Chapter 001: The Temptation of Death

The carriage was indeed extremely luxurious, with various rare animal skins lining its interior to create a soft and comfortable environment. Even the small table in the center was made of the exceedingly rare ironwood that could take a hundred years to grow.
Behind the table was Leoport, as Du Fan had expected—the fifth prince of the Laney Kingdom.
Sitting down slowly, Du Fan smiled at the fifth prince without saying a word.
He had no idea what Leoport’s intentions were, but he knew it must be something good. Although there might be some risks, the profits would certainly be substantial.
“Duke Du Fan, perhaps I’m being too forward, but the reason I compromised so much at today’s peace conference was to see you again,” Leoport said bluntly, pouring fine wine into Du Fan’s cup, without any unnecessary words.
“In that case, I should thank you, Your Highness?”
Du Fan didn’t hesitate and took a sip of the wine.
He wasn’t grateful. Under those circumstances, he wouldn’t allow Leoport to fight further for the Laney Kingdom. Both Du Fan and Leoport were aware of this, but Du Fan didn’t feel comfortable expressing it outright in this setting.
Seeing that Du Fan didn’t seem concerned, Leoport smiled self-mockingly and said, “Duke Du Fan, your days here probably won’t be easy. Otherwise, given your achievements, why would you end up bearing the blame?”
“If His Highness Fish has assigned me a task, as a subject, I must obey. Besides, I hold a high position here and live quite comfortably. If Your Highness is only worried about me, Du Fan thanks you. If there’s nothing else, I must take my leave. After all, we’re enemies, and it would be awkward if we were seen meeting again after the peace treaty.” Du Fan said calmly, though he made no move to leave. He just wanted to force Leoport to reveal his true intentions.
“Ah! I’ve long heard of Duke Du Fan’s achievements. Now that you’ve been sent here for peace talks, it seems your success has overshadowed your lord. Your Highness Fish probably intends to frame you!” Leoport picked up his glass, admiring the dazzling colors of the fine wine under the light, as if talking to himself, completely unconcerned about whether Du Fan left or not.
“Your Highness is overthinking it. I live freely in the capital, and His Highness Fish regards me as a trusted ally. There’s no such thing as my success overshadowing him.” Du Fan stood up, ready to leave.
In fact, Leoport’s words had already pierced Du Fan’s heart. He had long suspected Fish’s intentions, but he couldn’t express them openly.

“The Princess of Sha will pass away soon, and the Lanii Kingdom will fall into chaos. Similarly, the Gavin Empire won’t be spared either.” Leoport still ignored Du Fan, continuing to speak of the reasons only he knew about.

Hearing Leoport’s words, Du Fan was shocked. The Princess of Sha was in good health; it was impossible for her to die so early. If someone else had said this, Du Fan would have dismissed it as a joke. But since it came from the fifth prince of the Lanii Empire, things were no longer so simple.

The struggles among the princes in the Lanii Empire were far more brutal than those in the Gavin Empire. With the end of this peace negotiation, the conflict between the first and fifth princes had intensified even further. Du Fan had long been aware of this, but if the fifth prince said so, it meant he no longer had confidence in continuing the struggle.

Once the warlike first prince ascended the throne, and with the sudden death of the Princess of Sha, new wars would break out. The battles in the Lanii Empire would continue, and only with battles would there be opportunities. Du Fan firmly believed in this principle. He had a vague sense that Leoport had some major scheme against the first prince, and that scheme was closely related to him.

Stopping in his tracks, Du Fan silently watched Leoport, waiting for his next astonishing revelation.

“Duke Du Fan, if the first prince secures the throne so quickly, war against the Lanii Empire will surely follow. At that time, the first to suffer might well be the Siluo Province, which is meant to be granted to you as a reward. Aren’t you worried at all?”

Seeing Du Fan stop, Leoport knew the secret he had revealed had surprised him. But at this moment, he couldn’t care less about anything else. Without Du Fan’s help, Leoport couldn’t possibly defeat the first prince. Especially since this peace negotiation had succeeded, and Prince Quested, sent by the first prince, carried the Princess of Sha’s secret orders—meaning the credit for this negotiation once again fell into the hands of the first prince. The fifth prince had no way out now.

Du Fan smiled calmly and said, “The Northern Army is about to march south. I doubt the first prince’s ambitions can be fulfilled smoothly.”

“As long as Prince Quested never returns to the Lanii Empire, and as long as the Gavin Empire’s reparations aren’t delivered there, perhaps the first prince will still suffer some setbacks, delaying his ascension. And my poor mother can continue to rule for a while longer.” Staring intently into Du Fan’s eyes, Leoport looked grave.

“What does this have to do with me? The South is already under the occupation of your Lanni Empire. It only takes Prince Quested a week to return to the Lanni Empire, so how could any bandits dare to attack him? Besides, Prince Quested must be quite powerful…” Du Fan smiled at this point and continued, “I’d better go back to my residence and rest. After all, today’s peace talks were extremely exhausting.”

“I can still arrange for two thousand soldiers to cross the southern provinces. Moreover, fifty million gold coins is a substantial amount for construction, especially when combined with half a province as additional territory. I think this offer is enough to drive some people crazy,” Leoport said, gritting his teeth and emphasizing each word.

Leoport was indeed determined. After all, betraying his own empire’s territory was something no one would tolerate. But he was now cornered. If he didn’t do this, he wouldn’t even have the will to return to the Lanni Empire. He knew that if the first prince’s achievements were further enhanced, it would mean his downfall.

“Well, if Your Highness spreads this news, many people will surely respond. I have no doubt about that,” Du Fan said. He already understood Leoport’s intentions in bringing him here, but he wasn’t in the mood to deal with it right now. After all, this matter involved two empires, and he was also aware of Leoport’s current situation.

After staring at Du Fan for a while, Leoport saw no sign of compromise on his face, not even shock. Helplessly, he sat down dejectedly and said, “Half a province is already the greatest concession I can make. If this still doesn’t satisfy Duke Du Fan, then I won’t be able to stop those soldiers from plundering the southern provinces when I return. After all, I don’t have the heart to deal with such things.”

Leoport’s conditions deeply moved Du Fan. After all, reclaiming his own territory was essential, and he couldn’t stay in the capital any longer. Only by returning to his own province could he reassure Prince Fischer and ensure his own safety, as well as prepare in advance for Prince Fischer’s subsequent attacks. Leoport’s conditions truly touched Du Fan’s heart. However, out of political considerations, Du Fan didn’t give an immediate response, not even showing any expression that Leoport could interpret.

Du Fan thought to himself: This is negotiation—even more complicated than the talks between the two empires during the day.

Suppressing the impulse in his heart, Du Fan smiled and said, “I believe His Royal Highness the Fifth Prince will be able to find someone willing to serve you. After all, a half-province as a reward along with fifty million gold coins is enough to drive anyone crazy.” Du Fan deliberately emphasized “half-province” because he believed Leopold was being pretentious—his minimum demands would definitely exceed half a province. Without looking back, Du Fan stepped out of the carriage. He trusted his judgment; after all, there were still three days before the gold coins were to be handed over, and three days was enough to temper Leopold’s temper and throw him into disarray, allowing Du Fan to extract more benefits from the situation. Back at the ducal palace, Du Fan didn’t even pay his respects to the duchess before heading straight to the study to see the old Duke Green. “Du Fan, I’ve already heard about the peace talks. You should start preparing to return to your province to take up your post,” said the old Duke Green with a sigh upon seeing Du Fan enter. Without the protection of his family, although Du Fan returning to his province nominally kept him away from Prince Fischer and avoided his open persecution, it also meant that if Prince Fischer sent someone to assassinate Du Fan, it could happen secretly. This worried the old Duke Green greatly. “Yes, Father. I’m indeed preparing to return to my province,” Du Fan replied. Of course, he understood why the old Duke Green was sighing, so he immediately told him about what had happened with the Fifth Prince Leopold. Even the old Duke Green was shocked upon hearing that half a province could be the reward. But after some thought, he sat back down, shook his head grimly, and said, “Quested is extremely powerful. He reached the peak of level nine ten years ago. Moreover, each of the guards he brings with him is highly skilled. Killing him won’t be easy. And if any news leaks, the Laney Empire will surely declare war again, and then Prince Fischer will be able to punish you openly.”