A Heart-to-Heart

The great hall was vast and empty. The moment one stepped inside, the howling wind and snow outside were completely shut out. The entire hall stood desolate, with thick pillars supporting the vaulted ceiling and several topographical sand tables arranged across the lower floor. The echoes of boots clicking against the stone tiles only deepened the hall's stillness and cavernous emptiness. Xu Yuan estimated in his heart that this was likely the frontline headquarters of Beifeng. Yet there was no one here? Pondering this, Xu Yuan continued deeper into the hall. By the architectural traditions of Great Yan, behind a great hall like this there would usually be a few courtyards reserved for important figures to rest. Since Li Qingyan was not in this council chamber, she was likely farther back. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Xu Yuan suddenly heard the scrape of armor coming from the corridor behind the hall. The clattering friction of heavy metal plates. Pausing in his tracks, he looked up. Soon, a handsome young man walked out from the rear. He was clad in heavy black armor trimmed in red, its surface engraved with formation runes. However, a large section of the man's rigid armor was battered and broken, exposing the padded cloth lining and his heart-protecting mirror beneath. His entire body was soaked in the black blood of the barbarians. It was none other than Yuan Hao, whom Li Qingyan had detained. Xu Yuan called out in mild surprise, "Commander Yuan?" "..." Seeing Xu Yuan in this great hall, Yuan Hao looked equally surprised. In his mind, Xu Yuan should have fled the city by now. He had told him, after all, that Beifeng City could hold out for ten days at most. A gentleman does not stand beside a crumbling wall. When the city fell, those barbarians would not fear him for his status as the hostage son of Great Yan's Prime Minister—if anything, it would only make them more excited. Reigning in his thoughts, Yuan Hao stepped forward briskly and cupped his hands in greeting. "Third Young Master." Xu Yuan looked Yuan Hao's armor up and down, asking in some confusion, "Commander Yuan, what is this...?" Yuan Hao was no hotheaded greenhorn who knew only how to fight. He naturally understood that the Third Young Master's identity could not be exposed. Cupping his hands again, he said, "Just now, under orders to strike before the barbarians could secure their footing, I led a raid against their encampment. I have come here to report and debrief to Her Highness Wuyuan." Xu Yuan drew in a soft breath. "I heard from Lou Ji that Li Qingyan strictly forbade anyone from leaving the city, didn't she?" Yuan Hao played along obediently. "Though our Black Scale Army is presently under Her Highness Wuyuan's command, we answer foremost to the Chancellor's Manor." "Lou Ji ordered you to do it?" Xu Yuan pondered for a moment. "..." Rolling his eyes inwardly, Yuan Hao put on a troubled look and kept quiet. "Can't say, can you..." Xu Yuan muttered, nodding slightly. Then he spoke again: "Commander Yuan, just now out in the drill grounds, I saw people being executed." Yuan Hao froze for an instant, glanced outside the hall, and frowned. "They've already been beheaded?" "Yes." Xu Yuan nodded. Yuan Hao let out a sigh of slight regret. "Right, our men. Regardless, the Black Scale Army sallying forth to raid the camp ran counter to Her Highness Wuyuan's current orders. A few key figures needed to be put forward and killed to appease the crowd. If we didn't execute them, the sects might stir up unrest." Xu Yuan frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Our people?" Hearing this question, Yuan Hao gave Xu Yuan an odd look, then let out an ambiguous chuckle. "Lady Lou Ji provided the list, and Her Highness had us carry out the execution ourselves." Xu Yuan looked thoughtful. "They committed crimes?" Yuan Hao gave a dry laugh. "It's actually a pity about those two. Both were fine talents with excellent cultivation aptitude. But to get their hands on more cultivation resources, they dipped their fingers into logistical supplies." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "How so?" Yuan Hao smiled and replied, "Supplies are scarce in Beifeng City right now, and market prices have skyrocketed. The two of them were in charge of the Black Scale Army's supply depots in the city, and they sold quite a lot at exorbitant prices on the black market." Saying this, Yuan Hao changed the subject and sighed. "Though I was supposed to execute them myself, it turns out they've already been chopped. Killing barbarians just doesn't feel the same... tsk." Seeing Yuan Hao's face full of regret, Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. He gave a light cough. "I see. Commander Yuan, you may step down. Is Li Qingyan in the inner court?" Yuan Hao cupped his hands. "Her Highness Wuyuan and the two princes are resting in the inner court." With that, the scrape of armor accompanied his footsteps once more, eventually fading away at the entrance of the great hall. Behind the council hall ran a long, slender covered corridor. Heavy snow drifted down into the courtyards flanking the walkway, cloaking the pavilions and terraces in silver and white. Following the corridor for about a dozen zhang, Xu Yuan suddenly halted. In a pavilion at the end of a branching path, he could faintly see someone sitting quietly. Drinking wine while admiring the snow, gazing out at the blizzard with melancholy eyes. As he watched, that person suddenly turned his head. Their gazes met through the falling snow. Both saw surprise in each other's eyes, as if both were thinking: This bastard still hasn't fled? Reigning in his expression, the Third Prince called out heartily with a chuckle, "Third Young Master, care to join me in admiring the snow and having a drink?" Pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan was in no rush to see Li Qingyan, so he strolled toward the pavilion. Reaching the entrance, Xu Yuan took in the setup inside and remarked with amusement, "With Beifeng under siege, Your Highness the Third Prince certainly knows how to enjoy himself. A sound-isolation array, a warm-sun array—all present and accounted for." On the wooden table inside the pavilion sat a rack for warming wine, beside which stood a grill where assorted beast meats sizzled appetisingly. The biting cold of the Northern Border was entirely kept at bay outside the pavilion. Li Junqing shook his head with frank nonchalance. "There are only a few days left before the city falls. Might as well eat as much as I can while I still can." Xu Yuan sat down with an odd expression, naturally brought out a cup, and poured himself a drink. "Beifeng City isn't fully encircled yet. If Your Highness wished to flee—ahem, to leave, I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult?" The Third Prince smacked his lips and shook his head. "I'd love to, but my imperial sister's word is law. A lockdown means a lockdown; not a single soul is allowed to leave." Xu Yuan took a sip of warm wine. "You're her biological brother. Surely you should get some special treatment." "Pfft." Li Junqing scoffed, an amused glint in his eyes. "Third Young Master, in our family, blood ties aren't as useful as they are in yours. My imperial sister grew up in the Northern Border; her relationship with this little brother of hers is hardly better than with a stranger." His words were so blunt that Xu Yuan had no ready reply. The Third Prince did not seem inclined to dwell on it either, suddenly asking with a beaming smile, "By the way, Third Young Master, I just saw a Grandmaster from your family named Zhou Chen in the commandery office. Does that ring a bell?" "Zhou Chen?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, letting just the right touch of surprise show. "He's actually in Beifeng City?" "Looks like you do know him." The Third Prince smiled slyly. Xu Yuan stared at Li Junqing for a few seconds, then shook his head and changed the subject. "Where is your imperial sister?" Having seemingly confirmed something, the Third Prince shrugged, his tone rising and falling rhythmically. "Thanks to that unnamed commander of yours from the Chancellor's Manor, the Black Scale Army rushed out of the city without authorization, making my imperial sister mad as hell. Right now, she should be over by the communication crystal calling for reinforcements." "Is that so?" Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. The Third Prince had likely deduced certain things, but since he voiced them so openly, it showed he had no intention of leaking them outside. With that in mind, Xu Yuan smiled slightly. "And what about the Second Prince?" "He's helping my imperial sister manage military affairs." "Military affairs?" Xu Yuan was somewhat surprised. The Third Prince waved his hand and explained, "Not the specific operations of city defense, but helping her hold down the commandery office—allocating supplies, maintaining order in the city, managing logistical affairs like the city-defense reserve corps." Xu Yuan looked thoughtful. "He understands such matters?" "Of course. Even Imperial Father said my second brother takes after him." The Third Prince showed a hint of admiration, pinching his thumb and index finger close together to show a tiny gap. "He knows a bit of just about everything—far better than my eldest brother, who knows only benevolence, righteousness, and propriety." Xu Yuan had never met the current Crown Prince, so he could not tell whether the words were true or false. He chuckled and said, "Since Your Highness the Third Prince thinks so highly of your second brother, why back your eldest brother in the battle for the throne? It's not like blood ties matter that much in your family anyway." "..." The Third Prince fell silent for a moment, then let out a faint, melancholy sigh. "Third Young Master... "After my imperial father ascended the throne, my royal uncles either committed suicide or went mad." "..." Snow fell like a waterfall, accentuating the helplessness on Li Junqing's face. Xu Yuan, however, asked with a smile, "Then how can you be sure your eldest brother won't move against you after taking the throne? You control all of the imperial family's merchant guilds, plus the Imperial Shadow Guard. Such a threat... tsk, tsk." With no outsiders present, the Third Prince spoke just as bluntly: "If I don't back Eldest Brother or Second Brother, who am I supposed to support—my sixth brother? His maternal grandfather, Marquis Langya, only has thirty thousand Langya Army troops under his command. That's not even enough to get stuck between the teeth of Marquis Wucheng's Beifeng Army. How could I possibly back him?" Xu Yuan was left speechless and raised his cup. The two cups clinked together amidst the wind and snow, and both drained them. Setting down his cup, Xu Yuan sighed softly. "You really do have it rough." The Third Prince sighed helplessly and poured himself another cup. "It really is rough. The imperial house is the most heartless of all. I can only gamble. If Eldest Brother truly moves against me, Empress Mother would likely dissuade him. Besides, we grew up together, and I've served him diligently for so many years. If I willingly give up my power, I should at least be able to become an idle prince." Xu Yuan glanced at the warm grill nearby and suddenly asked, "Then, Junqing, are you truly willing to leave your fate in someone else's hands?" The Third Prince narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Third Young Master, do you mean..." "Since it's so hard, why don't you make a bid yourself?" "..." Silence suddenly settled over the pavilion. After a long pause, the Third Prince burst into laughter, pointing at himself. "Me? What do I have to compete with my eldest and second brothers? By birth, I was born more than twenty years after Eldest Brother. By ability, I can't compare to Second Brother—" Xu Yuan silently raised a finger and pointed at himself. The Third Prince's voice hitched, his pupils constricting. This bastard actually admitted it outright. Well, whether he admitted it or not made no difference to Li Junqing; either way, he wouldn't dare breathe a word outside. The gravity slowly faded, and the Third Prince leaned back against his chair, gazing at Xu Yuan with a chuckle. "Third Young Master, I'm just a worldly mortal. I know full well that once certain desires are unleashed, there's no turning back." "You really don't want to sit on it?" Xu Yuan gave him an odd look. "Of course I do. I just said I'm a worldly mortal—if I could sit on it, why wouldn't I?" The Third Prince stared into Xu Yuan's eyes, enunciating each word clearly: "But I have no desire to be a puppet who can be deposed at any moment. So Third Young Master, don't try to drive wedges between us. If I manage to survive this ordeal, I'll muster troops and head over to Yingzhou Island to be a local king." Xu Yuan sighed. "Your Highness is clearheaded indeed, knowing to stay far away from the vortex." The Third Prince sighed. "I can't afford not to be clearheaded. On this trip to the Northern Border, my second brother will likely win some military support with his performance and gain favor in Imperial Father's eyes. Even if we win this Northern Border turmoil, it won't be a pretty victory. Father's illness is severe, and with Eldest Brother's gentle temperament, ascending the grand throne will likely prove difficult. And if Second Brother ascends... my end... tsk, tsk." "..." Hearing this, Xu Yuan gave a light chuckle and said nothing. He understood. The Crown Prince had been groomed for a time of peace and recuperation once the Emperor and his own father finished cleaning up the sects. Now that the sects had yet to be pacified, the heir to the throne naturally had to be reconsidered. Still, having served as regent overseeing state affairs for so many years, the Crown Prince was unlikely to be quite as inept as the Third Prince made him out to be. If he truly were that useless, the Second Prince wouldn't have volunteered so desperately to come here to the Northern Border. At that thought, Xu Yuan raised his cup and drained it, glancing across at Li Junqing. This kid's ability to talk nonsense was second to none. Meanwhile, Li Junqing seemed to have completely given up on caring, turning to ask with a smile, "Third Young Master, want to check out the pleasure houses in the south of the city tonight? The girls in the Northern Border's brothels are quite a bit taller than the ones in our capital." Xu Yuan rolled his eyes. "The city is under siege. Would pleasure houses even be open right now?" The Third Prince waved a hand and grinned. "Third Young Master, the more chaotic the times, the more money unscrupulous merchants can make. Right now, so many scions of top sect figures across the three northern prefectures are trapped in this isolated city with nowhere to go. Under so much stress, they need somewhere to vent. The pleasure houses in the city will double their prices, but they'll definitely be open." As the words left his mouth, amid the snow outside the pavilion, a red-clad figure landed softly on the snow behind the Third Prince. With a stride of her long legs, she stepped silently into the pavilion. Xu Yuan stole an imperceptible glance at the woman in red, his expression instantly turning solemn. "Too expensive, can't afford it." The Third Prince chuckled and sighed, "Tsk, Third Young Master truly is a miser. It's on my dime tonight—how about it?" Xu Yuan looked once more at the red-clad woman behind the Third Prince, whose face was cold enough to form frost. "Tonight might not be convenient. Your imperial sister might need me." The Third Prince was about to speak when he suddenly caught the direction of Xu Yuan's gaze. His complexion changed, but after a moment's pause, he stubbornly maintained his smile. "No matter. The military situation is urgent, so my imperial sister will surely go inspect the gate towers. There's no way she'd stay the night in the commandery office—" Smack! Li Qingyan raised her hand and slapped the back of Li Junqing's head. "..." Xu Yuan signaled with his eyes that this had nothing to do with him. "..." Clutching his head, the Third Prince buried his face and played dead. Li Qingyan took a deep breath, casting a frosty glare at Xu Yuan. "Come with me. I have things to ask you." With that, she turned and strode away. Xu Yuan instinctively glanced sideways at Li Junqing, only to find the kid sprawled silently across the stone table, playing dead. As Li Qingyan walked out of the pavilion, Xu Yuan prepared to follow, only to see the "corpse" suddenly lift his head and wink at him, his lips silently mouthing: See—you—to—night. "..." Xu Yuan.