The Imperial Clan

Footsteps halted, the moonlight shimmering against the flowing water. Xu Yuan remained silent for a long time. Even if he answered this question, it would serve no purpose. Because Li Yucheng had only asked half of it. *What about you?* *What about the retainers serving under you?* If the Chancellor's Manor were merely a regional warlord, no matter how vast, there might still be room for maneuver. Through partitioning territory and enfeoffing kings. In the name of righteousness for all under heaven. Unfortunately, the Chancellor's Manor was coiled directly over the very heart of Great Yan, its influence already creeping through the empire's blood vessels and marrow into every corner of the realm. The contradiction was irreconcilable. The only reason conflict had not erupted yet was the lingering presence of the sects. Once the scourge of the sects was quelled, what remained would be an octagonal cage match between Emperor and Chancellor. Xu Yuan took a deep breath, offering no direct answer, and said, "Giving up eating for fear of choking is hardly a good habit. I did not come here tonight to debate that." Li Yucheng withdrew the hand he had lightly patted Xu Yuan's shoulder with. "Those in high positions must prepare for a rainy day in all matters. I know you came tonight seeking the possibility of continued cooperation between the imperial clan and the Prime Minister's Manor—the possibility of working together until the sects are wiped out." Li Yucheng resumed his stride forward. Accompanied by the babbling spray of the stream, he walked very slowly, his voice soft. Strolling dozens of meters along the quiet river valley, Li Yucheng looked back. Weariness tinged his starry eyes as he smiled. "If you seek 'peace' with the imperial clan, you should head north of the city to find Zhaoyuan. I cannot give you that." "..." Xu Yuan's eye twitched. A formless anger at being toyed with began to flare in his chest. "Crown Prince, what do you mean by that?" "..." The middle-aged man in the golden python-scale robes merely met his gaze with calm, candid eyes. Named heir apparent for sixty years, Regent of the realm for tens of thousands of days and nights. Time had made Li Yucheng experienced far, far too much. The passing years had robbed him of his youth, and stripped away the arrogance from his heart. The sensations of arrogance, humility, haughtiness, and dejection drifted past like smoke before his eyes. He had been born amidst the praises of countless people and raised under grueling studies. The weight of his bloodline had thrust heavy burdens onto him from the moment his memories began. Those around him told him that he would one day sit upon the throne of the Nine Cauldrons, a ruler carrying the rise and fall of the dynasty on his shoulders. Yet now, he was well past fifty, past the age of knowing one's destiny. Power slipped through his fingers like quicksand. That throne of the Nine Cauldrons grew farther and farther from his reach. Through these days and nights, he had panicked, feared, turned hysterical. He had tried to find a way to break the deadlock and secure his position, only to realize with sudden clarity that his fate seemed to have been sealed from the day he was born. His entire life had been lived for his imperial father. From his earliest childhood memories, he had strived unceasingly to mold himself into a crown prince worthy in his father's eyes, yet as his father's mortal limit drew near, he had become an abandoned chess piece. Perhaps at that earlier point in time, when Emperor and Chancellor had been as close as brothers, his imperial father had truly nurtured him to be the future ruler of the realm. So Li Yucheng genuinely did not blame his imperial father. He merely laughed at the cruel twists of fate, the unpredictability of heaven's will, and his own life of rigid obedience. And now... "I am a little tired, Third Young Master," Li Yucheng said softly. "..." *Dammit.* The moment those words left his mouth, Xu Yuan saw the deep exhaustion in the Crown Prince's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately said, "Crown Prince, if you are willing to cooperate, I can guarantee you that Qingyan will stand on your side." Li Yucheng looked back, slightly surprised. "Have Qingyan aid me?" Weighing his words, Xu Yuan asked, "Crown Prince, how well do you know your sister?" Li Yucheng pondered for a moment, then chuckled. "To my shame, my understanding of Qingyan likely pales in comparison to yours, Third Young Master." Xu Yuan raised his gaze to look into the distance at the vermilion palace walls standing atop Mount Jiulong and said, "Qingyan is a woman who despises weakness and loathes incompetence." Li Yucheng raised an eyebrow, countering in a mild tone, "So in Third Young Master's view, Qingyan did not lean toward Zhaoyuan out of loyalty, but because she considers me weak and incompetent?" "No." Looking at the middle-aged man with graying temples, Xu Yuan said in all seriousness, "The fact that you have governed as Regent for so long already proves your ability and stature. But compared to Li Zhaoyuan, you lack an essential temperament." Li Yucheng lowered his eyelids and replied, "What you speak of is boldness—the boldness to swallow mountains and rivers, yes?" Having his thought anticipated, Xu Yuan showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Li Yucheng gave a soft laugh, his tone placid, displaying none of the irritation one might expect when confronted with their flaws, remaining as genial as a spring breeze. "Why be so surprised? I have lived for so many years. If I didn't even know what kind of man I am, that would be truly pathetic." Xu Yuan fell silent. He realized he might have underestimated this Crown Prince. After a brief silence, he finally said, "Since you know, winning Qingyan's support becomes straightforward." "Third Young Master, rivers and mountains are easily moved, but one's nature is hard to change." "Hard to change, but it can be feigned." "Feigned for a time, perhaps, but not for a lifetime." "..." Listening to his words, an uneasy premonition gradually rose in Xu Yuan's heart. He said bluntly, "Feigning it for a time is already enough to help you ascend to the throne of the Nine Cauldrons, Crown Prince." "Yes. But what then?" "..." Xu Yuan abruptly halted his steps. Li Yucheng stopped as well, turning his head with a smile. As their gazes locked, Xu Yuan's expression darkened inch by inch, and he spoke word by word, "I am beginning to not understand what you mean. Care to explain?" Li Yucheng remained unfazed by favor or disgrace, that spring-breeze smile still gracing his face. "The literal meaning. Even if I ascend to that throne, what then?" The warmth in Xu Yuan's voice dropped slightly. "Crown Prince, are you playing games with me tonight?" How could he fail to grasp what Li Yucheng meant? The Crown Prince seemed to have already abandoned the contest for succession. Li Yucheng paid no mind to Xu Yuan's glare. With hands clasped behind his back, he strode steadily forward, his voice carrying a calm, open laugh. "Third Young Master, you seem to have misunderstood something. The one I arranged to meet tonight was Junqing. You are merely an unexpected guest." "..." Xu Yuan instantly caught his meaning. His pupils shrank. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Li Yucheng had already turned back to look at him. "You guessed right. I invited Junqing here tonight because I intended to entrust everything to him." The middle-aged man in the golden python robes half-narrowed his eyes, a sigh lacing his complex tone. "Third Young Master, I thought for a very, very long time about why I, as the heir apparent, would end up in this state. The answer I ultimately reached was unsuitability. The path my imperial father had me study, the temperament he had me cultivate—they are not suited to the realm's current state. I understand checks and balances. I understand the hearts of people. I understand what the common folk desire. But I lack the ruthless slaughter and ferocity that is most crucial right now. Such a thing can be acted out for a time, but never for a lifetime. In that case, why should I not be broad-minded and yield this position of crown prince to a younger brother who is better suited?" "..." Xu Yuan stared intently at Li Yucheng's expression, observing every minute shift. "But Li Junqing has already left." Li Yucheng let out a sigh. "Long ago, I had already recognized my shortcomings, yet driven by personal desire, I kept clutching tightly to this position of crown prince. Now that Junqing has left, I have finally let go completely. Fate truly makes fools of us." "I am asking about your plans moving forward." "There is likely only Zhaoyuan left." "..." Xu Yuan fell quiet for a moment, then asked in solemn gravity, "When you are only a single step away from the throne of the Nine Cauldrons you have longed for over decades, are you truly willing to let it go?" Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yucheng shook his head. "Of course I am not willing." "Then why—" "Third Young Master, I have already answered this question." Li Yucheng cut Xu Yuan off. As he spoke, Xu Yuan noticed a sudden shift in the aura around the man before him. It was a pride belonging exclusively to the Crown Prince of Great Yan. Basking in the moonlight spilling across the mortal world, the middle-aged man in python robes, his youth long behind him, locked eyes with the youth in fine clothing. His voice was deliberate, every word ringing with weight: "Because... I am a member of the imperial clan." "..." Xu Yuan fell silent. Li Yucheng smiled, smiling with genuine joy. "Third Young Master, your insistence on cooperating with me boils down to nothing more than two reasons. First, you despise Zhaoyuan's methods and dread his ability. Second, because of my flaws, I am far easier to control. That being so, as a member of the imperial clan, how could I possibly grant your wish? Even in death, I must never let your Prime Minister's Manor have its way!" "..." They locked eyes in silence. A night breeze swept through the treetops, swirling withered yellow leaves down to drift upon the water. Xu Yuan looked at the Regent Crown Prince laughing freely before him. Did he feel respect? A little. Yet right now, he felt more like cursing up a storm. If the Crown Prince were willing to cooperate, letting him ascend the throne would have saved the Prime Minister's Manor immense effort. Li Yucheng was a man maxed out in domestic politicking and balance of power. His weakness was just as glaring: upon ascending the throne, it would be difficult for him to instantly consolidate the imperial faction beneath him with thunderous force. That window of time would have been enough for the Prime Minister's Manor to accomplish many things. Li Zhaoyuan was different. He had crawled up step by step from hell. If he took the throne, with Li Yaoxuan's cooperation before his approaching end, Zhaoyuan would undoubtedly seize all authority firmly into his own hands from the very start. And as time passed, that grip of control would progressively strengthen until it reached Li Yaoxuan's level. *Motherfucker.* Weren't imperial households supposed to be devoid of familial affection? Weren't wielders of power supposed to be utterly selfish? Why was it that at this critical juncture, every single one of these imperial scions had to be so goddamn infuriating? Thinking this in his heart, yet seeing the man's candid smile, Xu Yuan merely let out a soft breath and quipped half-jokingly, "Then I had better go haul Li Junqing back. That kid probably hasn't had time to set sail out to sea yet." Li Yucheng smiled faintly. "If you can pull that off, I will not go back on what I just said. But if you truly intend to do so, Third Young Master, please make haste. There really is not much time left." At this point, Li Yucheng shifted the topic and asked softly, "You seem to genuinely despise Zhaoyuan. Yet if you were to choose a comrade to face the sects, Zhaoyuan ought to be the most suitable candidate—even more suitable than Junqing." "Indeed he is." Xu Yuan did not deny it. He might detest the sea of blood and withered bones beneath Li Zhaoyuan's feet, but he could not deny Li Zhaoyuan's terrifying caliber and ability. Li Yucheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Then may I ask why you refuse to cooperate with him? Is it out of dread?" "No. He disgusts me." "What?" Li Yucheng was taken aback. "Because he turns my stomach, I despise him. Is that reason not enough?" "...Heh." Li Yucheng let out a low chuckle, and then, as if hearing an uproarious joke, burst into hearty laughter. Stripped of the dignity of a crown prince, he looked just like any ordinary middle-aged man. Once he had laughed his fill, Li Yucheng took a deep breath and said softly, "Third Young Master, given how you despise Zhaoyuan's methods, it is truly hard to imagine you are the very same Young Master Wang who proposed the Five Strategies to Govern the People to me a year ago." During his fake death, Xu Yuan had met this Crown Prince once under a false identity. However, he had not expected Li Yucheng to see through his disguise after the fact. Xu Yuan shrugged and said, "Back then, I already explained that those Five Strategies to Govern the People were told to me by a monk named Shang Yang." Li Yucheng neither confirmed nor denied it, merely saying softly, "Fine, we shall take it as his words. However, I can no longer fulfill what was said that night. I only hope that in the future, Third Young Master, you will not use Lord Shang's venomous schemes to rule the populace." Xu Yuan did not give a direct answer, bantering back with a counter-question: "Crown Prince, the way you say that sounds as though you are taking for granted that my Prime Minister's Manor will come out on top in the end?" Li Yucheng shook his head, smiling with narrowed eyes. "Who told you that you are the only one I have said this to?" "..." Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. This Crown Prince looked gentle and elegant, but his heart was filthy as well. Claiming he wouldn't use it, yet in the end it would still be used—he just didn't want to bear the infamy in the history books himself. Still, now was not the time to fuss over such things. Xu Yuan asked quietly, "Crown Prince, is your mind truly made up?" Li Yucheng nodded with a smile. "Naturally. If I were to become the ruler of a fallen state, what face would I have to meet the imperial ancestors after death?" Xu Yuan let out a long sigh. "Then I can only hope I can haul that kid Li Junqing back. Otherwise, I will have wasted my time tonight." With that, Xu Yuan raised a hand and patted the shoulder of the python-robed Crown Prince beside him. "You have busy affairs of state to attend to. Farewell." Li Yucheng glanced at the hand on his shoulder. The next instant, it vanished. The figure in fine clothes that had stood beside him appeared dozens of zhang away in a flash. Watching the departing figure flicker farther and farther away, Li Yucheng suddenly sent a voice transmission: "Third Young Master, what exactly did you mean earlier by the boldness capable of convincing Qingyan?" "..." At those words, the distant figure came to a sudden halt. Standing atop a hundred-meter banyan tree, Xu Yuan slowly looked back. His gaze crossed a hundred zhang, carrying a hint of bemusement: "Come on, Crown Prince. I had just mustered up some respect for you. Pulling this now—doesn't it make your resolve look awfully cheap?" Li Yucheng gave an ambiguous, light chuckle and said, "I am simply curious what kind of monarch Qingyan is waiting for. You do not have to answer." Xu Yuan chuckled softly and transmitted his voice from afar: "Forget it, it doesn't matter either way. If you change your mind, it benefits my Prime Minister's Manor anyway. Recently, many memorials regarding the Western Desert incident have been submitted to court, yes?" Li Yucheng pondered briefly, made his assessment, and replied via voice transmission: "That should have nothing to do with Qingyan." Xu Yuan said matter-of-factly, "Which is why I am not referring to the incident itself, but the turbulence stemming from it." Li Yucheng frowned slightly. "Those memorials admonishing that sects should share equal taxes with commoners?" "Yes." Xu Yuan spoke unhurriedly, his voice faint and chilling: "If you want Qingyan's support, Crown Prince, then use your authority as Regent to approve those memorials." "..." Silence descended abruptly. After a long pause, Li Yucheng finally murmured, "But if that is done, the flames of war truly cannot be stopped. Furthermore, Imperial Father—" "If a future ruler does not even have the courage to bear the consequences, what right does he have to speak of swallowing mountains and rivers? On what basis could he ever win Qingyan's support? On what basis could he ever gain His Majesty's approval?" Xu Yuan glanced at the Crown Prince with a chuckle and waved his hand. His form vanished beneath the moonlit night in an instant, leaving only a lingering voice transmission echoing behind: "Three days from now, I shall attend court to be enfeoffed for the Western Desert incident. At that time, I will present the new equal-tax law in person. I hope Your Highness the Crown Prince will consider carefully." "..." Even after Xu Yuan's aura completely vanished, Li Yucheng remained standing where he was, gazing up at the pure moonlight and turning the departing youth's words over in his mind. After a long while, Li Yucheng let out a soft sigh, lowering his gaze to his slightly trembling hand. "As expected... is it truly beyond me?" His hand clenched tightly. Li Yucheng turned around, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked toward the courtyard. Looking toward the summit of Mount Jiulong, a smile curved at the corners of his lips: "Yet if it is to pave the path for the imperial clan's future, feigning it for a time should be well within my power, Father."