Beifeng City

The following day, at North Splendor Gate.

Before dawn, the darkest night still shrouded the entire megacity.

The enormous and magnificent city gate stood wide open, resembling the mouth of a giant beast under the illumination of large, Bright Pattern Lamp.

The giant city in the heart of the Great Yan Kingdom sets up checkpoints at night but does not close the city walls, handling the daily needs of countless people.

Amidst the thousands of merchant caravans, a small group of only seven or eight wagons quietly departed the Imperial Capital under the last rays of night, heading leisurely towards the Northern Border.

As they drove onto the official road, the Demon Beast ahead began to accelerate, their hooves echoing far and wide.

Inside a carriage in the very middle of the convoy.

Xu Yuan sat quietly in his seat cultivating, with Li Qingyan sitting beside him, who was resting with his eyes closed, and two old acquaintances sitting opposite him.

The second prince Li Zhaoyuan, and the Third Prince Li Yunqing.

Li Yunqing poured himself a drink from the leftover blue-and-white porcelain wine from the previous night, while Li Zhaoyuan lowered his eyes to look at a book of unknown origin.

The carriage swayed gently with the hoofbeats of the Demon Beast at the front.

Four top-tier second-generation members of the Great Yan were crammed into a second-rate carriage, which looked rather incongruous.

The carriage was very quiet.

None of the four spoke, except for the rustling sound of Li Zhaoyuan occasionally turning the pages of the ancient book.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yunqing slowly put down his wine cup and suddenly spoke with a smile:

"Second brother, what kind of books do you read all day long?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhaoyuan was turning the pages of a book to the side, paused slightly and smiled:

"Some local customs and traditions of the Northern Border."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing let out a long sigh and leaned back on the soft couch.

"Local customs and records? What's the point of reading those?"

Li Zhaoyuan's face, with its sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, was calm and composed.

"Third brother, the Northern Border is in chaos. If we were to end up stranded there, knowing the customs would at least allow us to disguise ourselves."

A glint flashed in Li Yunqing's eyes, and he grinned:

"We're just going to the army to gain experience, why be so cautious?"

"It's always good to be prepared for anything," Li Zhaoyuan patiently.

Li Yunqing sighed softly:

"Second brother, you've always been like this since you were little, always liking to take everything into account."

There was a moment of silence, as the Demon Beast galloped rapidly along the official road, causing the entire carriage to sway slightly.

Li Zhaoyuan's response to this assessment was ambiguous:

"I learned this from His Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Yunqing shook his head, seemingly deliberately saying:

"My eldest brother isn't as composed as you, my second brother. He's slow and hesitant in his actions and indecisiveness. That's not composure."

Li Zhaoyuan's answer was very official:

"His Crown Prince will inherit the throne in the future. How can matters of state be decided arbitrarily? They must be carefully considered before acting. How can I be compared to His Crown Prince?"

"Oh"

Xu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes at this moment, chuckled, and interrupted:

"Second Prince, you are too modest. My father's opinion of you is much Crown Prince than that of the Crown Prince."

The moment these words were spoken, the carriage fell silent.

Li Qingyan remained with her eyes closed, maintaining a cool and aloof demeanor.

Li Yunqing paused for a moment, then his smile turned somewhat amused.

Li Zhaoyuan's expression remained unchanged, but he did not reply immediately.

The ultimate goal of this trip to the Northern Border was to exchange hostages between the royal family and the Prime Minister's Estate.

However, the choice of protons is something that deserves serious consideration.

The candidate was not from the Prime Minister's Estate's residence, but from the imperial family.

The Second Prince has many supporters in the court, but he lacks a top-ranking minister to stand by him.

Under these circumstances, it's hard not to suspect that something fishy was going on between the Second Prince and Zong Qingsheng, the head of the army in the Prime Minister's Estate, who volunteered to be a hostage.

But can these things be said openly?

Xu Changtian's blunt statement was tantamount to putting Li Zhaoyuan in a very difficult position.

After a while,

Li Zhaoyuan smiled slightly, choosing not to hide anything, and said directly:

"I am deeply grateful for Lord Xu 'Lord Xu kindness. I am aware that I still have many shortcomings, and I hope that this trip to the Northern Border will help me make up for them."

He paused for a moment,

Li Zhaoyuan glanced at Li Qingyan across from him without making it obvious.

One's own family knows one's own affairs.

The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Ninth Princess were all born to the Empress.

Li Yunqing openly stated that he was unwilling to vie for the throne, while Li Qingyan, being a woman, could only support the Crown Prince.

The high-ranking officials standing behind these men formed a massive iron curtain on his path to the throne.

But now that things have come to this, he has no way out.

Compared to his three biological siblings, his second brother, born to the imperial concubine, was an outsider.

Otherwise, Li Zhaoyuan would truly be unwilling to cooperate with that old fox, Xu Yinhe.

Cooperating with Xu Yinhe is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger; one could easily be turned into a puppet.

In the silence,

Li Qingyan suddenly opened her eyes, her sharp phoenix eyes sweeping over the Third Prince and the Second Prince with a chilling gaze:

"Now that the Great Yan is beset by internal and external troubles, and its soldiers are shedding blood on the front lines, how can you, as a member of the royal family, be thinking about vying for power and profit? Don't you feel ashamed?"

"."

Li Zhaoyuan remained silent for a moment, a look of guilt on his face, but his mind was already racing.

These words surprised him somewhat.

He had always assumed that his renowned younger sister would support the Crown Prince, but these words suggested she had no intention of getting involved.

On second thought, it makes sense. Qingyan grew up in the Northern Border, constantly engaged in warfare. How much kinship could she possibly have with that Crown Prince? And how much mutual benefit could they possibly share?

So, does that mean Marquis of Martial Achievement will also remain neutral?

Marquis of Martial Achievement was a loyal Royalist Faction, but he did not express his opinion on which emperor he supported.

Thinking it over, Li Zhaoyuan glanced at Li Qingyan again.

If we could find out what this princess needed, perhaps we could win her over.

While Li Zhaoyuan was still pondering, Li Yunqing had already brazenly begun to apologize:

"Your Majesty's reprimand is correct; Junqing has learned her lesson."

The titles for princes and princesses are from two different systems.

It is possible for both the Third Prince and the Third Princess to coexist. Although Li Qingyan is the Ninth Princess, she is older than the Third Prince Li Yunqing.

"."

silence.

Li Qingyan closed her eyes, not wanting to pay any attention to the Third Prince.

Since she returned to Beijing, her elder brother, whom she had only seen a few times since childhood, has visited her seven or eight times.

She wasn't sure if the concern in his words was genuine or not, but given their relationship, it was definitely not enough to warrant him visiting so frequently.

Li Yunqing didn't feel embarrassed at all, and turned to look at Xu Yuan beside him:

"My dear son-in-law, you know, Father and the others are really something. Your marriage to my elder sister is already arranged, yet they still want you both to go to the Northern Border together."

Xu Yuan shrugged helplessly upon hearing this and said:

"His Majesty and my father want to exchange hostages, but we can't send the Crown Prince and my brother instead, can we?"

"."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing fell silent again.

Dude, can we not be so direct with each other?

Li Zhaoyuan smiled slightly at this moment:

"Changtian remains as genuine as ever."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Xu Yuan smiled, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and reached for Li Yunqing's wine, intending to have a small drink, but the young man snatched it away first.

Li Yunqing looked at Xu Yuan with a surprised expression:

"No, what are you doing?"

Xu Yuan glanced at the half-empty bottle of Qinghua wine:

"Have a drink, why are you being so stingy?"

"."

Li Yunqing chuckled softly and said in a sarcastic tone:

"Doesn't the Third Young Master know that you have to pay for what you buy?"

"."

Xu Yuan didn't speak, but put his arm around Li Qingyan's shoulder.

Li Qingyan gave him a cold glance, but did not resist.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan said matter-of-factly:

"I'm your sister's fiancé, we're family, why would family members charge money?"

Li Yunqing stared at Xu Yuan for two seconds, then suddenly laughed:

"What you say is true, Third Young Master. Didn't someone run away from my Cloud Heaven Palace yesterday without paying? That person looks a bit like you, Third Young Master. I'm getting a little neurotic. Come here."

As he spoke, Li Yunqing handed over the blue-and-white porcelain wine in his hand.

Xu Yuan found it somewhat amusing.

If you managed to avoid paying the bill, why should you pay?

Just as he was about to take it, Li Qingyan took it first and suddenly said:

"Junqing, what place is this Cloud Heaven Palace you mentioned?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing grinned slyly.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I've just opened a brothel, and it's full of male prostitutes."

"." Xu Yuan.

Oh no, that kid's waiting for him here.

"A courtesan?"

Li Qingyan narrowed her phoenix eyes, a dangerous glint in her voice. "Did the person who skipped out on the bill stay overnight?"

Well...

Li Yunqing glanced at Xu Yuan almost imperceptibly, and said cautiously:

"Well... I don't know, but it seems he went with a beautiful woman, and they even dismissed the servants and got into a fight. After the fight, the woman just lay on the ground and didn't move."

"." Xu Yuan.

Li Qingyan gave Xu Yuan a cold glance.

Xu Yuan has considerable experience in dealing with such situations.

In this situation, you shouldn't try to explain; the more you explain, the worse it will get.

Without blushing or skipping a beat, Xu Yuan calmly replied:

"The world is vast, and there are bound to be some people similar to me. I practiced swordsmanship at my maternal uncle's place last night, and he can testify to that."

Aside from his two nephews, Xu Yuan and Xu Changge, Feng Jiuxuan has a bad temper with everyone else. Xu Yinhe has to treat him with utmost respect, and no one dares to verify this.

Li Qingyan poured Xu Yuan a cup of fine wine and said with a smile:

"Come on, Changtian, let's drink."

Xu Yuan coughed lightly:

"No."

Li Qingyan looked surprised. "Not drinking? Alcohol is forbidden in my military camp, you know."

Speaking of this,

Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes curved into two slits:

"Of course, Changtian, you can drink it if you're willing to take my whip."

Xu Yuan coughed lightly, brushed aside the wine glass, and changed the subject, asking:

"By the way, does this trip really need to be so mysterious? Aside from flying Demon Beast, why doesn't our carriage even have shock absorbers?"

Li Qingyan gave Xu Yuan a deep look and explained:

"Because of the need for secrecy, the Cloud Qi Bomb cannot be placed in the Sumeru Ring. The Transportation Bureau of the Northern Border government is mostly staffed with spies from various sects. River and air transport are the areas they focus on inspecting, while land transport, with its numerous carriages and horses, is the safest option."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan instantly understood, but he still had to pretend, and said:

"So what if they inspect us? Do you think they'll dare to rob us?"

Li Zhaoyuan, who was reading a book nearby, put down the ancient book in his hand and smiled:

"They certainly wouldn't dare to rob, but they could notify the Barbarian Tribe in advance."

Xu Yuan frowned:

"I see. If we expose ourselves, those barbarians won't take the bait?"

Li Zhaoyuan smiled without saying a word and continued reading and strategizing.

Li Yunqing's gaze at Xu Yuan was somewhat strange.

It seems to be saying,

play,

You continue acting.

No one answered, and a silence fell over the room.

The carriage had been traveling for a while when

Li Yunqing seemed unable to resist the urge to speak again:

"By the way, Third Young Master, there's something you know."

Xu Yuan showed no kindness to this grandson, and retorted:

How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?

Li Yunqing smiled slightly and said mysteriously:

"The female constable with whom you had a deep-rooted romantic connection was previously demoted to Beifeng City."

Xu Mengxi has been demoted?

The last time they arrested him was just a routine matter; his father would never make things difficult for the other party over something like that.

Many people in the imperial court impeached his father, but few were actually punished.

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then, without pretending to be confused, smiled and said:

"They just want to arrest me; there's no romantic connection between us."

Unexpectedly, Li Qingyan did not express any dissatisfaction, but simply asked calmly:

"The Secret Investigation Bureau is going to Beifeng City?"

Li Yunqing nodded:

"Yes, she was demoted there about 20 weeks ago. It's said that she was inflexible and didn't know how to adapt. But it should be that her master sent her there to gain experience. Although the Northern Border is dangerous, it's also a good place to accumulate merit."

Li Qingyan shook his head:

"It's not easy to earn merit in Beifeng City."

Xu Yuan had only been to Beifeng City once when he was a child, and he knew nothing about the situation there.

"No matter how complicated the situation is in Beifeng City, it shouldn't be as complicated as in the Imperial Capital, right?"

Li Qingyan glanced at him and said:

"Although Beifeng City is full of parasites, these people are not weak at all due to years of war. If you dare to investigate their network of interests, they will make you disappear without a trace. Previously, when the imperial envoy sent by the court came to inspect the local tax revenue, a fire broke out at the inn where they were staying as soon as they entered the city."

Xu Yuan crossed his legs and frowned:

"Is the Northern Border border really that chaotic?"

Li Qingyan lowered her eyes, stroking the hem of her silk skirt, and nodded:

"Unlike other border regions, except for Uncle Mu's Beifeng Army, the border troops on this side of the Northern Border have been completely infiltrated by those sects."

As he spoke,

Li Qingyan raised his eyes, a fierce killing intent flashing within them:

"Because of these parasites, the people of the Northern Border, and even many, many of my soldiers, have sacrificed their lives in vain."

Li Zhaoyuan raised his eyes and glanced at Li Qingyan, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

He desperately wanted to know what his imperial sister desired.

She seemed to hate the sect even more than those barbarians.

Thinking about it, Li Zhaoyuan sighed inwardly.

He might not be able to win her support.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan raised his hand and gently patted her back, saying softly:

"Moths should be dragged into the cesspool and drowned, Princess. Isn't that what we came here to solve?"

Over the past few days, Li Qingyan had almost gotten used to the man's physical contact with her, and nodded:

"Once the Barbarian Tribe threat in the Northern Border is resolved, Uncle Mu promised me he would give me a chance to personally purge these parasites."

Silence followed.

The Demon Beast carriage sped headlong along the wide official road toward the Northern Border.

One month later,

The land was frozen for thousands of miles, and snow was falling for thousands of miles. Even though it was already summer, the thick snow clouds in the sky were so dense that they could not be melted. The blizzard that fell from the sky reduced the visibility on the official road to less than ten feet.

After another quarter of an hour, a magnificent city that had kept the Barbarian Tribe at bay for a thousand years suddenly came into view.