicuous? Actually, if you were a merchant of the Golden Society, traveling by carriage would attract attention... In East Asia, especially in Xiao Kingdom, cars are already very common... Moreover, with the reinforced concrete roads provided by the Tianji Academy, plus asphalt paving, our Xiao Kingdom's transportation is already very advanced..."

"With roads easily accessible from all directions, Your Highness, the theory you proposed before—the principle of 'to get rich, build roads first'—has played a significant role... Today, our economy is developing so rapidly entirely because we built these roads first... Moreover, while these cars are expensive here, they aren't extremely expensive... They're a symbol of wealth..."

"Furthermore, we still have some freight wagons here... While horse-drawn wagons are still the main mode of transport... however, once our oil extraction and refining processes are on track, they will replace horse-drawn wagons. Prime Minister Yin's plan is to replace 80% of horse-drawn wagons within five years..."

Seeing Qi Lin's response, Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, since you put it that way, then go and make the arrangements..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Qi Lin smiled and nodded, "Alright, Your Highness, what about the driver..."

Xiao Ce waved his hand: "No need for that, I have someone coming..."

This is actually not difficult, especially for Atie. All you need to do is provide him with some tutorials.

Qi Lin didn't waste any words at this point, bowed and left to make the arrangements.

After Qi Lin left.

Yin Pan'er looked at Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce smiled at Yin Pan'er and then said, "Pan'er, what do you think?"

Yin Pan'er said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, based on Qi Lin's answer, I believe that Xiao Kingdom, and even the whole of East Asia, should be stable..."

After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce nodded and said, "That's right, that's exactly it! I think so too... Moreover, I feel that even if there are some problems, it's not that Yin Weiyong and Han Da haven't taken action... but rather that they might be playing the long game..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er smiled and nodded: "Your Highness is wise... So, let's not disrupt their plans, right?"

After hearing Yin Pan'er's words, Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, then said, "That's right, that's how it is... As for the rest, we'll see as we go. Linhai County isn't far from the capital anyway, and with a carriage, we should be able to get there in two or three days..."

Yin Pan'er nodded.

Xiao Ce smiled at Yin Pan'er and said, "It's getting late, let's rest tomorrow..."

Yin Pan'er nodded to Xiao Ce: "Then, Your Highness, shall we go to the capital first and then discuss this further?"

Xiao Ce smiled at Yin Pan'er and then said, "Of course not. I asked them to keep it a secret mainly because I didn't want to bother any unnecessary people..."

"Once we arrive in Kyoto, we can go see your father first..."

Yin Pan'er nodded: "Also, Your Highness, we seem to have sneaked in, but do you think those who kidnapped the Imperial Uncle might already know...? After all, we didn't completely infiltrate..."

When Xiao Ce heard Yin Pan'er say that, he gave her a wicked smile.

When Yin Pan'er saw Xiao Ce's signature wicked smile, she felt more certain; clearly, Xiao Ce was also prepared...

Therefore, Yin Pan'er did not pursue the matter further.

Xiao Ce then said to Yin Pan'er, "Truly high-level hunters often appear as prey..."

"We need to act sneaky...to make them feel like they know everything about our whereabouts..."

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Yin Pan'er nodded...

She didn't press further, but simply smiled at Xiao Ce and said, "Your Highness, it's good that you know... I believe in you... I trust you unconditionally."

Xiao Ce smiled and nodded, "That's good... I'll take care of everything... From now on, just think of us as someone who's back for a vacation... You see, the situation is much better than we imagined..."

As he spoke, Xiao Ce took Yin Pan'er's hand and gave her a bright smile.

Seeing this, Yin Pan'er smiled and said to Xiao Ce, "Alright!"

After exchanging smiles, Xiao Ce said to the person beside him, "Alright, let's rest first. Tomorrow, we'll go to Kyoto..."

Da Lei said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, rest assured, I've already sent Director Mi, along with the three brothers Mi Long and Mi Hu, to keep an eye on the surrounding area..."

"They've all been trained. There aren't any problems for now..."

Xiao Ce said to Da Lei, "Alright, this is Qi Lin's territory after all... so there shouldn't be any major problems..."

Da Lei nodded.

Xiao Ce saw Da Lei's expression and said with a smile, "Why do you seem less happy than I expected?"

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Da Lei smiled and then said, "Your Highness, although I've returned, it feels like the enemy is even stronger. I really can't be happy..."

Xiao Ce said to Da Lei, "Don't you miss your General Dan? And your child?"

After hearing Xiao Ce's words, Da Lei's expression softened considerably. He had indeed thought of his wife and children, and his gaze became much gentler...

Da Lei smiled and said to Xiao Ce, "Of course he wants to..."

Seeing this, Xiao Ce patted Da Lei on the shoulder and said, "You don't need to feel too much pressure... I have a gut feeling... and I won't die..."

Seeing Xiao Ce's words, Da Lei looked at him with absolute certainty and said, "Your Highness, of course... You're blessed with good fortune, so naturally nothing will happen to you..."

When Xiao Ce heard Da Lei say that, he smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Da Lei then asked Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, I wonder where Night Cat and the others are now?"

Xiao Ce knew that Da Lei was thinking about their brothers...

Xiao Ce said to Da Lei, "They should be in the capital. After all, they are shadow guards; they definitely won't show their faces in public... they won't let everyone know about his situation... we'll find out when we get to the capital..."

With that, Xiao Ce said to Da Lei, "Alright, get some rest... Like I said before, we'll deal with whatever comes our way..."

After listening to Xiao Ce's words, Da Lei nodded heavily.

The next day, the dawn broke.

Xiao Ce and his group had already gotten up and were ready to set off.

Xing Wudao, accompanied by several absolutely reliable confidants, personally directed the dispatch of vehicles.

Just as Qi Lin had arranged, parked outside the courtyard were two cars with a solid design and shiny paint, as well as a truck with a roof and sturdy wheels.

Compared to the clumsy early cars of the Western Alliance, the vehicles in front of us have smoother lines, clearly incorporating Xiao Ce's original sketches and the results of several iterations and improvements by the East Asia Institute of Space Technology.

Xing Wudao respectfully handed over a sealed leather document bag, then said in a low voice, "Mr. Xiao, this is something the general asked me to personally deliver to you..."