village after another is disappearing and being wiped out, and the remaining people have all fled, leaving their fates unknown. Currently, in Xishan Province, the number of registered residents that c...Chapter 189: Fish on the Chopping Board

“Currently, within the Qin state, the Crown Prince possesses the moral high ground. However, in terms of political power, he is undeniably the weaker party. Furthermore, with years of natural disasters, whether it's disaster relief or alleviating political tensions, the Crown Prince requires a compelling reason to divert the attention of both the populace and his political opponents. This publicity stunt, regardless of its truthfulness, at least fulfills the Crown Prince's need at this point.”

"So..."

Zhou Taipu bowed to Jin Xueyuan and said, "The best way is actually to have someone who can persuade the Crown Prince to meet us act as a go-between and speak to him first. But if there are other complications and we can't take this more secure approach, then we can only have the princess bring it up directly at the banquet. However, this would be much riskier and test the Crown Prince's political wisdom as well as...as well as the princess's ability to adapt."

"If the Crown Prince possesses enough political acumen, he should have considered what I just said at once. But if he hasn't, and only focuses on whether this rumor is true or false, then it could put the princess in a very difficult position... With all due respect, if this situation is not handled properly, the princess, the entire delegation, and even our country itself, could be plunged into danger."

This is already pretty straightforward.

The hall fell silent.

Jin Xueyuan pursed her lips, seeming to be weighing her options.

"Taipu, if things go smoothly, how likely are we to sway the Crown Prince's heart" Jin Xueyuan asked.

Zhou Taipu replied, "I don't know."

These three words, "single as a stick," made even the high-ranking officials in the hall feel uneasy.

Zhou Taipu let out a sigh and said, "My lords, since ancient times, the hardest thing to guess has been human hearts. What's more, the mind of an emperor's son from such a vast country He was able to catch Zhao Xuanji, who had held power for over a decade, off guard in the blink of an eye after becoming regent. This alone proves that this prince is far more complex than outsiders perceive him to be. If I were to say that I could guess the mind of this prince, whom I haven't even met, how much would you believe"

"So, everything depends on human effort, but whether something succeeds or not, often requires a bit of luck."

Jin Xueyuan gritted her teeth and said, "If so, could the news of the treasure really be true"

As soon as these words were spoken, even Zhou Taipu turned to look.

But Jin Xueyuan immediately shook her head and said, "This matter is of great importance, it concerns the survival of our entire nation, so please don't ask too much. Let me weigh the situation further."

< If there is nothing else, please return to your rooms and rest. >

Seeing Jin Xueyuan say this, the officials in the hall each looked at each other, then helplessly got up and bowed to bid farewell.

Zhou Taipu lagged behind, and he raised his head to ask Jin Xueyuan: "Princess, this minister has something to say, please consider it carefully."

"You are welcome to speak freely, Taipu." Jin Xueyuan said.

“If the treasure is real, then the success rate of this matter can reach 100%. If it's fake, it's about 50/50. And we need to be prepared for Qin State to take revenge afterwards. But if it's truly a mystery, even the princess or the emperor himself can't be sure, then we should treat it as real!”

"Didn't you say before that even if the Crown Prince's actions were fake, as long as he had enough political acumen, they would become true And then he would come after us to settle accounts" Jin Xueyuan asked, her brows furrowed.

Zhou Taipu let out a wry smile and said, "The crown prince knows, but the common people of Qin Dynasty don't know, nor does the court. When public opinion is agitated, will the crown prince confront the people and the court for Xian朝 By then, we will have no use for the crown prince, and we will be like fish on a chopping board."urt, Zhao Xuanji knew that even though he was caught off guard, anger and pointless worries would be useless right now. He could only take things one step at a time.No matter who the one who did it w...