Inside the palace.
After a long silence, Zhao Shan spoke. "Father, what Xiang'er said a few days ago is not without reason."
"We have always been making such preparations. And right now, the city's defenses are at their most lax. If we want to succeed, now is the best opportunity."
"When Xiang'er mentioned it to us a few days ago, I already thought about it." Zhao Yu said. "But by my calculations, we cannot win. Unless someone restrains Pan Yue."
Zhao Shan said, "Pan Shulin just escaped."
"?" Zhao Yu didn't understand. Zhao Shan lowered his voice. "Xiang'er said before that if we want to succeed, we could seek an alliance with Pan Shulin. But father and I both felt that Pan Shulin, having a father, brother, and status, would not join us in rebellion, so we stopped Xiang'er. But now Pan Shulin is a fugitive with nothing left. If he doesn't cooperate with us, he will have nothing at all. I suspect Xiang'er will definitely make a move now."
Zhao Shan leaned closer to Zhao Yu, speaking in a barely audible voice. "If Pan Shulin helps, Pan Yue can be controlled."
Zhao Shan said, curling the corner of his mouth as he continued. "Pan Yue's guards are all used to watch the outsider beastmen at the Keyuan Residence. Those outsider beastmen, not all, but at least nine out of ten of those beastmen want to stay in Ning'an City. If we make a deal with those beastmen, have them help us, then we are sure to win."
Zhao Yu's eyes lit up, but after a moment he shook his head. "We still have to factor in the combat power of the ancient beastman. That person also needs someone to restrain him."
Zhao Shan thought for a moment, then said viciously, "That's simple. That Xi Yao is pregnant. When someone from the Xi family is pregnant, their beast-taming art grows weaker. We can send people to capture Xi Yao. Then the ancient beastman won't dare to act."
Zhao Yu's eyes completely lit up. "That Xi Yao is precisely the person Xiang'er and Pan Shulin hate. Perfect to hand over to them for disposal."
Zhao Shan said, "Father, if we are to start the rebellion, then it's not suitable for us to be here begging for Xi Ning's mercy anymore."
Hearing this, Zhao Yu stood up. "Alright then, let's go."
Inside Zhao Xiang's courtyard.
"Even if I can stabilize my brother, what about the ancient beastman?" Pan Shulin asked.
Zhao Xiang moved his brush. The servant said, "If you can stabilize your brother, then there is naturally a way to deal with the ancient beastman."
Pan Shulin frowned. "How do you plan to deal with him?"
Zhao Xiang frowned. The servant glanced at Pan Shulin, whispered something in his ear. Zhao Xiang wrote some more characters on the paper. The servant read it and said, "The young master says, your brother is in charge of Keyuan Residence. As long as he leaves, the people inside the Keyuan Residence can cause trouble together. They would be very useful for dealing with either the ancient beastman or Xi Ning. Also, Xi Yao is the ancient beastman's weakness."
Pan Shulin remained silent without speaking.
Zhao Xiang waited a moment, tilted his head to listen, confirmed there was no movement, and wrote another passage. The servant saw it and spoke. "The young master says, you have no way out. Right now you have nothing, and you are being hunted throughout the city. Falling into Xi Ning's hands means death. Unless we cooperate and overthrow Xi Ning, only then can your Pan family and you, Pan Shulin, be like before."
"..." Pan Shulin wavered. Finally, he gritted his teeth. "I have another condition. The Cheng family and my Pan family have always been loyal. This time they will definitely protect Xi Ning with all their strength. If we succeed, the people of the Pan family and the Cheng family are to be handed over to me for disposal."
Zhao Xiang frowned, tugging at the servant. The servant said, "The young master says, this matter must be agreed to by father and elder brother when they return. He has no authority."
"We have already returned." The door was pushed open. Zhao Yu and Zhao Shan walked in. Pan Shulin looked on guard.
Zhao Yu glanced at him disdainfully. "If we meant you harm, why would we go to such great lengths to save you?"
Zhao Shan stepped forward. "Young Master Pan, we heard what you just said."
After saying this, he glanced at Zhao Yu. Zhao Yu nodded to him. Zhao Shan said, "We can agree to leave the lives of your father and brother, and the Cheng brothers, to you. But from today until we succeed, you must unconditionally obey the arrangements of our Zhao family."
Unconditionally obey?!
Pan Shulin hesitated for a moment. Zhao Shan sneered. "You can refuse. We will immediately cut out your tongue, chop off your fingers, then hand you over to atone for our crimes and ensure our Zhao family's safety."
"!" Pan Shulin gave a bitter smile. "So, I have no way out?"
Zhao Shan chuckled lightly. "From the moment you lost this morning, you already had no way out."
When Wang Jin woke up, he only felt his head heavy and his feet light. Rubbing his head as he sat up, before he could react, a pair of hands rested on his temples, massaging in a regular rhythm.
Wang Jin stiffened, opened his eyes to look at the person, and upon finding it was Yuan Heng, relaxed his body, letting him massage.
"Brother Heng, how did I faint this time?" Wang Jin asked softly. "Did I catch a chill? I feel like I have no strength all over."
"Little ger..."
The man called out softly, his voice low and magnetic, sounding somewhat different from before.
In the past, Wang Jin had fallen ill before. Every time he woke up, the man was almost always by his bedside. The deep voice, coupled with the unique huskiness from not having spoken for a long time while keeping watch by the bed, and the man's worried appearance, each time could make Wang Jin's heart beat faster.
But this time, although the man's voice was still low and magnetic, it held not a trace of worry. Wang Jin turned to look. The man's face still had a very clear look of joy.
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