Chapter 176: The Slanted Moon Treasure, Who Dares to Touch? No Mercy!
In the land of Northern Hebei, at the residence of the Prince.
The military advisor, Zhuge, burst into the study with an excited expression on his face, “Your Highness, great news! Something wonderful has happened!”
At this moment, only the Prince of Northern Hebei was in the study.
Due to many unpleasant things that had happened recently, he was feeling extremely frustrated and stayed in the study, reading books and seeking inner peace, avoiding contact with outsiders.
Seeing the restless military advisor rushing in, the Prince furrowed his brows and put down the book in his hand, “Advisor, where does this joy come from?”
“Your Highness, there is a tremendous piece of news!” Zhuge said excitedly, “The Slanted Moon Treasure…the Slanted Moon Treasure has been discovered!”
“The Slanted Moon Treasure?” The Prince pondered for a moment, and exclaimed in astonishment, “Could it be the treasure left behind by the Slanted Moon Dynasty?”
“Exactly, Your Highness!” Zhuge nodded eagerly.
“How is it possible that it has been found? Are you not lying to me? It has been over 200 years, many people have exhausted their efforts to search for the treasure, if it could be found, it would have been found long ago!” The Prince didn’t believe it.
“Your Highness, it is true! Let me tell you what happened…”
The military advisor recounted in detail the bloody incident triggered by the treasure map.
“Your Highness, I have verified the information revealed by the child, and it matches completely with some secret historical records. This is not something an ordinary person would know! So, this news is highly likely to be true!” Zhuge said with great excitement, “Your Highness, if we can find the Slanted Moon Treasure, which is as rich as a country, our financial problems will be solved, and our great ambition can be realized!”
Finally, the Prince of Northern Hebei was moved!
You see, his biggest problem now was the lack of money!
Being without money made it truly difficult to move forward, and it was even challenging to maintain the normal operation of the prince’s residence!
If they could find the Slanted Moon Treasure, the problem of money shortage would be immediately solved!
Moreover, with this astonishing wealth, they would undoubtedly be even more powerful, giving them a greater chance to ascend the throne than other feudal lords!
As he thought about it, his breathing became rapid.
“Advisor, this is indeed great news! If we really find the Slanted Moon Treasure, our chances of success will be even greater! We cannot waste any time. You must organize a team of experts to explore the Qinglong Mountain Range right away, so as not to let others get there first!” the Prince said eagerly.
“Yes, Your Highness!” Zhuge happily withdrew.
Thus, the Prince of Northern Hebei dispatched a large group of experts secretly to explore the Qinglong Mountain Range.
In the southern region, the Prince of Southern Jiang also received this news and was extremely excited.
“We must obtain the Slanted Moon Treasure!”
You see, although he was wealthy, his lifelong accumulation couldn’t compare to even a fraction of the Slanted Moon Treasure.
If he could acquire this treasure, it would be a tremendous boost to his grand ambition.
So, he immediately counted his troops.
“You must set off immediately and go to the Qinglong Mountain Range to search for the Slanted Moon Treasure! Once you find it, figure out a way to bring it back! After accomplishing this, I will reward you generously! Not only with money, but I will also promote your status and grant you noble titles, providing for your wives and children!”
“Yes, You Highness!”
“On this journey, you may encounter opponents from various sides, so you must be cautious! If it becomes impossible to succeed in obtaining the Slanted Moon Treasure, make sure no one else gets it either, understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
After receiving the orders, the troops of the Prince of Southern Jiang also set off.
Other ambitious vassal kings, neighboring countries, and even ambitious individuals in the martial world all dispatched people to the Qinglong Mountain Range.
The winds of change gradually converged in the land of Wuxi.
In the residence of the Wuxi Duke.
“My Lord, something terrible has happened! Something terrible!” A somewhat ugly middle-aged man rushed into the inner hall in a panic.
“Advisor, why are you so alarmed?” A burly, muscular man wearing a general’s uniform responded.
This person was none other than the Duke of Wuxi, the supreme ruler of Wuxi. And the panicked, ugly man was his military advisor. His real name was unknown, but due to his assistance to the Duke in achieving great accomplishments over the years, he called himself Mr. Fengchu.
Mr. Fengchu ran up to the Duke of Wuxi and took a few breaths before saying, “My Lord, the Slanted Moon Treasure has been discovered, it’s near the secret passage we use to transport supplies and weapons in the Qinglong Mountain Range!”
The Duke of Wuxi furrowed his heavy eyebrows, “Advisor, tell me everything as it happened!”
“Yes, my Lord!”
Mr. Fengchu detailed the process of discovering the treasure.
After listening, the Duke of Wuxi became restless, his eyes turning bright red, “The Slanted Moon Treasure!”
Since he was young, he had heard of the legend of the Slanted Moon Treasure, a treasure worth at least 300 million silver taels, enough to rival a country’s wealth!
If anyone could obtain the Slanted Moon Treasure, they would undoubtedly become the richest person in the world!
He had fantasized many times about what it would be like if he could own the Slanted Moon Treasure!
By doing so, he would no longer lack weapons and supplies!
Why would he need to ruin his reputation and sacrifice his interests by cooperating with the Dayue Dynasty?
Never did he expect that the long-awaited Slanted Moon Treasure was actually hidden near the secret passage where they transported supplies and weapons in the Qinglong Mountain Range!
In other words, it was right under his nose!
This was simply…
Heaven is assisting me!
So, the Duke of Wuxi laughed triumphantly, “Advisor, this is clearly a joyous occasion. Why do you say it is a bad thing? Are you joking with me? Haha…”
Mr. Fengchu anxiously replied, “My Lord, if the treasure were located elsewhere, it would indeed be a great joyous occasion! But since this treasure is hidden within our territory, it has become a calamity!”
“Now, news about the Slanted Moon Treasure has spread throughout the world. Experts and forces from all walks of life have dispatched people to explore the Qinglong Mountain Range! These people are not easy to deal with, and if we come into conflict with them, casualties are inevitable!”
“I have a million soldiers. What do I have to fear?” the Duke of Wuxi arrogantly declared.
“My Lord, although we have many troops, we cannot handle everyone in the world!” Mr. Fengchu became even more worried.
“This is my territory, and I am in charge. I won’t tolerate anyone’s audacity!” the Duke of Wuxi remained arrogant and said, “Advisor, immediately gather our strongest soldiers to guard the important passages of the Qinglong Mountain Range. No one should be allowed to enter! Furthermore, gather more troops to explore the mountains and find the treasure! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must retrieve the treasure!”
Mr. Fengchu was dumbfounded, “My Lord, are we all going to dig for the treasure? Don’t we need to prepare for war? The Dayue Dynasty has already urged us multiple times!”
“We’ll deal with them later. The matter of starting a war can be discussed at a later time! The most important thing now is to search for the treasure!” the Duke of Wuxi said resolutely, “The Slanted Moon Treasure belongs to no one but me! If anyone dares to lay a finger on it, they will be mercilessly killed!”
A menacing aura emanated from him!
The commotion caused by the Slanted Moon Treasure would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Great Wu Dynasty.
During court assembly, the Empress asked, “Regarding the Slanted Moon Treasure, what do my ministers think?”
“Your Majesty, as they say, there is no smoke without fire!” replied the Minister of War, Li Kaiguang, stood up and said loudly, “I have confirmed the news about the Slanted Moon Treasure by investigating and cross-referencing with the historical records in the palace. It should be somewhat credible, considering the magnitude of this commotion! I suggest that regardless of the authenticity of the news, we send someone to investigate!”
“If the treasure truly exists, it is located within the Great Wu territory in the Qinglong Mountain Range and should rightfully belong to us! If the treasure does not exist, it would only be a wasted trip, with no real loss!”
The Empress nodded, “Minister Li’s words make sense. So, who should we entrust this matter to?”
At this moment, Lin Beifan stepped forward and said loudly, “Your Majesty, why not entrust this matter to me! If the treasure truly exists, I will find a way to bring it back!”
The reason for his enthusiasm was that he wanted to cause trouble there!
At the same time, he wanted to see if he could profit from it!
“Your Majesty, Principal Lin is young and talented, wise and brave. He is the best candidate for this mission! So, why not entrust this matter to Principal Lin! I believe he will successfully complete this task!”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Principal Lin has always been quick-witted and has successfully completed many tasks for the court. I believe this matter will not be too difficult for him! Entrusting this matter to Principal Lin, I am very confident!”
“Your Majesty, let’s entrust this matter to Principal Lin!”
“I second that!”
“I also second that!”
…
The officials all agreed, not because they were kind-hearted, but because they wanted to see Lin Beifan’s demise!
For such a dangerous task, if you go and join in the fun, if you don’t die, who will?
Might as well fulfill his wish!
However, the Empress was not willing…
This guy could run away at any time. Going to the Qinglong Mountain Range, which is so far away, what if he doesn’t come back?
Moreover, there is a princess of Slanted Moon who has been captivating him!
That woman is fair-skinned, beautiful, and extremely wealthy. What if he can’t resist the temptation?
So, he absolutely cannot be allowed to run away!
Therefore, the Empress said with concern, “Sir Lin, it’s too dangerous there! You’re a scholar, what are you doing going there? It’s better to stay in the capital! Minister Li, how about you go instead?”
Minister of War, Li Kaiguang: “…”
He couldn’t hold back anymore!
“MMP!” he thought to himself.
Your Majesty, even if you’re double-faced, you can’t be this double-faced!
If it’s dangerous for Lin Beifan to go, then wouldn’t it be dangerous for me to go too?
“Cough cough… Your Majesty, I am also a scholar with no martial skills. I am not proficient in these matters! I think it’s better to have someone more competent handle this!” Li Kaiguang stepped back.
The Empress didn’t insist and began considering various departments in her mind.
Imperial Palace Guards, East Depot, West Depot, Embroidered Uniform Guard, Six Doors…
The Imperial Palace Guards were specifically for guarding the palace and might not be suitable for treasure hunting.
The East Depot and West Depot were her personal forces and should not be used casually.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was used to supervise the officials and also should not be used casually.
Moreover, this Slanted Moon Treasure was fake, so there was no need to dispatch real forces. It was enough to put on a show.
That only left…
“Let the Six Doors handle this matter!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Chief Guo stepped forward to receive the order.
The Empress thought for a moment and said, “Chief Guo, this matter is of great importance, and there must be no mistakes! If you have any questions, you can consult with Sir Lin. He is always resourceful and strategic and should be able to assist you!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Chief Guo replied loudly.
And so, the matter was decided!
