Once this plague spread on a massive scale, it would become a catastrophe no less devastating than the blizzard.
And Li Zhaoyuan had resolved it.
In terms of influencing court politics, this merit was on par with exterminating the Barbarians.
In terms of seizing military authority, the charisma of a leader was amplified infinitely amid absolute crisis, while the rank-and-file were conformist and easily swayed.
They harbored neither the refined egoism of the middle ranks nor the pure mercenary greed of the upper echelons.
Under the meticulous planning of Wanyao Valley and Li Zhaoyuan, they would have ample time and opportunity to reshape the military spirit of these hundred thousand elites dispatched by the Sect Alliance.
Public propaganda, a leader's solitary valor, and the lure of military rewards were the ultimate answers for indoctrinating the rank-and-file.
If the entire plan closed its loop smoothly, Second Prince Li Zhaoyuan would hold the trifecta of right time, right place, and united people.
Not only would he command an army wholly loyal to him, but his prestige within the imperial court would even point directly at the Crown Prince.
Step by step, Li Zhaoyuan was crawling out of hell in his own way.
Thinking up to this point, Xu Yuan suddenly chuckled softly.
"Junqing, I suddenly understand why our Imperial Father said Li Zhaoyuan takes after him."
*Our Imperial Father?*
Li Junqing started slightly, the corner of his eye twitching, but he chose to disregard the remark.
"Imperial Father has always been an accurate judge of character. Though the circumstances differ, the predicament the old man faced back then was almost identical to my second brother's current situation."
"That time and place, just like this time and place?" Xu Yuan chuckled.
In the quiet, secluded corridor, the two exchanged a brief glance.
Li Junqing smiled as well, shaking his head with a laugh.
"My second brother doesn't have Duke Xu assisting him."
At the end of the corridor lay an open-air terrace protected by a windbreak array.
Listening to the crisp patter of rain falling from the heavens against the wooden deck, Xu Yuan replied noncommittally,
"How do you know Li Zhaoyuan doesn't?"
"..."
Li Junqing said nothing, merely staring at Xu Yuan with wide, expectant eyes.
Xu Yuan laughed in amusement and changed the subject.
"Junqing, to be honest, I always thought claiming Li Zhaoyuan took after him was just a smokescreen, and that the one who truly takes after your father is you."
"Heh."
Li Junqing scoffed softly at the remark, then murmured faintly,
"Speaking of which, Imperial Father actually did give me an assessment once."
"What was it?"
"He said I resemble his eldest brother quite a bit."
"The former Crown Prince?"
"Yeah. The one my father dragged down from the position of Crown Prince and killed."
"..." Xu Yuan fell silent.
After a few moments of quiet, Xu Yuan gave Li Junqing a profound look.
"Is your imperial family's relationship... really that messy?"
"?" Li Junqing blinked.
"Hahaha, no need to explain."
Xu Yuan laughed heartily. "Thanks for the heads-up on this matter. If you have nothing else, head back to your room first. We're still far from the Imperial Capital. I'll have the pavilion steward send a few maidservants to your quarters to keep you company."
With that, he patted Li Junqing on the shoulder and briskly took a few steps onto the stairs leading to the fourth floor.
Having achieved his objective, Li Junqing did not shamelessly tag along. Standing in place and watching Xu Yuan's retreating figure, he called out with a laugh,
"Call a few more! This prince fears these mortals won't be able to handle me!"
"Fine—"
A laughing voice drifted back from the top of the spiral stairs. Hearing it, Li Junqing smiled and turned back toward his own quarters.
Walking straight past the screen in the central parlor to the window lattice, he gazed out at the curtain of rain. Reaching into his Sumeru ring, he drew out a white crystal and tossed it casually down into the open air below.
Having done all this, Li Junqing cast his gaze down toward the lowest level.
It was almost time for Lou Ji to depart.
It was also time to summon that woman his eldest brother had planted by his side to act as his guard.
***
Up in the fourth-floor corridor, after casually leaving a few instructions for the steward, Xu Yuan pondered his thoughts as he walked upstairs.
He wasn't overly worried about the friction between Tianyan and Bai Muxi.
One was manipulative and the other was a simpleton, and neither was a wicked woman like that chest-binding princess. Even if they fought, it wouldn't count as an inescapable romantic battlefield for him.
Compared to their little dispute, Xu Yuan was far more concerned about Li Zhaoyuan far off on the horizon.
He didn't actually dislike someone like Li Zhaoyuan.
Though their allegiances differed, anyone who would stop at nothing for their goals and strive by force to break free from their own destiny always commanded respect.
If Li Zhaoyuan had been born of nobler blood—if he had been Li Junqing's full elder brother instead of a half-brother—perhaps the rift between the imperial family and the Prime Minister's Manor would not have become so acute.
Unfortunately, there were no 'ifs' in reality.
Borrowing the power of sects, from the imperial family's standpoint, was unmistakably inviting a wolf into the house.
Yet Xu Yuan could understand the rationale.
Every post was already occupied. With the aid of his maternal clan, the Crown Prince had claimed all the key positions in the court; if Li Zhaoyuan wanted to break the stalemate, he had no choice but to bring in outside forces.
Furthermore, when Li Yaoxuan gave his father the green light years ago to suppress the sects using the strength of the Prime Minister's Manor, the nature of the act was essentially the same.
Handled properly, it was a demonic blade that could cut down anyone barring the path.
In the first half of their lives, his father had indeed served as such a blade.
It was just that his father was a cut above, successfully breaking free from Li Yaoxuan's control and becoming the second emperor of the Great Yan court.
As for whether Li Zhaoyuan could pull it off now...
Thinking up to this point, Xu Yuan shook his head gently, halting his train of thought.
There was no need to keep dwelling on it.
Li Zhaoyuan had no future.
No matter how formidable one's schemes across the realm, no matter how meticulous one's calculations, before an absolute information disparity, they were nothing more than a pebble that could be shattered with the flick of a finger.
He, Xu Yuan, was a cheater—a cheater armed with foresight.
The intelligence he had provided to Lou Ji was already sufficient to bring about Wanyao Valley's ruin.
Of course, if that fellow Li Zhaoyuan could still hack his way out of hell amid such dire straits and earn the right to become a player on the board, Xu Yuan would gladly acknowledge him as an unstoppable juggernaut.
And then he would use cold, hard facts to show him:
Even an unstoppable juggernaut couldn't beat someone with cheat codes.
Amid these thoughts, Xu Yuan had already arrived next door to his own quarters.
The small hole pierced by the hairpin before he went downstairs was glaringly obvious against the door of mind-sobering wood.
Though tiny, the puncture had already disrupted the room's overarching Sound-Muffling Array, allowing Xu Yuan to hear the muffled, flesh-striking thuds from within.
Xiao Bai was actually still getting beaten.
Even that chest-binding princess wasn't this ruthless.
Listening to the thuds, Xu Yuan did not knock immediately. Instead, he peeked inside through the hole.
Because the entryway screen had already been destroyed for certain reasons, Xu Yuan could take in the room's state at a single glance.
With just that one look, he drew in a sharp breath.
Tianyan really was tearing the place apart...
A gaping hole over ten feet wide had been blasted through the entire outer wall of the room. A drizzle of rain drifted inside through the breach as the black eagle flew at full speed. At the edge of that massive opening, two exceptionally stunning women stood and knelt, their clothes largely drenched.
Before Xu Yuan could inspect the scene more closely, one of the silhouettes vanished.
Then—
*Swish!*
A black steel rod-like implement thrust straight through the small hole Xu Yuan was peering through, widening it several times over before halting mere millimeters from his eye.
The corner of his eye twitched slightly, but Xu Yuan straightened up without changing his expression.
*Creak—*
The door opened.
Tianyan appeared at the entrance, looking up at him. Her clear, melodious voice was chilly.
"What are you looking at?"
Seeing the frost in her eyes, Xu Yuan took his time, asking gently,
"Still angry?"
Tianyan turned her face away and let out a cold huff.
"What do you want to say?"
Looking at her exquisite, frosty profile, Xu Yuan chuckled, stepped right around her, and walked into the room.
"Nothing much, just came to check on you."
"Did I say you could come in?"
Tianyan reached out and seized Xu Yuan's wrist, snapping angrily, "This is my room."
"Your room?"
Xu Yuan paused, turned his head to look her up and down, then leaned close to her earlobe, whispering softly,
"Shouldn't it be *our* room?"
"..."
As the man's breath brushed against her, ripples stirred involuntarily in Tianyan's heart. Her hand subconsciously loosened, and her tone softened somewhat as she looked away, feigning indifference.
"Did... did you cultivate that Divine Soul Chapter I taught you?"
Xu Yuan grinned at her reaction and answered crisply,
"Nope."
Tianyan's brows knit and her delicate face darkened. Turning back to him, she demanded,
"Then on what grounds do you call it our room?"
Xu Yuan pointed beneath their feet and chuckled.
"This black eagle pavilion belongs to me, and the room temporarily belongs to you. Is there any problem with calling it ours?"
Tianyan fell silent for an instant, then abruptly lashed out with a kick toward Xu Yuan's shin.
It was neither fast nor slow—just at a speed where he could only watch helplessly.
*Thud!*
Xu Yuan's face instantly flushed crimson. Bending down to clutch his shin, he sucked in a cold breath and looked up at the maiden in imperial dress.
"Tianyan, are you out of your mind?!"
Tianyan casually pulled the black iron rod from the door frame, glancing down at him from above.
"Hah~ Hit me back if you have the guts."
With that, her mood seemed to improve slightly, and she turned to walk deeper into the room.
Watching her graceful back, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes internally.
She just had to pull a stunt like that before letting him into the room.
Tsunderes had fallen out of the meta ages ago—didn't this washboard Saintess know that?
Tianyan had controlled her strength with that kick; it hurt, but the pain would only linger for a few moments.
A few breaths later, Xu Yuan straightened up, chuckling as he asked,
"Looking at you, was I unable to beat you in the illusion realm either? If I recall, I inherited Jinghe's cultivation, didn't I?"
At the mention of this topic, the corners of Tianyan's lips curled up unbidden. By the time she turned back, however, her expression was cool once more, her eyes tinged with disdain.
"Even if I gave you an entire realm's handicap, you could only manage a draw with me. Not to mention that most of the time, you and I were in the same realm."
Xu Yuan gave her a suspicious look.
"Really?"
Her imperial dress rippled gently, the delicate gauze fluttering as she pouted in annoyance.
"Don't you have any sense of what you were like back then?"
Hearing this, Xu Yuan walked closer, his gaze remaining doubtful.
"Really?"
As he spoke, he glanced toward the large bed nearby.
Tianyan's fair skin instantly flushed a fetching crimson. She raised a fist and swung it straight toward Xu Yuan's chest.
"A lecher through and through!"
In the end, however, the punch halted just before his chest.
Just as Xu Yuan felt puzzled—
*Hum—*
A wave of air pressure instantly radiated outward, sweeping out through the breach and clearing away the curtain of rain across a radius of a hundred yards.
"..."
Swallowing hard, Xu Yuan realized he probably shouldn't flirt with this washboard Saintess right now.
The purpose of flirting was to engage in a deeper exchange of life, but with this kind of display, the slightest slip might turn going to bed into going to one's grave.
If that punch landed, he might actually die.
Tianyan seemed to realize her mistake as well. Averting her gaze, she muttered in a low voice,
"...Don't look at me like that. I... I didn't mean to. Your cultivation wasn't afraid of this in the past, so I subconsciously used that much force. I won't do it again. Besides, it's all because you were acting like a bastard lecher..."
"I'm not blaming you."
Xu Yuan reached out and rubbed the girl's soft, flowing hair, his voice gentle. "It was indeed my fault just now. I shouldn't have made such an easily misunderstood gesture."
Tianyan's clear golden eyes blinked, a look of mild surprise on her face.
"Still, something doesn't add up..."
Xu Yuan's voice took a sudden turn, laced with curiosity. "I vaguely recall the Charm God Illusion realm lasted for nearly twenty years. In all that time, Tianyan, have you always been..."
*Thump!*
Tianyan abruptly raised her foot and kicked Xu Yuan's shin once more. Clenching her dainty fists, she ground her teeth.
"It... it's all because of those weird demands of yours!"
Bending over in pain, Xu Yuan froze. He looked up and blinked.
"Weird... demands?"
Tianyan's flawless face was dark enough to drip ink. Looking down at Xu Yuan, her gaze was as though she were regarding a piece of garbage.
"Say one more word, and I'll throw you down."
"..."
Xu Yuan said nothing more, his eyes lingering on Tianyan's cherry-red lips as he licked his own.
"..."
Tianyan's fists clenched tight in an instant. Her petite frame trembled faintly, whether from shyness or sheer indignation.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan cleared his throat softly.
"Tianyan, appetite and desire are human nature. Actually..."
"Shut up," Tianyan said, cold as an iceberg.
Xu Yuan zipped his lip and turned his gaze away.
Yet once he looked away, he couldn't bring himself to look back.
He saw Xiao Bai kneeling upright over by the breach.
Her dark tresses were flecked with raindrops, adorned with a golden hairpin. Her graceful, elegant, and peerless visage took on an unusual allure from the light mist of rain, while the loose, white embroidered gauze dress clung tightly to her curvaceous figure after being drenched.
Kneeling beside the breach, Bai Muxi blinked as she watched the two in the room. A trace of surprise flitted across her eyes, but she had understood some of it.
The young master liked weird things.
She... could probably try probing the Saintess to find out what sort of things qualified as weird.
Just as she thought this, Bai Muxi suddenly realized the young master's gaze had finally landed on her...
After a moment of stillness, Xu Yuan noticed Xiao Bai shift slightly.
Her posture barely changed, yet somehow it appeared far more enticing.
Beneath the dimming sky, framed by the curtain of rain, Bai Muxi lowered her gaze and knelt sideways on the floor. Her rounded hips were pert and lifted, and the elegant curve connecting her waist and fair back accentuated her breathtaking bust even further.
Everything was so quiet and picturesque.
Yet this picturesque beauty lasted only an instant.
*Thud!*
The iron rod in Tianyan's hand slammed forcefully onto the floor, shattering the serene moment.
She glared at him.
"Does it look good?"
Circulating his cultivation method, he replied without batting an eye,
"Mediocre."
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Tianyan gripped the iron rod and marched toward Bai Muxi.
Arriving before her, Tianyan glared down at the woman.
"Did you do that on purpose?"
Bai Muxi froze slightly. Lifting her eyes, she parted her dew-kissed red lips and asked with a frail, delicate tone,
"L-Lady Saintess... what do you mean?"
Chapter 362