Junwu

"Oh." Li Junwu gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, narrowing her eyes as she enjoyed the massage. "……" Massaging this "bosom brother's" well-proportioned calf, Xu Yuan wore a peculiar expression. "'Oh'?" Li Junwu glanced at him. "Hm?" Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "Shouldn't you look a bit more surprised? Besides, the Northern Border is in such chaos. Aren't you worried I might never return?" Li Junwu let out an exhaled sigh. Her slender, jade-like leg lifted slightly, slipping from Xu Yuan's grasp as she sat up. "It's not that I'm not surprised. My father wrote to me a while ago." "The Marquis of Zhenxi?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning on him. "No wonder. So you had advance word." As a marquis wielding real military power, stationed to guard the Great Desert, the Marquis of Zhenxi was directly involved in the strategic maneuvers between the Chancellor's Manor, the imperial family, and the Barbarians. Inside information like this could hardly be hidden from such an important minister. Li Junwu shifted her gaze, a complex expression crossing her handsome, cross-dressed, delicate features. Finally, she sighed. "He went on and on about all sorts of things, including the Northern Border. The old man said His Majesty and Duke Xu are determined to wipe out the Barbarians once and for all." Seeing Li Junwu's expression, Xu Yuan felt a strange twinge. This was the first time he had seen Li Junwu look like this. The Marquis of Zhenxi had likely told her far more than just that. Though curious, he didn't pry. Speaking of this matter, however, Xu Yuan's voice took on a touch of seriousness. "That is true, but—" "Changtian." Li Junwu suddenly cut him off, staring into his eyes. "Aren't you curious about what else my old man told me?" Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled and propped his elbow against Li Junwu's shoulder, smiling sideways at her. "If you want to tell me, I'll listen. If you don't, then forget it." Li Junwu leaned away, causing Xu Yuan's elbow to slip off, and snorted coldly. "Stop grinning like an idiot." Noticing the solemn look on her face, Xu Yuan sighed, picked up his wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and leaned back against the daybed. In a quiet voice, he said, "Actually, I can guess a bit of it. The Marquis of Zhenxi told you to keep your distance from me, didn't he?" Li Junwu knitted her delicate brows, her tone indifferent. "You really are sharp." "Can't help it. High IQ," Xu Yuan grinned. Li Junwu's chest rose and fell slightly, and she huffed, "My father said that your family and the imperial—" "Wait." Xu Yuan raised a hand to cut her off, looking at her with exasperation. "Big sister, do you really dare to say just anything to me?" The Marquis of Zhenxi was one of the few high-ranking ministers in court who hadn't taken a side, belonging neither to the royalists nor the Chancellor's faction. Both sides feared that applying too much pressure would push him straight into the other's arms. The Marquis of Zhenxi had also strictly maintained his neutrality, his stance perfectly clear: *Fight all you want among yourselves. I'll guard the frontier against those Dachao people, and if the sects rebel, I'll step in. But keep me out of the court's squabbles.* Li Junwu was visibly dissatisfied with Xu Yuan's interruption. "Don't you want me to persuade my old man?" Xu Yuan burst out laughing. He reached out and touched the back of his hand to her forehead. "Big sister, did you take the wrong medicine?" Annoyed, Li Junwu slapped his hand away, a flash of irritation in her eyes. "Xu Changtian, I'm talking serious business with you!" Xu Yuan raised both hands in a mock French salute, speaking softly. "Fine, fine, fine. Let me ask you: is this your idea, or the Marquis of Zhenxi's?" Li Junwu reflexively looked away, her voice dropping a little. "Um... mine." Xu Yuan patted her head. "Alright, I appreciate the thought. But the Marquis of Zhenxi's current course is actually the best one, and it's what both the imperial family and my father want to see most." Li Junwu bit her lip, brushed his hand off, and glared at him with exasperated disappointment. "If you don't need it, then fine! Hmph, unbelievable." "……" Xu Yuan smiled without explaining further. Great Yan had no princes outside the imperial clan; a marquisate was the absolute pinnacle for a subject. While the Marquis of Zhenxi's power and standing might not rival Marquis Wucheng, the god of war, he held an extraordinary position among the rest of the marquises. The Zhenxi Army was practically the Marquis of Zhenxi's private force—after all, Li Junwu casually referred to it as "my family's army." Furthermore, after quelling the rebellion, he had been granted the imperial surname, elevated in rank, appointed Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and given countless estates and land deeds. Most importantly, his family controlled several Source Crystal veins, providing an independent source of revenue. In other words, the best choice for the Marquis of Zhenxi's Manor was to maintain the status quo. Whether he sided with the imperial family or with Xu Yuan's father, there was no benefit in it for him. Even if his father rebelled in the future and actually succeeded in taking the throne, would the Marquis of Zhenxi dare accept the rewards conferred upon him? He wouldn't dare. Any higher, and he would have to be granted the ultimate rebellion package that Xu Yinhe currently held. His father dared to accept that package because the Chancellor's Manor's sheer scale was already capable of rivaling the imperial family. The Marquis of Zhenxi's Manor was still several orders of magnitude behind. Backing the winner brought no real gain, while backing the loser meant the execution of his entire clan. The risk and reward were completely out of proportion. Neutrality was the only sensible choice for the Marquis of Zhenxi's Manor. The two quietly poured and sipped their drinks for a while before Li Junwu suddenly spoke up: "I'm going to the Western Border." "Huh?" Caught completely off guard, Xu Yuan looked at her as if she were a monster. "You, Li Junwu, are going to the Western Border?" Seeing his look, Li Junwu felt an urge to grab the wine bottle and smash it over his head, but she held back, enunciating every syllable: "Yes. I, Li Junwu, am going to the Western Border." "You're not joking?" Li Junwu clenched her fists and countered, "Can't I go?" Xu Yuan sucked in a sharp breath. "Going there for sightseeing?" "Sightseeing my ass!" Her fiery temper flared. Li Junwu whipped around and sent a roundhouse kick straight toward Xu Yuan. *Smack—* Xu Yuan caught her ankle, but the powerful force behind the kick made his palm go numb, forcing a sharp intake of breath. "Holy shit, you're playing for real?" The kick had come without warning. If not for the hellish training Feng Jiuxuan had put him through over the past ten days after it was decided he was heading north, he might not have reacted in time. Though he still hadn't grasped the so-called "intent," he had developed a keen sense for the flow of qi behind abrupt attacks. With her ankle trapped, Li Junwu tried to pull it back, but a faint crimson glow had already surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes. She couldn't budge it. "Xu Changtian, let go!" "If I let go, you'll hit me. Only an idiot would let go." "……" Li Junwu said nothing more. Circulating her Source Qi, she pushed off the daybed with one hand, springing upward, and flipped through the air to bring her other long leg cleaving down from above. *Whoosh—* The sound of tearing wind surged. *Smack—* Xu Yuan caught that one as well, but the sheer force strained his strength to the limit. Although Li Junwu cultivated military array methods, she was, after all, an expert of the fourth rank. In the instant of their deadlock, a loud *crack* resounded, and the daybed beneath them completely collapsed. With that crash, the bustling hall—moments ago filled with singing and dancing—instantly fell dead silent. Without hesitation, Xu Yuan gripped an ankle in each hand and pulled sideways. Li Junwu lost her balance and crashed straight onto the collapsed daybed. After a long moment, some patrons recognized the troublemaker as that infamous jinx. Without a second thought, they stood up, settled their tabs, and left. His notoriety was even greater now than it had been two years ago. Ordinary dignitaries and nobles simply couldn't afford to get caught up in this young lord's antics. Within moments, seven or eight out of ten guests in the newly opened Yuntian Palace had quietly slipped away. Once the hall fell quiet, the nearby madam was furious but dared not voice her anger. She could only watch from the side, not daring to step forward. After their brief scuffle, Li Junwu lay flat on her back on the broken daybed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled, let go of her ankles, and shook out his pale, strained fingers. He sat back down on the ruined daybed beside her slender waist. "Come on, it was just a joke. I know you're going to help your old man." Li Junwu still didn't move. Staring at the ceiling, she sent a faint voice transmission: "That's not why I wanted to hit you." "Huh?" Xu Yuan played dumb. Li Junwu snorted softly, changing the subject. "Changtian, going to the Western Border was my own idea." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "The Marquis of Zhenxi didn't tell you to go?" Lying on the daybed, Li Junwu looked at his profile, her tone helpless. "You might not know this, but my old man never wanted me to take over the Zhenxi Army. That's why he always kept me in the Imperial Capital to eat, drink, and fool around." Xu Yuan glanced back at her and fell silent for a moment. "His Lordship surely has his reasons." Li Junwu curled her lip, transmitting in a low voice, "Relinquishing military power to ensure one's safety... do you really think that works?" Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then replied via voice transmission: "The only reason the imperial court allows regional military forces to grow unchecked right now is to counterbalance the sects. Once all that mess is sorted out, the court will inevitably reclaim its power. Otherwise, regional warlords will just become the next sects. "The Marquis of Zhenxi is still in his prime. He likely believes he can resolve these matters before his own passing." Li Junwu fell silent for several breaths, then suddenly asked, "And what if he can't?" "……" Xu Yuan didn't answer. Li Junwu let out a long breath, slowly sat up beside Xu Yuan, and rested her elbow on his shoulder with a light laugh. "Changtian, once I leave for the Western Border, who knows when we'll see each other again." "……" Xu Yuan looked back at her and said no more. "Then I'll look forward to you becoming the next Li Qingyan, guarding the desert." Li Junwu rolled her eyes and poked him in the ribs with her fist. "I am Li Junwu. Not Li Qingyan, and certainly not the second Li Qingyan." A breath later, Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "Quite ambitious, aren't we?" Li Junwu gave a soft huff. "I won't be any worse than her in the future." Xu Yuan's eyes curved gently. "Alright. You are Li Junwu." Right then, Li Junwu suddenly murmured softly, "Xu Yuan, when the time comes, if you need help, I'll help you." "……" Xu Yuan said nothing. Looking into each other's eyes at close range, he could feel her breath, and he could see the earnest resolve in her gaze. Yet he offered no answer. "……" Li Junwu didn't say anything more either. She picked up a wine bottle, drained it in one hearty gulp, turned, and prepared to leave. Seeing this, Xu Yuan hastily called out to her, "Hey, Wang Chengping and Gong Yuanzeng haven't arrived yet! You're leaving just like that? After this, it'll probably be a long time before we can all meet." Li Junwu glanced back and sighed. "Changtian, are you playing dumb? Both of their fathers belong to the imperial faction. Ever since our last gathering, both of them have been placed under house arrest." "……" Hearing that, Xu Yuan lowered his eyes slightly. Li Junwu gave a faint smile and patted his shoulder. "Alright, I'm heading out. Don't miss me too much. Next time we meet, I'll let you look at my legs." With that, she gave a brisk, confident wave of her hand and strode away. After she walked a short distance, several attendants fell in behind her, their figures vanishing together with Li Junwu's slender silhouette into the entrance of Yuntian Palace. Because of the earlier commotion, the patrons in the hall had fled to preserve their skins. The surroundings were very quiet, save for a few courtesans who had been forced to stay behind, still playing their instruments. Xu Yuan had practically reserved the entire Yuntian Palace for himself. Sitting on the collapsed daybed, he poured and drank cup after cup, feeling an unexplainable melancholy. *The imperial faction...* As the commander of the Imperial Guards, Wang Chengping's father naturally belonged to the imperial faction. If that force ever fell under his father Xu Yinhe's control, a coup could happen at any moment. Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor was an essential minister used by the Emperor to counterbalance his father in court. If they truly ended up clashing with the imperial family on the battlefield, then... Thinking of this, Xu Yuan suddenly recalled what that old auntie Lou Ji had once told him: *"There are things you may not want to do, Changtian, but you must do them. Back in their day, your father and Li Yaoxuan killed almost every friend they ever had."* A sigh escaped him. "*Sigh...*" Xu Yuan set down his wine cup, intending to rest a moment before paying the bill and heading home, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an old acquaintance walking in through the entrance. The Third Prince stared blankly at the empty hall of Yuntian Palace for a moment. Then, catching sight of Xu Yuan sitting alone at the private table, the corner of his eye began to twitch uncontrollably. *Fuck me.* *Is this jinx never going to stop?* *Every time I open a brothel, he fucking comes to tear it down?!* Raising a hand to silence the approaching madam who was about to complain, the Third Prince took a deep breath to quell his urge to curse. He strolled over to Xu Yuan, plopped down beside him with easy familiarity, and smiled. "Third Young Master Xu, who was blind enough to provoke you?" Xu Yuan shook his head, retrieved two one-thousand-tael banknotes from his Sumeru ring, and set them on the table before him. "No one. Is this Your Highness's establishment? I was just having a little scuffle with a friend and caused a misunderstanding." Seeing the banknotes, the Third Prince chuckled. "Third Young Master Xu, you're being too polite! How could I possibly ask you for compensation?" Even as he spoke, his hand reached out for the banknotes. "Your Highness is truly generous." Xu Yuan swept the banknotes right back into his grasp. "……" Li Junqing froze. Xu Yuan gave him an amused glance, then shifted his gaze to the two figures standing behind Li Junqing. One was naturally Eunuch Hou. The other was rather unexpected. It was none other than Chu Jingyi, the Dongying assassin who had attempted to kill him before. She was clad in a tight-fitting black outfit, somewhat reminiscent of Ying'er's attire, though styled more in the fashion of Dongying. Noticing Xu Yuan's gaze, the Third Prince paid no heed to the loss of the two thousand taels. He smiled and said, "A maidservant I recently subdued. A native of Dongying." Xu Yuan feigned interest and asked, "A Dongying native? Where did Your Highness find her?" Li Junqing beamed. "Captured her together with a friend who went through thick and thin with me. It took an entire month of hard work to finally break her in." "Captured?" Xu Yuan allowed a hint of confusion to show in his eyes at just the right moment. Li Junqing smiled. "A so-called 'daimyo' over in Dongying wanted to purchase armaments from me. How could I possibly sell weapons to a bunch of Wokou pirates? This woman was sent to collect the debt." "Is that so?" Xu Yuan nodded, offering a well-meaning reminder: "Then Your Highness had best be careful. Where there is a first time, there is bound to be a second. This trip to the Northern Border might not be peaceful." Li Junqing chuckled dismissively. "Those Wokou thieves won't have time to attempt another assassination on this prince." "How so?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Li Junqing cast an intrigued glance back at Chu Jingyi behind him. "According to this woman, their homeland seems to have been invaded by a bunch of blond-haired foreign devils coming from across the sea."