Night Talk

The world is bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit; the world is in turmoil, all for the sake of gain.

The Guangyang Prefecture City under the snowy night was still bustling with lanterns lining the streets. However, compared to the literary figures and elegant ladies of the past, the streets were now lined with martial arts practitioners wielding swords.

Even though it was past midnight, hearty laughter could still be heard from time to time from the taverns and brothels on both sides of the commercial street.

Looking at the bright lights and bustling activity on both sides through the one-way Veil Hat of the carriage, Xu Yuan felt a long-lost sense of warmth and life.

The bustling crowds of ordinary people hawked their wares, while pleasure boats moored at night drifted gently on the Jinhuai River. Below the brothels, the elegantly dressed courtesans constantly attracted the attention of men passing by.

The then- Guangyang Prefecture was a shrewd official who knew how to conduct himself. The temporary residence he arranged for the two princes was located on the Daybreak River.

A standard riverside villa.

Of course, the prefect did not arrange it directly in his own name. After all, a courtyard in that location would easily cost several thousand taels of silver, and with the addition of array patterns, it could even reach more than ten thousand taels of silver. These were not things that a prefect's salary could afford.

Instead, the donation was made in the name of a wealthy merchant in the city.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, it was indeed a gift.

Would you dare let anyone else live in a place once inhabited by two imperial nobles?

Don't you care about your head?

Before leaving, I heard from Lou Ji, that young old aunt, that the wealthy merchant seemed to be one of the prefect's front men.

He gave away something worth ten thousand taels of silver so easily; over the years, that prefect must have embezzled a considerable amount of silver.

However, he was capable, did a good job, and was very sensible. He had people in the court supporting him, so no one investigated him.

Xu Yuan asked out of curiosity how much he had embezzled.

Lou Ji casually replied that it was over ten thousand.

The top official of a provincial capital located on a major transportation route, who served in the position for nearly ten years, only amassed a few hundred thousand taels of silver, which is indeed considered extremely incorruptible.

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan figured he could probably squeeze some money out of him too.

At the very least, with my status, buying a riverside villa in this city shouldn't be a problem.

But after thinking about it, he decided against it. He wouldn't dare Li Capital in the next few years, so the property wouldn't be of any use to him.

While pondering, Xu Yuan suddenly realized that the carriage had already passed through the most bustling Yusu Street in Guangyang City and entered the riverside road beside the ever-flowing Daybreak River.

The crowds had thinned considerably, but the number of night patrols with knives drawn had increased significantly. They patrolled in groups of three, and you could see a group of them every few blocks.

This area is considered the true elite district of Guangyang Prefecture City.

The residences of sect disciples, wealthy merchants, and high-ranking officials' children are mostly located in this area.

Because of the iconic black dragon on the carriage, no one dared to question Xu Yuan, and the expensive carriages they encountered on the road all pulled over to give way from a distance.

Leaning back on the soft couch, idly admiring the snow-covered river view, Xu Yuan suddenly asked casually:

"Mr. Wang, how much longer until we arrive?"

Mr. Wang was the man in black who had just been kneeling in the snow.

Lou Ji seemed well aware that he was unlikely to tolerate this and would definitely cause trouble for Li Zhaoyuan, so she left him behind early on to drive his horse and lead the way.

As soon as he finished speaking, the black-clad man outside, who was tending the horses, spoke with respect:

"Young master, we'll arrive in just two more blocks."

"Um."

Xu Yuan responded softly, then asked with a hint of curiosity, "Mr. Wang, Lou Ji made you kneel in the snow for so long just now. Aren't you dissatisfied, given your Grandmaster cultivation?"

Grandmaster are already among the very elite in this world, and even in the Prime Minister's Mansion, they receive very high treatment. People like Zhou Chen and Si Ziyu are generally addressed as "Master".

However, Aunt Lou's Black Scale Guard seems to be different.

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare," the man in black replied immediately.

"So you just don't dare to, which means you do?"

"."

The man outside was completely flustered, a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Just as he was about to explain, the gentle voice from inside sounded again:

"Never mind, you Black Scale Guard are all so mysterious. Hmm. Since you said you were almost there, does that kid Li Yunqing live here too?"

"."

Hearing the completely disrespectful address used by royalty inside the carriage, the man in black slightly tightened his grip on the reins and said:

"The Third Prince's temporary residence is right next to the Second Prince's. Shall we go?"

Xu Yuan leaned against the soft couch, his fingertips tapping lightly on the window frame, his chin resting on his hand.

"You called him out; it's been a long time since you've seen him, and you miss him a little."

The man in black's voice was slightly hesitant:

"Is this a notification?"

"Direct telepathic transmission." Xu Yuan's voice was somewhat amused. "As Grandmaster, your Will Soul should be able to cover the entire courtyard, right?"

"It is possible, but it is already late at night, and it would be inappropriate to Will Soul to probe its interior."

"That's true. That kid is obsessed with women, and now that the prefect is reimbursing him, he's probably calling in prostitutes again."

The man in black breathed a sigh of relief:

"Then, young master, shall we inform the gatekeeper?"

"You seem to practice a sound-based Cultivation Method? Just shout it out, say Xu Changtian misses him."

"Third Young Master, the dignitaries of Guangyang Prefecture are gathered here now, and it is already late at night. We fear we may disturb them."

"If anyone's dissatisfied, just tell them to come find me. What are you afraid of?"

"..." The man in black.

"."

"."

Amidst the turmoil of a snowy night and the rushing river, a deep, resonant voice suddenly rang out:

"Your Highness, my young master requests your presence for a discussion!"

The sound, amplified by the Source Qi, was deafening. The ice spikes suspended beneath the magnificent pavilion shattered into ice crystals and dissipated, spreading outwards from the entrance of the mansion.

In the quiet neighborhood, many lights that had been turned off were turned on again.

Almost simultaneously, several powerful Will Soul and Source Qi followed the sound, but quietly withdrew upon seeing the Black Dragon Carriage parked in front of the courtyard gate.

After a few breaths of silence,

"Boom!"

The heavy gate of the mansion was opened from the inside, and instead of a gatekeeper, a handsome young man with bare arms came into view.

Barefoot, with long hair unbound, he seemed to be in a great hurry.

It was Li Yunqing.

The Black Dragon Carriage was parked quietly on the side of the tranquil street, the Inscription Lamp hanging on the street reflecting the black dragon's eyes so vividly.

Upon seeing the carriage, Li Yunqing's handsome face twitched, and he cursed his bad luck inwardly.

This kid's been haunting me, hasn't he?

"."

In silence,

The man in black opened the car door, and a handsome young man in a brocade robe stepped out slowly, hands behind his back. Looking at the bare-chested third prince who was playing his part, he smiled and said:

"Junqing, it's been a long time."

"Elder brother?"

It's me.

"You survived an assassination attempt?"

"."

Xu Yuan's eye twitched slightly.

Li Yunqing composed himself, a glint of tears welling in his eyes under the lamplight, before he hurriedly strode over barefoot through the snow.

As you get closer,

With tears welling in Li Yunqing's eyes and a look of overwhelming emotion, she reached out to hug him, her voice trembling:

"Junqing... Junqing thought she would never see you again, brother."

Seeing this, Xu Yuan quickly grabbed his arm, forcefully stopping him from moving, and laughed:

"This assassination attempt also nearly cost me my life. I hope I haven't disturbed you tonight?"

Dude, you can act, but men shouldn't be too close.

Li Yunqing continued to try to hug him, her eyes filled with tears:

"My brother's survival is the greatest joy I've heard in months Junqing. Even though this has disturbed you, I am overjoyed. With my brother's great talent, his death would be a great loss to our Great Yan Junqing. But it is already late at night, and Junqing am still unclothed."

"Since you are so Junqing, then let's go inside for a chat. I'll wait for you to get dressed."

Xu Yuan smiled and nodded, then headed straight for the mansion.

Li Yunqing's eye twitched.

How can this guy be even more shameless than him?

Before the thought had even settled, the figure had already walked into the mansion on its own.

Standing shirtless under the Inscription Lamp, Li Yunqing glanced at the Black Dragon Carriage, a few black lines appearing on his forehead.

Xu Changtian is looking for him?

Bullshit!

Glancing at another snow-covered courtyard a hundred feet away, Li Yunqing gritted his teeth in hatred.

Why bring the second prince next door along?

Do you think he's too easy to deal with?

However, the fact that Xu Yuan was still alive was a good thing for him.

With a sigh, Li Yunqing put on a smile and quickly walked into the courtyard.

Inside the mansion's courtyard, light snow was falling, and two figures sat atop a high-ceilinged pavilion overlooking the river.

As he drank, Xu Yuan gazed at the snowy river scene illuminated by lights.

"This Prefect Li of Guangyang Prefecture is quite a remarkable person."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan glanced at the beautiful courtesan beside him, dressed in a thin gauze robe that partially revealed her curves, who was pouring wine for the two of them. "It seems I've disturbed you tonight."

Li Yunqing, dressed in a single layer of clothing and draped with a brocade fur coat, leaned back on the soft couch with his legs crossed, and chuckled softly:

"Interested? I haven't enjoyed it tonight."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"Heh, you jest. Your elder sister is also in the city."

Li Yunqing raised his glass and took a small sip of the wine:

"She's not coming to my place anyway."

Xu Yuan gave him a deep look:

"Heh, you're not discreet. If this gets out, it will damage my relationship with your elder sister."

"This woman was born deaf."

"I didn't mention her."

"." Li Yunqing.

Xu Yuan smiled and raised his glass; the bronze cups clinked together, as if they were chatting casually with friends.

"These days, Junqing seems to be living quite a carefree life, indulging in revelry day and night."

Li Yunqing glanced at him and casually tossed a handful of dried fruit into his mouth.

"If we don't indulge in revelry day and night, we might never have the chance again."

The river breeze blowing in through the window made his long hair flutter, and Xu Yuan paused in his drinking.

"Oh, how so?"

Li Yunqing glanced at the neighboring courtyard with a rather shrewd air:

"My situation has been quite bad lately; I almost got handed over by my father to the Prime Minister to be buried with you."

Xu Yuan's expression was strange:

"Who told you that? It's not like they'd go to such lengths to harm you."

"It's very important."

Li Yunqing raised his hand and tapped his head, his tone somewhat helpless:

"If you think about it, you'll realize that the fact that the Emperor protected my second brother means that the power of my eldest brother needs to be reduced. Otherwise, even if my second brother has external help, his chances in the court are not great. In addition, we have to give Lord Xu an explanation for this matter."

"Third Young Master, now tell me, in this situation, who is the most suitable person to hand over?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes showed a thoughtful expression. He then downed the wine in his cup in one gulp and smiled.

"What, you're not calling me brother anymore?"

Li Yunqing replied with a smile:

"I think it's more natural to call him Third Young Master Prince."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Xu Yuan suppressed his smile and looked at Li Yunqing, asking:

"You really have no plans?"

"What are your plans?" Li Yunqing feigned ignorance.

Xu Yuan gave him a meaningful look:

"Your status isn't actually low. You manage the Imperial Clan Chamber of Commerce and also control a portion of the Imperial Shadow Guard. I don't believe you haven't placed your own people within it all these years."

Li Yunqing's tone was very dissatisfied:

"What do you mean 'my people'? They're my older brother's people."

Xu Yuan was somewhat bored, so he leaned back on the soft couch and tapped on the table:

"You almost became a victim this time, and your opinion hasn't changed even a little bit?"

"."

Li Yunqing glanced at Xu Yuan, casually put his arm around the waiter pouring wine beside him, reached into the woman's collar and roughly kneaded her ample breasts, then withdrew his hand and swept it over the table of fine wines and precious snacks, as well as the breathtakingly beautiful river view outside the window:

"One must be content to be truly happy. Even if I am at my worst, living a life of revelry day and night is still far better than the rest of the world. I feel that my current life is quite carefree, and there is no need for me to fight for that position."

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes and said:

I'm not joking with you this time.

"I wasn't joking with you, Third Young Master."

Xu Yuan's eyes showed slight disappointment.

Li Yunqing released the docile and beautiful courtesan beside him, leaned slightly closer, and said in a strange tone:

"Third Young Master, I'm very curious why you think so highly of me?"

Xu Yuan glanced at him:

"In picture books, it's usually someone like you who seems unassuming who ends up on the throne, becoming the crown prince Crown Prince like that, haha."

"Pfft, hehehehehe!"

A burst of laughter erupted, and Li Yunqing even slapped the table with his laughter.

After laughing enough, he let out a long sigh, glancing at the river view outside the window. "Now that you mention it, it does seem to make sense. But reality isn't a picture book, and I truly don't want to compete, nor can I."

"Actually, being a puppet can also sustain your current life," Xu Yuan suddenly said.

Li Yunqing's eye twitched:

"No, how come you dare to tell me anything? I can't keep a secret."

Xu Yuan spread his hands, raised his cup under the moonlight, and invited him to join him:

"You're a smart person. Since you don't want to compete, you won't tell anyone. On the contrary, you should worry about me keeping quiet."

"."

Li Yunqing was slightly taken aback, then his expression changed. He took the wine pot from the waiter, stood up, and personally filled Xu Yuan, clearing his throat lightly.

"Um, brother."

"Don't worry, I'm not that bored."

Xu Yuan chuckled slightly, "Everyone has their own ambitions, and I respect that. However, the time is already very tight. If you change your mind later, the window will close."

Clink glasses and drink it all.

Li Yunqing asked in a low voice:

"Changtian, you've come here to see my second brother, haven't you?"

"You noticed that?"

"If you really want to catch up, why make such a big fuss?"

"Tsk, you're quite clever."

"." Li Yunqing.

Xu Yuan glanced at Li Yunqing, his eyes turning somewhat cold:

"I'm someone of status, so I can't just sit idly by and let myself be assassinated."

As he spoke,

Xu Yuan glanced at Li Zhaoyuan's villa and said slowly:

"Judging by the time, your second brother should be here soon."

"Oh? It seems they're also discussing business over there."

After muttering something, Li Yunqing immediately stood up, put his arm around the prostitute's full and soft waist, and walked out without turning his head, saying:

"Xu Changtian, I'm warning you, don't bother me again tonight. If you do, I'll tell my elder sister that you came to my residence tonight to meet a courtesan."

"."

Xu Yuan chuckled softly, watching the other person's figure disappear, gently shook his head, and murmured to himself:

"Pity."