Choice

"What I mean is, do you have any objection to this?" Xu Yinhe quietly watched the faint agitation on his eldest son's face, his voice flat. As his words fell, silence descended upon the carriage. Xu Yinhe's question was rather cold-blooded. Yet in his position, he often had no choice but to remain that cold-blooded. No one disliked power; if anyone insisted they did, it was simply because they had never tasted it. "If you do, you can speak your mind." Under his gaze, the faint agitation in Xu Changge's eyes gradually settled, and he sighed softly. "Father, are you worried that what happened in the Li family will happen between Changtian and me?" Xu Yinhe said nothing, his silence serving as confirmation. The Li family bore the imperial surname. The reigning emperor had been bedridden for years, and though a Crown Prince had been established, the exceptionally capable princes were fighting tooth and nail to seize the golden throne. Two of them had already been banished to Heavenly Island, the prison reserved specifically for members of the imperial clan. Xu Changge took some tea implements from his Sumeru ring. As he set them out, he spoke casually. His voice was soft, yet earnest. "Father, back when Mother died before my eyes, I made a resolution to protect Chang'an and the other two. "Yet when Chang'an passed away, I was powerless. There are many things in this world that cultivation alone cannot solve. So when you asked me to take over the Chancellor's Manor, I agreed—all so that such things would never happen again." With that, Xu Changge poured a cup of fragrant tea and pushed it gently before Xu Yinhe. He lifted his eyes, meeting the man's hawklike gaze. "Only, Father, though Changtian has reformed and truly changed a great deal, can he do better than I can? If he cannot, placing him in this position will only harm him." Xu Yinhe did not answer the question directly. "I am still observing him. However, his methods of managing subordinates are quite good." "'Quite good...'" Murmuring his father's assessment, Xu Changge nodded. "Then in that regard, Changtian is indeed better than me. Those subordinates of yours have never been quite convinced by me." Xu Yinhe picked up his teacup and took a light sip, remarking, "It is normal for them not to be convinced. Changge, you handle matters with too much ferocity." Those old friends of his each had an intractable temper. When a fiery temper clashed with a fiery temper, though orders still ended up being carried out, the process was fraught with friction. It was truly fraught with friction. Moreover, no one knew how much of that obedience was merely out of deference to him, the Chancellor. If he were no longer around, who could guarantee those orders would still be carried out? And if they could not... A trace of a sigh flashed in Xu Yinhe's eyes. Xu Changge was well aware of his own shortcomings in temperament. Taking a small sip of tea, he said, "I know. So if you wish for Changtian to take over, Father, I have no objections—as long as he can do better than I." "..." Xu Yinhe said no more. He retrieved a Heavenly Communication Crystal from his Sumeru ring and poured his sea-like surge of Source Qi into it. Seeing this, Xu Changge hesitated slightly. "Father, you are..." "Someone contacted me earlier when I was at Marquis Wucheng's Manor. At this hour, it should be Changtian. News came from over by the Wanxiang Sect yesterday that they have finished assembling." Xu Changge smiled faintly. "Is this your test for him?" "In a sense. Though according to the reports sent by the Black Scale Guards, he has done quite well over the past few days," Xu Yinhe replied truthfully. Seeing this, Xu Changge dropped the subject and turned to ask, "Xinyao is there as well?" "Yes," Xu Yinhe said. Xu Changge's gaze softened for a moment. "A bit late, but it still counts as a New Year reunion." *** "Changtian?" When the communication crystal connected, Xu Yuan was in the secret chamber discussing array-related matters with Xu Xinyao, but upon hearing this voice, both fell silent in unison. Pausing for a moment, Xu Yuan weighed his words and nodded. "Father, it is me." "What is it?" "I wanted to confirm a few things with you, Father." "..." Xu Yinhe was not surprised in the slightest; after all, he had previously only told Xu Yuan to go negotiate. "Because of the forty-thousand-strong Black Scale Army?" "No," Xu Yuan replied directly with a denial. Xu Yinhe's brow twitched upward slightly. "If not for that, then what are you seeking me for?" After several breaths of silence, Xu Yuan took a deep breath and got straight to the point: "Does Xu Changge know what you are planning to do?" "..." Inside the carriage, Xu Yinhe was somewhat surprised. He had revealed very little information to his third son, yet it seemed this third son had already seen through what he intended to do. With an amused glint in his eyes, Xu Yinhe glanced at his eldest son seated opposite him and asked in a low voice, "What matter would your elder brother need to know about?" "..." This question caught Xu Yuan off guard in the transmission chamber. He did not believe a man of his father's shrewdness could fail to understand what he meant. Was he asking this now because his prior deduction was wrong, or because he deliberately wanted Xu Yuan to admit it aloud? Yet how could something like this be laid bare on the table? Was he supposed to ask outright: *Father, are you planning to have me succeed the Chancellor's mantle?* After a moment of thought, Xu Yuan said in an even voice, "Aren't you doing this to test my capacity?" "I am," Xu Yinhe replied curtly. Hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes flickered. "In that case, I believe this matter requires Xu Changge's consent." Steady breathing came through the transmission. After a long moment, Xu Yinhe adopted a trace of gravity in his tone and countered, "Changtian, am I to understand that you believe I intend to hand the Chancellor's Manor to you instead of your elder brother?" "..." *Huh?* His father's questioning tone left Xu Yuan feeling uncertain. Everything earlier had been mere speculation. Could it be that his father only wanted him to serve as second-in-command to assist Xu Changge? The moment the hesitation arose, Xu Yuan dismissed it. The structure of the Chancellor's Manor dictated that there could only ever be one supreme authority. The second-in-command handling affairs could be Lou Ji, Hua Hong, or anyone on the advisory council, but never one of the two brothers. If Xu Yuan were put in charge of operations and grew familiar with the subordinates, Xu Changge would be reduced to nothing more than a figurehead; such an arrangement could never produce a stable center of power. If their father really did that, he would be planting seeds for future internal strife. Their generation might not fight, but what about the next generation, or the generation after that? At this thought, Xu Yuan hesitated no longer and gave his judgment: "Father, you may understand it that way." Hearing this resolute reply, Xu Yinhe let out a rare laugh. "Heh... You guessed correctly. Are you willing?" Xu Yuan let out a long breath. His old man was actually testing him on something like this: "Father, right now, what I want to know more is whether Xu Changge is aware of this." "He is," Xu Yinhe replied, glancing once more at his eldest son across from him. A smile of relief was on Xu Changge's face. Deducing the truth from limited information, and standing his ground under their father's interrogation. Quite impressive. Just then, Xu Yuan's voice sounded again: "And Xu Changge has no objections?" Xu Yinhe did not answer directly, saying with deep meaning, "Changtian, in the Chancellor's Manor, it is your father who has the final say." "Yet Eldest Brother's opinion matters a great deal," Xu Yuan insisted unusually firmly on this point. "..." Hearing this, Xu Yinhe chuckled softly as he studied Xu Changge's expression and answered, "Mhm... he likely has none. You know your elder brother's disposition. But how did you figure it out? Just from the two Painted Skins I sent you?" Xu Yuan sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness. "I know Xu Changge all too well. I reached this conclusion mostly because of that foul temper of his. Over the years he's been running things, he must have clashed with Aunt Lou Ji and the others quite a lot, hasn't he?" "..." The corner of Xu Changge's eye twitched. "..." Xu Yinhe cast him a cool, detached glance. "..." Xu Changge sighed silently. Xu Yuan was right. Last time, over year-end appropriations, Lou Ji and Wu Zigeng—who managed the Tian'an Martial Hall—had nearly come to blows with him inside the Chancellor's Manor; table-slamming and shouting matches were too numerous to count. Yet Xu Yuan wasn't finished, rambling on: "Xu Changge may look glorious to outsiders, but in the eyes of those veteran subordinates of yours, Father, he's probably mostly just a greenhorn." "..." Xu Changge. "And the kind of greenhorn who loves putting on airs and bossing people around, at that. I can't speak for the others, but Aunt Lou Ji's temper definitely wouldn't stand him." "..." "And what's more, that look on Xu Changge's face—" "Changtian." "..." Xu Yuan instantly fell silent. "When you return to the Imperial Capital for your betrothal, I shall ride out of the city to welcome you." "..." Xu Yuan. "..." Beside him, Xu Xinyao struggled desperately to suppress her laughter. For a moment, the atmosphere froze. In the end, it was Xu Yinhe who steered the conversation back: "Very well. Changtian, did you contact me solely to confirm this?" Xu Yuan cleared his throat and murmured, "Ahem, there are two other matters. One minor, one major." "Oh?" Xu Yinhe's tone rose slightly. "The minor matter is a favor I wish to ask of you, Father." Xu Yuan spoke softly, casting a glance at Xu Xinyao beside him. "There is a gang leader here in Wanxiang City, head of the Pingshui Gang. He discovered my identity..." Having said that much, Xu Yuan stopped, letting the implication hang. Xu Yinhe listened closely and asked, "You wish to spare his life?" "Yes." Xu Yuan nodded, answering honestly, "I think his capabilities are quite good. It would be a waste for him to die like this." Xu Yinhe did not answer immediately. Sitting upon his futon, he savored the spirit-roasted tea sent from the Heavenly Mountains. After a long while, he spoke slowly: "Changtian, is this what you want, or what Xinyao wants?" Xu Yuan hesitated slightly. "Does it matter?" "It matters a great deal." "..." Xu Yuan pondered carefully, yet his answer was somewhat ambiguous: "Father, many people's achievements are limited by the platform they are given. I believe this Bai Zhao's ceiling is far higher than this." "So you are acting out of an appreciation for talent?" Xu Yinhe asked. "Yes." Xu Yuan nodded, and went on to briefly explain the reasons behind his assessment. "..." Having heard him out, Xu Yinhe neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he uttered a sentence steeped in meaning: "Changtian, if that man is truly clever, he will not put you in a difficult position." *** Noon. West of the city, the manor of the Pingshui Gang leader, the main house. The room was quiet. Sunlight streamed in through the open doorway and lattice windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the beams. On the table in the center of the room sat the remnants of a finished, simple meal. Plain, yet warm. The middle-aged man with graying temples stood by the doorway, his eyes tender as he watched his daughter skipping out into the courtyard, before turning his gaze toward the woman at his side. Under the sunlight, as the wife of the Pingshui Gang leader, her features appeared rather plain, yet the look Bai Zhao gave her was full of gentle affection. When he first arrived in Wanxiang City in his teens, she had taken him in as a hired laborer in her family's butcher shop. When they wed, it was she who had threatened her own life to insist he not become a live-in son-in-law. Now, in the blink of an eye, thirty years had slipped away. "Why are you staring at me like that?" The woman's voice sounded gentle. Bai Zhao shook his head, smiling. "Nothing. You're as pretty as you were when you were young." "Saying such things in broad daylight—have you no shame?" The woman rolled her eyes. There was no coyness in the gesture, yet Bai Zhao adored it. Smiling softly, he whispered, "Qu'er, once you and Qingqing leave the city this time, someone will be there to receive you." The woman looked at her husband and caught a flicker of something unusual in his eyes. "Has something happened?" Bai Zhao smiled, uttering two words with casual nonchalance: "Evading trouble." Over twenty years of sharing hardship through thick and thin had taught Bai Zhao that he could never hide things from her, so being direct was better. The woman asked, though evidently evading trouble was nothing new: "Is it serious?" Bai Zhao shook his head. "Not very serious, but for the safety of you and our daughter, it is best you leave the city early. I will follow in two days. Perhaps in ten or twenty days, we'll be able to come back." Hearing this, the woman said nothing more, offering a tender smile. "Qingqing and I will wait for you outside the city." Bai Zhao watched her retreating figure, no longer slender with the passage of years, and shook his head with a smile. He began turning to close the door and head inside, but his steps hitched, and he gritted his teeth. "Zhang Qu." "..." The woman walking across the courtyard turned around in slight bewilderment to look at her husband by the door. "If you have something to say, say it all at once." Bai Zhao said with utter sincerity: "Thank you for all these years." "..." The woman froze for a moment. The sunlight in the courtyard suddenly seemed blinding, so bright that she could not clearly make out his figure standing in the shadows. Her eyes darted nervously. Turning back around, she spat playfully, "You fool... Qingqing and I will wait for you outside the city." "..." Bai Zhao did not reply. He watched her leave in silence before turning back to the room and taking his time clearing the scattered bowls and chopsticks from the table. As expected, whenever times like this came, she would hide away her worry. Just like back when he was building his career from nothing—she would sew his wounds while chiding him all the same. After clearing everything away, he sat down quietly in the head seat, gazing around the luxurious room he had spent a lifetime fighting to attain, and sighed: "In the end, it still comes to nothing..." Saying this, the image of his family sharing a meal here moments ago surfaced before Bai Zhao's eyes. He smiled faintly. "Though it isn't entirely for nothing..." Using a fire-striker to light a rolled cigarette, smoke curling upward, Bai Zhao slowly drew a short dagger from his waist. His hands were steady, yet in the polished blade of the dagger, he caught the reflection of his own trembling lips...