571 Covenan (2/2)
Gu Shenwei knew that what he had said sounded funny but he did not expect it to be this funny, which helped him understand a bit more about the plan Luo Ningcha had yet to reveal.
All of a sudden, Luo Ningcha's laughter ceased. ”You will definitely notice my help. By the way, I want to add one more term to my previous one. You can only have two queen consorts, and can't marry more princesses from another country after you taste the benefits.”
”Well, not everyone is as optimistic about the future of the Dragon Army as you are.”
”I'm glad you understand. You were supposed to sleep with me tonight as a 'down payment,' but I'm really not interested right now and am also a little tired. So, you can write the formal covenant.”
”I can't write anything like that. It's nothing to me but a mortal threat to you. Once exposed, the Unique King won't let you go even if you have give him a son.”
”Do you think I don't know? It's your business to write it, and mine to keep. Besides, with this covenant, you can also be reaffirmed that I'm not a spy of Golden Roc Castle.”
Gu Shenwei believed that the Unique King would not tell Luo Ningcha his true purpose even if he wanted to make use of her, just as he did now.
On the road of vengeance and hegemony, deception was everywhere like a paved stone. But deceiving Luo Ningcha, a woman whose mind was so simple that she couldn't even see the danger, still made him feel a little guilty. So he carefully chose his words when writing the covenant, and pressed his handprint in the end.
Luo Ningcha watched and nodded her approval when he finished. But as she was about to put away the covenant, Gu Shenwei snatched it first and said, ”I have to know the Second Consort's plan first, if it's not worth it I can still tear up these pieces of paper.”
Luo Ningcha didn't sit back on the soft couch but instead stood three steps away from the Dragon King. Her eyes were fixed on the covenant in his hand as if she were a kung fu master who could snatch it when he was off guard. ”Which one do you want to hear first, Second Consort's plan or Shangguan Ru's whereabouts?”
”The former.”
Luo Ningcha was very satisfied with the Dragon King's answer. ”Hmm, let's start with Golden Roc Castle. The Unique King has racked his brains to help the little girl of the Shangguan family rise to fame as soon as she arrived at the Royal Court. The purpose is to, you know, attract the attention of the lecherous Khan. Of course, fame alone won't work. They need someone to spark the fire. Some people around the Khan have already taken action, and the Second Consort hopes that you can stop this marriage.”
”I thought she wanted to borrow my sword.”
”Hey, you just don't understand. She will naturally use your sword when killing Shangguan Shaomin.” Luo Ningcha knew this 'little girl', but she had left all her sympathies to herself and didn't feel sorry at all when saying the word 'killing'.
”What's the purpose of all this?”
”It was actually part of the deal that Shangguan Shaomin would marry the Khan. So that Golden Roc Castle would be able to join the partition of inheritance rightfully after the Khan dies. This also means that they are about to make a move.”
”They?”
”King Kuari and several other kings want to murder the Khan and then pin it on you. The Golden Roc killer will imitate your style. That's the whole plan.”
”She wants me to protect the Khan?” This was actually the strategy that he had discussed with Fang Wenshi, and yet it had happened to coincide with hers. Gu Shenwei couldn't help but become suspicious.
”Right, she's the only one who doesn't want Khan to die.”
”But he will die, sooner or later. He won't live many years even if an assassination doesn't take place.”
”It won't take many years. Within another year or two, Second Consort will be able to compete with King Kuari.”
By that time, like the other kings, the Second Consort would hope that the old Khan would die right away.
”She's a woman. Can she also compete for the throne?”
”No, her plan is similar to mine. It is to support a man who is now in a weak position who will marry her when he becomes the Khan.”
Gu Shenwei finally understood where Luo Ningcha's resourcefulness came from.
”This 'weak person' must also be a descendant of the Khan, isn't he?”
”Of course; without a royal lineage it will be useless no matter how hard she supports him.”
”She can marry someone from her younger generation?”
”The customs here are different from those of the Western Regions. It doesn't happen very often, but there is no lack of precedent.”
”How can I benefit from this?”
”First, you won't be framed as long as the assassination doesn't occur. Second, the Second Consort will lend you a hundred thousand cavalrymen,another twenty thousand after foiling the assassination plot, and eighty thousand more after the heir she has chosen inherits the title of Khan. With these forces, you can sweep the entire Western Regions.”
It seemed that the Second Consort knew the Dragon King's thoughts very well.
”Where's Shangguan Ru?” Gu Shenwei suddenly asked.
”Second Consort doesn't know her whereabouts but she received some news that two people, one tall and the other short, broke into the residence of King Zhuri and then disappeared. This must be helpful to you, no?”