Suffering

Incense curled lazily into the air, ruffled by the river wind. Leaning back against the soft daybed, one arm propping up his cheek, Xu Yuan stared at the gentle smile on Li Zhaoyuan's handsome face, feeling a faint twinge of disappointment in his heart. Even if everyone knew who was behind certain deeds, whether one admitted to them made a world of difference. Evidence was a wonderful thing. Even when you knew full well who had struck, without evidence, you simply could not move against him out in the open. And if you were to move, you had to use covert methods just the same. In truth, before coming here, Xu Yuan had harbored a sliver of hope. He had hoped Li Zhaoyuan would lose his composure, that facing a boiled fox would provoke him into doing something rash. Unfortunately, Li Zhaoyuan possessed far greater forbearance than he had anticipated. "You truly have immense endurance." "..." As the words fell, a well-measured hint of confusion surfaced in Li Zhaoyuan's eyes. "Hmm? What makes you say that?" Xu Yuan was hardly surprised by the reaction and gave a soft chuckle. "Heh, nothing. Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a well rope. Surviving an assassination on this journey has just left me a bit paranoid." Li Zhaoyuan frowned slightly. "Is Changtian suspecting this prince?" Hearing this, Xu Yuan did not hide anything, speaking with utter bluntness: "Before coming here, I indeed suspected you. But now..." At this point, he suddenly smiled—a bright, sunny grin—and glanced at the porcelain pot containing only residual broth and spices. "...I no longer suspect you. "After all, as long as one is human, one surely wouldn't have the stomach to devour one's own beloved." The corner of Li Zhaoyuan's mouth curved in a mild smile, his voice deep, soft, and magnetic. "So that was your intention, Changtian. No wonder you said those things while this prince was dining. However, there is something this prince would like to remind you of." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, leaned in slightly, and said with a light chuckle, "Yuan is all ears to Imperial Brother's teachings." "Hardly teachings—merely a reminder." Li Zhaoyuan casually tossed the napkin he had used to wipe his lips into the waste basin, his gaze gentle and his smile warm. "Since that person dared to assassinate you and Qingyan, he would not care about such things. Don't you think using such petty means for vengeance seems far too childish?" A trace of confusion appeared on Xu Yuan's face. He leaned closer still, letting out a quiet sigh. "To kill the body and destroy the heart—how can that be called childish?" Li Zhaoyuan chuckled softly, his voice steady and clear. "Changtian, as this prince just said, anyone who dared assassinate you and Qingyan wouldn't care about these things. Such a person can hardly be considered human anymore, so how could there be a heart to destroy?" A peculiar glint flickered across Xu Yuan's eyes, and the tip of his tongue lightly ran over the corner of his lip. "Then, Imperial Brother, what would you have done if you were in my place?" Li Zhaoyuan lowered his eyes, gently stroking the jade archer's ring on his index finger. "Slaying a great demon should be celebrated alongside the troops and commoners. It would achieve the same effect you envisioned while bolstering morale and reaping fame and prestige." "..." Silence followed his words. The river wind brushed over his bound black hair and the faint gleam within his pitch-black eyes. "Heh... hahahaha..." A soft chuckle broke the quiet. Pushing himself up from the table, Xu Yuan patted down his pristine robes, then cupped his hands in a formal bow. "Imperial Brother, Changtian has learned much. Qingyan is still waiting for me tonight, so I shall not disturb you any longer." With that, he turned and walked toward the ancient wooden door of the pavilion. His boots trod lightly across the floor, but just as he reached the doorway, his steps came to an abrupt halt. As if suddenly recalling something, Xu Yuan asked out of the blue, "Imperial Brother... why did you choose to establish your estate and raise banners in the capital in the first place?" According to the ancestral laws of Great Yan, imperial princes could choose to establish a residence in the capital or be granted a fiefdom and dispatched to outside territories. Yet over the past five hundred years, princes born to palace maids had seldom dared to apply to establish their estates and banners within Di'an City. The reason was very simple: They would die. It was a lesson summarized from centuries of history. Setting aside the sons of the empress who ruled the inner palace, compared even to those born to Noble Consorts, Bright Demeanors, Handsome Ladies, or Noble Ladies, a palace maid could offer a prince no support whatsoever. On the contrary, she was a liability. Princes born out of wedlock to palace maids who established estates in the capital were deposed within one to two years on average, only to quietly "die of illness" after the new emperor ascended the throne. Only by renouncing ambition and refusing to compete could one secure a lifetime of safety and wealth. "..." As the question hung in the air, Li Zhaoyuan looked at the brocade-robed young man standing by the doorway, his voice low and mild. "You are actually curious about this, Changtian?" Xu Yuan turned around to face the white-robed prince seated by the window. "Merely curious. If it is inconvenient..." "Not at all." Li Zhaoyuan let out a soft laugh. "Though do you wish to hear the truth or a lie?" Xu Yuan was taken aback, somewhat surprised that the man would make a joke, before smiling back. "The truth, naturally." Li Zhaoyuan nodded slightly, a trace of reminiscence surfacing in his calm, profound black eyes. After a long while, he let out a low chuckle, his voice tinged with a rare note of self-mockery. "Because... this prince did not want to be bullied by those useless wretches." "..." "You don't believe me?" "What do you think?" Xu Yuan gave a dry smile. "Even if you don't believe it, Changtian, that is the honest truth." Li Zhaoyuan's voice returned to its usual placidity. Xu Yuan shook his head and chuckled softly. "For a prince of your noble stature, saying such a thing seems rather hypocritical." Li Zhaoyuan stared at Xu Yuan with calm eyes, a faint, lingering smile in his tone. "Changtian, not all fathers are like Duke Xu, and not all households are like the Prime Minister's Manor." Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Could it be that even inside the imperial palace, wicked servants dare bully their masters?" Li Zhaoyuan did not answer the question, glancing sideways out the window. "You can ask Junqing about those matters." As his words fell, the warm glow of the fire spirit lamp cast half of his handsome face in light and the other half in shadow. Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes, pondered for several heartbeats, then gave a soft laugh and waved his hand. "Very well, I shall take Imperial Brother at his word. Take care." With that, he pushed open the door and stepped out. Li Zhaoyuan's distant voice drifted from behind: "You as well. The road back to the capital is long; travel safely." All fell into utter stillness. Even with no one left in the room, Li Zhaoyuan's posture remained meticulous. He simply sat in silence, his placid gaze fixed upon the pelt of the white fox abandoned on the table. *"Li Zhaoyuan, I owe you a favor."* *"What? Then why did you save me?"* *"That was your mercy; it had nothing to do with this king!"* *"This sanctimonious look of yours is truly repulsive."* *"..."* *"..."* *"This king's injuries were caused entirely by the greed of you humans."* *"My wounds are healed, and I am leaving. Do you have nothing to say?"* *"You are as much of a bastard as ever. Once I return to Guyuan, I will undergo shapeshifting."* *"Conceited man, it isn't because of you! I'm doing it to take revenge on that person!"* *"..."* *"..."* *"If I die on this trip... will you be sad?"* There was no sigh, no complicated expression—only a tranquility as still as a deep mountain pool. Li Zhaoyuan looked up at the sky, slowly raised his hand, clenched it tightly, and then let out a soft chuckle. His figure vanished from the pavilion, the stir of wind lightly rustling the soft, supple fur of the white fox. "I will not." *** Stepping out of the pavilion, Xu Yuan looked up at the ink-black expanse of the sky, watching the swirling drift of falling snow. After standing for a few breaths, he took a step forward to leave. Just as he passed the doorway of the main residence, the door was suddenly pushed open from within. A figure draped in a python robe stepped out, raising a hand with a beaming smile to greet him: "Yo, finished talking? So fast?" "Yo, finished your business? So fast?" Xu Yuan returned the beaming smile. "Why are you waiting here for me?" "..." Ignoring Xu Yuan's bawdy quip, Li Junqing stepped into the snow with his hands behind his back and glanced toward the pavilion above. "How did the chat with Second Brother go?" "Passable." "Don't be so vague. Give me some details." "I had him eat your sister-in-law." "..." Li Junqing froze. After a moment of stunned silence, Li Junqing instinctively glanced back into the room. Xu Yuan also peered behind him and saw an enchanting, snow-white body lying sideways on the bed with her back to the door, the alluring curves of her waist and hips faintly outlined beneath a thin silk sheet. Pulling back his gaze, their eyes met for an instant. Xu Yuan stole another glance into the room. Li Junqing unobtrusively pulled the door shut. "When you say 'eat,' do you mean..." Saying this, he pointed at the closed door behind him. Xu Yuan shook his head flatly and mimed eating a meal with his hands. The corner of Li Junqing's mouth twitched slightly. He gave a thumbs-up. Though whether it was directed at Xu Yuan before him or Li Zhaoyuan up in the pavilion remained unclear. Xu Yuan offered a faint smile and asked with a peculiar expression, "Heh, Junqing, since you had no intention of getting involved, why ask about all this?" Collecting himself, Li Junqing did not press for details on who this supposed "sister-in-law" was, muttering under his breath, "I had to ask. In case your conflict escalated and Imperial Brother resolved to do away with you, I'd end up buried alongside you as collateral." "You're quite blunt yourself," Xu Yuan chuckled. "Aren't you afraid your brother might overhear?" Li Junqing spread his hands nonchalantly. "It's not as if I said anything major. Nothing touching on core principles. It doesn't matter if he overhears this kind of banter." Xu Yuan smiled meaningfully. "So you knew he could eavesdrop. Did you turn me down earlier simply because you were afraid of him overhearing?" "..." Cursing him inwardly as an insufferable bastard, Li Junqing hissed, "I'm warning you, don't try to drive a wedge between us. I am entirely devoted to Eldest Brother." "Boring. I'm leaving." Xu Yuan patted his shoulder and prepared to walk away. *Clack.* Li Junqing caught Xu Yuan by the wrist. Xu Yuan looked back. A forced grin squeezed onto Li Junqing's face. "Brother, if you're returning to the capital... how about taking me along?" Xu Yuan gave him an odd look. Li Junqing smacked his lips, glanced toward the pavilion above, and sent a low voice transmission: *"The Northern Border is about to descend into chaos, and Imperial Father remains indecisive. As Eldest Brother's right-hand man, if I were assassinated, it's unlikely anyone would investigate too deeply."* Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "With a merchant guild as massive as yours, don't tell me you lack even a single powerhouse?" Li Junqing gave a soft click of his tongue. *"I manage the imperial family's merchant guild. If I dared tamper with military forces on top of that, would I still want my head? Forget Imperial Brother—even Imperial Father might not tolerate me."* Xu Yuan's brows arched slightly. The Emperor and his father truly were comrades who had walked through most of their lives together; their power structures were remarkably alike. When that old fellow Hua Hong needed manpower, he generally had to spend money to hire people from the Tian'an Martial Hall or the Black Scale Army. With that in mind, Xu Yuan rubbed his chin, staring at the third prince before him. "Then go find your eldest brother. As the Crown Prince, Li Yucheng must have plenty of powerhouses accompanying him. Can't you just have him send someone to escort you?" If the Crown Prince could protect Li Junqing, he surely would. To abandon such a loyal, hardworking imperial brother would cost him an arm and chill the hearts of his supporters. Right now, Li Junqing's cultivation was roughly on par with his own. One was a fourth-rank Body Integration, the other a fifth-rank Soul Condensation. If faced with an assassination by a high-ranking cultivator, Xu Yuan might survive—after all, he had an ancient lady living in his body—whereas Li Junqing would almost certainly die. With a powerhouse escorting him, it would be different. Even if he ultimately died in an ambush, an accompanying expert could at least discern clues and evidence from the assailant's techniques and combat arts, leaving room to settle scores later. A trace of embarrassment crept onto Li Junqing's face as he sighed. "Isn't it because Imperial Brother claims he can't spare anyone right now?" "Can't spare anyone?" Xu Yuan gave a strange look, quickly grasped the situation, narrowed his eyes, and chuckled. "So that means your imperial father forbade it?" "..." Li Junqing did not dare answer Xu Yuan's remark. He knew very well what could be spoken aloud and what could not. At times, he felt profoundly pathetic—to ensure his own survival, he once again had to beg an outsider for help. Meeting Li Junqing's eager, pleading gaze, Xu Yuan did not immediately grant the request. While the ancestral system of princes establishing their estates and raising banners served to foster competition and select the best candidate for the throne, it inevitably brought violent upheaval during the transition of imperial power. Li Yaoxuan did not have much time left. On the verge of death, he would undoubtedly pave the way for the new emperor, and that road was bound to be paved with blood. Whether the Crown Prince would sit by and await death, Xu Yuan did not know, but logic dictated he would not, nor would Li Zhaoyuan. He rather liked Li Junqing's temperament, but the problem was that if Li Junqing died, it would seemingly yield greater benefits for the Prime Minister's Manor. The more turbulent the transition of imperial authority, the more room the Prime Minister's Manor had to maneuver. Amidst his thoughts, Xu Yuan looked at the face that bore several resemblances to Li Qingyan, and let out a soft sigh: "Junqing." "I'm here," Li Junqing replied immediately. "Before I depart, I will take you with me." Li Junqing's face lit up with joy. "How much silver?" "..." Xu Yuan was speechless. Waving his sleeve, Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "No silver needed. Just consider it a favor you owe me." Li Junqing's expression turned peculiar, his gaze laced with suspicion. *Did this kid... have a change of heart?* *Hiss... could he be plotting something even bigger?* Noticing his stare, Xu Yuan grinned. "If I take your money, I have to guarantee results. I can't even guarantee that I'll return alive, let alone keep you safe." Li Junqing's heart sank. He glanced toward the pavilion and whispered via voice transmission: *"Did the talk break down? With my second brother's temperament, just eating a sister-in-law shouldn't push him over the edge..."* "Who knows? Either way, before I left, he told me that the road to the Imperial Capital is long, and warned me to be careful." "..." Li Junqing clicked his tongue. Xu Yuan spread his hands. Suddenly remembering Li Zhaoyuan's words, he asked softly, "By the way, do wicked servants really bully their masters in your imperial harem?" "Ah?" Li Junqing blinked, hesitation flickering in his eyes. "Did my second brother tell you something?" Xu Yuan did not answer, merely looking at him. Li Junqing clicked his tongue and looked up, a trace of memory surfacing in his gaze. "As the empress's third child, I was never bullied. But Second Brother... his childhood was probably filled with hardship." Xu Yuan gave a strange look. "A prince... can suffer hardship too?" "You think not?" Li Junqing looked at Xu Yuan with a faint, wry smile. "The battles within the inner palace are no less ruthless than those in the imperial court. "Changtian, most of my brothers and sisters were aborted before they were ever born. Many more died in infancy. Just among those whose names I know, there are thirteen."