Phi-Fic Chapter 217 Banquet Confrontation
Chapter 217 Banquet Confrontation
Li Yusheng felt his head buzzing, and for a moment he was unable to digest the huge amount of information contained in Cen Jiexiao's words. He closed his eyes tightly, and when he opened them again, his eyes were clear. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging emotions in his heart. He knew that he must not panic at this moment. He looked at Cen Jiexiao coldly, and there was a hint of subtle alienation in his tone: "Lord Cen's words just now contained too much information. This general has not been able to fully understand it for a while. I wonder what Lord Cen meant by the "overall situation"? And if this general has nothing to do with what you and I discussed today, can it be considered as "knowing the current situation"? "
Seeing that Li Yusheng wasn't intimidated by her words, but instead calmly returned a barrage of questions, Cen Jiexiao's opinion of him rose even higher. She knew Li Yusheng was playing dumb, stalling for time, but she wasn't anxious. She was confident he would ultimately make a decision that was in her favor. She chuckled softly, her tone teasing, "General Li, are you testing me? You're a great general, commanding a large army, protecting our country. You naturally know the big picture. Why would I need to teach you a lesson?"
Li Yusheng was even more displeased when he saw that Cen Jiexiao didn't directly answer his question, but only used ambiguous words to brush him off. He slammed his teacup onto the table with a resounding thud, and his tone became sharper. "Sir Cen, I don't like beating around the bush. What is your purpose for coming here today? Please tell me directly!"
Seeing Li Yusheng's attitude harden, Cen Jiexiao knew she couldn't continue testing him, as it would only backfire. She put away her frivolous smile and said seriously, "Since General Li is so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush. I came here today to ask for a favor. I hope the general will consider our past friendship and lend me a helping hand!"
Li Yusheng sneered inwardly. This Cen Jiexiao was truly an actor. One moment she acted so superior, and now she was acting so pitiful and pitiful to beg him. Did she really think he was a three-year-old child, so easy to fool? He said with a fake smile, "Lord Cen, you are too polite. How can there be any friendship between you and me? If you truly need my help, please tell me directly. As long as it is within my ability, I will definitely help you!"
Seeing Li Yusheng finally relent, Cen Jiexiao breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she was halfway there. She gathered her thoughts and spoke slowly, "General Li, the court is turbulent right now. The Empress Dowager's allies are growing stronger, and the Emperor is young, his foundation unstable. As trusted ministers, we cannot bear to see him deceived by these treacherous individuals and plunge the Great Zhou into crisis once again! Therefore, I have the audacity to come before you and earnestly request, for the sake of the late Emperor and the Great Zhou, that you help the Emperor stabilize his government and eradicate these treacherous officials!"
Hearing this, Li Yusheng sneered inwardly. This Sister Cen was truly good at flattering herself. She kept saying it was for the Emperor and the Great Zhou Dynasty, but wasn't it actually for herself? Who did she think she was? How dare she even think of interfering in government affairs! He snorted coldly, his tone filled with sarcasm: "Sir Cen, you think too highly of me. I'm just a warrior, I only know how to lead troops in battle and defend my country. As for the affairs of the court, I know nothing about it and have no intention of interfering!"
Seeing Li Yusheng's refusal to budge, Cen Jiexiao felt anxious, but she knew now was not the time to break up with him. She had to find a way to convince him. She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and spoke more slowly, "General Li, I know you have concerns, but please believe me, I am not one to cling to power. Everything I do is for the Emperor and for the Great Zhou! As long as you are willing to cooperate with me, I promise that you will get what you want!"
Li Yusheng took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He looked at Cen Jiexiao coldly and said, "Master Cen, I appreciate your kindness. However, there are some things I haven't understood yet. It will take some time for me to understand your intentions."
Cen Jiexiao knew that Li Yusheng was stalling, but she wasn't anxious. She believed that as long as Li Yusheng wasn't a fool, he would make the best choice for her. She smiled and said, "General Li, take your time to think about it. There's no need to rush. I'll wait for your good news."
After saying that, she stood up and said goodbye. Before leaving, she looked at Li Yusheng meaningfully and said, "General Li, I hope you can make a decision soon and don't miss this opportunity!"
Li Yusheng didn't say anything, but just watched Cen Jiexiao leave coldly. His heart was full of contradictions and struggles.
After Cen Jiexiao left, Li Yusheng sat alone in the tent, lost in thought. He knew that Cen Jiexiao was right. He could no longer stay out of the current situation and had to make a choice.
But, should he choose to be loyal to the emperor, or to seek the skin of a tiger?
He doesn't know, he really doesn't know.
Li Yusheng closed his eyes in pain. The young face of the emperor and the vicious eyes of the empress dowager appeared in his mind. He felt like a prey trapped in a spider web. No matter how he struggled, he could not escape the fate of being swallowed.
"This Li Yusheng is really an interesting person..."
After Li Yusheng left, Cen Jiexiao and Chen Zigui didn't leave immediately. They tacitly slowed their pace, pretending to admire the furnishings inside the tent while their eyes quietly scanned the surroundings, hoping to find some clues.
"Big Brother, what exactly is Li Yusheng planning?" Cen Jiexiao asked in a low voice. Her brows knitted slightly, her heart filled with doubt.
Chen Zigui said nothing, only shook his head slightly, signaling Cen Jiexiao not to worry and to wait and see what would happen. He knew that Li Yusheng was a cautious person, and it would be difficult to get any information from him. He could only hope to find some clues in the tent.
Seeing this, Cen Jiexiao said no more and just followed Chen Zigui silently, scanning every corner of the tent with sharp eyes, trying to find some clues from these seemingly ordinary furnishings.
Suddenly, Chen Zigui stopped, his eyes set on a bookshelf in the corner of the tent. The bookshelf looked ordinary, but it was arranged in an exceptionally neat manner, standing out from the rather rough style of the other items in the tent. Instead, it exuded a sense of deliberate refinement.
"Sister Cen, look." Chen Zigui pointed to a place on the bookshelf where a set of ancient-style chessboards was placed. The material of the chessboard looked very special and exuded a faint fragrance, which seemed out of tune with the surrounding environment.