"Looks like there's a good show to watch!"
Lu Fan sneered, a smile playing on his lips. This turn of events was precisely as he had anticipated.
"I truly didn't expect that merely the son of a Minister could mobilize the army!"
The Northern City Prince's lips curled upwards, his voice laced with anger. This was happening within the imperial city, and it was already this chaotic. If it were elsewhere, it would likely be even more disgraceful.
Many people in the tea house looked towards the Northern City Prince with pity. Having offended the Minister's son, it seemed escape was impossible. This Li Xiao was particularly arrogant, never having taken others seriously.
Li Xiao arrived at the tea house, his gaze falling upon Lu Fan. A smile touched 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 right to mobilize the Black Armored Guards?"
The Northern City Prince spoke coldly. "Today's events truly open my eyes. Does Minister Li truly possess such authority?"
"If I didn't have the authority, how could I have achieved this?" the Northern City Prince scoffed. "I truly didn't expect that even facing death, you'd still dare to be so arrogant!"
Facing these words, the Northern City Prince's lips curved slightly. He paid them no mind, as if Li Xiao's actions were merely courting his own demise.
"Since you, kid, don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, don't blame me for being merciless!"
Li Xiao sneered coldly, then prepared to dispatch the Black Armored Guards to deal with the Northern City Prince.
In an instant, the Black Armored Guards surrounded the tea house tightly. Under Li Xiao's command, they prepared to attack the Northern City Prince.
"Tear this brat into eight pieces!" Li Xiao commanded coldly, his demeanor arrogant.
Many Black Armored Guards nodded, not daring to delay. This was the Minister's son, and they naturally couldn't afford to offend him.
"I'd like to see who dares to make a move!"
The Northern City Prince's voice was icy. He glared at the Black Armored Guards. "You, as the guardians of the capital, can be mobilized so easily. Who gave you the audacity!"
The Black Armored Guards exchanged glances, their hearts filled with confusion. They had never seen the Northern City Prince before and didn't know his identity. However, his tone was undeniably that of someone in a high position.
"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, their expressions trembled, and they quickly bowed respectfully, cupping their fists towards the Northern City Prince. "We pay our respects to the Prince!"
At the same time, the entire tea house erupted, drawing the attention of many. Especially the earth-shattering shouts from earlier, which 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!"
However, the Black Armored Guards shook their heads. "We are stationed in the capital and can clearly distinguish 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 actually be a Prince, and a genuine 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 caught him completely off guard.
After all, he had been incredibly arrogant in front of the Northern City Prince. If the Northern City Prince was indeed royalty, how could he accept it?
And at the same time, Bei Chen narrowed his eyes. "How is it? Do you know fear now?"
"Northern City Prince, they say I have blind eyes!" Li Xiao quickly cupped his fists. "I implore Your Highness to forgive me and not hold it against me!"
"You are merely a dissolute young master, yet you can arbitrarily mobilize troops. Who gave you the confidence?"
The Northern City Prince asked coldly, his gaze fixed on Li Xiao with an icy intensity.
Li Xiao's expression trembled. He stammered, "I took this token from my father, which is why I could mobilize the Black Armored Guards!"
"Do you know that arbitrarily mobilizing the army, 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!"
Li Xiao fell to his knees with a thud, clearly terrified. Lu Fan's words had thoroughly sobered him.
The surrounding young masters looked stunned. Some had already fled. They knew that the identities of these two individuals were not simple, and 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 clasped his fists, too frightened to speak further.
The Northern City Prince remained indifferent, his anger evident. Li Xiao's current pathetic state was a stark contrast to his earlier arrogance, and they showed no hesitation in acknowledging it.
However, at this moment, a middle-aged man walked in from outside the tea house, looking somewhat flustered. Upon seeing the scene on the upper floor, he seemed to have figured things out.
"Father, save me! Hurry and save me!"
Li Xiao cried out, as if he had found a lifeline, not daring to delay for a moment.
"Northern City Prince, King of the Northwest!"
Minister Li cupped his fists towards the two. "It is all my son's ignorance. He stole my token, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to mobilize the army. I hope Your Highness will be magnanimous and spare his life!"
"As the Minister of War, you should know the consequences of privately mobilizing the army!" the Northern City Prince stated coldly. "As a Minister of the Heavenly Court Dynasty, you do not set an example, which is already a sign of being undeserving of your position!"
Minister Li's brow furrowed. He was displeased by the Northern City Prince's words but had no recourse. With the leverage in their hands, he could only endure.
"Your Highness, this is ultimately my fault! I failed to safeguard the token properly. Whether Your Highness wishes to punish or reprimand me, I will comply!" Minister Li cupped his fists, his gaze earnest.
"It is merely a small matter. Minister Li need not blame himself so much!" Lu Fan said with a smile. "However, Minister Li manages the army of the Heavenly Court Dynasty, a position of great importance. Some mistakes should be made, and some should not. One must be clear about this!"
"Thank you for your guidance, King of the Northwest!" Minister Li quickly cupped his fists, appearing polite and not overly presumptuous.
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 shadow of the imperial city, and he would not tolerate such reckless behavior.
Seeing Lu Fan and the Northern City Prince depart, Li Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. He had been terrified moments ago, fearing that the matter would escalate and he would lose 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.