Chapter 575: The Imperial Higher-ups’ Games
Yan Yi spoke with sincere earnestness: “I hesitated at first too.”
“But upon careful consideration, isn't it thrilling and deeply rewarding to serve as a bronze level ruler with real authority?”
“Besides, I've weighed this decision thoroughly.”
Yan Yi laid out his reasoning: “First, I am of the Duo Mu Clan. I possess the inherent legal right to inherit this domain."
"Second, I lead the secret agents in this region. I command considerable covert forces. My identity as a secret agent allows me to maintain mystery, few outsiders know my true appearance or level."
"Finally, I have backing. I have powerful support! The Seventh Prince stands behind me."
“Shut your mouth!” Tan Mo's face darkened as he roared at Yan Yi.
The mission concerning the Seventh Prince was highly classified. The Seventh Prince had issued strict orders: the search for the Wisteria Cache must be kept under the highest level of secrecy!
Yet now, Yan Yi had violated that principle, openly declaring the Seventh Prince as his backer!
How dare he?
“Your audacity knows no bounds. You're courting death, do you understand?” Tan Mo narrowed his eyes, his murderous intent unmasked.
The Wealth Bishop, however, smiled soothingly. "Lord Tan Mo, please do not overreact. We only know the Seventh Prince is your supreme leader. We know nothing else."
Yan Yi chimed in, “Lord Tan Mo, I'm a veteran spy too, overseeing this region for years. How could I make such a low level mistake?”
“I merely skirted the edge a little.”
Tan Mo sneered, taking a step back. “You're playing with fire, Yan Yi. Heh, believe me or not, a single word from me reported up the chain, no embellishment, just the plain truth, and you're finished. Completely finished!"
Yan Yi shrugged. “It doesn't matter. I'm just a lowly bronze level, a nobody so insignificant they couldn't be any smaller.”
“In the eyes of gold level powerhouses like yourself, I'm as tiny as an ant.”
“To a figure like the Seventh Prince, I'm not even dust.”
“So if I die, I die.”
“But you, Lord Tan Mo? This time, you'll likely be implicated by me. Not only will you gain nothing, but you'll never be employed by the Seventh Prince again, right?”
Yan Yi's threat caused Tan Mo's expression to darken abruptly.
Yan Yi was absolutely right!
For the Seventh Prince, countless gold level beings actively sought to attach themselves to him.
Gold level beings formed the backbone of the transcendents. Men of this caliber were never in short supply under the Seventh Prince's command.
In truth, Tan Mo had bribed higher-ups to secure this assignment. It was all to serve the Seventh Prince, to make a name for himself.
If this mission went awry, the impact on his standing with the Seventh Prince was all too clear!
“That bastard Yan Yi must have dug up a lot of dirt on me.”
“He set me up!”
“And here I am, threatened by a mere bronze level...”
Tan Mo found it unbelievable, yet he was genuinely intimidated!
Yan Yi produced a letter and handed it to Tan Mo: “I am of the Duo Mu Clan. I possess the right to inherit this place.”
“I have gained the recognition and support of the Wealth Bishop.”
"Not only that, but here is a joint letter from several major merchant alliances. Lord, please take a look."
Tan Mo unfolded the letter and scanned its contents swiftly, his gaze darkening further.
Numerous merchant alliances, large and small, operated on Two Eyes Island. The dominant ones were the five major merchant alliances: Clam Cloth, Flint, and others.
This joint letter bore many signatures. The five major merchant alliances were listed first, followed by a long string of other small and medium-sized merchant alliances.
It was no surprise that Yan Yi had secured their support.
After the fishman offensive, Hun Tong practically alienated himself from these merchant alliances. Driven by the Devil Gold Coins, he had slaughtered numerous merchants without offering any compensation afterward. He had also attempted to renegotiate many crucial contracts previously signed with the merchant alliances. Such actions severely violated commercial ethics, prioritizing his own interests above all else.
These practices had sparked intense resentment among the merchants.
“But these shrewd, cunning merchants, how dare they jointly sign their names, leaving such obvious evidence?” Tan Mo wasn't doubting the authenticity of the joint letter.
After all, that could be easily verified.
He was merely curious: “Shadow, how did you persuade these merchants to sign and produce this joint letter?”
Yan Yi replied, “Lord Tan Mo, you overestimate me.”
“How could I possibly persuade these people to put their names on it?”
“They signed it voluntarily, or more accurately, the higher-ups behind them demanded it.”
Seeing Tan Mo's lingering doubt, Yan Yi continued his explanation: “Lord Tan Mo, I assume you know that Two Eyes Island has been selected by the Empire to become a hub for future maritime transport routes, correct?”
Tan Mo nodded. “Correct.”
Yan Yi stated, “Per the Emperor's decree, Two Eyes Island will become a military-controlled zone in the future. All merchant alliances must be expelled and cannot remain.”
“But the Five Great Merchant Alliances wish to stay here.”
Tan Mo's eyes flashed with understanding. “I see!”
In the Main Plane, the Sheng Ming Empire was the most powerful force. Within the Empire, the Emperor held supreme authority.
Yet the Empire operated under a feudal system. Beyond the Emperor and the imperial family, other living gods and major noble houses held sway.
A vassal's vassal was not my vassal.
Each grand noble's domain functioned as an autonomous mini kingdom.
Compounded by the dioceses of the living gods, power became fragmented, intertwined, and mutually checked, preventing true unification.
In the Emperor's vision, Two Eyes Island was to become a militarily controlled zone, a transportation hub, serving as a pivotal point along one of the Empire's vital maritime supply routes.
This was the Emperor's vision.
Yet the imperial elite behind the Five Great Merchant Alliances, the patriarchs of those great noble houses, and the living gods themselves harbored their own ambitions.
They too sought to establish maritime transport nodes, leveraging these hubs to continuously shuttle supplies and maximize their share of the war's spoils.
Logistics proved a critical endeavor.
On one hand, transporting military forces from the homeland maximized the gains of war. On the other hand, returning spoils of war allowed for more efficient assimilation, fueling further growth in strength that could then bolster frontline forces—creating a virtuous cycle.
However, spatial teleportation came at an exorbitant cost. Alchemy technology had not yet advanced to the point of enabling the mass transport of armies and supplies.
The Ice Sculpture Kingdom's alchemy was undoubtedly world-class. Yet even within their own territories, teleportation formations were never the preferred method for large-scale transportation. Their primary means of transport remained the primitive caravan system.
The Emperor's vision for Two Eyes Island was rooted in the interests of the Empire and the imperial family. Meanwhile, the great entities behind the Five Great Merchant Alliances pursued their own distinct agendas. A subtle distinction existed between the two.
The higher-ups' power struggles trickled down, ultimately crystallizing into the political conflicts of Two Eyes Island.
As Yan Yi stated, he never coerced or persuaded the merchant alliances to sign the joint letter, it was an entirely voluntary act by the Five Great Merchant Alliances.
Upon grasping this truth, Tan Mo realized: “Should the struggle succeed and Hun Tong be ousted, they could genuinely preserve the fruits of their victory!”
For this falls within the bounds of legitimate political competition among nobility.
Should the Five Great Merchant Alliances prevail and elevate Yan Yi to power, it would fully comply with the established rules of the game.
Even the Emperor would find it difficult to intervene forcefully.
This concerns the internal affairs of the Duo Mu Clan. If the Emperor wished to intervene, the optimal approach would be to undertake a similar maneuver—installing a Duo Mu Clan's member as a proxy to pursue and contend for power within the clan's internal hierarchy.
Naturally, the Emperor's might and prestige could also compel compliance through force.
Should he resort to such tactics, the Five Great Merchant Alliances and the deities backing them would recognize the situation and voluntarily step aside.
But Tan Mo remained convinced the Emperor would not act thus.
As the Empire's supreme leader, the Emperor would naturally prioritize upholding imperial order rather than violating it.
Moreover, the overall interests of the Two Eyes Island were insignificant to the Emperor. Forcing the issue would be like picking up sesame seeds while losing watermelons, no, more accurately, like picking up pebbles while losing a castle.
Ultimately, the Emperor would tacitly acknowledge the victory of the Five Great Merchant Alliances and the Wealth Church.
After grasping the situation, Tan Mo was utterly numb!
He inwardly lamented: “Heaven have mercy, I only wanted to embezzle and extort a little pocket money!”
“I never intended to get entangled in this political struggle.”
“Especially since I was aiming to align myself with the Seventh Prince, hoping to gain favor right under his nose.”
The Seventh Prince was a member of the imperial family, Emperor Sheng Ming's own son. Tan Mo had been seeking to cozy up to the royal faction.
If he accepted the invitation from the Wealth Bishop and the Five Great Merchant Alliance, what would that make him? How would the Seventh Prince view him?
Yan Yi had been carefully reading the room.
Seeing Tan Mo's shifting expression, he chuckled. “Lord Tan Mo, you may be overthinking this.”
“Truthfully... there's no need for such grim considerations.”
“Because even if you were involved in this matter, it wouldn't amount to anything in the eyes of the Seventh Prince.”
“What significance could the Two Eyes Island hold in his eyes?”
Tan Mo froze, jolted awake by Yan Yi's words.
Yes, what the Seventh Prince truly valued was the Wisteria Cache, never Two Eyes Island.
Besides, under this current plan, he could easily pose as someone “used as a pawn by others.”
After all, his reputation for greed was already widely known.
Fifty thousand gold coins.
Fifty thousand gold coins!
At this thought, Tan Mo's expression gradually steadied.
He looked at Yan Yi: “If you're not afraid of being forced into the limelight, I'm happy to help.”
"I'm not like you. I'm timid. Dragging me into such a whirlpool? I'm scared."
“You'll have to pay more!”
“Fifty thousand gold... isn't enough.”
Tan Mo shook his head firmly, his eyes gleaming with unabashed greed.
Yan Yi and the Wealth Bishop exchanged a glance, both breaking into smiles.
The hardest part of the negotiation—the first step—was already done.
What followed was merely bargaining over benefits.