Dragon's Origin

Chapter 565: Wang Sheng's Explanation (Part 1)

Elder Tang asked the question directly, while Elder Xia and Elder Qiu seemed very interested. They both waited for Wang Sheng's answer with a look of anticipation.

"Actually, it's very simple," Wang Sheng said, looking at Elder Tang with a smile. "Elder Tang must know how I became enemies with Zhu Xingsheng, right?"

"I know!" Elder Tang nodded. "Because of Baoqing Surplus Hall's Young Master Zhu. Zhu Xingsheng believes that Young Master Zhu's death was because of you, Duke, so it's a blood feud."

"And with the Qiu family, it's probably for the same reason?" Wang Sheng asked Elder Qiu with a smile. "Because of the events at the Yu Baozhai succession ceremony in Tongxing City, right?"

Elder Qiu nodded. This was common knowledge and there was nothing to hide. Back then, the Qiu family had been forced by pressure from all sides to admit that they had instructed Zhu Shaodong to make things difficult for Wang Sheng. The elder who made the decision had made a bad move. They could have avoided using underhanded methods, but instead incurred Wang Sheng's dissatisfaction, costing them two hundred million gold coins to resolve.

"Logically speaking, this is a blood feud, said to be irreconcilable," Wang Sheng said, unable to help but laugh. "Elder Tang, if you wanted revenge, would you kill people around me, kill me myself, or kill people in a village I've never seen before?"

Elder Tang smiled wryly. Zhu Xingsheng of Baoqing Surplus Hall massacred a village outside the capital, which seemed like a joke to them.

To Wang Sheng, what did it matter if he killed one village or even a hundred? It wasn't Wang Sheng's territory or his people. In the end, the slap landed on the Emperor's face. If it were Elder Tang himself, would he care if the people of the Shanyue Kingdom killed a few villagers working for him outside the capital?

It was precisely because of this bad move that the Shanyue Kingdom's request to the Emperor to enfeoff princes was rejected without hesitation. You killed my people and still want me to grant you a title? How big is Zhu Xingsheng's face?

"If I were to act, I would gather experts and launch a lightning strike when you, Duke, left the city," Elder Tang said directly, unafraid of offending Wang Sheng. "Success or failure aside, it's better than taking it out on a few insignificant pawns."

"Exactly!" Wang Sheng clapped his hands in approval. "Shouldn't that be the way to do it? But look what Zhu Xingsheng did! Well, let's just assume it was Zhu Xingsheng who did it!"

The three were stunned. Could there be some hidden information? Was it not Zhu Xingsheng who did it? Could it be someone from the Dai family?

"It was because he killed all the villagers that the Emperor and I investigated together and discovered the secret of the flying mounts," Wang Sheng explained the process at the time, and without hesitation, pointed to his nose again and said, "At that time, I relied on my sense of smell to discover something that didn't belong there."

So there was such a secret. The three who were not present at the time certainly didn't know, and immediately strengthened their confidence in Wang Sheng's sense of smell.

"Then everyone discovered that people from Baoqing Surplus Hall everywhere had all left cleanly within a day or two," Wang Sheng continued. "Later, after investigation, it was discovered that an elder from the Xia family helped Baoqing Surplus Hall transport goods, right, Elder Xia?"

"That's right," Third Elder Xia had to bite the bullet and nod. This matter was actually very frustrating back then, but Wang Sheng said it, and he couldn't deny it. Everyone pushed the decision-making mistake onto that elder, but it was actually an overall mistake by the Xia Kingdom's higher-ups.

"The Xia Kingdom was thus implicated," Wang Sheng said, as if he didn't see Third Elder Xia's flushed face. "Killing a few villagers is a small matter, but it forced Baoqing Surplus Hall to evacuate in a hurry, which led to them not being fully prepared in the Shanyue region. When I went in with Old Ancestor Lingxu and A'Qi, it was like entering an uninhabited land."

Wang Sheng said that he entered as if it were an uninhabited land, but the three families all blushed. Their people were all trapped inside and didn't come out, especially the Xia family, with more than two hundred experts left in the Shanyue region.

"Believe me, this is not to mock you," Wang Sheng shook his head slightly. "I'm just telling you a fact. If Baoqing Surplus Hall had been fully prepared at the time, I'm afraid we would have plunged into a trap."

"Think carefully," Wang Sheng said quickly, not waiting for the three to figure out whether he was mocking them or not. "Since Zhu Xingsheng of Baoqing Surplus Hall could manage the Shanyue region like an iron bucket in a few years, with detailed plans, and outsiders didn't even hear a whisper of information, why would he make such a stupid decision that had no impact on me personally when leaving the capital, exposing himself? Do you believe Zhu Xingsheng suddenly became stupid? Would such a person who could endure for several years just to make thorough arrangements do such an irrational thing because of hatred for no reason?"

The three were attracted by Wang Sheng's words and shook their heads at the same time. As Wang Sheng said, after enduring and secretly developing the Shanyue region into such a state for several years, would he make such a foolish mistake when leaving the capital?

Seeing that the elders of the three families all showed thoughtful expressions, Wang Sheng didn't continue immediately. He smiled, slowly drank tea, and waited for them to figure it out themselves.

"In fact, they made another mistake in the Shanyue region," Wang Sheng continued after the three had pondered for a while. "I won't say what the mistake was, but in short, it was extremely stupid, allowing Old Ancestor Lingxu, A'Qi and I to easily leave the Shanyue region and enter the Tang Kingdom."

"How muddle-headed would Zhu Xingsheng have to be to make such two mistakes in a row?" Wang Sheng asked the three family elders with a smile. After waiting for them to consider for a while, Wang Sheng continued, "Unless, the person making the mistakes is not Zhu Xingsheng himself."

"Then, who can make decisions in place of Zhu Xingsheng, even if they make such stupid mistakes, they will not be deprived of command?" Wang Sheng then threw out another question.

In fact, the three had answers in their hearts, but this reasoning was too bizarre, making it difficult for the three to speak directly.

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"Everyone says that Zhu Xingsheng killed his beloved son, Zhu Shaodong," Wang Sheng knew their thoughts and said it himself. "However, these are all legends. Who has seen it?"

The three recalled, and it seemed that no one had actually seen it. The news all came from the people of Baoqing Surplus Hall. Everyone just expressed understanding of Baoqing Surplus Hall's past business reputation, so they didn't question it.

"If I guessed correctly, if Zhu Shaodong didn't die..." Wang Sheng turned to Elder Tang and asked with a smile, "Would this explain Elder Tang's question just now?"