Chapter 121: Clever Tricks
Watching Su Zhen Ting's departing figure, Su Jin Pa, who understood her father's temperament, knew there was absolutely no room for compromise in this matter. She stomped her foot in anger.
After thinking it over, Su Jinpa walked out of the General's Mansion without looking back.
"Miss, where are we going?" The maid, following closely behind Su Jinpa, asked cautiously.
"Go find your brother and see if there's anything that can make father take back his decree." Su Jinpa said angrily.
Even if the master tries to take back his word, that menacing Prince wouldn't necessarily be happy about it...
Seeing the icy expression on her young mistress's face, the maid swallowed the words that had reached her lips.
......
The next day, Li Chen just got up and received a report from Chen Tong.
"Your Highness, the Ninth Prince left the city today under the escort of Wang Tenghuan and others."
Li Chen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you going to help with the disaster relief?"
Chen Tong replied, "Yes, and he left Tong County with the allocated grain and forage early in the morning. All along the way, he used the banner of the Ninth Prince representing the imperial court's compassion for the victims and relief efforts throughout the land."
Li Chen sneered: "This group of bureaucrats, they may not have any other skills, but they are naturally born with the ability to fool the people."
"The day before yesterday, the ninth prince was beaten so badly he couldn't even get out of bed. Today, he's already able to go on a relief mission. This bunch of people are really something, fighting tooth and nail for fame and fortune."
Chen Tong rolled his eyes.
Sān Bǎo got on the wrong side of the prince, who was so furious that he almost had his head chopped off. This isn't a secret anymore; in fact, Chen Tong was the first to hear about it.
Right now, the Three Treasures are rushing to Xishan Province with their own confidantes. In Chen Tong's view, this is his best chance.
If I can win over the prince's favor during this time, the position of commander of the Jinyiwei will surely be mine.
This way, he would truly be the second-in-command of the Dongchang, not just a slightly higher-ranking subordinate under Sanbao.

"Your Highness, should I bring some Jinyiwei along to secretly make things difficult for the Ninth Prince?" Chen Tong whispered.
Li Chen glanced at Chen Tong with a blank expression, his cold eyes sent chills down Chen Tong's spine.
"Put away your little tricks."
Li Chen said coldly, “When this palace thinks you are capable, even if you aren't, it doesn't matter. But when this palace thinks you aren't capable, the more you do, the more mistakes you'll make, understand?”
Chen Tong's face tightened, his body becoming as rigid as a javelin. He stammered nervously, "Your subordinate... understood. Please forgive this servant."
“Whether it’s the Ninth Prince or even Zhao Xuanji, they are all part of a power struggle. But power is built upon the foundation of the common people. If this disaster relief fails and the chaos continues to grow, when things fall apart, no one will get a share of the feast. This is a tacit understanding that both I and Zhao Xuanji maintain.”
Li Chen made a suggestion, whether Chen Tong could understand it and how much he could understand was his own fate.
After finishing his words, Li Chen rose and walked out of the palace.
"Come, let's go to the General's Mansion."
This time, Li Chen went to the General's Mansion not to find Su Zhen Ting, but to connect with his future crown princess, Su Jin Pa.
Having previous experience, the steward of General Li's mansion immediately saw Li Chen and quickly led him to the inner courtyard, towards his young mistress's boudoir. As he led the way, he couldn't help but fantasize.
Before, their own general was the hereditary champion king, already honored to the extreme, but lacked real power.
Now that power is in hand, as the Grand Commandant of the Five Armies Military Headquarters, he commands a force of 300,000 elite soldiers within the Jingji region.
If Miss were to become the Crown Princess and, in the future, the Empress, then truly, our family would be the number one noble house, soaring to unimaginable heights.
As if on cue, Su Pingbei and Su Jinpa, siblings, walked towards him.
"The humble soldier Su Pingbei greets Your Highness, the Prince!"

(Editor in charge：the couple next door a novel)