Scheming

Once people's material needs are met, they will pursue higher-level spiritual needs, especially for high-ranking officials stationed on the frontier and the children of high-ranking officials who come to gain experience and prestige.

When those in power have demands, those below will naturally fawn over them.

Therefore, it was only natural that some places that were called "outposts" but were actually manor houses were built on some scenic spots near Houting County.

The interior is luxuriously furnished, and the number of beautiful women and handsome men is countless.

And next to Guangzhen County, one of the three border towns, lies a place called Graceful Fragrance Garden.

Because of the southern invasion of the Barbarian Tribe, the once luxurious pavilions and towers here were all reduced to ashes, with only a graceful pavilion standing alone on the mountaintop.

At this moment, under the sky where snow is falling heavily, two figures stand in the elegant pavilion.

One man and one woman.

The man had striking eyebrows and bright eyes, and possessed an extraordinary and heroic appearance.

The woman had fair skin and a delicate figure, her fur coat half-covering her, revealing her flawless, fragrant shoulders.

The man held a wolf-hair ink brush, and his powerful strokes spread across the rice paper.

Pen pauses,

Nan Jinxi smiled and reached out to pick up the Xuan paper, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of amazement. She turned back and smiled, saying:

"Zhao Yuan, I only knew you were an exceptional musician, but I never imagined your handwriting was so elegant and graceful!"

"You, a fox demon, know calligraphy?"

"." Nan Jinxi.

Setting down his wolf-hair ink brush, Li Zhaoyuan chuckled and said:

"People in the world consider music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to be refined, and poetry, prose, lyrics, and music to be talented. I have learned these things only to cater to their tastes."

Nan Jinxi pulled the fur-lined brocade coat that had slipped from her elbows up over her shoulders and gave a soft hum:

"To cater to her preferences, in order to deceive the young girl?"

Li Zhaoyuan turned his head, his eyes calm:

"To deceive young girls? If I had such leisure, it would be quite enjoyable. But unfortunately, I am far inferior to my elder brother. I can only make some insignificant compensations in these trivial matters. Consider this my calling card; many old fogies fall for this."

Nan Jinxi looked away and gently pursed her lips:

"But that young lady from the Secret Investigation Bureau..."

"Compared to women dressing up for men who appreciate them, I prefer Xu Mengxi to embody the spirit of a scholar dying for one who understands him."

Li Zhaoyuan calmly observed the emotions in Nan Jinxi's eyes and said in a low voice, "Your jealousy is quite boring."

"Oh"

Nan Jinxi took a deep breath and said calmly, "Okay, what did you mean when you said they started to suspect you? Aren't you in danger?"

Li Zhaoyuan waved his hand casually:

"No, they have no evidence; it's just speculation based on common sense."

"Speculation?" Nan Jinxi frowned.

Seeing her concerned gaze, Li Zhaoyuan casually glanced sideways in the direction of Guangzhen County:

"If Father Emperor were still healthy, I would have plenty of time to make arrangements and bridge the gap between myself and my elder brother. But unfortunately, Father Emperor is nearing the end of his life. Given the current situation, I only have two paths to surpass my elder brother: one is to cooperate with Lord Xu, and the other is to make peace with the sect."

Nan Jinxi suddenly asked:

"So... you really chose the second path?"

"."

There was no response.

Li Zhaoyuan's bright eyes remained calm, but he did not deny it either.

In silence,

Nan Jinxi sighed, her voice softening slightly, and said softly:

"You're still the same as always. You know I won't betray you, Li Zhaoyuan. Just get straight to the point. What do you want me to do for you?"

Li Zhaoyuan slowly raised his eyes to look at Guangzhen County, which was faintly visible in the wind and snow, and whispered:

"Mr. Zong and my younger sister are preparing to head south; they should have already begun breaking camp in Houting County today."

Upon hearing this, Nan Jinxi gathered her skirt and sat down on a stone chair inside the pavilion, saying:

"You have basically taken over all the fleeing troops from the sect who went north. There is no need for Zong Qingsheng and Wu Yuan to drag this out any longer."

Li Zhaoyuan shook his head:

"But there's still no news from Marquis of Martial Achievement. We still have enough provisions, so to be on the safe side, we should wait for Marquis of Martial Achievement."

Nan Jinxi leaned back slightly, her bare back ignoring the cold as it gently rested against the icy railing.

"Didn't they tell you not to participate in military meetings? Could it be that you've been misled?"

Li Zhaoyuan whispered:

"I have some spies in Houting County. If Marquis of Martial Achievement arrives in the Houting County with a force of 100,000 soldiers, I will definitely receive the news. The fact that they are rushing south before Marquis of Martial Achievement is a sign that they have some other plans."

Upon hearing this, Nan Jinxi sat up slightly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly:

"Now that the 300,000 elite troops of the Northern Border have been wiped out, given your father's and Xu Yinhe's appetites, they probably won't miss this opportunity. Could it be that Marquis of Martial Achievement has taken the detour south like the Barbarian Tribe?"

Li Zhaoyuan raised an eyebrow, his eyes smiling.

"You mean... my father and his group will use this opportunity to directly launch a war against the sects?"

"Your father probably wouldn't agree, but that Chancellor Xu would definitely do it if given the chance," Nan Jinxi said in a low voice.

Li Zhaoyuan smiled slightly and nodded without hiding anything:

"That's true."

Nan Jinxi's slender fingers clenched tightly:

"You... the Great Yan Dynasty is about to declare war on its own sects?"

Li Zhaoyuan gently shook his head and said with a sigh:

"No, of course not. They were abandoned the moment the 300,000 elite troops of the Northern Border were wiped out."

Nan Jinxi's voice carried a hint of disbelief:

"Who told you that sects in other places would sit idly by and watch the Northern Border sects be destroyed by your court?"

Li Zhaoyuan narrowed his bright eyes slightly and nodded:

"How I know it doesn't matter, but that's the truth."

"How is this possible?!"

Nan Jinxi blurted out, her clear voice rising slightly. "Once the Barbarian Tribe are eliminated and the sects in the Northern Border are also destroyed, the power of all sects in the world over your court will no longer be dominant."

"Nanxi, the imperial court is divided into the royal family and the Prime Minister's Mansion."

"."

The vast sky and earth, the wind and snow are silent.

Li Zhaoyuan tapped the stone table inside the pavilion lightly with his fingertips:

"If it were any other time, the sects would definitely have attacked us all at once, but not now, because Father Emperor is nearing the end. The Barbarian Tribe have been wiped out, the sects in the Northern Border have been destroyed, and Prime Minister's Mansion strength of the sects has been greatly weakened. Naturally, the Prime Minister's residence has become the greatest enemy of our royal family."

As he spoke,

Li Zhaoyuan sighed softly:

"Old friends who had shared the same goal for most of their lives turned against each other at the end of their lives. Ah, the supremacy of imperial power."

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence. Li Zhaoyuan composed himself and said in a low voice:

"Alright, none of that matters to us right now. What's important is that Marquis of Martial Achievement isn't in the army, which makes it convenient for me to ask you for a favor."

Upon hearing this, Nan Jinxi realized what Li Zhaoyuan was planning and asked softly:

You want me to kill someone?

"Um."

"."

Nan Jinxi's alluring fox eyes held a complex expression. She bit her lip and chuckled softly:

"You know I won't refuse you. So, tell me, who do you want to kill?"

Li Zhaoyuan parted his thin lips slightly, his gentle voice devoid of any inflection, uttering the names of two people.

Silence fell suddenly.

Nan Jinxi lowered her eyes:

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?"

What good would it do you to kill them both?

"."

Li Zhaoyuan slowly stood up, looking at the endless snow falling before him:

"The former cannot be used by me, and she is my elder brother's biological sister. If she sides with him, I will have no chance of turning my life around. As for the latter, even if she stands on the shoulders of her father, she is still a remarkable person to have single-handedly planned the current situation. The Great Yan will not allow a second Xu Yinhe, not even a possibility."

Nan Jinxi remained silent for a long time, then suddenly asked:

"But have you thought about the consequences?"

"As a result of?"

Li Zhaoyuan chuckled softly, turning his gaze back. "What are the consequences?"

"."

Nan Jinxi suddenly fell silent.

No one knew about the relationship between the two of them, and given her status, the blame would only fall on Ancient Abyss.

Looking at the familiar face of the man before her, her voice was slightly hoarse:

"Alright, I'll go. However, Li Qingyan is too strong in the army. I can only try to kill Xu Changtian."

Li Zhaoyuan raised his hand in his sleeve, as if wanting to gently stroke the woman's face, but he refrained and simply said in a low voice:

"Even if your Snow Spirit Fox's innate talent allows you to successfully infiltrate the army, it's impossible for you to kill any of them. Therefore, I don't want you to forcefully kill them."

"."

Nan Jinxi's eyes showed doubt:

"You mean you want me to inform those sect leaders that their sects are about to be destroyed?"

Once the news gets out, the Northern Border Sects will surely launch a desperate counterattack. At that time, with the help of the Barbarian Tribe, it won't be difficult for Li Qingyan and Xu Changtian to die in the chaos of battle.

Li Zhaoyuan frowned slightly:

"Although such actions may present an opportunity, they will do nothing to harm our Great Yan."

"."

Nan Jinxi pursed her lips, staring at Li Zhaoyuan, waiting for his next words.

Li Zhaoyuan raised a fingertip, and an ancient bronze mirror appeared in his palm. He said softly:

"This ancient bronze mirror is a rare treasure I obtained during my travels throughout the world. I used it to have the Barbarian Tribe kill Xu Changtian and Li Qingyan."

Nan Jinxi reached out and took the bronze mirror with a puzzled look, but her pupils contracted slightly the next instant.

Spatial fluctuations

At this moment, Li Zhaoyuan gently grasped her hand and said, word by word, with great emphasis:

"Remember, you must wait until the Barbarian Tribe are on the verge of collapse before using this item. Only then will you have a chance to escape in the chaos."

Nan Jinxi glanced down at his large hand, then suddenly asked abruptly:

If I die on this trip, will you be sad?

Li Zhaoyuan's fingers trembled slightly, and he released his grip, his long hair swaying gently in the snowy wind.

"If that were to happen, I would have no right to grieve for you, Jinxi."

Nan Jinxi slowly stood up from the pavilion, her fox-like eyes coldly glancing at the man:

"If you want to deceive me with affection, then do it thoroughly. If you want to use me as a pawn, then be even more ruthless. Li Zhaoyuan, the way you are now truly disappoints me."

"."

Li Zhaoyuan remained silent.

Nan Jinxi bit her lip hard, but the words she wanted to say ultimately turned into a soft sigh, which, along with her slender figure, vanished into the sky like snowflakes.