How the World Is

After leaving the jade talisman, Li Yunqing gave Xu Yuan a mysterious smile before turning around and leaving the high pavilion of Mystic Moon Tower.

In the stillness of the night, with a gentle breeze caressing him, Xu Yuan stared at the jade talisman on the table for a long time before slowly reaching out to pick it up.

It feels warm and smooth to the touch, and the jade is of excellent quality. In the outside world, the jade material alone would be worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, not to mention the meaning represented by the two characters "Yucheng" engraved on it.

Guest official in the Crown Prince Prince's residence.

When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, this jade talisman will be proof of your merit in supporting the emperor.

certainly,

If another prince ultimately ascends the throne, this jade talisman will be the best proof that you were forced to commit suicide.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan paused slightly as he stroked the surface of the jade talisman, a cryptic smile playing on his lips, before slowly standing up.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't have gone to see the Crown Prince.

After all, Li Yunqing was right next to the other person, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn't say something wrong and be noticed by the guy.

The problem is that the identity his father prepared for him has a specific personality.

In other words,

This Young Master Wang from the family of the Vice Minister of Ministry of War was a real person; at least he existed before Xu Yuan began playing this role.

He possesses both talent and natural aptitude for spiritual cultivation, yet he remains frustrated and unfulfilled due to his status as an illegitimate child.

When such a person encounters such an opportunity, even if the road ahead is uncertain, they will most likely forge ahead without hesitation.

It would seem rather unusual if he didn't go.

Of course, besides that, Xu Yuan also wanted to see this Crown Prince and see what the difference was between him and Li Zhaoyuan.

"Brother, I have already delivered the jade token to that Young Master Wang on your behalf."

Li Yunqing pushed open the wooden door of Heavenly Incense Room and immediately said with a grin to the person inside, "But if you ask me, why do you need to personally come and recruit the illegitimate son of a mere vice minister? This matter should be enough for your younger brother."

Inside the private room, incense wafted gently, and curtains swayed softly. Behind a traditional Chinese ink-wash screen embroidered with green mountains and clear waters, a middle-aged man with a gentle demeanor knelt on a prayer mat, carefully arranging the tea set before him.

Upon hearing Li Yunqing's voice, the man's voice was very gentle, giving one the feeling of a refined and elegant gentleman.

"Only by coming in person can I show that I attach great importance to this matter."

Li Yunqing walked slowly to the tea table and sat down. He casually picked up a cup of fragrant tea that the other person had brewed and drank it all. Looking at his elder brother across from him, he lowered his voice slightly and asked:

"But Your Majesty, leaving the palace at this time will surely displease Father, won't it?"

The man slowly raised his eyes, his pupils dark and gleaming, a gentle smile on his face.

"That might have been possible before, but not now, Father. He has always treated all his children equally. With Zhaoyuan leading troops out, his control over me will naturally be much more relaxed."

Li Yunqing frowned slightly, gently set down the porcelain cup, and the gentle man, seeing this, casually picked up the teapot and refilled it, continuing in a soft voice:

"If Father had done this sooner, none of this would have happened."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing sighed softly, tapping his fingertips lightly on the porcelain cup, watching the ripples of fragrant tea spread within, and said softly:

If that's the case,

"You wouldn't do it either, Your Majesty."

"."

As soon as he finished speaking, the gentle-looking middle-aged man paused slightly in his tea-pouring.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The middle-aged man continued his actions, chuckling lightly as he shook his head.

"Junqing, your reaction is indeed much faster than mine. Even if Father had tacitly approved, if I had dared to do it, I probably wouldn't be alive now."

Having said that,

The middle-aged man put down the teapot, picked up a porcelain cup filled with fragrant tea, took a small sip, and said with a deep gaze:

Sometimes, I really envy you guys Junqing.

Li Yunqing's eye twitched, and he immediately waved his hand, saying:

"Brother, I didn't."

"You're so wary of your older brother, aren't you?"

The middle-aged man chuckled and glared at his younger brother, "I'm serious. You and Zhaoyuan have many different choices, but I was born with only one."

Li Yunqing's expression shifted, and he said softly with a hint of complexity:

"Your Majesty is the heir to the throne; how can you say such a thing?"

Why do you say that?

A hint of despondency flashed in the middle-aged man's gentle eyes, and he sighed across his handsome face.

"Although I have been the Crown Prince for many years and have even been the regent for nearly ten years, I am actually just a shadow of my father. Whatever my father tells me to do, I have to do."

"I have spent my whole life in my father's shadow, but in the end, everything I have is still up to my father's whim."

"Junqing, do you still think I said those words?"

"."

Li Yunqing remained silent upon hearing this.

If his father and Prime Chancellor Xu's plan had gone smoothly, his elder brother's life would have been incredibly easy.

But the problem is that the two elderly people's plans have gone awry.

The eldest brother's extremely noble status Crown Prince directly became a limitation.

He could not approach the people and things that his father did not want him to get rid of, and could only passively accept everything his father had prepared for him, namely the powerful Crown Prince Crown Prince Faction in the court.

The problem is that everything in the Crown Prince Faction was only temporarily lent to this elder brother by the Emperor.

If the Emperor wanted to take it back someday, it would only take a thought from him.

Now that his father has allowed Li Zhaoyuan to lead troops outside the capital, it is clear that his mind has begun to change regarding who will inherit the throne.

Thinking of this, Li Yunqing's gaze towards his elder brother across from him became somewhat complicated.

What the Great Yan Kingdom needs today is not a ruler to govern the country, but a ruthless hero who can quell the chaos.

"Junqing,

"I heard you're planning to go to Eastern Isles?"

The gentle voice interrupted Li Yunqing's thoughts. When he came to his senses, he saw his elder brother looking at him with an extremely gentle gaze.

After a slight hesitation, Li Yunqing smiled gently and said, half-jokingly:

"I have that thought, but given the current situation in Di'an City, it seems you can't do without me, Your Majesty."

"Go if you want to."

"." Li Yunqing.

Li Yucheng smiled, noticing the surprise in the other's eyes. "This trip to Eastern Isles is indeed safer for you, Junqing, than staying in Di'an City."

"."

For a moment, Li Yunqing hesitated.

In childhood, he was indeed a very gentle older brother.

She accompanied him as he wandered around the palace, and secretly took him out of the palace to see the prosperity of Di'an City.

But as he grew up, and as the other person took over the things his father had prepared for him, he also witnessed the cold-blooded ruthlessness beneath that gentleness.

He's so obedient now because he was severely reprimanded by the other party before.

Why are you looking at me like that, brother?

Li Yucheng ignored Li Yunqing's expression, glanced in the direction of the palace, and said softly:

"Father's will is unpredictable. If something unexpected happens, I, your elder brother, will most likely not survive. And if I, your elder brother, am deposed, you Junqing, will most likely not survive either."

"Therefore, it would be safer for you to leave Di'an City."

"When everything is over, and I, your brother, am able to ascend the throne, it will not be too late for you to return then."

"."

Hearing these words, Li Yunqing raised his hand and rubbed his temples vigorously.

He couldn't tell if his brother was being sarcastic.

Moreover, after hearing what the other person said, he felt a little embarrassed to just abandon them and run away.

Li Yucheng sighed softly:

"You're still so suspicious, kid."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.

Li Yunqing carefully considered how to respond.

In life, there are things we should do and things we shouldn't do.

If this man truly put himself in others' shoes, he couldn't just run away like that.

But the problem is,

Because Qianxi died in an assassination attempt on Xu Changtian, a rift has now formed between the two brothers.

At least that's how it is from Li Yunqing's perspective.

He couldn't help but be suspicious of his elder brother.

Suspecting that the other party already knew he had deliberately killed Qianxi, a powerful woman, to eliminate the other party's spies around him.

"Tap tap tap--"

In the silence between the two brothers, a soft knock suddenly sounded on the door.

After a brief silence,

Li Yucheng chuckled and shook his head:

"You don't need to think too much. I will submit a memorial to Father Emperor on your behalf tomorrow. The Eastern Isles Sea has been invaded by those blond foreigners from the sea. Our Great Yan does need a prince to go there to oversee and find out the specific situation."

"As for now, you should return to the Prince's Palace. I will personally receive Wang Licheng."

After the knocking, the room fell silent for a moment. Li Yunqing slowly stood up, straightened his robes slightly, and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, then Junqing will take his leave."

After saying that,

Li Yunqing walked slowly towards the door.

"Oh, right."

Li Yunqing had only taken two steps when the gentle voice behind him made him stop in his tracks:

"Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion, who traveled south with you, really dead?"

Upon hearing this Li Yunqing stiffened slightly, turned slightly to the side, and said softly:

"Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, the probability is that he's dead. With an assassination attempt by one half-saint and four Mortal Shedding, Lou Ji probably couldn't have protected him."

Li Yucheng slowly lowered his eyes and sighed softly:

"That's true. I previously sent the Imperial Shadow Guard to investigate Huizhou County, and the ruins there are indeed exactly as you described. It's just a pity about that girl."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunqing's heart sank, but the next moment Li Yucheng continued:

"She actually said she would remain a widow for that Third Young Master for the rest of her life."

"My elder sister probably doesn't want to remarry," Li Yunqing replied with a forced smile.

Li Yucheng thought for a moment, a smile appearing on his lips, "Given that girl's personality, it is indeed possible."

"."

Without another word, Li Yunqing nodded in greeting, then slowly walked to the entrance of the gatehouse and opened the door.

"Squeak--"

The door opened, and after a brief eye contact with the young man outside, Li Yunqing patted him on the shoulder, then stepped aside and chuckled softly:

"Young Master Wang, my royal brother is waiting for you in his room, so I will not disturb you two any longer."

Yes, that's right.

Xu Yuan responded verbally, but glanced at the departing figure with a slightly strange look in his eyes.

The moment he opened the door, his Spirit Sight detected a chillingly gloomy expression in Li Yunqing's lowered eyes.

But that gloomy look seemed like an illusion. When he looked up, he saw that she had already returned to her usual smiling face.

However, Xu Yuan certainly didn't think he had sensed something wrong. He bowed in the direction Li Yunqing had left, and then looked into the room.

Just now, these two royal brothers must have been discussing some things.

However, he didn't care much about these things. Now that the hanging man was gone, he no longer had to worry about being exposed.

After closing the door, entering the room, and exchanging greetings, Xu Yuan then met the Crown Prince Li Yucheng.

After exchanging pleasantries, Xu Yuan knelt down opposite the tea tray and began a tentative chat.

Li Yucheng didn't get straight to the point, and the conversation consisted of trivial, unrelated topics. However, what surprised Xu Yuan somewhat was how gentle this Crown Prince of Great Yan was.

Yes.

gentle.

If his eldest brother is a cold-faced, domineering CEO, then the brother shared by Li Qingyan and Li Yunqing feels more like a central air conditioner.

Every topic he brought up, every word he uttered, was both unassuming and made Xu Yuan feel that the other party valued him.

Like a gentle spring breeze.

However, compared to Li Yunqing and Li Qingyan, Li Yucheng is indeed quite old.

Even with his profound cultivation, he still turned into a middle-aged man due to the passage of time.

It turns out there really are people in this world who can be Crown Prince for sixty years.

However, if he does end up on the throne, with his temperament, he should become a benevolent ruler.

Of course, this was just Xu Yuan's speculation based on his first impression, and judging from the current situation in the Great Yan court, it seemed that the classic scenario was about to repeat itself—the first Crown Prince was never the one who ascended the throne.

After a brief chat over tea, Xu Yuan finished the cup of fragrant tea the other person had poured for him, then suddenly steered the conversation to the main topic of the evening:

"Your Highness, you didn't summon me here specifically tonight to discuss these matters, did you?"

Li Yucheng's eyes softened, showing no surprise whatsoever, and he chuckled softly:

"I hit it off with Young Master Wang at first sight, and we almost forgot about our business while we were talking."

"I came here specifically to ask Young Master Wang a question."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and nodded slightly:

"Your Highness, please ask."

"This is a question that Father Emperor asked Lord Xu back then."

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

The other party had actually implied in these words that he was being compared to Lord Xu.

Wow, if Lord Xu weren't his father, he probably would have been genuinely moved.

Thinking this to himself, Xu Primordial Spirit turned slightly serious, and he nodded gently.

"Young Master Wang, what do you think of our Great Yan Kingdom now?"

"."

Xu Yuan looked slightly troubled upon hearing this. If it were his true identity, he could answer the question easily, but now he needed to consider it carefully. After a long pause, he said softly:

"It can barely be considered a peaceful and prosperous era."

Li Yucheng smiled gently and nodded slightly:

"It seems that Young Master Wang also has some insights into this matter, but it is inconvenient for him to speak frankly. However, would you like to know how Lord Xu answered back then?"

A flicker of curiosity crossed Xu Yuan's eyes; he genuinely wanted to hear his father's answer.

"Your Highness, please speak?"

Li Yucheng tapped the table lightly, his tone leisurely:

"Lord Xu said back then, although our Great Yan is a prosperous age, it is not peaceful."