Daying Province, Black Scale sub-branch.
Twilight's fading glow settled in the teacup, while moonlight spilled into the room, casting the window frame's silhouette across the yellow paper on the desk. As the final brushstroke fell, the young man lifted his gaze toward the graceful silhouette across the desk, outlined by flickering candlelight.
During the Zhenxi Incident, although the fallout from the Xize director's betrayal had been suppressed through Xu Yuan's sole efforts, it also indirectly proved the extent to which the Black Scale Guards had been infiltrated. After parting ways in Hongnong, Lou Ji had delivered the military intelligence to Yuan Hao and had since been touring the sub-branches across the realm to guard against similar occurrences. Even so, running into her in Daying Province was somewhat beyond Xu Yuan's expectations.
Naturally, Lou Ji was just as surprised.
She did not understand why Duke Xu would allow someone as important as Xu Yuan to travel alone during such turbulent times, nor did she understand why, after not seeing him for merely a month, her younger brother seemed to have changed so much.
He had grown quiet, distant and unapproachable.
Watching Xu Yuan roll up the map on the desk, Lou Ji asked softly, "Changtian, did... something happen when you went to Hongnong?"
Noticing her concern, Xu Yuan replied, "The internal reports should have made it very clear. Up to now, not a single accident has occurred with the planned operation."
Lou Ji narrowed her eyes, her tone turning into a certain, declarative statement. "Then it must be what happened at the Imperial Mausoleum."
Xu Yuan did not think he could hide it from his elder sister, so he answered straightforwardly, "Yes."
"What happened there?" Lou Ji asked, her delicate brows furrowing.
After that day, the Imperial Guard had immediately sealed off the Imperial Mausoleum.
Although the Black Scale Guards had planted spies within the Imperial Guard, when the army executed a mission, it became as sealed as an airtight iron barrel; even if spies obtained information, transmitting it outside was nearly impossible.
Across the entire realm, perhaps only four people knew the truth of what had happened: the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and their respective heirs.
Yet after voicing the question, Lou Ji added, "If it isn't convenient, Changtian, you don't have to answer."
Over ten days had already passed since the Imperial Mausoleum had been sealed off. That she had not learned anything from Prime Minister Xu prior to this indicated the matter was likely unfit for outsiders to know.
"The Emperor died that day."
"..."
Though she had braced herself, the news still caused Lou Ji's pupils to contract, and in an instant, she understood why Prime Minister Xu had chosen concealment and forbidden retainers like them from knowing.
This was an era where strongman politics was etched down to the very bone.
Just as the imperial family and ministers harbored profound dread toward Xu Yinhe deep in their hearts, the Xu family's retainers similarly maintained immense reverence and awe toward Great Yan's sovereign.
With Li Yaoxuan dead and the latent threat eliminated, retainers within the Xu family would inevitably develop traitorous ambitions, banding together to coerce Prime Minister Xu's decisions from the bottom up.
Realizing this, Lou Ji subconsciously looked toward Xu Yuan.
She felt that her younger brother ought to understand this as well.
Yet what met her gaze was a pair of calm, silent black eyes, devoid of any discernible emotion.
Candlelight cast the young man's flickering shadow onto the gray wall.
Xu Yuan rose from behind the desk, his eyes curving into a gentle gaze as he whispered, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"..."
Lou Ji subconsciously averted her gaze, feeling a trace of unfamiliarity in the person standing before her. But after a few breaths, she sighed softly and chided, "Forget it... So what in the world are you wandering out here to do at a time like this?"
"Preparing for the future I want."
"Does it have to do with the symbols you marked on that map?"
"Yes."
"What are they?"
"Necessities for the future."
"..."
Pondering for a moment, Lou Ji frowned and complained, "Your big sis doesn't like riddles."
Xu Yuan looked at her and said nothing.
Seeing this, Lou Ji could only huff and turn her head away in annoyance.
There was no helping it; she couldn't beat him in a fight anymore.
If she tried to intimidate her little brother like before, she would be the only one getting bullied.
Outside the window, the mountain wind grew colder, and silence settled over the secret room.
Xu Yuan turned his gaze out the window toward Daying Province, staring at the sky illuminated by the distant city lights of the provincial capital, and asked, "...The civil war should have started by now?"
Lou Ji looked surprised, then snapped in exasperation, "What on earth have you been doing all this time? How could the heir to the Prime Minister's Manor not know about something so huge?"
Xu Yuan answered honestly, "Ever since leaving the Imperial Mausoleum, I've been traveling through desolate mountain ridges. This is the first populated place I've reached on this trip."
Lou Ji pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation and tossed over a dossier. "Read it yourself."
"..."
Xu Yuan caught it, scanned the contents in a single glance, and laughed.
A cold joke.
Even though the Cultivator Equalization Tax Law had spread across the realm long ago, even though beacons of war had been burning in Xize Province where Zhenxi Manor lay, and even though misty Jiangnan had been thoroughly engulfed in flames of war, the common folk and even officials and noble clans in most other provinces and commanderies of Great Yan still believed the world was at peace, assuming any conflict would only break out locally.
Now, however, that illusion was utterly shattered.
The beginning of the twelfth month in the final year of Jiajing was destined to be recorded in the history of Great Yan, and indeed of all humanity.
On the second day after Xu Yuan left the Imperial Mausoleum,
on the third day after the Black Scale Army reached the borders of Jiangnan,
the Sect Alliance raised their banners under the pretext of "purging evil from the sovereign's side," seeking to eliminate the traitorous Prime Minister Xu Yinhe.
The following day,
the Prime Minister of Great Yan submitted a call to arms against the rebels at the Golden Throne Hall, and Crown Prince Yuan stamped the imperial seal upon it to proclaim it to the realm.
With that,
the localized conflicts within Great Yan escalated into all-out war.
"To think more than ten days have already passed since the civil war broke out."
Xu Yuan casually burned the dossier to ashes, gazing toward the lively, bustling crowds in the distant provincial capital as he murmured, "Just looking at Daying's provincial capital, you wouldn't see the slightest shadow of war."
"It's only peace on the surface," Lou Ji remarked casually, rising to walk over to his side. "'Found a sect, protect a land' is an easy slogan to chant, but hard to carry out. After the Tianyuan Grand Tournament, life hasn't been easy for the Celestial Master Manor. They aren't the only sect in Daying Province. In ordinary times, the other sects were willing to rally around the Celestial Master Manor because it was strong enough to protect their interests within the Sect Alliance. Now that the Celestial Master Manor has declared neutrality, it has essentially made enemies of both the imperial court and the Sect Alliance. Things will descend into chaos here very soon."
Xu Yuan remained noncommittal. "Is that so?"
Lou Ji gave him a sidelong glance, teasing, "Such a flat reaction?"
"Am I supposed to say something?"
"I thought you'd ask your big sis to help them. The relationship between that Young Celestial Master and Xu Changge can't be hidden from me."
"Heh... that really does sound like something I would have said in the past."
"So why don't you say it now?" Lou Ji asked softly.
Xu Yuan fell silent for a long time, then smiled faintly. "This is the path the Celestial Master Manor chose for itself, and I now have my own path to walk. It's hard enough to save oneself, let alone ferry others."
"Go on, keep playing brooding and profound."
"..."
"So, how confident are you in the path you've chosen?"
"The universe is undecided, and the road ahead remains obscured. How can one speak of confidence?"
"Still putting on an act."
"..."
Xu Yuan's composure broke a little, and he glared at his older sister beside him.
The next instant, silence fell.
Lou Ji's eyes curved with a smile as she reached out her slender arms to embrace Xu Yuan.
A delicate fragrance from her hair drifted into his nose. Lou Ji held him tightly, the softness of her graceful figure clearly palpable, yet Xu Yuan felt no hint of amorous indulgence.
Lou Ji half-lowered her beautiful eyes, her slender lashes trembling slightly, her gaze brimming with mixed emotions. "Changtian, having walked this far, your sister no longer has the qualifications to guide you. Whichever path you choose, I will follow behind you. Many, many people will follow you as well. Even if we know full well that the ending is doomed to failure, we will still stand behind you."
"..."
Strands of hair fell loose as Xu Yuan gently rested his face against her shoulder. His body, wound tight for so long, gradually relaxed, and he grumbled in a low voice, "Who starts talking about failure before we've even begun..."
"It's just a way of comforting you. The exact words don't matter."
"Heh heh..."
"Feeling better now?"
"Mm."
"Stop scowling all day long. You aren't a second Xu Yinhe."
"Mm."
"Of course, don't goof off all the time like you used to, either. When dignity is called for, you still need to be dignified."
"..."
Xu Yuan chuckled softly, gripped Lou Ji's shoulders, and pulled back from her embrace, rolling his eyes at her beautiful face. "I'm not an idiot. Of course I know that."
"Good that you know." Lou Ji blinked with a beaming smile, stepped back, and asked softly, "Ready to leave?"
"Yeah. My preparations are still not enough."
"Is there anything I can help with?"
"Not for the moment—" Xu Yuan replied reflexively, but stopped midway.
Lou Ji did not speak, quietly waiting for him to continue.
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then spoke in a slow, low voice, "Actually, there really is one thing I need your help with."
"Just say it."
"Help me find someone."
"Who?"
"Li Yaoxuan's senior attendant."
"All right." Lou Ji agreed without hesitation, not asking for any reason.
Xu Yuan remarked with mild surprise, "I thought you'd ask why."
"Tch." Lou Ji rolled her eyes at him, walked over to the seat Xu Yuan had occupied, sat down, and crossed her legs. "If I asked, would you answer?"
"Probably not."
"Heh." Lou Ji's gaze turned dark and teasing.
They looked at each other for a few breaths and shared a smile.
Xu Yuan said softly, "Then I'm off."
"Wait," Lou Ji called after him.
"Something else?" Xu Yuan halted.
Facing his questioning gaze, Lou Ji hesitated for a long while before speaking in a low voice, "Changtian... ever since the day your father submitted that call to arms against the rebels, there has been no word of him."
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered, but only for an instant before returning to normal. He replied calmly, "I know."
Lou Ji's tone turned solemn. "This time is different. Though your father can be elusive like a dragon whose head is seen but never its tail, during a time like this, he would never—"
"I know," Xu Yuan cut her off, his calm gaze checking whatever Lou Ji was about to say next.
Then, he repeated in a low voice, "I know, Sis."
Chapter 792