Standing in the shadows behind the study's window lattices, Xu Yinhe quietly watched the three children still confronting each other in the courtyard.
At first, he had indeed intended to step in and mediate. But once Xu Yuan's explanation—half-lie, half-truth—had left his mouth, it was no longer possible for him to stop it.
He had discerned the core issue beneath that long string of falsehoods from Changtian. And because of that, though his words had seemed neutral, he was actually backing his third son.
Aside from the third son, the other two juniors in the family had both committed fundamental, principled errors throughout this whole affair.
Moreover, compared to the fourth child overstepping boundaries to requisition funds, what the eldest son had done was an even greater usurpation of authority.
From the moment Xu Yuan returned to the capital aboard the Chancellor's traveling palace, there were many matters where Xu Changge could no longer oppose him.
Of course, that did not mean Xu Changge could never beat Xu Yuan again. The Prime Minister's Manor was not a strictly stratified place like the imperial family; the two brothers had grown up like this since childhood. With Xu Yuan's temperament, once his cultivation rose, how could he possibly not go looking for trouble with Xu Changge?
Yet there were two prerequisites before the two could trade blows.
First, it could not be in front of outsiders. Second, it could not involve the core authority of the Prime Minister's Manor.
And Xu Changge had just violated that second rule.
He could stop Xu Yuan from bullying their fourth sister, but after learning what Xu Xinyao had done, he should have immediately stood down and watched, rather than continuing to shield her and striking out at Xu Yuan.
This behavior of his...
Had already infringed upon the authority of the heir to the Prime Minister's Manor.
At this thought, the look Xu Yinhe directed out the window turned somewhat complicated.
He knew this stemmed from Xu Changge's nature.
In his eldest son's eyes, Changtian was still his younger brother far more than the heir to the Prime Minister's Manor.
His intentions were not evil, but they were the root of calamity.
This time, Xinyao's unauthorized requisition of seven million in supplies was a minor matter; as her father, he could dismiss it with a single sentence. But what about in the future?
If in the future he was gone, and the third son made a decision that did not align with the eldest's wishes, only for the eldest to leap out and openly oppose him, what would their subordinates think?
Once such grievances piled up, what would the third son think?
Xu Yinhe believed that given the third son's temperament, he would not be utterly heartless, but power was forever devoid of mercy.
Staring at his third son in the courtyard, Xu Yinhe's gaze held a trace of complexity.
Changtian should be able to understand the meaning behind his words.
Xu Yuan naturally understood, and was even faintly excited.
His old man's remark that he could stay out of the dispute between the two brothers was essentially telling him to go "enlighten" his eldest brother.
And by any means necessary.
He had already wanted to thrash this poser, and now he even had proper justification to do so.
The water-repelling array blocked the curtain of autumn rain that filled the sky. An autumn breeze swept over the golden parasol trees in the courtyard, sending withered leaves drifting down.
Xu Yuan walked toward the study, not forgetting to cast a meaningful look at his eldest brother.
Xu Changge outright ignored Xu Yuan's provocation.
Although he didn't agree with the methods, he had indeed crossed the line in this matter, so for now, he didn't want to bicker with the boy.
Yet very quickly,
Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Changge caught his third brother raising a hand, pointing at him, pointing at the ground of the courtyard, and mouthing four words:
*Don't. You. Run. Away.*
"..."
Xu Changge felt as if ants were crawling over his fists.
Taking two deep breaths, Xu Changge turned his gaze away, still intending not to stoop to his brother's level. But after seeing the boy's face full of playful mockery, he finally broke his composure.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Changge cast a frosty glance at the kid and spat out:
"Get over to the Sword Pavilion."
With those words spoken,
*Whoosh—*
Accompanied by a gust of clear wind, the green-robed figure vanished in an instant.
His speed was so astonishing that even a Transcendent powerhouse invincible in the same realm unconsciously halted in his tracks.
Looking in the direction Xu Changge had vanished, the corner of Xu Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.
*Bad.*
*Transcendent Realm.*
"Father, did Xu Changge really break through?"
The first thing Xu Yuan asked upon entering the door was this.
The study remained the same study: intricate bookshelves, stacked dossiers, the scent of burning herbs mingled with the ink of paper scrolls in the air. Only the desk at the very back seemed to have been replaced with a new one.
This time, however, Xu Yinhe was not behind the desk reviewing documents. Instead, he sat beside the low tea table on the eastern side of the study, brewing fragrant tea.
Hearing Xu Yuan's question, Xu Yinhe did not answer immediately. Holding a small kettle, he scalded the porcelain cups with boiling mountain spring water, unhurriedly going through the many steps of the tea ceremony. He pushed a steaming cup of fragrant tea in front of Xu Yuan, who had already sat down across from him, and dismissed the rain-repelling array in the inner courtyard before speaking softly:
"Yes, he broke through."
"..."
Looking at the porcelain cup before him and the steam rising from it, Xu Yuan wrestled with it for a long while before suddenly smiling with relief:
"Since Xu Changge has also broken through, yet you still told me to go rein him in, Father, that must mean my strength is already—"
"When did your father ever say to convince Changge with violence?"
"..."
The air suddenly fell silent.
Without the barrier of the array, the lingering autumn rain trickled down, pattering against the eaves. The autumn wind slipping through the window lattices carried a faint chill, blowing cold against the body.
Looking at his third son, Xu Yinhe's deep eyes held a faint, indiscernible smile:
"Afraid?"
"No, not at all, how could I be?"
Xu Yuan fired off his denial in three quick pulses, then said in a measured voice, "I had already suspected his breakthrough to the Transcendent Realm on the road back to the capital. Having it verified just now only surprised me a bit."
Listening to the autumn rain on the wind, Xu Yinhe took a light sip of the pale green tea and said, "If you are truly unwilling, your father can go to the Sword Pavilion in person to have a word with Changge."
"No need."
Xu Yuan hurriedly refused.
Having finally obtained imperial sanction to beat his brother, there was no way he was letting it slip away.
"It's just a bit more trouble, that's all. Even if he broke through to Transcendent, my chances of winning only dropped from a hundred percent to ninety."
"..."
Xu Yinhe stared at the smile on his third son's face for several breaths, then chuckled.
"Good. Very confident."
Xu Yuan didn't bother being modest either, saying frankly:
"Without such cultivation, how could I participate in this game of Di'an?"
Xu Yinhe stroked the rim of his porcelain cup with a fingertip and said leisurely, "In this life, your father foresaw many things, yet I never foresaw that you, Changtian, would grow so quickly."
Xu Yuan picked up the porcelain cup before him, took a light sip, and said, "After all, time is running short. Many things required taking dangerous gambles."
"..."
The autumn rain sounded in the wind; a gentle flame brewed the tea.
Xu Yinhe's expression remained calm, yet hidden within those deep black eyes was a sliver of self-reproach.
Though he had not seen it in person, the reports from his subordinates had relayed most of what this third son of his had experienced over these past few years.
Whether it was the destruction of the Jingjiang Xu Manor, the journey to Myriad Phenomena City, or the War of Barbarian Extermination.
Every time, he had walked into the jaws of death to carve out a life. A single misstep would have cast him into utter oblivion.
Not long ago, the upheaval in the Western Desert had even forced Changtian into a situation where death was all but certain, all because of a misjudgment on his part as a father.
Yet even so,
The boy before him had still carved out a path of survival from that fatal trap.
Yet it was never supposed to have been like this.
These matters, these risks, should have been borne by him, the father, but now they all weighed upon the shoulders of his third son.
Xu Yinhe wanted to say something, but when the words reached his lips, only three emerged:
"Very good."
After a quiet pause,
Xu Yinhe took a light breath, slowly set down his porcelain cup, and said with utmost solemnity:
"Changtian, thank you.
"You have created much leeway for your father to choose."
"..."
Being thanked so formally and solemnly by his old man for the first time, Xu Yuan was momentarily stunned. But after a brief thought, he smiled and said:
"Father, 'thank you' is the least valuable phrase in this world."
"..."
Xu Yinhe was slightly taken aback and was about to ask what his third son wanted, only to see Xu Yuan retrieve two jade bottles of fine vintage directly from his Sumeru ring and say:
"So today, let's not drink tea. Let's switch to wine."
"..."
Hearing this, the Chancellor of Great Yan, who held absolute sway over the realm, was caught off guard in a rare moment of daze. But soon, he nodded in agreement, a trace of a smile entering his deep, steady tone:
"Naturally. But Changtian, where did you get this century-old Xiangfeng jar?"
While pouring wine for his old man, Xu Yuan said casually:
"I went to the Black Prison to see Maternal Grandfather. He gave it to me."
Xu Yinhe took the porcelain cup, sampled a sip, and said softly:
"It seems Lou Ji kept quite a few things from me on your behalf."
"I asked her to. I hope Father will not take offense."
Such an act was quite an overstep, but Xu Yuan knew this old man wouldn't mind, so he spoke his true thoughts directly:
"I want to release Maternal Grandfather."
"You may."
"I went to see Maternal Grandfather a while back, and he no longer harbors hatred... Huh?"
Halfway through, Xu Yuan suddenly lifted his eyes and asked hesitantly:
"Father, you agreed just like that?"
"You must have your own judgment in doing so. There is no need to explain it to your father."
Xu Yinhe sipped this familiar yet foreign nectar, a hint of reminiscence in his dark pupils, and murmured softly:
"Just earlier in Moyin Pavilion, your father already instructed them."
What had the old man instructed?
It went without saying.
In all likelihood, he had told Lou Ji and the others to obey his orders to the greatest extent possible.
Yet wasn't this a bit too hasty?
Seeing Xu Yuan's hesitation, Xu Yinhe offered a gentle explanation: "For matters of great importance, they will still report to your father."
Xu Yuan immediately let out a sigh of relief.
He had thought his old man was preparing to hand over power completely and arrange his affairs before dying.
As long as it was merely serving as regent in advance, that was fine.
Though compared to the current crown prince's regency, which was more symbolic than substantive, his actual power here was clearly far greater.
Pondering silently, Xu Yuan suddenly asked:
"Father, when I entered the capital, I only saw Li Zhaoyuan's army to the north of Di'an City. Our Black Qilin Army and the Marquess of Wucheng's Beifeng Army..."
"That was His Majesty's intent."
Xu Yinhe spoke unhurriedly, casting a glance toward the imperial palace. "The rebellion in the three northern provinces has been quelled, but men are still needed to garrison them."
Xu Yuan fell silent for a moment, then lowered his voice:
"Does His Majesty truly intend to let Li Zhaoyuan succeed the throne?"
Xu Yinhe raised his eyes to glance at him and asked:
"Your father cannot be certain of His Majesty's mind, but do you still wish to kill him?"
"..."
Silence.
His old man had asked him this question once before.
That time, his answer had been resolute and decisive.
Yet this time,
The question plunged Xu Yuan into sudden silence.
Back when he read that internal report and saw Li Zhaoyuan joining hands with the Wanyao Sect to plunge tens of millions of common folk in the Northern Border into plague as a stepping stone, the nausea had made him want to kill Li Zhaoyuan immediately.
Yet now...
Xu Yuan discovered that he had changed.
He had become so very cold-blooded.
The deaths of tens of millions of common folk could not compare to the hatred of Li Junwu alone.
Looking at his third son, who had lapsed into silence, Xu Yinhe gently laid a dossier before Xu Yuan:
"This is a dossier Lou Ji brought back concerning Li Zhaoyuan."
Seeing that his third son didn't pick it up, Xu Yinhe stated in a calm tone:
"In just over a year, Li Zhaoyuan severed all ties with the sects. Wanyao Valley was slaughtered by him, all evidence destroyed, and the hundred thousand sect elites have already pledged their loyalty to him through the war."
"..."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan unconsciously lifted his eyelids.
Wanyao Valley was no fool, and neither were the sects.
The former would certainly have guarded against Li Zhaoyuan erasing his dirty tracks, preparing all manner of countermeasures.
The latter posed an even greater problem.
The loyalty of the officers and soldiers, the cultivation arts of the military arrays, the provisions, rations, and pills for a hundred thousand troops, as well as the families and relatives of those soldiers—all were variables of uncertainty.
And these were merely what Xu Yuan had thought of in an instant; what Li Zhaoyuan had actually faced in reality would have been far more.
These problems were tangled together like a ball of yarn, yet in only a single year, Li Zhaoyuan had woven them into a suit of armor for himself.
Rain pattered against the window lattices.
Xu Yuan drained the Xiangfeng nectar in his cup and said softly:
"I think I understand why the Emperor favors this fellow. It seems he truly crawled his way out of hell."
Xu Yinhe offered this evaluation:
"Li Zhaoyuan's methods are no less formidable than Li Yaoxuan's were back in his day."
Hearing such high praise, Xu Yuan unconsciously glanced toward the north of the city, exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, and stroked the smooth rim of his cup:
"Father, the road climbing to the mountain peak is hard to walk, but rolling down should be very fast."
The light grew dim. The rain cascading from the eaves formed a curtain of beads falling to the earth.
Looking at the dark chill in his third son's eyes, Xu Yinhe did not pursue the topic further, turning instead to say:
"Though she brought no troops, Wuyuan has also returned to the capital by imperial decree. She should be in the palace right now."
Xu Yuan frowned slightly, pondering as he asked:
"What does the Emperor mean by this?"
Li Qingyan shouldn't have entered the capital. If Li Yaoxuan truly intended to use her, he should have had that chest-binding princess garrison her troops near the capital region.
"Perhaps it is to pave the way for Li Zhaoyuan, or perhaps for something else. Your father can no longer see through Li Yaoxuan's thoughts at all."
As Xu Yinhe replied, he turned his head to gaze at the palace atop the mountain peak, murmuring in a low, deep voice:
"Changtian, Nine Dragons Mountain was once a volcano, and now this volcano is about to erupt. If you have anything you wish to do, do it quickly. Li Yaoxuan does not have much time left, and the imperial family will likely make its move soon."
"If that is so, why don't we strike first?"
Xu Yuan looked at his father, whose face was as still as an ancient pool.
He couldn't quite understand.
In *Cangyuan*, the imperial family had virtually zero presence, purged by the Prime Minister's Manor across every single timeline.
Yet soon,
The black-robed, middle-aged man before him provided Xu Yuan with the answer:
"Your father just said it: Changtian, you gave your father more leeway in making choices. Unless absolutely necessary, the imperial family must remain an ally. The Prime Minister's Manor alone cannot support this crumbling edifice..."
"..."
The tea had grown cold, and the wine rippled gently.
Xu Yuan asked probingly, "Is it because of that woman surnamed Wen?"
Xu Yinhe's gaze instantly sharpened. He asked in a measured tone, "It seems she spoke to you of certain things."
Xu Yuan nodded, weighed his words slightly, and said concisely:
"She said she intends to wage war on Heaven, which is why she needs to take this world."
When those words fell,
Xu Yuan had thought his old man would brush them off, but Xu Yinhe merely lowered his eyelids slightly.
Inside the vast study, apart from the dripping of the autumn rain outside, there was no other sound.
After who knew how long, Xu Yinhe finally murmured in a distant voice:
"...Intends to wage war on Heaven. So that was it."
"..."
Watching his old man's expression, Xu Yuan asked tentatively:
"That woman wasn't lying?"
Xu Yinhe did not give a direct answer. He merely smiled and said:
"Changtian, examine your father."
"..."
Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, but complied obediently.
Previously, his cultivation had been insufficient, and all his spiritual vision could perceive was pitch blackness. But now he had stepped into the Transcendent Realm. Though his old man was a Saint, Xu Yuan should still be able to see through, especially since his old man had said so himself—he was certainly leaving his defenses down.
His spiritual vision reached out, sweeping toward the middle-aged man in black across from him.
In the next instant,
Xu Yuan's pupils shrank violently, and he stared dumbfoundedly at the smiling, middle-aged man opposite him.
At this moment, the thoughts in his mind became an utter tangle, yet all this chaos ultimately converged on a single matter.
Why his father before him had said he could only live at most another twenty years.
The incurable heavenly affliction of Great Yan's Chancellor, Xu Yinhe, was nothing else...
It was his cultivation.
That cultivation which rose incessantly, completely beyond control.
Chapter 709