Mistake

"A hundred thousand?" A voice tinged with astonishment broke the silence of the secret chamber. Looking at the red-robed eunuch before him, Xu Yuan's gaze grew solemn. "Eunuch Wang, this is no joking matter. Can you guarantee the number is accurate?" Wang Lingchi's tone showed not the slightest ripple. "Naturally. This intelligence was personally transmitted by His Highness the Crown Prince. If the Third Young Master has doubts, you may use the communication crystal beneath Mingxiang Garden to contact Di'an City." Hearing this, Xu Yuan smiled immediately and shook his head. "No need to trouble the communication crystal. Once we leave, I will confirm it with the people in my manor." He understood nothing of formations, and heaven only knew whether the communication crystal in this place was rigged with a recording formation for eavesdropping. Lou Ji, that venomous old aunt, had pulled plenty of surveillance tricks like that in the past. After a brief pause, Xu Yuan tapped the table before him and glanced sideways at the white-clad woman beside him. "Qingyan, how do you see this?" Li Qingyan pondered for a moment, then looked back at him with a slight smile curving her lips. "How else should I see it? Aren't I sitting right here looking at it?" Seeing the wicked woman's casual demeanor, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes. Yet seeing how calm she was, he knew she must already have a plan formed in her mind. He smiled and said, "A hundred thousand men. You aren't panicked in the slightest?" "Heh." Li Qingyan let out a soft laugh. Instead of answering Xu Yuan directly, she turned to the red-robed eunuch across from them and asked, "I am aware of this matter now. What message did His Highness the Crown Prince want you to convey to me?" Her form of address had changed—she called him His Highness the Crown Prince, rather than Imperial Brother or Eldest Brother. That subtle shift caused Wang Lingchi's eyes to flicker for a second. Though addressing him as the Crown Prince seemed somewhat distant, it was also an acknowledgment that both sides stood on equal footing in a transaction. With that thought, Wang Lingchi glanced at Xu Yuan. Meeting his gaze, Xu Yuan offered a faint smile and sat there brazenly, showing no intention of leaving whatsoever. Nor did Li Qingyan show any inclination to dismiss him; she simply waited in silence. Seeing this, Wang Lingchi bowed slowly and said, "His Highness the Crown Prince wished to inform Her Highness the Princess that the troops recruited by the Second Prince are all men from the sects. Given Her Highness's prowess in battle, you will likely become a thorn in his side." Li Qingyan nodded with an air of dignified poise. "You already stated as much a moment ago." Wang Lingchi slowly raised his lowered eyes, his effeminate voice carrying a sinister undertone. "Princess, the enmity between you and the Second Prince is likely beyond reconciliation. If he is allowed to gain power and authority, it may prove impossible to shake his standing after the campaign in the Northern Border. A hundred thousand is indeed a large number, yet the Second Prince is unversed in military arrays and ignorant of army affairs. This servant is willing to provide Her Highness with all possible assistance." As the words fell, silence descended upon the secret chamber. A playful gleam surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes. The head eunuch in red had spoken plainly enough. The current Emperor was subtly showing signs of backing the Second Prince. Once he returned to the capital in triumph with military achievements, his influence would inevitably soar to the skies. If he ever ascended the throne, Wuyuan would not be spared when the reckoning came. Yet, since Her Highness Wuyuan and the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Manor could be targeted for assassination, the same naturally applied to the Second Prince. In military campaigns, if an army collapsed into rout, would it not be entirely reasonable for the commanding prince to meet an untimely death? A sharp light flashed through Li Qingyan's eyes. Offering neither refusal nor consent, she said quietly, "Li Zhaoyuan leading an army into the Northern Border is likely Imperial Father's intention." Pausing, she added in a soft voice, "Still, I have noted the matter. Is there anything else?" Having received no definitive answer, Wang Lingchi sighed inwardly. He recalled what the Crown Prince had said to him through the communication crystal before this: *Lingchi, Imperial Father is approaching his twilight years, and the imperial will is difficult to divine. Though this move appears to back my second brother, he may very well be nothing more than an abandoned piece. You need not be overly eager for quick results on this trip. Given Qingyan's temperament, she is unlikely to agree right away. As long as you preserve her life, she will sooner or later stand on my side.* Reflecting on those words, Wang Lingchi adjusted his sleeves and bowed deeply. "In reply to Her Highness, there are no other matters." "Then take your leave." Li Qingyan raised a slender index finger and gestured toward the door. "I still have business to discuss here with Changtian." Wang Lingchi kept his head bowed, his voice soft and effeminate. "Her Highness Wuyuan, this servant will remain here at Mingxiang Garden over the coming days. If you require anything, please inform me at any time." "Understood." "May Her Highness enjoy boundless martial fortune on your journey to the Northern Border." With that, Wang Lingchi followed palace etiquette, keeping his head lowered and facing Li Qingyan as he took several steps backward before turning to depart. "..." With the red-robed head eunuch gone, only Xu Yuan and Li Qingyan were left in the secret chamber—or rather, them and half a Luo Xiran. Glancing at the exquisitely beautiful woman beside him, whose expression was serene, Xu Yuan asked softly, "Well? Do you plan to cooperate?" Li Qingyan kept her eyes lowered and tapped her finger lightly on the table. Instead of answering, she countered, "Changtian, what do you think Imperial Father intends by this move?" Without hesitation, Xu Yuan chuckled. "At such a crucial juncture, doing something like this can mean nothing more than four possibilities." "Four?" Li Qingyan looked deeply at him, her smile radiant. "Oh? My wastrel consort has such sharp insight? Why not share it with me?" Xu Yuan's eyes flickered for a moment before he lowered his voice. "First, Imperial Father truly wishes to support Li Zhaoyuan, though in my view, this support is most likely a gamble." Li Qingyan raised a delicate brow, her smooth red lips parting slightly. "A gamble?" Xu Yuan spoke in a measured, slow cadence. "Though I am loath to admit it, Li Zhaoyuan possesses shrewdness and methods fitting a dragon among men. If I were your imperial father, it would be a lie to say I wasn't intrigued. But as you know, his background is not favorable. Compared to the Empress who bore the three of you siblings, his consort mother was merely a palace maid. For a prince born of a concubine to ascend the throne is practically as difficult as my fourth sister taking charge of the Prime Minister's Manor in the future. "Your eldest brother has served as regent for over a decade, diligent in governance and honoring the worthy day after day. In the imperial court, aside from the Chancellor's faction, the Crown Prince's faction wields the greatest momentum. The path through civil governance is already sealed off, so Li Zhaoyuan had no choice but to seek a different route." Li Qingyan leaned lightly against the back of her chair, crossing her long legs beneath her white robe. "So his only option was military power." "Exactly." Xu Yuan nodded, gazing into her star-filled eyes with pointed intent. "Any political authority lacking the backing of soldiers and spears is hollow." Li Qingyan remained entirely unmoved, gently stroking her smooth, fair chin. "Put that way, it makes my eldest brother seem rather foolish." "No, no, no. Your eldest brother isn't foolish at all; on the contrary, he is exceptionally clever." Xu Yuan shook his head, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Standing in entirely different positions, they naturally cannot use the same method to vie for the supreme throne. The Crown Prince has governed as regent for so long that political authority is already firmly in his grasp. Add to that your third brother's royal merchant association... If he tried to touch military power today, Great Yan would probably have a new Crown Prince tomorrow. "Your eldest brother has no need for it whatsoever. As long as no catastrophic upheaval occurs, then by virtue of his record presiding over the court for over a decade, he will naturally ascend once our imperial father passes away." At this point, a sharp gleam suddenly flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes. "Li Zhaoyuan, however, is different. If he wants to climb upward, he can only stake his life on a gamble. Your imperial father's move may well be a test requiring Li Zhaoyuan to put his own head on the line. Within the time limit of this Northern Border campaign, if Li Zhaoyuan possesses the means to completely assimilate the hundred thousand troops borrowed from the Sect Alliance and bring those loyal forces back to the capital, he will have earned himself a place in the final contest for the throne." Li Qingyan reflected for a moment, then said quietly, "Changtian, your conjecture is somewhat flawed. Assimilating an army is by no means an easy task. The organizational structure of the imperial court differs from that of sect rank-and-file, and the cultivation techniques used for military arrays are entirely distinct. What is more, those soldiers owe their loyalty to the sects." "I know it is difficult." Xu Yuan's expression did not change; he merely kept his voice low. "Difficult as it may be, Qingyan, just answer me one question: is there any feasibility to this method?" "..." Their eyes met for an instant. Li Qingyan exhaled softly, then uttered a single word: "Yes." Pausing, she lowered her eyes in thought and continued in an undertone, "...But it is truly difficult. Changtian, the military is a place that crushes individual personality beneath a collective martial spirit. Any army capable of fighting possesses a spirit of its own—be it camaraderie among comrades, faith and loyalty, or bound interests. Once such a spirit forms, altering it is exceedingly hard. If Li Zhaoyuan wants to make an army from the sects his own, he must reform its entire culture. "To achieve that quickly, I can only think of two ways. First, replace all the low-level officers and commanders with his own people. Second, possess an army of equal or greater size and break them up to disperse them among his ranks. Yet Li Zhaoyuan possesses neither." With that, Li Qingyan raised her solemn eyes to look at the man before her, only to be met by his smiling gaze. Meeting her eyes, Xu Yuan spoke leisurely, "This problem is indeed difficult to solve, but we aren't the ones taking the test. Why distress yourself over it? Qingyan, if Li Zhaoyuan wants to soar into the clouds, he must first plunge into hell and crawl his way out step by step." Li Qingyan considered this briefly before asking, "And what if Li Zhaoyuan truly crawls out of hell?" Xu Yuan grinned broadly, his smile radiant and his voice light. "Kick him right back in." "..." Hearing that, Li Qingyan shot him a sideways glance. "Tsk, look at you. And Imperial Father's second intention?" Xu Yuan spread his hands and chuckled quietly. "Treating Li Zhaoyuan as an abandoned pawn." Li Qingyan reacted swiftly, narrowing her eyes as she whispered, "You mean Imperial Father not only wants to annihilate the sects in the three northern provinces, but also swallow these two divisions of elite troops from the Sect Alliance?" Xu Yuan leaned lazily against the back of his chair, resting his chin in his hand thoughtfully. "A hundred-thousand-strong military array is a massive force, yet placed in the current Northern Border, it is actually not that vast. With your two divisions of Feather Forest Guards stationed in Guangyang Prefecture, the several divisions of the Black Scale Army under Zong Qingsheng and Yuan Hao, plus your Uncle Mu's Beifeng Army, those hundred thousand sect elites are hardly overwhelming. Amidst the blizzard calamity, suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the 'Barbarian auxiliary troops' is far from impossible." *Clap, clap, clap.* Li Qingyan applauded with a faint laugh, murmuring, "Your analysis holds some merit, Changtian. What about the third and fourth intentions?" "..." At her question, Xu Yuan fell silent, merely gazing quietly into her breathtaking phoenix eyes. They looked at each other without a word. Li Qingyan half-narrowed her beautiful eyes. "Changtian, are you trying to say... Imperial Father's third and fourth intentions are aimed at your Prime Minister's Manor? Still, I do not believe Imperial Father would be so short-sighted." What the sects intended by deploying an army array of this scale into the Northern Border was already self-evident. They wanted to give hope to the sects in the three northern provinces, prompting them to resist desperately and thoroughly ravage the region, leaving behind only ruins for the imperial court. The court had poured boundless manpower and material resources into this campaign. Now that the Barbarians had been eliminated, the northern sects, stripped of their elites, were waiting helplessly for the butcher's knife. To provoke internal strife between the imperial clan and the Prime Minister's Manor at the very moment when they could seize resources from the northern sects to replenish their drained coffers would be a catastrophic blunder, ruining the endeavor just short of success. A clash between the Black Scale Army and imperial forces would inevitably play right into the Sect Alliance's hands. "..." Seeing that she had stated it outright, Xu Yuan sat up straight and smiled. "It is merely a conjecture. Borrowing the sects' blade to kill people from my Prime Minister's Manor, and then discarding a prince who should have died anyway as an explanation, pinning the entire blame on Li Zhaoyuan and the Sect Alliance—this would both deplete the sects' strength and inflict casualties on my manor." As he spoke, Xu Yuan began counting on his fingers. "And that is only one of the benefits. Once the Sect Alliance and our manor clash, the alliance's threat in the north disappears, and the stockpiles of the three northern provinces' sects fall entirely into the court's hands. Meanwhile, our manor's Black Scale Army would inevitably suffer heavy losses in the fray. With insufficient troop strength, our capacity to claim the northern sects' resources would naturally decrease. As one side wanes, the other waxes—what my manor loses, your imperial family gains..." "Changtian, all of your conjectures rest on the premise that Chancellor Xu will endure it." Li Qingyan cut him off, her voice lowered. "If Imperial Father does this, what if Duke Xu revolts?" "..." Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. Now that everything was out in the open, he shed all remaining hesitation and gave a soft, somewhat mocking laugh. "My father won't revolt. Your imperial father would only dare do this precisely because he is certain my father cannot possibly rebel at this time." Perhaps the Emperor had forgotten their shared ideals from years ago, but Xu Yuan's father had not. To fight would destroy all hope of realizing those ideals. To endure meant that once the Emperor died and his father consolidated the court's power, fate would remain undecided. Therefore, that father of his would never choose war. With that thought, Xu Yuan stared at the woman before him, his gaze piercing. "Qingyan, you must also know that your imperial father probably does not have much time left. As a ruler harboring ambitions of imperial restoration, he must make arrangements for the Great Yan royal family before his passing. At the very least, he cannot allow the imperial lineage to end in his generation—or rather, in the generation beneath him. For that, he is capable of anything, because that is his duty as the master of the Li royal house." "..." Silence followed his words. She looked at him. For a long time. "Duty?" She murmured with a faint, wry smile, then slowly rose to her feet and walked toward the door. Her footsteps were light, her voice barely a whisper. "Perhaps. But before the sects are eradicated, so long as I draw breath, I will never sit idly by and watch internal strife consume the court." Watching the white-robed figure from behind, Xu Yuan half-narrowed his eyes. "And what if your imperial father insists on it?" *Tap.* Her footsteps halted. The pale glow of the inscribed lamps in the chamber shone upon her pristine white robes. After a long silence, a soft laugh escaped Li Qingyan's lips. She turned her head slowly to look back at him, her tone detached, gentle, and measured. "Then I shall correct his mistake."