Chapter Nine: It Seems There Is a Traitor in the Black Tiger Army!

"Hiss... ouch! Grandfather, easy, easy!"

"Easy? See if I don't twist your ear right off!"

Although the old Prince said this, he eased his grip slightly. He turned his gaze toward Wang Xin and ordered him to have the men surround the courtyard, warning him not to let anyone disturb him while he disciplined his grandson.

"As you command, Your Highness."

Wang Xin accepted the order and dutifully returned to guard the courtyard gate. The old Prince led Zhao Ang into the study by the ear and shut the door behind them.

"Grandfather, your grip is far too strong! You've hurt me!" Zhao Ang rubbed his ear, complaining. Even though the old Prince had lightened his touch, his strength was still far greater than that of an ordinary man.

"I know, I know, I'll be gentler next time." The old Prince gave a sheepish laugh and moved on to the main topic. "By the way, you’re aware that the Emperor has been here, aren't you?"

"I am. It was about the Black Tiger Army, wasn't it? What conditions did you agree to in order to make me marry the Princess?" Zhao Ang poured himself a cup of water with practiced ease and laid out his deductions plainly.

Seeing that Zhao Ang could even guess this, the old Prince was thoroughly convinced that his grandson had finally come to his senses. As for suspecting that Wang Xin might have tipped him off? That was impossible; Wang Xin knew nothing of the matter.

"It was nothing much, just an agreement that I would not let you command the Black Tiger Army!"

"What?" Zhao Ang spat out the tea he had just sipped. He didn't even bother to wipe his mouth. "The Emperor demanded this condition directly from you?"

"Precisely!" The old Prince nodded heavily. "So, how do you see this?"

He intentionally sought Zhao Ang's opinion, and Zhao Ang was blunt.

"How else should I see it? Everyone knows the Prince of Zhennan’s estate exists only because of the Black Tiger Army. He is clearly trying to discard the millstone once the grain is ground, and slaughter the hound once the hunt is over!"

What Zhao Ang said was exactly what the old Prince was thinking. Given the events that had transpired, his estimation of Zhao Ang rose even higher. However, since the boy was still young, he still needed some tempering.

"Then, in your view, how should we resolve this?"

"Old man, you appear to be asking me, but you already have a plan in mind, don't you?"

Both were clever men; Zhao Ang could see at a glance that the old Prince wanted to use this matter to test him. Having his thoughts seen through didn't fluster the old Prince at all; he simply nodded.

"In the end, this matter isn't urgent. As long as I haven't married Princess Zhaohua, he cannot touch your military power."

"If you ask me, the thing you should be worried about right now isn't that, but the Black Tiger Army itself!" Zhao Ang looked the old Prince in the eye and delivered his conclusion with certainty. "If I'm not mistaken, there are already people within the Black Tiger Army who have defected to the Emperor, aren't there?"

"Exactly. Now that you've come to your senses, you finally have a bit of my shadow in you." Even though the situation was dire, the old Prince couldn't resist bragging about himself before discussing the military affairs.

He explained that as early as the campaign against the Turks, he had discovered that the Black Tiger Army had begun to defy his orders. Otherwise, with his military talent, he would have flattened the Turks directly; he would never have been forced to resort to a scheme to wipe out their hundred-thousand-strong army. Afterward, he had executed those officers, but some had slipped through the net.

Now that he had returned to the capital in triumph, the Black Tiger Army was left to camp outside the city. He feared those remaining "nails" would use this opportunity to expand their influence. With the Emperor already showing signs of wanting to discard his allies, they had to handle this quickly.

"It's just that... these nails are buried so deep that I don't know where to start pulling them out!" The old Prince sighed. Zhao Ang, however, was not surprised.

The old Prince was already ninety years old and riddled with illness, and the previous owner of this body had a reputation that was in tatters. It was only natural for the officers of the Black Tiger Army to defect to the Emperor; even if it were him, he might have harbored disloyal thoughts. Unfortunately, he was not the good-for-nothing his predecessor had been, and the Black Tiger Army would never fall into the hands of the Emperor.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Ang had an idea. He looked at the old Prince. "Old man, I actually have a plan!"

"Oh? What is it? Tell me quickly." The old Prince’s eyes lit up, and Zhao Ang didn't hold back.

"Actually, pulling out these nails is simple; the difficulty lies in finding them." Zhao Ang pointed to himself. "And I... I am the key to breaking this stalemate!"

"Who in this capital doesn't know that I, Zhao Ang, am nothing but a dissolute drunkard? But I was born lucky, born into this Prince of Zhennan’s estate and became the Heir Apparent."

"And you, old man, command the entire Black Tiger Army. Tell me, if I were to 'accidentally' get drunk and go to the Black Tiger Army camp to run amok, would that work?"

As soon as Zhao Ang finished speaking, the old Prince’s mind raced. He finally understood why Zhao Ang had been cultivating the image of a wastrel—it was all in anticipation of this day. As expected, there was no one in his Zhao family who was incompetent. Zhao Ang’s move to hide his brilliance was truly masterful!

He looked at Zhao Ang with approval and slowly elaborated on the plan he hadn't finished.

"You're right. With your current reputation, it would be entirely expected for you to get drunk and cause trouble."

"And precisely because of that, if you go to the camp and create a scene, those who are dissatisfied with you will certainly reveal themselves."

"At that point, as long as the Emperor's spies aren't fools, they will surely seize the opportunity to stir up trouble and try to persuade others in the Black Tiger Army to defect to the Emperor."

"And I only need to have Wang Xin keep a close watch in the shadows; we will surely be able to ferret them out one by one and punish them severely!"

Once those hidden nails were pulled out, he could use the opportunity to warn the Emperor that he, Zhao Rong, was not yet finished. At the same time, it would deter those in the Black Tiger Army who were still restless, forcing them to understand their situation and abandon any treacherous thoughts.

"Old man, what you say is absolutely true. You truly are the legendary, far-sighted Prince of Zhennan!" Zhao Ang quickly began to flatter him, making the old Prince feel quite pleased.

Though the old Prince enjoyed the flattery, he didn't forget that this plan had been proposed by Zhao Ang. He patted Zhao Ang on the shoulder, his eyes filled with gratification.

"To think you could come up with such a strategy... my heart is finally at ease. When I die, I will be able to close my eyes in peace."

"Pah, pah, pah! Old man, don't you dare say such things. You are going to live another hundred years!" Zhao Ang quickly corrected him. He hadn't been with the old Prince for long, but the love the old man held for his grandson was not a pretense. Since he had transmigrated into this body, he naturally didn't want the old man to die early.

Besides, he still needed to bide his time and grow stronger. If the old man really died, where would he find cover? Without the old man’s protection, this feudal society would have chewed him up and spat him out long ago!

Although the old Prince didn't believe he would live another hundred years, Zhao Ang's words made him beam with joy.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it, grandson—I'll live another hundred years!"