As the chimes struck the hour of the dragon, the gentle, warm sunlight pierced right on time through the frosty mist cloaking the sky, spilling over the solemn, upturned eaves outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The court officials filed out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in sparse trickles. Some gathered in small groups, murmuring in hushed voices, while others hurried with brisk steps toward the palace exits.
Only after watching the last minister disappear from sight did Li Yucheng slowly rise from behind the low desk placed below the Golden Throne.
His movements were slow and soft, carrying an air of helpless exhaustion.
Standing still in place for a long time, Li Yucheng slowly bent down and picked up a document resting on the low desk.
The paper was filled with vigorous, flowing brushstrokes of ink like dancing dragons and snakes.
This was a habit he had cultivated over more than a decade of serving as regent:
He would record all the affairs of state discussed during each morning assembly, add his own annotations, and present them for his imperial father’s perusal.
For over ten years across more than a thousand morning assemblies, he had never missed a single time, and today, naturally, was no exception.
Picking up today's document and skimming through it, Li Yucheng confirmed there were no errors before his gentle voice broke the silence of the vast hall:
"Eunuch Nie, please trouble yourself to present this to Imperial Father."
"......"
His voice echoed. A few breaths after the words fell, a delicate middle-aged man clad in the luxurious palace robes of the first rank quietly appeared from behind the Golden Throne and arrived beside the Crown Prince in an instant.
It was the current Sovereign’s senior attendant, Eunuch Nie.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Eunuch Nie lowered his brow and bowed his head. As he answered, he habitually glanced over the document.
Although this record was submitted every time, His Majesty might not necessarily read it. To prevent anything from being overlooked, he, as the senior attendant, had to inspect it first before passing along the information.
However, such a record of events was truly somewhat redundant, serving merely to express the Crown Prince's diligence.
After all, both sides knew well that although the Emperor did not attend court, he possessed other, far more precise means of monitoring imperial governance.
As his gaze swept across the page, Eunuch Nie's downcast eyes suddenly froze. He raised his eyes in slight astonishment, subtly glancing at the Crown Prince before him, but quickly suppressed the confusion in his heart.
Accompanying a sovereign was like keeping company with a tiger; a eunuch had to know his place.
Even though he was considered the person closest to His Majesty, he could not meddle in imperial family affairs—even if the Crown Prince had actually proposed reassigning the Third Prince to Dongying during this turbulent, eventful autumn.
Amid the silence, Eunuch Nie said softly in his somewhat delicate voice:
"Then this old servant will present it to His Majesty first."
Having said that, upon seeing the Crown Prince nod, Eunuch Nie's figure vanished from within the Hall of Supreme Harmony in an instant.
Not long after Eunuch Nie departed, a eunuch dressed in third-rank palace robes stepped slowly out of the shadows of the hall, approached Li Yucheng, and asked with a respectful bow:
"Your Highness, are we to set out and return to the manor now?"
Due to certain debauched precedents in the past, the Great Yan Ancestral Temple had established a rule: once princes reached adulthood, they were forbidden from lodging in the Palace City without imperial decree, and not even the Crown Prince regent was an exception.
Listening to his senior attendant's inquiry, Li Yucheng stood quietly in place for a short while. Looking back at the Golden Throne bathed in morning light atop the stepped dais, a flicker of sorrow crossed his eyes. Just as he was about to answer, a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear:
"Yucheng, come to Qingxin Pavilion."
***
Qingxin Pavilion was situated at the center of the vast Heavenly Pool in the northwest of the Palace City.
Owing to the wetland climate, the morning frost and mist had not yet dispersed. A slightly chilly breeze swept across the lake's surface, stirring ripples and startling wild geese that dwelled here, creating a scene like an earthly wonderland.
Led by Eunuch Nie, Li Yucheng arrived at the top floor of Qingxin Pavilion, where he met his imperial father once more.
The old man, his hair and beard completely white and his posture hunched, was dressed just as before.
A simple white robe draped underneath, with an imperial dragon robe slung over it.
He sat cross-legged on the daybed, one hand lightly tapping on the low table set upon it, while the other held the morning court record Li Yucheng had written just moments ago.
Sunlight poured through the window lattice onto him, clearly illuminating the wrinkles on his face and making him look all the more aged.
Eunuch Nie turned and left after ushering Li Yucheng into the room.
Li Yaoxuan did not speak immediately. With an amused, intrigued look, he browsed the sheet of notes in his hand, while Li Yucheng stood quietly at his side with bowed head.
After a long while,
*Tap.*
Li Yaoxuan pressed the Xuan paper onto the low table, slowly turned his eyes toward him, and asked softly:
"Do you know why We summoned you here?"
Li Yucheng bowed his head and responded, not playing dumb:
"Your son knows."
Hearing this, a smile curved at the corners of Li Yaoxuan's lips—a smile laden with deep meaning.
"Since you know, then We shall ask you in person. Is what you submitted in this morning court record truly your intent?"
With his head lowered, Li Yucheng's eyes were calm.
"Having submitted it to Imperial Father, every word written is naturally true."
"Heh..."
Li Yaoxuan's cloudy eyes cleared for a moment. He sized up his eldest legitimate son for several breaths, his gaze sharp enough to send chills down one's spine.
Li Yucheng remained silent, his head lowered.
After several breaths, Li Yaoxuan let out a long breath, uncrossed his legs, and slowly rose from the daybed.
"As the Crown Prince regent, you may not know this, but Dongying Island has actually already sent envoys to our Di'an."
Speaking as he went, Li Yaoxuan walked toward Li Yucheng. His steps were very light, yet they felt as though they were stepping directly on Li Yucheng's heart.
After a moment of silence, Li Yucheng lowered his head and spoke:
"Your son is aware of the Dongying envoys. Does Imperial Father refer to those blond ghost humans?"
"Ghost humans? Those people hardly deserve the title of ghosts."
Li Yaoxuan murmured with a faint chuckle. Passing by Li Yucheng, he halted before an antique display rack and casually took down a rather peculiar rapier from among the priceless curios resting upon it.
With a casual flourish, he traced a sword bloom in the air, yet the gleaming sword light still made the room's illumination dim by several shades.
Having done so, Li Yaoxuan inspected the rapier in his hand and said in a fine voice:
"This sword is the greeting gift they presented to Us. Heh, the craftsmanship is exquisite, and the material is passable—barely comparable to our Great Yan's second-grade forging materials."
"Imperial Father, an unknown enemy must not be underestimated. This rapier may not necessarily be their best," Li Yucheng cautioned in a low voice.
Hearing this, Li Yaoxuan put the rapier back, letting out an ambiguous chuckle.
"You are right. What you set forth in this morning court record is also right. Rather than letting an unknown enemy sleep soundly beside our Great Yan's couch, continuing to be neighbors with those short-sighted Wa who know only to plunder maritime merchants is clearly more advantageous.
"We and the Chancellor have indeed discussed this matter, and We intend to dispatch an imperial commissioner to oversee and monitor Dongying."
At this point, Li Yaoxuan suddenly shifted the conversation and asked softly:
"Yucheng, though you are rather rigid in certain matters, having served as regent for so long, you should understand what such an action signifies, yes?"
As the words fell, the atmosphere in the entire room seemed to freeze.
What did it signify?
Li Yucheng knew full well what it signified.
Sending the Third Prince, Li Junqing, to Dongying meant that all the power his full brother wielded in Great Yan would be vacated.
And given the current court situation, it was impossible for that power to be smoothly handed over to him, the Crown Prince.
In other words, the Imperial Merchant Guild previously controlled by the Crown Prince's faction, part of the Imperial Shadow Guard, and the various personal networks Li Junqing had privately cultivated in the imperial court would all cease to exist.
Taking a deep breath, Li Yucheng maintained an even tone:
"Your son understands."
"As the eldest, you certainly dote on the third."
"Junqing and your son are full brothers of the same mother..."
"Did you truly not do this to remove Junqing from Our sight?"
"......" Li Yucheng remained silent.
Li Yaoxuan looked at his eldest legitimate son with a beaming smile and continued:
"Am I right? After all, with this body of Ours, We likely have only a few years left to live. If Junqing is reassigned outward now, he will naturally be excluded from Our considerations."
*Thud.*
The moment those words fell, Li Yucheng knelt straight onto the ground with his head pressed down, his fists clenching slightly:
"May Imperial Father perceive your son's true intent with clarity."
Li Yaoxuan looked at the kneeling Crown Prince before him, slowly bent down to help him up, and gazed into his eyes at close range:
"Yucheng, why are you so nervous? We were merely making casual conversation. To you as Crown Prince, Junqing is no different from your left and right arms. Sending him away might keep him far from Our sight, but it is also tantamount to severing one of your own arms in front of Zhaoyuan.
"Let Us guess:
"Even if you had not spoken of this, Junqing would likely have come to Us on his own anyway. After all, ever since he was small, that lad has always had a disposition that fears trouble."
As he spoke, a momentary softness flashed through the depths of Li Yaoxuan's sharp eyes.
He remembered that in those days, whenever these little whelps caused trouble, the one who fled the fastest was always that brat Li Junqing.
While the other princes were receiving their beatings with the rod, that lad had already scurried back to his imperial mother's side to hide.
The gentleness vanished in a flash. Having helped Li Yucheng up, Li Yaoxuan sat back down on the daybed.
Tightening the imperial dragon robe around him, the old man looked through the window lattice at the boundless sky outside, sighing as he spoke:
"We... sometimes truly envy Xu Yinhe."
Silence followed his words. After a few breaths of quiet, Li Yaoxuan suddenly chuckled low:
"Heheheh... It seems We truly have grown old, even beginning to pine over the past and lament the present."
Looking at the hunched old man muttering to himself on the daybed, a complicated emotion flashed in Li Yucheng's eyes. He spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito:
"Imperial Father..."
Halfway through his words, Li Yaoxuan's blade-like gaze swept over. Li Yucheng's mind cleared instantly, and he swallowed the remaining words down.
This imperial father of his did not need any comfort or pity.
Since he had already done what he did, he would never regret it.
The words just now were merely the musings of a man nearing seventy.
Moreover, the imperial clan was destined never to become a family like that of the Prime Minister's Manor.
Li Yaoxuan reined in all expression and said softly without emotion:
"We already understand your stance. Regarding Junqing, We approve."
Li Yucheng dropped to his knees in a bow:
"Your son thanks Imperial Father."
Li Yaoxuan did not immediately let Li Yucheng leave. His fingertips tapped lightly against the low table on the daybed as he asked softly:
"Where did you go when you left your manor last night?"
Li Yucheng's downcast pupils contracted slightly.
He knew his imperial father was aware of his movements, yet he had not expected his imperial father would ask this question.
Events similar to last night had already occurred several times. After repeated soundings and trials, according to his judgment, his imperial father should have tacitly consented to this behavior of his.
To bring it up now...
His thoughts spun rapidly. Unable to fathom the imperial will of this father of his, Li Yucheng could only brace himself and speak truthfully:
"Your son... went to meet the son of the Vice Minister of War."
"Wang Xianzhi?"
"Wang Licheng."
"That bastard son of Wang Yuqian's?"
"Yes."
"It seems Zhaoyuan truly has pressed you into a corner, driving you to demean yourself to meet a mere bastard."
"......" Li Yucheng fell silent.
The bluntness of his imperial father's words made it difficult for him to respond.
Yet, after his hand tightened slightly beneath his sleeve, Li Yucheng still said softly:
"A person's talent should not be judged high or low by their birth."
"Oh?"
Seeing him talk back, Li Yaoxuan chuckled softly.
"A mere single night's conversation is enough to make you, the Crown Prince, talk back to Us. It seems your evaluation of that man is quite high."
"Your son is merely speaking the truth."
"Enough. None of that is important."
Li Yaoxuan showed no intention of pursuing that topic, continuing on his own:
"Your line of thinking is decent enough. It is merely a pity that there does not seem to be enough time left for you to plant pieces and lay out your board. Even if you recruit that man and keep him as a hidden piece in the Prime Minister's Manor, he will in all likelihood never be of use."
"......"
Hearing this, a strange light flickered in Li Yucheng's eyes.
He sensed the hidden meaning with which his imperial father was prompting him.
A hidden piece that required time to lay out could not be used in time. In other words, if he wished to secure his position as Crown Prince, he would have to rely on ready-made forces that required no preliminary setup.
With that thought, Li Yucheng lifted his gaze toward the hunched old man sitting cross-legged on the daybed, his eyes carrying a probe.
Seeing his eldest son's gaze, Li Yaoxuan shook his head gently:
"Yucheng, among Our many imperial sons, We truly favor you the most. We favor your upright integrity and your magnanimity that holds all under heaven in your heart. Yet in certain matters, a gap indeed exists between you and Junqing, and between you and Zhaoyuan."
At this point, Li Yaoxuan let out a sigh:
"Had it been the two of them, the moment We asked the very first question, they would in all likelihood have already understood Our meaning."
A trace of dejection flashed across Li Yucheng's gentle eyes. He bowed his head slightly:
"Your son has disappointed Imperial Father."
"We do not mean to blame you. At certain times, this is a flaw, but at other times, it is also a virtue."
Li Yaoxuan reclined sideways against the daybed once more, his gaze drifting faintly toward the window: "So long as... you understand it now, that is enough."
"......"
Upon hearing his imperial father's dismissal, Li Yucheng did not immediately rise to leave. Instead, he remained kneeling in place.
Incense smoke drifted faintly; silence reigned in the room.
Seeing the Crown Prince continually kneeling in Qingxin Pavilion, Li Yaoxuan's brow gradually furrowed:
"You do not withdraw—do you expect Us to invite you out personally?"
Li Yucheng raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze and said softly:
"Imperial Father, your son believes this action is not—"
*Bang!*
Before his words could finish, Li Yaoxuan slammed his palm down directly onto the low table on the daybed.
A gale whipped up in an instant within the room, sending the silk curtains fluttering relentlessly. By the time everything settled, the low table on the daybed, along with the morning court record Li Yucheng had written today, had been reduced to dust together.
Li Yaoxuan stared at the Crown Prince before him, the warmth in his voice dropping slightly:
"We have already given you a path to walk. Whether you are willing to walk it is your own affair.
"Now, get out."
Chapter 465