Chapter 1147: Chapter 719: And You?_2

The night breeze softly caressed, clouds drifted away in an instant, letting the moonlight cascade down like a waterfall.

Li Yucheng took a deep breath and spoke in a calm and low voice:

“Third Young Master, I understand everything you’ve said, but before being the Crown Prince, I am first a member of the Imperial Family.”

“….”

Xu Yuan raised his brows slightly, looking at this Crown Prince with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

I may desire to ascend the throne, but if it means becoming a puppet to outsiders, I would rather die.

It is the pride of the Imperial Family.

Although Xu Yuan felt somewhat displeased, he still couldn’t help but regard the other with a touch of admiration.

But Li Yucheng cannot afford to refuse.

If we intend to annihilate the sects, the conflict with the Imperial Family must be postponed; in other words, the Prime Minister’s Mansion must find a member of the Imperial Family of sufficient weight to collaborate.

Li Junqing is out of consideration.

Li Zhaoyuan is not favored.

It’s impossible to, like with Cangyuan, support the Sixth Prince who is still in swaddling clothes.

After pondering briefly,

Xu Yuan drained his cup of fine wine in one gulp and sighed:

“Crown Prince, I now understand your intention.”

Li Yucheng smiled and stood up to bow, his demeanor relaxed and carefree:

“Third Young Master, I appreciate your kindness, but there are some things one cannot relinquish.”

Xu Yuan hurriedly waved his hand and said:

“Hey, hey, I haven’t finished speaking yet, Crown Prince, don’t be so quick to send me away.”

Li Yucheng’s gaze grew slightly sharp, as he stood without resuming his seat:

“Oh? Third Young Master, speak freely.”

Although Xu Yuan had yet to discern this Crown Prince’s capability, his mere pride alone was enough to earn his respect.

Not lingering in his seat, Xu Yuan also stood and motioned toward the direction of the courtyard gate:

“Since we’ve both risen, let us discuss as we walk.”

Li Yucheng paused briefly in silence, then smiled and nodded:

“Since my father is aware of Third Young Master’s discreet meeting with me tonight, there’s no need to conceal anything from others. But may I ask, Young Master, what brings you here?”

The two walked side by side along the stone-paved path through a grassy lawn, their long hair shimmering under the moonlight.

After leaving the courtyard gate,

Xu Yuan glanced at the deep and shadowy forest path ahead, speaking softly:

“Although Li Zhaoyuan towers like the midday sun, Crown Prince, you are certainly not without options.”

Li Yucheng, walking on the right side, replied with a smile:

“Third Young Master refers to Qingyan, that little girl?”

Xu Yuan gave him a peculiar sideways glance:

“It seems the Crown Prince already knows.”

“Yunqing told me.”

Li Yucheng chuckled, turning back to glance at him, his strides light and his tone gentle yet commanding: “Before leaving on his journey, he speculated on Father’s imperial intentions for me.”

They stepped into a dimly lit path, the light fading.

Xu Yuan raised his brows and quirked his lips with curiously:

“What did that boy say?”

“It seems Third Young Master has quite the friendship with Yunqing.”

“Just drinking buddies.”

“Drinking buddies wouldn’t lend him troops.”

Amidst the shifting shadows of the forest, Li Yucheng gave Xu Yuan a deep look and, under Xu Yuan’s faintly surprised gaze, leisurely explained:

“Don’t misunderstand, Yunqing didn’t tell me about it directly. But he arranged for me to meet him in this place before leaving the capital today. Yet instead, Third Young Master came. Doesn’t that itself say much?”

At this juncture,

Li Yucheng subtly shifted the topic back:

“Before leaving, Yunqing remarked that Father is quite conflicted nowadays.”

“Conflicted?”

“Indeed, conflicted.”

Li Yucheng appeared to curve his lips faintly in the shadows of the trees:

“The conflict between standing as Emperor and standing as man.”

“….”

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes.

This was the first he had heard of such a matter.

Li Yucheng smiled faintly, narrating in a tone like casual conversation:

“Ensuring the continuation of Imperial Family legitimacy is Father’s responsibility as Emperor. To achieve this, he must eradicate your Prime Minister’s Mansion.”

At these words, Li Yucheng cast a glance at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan made no response, nor showed any expression, his demeanor composed, as though listening to a tale unrelated to himself.

Seeing this, Li Yucheng continued:

“Yet as a mere man, Father has his own ideals, for which he has devoted his life.”

“But these duties and ideals utterly conflict, leaving Father caught in hesitation.”

Xu Yuan smiled faintly:

“That is quite the novel perspective.”

“Indeed, I shared the same skepticism initially—how could Father, such a man, fall prey to such naive doubts.”

Li Yucheng nodded in agreement, but his next words carried a trace of complexity: a mix of jealousy and lament:

“Yet Yunqing, that boy, has always understood Father best. Whenever he caused trouble within the palace, he could manipulate Father’s mind to escape punishment.”

Xu Yuan still refrained from giving a direct opinion and instead teased:

“Among you princes, isn’t Li Zhaoyuan the one said to most resemble Father?”

“Resembling him and understanding him are two different matters. Take your Prime Minister’s Mansion’s Eldest Young Master for instance—does he truly understand the Sword Saint?”

Li Yucheng countered smoothly with a faint smile, shaking his head as he sighed:

“This time, I think Yunqing may really be right.”

“He said Father’s summoning of Qingyan back to the palace is the clearest sign of his hesitation.”

As they spoke, the two emerged from the forest’s shade.

A river cascading from the mountain’s summit appeared before them, flowing gently through the valley, its surface shimmering with waves under the moonlight.

Following the river’s course,

Xu Yuan gazed at the occasional splashes on the surface of the Si River and remarked:

“Summoning Qingyan back to the palace—isn’t that to prevent her from switching loyalties at the last moment?”

“Third Young Master, you jest.”

Li Yucheng’s fingers lightly brushed the wooden railing lining the river valley as he gently replied:

“Qingyan did once declare her intention to honor her widowhood for you, but she is still a member of the Imperial Family. To assess her in that manner—isn’t that an insult to her?”

Xu Yuan certainly understood this and responded:

“Just a jest. Let me guess what Yunqing said.

“Your Majesty summoned Qingyan back to the palace with two motives:

“First, to give Li Zhaoyuan confidence, rendering Qingyan, stripped of her military power, completely non-threatening to him.

“Second, to allow you, her brother, an opportunity to approach her—am I correct?”

Li Yucheng nodded decisively and said:

“Yes, if I were to gain Qingyan’s support, many matters would be resolved, and I would be preliminarily equipped to collaborate with your Prime Minister’s Mansion.”

Xu Yuan asked: “So did she agree?”

Li Yucheng shook his head:

“She refuses to see me.”

“What?”

Xu Yuan furrowed his brows.

For the first time tonight, he felt genuine surprise.

Based on his understanding of the Wrapped Chest Princess, given her disdain for the sects, when faced with the option of choosing between the Crown Prince and Li Zhaoyuan, she would surely select the former.

Li Yucheng’s starry eyes remained as serene as a lake as he softly said:

“I don’t know why either,

“Yunqing told me that Zhao Yuan had previously attempted to assassinate both you and her at the Northern Frontier. Moreover, Zhao Yuan has allied himself with the sects Qingyan detests most. Securing her support logically should not be difficult.

“But the reality is, she refuses to even meet me.”

“…”

Xu Yuan quickly considered the potential motivations of the Wrapped Chest Princess, his thoughts finally settling on one likely explanation.

“Something must have happened during the campaign to eliminate the sects at the Northern Frontier.”

Li Yucheng was one step ahead, voicing this conclusion softly: “Zhao Yuan’s stance on the sects has evidently undergone a significant shift. Perhaps this is the reason.”

The Crown Prince’s words pulled Xu Yuan’s mood down slightly.

Li Yucheng gazed at the vast night sky, his tone calm yet tinged with faint laughter:

“The claim that Zhao Yuan resembles Father is no joke. He is indeed remarkable. Placing myself in the same situation, I could never achieve what he has.”

“Qingyan is also an extraordinary woman.

“A feud to the death is dwarfed by ideology—perhaps she believes Zhao Yuan would accomplish more than I ever could.”

“…..”

Xu Yuan remained silent, his brows furrowing deeply.

He was utterly perplexed by the Wrapped Chest Princess’s odd attitude.

If Li Qingyan chose to support Li Zhaoyuan, then the Crown Prince route would be as good as doomed. Either they would need to cooperate with Li Zhaoyuan, or they would have to confront the Imperial Family head-on.

But if the relationship between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Imperial Family were to fracture, with Lady Wen waiting in the shadows, the Prime Minister’s Mansion was highly likely to meet the same fate as Cangyuan.

The most critical question amidst such circumstances:

What would his father choose?

If Li Zhaoyuan truly showed willingness to align himself against the sects, then his methods and ambition did make him the best candidate for collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Mansion….

Li Yucheng observed Xu Yuan’s expression, raised a hand, and patted his shoulder, speaking calmly:

“Enough, tonight we’ve delved too far. Father has yet to make his decision. Between the throne and idealism, even in hesitation, Father would most likely choose the former. The chance of war between us outweighs the possibility of continued cooperation.”

Xu Yuan answered without hesitation, lifting his gaze to say:

“Your Majesty must understand—my father has no intention of seizing the throne.”

“What about you?”