446: Chapter 446 The Five Judges

"Grand Scholar Zhu is a leader of the literary world, and Daoist Cang Zhu is a legend in the martial arts world. Both are top-tier figures of this era, so they are certainly qualified to be judges!"

"Although Lord Sun does not hold a high official position, he has a backbone of steel, refuses to bend, and dares to oppose Prince Bai. He is a model of integrity for this era and is also worthy of being a judge."

"As for the remaining two chairs, one should belong to the Prince, right?"

"If the Prince takes one seat, then who should the last one be?"

Just as everyone was looking forward to the answer, in a quiet courtyard in Xinghua Village, Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong appeared at the gate.

"Prime Minister, we have verified it. The Prince and the Princess are staying here."

Two subordinates, disguised as ordinary merchants, had actually been investigating in secret for a long time.

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong nodded and walked to the door himself, only to find there were no guards.

Just as he was about to knock, a beautiful woman suddenly opened the door.

"Greetings, Chancellor Yang."

The woman bowed gracefully with a smile on her face.

A flash of astonishment crossed Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong's face. "Young lady, you are…"

"I am Hua Nongying, the manager of the Xinghua Village distillery. This residence belongs to me."

As Hua Nongying spoke, she stood aside and gestured inward. "The Prince and the Princess have been waiting for you for a long time. Please, come in."

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong's expression shifted several times, his eyes revealing a hint of disbelief. He took a deep breath before walking inside.

Inside the room, Lin Xiao was drinking tea, while Xiao Qingxuan was flipping through a book.

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong sighed and bowed. "Greetings, Prince of Zhenbei. I am Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong. I was overly clever, and I am ashamed!"

At this point, he naturally understood that his movements had long been exposed.

"Chancellor Yang, there is no need for that. You were able to infiltrate the enemy camp and rise to the position of Prime Minister; I truly admire you for that," Lin Xiao said with a smile.

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong looked shocked. Lin Xiao even knew about his status as an undercover agent!?

"Subject Yang Gengzhong pays respects to Your Majesty, long live…"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong had nothing left to hide and turned directly to kneel before Xiao Qingxuan.

But Xiao Qingxuan helped him up immediately and said, "Chancellor Yang, there is no need for this. I am no longer the Empress, and I cannot accept such a grand gesture."

"However, I am truly impressed by you, Chancellor Yang, for being able to go to such lengths for the restoration of the Zheng Dynasty without losing your original intention."

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong's eyes reddened. After decades of forbearance, his true feelings were revealed at this moment.

"Your Majesty, even if Western Shu has fallen, in my heart, you are still the legitimate heir of the Xiao Imperial Clan."

"To be able to pay my respects to Your Majesty as a loyal subject of the Zheng Dynasty today, I have no regrets even in death."

"Since I was young, I have known that I must struggle all my life to restore the Great Zheng Dynasty. I can say without shame that I have not failed my ancestors or the Xiao clan."

"Now that the Gan Dynasty is on its last legs, with the Prince of Zhenbei assisting you, Your Majesty, the restoration of the Great Zheng Dynasty is just around the corner!"

Xiao Qingxuan shook her head and said, "Chancellor Yang, you are a smart man; you should be able to see that I have no desire to be Empress."

A look of helplessness appeared on Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong's face. He could naturally see it.

That day at Tianxiang Restaurant, when he saw the happy look on Xiao Qingxuan's face in Lin Xiao's arms, he understood.

But even if there was only a glimmer of hope, he wanted to try.

"It does not matter. The Prince of Zhenbei is a peerless talent. With the deep affection between you and the Prince, once you have children in the future, they will still be of the Zheng Dynasty's royal bloodline!"

"As long as the Prince has the ambition to conquer the world, I and all the descendants of the loyal souls of the Zheng Dynasty will do our utmost to help the Prince ascend the throne!"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong retreated to the next best option. Since Xiao Qingxuan did not want to be the Emperor, he would let Lin Xiao take the position first. In any case, the imperial power would eventually fall into the hands of the Xiao descendants.

Lin Xiao knew exactly what this old man was thinking, but he simply did not care.

"Chancellor Yang, the ones who came with you are Emperor Hong and the Grand Eunuch Zheng Yangwei, correct?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong nodded. "The Prince is indeed well-informed. That is correct; it is that foolish emperor and his lackey."

Mentioning this, Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong immediately looked solemn. "Prince, Princess, this time that foolish emperor has come prepared. I came here this time to pass on information."

"Chancellor Yang, are you referring to the Five Great Eunuchs?" Xiao Qingxuan asked.

"Although the Five Great Eunuchs are powerful, the Prince was able to kill the Sword Emperor with one palm, so they are naturally nothing to fear."

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong sighed. "What I am worried about is that The Tomb Guardian in the imperial mausoleum may have been dispatched and is following secretly."

"If not for this, that foolish emperor would never have dared to be so bold as to run to the Northern Territory in person."

Lin Xiao asked, "Chancellor Yang, do you know the background of The Tomb Guardian?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong shook his head helplessly. "I only know that this person had a very close relationship with the founding emperor of the Gan Dynasty, Li Wei, so his status is extremely noble. I know nothing else."

Lin Xiao did not expect to really find out anything. After all, The Tomb Guardian was several hundred years old and was of the same generation as Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong's ancestors.

"If it is a blessing, it is not a disaster; if it is a disaster, it cannot be avoided. What must come will come sooner or later."

Lin Xiao shook his head. "Chancellor Yang, there is no need to worry too much. Go and enjoy this first wine festival."

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong, however, revealed a hint of coldness. "Prince, forgive my bluntness, but instead of waiting for those cold arrows to be shot from the dark, it would be better to… strike first!"

Lin Xiao and Xiao Qingxuan looked at each other, thinking that he was indeed the "King of Spies." This old man was ruthless!

"Are you suggesting we kill Emperor Hong?"

"Exactly! With the Prince's ability, killing that foolish emperor is a sure thing."

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong continued, "Once that foolish emperor disappears from this world, I will immediately have my student in the capital, Minister Liu Zongfu, instigate Crown Prince Li Chenghao to ascend the throne."

"That Crown Prince Li Chenghao is just a fool and cannot convince the masses. At that time, the Imperial Dynasty will surely be in chaos, and the people will be full of grievances!"

"When that happens, the Prince can enter the capital on the grounds of restoring order, stabilizing the world, and following the will of the people. Who would dare to object!?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong became more and more excited as he spoke. "As for The Tomb Guardian, even if his martial arts are strong, without someone to inherit the empire, he may not be willing to risk his life with the Prince."

"Moreover, we can imprison the entire Li clan and use that to threaten The Tomb Guardian. I presume he would not want the Li family line to end."

Lin Xiao gasped. He had to admit that this old man really knew his stuff.

It was just a pity that he did not know that the reason Emperor Hong dared to take the risk was, in the end, because… he was the Prince of Nanling!

Coming this time, half of it was because Emperor Hong trusted The Tomb Guardian, and the other half was that he came to risk his life against him.

If he really killed Emperor Hong, the Imperial Dynasty would still have someone to inherit the throne, and it would be the more legitimate one.

And he himself might be branded as a "regicide" and become a traitor.

Although he could force his way to take the world, it would leave behind many hidden dangers, after all, the claim would not be legitimate.

"Chancellor Yang, since things have reached this point, why don't we play something exciting?"

Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong was confused. "Prince… what do you mean?"

A playful smile appeared on Lin Xiao's face.

On the other side, at the venue.

The long-waiting audience saw the fourth judge take the stage.

"Is that the Marquis of Linyuan, Xie Shang?"

The audience was surprised. It was unexpected, yet it made sense.

Yes, in the Northern Territory, aside from the Prince of Zhenbei, the head of the nobility was the Marquis of Linyuan, and he was also the Prince's father-in-law!

It was just that because Xie Shang and Lin Xiao had some conflicts before, everyone thought their relationship would be very strained.

Xie Shang greeted Zhu Ming and the others one by one and sat down gracefully with a joyous expression.

He also did not expect that he would be invited to be a judge, and even share a seat with Zhu Ming and Taoist Master Cangshuzi.

This level of prestige was given enough.

After today, no one would doubt the relationship between the Marquis of Linyuan and the Prince of Zhenbei, so it could be considered killing two birds with one stone.

As such, with only the last seat remaining, everyone naturally felt that it would be Lin Xiao himself.

Emperor Hong was in the audience, looking impatient. "This brat, making so many people wait for him. How unreasonable."

"Yes, Master, look at that Xie Shang, his mouth is crooked from smiling. Isn't it just judging wine? Look at how smug he is…" Zheng Yangwei helped him complain.

"Hmph, if they had any talent, would the Marquis of Linyuan have failed the imperial examinations for generations?" Emperor Hong said disdainfully.

Just as he was speaking, he heard a commotion on one side.

"The Prince! It's the Prince!"

"Greetings, Prince of Zhenbei!!"

"Long live the Prince!!"

The scene was like a roaring mountain and a surging sea, as if it were the New Year. Many people came to attend the wine festival just to see Lin Xiao up close.

Even the stunning beauties like Xiao Qingxuan beside Lin Xiao were ignored by everyone; their eyes were only on that man, who was as dazzling as the sun!

Lin Xiao waved to the crowd and walked onto the stage, but he reached out and pulled an old man with a slightly rigid expression to his side.

Xie Shang, Zhu Ming, and others who had mixed in the high society of the capital quickly changed their expressions!

"Everyone, thank you for coming to participate in the first World's Number One Wine Festival hosted by Northern White Wine!!"

"I am here to grandly introduce to everyone the last of the five judges!!"

As Lin Xiao spoke, he glanced playfully at Emperor Hong in the crowd, whose veins were bulging on his forehead and whose eyes looked like he wanted to eat someone.

"The current Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, the veteran of three dynasties, Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong, Chancellor Yang!!"