Probing

Meeting an old acquaintance in a distant land, a fellow townsman encountering another—yet there were no tearful embraces, only murderous intent. As an amateur weakling, Xu Yuan still couldn't perceive martial intent, but the look of wanting to butcher someone was something that could never be concealed. Their gazes tangled in the wind and snow. Xu Yuan let out a soft laugh and patted Zhou Chen's shoulder. "Don't be nervous, Mister Zhou. She's an acquaintance of mine." At those words, Zhou Chen drew back the hand resting on his sword hilt, though he remained watchful of the woman in the distance. Hearing that familiar voice, Xu Mengxi spoke, her tone laced with frost and a faint edge of disbelief: "Xu Changtian?" Xu Yuan strolled over until he stood before Xu Mengxi, his long hair drifting in the snowy night, a gentle smile on his lips. "What? After not seeing each other for two years before, you recognized me at a glance. We've only been parted a few months—could it be you've already forgotten me?" "..." Xu Mengxi said nothing more. Staring fixedly at Xu Yuan, she clamped her hand onto the saber at her waist. Though she had confirmed his identity, she could not fathom how a high-and-mighty playboy like him could possibly have come to this imperiled city at a time like this. Glancing at her hand gripping the saber, Xu Yuan chuckled. "Why are you holding your blade? Have you developed a taste for blood? You killed the playboy from Lingshui Palace—now you want to butcher me too?" Saying this, Xu Yuan tilted his chin up with an easy chuckle, exposing part of his neck. "If you want to, go right ahead. Beifeng City is in chaos and mortal danger anyway. With your cultivation, taking the life of a Fifth Rank Soul Condensation practitioner like me should be as easy as turning over your hand." Xu Mengxi tightened her grip on the hilt, her eyes turning cold, but she did not move. Xu Yuan looked her up and down with keen interest, letting out a soft sneer. "I thought you'd slaughter me just like you did that prime playboy of Lingshui Palace. Seems you understand the difference after all." Even among top-tier playboys, there were tiers. Her brow furrowed, Xu Mengxi bit out every word: "Xu Changtian, you're no different from Yue Huanbin." "A world of difference," Xu Yuan said, shaking his head at a leisurely pace. "Killing this so-called Yue Huanbin counts as a merit. When this is over, both the Emperor and my father will reward you. But if you kill me..." Raising a finger, Xu Yuan pointed at himself. "You, your master, your master's family, and all your friends and kin will be buried with me." Xu Mengxi's fine eyes narrowed slightly, her knuckles whitening over her saber hilt. "Given what your Chancellor's Manor has done within Beifeng City, according to Great Yan law, you deserve to die a thousand times over." Hearing this, Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "Listen to yourself. The laws of Great Yan were drafted by my father and his peers. You make it sound as if our Chancellor's Manor were some grand villain." A faint smile lingered on his lips as he went on: "After all these years, Mengxi, you've matured quite a bit. You ought to know full well that if we didn't do those things, the sects would. As one side wanes, the other waxes; we would simply be offering our necks to their blades." Xu Mengxi drew a deep breath, slapped Xu Yuan's hand away, and exhaled a plume of white vapor into the wind and snow. "Sophistry and fallacies. You're cut from the very same cloth." Xu Yuan smiled without bothering to refute her. Reaching out, he patted her shoulder, then stepped past her toward the deliberation hall. "Say whatever you like. An ideal world exists only in ideals. I admire you, and I hope you can always hold true to your original aspirations." After taking a few strides, Xu Yuan paused, suddenly smiling. "Also, let me offer one more piece of advice: what is too unyielding breaks easily." Her hackles rose instantly at his words. Whirling around, she glared at his back amidst the wind and snow, her grip on her saber hilt creaking. "Xu Changtian, what do you mean by that?" Turning his head back, amusement glinted in Xu Yuan's eyes. "What do you think I mean? If not for this catastrophic blizzard, given your past antics in Beifeng City, you would have already 'committed suicide.'" "..." Silence fell. Xu Mengxi froze, and after several moments, her entire slender frame trembled with fury, yet no retort came. Because the playboy was speaking the plain truth. She had ventured outside the city to seize smuggled military ordnance, only to be ambushed upon arrival by three mysterious Grandmasters. Had she not fled quickly, she would already be dead. Reading her expression, Xu Yuan chuckled. "You did well in executing Yue Huanbin. "Though I look down on the fellow, there's no denying his status was exceedingly high—the only son of Lingshui Palace's Grand Elder. If not for seizing the moment when the Barbarians attacked the city, killing him would have most likely cost you your life in retribution." With that, Xu Yuan's gaze softened, and he spoke in a gentler tone: "Haven't you always wanted to settle scores with me? Before you're qualified to settle scores with me, you'd best learn to protect yourself first. Only by staying alive can you climb higher, and only then can you accomplish greater things." "..." Silence lingered after his words. Xu Yuan shook his head with a faint smile, offering no further reply, and turned to walk away. Watching his back retreat through the snowy night, his long hair fluttering in the gale, Xu Mengxi gritted her teeth and called out: "Xu Changtian, what right does a person like you have to preach to me like this?" She found it hard to accept. She could not accept that an unscrupulous scoundrel of a playboy could utter such words. Xu Yuan gave no answer, nor did he look back. He merely waved a hand over his shoulder and disappeared into the entrance of the deliberation hall, leaving Xu Mengxi standing alone and stunned in the wind and snow. Upon entering the deliberation hall, the scene inside was much as Xu Yuan had envisioned. The vast hall was largely empty. Li Zhaoyuan sat alone in the head seat handling military logistical affairs, the weasel-hair brush between his fingers flying across paper. Seeing Xu Yuan enter, Li Zhaoyuan raised a brow. He promptly set down his brush, rose to greet him, and smiled. "The Third Young Master didn't stay the night outside?" Xu Yuan scrutinized his expression. "The fighting has begun; it's far too chaotic out there. The commandery office is safer after all. But how did you know I went out with Li Junqing?" Li Zhaoyuan hid nothing, answering candidly: "Imperial Sister entrusted the affairs of the office to this prince, so naturally this prince was aware that the Third Young Master and Junqing had stepped out together." Xu Yuan stared at the Second Prince for a few moments, then suddenly asked, "Second Highness, aren't you curious what Li Junqing and I discussed?" A smile touched Li Zhaoyuan's striking face, framed by sword-sharp brows and starlit eyes. "Curious? Why would I be? Junqing sought out the Third Young Master for nothing more than a way out of the city. Beyond that, the only other thing Junqing could discuss with you..." Pausing, Li Zhaoyuan gave Xu Yuan a meaningful smile. "...would probably be Beifeng's courtesans, wouldn't it?" Xu Yuan gave the Second Prince a deep look and sighed. "You certainly know Li Junqing well." "Seeing the Third Young Master return alone, it seems a deal has already been reached." Speaking as they walked toward the desk in the hall, Li Zhaoyuan shook his head with a sigh. "Junqing has been like this since childhood—always suspecting that an elder brother like me would do something to him..." "Was it you who suppressed the matter of Xu Mengxi killing that Lingshui Palace playboy?" Xu Yuan abruptly cut through Li Zhaoyuan's rambling. "..." The shift in topic was rather sudden, but Li Zhaoyuan quickly gathered his thoughts and nodded. "Yes. Lingshui Palace has acted far too brazenly regarding the war on the Northern Border. Both Imperial Father and Duke Xu are quite displeased; they needed to be taught a lesson." Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then laughed softly. "Backing her like this, isn't Your Second Highness worried about facing retaliation from the northern sects afterward?" Hearing this question, Li Zhaoyuan frowned inward, a sliver of suspicion rising within him. Yet he soon replied: "It was merely standard procedure to support her official duties. After all, order within the city still requires the Secret Investigation Bureau to maintain." "..." Xu Yuan shook his head and pressed the matter no further. Dignified, high-minded, and airtight. Had he not known that woman Xu Mengxi's disposition, Xu Yuan might have actually believed him. Though he didn't know the exact details, Xu Mengxi had most likely been used as a cat's-paw by the Second Prince. Then again, with her personality, she was indeed prone to being used as someone else's weapon. Xu Mengxi killing an important figure of a northern sect, and the Second Prince providing official backing and taking the heat—on the surface, it appeared to be simple, routine official business. The problem was that others wouldn't see it that way. Xu Mengxi's background was by no means simple; behind her stood an imperial heavyweight like the Director-General of the Secret Investigation Bureau. Xu Mengxi couldn't do anything against Xu Yuan only because his father was the Prime Minister who had already attained full endgame gear for rebellion. There was no one higher. Yet that hardly meant the Director-General of the Secret Investigation Bureau lacked influence. In Great Yan's illustrated storybooks and plays, even if such a figure appeared, they would at most be depicted as an imposing silhouette from behind. The Second Prince's backing of Xu Mengxi was clearly aimed at that man. If Xu Mengxi killed a few more high-ranking scions of the sects, a powerhouse department like the Secret Investigation Bureau might find itself tied directly to the Second Prince's ship. Thinking this through, Xu Yuan shook his head inwardly. To see through a game was one thing; calling it out was another. This had nothing to do with him. He did admire Xu Mengxi, but he wouldn't meddle and sabotage the Second Prince's plans out of mere appreciation. If he slapped Li Zhaoyuan, the man might offer his other cheek, but if he ruined this plot, the prince would probably bare his fangs. After all, the struggle for succession was a matter of life and death. Every prince exercised their utmost abilities and resorted to any means necessary. The hall fell quiet for a moment. The Second Prince kept his eyes lowered in contemplation, while Xu Yuan nonchalantly planted his backside right into the Second Prince's seat. "..." Li Zhaoyuan's eyelid twitched, but he said nothing, standing by and watching Xu Yuan without voicing the slightest objection. Glancing at him, Xu Yuan picked up several documents from the desk with total familiarity. Skimming through them, he suddenly chuckled. "The Second Prince certainly understands quite a lot." Li Zhaoyuan stood beside him with his usual composed expression and smiled. "Only a smattering. It is mostly that Imperial Sister places her trust in me." Sitting back, Xu Yuan shook his head. "Your Second Highness is too modest. Leading troops in battle is difficult, but what is even more difficult is managing logistical supplies during wartime—especially in a place like Beifeng City, where the chain of command lacks unity." Li Zhaoyuan sighed helplessly. "The Third Young Master hits the mark concisely. Our men cannot enter the sects' storehouses, so many items cannot be tallied. These matters..." Xu Yuan smiled, took a dossier from his Sumeru ring, and tossed it to the Second Prince. Catching it, Li Zhaoyuan understood in his heart, yet still asked, "Third Young Master, this is..." Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "Lou Ji had me pass it to Wuyuan. Although it isn't entirely accurate, it provides a rough estimate. It should be of use to the Second Prince." A light flickered in Li Zhaoyuan's bright eyes, and he cupped his hands in salute. "Zhaoyuan expresses his thanks to the Third Young Master." Xu Yuan waved a hand and grinned at Li Zhaoyuan. "Now that Beifeng City is under martial law, handling the daily subsistence of four hundred thousand soldiers and civilians, allocating the Source Crystals required for various formations, restocking the complex defensive siege engines—just thinking about these things is enough to make one's head throb. Yet having taken over for less than a day, you have already managed it all in such orderly fashion..." Xu Yuan paused slightly, as if searching for the right words, before grinning broadly: "Your Second Highness truly possesses the talent to govern a nation. Once I return to the capital, I shall put in a good word with my father." "..." Hearing this, Li Zhaoyuan's expression remained completely unruffled as he smiled faintly. "The Third Young Master surely hasn't said this to me alone, has he?" Xu Yuan frowned with a hint of displeasure. "Hey, words like this—I've only ever said them to Your Second Highness." "Is that so? Then I was being overly suspicious." Neither affirming nor denying it, Li Zhaoyuan cupped his hands. "In that case, my thanks to the Third Young Master for speaking kindly on my behalf before Duke Xu." Though he said this, Li Zhaoyuan did not believe a single word. This Xu Changtian shared the exact same temperament as his imperial brother Li Junqing—both could spin tales on a whim, spouting pure nonsense without batting an eye. There was no way he hadn't said this to others. At the very least, this Third Young Master had almost certainly said it to Li Junqing. "..." Seeing through his disbelief, Xu Yuan shook his head and slowly rose to his feet. "Second Highness, I truly admire you." Li Zhaoyuan maintained his formal, businesslike smile. "I am honored by the Third Young Master's high regard." "I mean it," Xu Yuan said, his gaze turning serious as he met Li Zhaoyuan's bright, piercing eyes. "Among the current Emperor's many sons, whether it is the Crown Prince or the Sixth Prince, all rose in standing on account of their mothers. Only you, Your Second Highness, brought honor to your mother through your own merit." The other princes qualified to vie for the succession were backed either by millennia-old aristocratic families of the Imperial Capital or by marquises commanding military forces. But the Second Prince was different. His mother had been nothing more than an ordinary palace maid in the Palace City—as ordinary as could be. It was only because of her striking beauty that the Emperor had favored her; she was only bestowed the title of imperial consort after bearing Li Zhaoyuan, unable to render him any assistance whatsoever. And in the fight for the throne, kinship counted for nothing. The moment you showed any ambition, others would hound you to death, dragging your imperial mother down with you. Yet amidst such adversity, Li Zhaoyuan had clawed his way forward, step by step, to where he was today. He was surrounded by counselors and aides, with several key ministers in the imperial court standing firmly behind him. He truly lived up to the reputation of being the prince most like Li Yaoxuan. "..." Li Zhaoyuan did not answer the praise right away. After a moment of silence, he replied in a low voice: "The Third Young Master flatters me. The gap between Imperial Elder Brother and myself remains far too great." "The gap"—perhaps referring to backing within the court, or perhaps to capability. Ambiguous, offering no definitive answer. When someone was so entirely airtight, they became rather dull. Xu Yuan rolled his eyes inwardly at the response. "Face the gap and strive to catch up. I have high hopes for you." With that, Xu Yuan stood, relinquished the seat to him, patted his shoulder, and strolled directly toward the veranda pavilion in the rear hall. "..." Li Zhaoyuan stood where he was, watching Xu Yuan's retreating back, his eyes as placid as still water. After a long pause, he gave a quiet chuckle, shook his head, and murmured silently: "Face the gap and strive to catch up, is it..." The Crown Prince enjoyed boundless favor. From the moment of his birth, a colossal, deeply rooted interest group had stood behind him. An entity so monstrous it left one suffocated. The Vice Chancellor, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, and even that God of War, Marquis Wucheng...