Kang Luo grew even more curious. "Why would he hand the Myriad Nations Society over to you?"

Kang Xiao said, "Because I was at the Great Beginning Pavilion then, and I understood how its intelligence network worked.

What he had in mind was for me to secretly merge the Myriad Nations Society with the Great Beginning Pavilion's network. In other words, for me to steal their network out from under them.

But that network was the most guarded thing they had. I never got anywhere near the intelligence charts... Even being close to Xiao Yanxi did me no good.

Still, I really did understand how that network operated. When he handed me the Myriad Nations Society, it was only a skeleton. After all these years of careful building on my part, it's very well developed now."

Kang Luo could hardly believe it. "Someone hands you an intelligence network this big out of nowhere, and you never suspected his motives, Imperial Brother?"

Kang Xiao smiled. "Of course he has motives. Money... The Myriad Nations Society has always existed to rake in money.

Whatever we rake in, we split down the middle... Where did you think the silver came from all these years, for your wars and for buying over the ministers at court?"

Kang Luo laughed. Who said there was no family feeling in a royal house?

Kang Luo looked deeply grateful. "Everything's gone my way all these years thanks to your support, Imperial Brother... When I take the throne, I'll pardon your crime and wipe the stain off your name. You'll be Prince Regent, and the two of us brothers will share the realm."

Kang Xiao smiled and waved a hand. "Once I had a little interest in the throne, but not anymore... As long as the throne stays in our family, that's enough. You sit on your dragon throne, and your brother will go on backing you from behind the scenes, the way I do now."

The brothers looked at each other and smiled.

Then Kang Luo said, "We still need to find out who founded the Myriad Nations…