Chapter 566: I have done much, I expect much
The prime minister tapped his fingers together after reading through the list of demands given by Chi Lian and Muyang. He found it quite curious how these two did not realize that right now, they were acting no better than the pirates. They were holding the treasures hostage unless their demands were met. Between husband and wife, the prime minister wondered who was having a worse influence over the other. He could see this being Muyang’s strategy but was his wife innocent?
"We can rescind this negotiation you know, we do have the authority to take what you have found and you will not be able to do anything about it." he said calmly.
"You can try." Muyang answered with a challenging gaze aimed at the prime minister. "You know better than me how that will play out."
"You two are playing with forces beyond your control." the prime minister replied.
Two kitchen staff came by with the chef and they placed the food around the table, bringing the conversation to a brief halt. When they left, all the royal guards stepped away, giving the three complete privacy.
Muyang took one perfectly fried piece of chicken and placed it on the prime minister’s plate. Then he said, "I am confident in myself, are you?"
The prime minister did the same, taking a piece of chicken from his own plate and adding it to Muyang’s plate. "Do you have to take it this far, brother?"
Chi Lian looked at both of them, thinking to herself that this was like playing a game of tennis with the ball going back and forth between these two. They were speaking cryptically as if she was a spy among them. Fed up of this, she tapped her plate with her chopsticks and said, "Everyone, can we speak clearly, I am part of this negotiation too. What is too difficult on this list of demands for the emperor? I found the treasure and the law says I can keep it but because of complications, here we are. To be frank, I am being haughty but ever since the crown princess belittled me, I have been been holding a very big grudge. Her insincere apology did not even cut it. I checked the law, since ancient days, the emperor has the right to bestow on a gifted and outstanding individual that has created great positive change in the empire a title. I have found a treasure worth billions, ergo positive great change. I have planted farms for the emperor, I cultivated Da Hong Pao for him, I caught a strategist for the rebels for him. My lab has made a great scientific breakthrough that will be a positive contribution to human health worldwide bringing glory to our empire and most importantly, I stumbled onto a conspiracy to kill the crown prince and I have been doing my best to save his life in the dark. Call it entitlement but the King of the British empire rewards his citizens that make significant changes to the empire. He makes them knights or gives them titles, why isn’t it the same here? I appreciate all the land, gold and silk the emperor has rewarded me with but half of it is used for farming under his direction. I need my family’s status to be elevated a bit. Let us be sincere towards each other."
"You stumbled on what?" the prime minister asked in a surprised voice.
"Aiya!!!" she mumbled, "I was planning holding on to that card a bit longer." She did not mean to reveal it yet and she had not even shared this information with Muyang yet. "I will not say anything more." she stubbornly shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth.
"You need to continue talking sister-in-law, what’s this about an attempt on the life of the crown prince?" The prime minister changed his way of addressing her now.
"She doesn’t have to say anything." Muyang answered.