Speaking Frankly

"What did you mean by that, Heir Apparent? Could you explain in detail?"

By then, more than half the people in the courtyard had left. Helan Xiaojun and Helan Yue'er, father and daughter, along with the two elders, Granny An and Eunuch Qiu, had all taken their seats.

Other than Helan Xiaojun, Duàn Yì trusted the other three deeply and did not regard them as outsiders.

Thus, after his future father-in-law raised this question, he selectively explained his current situation and analyzed the general state of affairs between King of Zhenbei and the imperial court.

At last, he said,

"To put it plainly, I'm merely a chess piece and a target that was temporarily pushed into place.

"That royal uncle of mine wants to use me, the imperial court wants to use me, and Prince Duan sees me as a mortal enemy. This is vastly different from what Uncle Helan imagined—wielding great power, deciding life and death at will. I have nothing but an empty title; I'm not being modest."

This matter involved secrets of the Imperial Family, as well as the contest between the Emperor, King of Zhenbei, and Prince Duan. If Duàn Yì had not revealed it himself, how could outsiders have known? Helan Yue'er, Granny An, and Eunuch Qiu were all greatly startled.

Their political wisdom was not particularly high. They had only heard that Duàn Yì had become King of Zhenbei's Heir Apparent, that his status had soared and his prestige shook all directions. They had been happy for him, but had not thought too deeply about it. Only now did they understand the hardship of his situation.

He was treading on thin ice, standing in a dragon's pool and tiger's den, with the possibility of becoming a sacrifice at any moment. This was not something