We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 617 Prince Fu Borrows Troops (3 more)

"Become a Japanese pirate?!" Li Lin was so shocked that he almost jumped up.

He knew that Lao Liu was always Lao Liu and his ways were rather wild, but you can't be so wild!

If the court officials knew that a dignified prince had become a pirate, they would have buried my father alive with the impeachment memorial!

"Not bad!"

Li Che turned around, his eyes shining, and a clear and bold plan had already taken shape in his mind.

"First, we will go to Tenth Brother to borrow troops as planned. After borrowing the troops, we will split into two groups."

Li Che dipped his tea in the water and quickly sketched a simple map of Fuzhou City and the nearby sea on the table:

"My fourth brother and I will stay in the city and continue to deal with Chen Wenrui. We will prevent him from making any rash moves and lower his vigilance."

"The second route is the real killer move!" Li Che pointed his finger at the area representing the sea outside the city. "Qiu Bai, Qu Jinshan, what you two need to do is pretend to be Japanese pirates!"

"Choose a few inconspicuous Fengguo cargo ships, take the Prince of Fu's personal soldiers and sail out of Fuzhou Harbor. Then, disguise yourself as Japanese pirates and attack merchant ships and wealthy families, and kidnap a few civilians."

"The key is to make a big noise, the bigger the better! We need to let the entire city of Fuzhou know that the Japanese pirates are committing crimes crazily and are so bold that they even dare to attack local tyrants and merchant ships!"

Li Che tapped his fingers on the table and asked with a smile, "How will Chen Wenrui react when he receives this news?"

Li Lin responded excitedly, "He'll definitely be terrified and terrified!"

Li Che nodded slightly: "That's right, he would first suspect that his men were out of control? Or that there were bandits who were beyond his control and were taking advantage of the situation?"

"Either way, it means his authority and safety are under a fatal threat, and he will never sit idly by."

"He will definitely send someone to contact the real Japanese pirates to confirm the situation. He may even order the real Japanese pirates to immediately wipe out our group of 'fake Japanese'. This is our chance!"

Li Che's eyes were sharp as knives. "As soon as Chen Wenrui's messenger leaves, send out the night watchmen immediately. Don't alert the enemy, just follow from a distance."

"The place he's going to is the real hiding place of the Japanese pirates. Keep a close eye on him and get a clear picture of the location, terrain, and in and out routes!"

"Once you locate their lair, don't act rashly." Li Che gave his final warning. "Wait for my order, then strike with lightning speed to capture these beasts who are harming the country and the people, along with Chen Wenrui!"

"By then, we'll catch him red-handed, with irrefutable evidence. Even the gods won't be able to stop him!"

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!" Li Lin clapped his hands and laughed. "Sixth Brother, this plan is brilliant. Or maybe it's you who's the bad guy!"

The Princess of Yan also nodded in praise, saying, "This strategy combines both real and fake tactics, attacking the heart first. It is indeed the best strategy."

Li Che reviewed the plan and felt that there was nothing wrong with it, so he looked at Li Lin:

"Without further delay, let's go to Prince Fu's Mansion to borrow troops!"

. . . . . .

It was a dark night, and the tall walls of Prince Fu's Mansion cast heavy shadows in the moonlight.

Li Che and Li Lin did not go through the main gate. Instead, they sneaked quietly to a secluded corner of the palace under the protection of several nimble night watchmen.

Several people climbed over the high wall like civet cats, landed silently, and quickly disappeared into the shadows of the rockery and trees in the palace garden.

After Gong Qingwen was imprisoned, the guards at the palace became noticeably laxer. Li Che and his companions avoided the patrolling guards and quickly reached the courtyard where Li Tan lived.

Li Che signaled everyone to hide, and he and Li Lin pressed close to the window frame like ghosts.

Through the gap in the window paper, I saw that Li Neng was not sleeping, but sitting alone at the desk.

Sawdust and carving knives were scattered on the table, and a beautifully carved wooden boat sculpture was placed on the table.

But Li Neng was obviously absent-minded. He was scratching the hull of the boat unconsciously with a carving knife, his brow furrowed and he sighed from time to time.

Li Che and Li Lin looked at each other and nodded.

Li Lin suddenly pushed open the half-closed window, and the two of them quickly rushed into the room.

"Who?!" Li Neng was startled by the sudden noise, and the carving knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.

He instinctively stood up and opened his mouth to call for help.

"Tenth brother, don't make a sound, it's us!" Li Lin took a step forward, covered Li Neng's mouth with his big hand, and shouted in a low voice.

When Li Neng saw that the people coming were Li Che and Li Lin, his eyes were instantly filled with astonishment, but his tense body slowly relaxed.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Li Lin slowly let go of his hand.

"Fourth brother, Sixth brother! What happened to you?" Li Neng, still in shock, lowered his voice, "Did you climb over the wall to get in? This... This is too dangerous!"

"Tenth brother, time is running out, so let's be brief!" Li Che interrupted him, "Gong Qingwen has been imprisoned, and we need to borrow your personal soldiers!"

"Imprisoned?!" Li Neng's eyes widened even more, and his voice changed tone, "Sixth brother! You've caused big trouble!"

"Gong Qingwen was sent by the Emperor to monitor me. If you put him in jail, the Emperor will surely be furious. I... I can barely protect myself, so how can I dare to lend you troops?"

"Tenth brother, listen to me!"

Li Che held Li Neng's shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes: "Gong Qingwen's imprisonment is just the beginning. The reason we touch him is because he deserves to die."

"Not only does this person disregard respect for superiors and subordinates and suppress you at every turn, he's also colluding with the Japanese pirates outside Fuzhou who are killing the people."

"Those so-called Japanese pirates robbed fishermen and killed innocent people. Fuzhou Governor Chen Wenrui was their backer, and Gong Qingwen was also implicated."

Li Neng was stunned: "Japanese pirates? Governor Chen? This..."

"Absolutely true!" Li Lin interjected, "Tenth brother, haven't you seen what has become of those fishermen outside the city? They've been ravaged to the point of being skin and bones, their lives worse than death. Those are the people you nominally rule."

Li Neng looked dazed: "Is that really the case?"

Li Che stared into Li Neng's eyes and said, "Tenth brother, we are not borrowing troops for personal revenge, but to wipe out these beasts."

"As long as the evidence is solid, our arrest of Gong Qingwen will not only be without fault, but will be a great achievement in ridding the country of traitors and the people of harm."

"Once the Emperor knows the truth, he will not blame you, but will instead reward you for your profound understanding of justice."

Li Neng looked at the wooden boat on the table, then recalled the scattered rumors he had heard about the plight of the fishermen outside the city, and then thought about his own days as a prisoner...

The hesitation in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by the youthful bloodiness.

He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the table: "Okay!"

"Sixth Brother, Fourth Brother, I trust you! I'll borrow these soldiers. How many do you want?"

"You can choose any of the palace's personal soldiers. As long as we can get rid of these evils and restore peace to Fuzhou, I, Li Neng, will risk my life!"