Chapter 374 - 135: How Dare He? The Method to Maximize Benefits, I Will Be Behind You

"I thought you had a plan. Something that might put my mind at ease a little."

"Jiang Lan..."

Emperor Xia felt like he was just toying with her. A formidable, vast aura erupted from her body, and she had the strong urge to strike out and teach him a lesson personally.

"Don’t be angry. Am I not trying to figure out a solution for you right now?" Jiang Lan said, a hint of helplessness on his face.

Emperor Xia crossed her arms and sat down on a nearby Jade Bench, her phoenix-like eyes fixed on him as if waiting for him to continue.

Jiang Lan paced slowly around the room, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"The Dragon-Suppressing Seal is the National Treasure of Great Xia. Generally speaking, the place where it’s guarded should be overseen by the elders of the Royal Family. With their cultivation and strength, how could any ordinary person get near it?"

"But the Blood Immortal Sect must have already figured out how to deal with that in their current scheme. Perhaps we could try gathering more experts from the Royal Family to send over..."

Hearing this, Emperor Xia cut him off. "Impossible. Those old fossils are just itching for an excuse to impeach me and force me to abdicate. Not to mention all the old codgers in the Imperial Clan Court who are eyeing my throne—there are more than a few."

"The Royal Family are experts at feigning compliance while acting in defiance. Who knows if they’ve already colluded with the Blood Immortal Sect."

As she spoke of this, the coldness in her eyes intensified.

Jiang Lan sat down across from her with a sympathetic look. "Calm down. Let’s try another way, then."

Emperor Xia almost laughed in exasperation. She felt like he was placating her as if she were a child.

However, the frustration and gloom in her heart suddenly seemed to lift, brightening considerably.

"I’m not angry. I just can’t stand those old fools, just like I can’t stand Jiang—"

Emperor Xia quickly stopped herself, having almost cursed his father right to his face.

"Besides being kept as an offering in the Imperial Palace, can the Dragon-Suppressing Seal be taken outside?" Jiang Lan asked, seeming not to mind.

Emperor Xia shook her head. "No. The National Treasure is the foundation of the nation. Unless Great Xia is in grave danger, it cannot be easily moved. Even with my status, I cannot carry it with me."

Of course, Jiang Lan was already well aware of all this.

’This Monarch, Emperor Xia, really has it rough. Even using the National Treasure requires the joint approval of all those elders from the Royal Family.’

’The previous emperor terrorized the world. In his presence, the Royal Family wouldn’t even dare to fart.’

’Might as well let me secretly refine and take possession of this National Treasure.’

’Or should I find a way to help the Blood Immortal Sect succeed in their plot? I have contingencies in place, so in the end, I’d be the one to claim the Dragon-Suppressing Seal for myself. But that would require me to get personally involved, and I’d risk being exposed.’

’On the other hand, openly helping Emperor Xia deal with the Blood Immortal Sect would also be troublesome, and the benefits don’t seem that great.’

As Jiang Lan pondered, he looked at Emperor Xia’s long, lowered eyelashes. At this moment, she truly seemed to see him as someone who could help her...

’As long as she follows my suggestions and plan, the Dragon-Suppressing Seal will, in all likelihood, fall into my hands.’

’Besides, if she loses the Dragon-Suppressing Seal, her prestige will be swept away, no matter how successful her Southern Hunting drills are. That would suit my purposes perfectly.’

’The way to maximize my gains is to openly help her deal with the Blood Immortal Sect, while secretly getting involved myself to seize the National Treasure.’

"Once the Blood Immortal Sect seizes the National Treasure, the National Fortune will fall into chaos, and turmoil will surely erupt throughout Great Xia. Countless commoners will be displaced, and Dongyuan Province and the Southern Wilderness Province will definitely take advantage of the chaos..."

Emperor Xia’s brow furrowed. She too was contemplating a countermeasure. A single move could affect the entire situation; she had to handle this with the utmost care.

"In that case, let’s use the Dragon-Suppressing Seal as bait. When the people from the Blood Immortal Sect go for it, we’ll wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

"I know you’re worried the Blood Immortal Sect has already made arrangements, buying off some of your personnel and confidants, including some of the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace. You might not even be able to trust your Attendants or Vital Ministers..."

"But isn’t this also an opportunity for you to clean house? After something happens, you’ll know exactly who the problems are," Jiang Lan said earnestly.

Emperor Xia looked at him, a shimmering light in her eyes. "But that’s very risky. What if we don’t have enough people, or if our forces aren’t strong enough? If the Dragon-Suppressing Seal is lost, the consequences..."

She had actually considered this option before: informing the other ministers and princes of the Blood Immortal Sect’s plot early and having them dispatch their own forces to help guard the seal.

Jiang Lan cut her off. "Do you trust me?"

Emperor Xia felt that in this moment, all his previous laziness and nonchalance had vanished. His eyes held a calm reassurance that was both convincing and soothing.

She nodded gently, her thoughts suddenly thrown into disarray.

Jiang Lan smiled. "Then you can proceed with confidence. I’ll be right behind you."

With that, he said no more, turned, and took his leave, walking out of the room.

Emperor Xia stared blankly as Jiang Lan’s back disappeared from view.

The night wind blew in from the window, carrying the damp, fishy scent of the river and bringing her back to her senses.

She placed a hand on her chest. She felt that just a moment ago, her heart had been beating strangely fast.

...

「Several days passed in a flash.」

As she and Jiang Lan had discussed, Emperor Xia decided to use the Dragon-Suppressing Seal as bait to lure out the Blood Immortal Sect, all while laying a corresponding trap.

During this time, she summoned a number of trusted ministers and princes one by one. She informed them of the Blood Immortal Sect’s plot to seize the Dragon-Suppressing Seal and arranged for them to dispatch their own people to guard it in secret.

Among these ministers and princes were Prince Zhenbei, Xiao River; Duke Zhongguo; and Prince Chong’an...

Prince Chong’an was her maternal uncle, making him one of the people she trusted most.