I am the snake demon!

Chapter 59 Aren't all the things in the North mine?

"Stop with the joking around. Students come to the academy to study, and we, upholding the teachings of the sages, naturally teach without discrimination. How can you leave the mountain before you have completed your studies?" Huangfu Xiongwen said irritably.

"Does that mean everyone who has graduated from the academy over the years has achieved something? Anyway, I don't care, I'm going to gather them all. If you can't gather them all for me, I'll just stay here and not leave. I'll also have all the people from the Prince's Mansion come and stay here, which will save some money." Bai Xuan said rather shamelessly.

"You, the dignified Prince of Zhenbei, are so shameless. Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed if word gets out?" Huangfu Xiongwen was amused by Bai Xuan's actions.

"What are you laughing at? Teacher, you are the dean of the academy, and I am your last disciple. I will inherit the academy in the future, and I think the senior brothers will not compete with me because I am young. So I am the future dean of the academy. What's wrong with me moving into the academy early? Senior brothers, right?" Bai Xuan said confidently.

Zhang Huan, who had inexplicably become involved in the dispute, was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "If Junior Brother wants to be the Dean of this Academy, then I naturally won't compete for it."

"Look." Bai Xuan looked at Huangfu Xiongwen, as if to say, "I have a point."

Seeing this, Huangfu Xiongwen genuinely laughed and said, "I have committed three lifetimes of misconduct, yet I will accept you as my disciple."

Bai Xuan was absolutely right.

Although he founded the academy, it was not his private property.

His family's residence is to be inherited by his descendants, but the academy's headmaster is not necessarily to be inherited by his descendants. Here, his disciples and his descendants have the same right of inheritance, and even those who are not his disciples can compete for the position.

If Bai Xuan, the Prince of Zhenbei, were to compete, he would become the next headmaster of Mingde Academy.

"It would be my greatest honor to become your disciple," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

"Alright, I'll swallow my pride and invite people over to get everyone together for you. Do you have any special conditions? I can help you find some." Huangfu Xiongwen said helplessly.

"Ideally, they should come from humble backgrounds, have experience as wandering knights, abandon martial arts for literature, or be skilled in both martial arts and literature," Bai Xuan said.

Inspecting commercial taxes is not a simple task; it requires skill.

In his mind, Xu Shu, who had been a wandering knight and then a strategist, was the one who satisfied him the most.

"Has experience as a wandering knight-errant, and is skilled in both literature and martial arts? I'll go find Liu Qinglian for you, okay?" Huangfu Xiongwen said with a smile.

"That works too," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

Liu Qinglian is the number one on the Hidden Dragon List of our time.

Originally named Liu Yi, also known as Qinglian, he was skilled in both literature and martial arts, especially swordsmanship. His Qinglian Sword Technique was famous and he was hailed as the most promising swordsman to carry the destiny of the Great Zhou sword path and challenge the Sword Demon.

"You wish!" Seeing that Bai Xuan actually dared to ask, Huangfu Xiongwen shook his head and said, "I'll try my best to find you someone decent."

"Thank you, teacher," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

"However, the matter of commercial tax is of great importance and we need to find a suitable person to be in charge. Who do you plan to find? If we don't choose well, it could cause serious trouble," Huangfu Xiongwen said.

"Let the young master hold the fort for now, and then wait for Xu Yan to return. Let him set an example and provide us with more ideas. In addition, my cousin Duan Zhiguan, although he is mild-mannered and lacks assertiveness, is not a person who bends the law for personal gain, and no noble family would dare to harm him. He is also suitable to be a deputy," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

"Duan Zhiguan is fine, but what about Xu Yan? What if he refuses your offer of service?" Huangfu Xiongwen asked.

"Then I'll eat at the Xu family's place." Bai Xuan said with a smile, revealing the bet he had with Xu Yanque.

"Doubling the three hundred coins, let alone selling the Xu family, even if they sold the entire Northern Territory, they still wouldn't be able to pay it back. If Xu Yan knew, he'd probably be furious," Huangfu Xiongwen said with amusement.

"That can only be blamed on the fact that the Xu family's upbringing was not good enough," Bai Xuan said.

"With this method, you could have taken over the entire Xu family, but now you're letting him go. Don't you feel bad about it?" Huangfu Xiongwen asked curiously.

"If I were merely a subject of the Northern Border, I would naturally feel the pain and would not hesitate to devour the Xu family. Even if they, in order to minimize their losses, refused to acknowledge the bet between Xu Yanque and me, broke Xu Yanque's leg, and expelled him from the Xu family, I would still take a big bite out of the Xu family. But unfortunately, I am not. As the ruler of the Northern Border, I must consider not only one family or clan, but the entire Northern Border," Bai Xuan said, shaking his head.

"Whether it's gambling or swindling Xu Yanque like this, neither is a long-term solution; in fact, it's like draining the pond to catch all the fish—it can't last. As for taking over the Xu family, not to mention how troublesome that would be, even a clay figure has some fire left. As the wealthiest merchant family in the Northern Territory, the Xu family has had a complex web of relationships over the years. If they're truly pushed to the brink, their counterattack won't be small. And the Northern Territory isn't in a position for turmoil right now. Although I'll definitely be the one to win in the end, even if I win, it won't outweigh the gains. If the Xu family collapses suddenly, it won't be quick for my people to be handed over. The Northern Territory's commerce will suffer, and the people's livelihood will inevitably suffer as well."

"There's no need. The entire North is mine; why worry about temporary gains or losses?"

As long as the Xu family remains in the Northern Territory, they will always be fish on his chopping block.

What does it matter if we eat earlier or later?

As for his desire to flee the North?

That must be treason and collusion with the enemy. They should be punished by confiscating his property and exterminating his entire family, but the money will still be his.

"With a king like you, the Northern Territory is fortunate," Huangfu Xiongwen said sincerely upon hearing this.

Very few people understand this principle, and even fewer can put it into practice.

After all, the Xu family's wealth was the greatest in the Northern Territory.

Take this opportunity to eat it all up in one go and get fat for now.

His ability to resist this temptation demonstrates a level of willpower rarely seen in the world.

"It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching," Bai Xuan said with a smile.

"Stop flattering me. Although we are master and disciple, I probably haven't taught you as much as your uncle. However, you are still my last disciple, and there are some things I must say. You are right, the entire Northern Territory is yours, and you are the true lord of the Northern Territory. But because of this, your plans should be more righteous. Methods like this bet may be effective, but they are mostly based on luck. You shouldn't place all your hopes on them," Huangfu Xiongwen said.

He was afraid that Bai Xuan would become addicted to the bet because of his success.

While one cannot be ignorant of intrigue and scheming, relying solely on such tactics will hinder the achievement of great things.

"I understand that schemes and tricks are ultimately minor matters, and only something done incidentally. My original plan was to use the method of calculating the amount of money involved in a crime." Bai Xuan said with a smile, revealing his original intention.

Huangfu Xiongwen's smile vanished instantly. Was he going to rob someone openly and brazenly, without resorting to underhanded tactics?

This was the first time Huangfu Xiongwen had ever been so worried about his reputation after death.

Having taken on such a disciple, I hope I won't end up with a tarnished reputation in my later years.

Bai Xuan remained calm as he spoke earnestly with Huangfu Xiongwen, promising to visit again at their next meeting.

"Zi'an, what do you think I should do to teach Shi'an?"

After Bai Xuan left, Huangfu Xiongwen looked at Zhang Huan and said.

"Teacher, the prince has only been learning formations for five months, yet he has already reached the level of sitting meditation. He can resolve the prince's finances with a wave of his hand. His talent and temperament are both first-rate in this world. He is a dragon among men. I am dull-witted and cannot reach his level. How can I talk about teaching him?" Zhang Huan said.

"It's precisely because he's so talented that we need to be cautious. He's too young, and if he follows in the footsteps of that old rascal Li Daoyan, he might go astray," Huangfu Xiongwen said earnestly.

"Then why don't you move into the Prince's Mansion too, Teacher?" Zhang Huan said with a smile.

"It's not impossible, is it?" Huangfu Xiongwen's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Zhang Huan's eyes widened immediately. "No, Master, I was just joking. You took it seriously?"

On the other side, Bai Xuan went down the mountain, got into the carriage, and lazily lay down inside.

"Third brother, you are now the Prince of Zhenbei." Xu Yuhua looked at Bai Xuan and said, "A prince should care about his image."

"So, I'm in charge in the North. I can do whatever I want," Bai Xuan said nonchalantly.

"How much does the Xu family plan to eat?" Xu Yuhua asked.

"This is something you have to decide, eldest sister. I'm only responsible for the general outline. The details are your business. Alright, I've been busy for so long, I should get some rest. I'll take a nap first, and wake me up when we get back to the palace." Bai Xuan smiled gently, then simply closed her eyes.

Normally, he and Hongxiu would travel together by car. The car was relatively enclosed, and Hongxiu's strong body fragrance filled the air.

Now that Xu Yuhua has taken over, it still has a light fragrance, much fainter, but just as pleasant.

Bai Xuan closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

In truth, he gradually grew accustomed to his identity as the Prince of Zhenbei.

Being the Prince of Zhenbei was truly comfortable; apart from Xu Yanheng and Xu Wenzheng, he encountered only good people.

Sometimes I think, it wouldn't be so bad to just keep pretending like this.

Looking at Bai Xuan, who had fallen asleep so easily, Xu Yuhua smiled helplessly. Looking down at Bai Xuan's peaceful face, a gentle look appeared in her eyes, and she felt a tenderness she had never felt before.

If things could just continue like this, it wouldn't be so bad.

Xu Yuhua looked up at the setting sun on the horizon. The golden glow of the sunset shone on her bright face, and her eyes were as bright as stars, filled with anticipation for the future.