Who Did It?

The cold wind howled. Meeting Li Zhaoyuan's gaze, Xu Yuan said in a low, steady voice, "Second Prince, this wasn't our doing." Li Zhaoyuan furrowed his brows, a trace of thought showing on his face. "This... wasn't your doing?" As he spoke, an "I understand" smile touched the corners of his lips. "The Chancellor's Manor acts for the realm and its people, so naturally you wouldn't do something that ruins our own defenses. Presumably, it was the work of rebellious traitors." Regardless of the underlying motive, blowing up wartime military supplies before anyone had openly shed all pretenses was a colossal scapegoat's burden—whoever shouldered it would meet their end. Even the Chancellor's Manor would pay a steep price if pinned with it. Because of this, the incident would in all likelihood be made into an unresolved mystery. "..." Xu Yuan watched Li Zhaoyuan's half-smiling expression, the corner of his eye twitching uncontrollably. *Damn it, I'm getting set up as the scapegoat.* When the sectarian depots blew up, whoever stood to gain the most bore the greatest suspicion. It was the simplest of logic. And right now, there were two major beneficiaries: the Barbarians and the Great Yan court. A twisted win-win, scoring twice over against the Northern Border sects. Between the two, could the Barbarians have planted spies inside Beifeng City? The answer was no. They were an entirely different race. Covered in pitch-black barbs, a Barbarian would be riddled with holes before getting within ten li of the walls. In other words, the only mastermind left behind the curtain was the Great Yan court—which meant either the imperial clan or the Chancellor's Manor. Li Zhaoyuan knew his side hadn't done it, so who else was left but the Chancellor's Manor? Yet here lay the crux of the problem: As the de facto head of the Chancellor's Manor in the Northern Border, Xu Yuan fucking wanted to know who did this too! Granted, he truly *had* intended to blow them up, and had even set plans in motion. But the Black Scale Guards' scheduled strike wasn't tonight at all, nor was it on anywhere near this scale. After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan turned his gaze toward the distant fires gradually being brought under control and repeated, "Second Prince, this truly wasn't our doing." "..." Li Zhaoyuan smiled without speaking. Xu Yuan took a deep breath, and then he too smiled, murmuring, "It seems Your Highness doesn't believe my words." As he spoke, Xu Yuan withdrew a dossier from his Sumeru ring and casually handed it to Li Zhaoyuan. "If that's the case, Your Highness might as well look over this dossier. Lou Ji gave it to me before leaving the city." He needed to make this matter clear. Only by explaining it could he make Li Zhaoyuan and Li Qingyan realize that a third party was making trouble inside the city. Li Zhaoyuan raised his eyebrows. Reaching out to take it, he remarked with great interest, "Chief Lou's brilliant schemes truly preserve peace under heaven. Even upon leaving the city, she left so many clever stratagems for you, Third Young Master." This smiling banter was obviously laced with suspicion. Xu Yuan, however, didn't care. Being a dandy didn't mean being brainless. Growing up in a place like the Chancellor's Manor, where no ordinary folk ever crossed the threshold, it would be strange if he lacked insight. Moreover, now that he could cultivate, it was indeed the age to take over some family affairs. In this regard, the great clans across the realm all followed the same mold. The Third Prince, Li Junqing, had only been able to confirm his identity earlier through a series of coincidental blunders. Thus, Xu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "Naturally, I had to know a few things to dare remain in this Beifeng City." Li Zhaoyuan smiled and said nothing more, lowering his gaze to browse the dossier in his hands. Atop the pavilion, wind and snow persisted. For a time, silence fell. Over the course of their brief tea-length conversation, the distant fires had been brought under control. As he read through it, Li Zhaoyuan's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Xu Yuan spoke softly, "Second Prince, the sects may be wicked, but they aren't stupid. 'Before the troops march, grain and fodder must move first.' If we understand this principle, they naturally understand it as well." Li Zhaoyuan looked up from the dossier, his gaze upon Xu Yuan taking on a solemn edge. "So, tonight truly wasn't you?" The dossier was a plan Xu Yuan had previously submitted to Lou Ji. Codenamed "Long Night," it was a blueprint to blow up the sects' stockpiles. The reasoning behind formulating the plan differed little from what Li Zhaoyuan had laid out earlier, but it had yet to be executed because the sects guarded their depots strictly and they hadn't had enough time to prepare. A trace of helplessness entered Xu Yuan's narrow eyes. "Second Prince, the sects' storehouses have always been areas of heavy security. Gathering intelligence on their inventory and actually destroying them are two entirely different degrees of difficulty. The Black Scale Guards aren't a wishing well where you make a wish and it instantly comes true. "We need time. Making a decision takes time, passing it down to the rank and file takes time, and preparation and execution both take time." At this, Xu Yuan spread his hands. "The Northern Border sects are further split into factions, with seven large depots and thirteen small ones. Even if our Chancellor's Manor wanted to pull this off, there simply wasn't enough time." Li Zhaoyuan's brow knit even tighter; he too seemed to have grasped the cause and effect. It had only been seven or eight shichen since the Barbarians appeared south of Beifeng City. Even for the Black Scale Guards, inflicting such widespread damage simultaneously in so short a window was virtually impossible. "Then Third Young Master, who do you think did this?" "..." Hearing the question, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes. "You're asking me, but who am I supposed to ask?" With that, Xu Yuan turned to leap down from the pavilion roof and take his leave. Seeing this, Li Zhaoyuan called out, "Third Young Master, where are you going?" Xu Yuan halted his steps, looked back, and said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "I'm sleepy. Going back to my room to sleep." Li Zhaoyuan paused in slight surprise. "Under such circumstances, Third Young Master can still sleep?" Xu Yuan gave a slight nod toward Li Zhaoyuan and grinned. "Of course I can sleep. When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. So these matters are best left to a talent of statecraft like Your Highness." With that, he leapt, vanishing directly into the snowy night. Beside them, Zhou Chen bowed in salute and followed after him. Watching the two figures disappear, Li Zhaoyuan glanced down at the dossier in his hand. Just as he was about to quietly stow it away, the document abruptly caught fire on its own. At the sight, Li Zhaoyuan exhaled a breath, let the ashes scatter on the wind, and likewise vanished from the spot. *** After several midair bounds, Xu Yuan touched down upon the ground. Chilled by the wind, he circulated the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art for several cycles and pulled his padded coat much tighter before feeling his body warm up considerably. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he noticed Zhou Chen, that stubbled middle-aged man, keeping pace behind him. Seeing this, Xu Yuan stopped and asked, "Mister Zhou, why aren't you going to rest? What are you following me for?" Zhou Chen chuckled slyly. "Third Young Master, tonight will likely be turbulent. I shall guard your door to ensure your safety." Xu Yuan was left speechless, but he nodded and didn't refuse. Walking along the path back to the courtyard, Zhou Chen suddenly asked with an air of mystery, "Third Young Master, who do you reckon was behind tonight's deeds?" Xu Yuan replied without hesitation, "It should be those sects." "Sects? The ones south of the Northern Border?" Zhou Chen rubbed his chin. Xu Yuan glanced toward the south and smiled faintly. "It wasn't the imperial clan, and it wasn't us. Surely the Northern Border sects didn't blow up their own depots?" A look of realization crossed Zhou Chen's face. Filled with solemn respect, he cupped his hands respectfully. "Third Young Master sees through it completely." "..." The corner of Xu Yuan's mouth twitched, and he waved a hand. "Enough. Planning a sabotage operation of this scale cannot happen overnight. Based on our Black Scale Guards' efficiency, executing such massive destruction without leaving a shred of evidence or leverage would take months of planning at the very least. And given the situation several months ago, destroying Beifeng's depots would have forced the court to retreat—which is precisely what those sects would love to see." Zhou Chen hesitated upon hearing this. "Months? But that plan of yours just now..." Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "In Beifeng City right now, whether we leave evidence behind doesn't matter. If this war is won, it can be explained away as acting out of urgent necessity. If it isn't won, none of it matters anymore, because the Northern Border sects won't exist anyway." With three hundred thousand elites buried in the snowfields, the Northern Border sects would basically be hollowed out. Dead men couldn't demand an explanation. Zhou Chen grinned and bowed again, saying solemnly, "I failed to see it at first meeting—Third Young Master truly possesses great talent." "..." Xu Yuan remained silent. After a brief pause, Zhou Chen spoke up out of the blue: "Third Young Master, there is something I do not know whether I should say." Xu Yuan glanced at him. "If it should be said, say it. If not, don't." Clearing his throat, Zhou Chen ventured, "Young Master, given the present situation, if it truly were the southern sects' doing, shouldn't they have destroyed our court's and the imperial clan's depots along with them?" Xu Yuan chuckled. "Destroying only the Northern Border sects' depots allows them to pin the blame on us. If they destroyed everything, it would clearly mark them as the culprits." Zhou Chen fell quiet for a moment, then asked, "Does a clear mark matter?" Xu Yuan smiled. "Naturally it matters..." Before he finished the sentence, Xu Yuan's voice cut off abruptly. It had happened so suddenly that he hadn't thought it through deeply. Did a clear mark matter? Of course it did. Through the privilege of tax exemption, the realm's sects had formed an intricate bloc of shared interests. Now, for the benefit of the majority, this bloc had directly sold out the Northern Border sects. That gave the court immense room to maneuver—at the very least, they could sow discord among them. Yet thinking deeper now, Xu Yuan suddenly realized that sowing discord seemed impossible. Or rather, the effect would be negligible. The Great Yan court wanted to levy the immortal tax, and the sects refused to pay. That was the most fundamental, direct contradiction. Unless that was resolved, even if the Northern Border sects were betrayed, they would only retaliate in other ways rather than cooperate with the court. Putting himself in their shoes: From the sects' intelligence perspective, if all depots in Beifeng City were destroyed, combined with the current blizzard disaster, Beifeng City would inevitably fall, and seven hundred thousand elites would surely be wiped out. After that, the three northern provinces would face the Barbarians' onslaught directly. With the sects' elites decimated and powerless to resist, no matter how godlike the means of Xu Yinhe and Li Yaoxuan were, they would have to deal with the Barbarians first. If they stalled until Li Yaoxuan died, the situation would undergo a massive shift. Would the next Son of Heaven of the Great Yan Dynasty share Li Yaoxuan's stance? The realm's sects posed no threat to the Li clan's imperial rule, but Duke Xu in the Chancellor's Manor did. Reaching this point in his thoughts, Xu Yuan's blood-flame-wreathed phoenix eyes grew solemn. Why hadn't those people targeted the court's depots? Was it because... they couldn't plant spies there? That seemed to be the only answer. Tonight's sudden turn of events began to blur his assessment of the broader situation. In the silence, the wind and snow drifted. The rumbling along the southern city's horizon continued, and the bright-pattern lamps along both sides of the stone path still cast their hazy glow. Not knowing how long he had stood in place, Xu Yuan suddenly snapped his gaze toward the deliberation hall. Seeing this, Zhou Chen sent a voice transmission: "Did Third Young Master think of something?" Xu Yuan furrowed his brows and pondered for several breaths before uttering a name: "Li Zhaoyuan." Hearing the Second Prince's name, Zhou Chen froze for a second. "Third Young Master, you mean..." Xu Yuan exhaled, though his tone held an edge of uncertainty. "This matter might have been done by that Second Prince." Zhou Chen sounded puzzled. "The Second Prince? His Highness shouldn't possess that kind of capability..." Xu Yuan resumed his stride, glanced at Zhou Chen, and transmitted his voice: "He doesn't have it on his own, but didn't I just say? The southern sects do." Zhou Chen drew a sharp breath and asked in a cautious voice transmission, "Third Young Master, you mean the Second Prince is colluding with the sects? Why?" "For the succession." Xu Yuan sighed, looking in the direction of the Imperial Capital. "Mister Zhou, do you know how vast the gulf is between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince?" "Ahem, Third Young Master, on this matter, I..." Zhou Chen cleared his throat lightly. His leisurely nature made him instinctively want to avoid the topic. This business was far too dangerous. A third-rank Grandmaster like him plunging into it could end up dead without a grave at any moment. Yet halfway through his words, he stopped. Gritting his teeth, he pivoted: "...I truly do not know. However, the world says the Second Prince's temperament resembles His Majesty's. Seeing the present situation, might His Majesty change the heir apparent?" With his current cultivation resources, he might remain stuck at the third rank for the rest of his life. Wealth and honor were sought amid danger; this was his chance to become the Third Young Master's trusted confidant. Seeing that Zhou Chen hadn't backed away, Xu Yuan smiled faintly and said, "The gap between him and the Crown Prince has reached a point where even His Majesty can hardly alter it." "Even His Majesty cannot alter it?" Zhou Chen licked his lips. Xu Yuan gave a faint smile. "His Majesty has already delegated far too much authority to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has held the title of heir apparent for nearly thirty years. After all these years, the Crown Prince's faction cannot possibly turn to support the Second Prince. The Vice Chancellor, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Merchant Guild—every one of them is a pivotal minister of the court. Unless the current Emperor steels his heart and directly executes the Crown Prince." Nearly thirty years of alignment amounted to an unbreakable bond of shared life and death. Even if Li Yaoxuan wished to support Li Zhaoyuan's ascent now, the men under the Crown Prince would never agree. Once Li Zhaoyuan took the throne, those positions would inevitably be replaced step-by-step with his own confidants—in other words, they would be purged. Therefore, Li Yaoxuan simply no longer had the time to build up Li Zhaoyuan. Pausing for a breath, Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "Of course, if Li Zhaoyuan were willing to cooperate with our Chancellor's Manor, it would still be possible. But if he made that choice, lacking any foundation of his own, the most probable outcome would be becoming a puppet, while our Chancellor's Manor gradually unified the imperial clan's power. "Mister Zhou, do you think a man like Li Zhaoyuan would be willing to become a puppet emperor?" "..." Silence fell. After a long while, Zhou Chen suddenly murmured, "So, if the Second Prince wants to ascend the throne, his only option is to seek support from the sects?"