Chapter 107: Ulterior Motives

At this moment, not only the four young men—Zhang, Liu, Hua, and Zhou—were staring at Li Zisheng, but Yanhong as well, wearing a calm expression as she awaited his response. Yanhong had no intention whatsoever of bailing Li Zisheng out at this juncture. This difficult test was essentially Li Zisheng's qualification trial for entry; only by passing could he participate in the upcoming operation, and if he failed, he would simply be excluded, leaving even Yanhong powerless to intervene.

Indeed, seemingly anticipating this very scenario, Yanhong had earlier explicitly stated that the leader of this expedition was the second young master of the Zhang family, Zhang Huatong, and that she herself possessed no direct command authority. By doing so, Yanhong was undoubtedly signaling to him that if the four young masters attempted to make things difficult for him later on, she would be unable to help. It was a preemptive warning, a reminder that these four men were not amiable sorts and would certainly try to trip him up.

Li Zisheng had naturally foreseen this situation and thus did not take the man's question to heart in the slightest.

"Young Master Zhang, I wonder what you yourself are capable of contributing?"

Since Li Zisheng was a relative of Grand Councilor Zhang and currently shouldered the position of Imperial Censor for the twenty-two prefectures of Guannei Dao, he still needed to maintain the dignity matching his status. After all, he represented the imperial court at this moment, and the imperial court stood above all else.

Clearly, Zhang Huatong had not expected Li Zisheng to counter with such a question.

A trace of astonishment flashed across his face, though it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

*A brilliant counter-offensive. This little brat is certainly no simple character,* Zhang Huatong evaluated inwardly.

As for the rest, whether it was the remaining young lords or Yanhong, their estimation of Li Zisheng rose instantly.

Catching the look in Zhang Huatong's eyes—which clearly held a mixture of shock and suppressed anger before quickly calming down—Li Zisheng remained unfazed.

The problem had now been tossed right back into Zhang Huatong's lap. To fly into a rage would prove he lacked the temperament of a competent commander; to eagerly answer Li Zisheng's counter-question would make him look inferior in stature and lacking in wit, allowing any random little kid to back him into a corner. On the other hand, to throw another question back would appear childish and cause him to lose the initiative.

Looking at Li Zisheng, Zhang Huatong could not help but hold him in higher regard.

"I wonder which branch of Grand Councilor Zhang's family you belong to?" Zhang Huatong directly shifted the topic, abandoning the previous deadlock to probe Li Zisheng's background instead.

"This humble person does not belong to the Zhang clan's lineage," Li Zisheng answered honestly.

With this reply, Li Zisheng intended to deliberately mislead the group.

By stating he was not of the Zhang family lineage, things actually became far more terrifying. This undoubtedly conveyed the subtle message that although he was not a blood relative of the Zhangs, he could directly command the Zhang family's resources—even his official post had been secured for him by Grand Councilor Zhang. Despite the Grand Councilor's towering influence, there was one glaring fact: Li Zisheng was still a child under ten years of age, and acquiring such an official position in the first place flew in the face of all principles. Yet, he had still managed to obtain a high-ranking post.

Combining these factors, it was hard for people not let their imaginations run wild. Naturally, they wouldn't suspect him of being Grand Councilor Zhang's illegitimate son, but rather consider Li Zisheng's true identity. After all, Li Zisheng bore the surname Li, and this was still the Li-Tang Dynasty—Great Tang belonged to the House of Li.

Put together, one would involuntarily lean toward the conclusion that Li Zisheng was a member of the imperial kindred, especially for those with deep and complex thoughts. And among those present, which one of them wasn't as cunning as a demon?

Li Zisheng had precisely exploited this point. By dropping those words, he rendered his background even more obscure and enigmatic, answering Zhang Huatong's question while shrouding himself in an even more mysterious aura.

Just as Li Zisheng had anticipated, the expressions of Zhang Huatong and the other three changed drastically.

In their minds, a terrifying thought took root: Li Zisheng must be a scion of the imperial family.

Meanwhile, Yanhong's expression suddenly relaxed, as if she had confirmed something certain—after all, intelligence gathered through investigation still differed slightly from a personal admission. The look Yanhong now cast toward Li Zisheng gained a newfound firmness.

"I wonder what kind of assistance Young Master Li brings to the table?"

This time, Zhang Huatong asked a question similar to his very first one, but the underlying tone was now polar opposite. The first question was meant to tell Li Zisheng he lacked the qualifications to join the operation; this current question, however, was telling Li Zisheng that he was welcome to participate and could stake a claim on whatever spoils he desired from the venture. The shift in attitude was massive.

Possessing a mind as sharp as a demon's, Li Zisheng naturally caught the subtle change in Zhang Huatong's tone.

"I am quite familiar with the Yishan Rock Carvings. I heard that upon our arrival in Lingwu County, the greatest difficulty we will face is precisely those carvings."

Only now did Li Zisheng provide the answer to both the first question and this third one.

Yet, his standing and status had undergone a tremendous transformation in the interim. With this final reply, Li Zisheng's position among the group had unconsciously risen significantly.

"Very well. With Young Master Li's assistance on this journey, we are bound to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Hall Master Yan, please lay out the plan for this operation."

It was still Zhang Huatong who spoke, while the rest remained silent, eyeing Li Zisheng intently.

Remaining the focal point of everyone's attention, Li Zisheng did not show the slightest ripple of emotion on his face, as if he rightly belonged at the center of attention. Once Zhang Huatong finished speaking, Li Zisheng shifted his gaze to Yanhong.

"My esteemed young masters, there is still some distance between here and Lingwu County. Although imperial soldiers of the Great Tang are still stationed in Lingwu County, those troops have long since been bought off by Deng Qing to fight and die for him. If we were to march into Lingwu County in broad daylight, we would immediately be placed under surveillance and find it difficult to make a single move. Therefore, we must travel by day and night: during the daylight hours, we will travel through the subterranean paths of our Sanwei House, and at night, we will move along the official roadways. In particular, we should make use of the curfew hours. Not only are the guards along the route less strict then, but the streets are completely deserted during the curfew. We can take advantage of this exact window to slip into Lingwu County and evade Deng Qing's prying eyes."

Pausing to catch her breath, Yanhong seemed to be waiting for the others' opinions. When no one voiced any objections, she continued with the rest of the plan.

"Once we arrive inside Lingwu County, we will immediately disperse. Sanwei House has prepared separate quarters for each of the young masters."