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

"Of course, I will also use the law to restrain you... Just do it! Leave the rest to me!"

Lin Zhong trusted Xiao Ce unconditionally.

"Your Highness, since you have already made up your mind, I will naturally support you unconditionally!"

Xiao Ce said to Lin Zhong, "We should use the rule of law to restrain them. Also, as long as we are advanced enough... actually, even if we just put the answer there, they won't be able to copy it."

"It's like this: I gave you the complete blueprints for a sniper rifle before, and I told you how to build it, but you couldn't solve a series of subsequent problems. So they couldn't make it either."

Lin Zhong nodded: "Your Highness, I understand!"

Xiao Ce trapped them in Dragon Tiger Stronghold because his ideas were the best in the world.

However, from the words of those Westerners, Xiao Ce had a clear understanding of himself.

They have already fallen behind, and fallen far behind.

What they need to do now is catch up, not remain stagnant.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ce wondered if there had been any news about the researchers he had asked Boudica to bring from abroad.

Seeing Lin Zhong's anxious expression, Xiao Ce said, "Uncle Zhong, don't worry... Completing these things won't be done overnight... It will definitely take a long time... five years, or even ten years..."

Lin Zhong nodded: "Your Highness, I know... I'm just worried that I won't live that long."

Xiao Ce noticed Lin Zhong's gray hair and then remembered.

Lin Zhong is almost sixty years old, which is considered a long life in ancient times.

Xiao Ce had inquired about it, and the average lifespan of people in Xiao Kingdom was only forty-five years.

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Uncle Zhong, you are blessed with good fortune. You will surely live a long life... By the way, I told Night Cat to have the people from Hundred Herbs Garden come and treat your health... Have they all come yet?"

Lin Zhong nodded with a smile: "They're here, they're here. Thanks to them, I've recovered quite a bit of my energy after taking their herbal medicine..."

Then, Lin Zhong said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, since you said you wanted to establish the Heavenly Mystery Institute, I'd like to set up its headquarters in the capital. What do you think? I was born and raised in the capital, and I'm getting old... If I could die here, it would be like returning to my roots..."

Xiao Ce nodded: "Of course, Uncle Zhong, you've been running Tianji Academy all along, and everything is up to you. I've also had someone clean up the Zhenguo King's Mansion... If you want to live there, you can. Of course, if you're worried about arousing suspicion, I've also arranged other villas for you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhong prostrated himself on the ground with a thud: "Thank you, Your Highness!"

Hearing his trembling voice, Xiao Ce stepped forward and helped them up: "Uncle Zhong, what are you doing?"

Lin Zhong prostrated himself on the ground, his voice choked with emotion: "Your Highness, I am but a lowly steward. I am so deeply grateful for your kindness..."

Before Lin Zhong could finish speaking, Xiao Ce helped him up.

Xiao Ce looked at Lin Zhong with unwavering eyes: "Uncle Zhong, you're wrong... He's not the butler! He's the closest person to me in this world... he's family..."

Seeing Xiao Ce speak so resolutely, tears welled up in Lin Zhong's eyes...

"Your Highness, I have long regarded you as family..."

As he spoke, Lin Zhong hugged Xiao Ce and burst into tears.

After the two of them inexplicably cried for a while, Lin Zhong wiped away his tears and told Xiao Ce that he had to go and get busy.

...

Xiao Ce said to Xiao Jiu, "Xiao Jiu, do you know why I asked you to come here?"

Xiao Jiu nodded.

Looking at Xiao Jiu, Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Oh? You know?"

Xiao Jiu nodded obediently and said to Xiao Ce, "Of course, Your Highness sent me here to serve you..."

Xiao Ce shook his head at Xiao Jiu and said, "Yes and no... You've seen how deserted this palace is. Although I've hired some people, none of them quite suit my taste. Now that I've temporarily assumed this position, I will indeed be staying here for a while... Therefore, I need a suitable person to help me manage everything..."

"How about I make you my chief steward?"

After Xiao Ce said it, he thought Xiao Jiu would be very happy.

However, to everyone's surprise, Xiao Jiu looked embarrassed and almost cried.

Looking at Xiao Jiu's expression, Xiao Ce chuckled and said, "What's wrong? You look like you're about to cry. Don't be moved... don't be moved..."

Xiao Jiu knelt down with a thud and burst into tears.

Moreover, judging from his expression, he was crying from fear, not from being moved.

After Xiao Jiu knelt on the ground, he kowtowed to Xiao Ce while asking him what he had done that displeased Xiao Ce.

Xiao Ce considered himself to be an expert in human nature and to have a deep understanding of people's hearts.

However, after being tormented by Xiao Jiu like this, he was completely bewildered...

"You didn't do anything wrong. I only let you do it because I thought you were doing a good job."

Xiao Jiu looked at Xiao Ce with teary eyes, as if asking him if he was serious.

Xiao Ce said to Xiao Jiu, "Why are you crying? You're being made the Grand Eunuch, the highest-ranking official in the palace besides me. And you're still not happy?"

Xiao Jiu nodded, then said, "I'd be willing... but... but, Your Highness... I'm not married yet... I... I want to have children! I... I... I don't want to be the Grand Eunuch..."

After hearing Xiao Jiu's sobbing words, Xiao Ce gave a bitter smile.

Then I understood...

Xiao Jiu misunderstood; he thought Xiao Ce wanted him to become a eunuch...

No wonder Xiao Jiu is like this.

Xiao Ce laughed out loud, "Haha, you brat... I'll make you the Grand Eunuch. But my Grand Eunuch doesn't need to be castrated..."

Xiao Jiu was stunned for a moment, then said to Xiao Ce, "Your Highness, you...you...you're telling the truth?"

Xiao Ce smiled and said, "Of course, you're the person I trust the most. I've been taking care of you since you were little... You're not afraid I'll harm you, are you?"

Although Xiao Jiu has grown up quite a bit, she still retains some childlike habits.

He wiped away his tears and immediately burst into laughter.

Then, he kowtowed to Xiao Ce and said, "Your Highness, rest assured... I will definitely do my job well and manage your palace in an orderly manner."

Xiao Ce nodded: "Although I didn't stay long at the Northern Desert Prince's Mansion, I've seen how well you managed it... I trust your abilities. If you have any problems, come to me. If you can't find me, go to Prime Minister Yin... get acquainted with Prime Minister Yin."

Xiao Jiu nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely not let you down..."

Xiao Ce smiled and patted Xiao Jiu on the shoulder: "Do a good job!"

Xiao Jiu nodded and went to get busy.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Xiao Ce thought to himself that although he was not the emperor, he was more than an emperor.

At least, he was more carefree than an emperor...

...

Despite the seemingly calm surface of Kyoto, undercurrents are actually surging beneath the surface.

Inside a guest room of an inn.

An ordinary-looking, ordinary-dressed, and utterly ordinary middle-aged man arrived at the door of a private room.

Knocked on the door gently.

A woman's voice came from inside the room.

"Enter..."

An ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a square face gently pushed open the door.

Inside the room sat a woman dressed in a black short robe, with her black hair tied up high, looking very capable.

If Xiao Ce were here, he would definitely recognize this person at a glance.

This person was none other than Nie Bing, whom Xiao Ce had not seen for a long time.

However, Nie Bing at this time has a very different temperament from when she was a hidden dragon.

His entire demeanor became much colder.

After the square-faced middle-aged man entered the room, he bowed to Nie Bing, who was dressed in black.

Nie Bing said calmly to the middle-aged man, "Feng Gui, what's the news?"

The middle-aged man, known as the Wind Demon, bowed to Nie Bing and said, "Master Nie, the investigation is complete. This Slavic man provided 100 million shi of grain, and they still signed a cooperation agreement."

"The Slavic prince and princess were both very supportive of this arrangement. It's said they even wanted the princess to have a relationship with the King of the Northern Desert... to strengthen family ties..."

"So, their food crisis has been resolved... and after this, they will inevitably unite."

Nie Bing's eyes flashed coldly: "We can't let Xiao Ce develop so quietly. If he gets the cooperation of the Slavic countries, Xiao Ce will truly have no worries..."

Feng Gui nodded: "Master Nie, since that's the case, why not just kill Xiao Ce? It would be a one-time solution. With the guards around him now, it wouldn't be difficult for the people of our Blood Nether Pavilion to take him down."

Nie Bing snorted coldly: "This is what the Pavilion Master means. The Pavilion Master said that we should restrain Xiao Ce, not only not kill him, but also protect him... What the Pavilion Master wants is the Xiao Kingdom under Xiao Ce's rule, but a Xiao Kingdom that is not peaceful. Do you understand? Why don't you go and ask the Pavilion Master yourself?"

Feng Gui lowered his head: "Master Nie, I was wrong!"

Nie Bing said to Feng Gui, "Is there a way to kill Nikolaevich Reis and Nikolaevich Eva?"

Feng Gui nodded: "Reporting to Master Nie, yes, that's possible. You mean..."

Nie Bing nodded: "That's right. Nikolaevich Ries and Nikolaevi Eva are both Nikolaevich Shahar's favorite children. If anything were to happen to them in Xiao Kingdom, their alliance would inevitably collapse..."

Feng Gui asked, "Is it a direct assassination? Or perhaps..."

Nie Bing was silent for a moment: "Based on your investigation, will they leave soon?"

Feng Gui shook his head: "At least not!"

Nie Bing said, "Find a suitable opportunity, and then we must find a way to frame Xiao Ce. We must pin this blame on Xiao Ce."

Feng Gui nodded: "Master Nie, I understand."

Nie Bing continued nodding: "That Xiao Ce has already taken over the palace, right? I heard that he also brought over Xiao Jiu, his most trusted concubine from the Northern Desert Prince's Mansion?"

The wind spirit nodded.

"They'll definitely be recruiting. Let's try to infiltrate a few places, and have some of our Blood Nether Pavilion members get in..."

Feng Gui nodded respectfully as always: "Master Nie, we are already doing it."

Nie Bing nodded in satisfaction: "Remember to be careful, don't let the Golden Society find out. The Golden Society has spies everywhere."

Feng Gui said confidently, "Master Nie, don't worry, we've already figured out all the tricks of the Golden Society!"

Nie Bing nodded, got up, and paced back and forth for a while.

"How are those Japanese? Have they arrived? Who are they? What are their names?"

Feng Gui replied respectfully, "Master Nie, they are still members of the Tojo family of Fusang, but this time they are not those insignificant people... but Tojo Koichi, the third son of the Tojo family."

"This Koichi Tojo is cunning and scheming..."

"However, since he arrived here, he seems to know very little about Xiao Ce and has been doing many foolish things..."

Nie Bing listened curiously and asked Feng Gui, "Oh? A stupid thing? What stupid thing did he do?"

Feng Gui recounted the whole story: "After he arrived, he probably didn't know that Xiao Ce had already resolved the matter. He's still insisting that Xiao Ce kneel down to greet him... otherwise, he wouldn't come over, or even disembark."

"They seem to still be dreaming of starving the people of Xiao Kingdom to death..."

Nie Bing sneered coldly, "These Japanese people clearly had a winning hand, but they played it terribly."

"Not only did they play terribly, but even after suffering such a huge loss, they still don't know how to learn from their experience."

Feng Gui nodded: "Perhaps, their Fusang Kingdom has achieved tremendous victories on other battlefields, which has made them incredibly arrogant..."

Nie Bing nodded: "Although I really don't want to help them, given the current situation, I think he can still manage to cause trouble for Xiao Ce."

Feng Gui nodded: "Master Nie, of course..."

Nie Bing said, "Then go and tell Tojo Koichi about the situation here. Isn't he a smart man?"

The Wind Demon continued to nod.

After sitting down again, Nie Bing said, "Alright, I'll probably be staying here for a long time. Find me a place to stay. Remember, it has to be secluded. Also, make sure my identity is properly concealed, otherwise people will notice me..."

Feng Gui nodded and said to Nie Bing, "Master Nie, everything has been arranged."

Seeing this, Nie Bing didn't say anything more, waving her hand and saying, "Alright, go ahead and get busy..."