Looking back, it was all like a fairyland.

"Of course not. And with so much silver, if Ji Province doesn't have an army, then the secret is truly significant. Besides the army, what else could require so much silver? Four or five million taels each year for four or five years, that's over thirty million taels! That silver could pile up into a small mountain, enough to bury the Prince Cheng's mansion. And just like that, it vanished without a trace?"

"Have you discovered any merchant caravans with close ties to Prince Cheng?"

The shopkeeper nodded and said, "Yes, we checked the Heng family's caravans, but there haven't been any large-scale movements."

Chen Tao shook his head and said, "It might not be widespread. As you know, Prince Cheng had no intention of rebellion. Besides, how old is Prince Cheng now? Even if he did rebel, how many more years could he be emperor?"

"If it's not a large-scale collection, then it must be a rare and precious medicinal herb, small in size but extremely valuable."

"You mean...that's right. At Prince Cheng's advanced age, besides the throne, there must only be one thing that could make him so obsessed—immortality!!"

"Speaking of which, when we were investigating Prince Cheng's background, we also mentioned the unusual events that occurred when the late Emperor Yan died. Prince Cheng displayed unusual grief at the time, which may not have been due to the late emperor's death, but rather his fear that he too would one day never open his eyes again, like the late emperor."

"King Cheng is seeking immortality!!" the shopkeeper uttered after understanding everything.

"No, it's not seeking immortality, it's demanding immortality. He wants to become an immortal for eternity, and he does possess things that can help him achieve this. I remember that Prince Cheng obtained a fragment of an immortal book many years ago."

He...

"It seems we know their purpose now. Let's go investigate. Are there any powerful sorcerers among Prince Cheng's advisors? And although the Heng family's search for the treasure hasn't been very public, they must have left some traces."

Chen Tao rubbed his forehead: "Now we roughly know what Prince Cheng wants to do, and we also understand the reasons for the selfless dedication of those officials."

"It really is the most primal pursuit etched into human nature."

What Chen Tao didn't mention was that Old Goat had warned him to be careful. Judging by the increasing tax revenue year after year, Prince Cheng must have figured something out, which was why officials were flocking to him and pouring money into Prince Cheng's palace at all costs.

"Let me reveal a little bit," Chen Tao said.

"You mean you're going to reveal what we've guessed?"

"Yes, that way, if we guess wrong, they won't react much; if we guess right, it'll force them to come looking for us. Be discreet," Chen Tao instructed.

"Understood. When investigating whether the Heng family is collecting rare treasures, we will leave some undercover agents so they can report back themselves."

Chen Tao nodded, and the shopkeeper and his men filed out.

He knew that this guess was very likely correct. Prince Cheng was not the main target; the main goal was to find the person behind Prince Cheng. This was the key point.

If King Cheng knew we'd uncovered his secret, his first move wouldn't be to negotiate, but to annihilate him. We don't know what's coming, but from what Old Goat said, it's probably a monster. He's never fought a monster before, so hopefully it'll be interesting.

......

The changing situation in Jizhou had little to do with the people; they could only pray for a shorter winter. Fortunately, Jizhou was not short of food; it could be bought anywhere. As long as one had money, one would not starve to death.

As long as you don't reach the point where you can't survive, you have to grit your teeth and swallow these bitter fruits.

However, this year the officials seem to be even more upset than the people.

"They keep urging us day after day, and we can't sell the grain to that Mirage Trading Company. Where are we going to get so much money? It's like a bottomless pit. We've invested so much money over the years, millions of taels at least. What have we gotten in the end? Is Prince Cheng's Mansion treating us like fools?" A hot-tempered official slammed his fist on the table and said fiercely.

"We haven't even seen a trace of the promised elixir of immortality, and now you have the nerve to come and urge us?"

"Anyway, we have no money. Let Prince Cheng speak for himself."

"You know how much money we've invested in Prince Cheng's mansion. It's just the autumn harvest, and grain prices aren't high. You say you can't sell to others because you're afraid they'll use the Shenzi Trading Company's business methods. We can only sell little by little now; we really can't come up with that much money." "That's a lie."

Facing the furious gazes of several adults, one glance after another swept across the face of the chief steward of Prince Cheng's Mansion, making him sweat profusely.

The butler wiped the stiff smile from his face with a piece of silk. Prince Cheng had reached a point of madness. If he couldn't get the money, he would be torn into pieces by five horses when he returned. However, these gentlemen were also not easy to deal with. None of them were fools. They kept pouring money in, but there was no result. How could this be possible?

Their feigned anger was intended to force King Cheng to share his achievements. Of course they had the money, but they were just not ready to show their hand until they saw the rabbit.

"Well... our Prince said he needs some time, and he guarantees to satisfy all of you gentlemen."

"Then you should tell your prince that we can't come up with that much silver in a short time, and that we need some time."

As for the time, it must be when the results are produced that they will pay.

Seeing that the other party was hesitant.

Another person said, "Alright, we won't beat around the bush anymore. Let's be frank. We've heard you've made new progress. Hand it over, and we'll continue to give you money; otherwise, forget it. If the higher-ups find out we're keeping this money, we'll be beheaded. We haven't spent a single penny; it's all gone to your prince. You should understand."

"But..." The head steward wanted to argue a bit more, but was abruptly interrupted.

"Alright, someone come and see the guest out."

And then he was thrown out. Being a steward in the palace was truly frustrating. Not only did he have to cater to everyone, but if he didn't do a single thing well, his life was in jeopardy. It was a helpless situation; this position of chief steward wasn't what he wanted.

He was already the third chief steward, and the two previous ones were long dead. Prince Cheng's personality had been getting increasingly erratic lately, as if he had gone completely mad.

I didn’t get the money this time, and I guess I won’t live long.

He sighed deeply. "If only I could die sooner, it would be better than living like this." He hoped Prince Cheng would give him a quick death. With this thought, the steward strolled back into the palace. The vast palace was gloomy and eerie, blocking out all the bustle. No one dared approach, and the desolate atmosphere made it even more uncomfortable. But what was to come would eventually come.