"Looks like there's a good show to watch!"
Lu Fan sneered, a smile appearing at the corner of his lips. This development was apparently all within his expectations.
"I truly didn't expect that the son of a mere Minister of Personnel could actually mobilize the army!"
The Northern City Prince's lips curled upward, his voice laced with anger. The capital was already in such disarray; if this were happening elsewhere, it would likely be even more chaotic.
Many people in the tea house looked at the Northern City Prince with pity. Having offended the Minister's son, it seemed unlikely he would escape unscathed. This Li Xiao was incredibly arrogant and had never given anyone else a second thought.
Li Xiao arrived at the tea house and looked towards Lu Fan, a smile playing on his lips. "Kid, the Black Armored Guards are here. If you kneel and beg for mercy now, I might spare your life. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died!"
"Who gave you the authority to mobilize the Black Armored Guards?"
The Northern City Prince spoke coldly, "Today's events truly make me see things in a new light. Does Minister Li truly possess such authority?"
"If I didn't have this authority, how could I have achieved this?" the Northern City Prince scoffed. "I never imagined that even with death looming, you'd still dare to be so arrogant!"
Facing these words, the Northern City Prince's lips curved slightly upward. He didn't take them seriously at all, as if Li Xiao's actions were his own path to self-destruction.
"Since you're so ignorant of heaven and earth, you can't blame me for being merciless!"
Li Xiao let out a cold laugh and prepared to summon the Black Armored Guards to attack the Northern City Prince.
Suddenly, the Black Armored Guards completely surrounded the tea house, making it impossible to escape. Under Li Xiao's command, they were ready to attack the Northern City Prince.
"Tear this brat to shreds!" Li Xiao commanded coldly, his demeanor utterly arrogant.
Numerous Black Armored Guards nodded in unison, not daring to show the slightest negligence. This was the son of a Minister of Personnel; they naturally couldn't afford to offend him.
"I'd like to see who dares to move!"
The Northern City Prince's voice was icy, his gaze sweeping over the Black Armored Guards. "You are the defenders of the capital, yet you can be so easily mobilized. Who gave you such courage?"
The numerous Black Armored Guards exchanged glances, a sense of confusion growing within them. They had never seen the Northern City Prince before and didn't know his identity, but his tone strongly suggested someone of high standing.
"I am the Northern City Prince!"
The Northern City Prince produced a token and handed it to the Black Armored Guards. Upon seeing the token, the Black Armored Guards trembled and quickly bowed respectfully, cupping their fists towards the Northern City Prince. "We pay our respects to His Highness the Prince!"
At the same time, the entire tea house erupted in an instant, drawing the attention of many. Especially the earth-shattering shouts from earlier, which had caught them off guard.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. How could he possibly be a prince!"
Li Xiao quickly exclaimed, "This token must be fake!"
At these words, the Black Armored Guards shook their heads. "We are stationed in the capital and are familiar with royal tokens. This token is absolutely genuine!"
Facing this declaration, the expressions of everyone present shifted slightly. They hadn't expected the Northern City Prince before them to truly be a prince, and a legitimate one at that.
"This..."
Li Xiao stood frozen, his heart filled with dread. He had never imagined things would turn out this way, and it had completely caught him off guard.
After all, he had been extremely arrogant in front of the Northern City Prince. If the Northern City Prince was indeed royalty, he found it difficult to accept.
And at the same time, Bei Chen narrowed his eyes. "Well? Do you know fear now?"
"Northern City Prince, I admit I was blind!" Li Xiao quickly cupped his fists. "I beg Your Highness to forgive me and not hold this against me!"
"You are merely a spoiled brat, yet you can casually mobilize troops. Who gave you the audacity?"
The Northern City Prince asked coldly, his gaze fixed on Li Xiao with an icy intensity.
Li Xiao's body trembled, and he stammered, "I took this token from my father, which is why I could mobilize the Black Armored Guards!"
"Do you know that mobilizing troops arbitrarily, especially within the capital, carries the suspicion of rebellion!"
Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "Let alone you, even your father would likely be accused of rebellion!"
With a thud, Li Xiao knelt down, appearing thoroughly terrified. Lu Fan's words had completely jolted him awake.
The surrounding young lords looked stunned. Some had already fled, knowing that the identities of these two individuals were extraordinary and that if they were held accountable, they would suffer greatly.
"I implore Your Highness to forgive me. I will never dare to do it again!" Li Xiao quickly cupped his fists, too frightened to speak.
The Northern City Prince remained indifferent, his anger evident. Li Xiao's current pathetic state was the exact opposite of his earlier arrogance, and neither of them tried to hide this fact.
However, at this moment, a middle-aged man walked into the tea house, appearing somewhat flustered. Upon seeing the scene on the second floor, he seemed to understand what was happening.
"Father, save me! Please save me!"
Li Xiao cried out, grabbing onto a lifeline, not daring to waste a moment.
"Northern City Prince, King of the Northwest!"
Minister Li cupped his fists towards the two. "It is my son's ignorance that he stole my token, which is why he could mobilize the army. I hope Your Highness will be magnanimous and spare his life!"
"As the Minister of Personnel, you should know the consequences of privately mobilizing troops!" the Northern City Prince stated coldly. "As a minister of the Heavenly Dynasty, you do not set an example, which is already a sign of being unworthy of your position!"
Minister Li's brow furrowed. He felt a surge of displeasure at the Northern City Prince's words, but he was helpless. Now that his actions had been exposed, he could only endure.
"Your Highness, this is ultimately my fault! I did not safeguard my token properly. Whether Your Highness wishes to punish or reprimand me, I will comply!" Minister Li cupped his fists, his gaze earnest.
"It's just a minor matter. Minister Li need not blame himself so much!" Lu Fan said with a smile. "However, Minister Li oversees the army of the Heavenly Dynasty, a position of great importance. Some mistakes should be made, and some mistakes should not be made. One must be clear-sighted!"
"Thank you for your guidance, King of the Northwest!" Minister Li quickly cupped his fists, appearing polite and not overly arrogant.
At Lu Fan's signal, the Northern City Prince did not pursue the matter further, though he remained displeased. Regardless, this was under the very nose of the imperial city, and he would not tolerate such reckless behavior.
Seeing Lu Fan and the Northern City Prince depart, Li Xiao let out a sigh of relief. He had been terrified moments ago, fearing that the situation would escalate and cost him his life.
However, it seemed his father still held some influence in court, otherwise, the Northern City Prince and Lu Fan would not have left so easily.