The Gaoli Kingdom was going further and further down the road to ruin.

The real problem was that they couldn't bear to part with the silver.

Hand half the treasury over to Ning Chen? Never mind the Gaoli ruler; the officials didn't want that either.

If the silver went to Ning Chen as compensation, what would the ruler reward them with later?

The Third Prince, Jin Tiancheng, was as giddy as a little bastard. Today had been a complete triumph. He'd won his father's trust and dealt Jin Dongxing a heavy blow besides... The seat of the heir apparent felt closer every day.

Jin Dongxing had no time to think about what the Third Prince was up to. His head was full of one thing: how to cool Ning Chen's fury.

He decided to write to Ning Chen first and sound him out, then decide what to do.

Idiots, colossal idiots. Of all the people to provoke, they had to provoke Ning Chen... Whoever's this stupid, the day he was born they must have thrown out the baby and raised the placenta. Jin Dongxing ranted wildly inside his head.

Time flew. More than a month went by in a blink.

After a long time away, Ning Chen finally led his army and the spoils home to the capital.

Outside the city, dragon banners snapped in the wind.

The Xuan Emperor and the An Emperor had come out of the city to meet him, at the head of all the civil and military officials.

Thirty thousand troops escorting the spoils crept closer like a long dragon.

Heye came up beside the carriage and said softly, "Your Majesty, the prince is here."

The carriage curtain lifted, and the Xuan Emperor, in plain clothes, and the An Emperor, in her dragon robe, stepped down.

Since abdicating in favor of a worthier successor, the Xuan Emperor rarely wore a dragon robe. He only put one on when he was ruling from behind the screen. The rest of the time he wore plain clothes, whatever was comfortable.

Father and daughter both craned their necks, watching…