And What About You?

"Once word spread of Li Zhaoyuan leading his army back in triumph by imperial decree, quite a few voices arose in court claiming His Majesty wishes to name a new heir apparent. If he truly enters the capital... heheheh." As he spoke, Xu Yuan fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man's expression, smiling as he remarked, "For an empire's crown prince, your life really is quite pathetic." "..." Brocaded robes stirred, the giant pythons embroidered on his sleeves seeming to writhe with life beneath the moonlight. Li Yucheng took his seat, his demeanor steady as ever, speaking with gentle elegance, "The halls of court are filled with clamor, but Imperial Father is far-sighted. He would never take an action that shakes the very foundation of the realm." Setting his porcelain cup onto the solid round table, Xu Yuan smiled, shook his head, and murmured, "...Shakes the foundation of the realm? Your Highness Crown Prince, are you playing dumb right now, or are you truly oblivious?" The roar from the rear courtyard earlier had already startled the birds from the woods; Xu Yuan's teasing, bantering voice flowed smoothly through the quiet courtyard. Li Yucheng lightly rested a fingertip against the rim of the porcelain cup before him, his expression unchanged as he smiled. "The Third Young Master may speak candidly." "Then I won't hold back," Xu Yuan chuckled in reply. Then, with a straightforward smile, he asked: "Crown Prince, "just how much is that heir apparent status of yours actually worth right now?" "Xu Changtian!" The moment the words fell, just like a loyal hound that could not bear to see its master humiliated, the Crown Prince's senior attendant standing by immediately snarled: "There must be a limit to your insolence! To insult him like—" "Senior Attendant." Li Yucheng cut his loyal servant short. Directly coming to blows with the Emperor's senior attendant was proof enough of the young man's arrogant disposition. Not to mention, as the heir apparent of Great Yan, he truly wasn't worth much at all. Toying with the porcelain cup, Li Yucheng countered with a smile in his voice: "If the Third Young Master has read the histories thoroughly, you should know what immense turmoil has arisen whenever a dynasty appointed a new heir apparent." People often mocked the notion that ancestral systems could never be violated. Yet the powerful inertia of ancestral custom truly existed, especially regarding a matter of national foundation like establishing an imperial heir. Xu Yuan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Throughout history, across every dynasty, whenever an emperor wanted to establish a new heir apparent, civil officials, nobles, and sects would almost invariably stand against him. Not to mention, you have served as regent for decades, Crown Prince. "In principle, with the prestige accumulated over these tens of thousands of days and nights, your position as heir apparent should be as rock-solid as Mount Tai." Having said that, Xu Yuan's tone shifted slightly. He cast a glance toward the summit of Nine Dragons Mountain and asked softly: "Yet you should know, Crown Prince, just how your imperial father reined in his imperial authority step by step after taking the throne, shouldn't you?" "..." Li Yucheng did not utter a word. Yet this silence was not born of ignorance; it was because he could not speak of it. What Li Yaoxuan inherited upon ascending the throne was a bloated empire riddled with leaks and penetrated by every faction. Entangled interests ran rampant; sects, nobles, imperial in-laws, civil officials, and even the eunuch factions were locked in unending factional strife for their own gain. It sounded despairing. In this extraordinary, transcendent world, once imperial authority waned, even eunuchs had no need to remain loyal to the emperor. Because once one's cultivation reached a high enough level, a eunuch's missing parts could grow back. Confronted with such a rotten political landscape—from the imperial court down to prefectures and counties, from external civil officials to the inner palace—any reform decree was mere empty talk, impossible to carry out. The decadent vested interests would never permit any change. To enact reforms and consolidate authority, Li Yaoxuan allied with the current Chancellor to secretly establish an Inner Court—an Inner Court dedicated to overturning and shattering the heavy shackles binding the Great Yan Dynasty. With this newly forged Inner Court, the two men eliminated interest groups like the civil officials and nobility one step at a time, consolidating imperial power to the greatest possible extent. Yet even as Li Yaoxuan wielded the Inner Court to consolidate imperial authority, the 'Inner Court' was likewise using the righteousness of the imperial mandate in his hands. When the hundred officials knelt in submission and the grassroots fell in line, a monstrous behemoth of power coiled at the heart of the empire was nurtured into being within that very Inner Court. Xu Yinhe's Chancellor's Manor had spiraled out of control. Those decadent vested interests of the past could not truly threaten the rule of the Li family over Great Yan, but the present Xu family of the Chancellor's Manor could. If Li Yaoxuan could dispose of a monster like the Chancellor's Manor before his lifespan expired, then even if the sects remained, his title in the annals of history would be that of a ruler who brought about a dynastic resurgence. But if he could not eradicate it, the title awaiting him might very well be that of the ruler who lost the realm. The Inner Court was Li Yaoxuan's greatest achievement as Emperor, yet it was also his greatest transgression. Today's standoff between Emperor and Chancellor was entirely an offshoot of that Inner Court strategy. And so, Li Yucheng could not answer Xu Yuan's question, nor did he dare to. Sipping wine and gazing at the moon, silence lingered for a moment. Amid this quiet, Xu Yuan let out a soft sigh: "Your misgivings still run deep, Crown Prince. But in asking this, I had no intention of judging who was right or wrong in the previous generation. I merely wanted to tell you that the so-called Crown Prince faction around you—whether the Commander of the Imperial Guard, the Secondary Chancellor, or Marquis Wucheng—their loyalty to you is merely an extension of their loyalty to the Emperor." Just like Xu Yinhe, Li Yaoxuan held every shred of power in the imperial faction firmly within his grasp; the influential members of the Crown Prince faction were all arranged by his own hand. "There are no longer any obstinate traditionalists in the current court clinging stubbornly to ancestral systems—or rather, their voices carry no weight at all. If the Emperor wishes to depose you, it takes only a single word from him." At this, Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly: "With this attitude of yours, are you planning to wait until the Emperor speaks before making a move?" Clouds in the sky obscured the moonlight, veiling the glint in Xu Yuan's eyes and shrouding the expression in Li Yucheng's gaze. A night breeze brushed past, the clouds drifting away in an instant, and cascading moonlight poured down once more. Li Yucheng took a deep breath and said in a calm, low voice: "Third Young Master, I understand everything you say. But before I am the Crown Prince, I am first a member of the imperial clan." "..." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, looking at the Crown Prince with mild surprise. To translate: *Though I desire to ascend the throne, if it means being an outsider's puppet, I would rather die.* The integrity of the imperial clan. Though it annoyed Xu Yuan slightly, it still inevitably made him view the man in a higher light. Yet Li Yucheng could not be allowed to refuse. To slaughter the sects, the conflict with the imperial family had to be postponed. In other words, their Chancellor's Manor needed to find an imperial family member of sufficient weight to partner with. Li Junqing had bailed. He disliked Li Zhaoyuan. He couldn't very well go and prop up the Sixth Prince still in swaddling clothes like in *Cangyuan*, could he? After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan drained the fine wine in his cup in one gulp and sighed: "I understand the Crown Prince's meaning." Li Yucheng smiled, rising to offer a bow with easy grace: "I appreciate the Third Young Master's goodwill, but there are certain things I cannot give up." Xu Yuan waved a hand dismissively. "Hey, hey, I'm not finished talking yet. Don't be so quick to see your guest out, Crown Prince." Li Yucheng's gaze narrowed slightly. Remaining standing rather than taking his seat again, he said: "Oh? Please speak freely, Third Young Master." Li Yucheng's abilities were yet to be fully measured, but his integrity alone was enough to earn respect. Not lingering on his seat, Xu Yuan stood up as well, gesturing toward the courtyard gate. "Since we're on our feet, why don't we walk and talk?" Li Yucheng paused in silence for a brief moment before smiling and nodding. "Since Imperial Father already knows the Third Young Master has come for a clandestine meeting with me tonight, there is no need to hide it from others. But I wonder, what does the Young Master wish to discuss?" The two walked side by side along the stone path between lush green lawns, their long hair catching the shimmer of the moonlight. Stepping out through the courtyard gate, Xu Yuan looked at the deep forest trail not far ahead and said softly: "Though Li Zhaoyuan is at the height of his power, Crown Prince, it's not as if you can only sit by and await your demise." Li Yucheng walked to his right and replied with a smile: "Does the Third Young Master refer to that girl Qingyan?" Xu Yuan gave him an odd sidelong glance. "It seems the Crown Prince is already aware." "Junqing told me." Li Yucheng looked back with a smile, walking briskly, his tone gentle yet dignified. "Before his departure, he deduced Imperial Father's imperial intentions for me." Stepping onto the dim pathway, the light faded. Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, curling his lips into a smile as he asked: "What did that kid say?" "It seems the Third Young Master truly shares a deep bond with Junqing." "Fair-weather friends, nothing more." "A fair-weather friend wouldn't lend him troops." In the mottled shadows of the woods, Li Yucheng gave Xu Yuan a deep look. Meeting Xu Yuan's slightly surprised gaze, he explained unhurriedly with a smile: "Do not misunderstand. Junqing did not tell me about that. It is simply that, before leaving the capital, he arranged for me to meet him here today. Yet it was the Third Young Master who came. Doesn't that fact alone speak volumes?" Having said this, Li Yucheng shifted topics slightly, resuming what they had been discussing: "Before leaving, Junqing said that Imperial Father is actually quite hesitant right now." "Hesitant?" "Yes, hesitant." Li Yucheng seemed to curl his lips in the shadows of the woods. "A hesitation born from two conflicting stances: as an emperor, and as a man." "..." Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing. Li Yucheng smiled faintly and recounted as though making casual conversation: "Ensuring the continuation of the imperial lineage is Father's responsibility as an emperor. And to achieve that, your Prime Minister's Manor must be eradicated." At this, Li Yucheng glanced at Xu Yuan. Xu Yuan said nothing and showed no reaction, looking composed, as if listening to a tale that had nothing to do with him. Seeing this, Li Yucheng continued: "Yet as a man, Father has his own ideals, ideals for which he has striven his entire life. "However, this duty and his ideals are completely at odds, and so Father has fallen into hesitation." Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "That is quite a novel take." "Right? I reacted the same way at first. How could a figure like Imperial Father ever fall into such naive indecision?" Li Yucheng agreed wholeheartedly, yet his following words carried a faint, elusive complexity—part jealousy, part regret: "Yet since childhood, that brat Junqing has always understood Imperial Father best. Back when he was still in the palace, whenever he got into trouble, he could always exploit Imperial Father's mindset to escape punishment." Xu Yuan still did not commit to an opinion, teasing with a laugh instead: "Isn't the prince who takes after his father supposed to be Li Zhaoyuan?" "Resembling a father and understanding a father seem to be two different things. Does your Prime Minister's Manor's Eldest Young Master understand the Sword Saint very well?" Li Yucheng countered calmly with a smile. Shaking his head, he let out a soft sigh: "This time, I believe Junqing was right too. "Because he said Imperial Father summoning Qingyan back to the palace is the best proof of his hesitation." As they spoke, the two emerged from the shade of the forest. A small river cascading down from the mountain peak appeared before them, flowing gently along the river valley, its rippling waves glistening in the moonlight. Walking along the valley, Xu Yuan glanced at the water splashing occasionally on the Sishui River and asked: "Summoning Qingyan back to the palace—wasn't that out of fear that she might switch sides at the last moment?" "The Third Young Master truly likes to jest." Li Yucheng lightly ran his fingertips along the wooden railing flanking the river valley, murmuring: "Qingyan did indeed say she would remain a widow for your sake, but she is also a member of the imperial clan. Looking at her through such a lens—doesn't the Third Young Master think that insults her?" Naturally, Xu Yuan knew this in his heart. He said: "Just a joke. Let me guess what Li Junqing said. "His Majesty summoned Qingyan back to the palace for two purposes: "First, to give Li Zhaoyuan confidence, as Qingyan stripped of military command poses no threat to him. "Second, to give you, her elder brother by blood, a chance to approach her. Am I right?" Li Yucheng nodded briskly and said wistfully: "Yes. If I gain Qingyan's support, many problems will solve themselves, and I will have the baseline ability to cooperate with your Prime Minister's Manor." Xu Yuan asked, "So did she agree?" Li Yucheng shook his head. "She refuses to see me." "What?" Xu Yuan frowned. For the first time tonight, he felt genuine surprise. According to what he knew of that breast-binding princess, given her utter detestation of the sects, between the Crown Prince and Li Zhaoyuan, she would inevitably choose the former. Li Yucheng's starlit eyes were calm as a still lake as he said softly: "I do not know why either. "Junqing told me Zhaoyuan once attempted to assassinate both you and her in the Northern Border. Coupled with Zhaoyuan cooperating with the sects Qingyan hates most, winning her support should not have been difficult. "Yet the reality is, she refuses to see me even once." "..." Xu Yuan rapidly considered the breast-binding princess's possible motives, his thoughts ultimately settling on one possibility. "Something must have happened during the war to exterminate the sects of the Northern Border." Li Yucheng voiced Xu Yuan's thought before he could speak it, murmuring, "Zhaoyuan's attitude toward the sects has undergone a drastic shift. Perhaps it is because of that." Hearing his thought spoken aloud by the Crown Prince, Xu Yuan's heart could not help sinking. Li Yucheng looked up at the sea of stars, smiling with a candid tone: "Saying he takes after Father is no joke. Zhaoyuan is truly formidable; putting myself in his shoes, I do not believe I could have achieved what he did. "Qingyan is an extraordinary woman as well. "Vengeance over life and death cannot outweigh conviction. She perhaps believes Zhaoyuan can do better than I." "..." Xu Yuan did not make a sound, his brow furrowed deeply. The breast-binding princess's strange attitude threw him for a loop. If Li Qingyan chose to support Li Zhaoyuan, then the Crown Prince avenue was virtually useless. They would either have to cooperate with Li Zhaoyuan or tear all pretense of civility with the imperial family. Yet if relations between the Prime Minister's Manor and the imperial family shattered, with that woman surnamed Wen lurking nearby, the Chancellor's Manor would very likely repeat its fate in *Cangyuan*. Most crucially, in the present situation, how would his father choose? If Li Zhaoyuan were truly willing to shift his stance and turn his blade squarely against the sects, then his methods and his capacity would indeed make him the ideal partner for the Prime Minister's Manor... Noticing Xu Yuan's expression, Li Yucheng reached out and patted his shoulder, speaking in a calm, gentle tone: "Enough. We have strayed too far tonight. Imperial Father's choice is not yet settled. Between the contest for the throne and his ideals, even if he hesitates, Imperial Father will most likely choose the former. The likelihood of us meeting with drawn blades far exceeds continuing our cooperation." Without a second thought, Xu Yuan raised his eyes and responded: "His Majesty should know that my father has no intention of usurping—" "And what about you?" "..." The words fell, followed by dead silence.