The Imperial Palace of The Tolling Lands

With all due haste, Wang Fèn Yǒng had made his way to the palace to see the Emperor. It was dusk by the time he reached the palace.

Wang Fèn Yǒng stood outside of the king's work studio area in a glow of lit torches. He was waiting to be summoned by the Emperor.

Not long after an attending Eunuch went into the work studio to inform the Emperor that Wang Fèn Yǒng was requesting an audience. The Eunuch returned and informed Wang Fèn Yǒng that the Emperor had summoned him to enter.

Upon entering the Emperors' work studio, Wang Fèn Yǒng saw that the Grand Prince, The First Lady of Wang Royal Manor, and the Minister of War was already in attendance. They, along with the Emperor all stood around a massive wooden flat standing board. Pinned to the board was the map of the five countries surrounding the Tolling Lands that Liu Tián Qǔ had gifted to the Grand Prince. They were in the process of discussing the plans that they had implemented of sending out scouts to verify the accuracy of the map.

As the emperor saw Wang Fèn Yǒng enter. He greeted him with a warm smile, saying in a warm voice. "Fèn Yǒng you here."

Little did Liu Tián Qǔ know she had picked the best person to negotiate the sale of the mountain with the emperor. It was well known amongst the Imperial Family, Imperial inner courts and officials that the Emperor had an extremely soft spot for Wang Fèn Yǒng and catered to him a lot.

Wang Fèn Yǒng bowed in greetings to the emperor first. He then greeted the Grand Prince, the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor, and The Minister of War.

"Your Majesty something urgent has occurred I must immediately speak with you in private." Wang Fèn Yǒng said in his normal cold voice with a touch of seriousness and urgency.

The smile dissipated from the Emperor's face and his eyes turned piercing. He stared a Wang Fèn Yǒng with piercing eyes for a heartbeat or two before commanding everyone to be dismissed.

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As the Grand Prince and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor also started to leave. Wang Fèn Yǒng said to the emperor. "Your Majesty we will need Royal Father and Royal Mother's help in this manner."

The Emperor beckoned the Grand Prince and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor to stay. Wang Fèn Yǒng said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, this matter is of the utmost importance until we can fully understand, control, and contain the situation. It's better if we leave no room for this matter to leak out."

After hearing the words Wang Fèn Yǒng spoke, the emperor commanded to the departing servants and Minister of War, "Everyone is to stand one hundred paces back from the entrance after exiting."

After waiting for a moment giving everyone one time enough to exit and move back from the entrance, the emperor said, "Speak Fèn Yǒng, tell me what is this about."

Just as Liu Tián Qǔ did, Wang Fèn Yǒng grabbed the sack that was resting by his feet and upended that sack. Wang Fèn Yǒng dumped a big pile of melded ore onto the floor of the emperor's work studio. The Emperor, the Grand Prince, and the First Lady of Wang Royal Manor all stared slacked jaw at the big pile of ore.

For over one hundred centuries, melded ore had only been found in Josper, which was to the south of The Tolling Lands. Over the past few centuries, the relationship between Josper and the Tolling Land had grown very strained. It's been over a century since Josper allowed the sale of melded ore to any country. So melded ore had become very hard to find outside of Josper. Those caught smuggling or trying to take melded ore out of Josper were immediately put to death.

The Emperor was the first to come back to his sense he immediately asked in a voice full of shock and astonishment, "Wang Fèn Yǒng quickly, tell me where did you get this ore?"

"I got this ore from Liu Tián Qǔ."

"Liu Tián Qǔ again!" the emperor exclaimed. "Did he tell you where he got it from?"

"Yes. Liu Tián Qǔ owns a mountain full of melded ore."

"What!" Everyone screamed in complete utter shock.

Quickly the emperor asked in complete shock and suppressed agitation, "Which country is the mountain he owns located in?"

"It's here in the Tolling Lands a half-hour ride from here." Wang Fèn Yǒng said with eyes full of interest at the reaction of the king and his Royal Mother and Royal Father.

However, maybe the excitement was a bit too much for the Emperor, he staggered slightly. Seeing a stool over in a corner, Wang Fèn Yǒng flew over and grabbed the seat. Hasting, back over he shoved it under the Emperor's butt, and the emperor collapsed on it.

"Wang Fèn Yǒng," his mother called. When he looked over, his mother met his gaze. Looking him dead in the eye with a piercing, intense gaze, she said in a sharp voice, "Start from the beginning leaving nothing out. Explain in detail exactly was is going on!"