An Understanding Elder Brother

"Phew..." Stepping out of his old man's study, Xu Yuan looked up at the vast expanse of clear blue sky and let out a long sigh. Glancing down at the thick stack of envelopes in his hand, an amused smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He felt that this "sworn brother" of his had grown somewhat sentimental. Sending letters by courier within the Great Yan Dynasty was considered quite a luxury. Although the dynasty's official post roads stretched in every direction, the logistics system was still in a rudimentary state. The exchange of correspondence usually depended on the post stations established by the authorities across the land. Due to local banditry and demonic beast attacks, however, whether a recipient actually received a letter once it was sent was purely a matter of luck. For that reason, anyone of influence and status in the dynasty usually transmitted information via communication crystals. Judging by the mounting and wax seals on these envelopes, though, they didn't seem to be imprinted through the matrix stamp of a communication crystal, but were written in Li Junwu's own hand. Exchanging physical letters was a refined pursuit favored by literati and scholars. They delighted in the pleasant surprise of receiving a letter after its arduous journey, and in gazing upon a dear friend's handwriting to recall the joyful laughter and conversations from journeys shared in the past. The Marquis of Zhenxi had operated in Xize Province for many years; communication crystals existed in both his residence and his military camps. Yet Li Junwu had actually chosen to use such a primitive method... Thinking of this, Xu Yuan tapped the stack of envelopes against his palm, the corners of his lips curving upward. Who would have thought? Who would have thought that this well-endowed, long-legged "sworn brother" of his had also taken a liking to this kind of taste, huh? Still, no matter how one looked at it, these letters from his good brother had dispelled much of the irritation caused by the matters on the Northern Border. He really wanted to see what Li Junwu could possibly have written to him after heading to her father's army camps. With these tangled thoughts running through his mind, Xu Yuan found himself back outside his wing before he knew it. He opened the door, stepped inside, and was just about to close it— *Thump.* The red sandalwood door was suddenly caught by a distinctively knuckled hand, the green-patterned black sleeve striking against the wood. He looked up, meeting a pair of calm eyes. "..." Xu Yuan. "..." Xu Changge. Xu Yuan paused for a moment, then tried to force the door shut. Xu Changge's gaze remained serene. The two wrestled for leverage. The hand Xu Changge had wedged against the door didn't budge an inch; only the red sandalwood groaned under the strain. After several breaths, Xu Yuan gave up. He pulled the door open, looked at the green-robed man standing before him like an immortal descended to the mortal realm, and asked, "What do you want?" "..." Xu Changge glanced at him without a word, walked straight into the room, and sat down with dignified composure before the precious purplethorn willow table. "..." Xu Yuan. Seeing his elder brother appear out of nowhere and enter without saying a word, Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. He walked over and sat down opposite him. "If you need something, just spit it out." Xu Changge didn't look at Xu Yuan. His slender, distinctively knuckled forefinger tapped lightly against the tabletop as he spoke in a calm, gentle voice: "Back then, I was like this too." "Huh?" Xu Yuan was taken aback, then looked at him as if looking at a madman. What in the world was Xu Changge talking about? He'd been injured in that fight against Luo Bingli, that Semi-Saint—had he damaged his head in the process? Paying no heed to the strange look in Xu Yuan's eyes, Xu Changge continued to follow his own course, murmuring placidly to himself: "Seeing injustice along the way, drawing one's blade to set hearts at peace, sealing a throat with a single stroke, taking vengeance and paying kindness with joyful abandon..." "Wait, why did you suddenly barge in here to spout this?" "..." As soon as the words left his mouth, the air went dead silent. The tapping of Xu Changge's fingertip on the table ceased. Inch by inch, he turned his gaze toward Xu Yuan. Their eyes met for an instant, and Xu Yuan's brow knitted tighter and tighter. He was thoroughly dissatisfied with this elder brother's look. Because he felt the man was about to threaten him with physical violence again. Everything under heaven required a justifiable pretext. In the past, whenever he did something wrong, it was only natural for Xu Changge to thrash him. But right now, he hadn't done a single thing—on what grounds did this elder brother think he could beat him? Xu Yuan didn't believe that with his old man at home, a "crown prince" like himself could still be bullied by Xu Changge. Exhaling softly, Xu Yuan stared at his elder brother with a bizarre smile. "Xu Changge, did that fight with Luo Bingli knock your brains—" "Changtian," Xu Changge interrupted methodically. "Lou Ji told Father something earlier." "..." Xu Yuan. Xu Changge's gentle voice deepened slightly. "She said you've been hiding many things from us." Hearing this, a hint of confusion surfaced in Xu Yuan's eyes. He had indeed hidden some things, but he had also shared quite a bit with Lou Ji. Surely those matters weren't enough for that old woman to tattle to his father, were they? Yet Xu Changge's measured voice continued: "She also said that once you woke, we ought to question you thoroughly about what you've concealed. But after hearing her out, Father didn't press the matter. "He said, "'Everyone has their own secrets. If he didn't tell us, it is likely because he has his own considerations.'" At this point, Xu Changge lifted his forefinger slightly. *Bang!* With that subtle movement, a dull thud echoed through the room. The sunlight blanketing the floor abruptly dimmed, and the door to the wing slammed shut. "..." Xu Yuan glanced at the closed door and swallowed hard. Damn it. Now Xu Changge had a justifiable pretext. Before his very eyes, Xu Changge slowly rose from his chair and, fold by fold, rolled up his sleeves. "I do not entirely agree with Father's approach. After all, someone's concealment nearly cost him his life this time around. "If one wishes to keep secrets, one must possess self-awareness. At the very least, one must have the ability to protect oneself amid the consequences born of those secrets." As he spoke, Xu Changge had already rolled both sleeves all the way to the crooks of his elbows. He fixed his gaze on Xu Yuan. "Draw that wooden saber of yours. Let me test whether you possess the ability to protect yourself now, Changtian." "..." Xu Yuan didn't move an inch. What a joke. Did the man want him to fight above his realm against the Origin Realm while at Body Integration? And against an Origin Realm cultivator capable of taking on a Semi-Saint, no less! Seeing his silence, Xu Changge gave a slight nod. "It seems you wish for fairness, Changtian..." Xu Yuan suddenly cut him off, frowning as he asked, "What did you say just now?" "..." After a moment of silence, Xu Changge looked down calmly at his third brother. "I told you to take out that wooden saber—" "The sentence before that." "I do not agree with Father's—" "The one before that." "Lou Ji said—" "Even earlier!" "..." The air suddenly fell dead silent. Xu Changge's eyelid twitched. No longer intending to fight barehanded, he produced a famous sheathed sword, gripping it in hand as he strode toward Xu Yuan. "Hold on!" Seeing this, Xu Yuan barked immediately, rising and taking half a step back. The willow ghost blade appeared in his grasp, and a sinister, malevolent aura instantly surged within the room. Gripping the hilt tightly, Xu Yuan backed away stealthily while locking eyes with Xu Changge, speaking each word with deliberate weight: "Answer my question first." Xu Changge's grip on his sword hilt tightened slightly, but after taking a deep breath, he still recited: "Seeing injustice along the way, drawing one's blade to set hearts at peace, sealing a throat with a single stroke, taking vengeance and paying kindness with joyful abandon..." "Yes, that's the one." "What? Do you find fault with those words?" "I was asking you to keep going, brother." "..." Xu Changge. After a moment of silence, the hand Xu Changge used to hold the sword began to tremble faintly, and veins seemed to bulge on his strikingly handsome face. Xu Yuan quietly backed away several more steps, his eyes subtly darting to the sunlit latticed window beside him. Although the entire room had already been sealed off by Xu Changge's qi dynamic, he reckoned that if he exerted everything he had to execute the Void-Stepping Slash, he should be able to break straight out of the room. As long as he made it outside, his old man would sense the qi dynamic here and rush over to pin Xu Changge to the ground to save him. To Xu Yuan's surprise, however, after several breaths of silence, Xu Changge turned around, walked back to the red sandalwood table, and sat down. He placed the famous sword directly onto the tabletop. Watching his actions, Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to step back over from the wall. With his understanding of this elder brother, when the man wanted to beat you, he would never be sneaky about it, nor would he act like that old woman Lou Ji, lulling you into letting your guard down before launching a surprise attack to string you up and whip you. Very gently sitting back down across from Xu Changge, Xu Yuan kept his voice low, doing his best to appear as harmless and obedient as possible. "Brother... what did you come to see me about, really?" Xu Changge fell silent for a short while before suddenly asking: "Changtian, what kind of person do you think I am?" Xu Yuan blurted out instinctively: "A preten—" "Hmm?" Xu Changge raised a brow, his fingertip lightly coming to rest upon the sword's hilt. Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched, and he gave a dry cough. "Ahem... a prodigy whose brilliance forces the talents of this era to yield." Moving his finger away, Xu Changge replied calmly as if taking it for granted, "Does something known to the entire world need your repeating? I meant my character and conduct." "..." Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. Right now, he truly wanted to smash a teapot into this supreme posturer's face. Yet glancing at the sheathed sword on the table and weighing the disparity in strength between them, Xu Yuan abandoned the thought. After carefully considering his phrasing, Xu Yuan offered tactfully: "Domineering in your actions... having your own set of principles, keeping strangers at arm's length, behaving with cold detachment toward others... Well, except for our own family." Hearing this answer, the corner of Xu Changge's thin lips curved slightly. "In truth, at the very beginning, my nature was not like this." "..." Xu Yuan. *Give me a break, I watched you grow up—as if I wouldn't know what you're like!* Though he grumbled inwardly, Xu Yuan merely offered a sheepish smile on the surface. "So, Big Brother, what are you trying to say?" Xu Changge smiled faintly, his tone softening. "Young men carry hot blood in their hearts. When I first began handling the manor's affairs, I wasn't much better off than you are now." "..." Hearing those words, Xu Yuan understood in an instant why Xu Changge had come to find him, and his gaze toward the man grew somewhat peculiar. The study door hadn't been closed earlier; this guy had most likely overheard the conversation between him and his old man. Fearing that his mindset might collapse, he had specially come over to play the role of an understanding big brother. Yet Xu Changge—the pretentious prick who had thrashed him from childhood to adulthood—was coming to play the understanding big brother for him? Xu Yuan felt he could barely keep a straight face. Seeing the look in Xu Yuan's eyes, Xu Changge realized his intentions had been seen through. A flicker of stiffness crossed his strikingly handsome face, but he forced himself to maintain his gentle, unhurried voice as he spoke: "In the beginning, Father had me follow Hua Hong. That old gentleman dealt with all sorts of people and matters in the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce, from the grassroots all the way to the top brass. "Among them were those who betrayed the chamber for personal gain and deserved to die. But there were also many pitiful souls who broke the rules only because of uncontrollable factors like natural disasters and unforeseen accidents. "The former, I ordered executed. But the latter... at the time, I could not bring myself to be so ruthless." "..." Xu Yuan's peculiar look gradually turned to astonishment as he listened. A look of reminiscence appeared in Xu Changge's sharp eyes, and he said softly: "Due to droughts and floods, medicinal herb harvests would fail, leaving an entire region short of pills; due to bandit raids and demonic beast rampages, large shipments of goods would be plundered and lost; there were also partner merchants who could not deliver goods on time because of internal strife in their own clans..." At this point, Xu Changge turned his gaze toward Xu Yuan and asked in a low voice: "According to the rules laid down by Father and the others, those people should have been put to death, and their dependents enslaved to make up for the losses. But Changtian, do you think those who met with unexpected misfortune deserved death, or did they deserve another chance?" A thoughtful look appeared in Xu Yuan's eyes. After a long pause, he slowly uttered two words: "They deserved death." "..." Hearing this, Xu Changge looked somewhat surprised. Lowering his gaze, Xu Yuan said in a quiet voice, "Holding the post, enjoying the benefits, managing the affairs, and shouldering the responsibilities—that is only natural and right." Xu Changge let out a gentle breath, a smile on his lips. "So, you would have executed them directly according to the rules?" "No." Xu Yuan shook his head and said quietly, "That is only theoretical analysis. If I were actually faced with those people, as long as an investigation proved that such a disaster was truly against their intentions and there was no negligence, I would most likely only impose minor punishments. "After all, some unexpected misfortunes are truly beyond human control." Xu Changge raised a hand to rub between his eyebrows. "You are not mistaken, Changtian. Back then, I thought the same way, and I acted the same way. "Loyal old retainers who had served our Prime Minister's Manor diligently for decades should not die like that, nor should their families be reduced to such a plight... "After all, for our manor, such losses were practically a drop in the bucket." Having said this, Xu Changge lowered his hand, a trace of helplessness surfacing in his narrow eyes. "Yet having seen too many such occurrences, even the warmest heart will turn cold. Why should we harm our own interests to make up for the mistakes of others? "Furthermore, "there will always be those who take your mercy for granted, using it as a precedent to make excuses for themselves. "In the beginning, out of a soft heart, I spared over a dozen people. But later, I discovered that rules are rules. Once that breach is opened, countless people will exploit it for personal profit. "If merchant caravans aren't punished when plundered, then in the future it becomes easy for caravans to be intercepted by 'our own people.' If a failed herb harvest goes unpunished, then down the line people will use poor harvests as an excuse to reduce their tribute. "And from that point onward, I realized that for people like us, cold-bloodedness is a necessity." Xu Yuan listened intently, remained silent for several breaths, and replied in a soft voice: "Brother, I think I understand." Xu Changge shook his head gently and spoke in a leisurely tone: "What I just mentioned was merely my experience dealing with small merchants; it hasn't even reached the level of the dynasty. "From bandits blocking roads to a man-made calamity engulfing a city, to conspiracies threatening an entire commandery, or even disasters plunging a whole province into misery—among these, there are things that can be stopped by the Prime Minister's Manor's power, but there are also things where you can only ponder how to minimize the losses. "Changtian, although you have encountered and handled some of the manor's affairs over the past year or so, the people and things you have seen are still too few. "Once you have seen more, you will slowly grow accustomed to it, and you will understand that everything comes with trade-offs and compromises. "Just like Father back then, Chang'an in the past, and myself today."