"Dare to force my Master. Who do you think you are?" Ling Shijiu said coldly.
When Yao Zhi saw something gleaming in Ling Shijiu’s hand, she quickly said, "Shijiu, don’t be rude in front of the Madam."
Hearing the warning, Ling Shijiu stopped and put away his weapon. He cupped his fists and bowed before returning to his previous spot.
Yao Zhi smiled but didn’t help Steward Han up. She ignored him and turned to Xue Ya’er instead.
"Madam, now that you have witnessed the power of this weapon, do you think it can help the White Tiger Army solve the crisis?"
"Of course. With this weapon, not to mention reclaiming the northeast city, we might even be able to expand the territory," Xue Ya’er nodded.
"Let’s not talk about expanding the territory first. With how rotten the current royal family is, even if we successfully expand the territory, there is no way for us to defend it."
After a war, the imperial court needs to stabilize the newly taken areas to avoid riots.
They not only need to rebuild the cities, but also need to provide relief to the moners. To do that, the amount of silver needed is not small.
Right now, the national treasury can’t even pare to the Xue family. They have no right to talk about expansion. They should first solve their own territory’s problems.
Understanding her meaning, Xue Ya’er nodded and asked, "Young Master Lei, since you showed this weapon to me, you must have a plan. What do you want in exchange?"
Yao Zhi smiled and replied, "Madam is wise. This weapon is my family’s secret weapon. Unless necessary, we won’t expose its existence to the world."
"The current Emperor is not fit to rule the kingdom, and without a good heir, this kingdom will fall sooner or later. The only reason the Great Yan Kingdom has been able to resist foreign attacks all these years is the White Tiger Army."
"To protect the lives of countless moners, the Lei family has decided to ensure the White Tiger Army’s victory. Therefore, we will provide enough secret weapons to the army until they reclaim the northeast city."
She paused for a moment and added, "In exchange, my family wants half of the Xue family’s and Lu Qianxuan’s wealth."
As soon as she finished her words, both Xue Ya’er and Steward Han were shocked.
Xue Ya’er knew that the price of the Lei family’s help wouldn’t be small, but she never expected it to be half of her maternal family’s wealth. Not to mention anyone else, even her father wouldn’t agree to this outrageous request.
As for Steward Han, his shock was not because of the demand from the Xue family, but because Lei Feng asked for Lu Qianxuan’s wealth specifically.
After discovering that this person was able to know about the Emperor’s edict, he was sure that the Lei family also knew about his Master’s real identity.
As the only heir of the Marquis of Wenyuan, Lu Qianxuan’s wealth was far greater than what he showed to others. The Marquis of Wenyuan was loyal and righteous, but he was not foolish.
He had built his own power and wealth using another identity, which, after the extermination of his entire clan, was all inherited by his only son, Lu Qianxuan. So pared to the Xue family, his wealth was not any less.
All these years, Lu Qianxuan had also used his own money to support the army. If they had depended only on Xue Ya’er, the soldiers would have long rebelled.
Seeing their shock, Yao Zhi forced herself to stay calm.
At first, she didn’t want to demand anything from them and wanted to donate the bombs. But after thinking it over, she decided against it.
People wouldn’t appreciate things that were easily obtained. Only by paying a high price would they understand the value of those things.
She had helped the General and the White Tiger Army countless times. Although she was paid, the amount was still small in the Xue family’s eyes.
To avoid the General and the Xue family taking her kindness for granted, she had to make them realize that getting her help was their luck, and not something easy to e by.
After a while, Yao Zhi said, "Madam, you can consider this matter first. Tomorrow, I will send Shiqi to get your answer."
Xue Ya’er clenched her fists and said, "Young Master Lei, your demand is too high. I need to discuss this with my father first. I need a few days."
Hearing this, Yao Zhi shook her head. "Madam, you can wait, but the White Tiger Army can’t. I will only give you one day. If you don’t give me the answer tomorrow, then we can forget about this matter."
When she finished speaking, Yao Zhi cupped her fists and said, "I will take my leave first."
This time, they didn’t wait for Steward Han to lead the way and left without looking back.
Seeing this, Steward Han said, "Madam, I think it’s best for us to inform the General and the Xue family as soon as possible. This weapon is too important to us."
Xue Ya’er let out a long sigh and nodded. "Let’s return."
Along the way, she was lost in her thoughts. She had always thought that Lei Feng was helping them because she admired the General. She could feel the goodwill ing from her whenever she came for a visit.
Lei Feng’s sincere and casual attitude toward her had made her forget her true identity. She had almost forgotten that the help given by the Lei family was not for her or the General.
They were chosen because they were the best option. Even without them, the Lei family could find others to save the moners. For them, the Lei family was irreplaceable. But for the Lei family, they were just a convenient choice.
When she reached this conclusion, Xue Ya’er shuddered. Fortunately, she realized her mistake early and didn’t push her luck.
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