The Road

As the hourly watchman's drum sounded, the warm sun pierced through the frost and mist that shrouded the sky, casting its light upon the Hall of Supreme Harmony of Supreme Harmony.

The officials who had attended the morning court session emerged sparsely from the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Some chatted quietly in small groups, while others hurried towards the palace gates.

Watching the last minister disappear from sight, Li Yucheng slowly stood up from the low table beneath the golden throne.

His movements were slow and light, revealing a kind of powerless exhaustion.

After standing still for a long time, Li Yucheng slowly bent down and picked up a document from the low table.

The document was covered with words written in bold, flowing ink.

This was a habit he developed during his more than ten years as regent.

He would record the political affairs discussed at each morning court session, add his own annotations, and then submit them to his father, the emperor, for review.

For more than a decade, I have attended thousands of morning court sessions without ever missing a single one, and today is no exception.

After reviewing today's documents and confirming their accuracy, Li Yucheng's gentle voice rang out in the silent hall:

"Eunuch Nie, please present this to the Emperor."

"."

The voice echoed, and the words were spoken only a few breaths later.

A middle-aged woman with an effeminate appearance, dressed in a magnificent first-rank palace robe, quietly appeared from behind the golden throne and instantly appeared beside the Crown Prince.

The current emperor's chief advisor, Eunuch Nie.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Eunuch Nie lowered his head respectfully, responding as he habitually glanced at the document.

Although this document is presented to the emperor every time, he may not necessarily read it. To prevent any omissions, he must first review it as the chief attendant before relaying it.

However, such a record document is somewhat superfluous; it can only be considered as expressing the Crown Prince's attitude.

After all, both sides knew that although the emperor did not attend court, he had other, more precise ways of monitoring state affairs.

As his gaze swept across the prince, Eunuch Nie's downcast eyes suddenly froze. He raised his eyes slightly in surprise, subtly glancing at the Crown Prince before him, but then quickly suppressed his confusion.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; a eunuch must keep to his duty.

Even though she was one of the Emperor's closest confidants, she could not interfere in the Emperor's family affairs, even though the Crown Prince had proposed transferring the Third Prince to Eastern Isles during this turbulent time.

In silence,

In his slightly effeminate voice, Eunuch Nie said softly:

"Then we'll present it to His Majesty first."

After speaking, and seeing the Crown Prince nod, Eunuch Nie vanished from the Hall of Supreme Harmony in an instant.

Shortly after Eunuch Nie left, a eunuch dressed in the robes of a third-rank official slowly emerged from the shadows of the hall, approached Li Yucheng, and respectfully bowed, asking:

"Your Highness, shall we now set off to return to the manor?"

Because of some past examples of debauchery, the Great Yan Ancestral Shrine has established a rule that princes who have reached adulthood are no longer allowed to stay overnight in the palace without an imperial decree, and even the Crown Prince who is in charge of the country is no exception.

Hearing his attendant's question, Li Yucheng remained silent for a moment, then glanced back at the golden throne bathed in light atop the steps. A hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to respond, a voice suddenly rang in his ear:

"Yucheng, come to the Clear Heart Pavilion."

Clear Heart Pavilion is located in the center of the huge Heavenly Pool in the northwest of the palace.

Due to the wetland climate, the morning frost and mist had not yet dissipated, and a slightly chilly breeze blew across the lake, creating ripples and startling a flock of wild geese that had taken up residence there, making it seem like a fairyland.

Led by Eunuch Nie, Li Yucheng arrived at the top floor of the Clear Heart Pavilion, where he met his father, the Emperor, once again.

The old man, with his white hair and beard and hunched back, was still dressed in the same clothes.

He was dressed in a plain white robe, with an Imperial Dragon Robe draped over his shoulders.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, gently tapping the low table on the bed with one hand, while holding the morning court notes that Li Yucheng had just written in the other.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on him, making the wrinkles on his face clearly visible and giving him a more aged appearance.

After leading Li Yucheng into the room, Eunuch Nie turned and left.

Li Yaoxuan did not speak immediately, but looked at the note in his hand with interest, while Li Yucheng stood quietly to the side with his head bowed.

After a while,

"Du."

Li Yaoxuan placed the Xuan paper in his hand on the low table, slowly turned his eyes back, and asked softly:

Do you know why I summoned you here?

Li Yucheng bowed his head and responded, not feigning ignorance.

"Your subject understands."

Upon hearing this, Li Yaoxuan's lips curled into a smile, a smile that held a deeper meaning:

"Since you know this, then I will ask you personally: is what you wrote in your morning court report true?"

Li Yucheng lowered his head, his eyes calm:

"Now that the memorial has been submitted to the Emperor, every word written is undoubtedly true."

"Hehe."

Li Yaoxuan's cloudy eyes cleared for a moment as he scrutinized the eldest son before him for several breaths, his sharp gaze sending chills down one's spine.

Li Yucheng remained silent with his head bowed.

Count interest,

Li Yaoxuan let out a long breath, straightened his legs, and slowly stood up from the bed:

"You, the Crown Prince who is in charge of the country, may not know this, but the Dongying Island have already sent envoys to our Di'an."

As he spoke, Li Yaoxuan walked towards Li Yucheng, his steps light, yet seemingly treading on Li Yucheng's heart.

After a moment of silence, Li Yucheng lowered his head and spoke:

"Your Majesty, do you mean those blond devils, the envoy from Eastern Isles?"

"Ghosts? Those people don't even deserve the title of ghost."

Li Yaoxuan chuckled softly and murmured, walked past Li Yucheng, and stood in front of the antique display shelf. He casually picked up a rather strangely styled slender sword from among the priceless antiques on it.

He casually twirled his sword in the air, but the resulting flash of light still dimmed the light in the entire room.

After doing all this, Li Yaoxuan examined the slender sword in his hand and said softly:

"This sword is the gift they presented to me upon our first meeting. Heh, the workmanship is exquisite, and the material is also acceptable, barely comparable to the Grade B forging material of my Great Yan."

"Father, we must not underestimate an unknown enemy. This rapier may not be the best," Li Yucheng whispered a reminder.

Upon hearing this, Li Yaoxuan put the slender sword back and gave a cryptic chuckle:

"You're right, and what you've stated in your morning court notes is also correct. It's clearly more advantageous to continue being neighbors with those short-sighted Japanese who only know how to plunder maritime merchants than to let an unknown enemy sleep soundly under the roof of my Great Yan."

"The Prime Minister and I have indeed discussed this matter, and we are prepared to send an imperial envoy to Eastern Isles to oversee and monitor the situation."

Speaking of this,

Li Yaoxuan suddenly changed the subject and asked softly:

"Yucheng, although you are a bit rigid in some matters, you have been regent for so long, you should know what this action represents, right?"

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire room seemed to freeze.

What does it represent?

Li Yucheng knew very well what this meant.

Sending the Third Prince Li Yunqing to Eastern Isles means that all the power this younger brother holds in the Great Yan will be freed up.

Given the current situation in the court, it is impossible for these powers to be transferred to the Crown Prince so smoothly.

In other words,

The Imperial Clan Chamber of Commerce, some of the Imperial Shadow Guard, and various personal networks that Li Yunqing had privately developed in the court, which were originally controlled by the Crown Prince Faction, will all cease to exist.

Taking a deep breath, Li Yucheng maintained the same tone:

"Your subject understands."

"You, as the boss, certainly dote on your mistress."

"Your son and Junqing are siblings."

"Are you trying to remove Junqing from my sight by doing this?"

"." Li Yucheng.

Li Yaoxuan looked at his eldest son with a smile and continued:

"You agree, right? After all, I probably don't have many years left to live. If Junqing is transferred out now, he will naturally be excluded by me."

"Thump."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yucheng immediately knelt down on the ground, his fists slightly clenched:

"I hope Your Majesty will understand my intentions."

Li Yaoxuan looked at the kneeling Crown Prince before him, slowly bent down and helped him up, looking closely into his eyes:

"Yucheng, why are you so nervous? I was just saying. Junqing is like your right and left arms to you as the Crown Prince. Sending him away will keep him out of my sight, but it is also like cutting off your own arm in front of Zhaoyuan."

Let me guess.

"Even if you don't say anything, Junqing will most likely come to me about this himself, after all, that kid has always been this kind of person who hates trouble."

As he spoke,

A hint of gentleness suddenly flashed in Li Yaoxuan's sharp eyes.

He remembered that when those brats caused trouble, the one who always got the quickest payback was Li Yunqing.

While the other princes were being punished, that boy had already run back to his mother's side and hidden away.

The gentle gesture vanished in an instant. After helping Li Yucheng up, Li Yaoxuan sat back down on the bed.

The old man tightened his Imperial Dragon Robe, looked out the window at the boundless sky, and sighed:

"Sometimes I really envy Xu Yinhe."

After a moment of silence, Li Yaoxuan chuckled softly.

"Hehehe, it seems I really am getting old, actually starting to reminisce about the past and lament the present."

Looking at the hunched old man sitting on the bed talking to himself, a complex emotion flashed in Li Yucheng's eyes, and he spoke in a barely audible voice:

"Father."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yaoxuan's piercing gaze swept over him, instantly clearing Li Yucheng's mind and causing him to swallow the rest of his words.

This father needs no comfort or pity.

Since he has already done it, he will not regret it.

His words just now were merely a sigh from someone nearing seventy.

Moreover, the royal family was destined never to become a family like the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Li Yaoxuan composed himself, and said softly with a blank expression:

"I am aware of your attitude. As for Junqing's matter, I grant my permission."

Li Yucheng knelt down in a salute:

"Thank you, Father Emperor."

Li Yaoxuan did not immediately dismiss Li Yucheng. He gently tapped the low table on the bed with his fingertips and asked softly:

Where did you go last night after leaving the manor?

Li Yucheng's lowered eyes narrowed slightly.

He knew his father knew his whereabouts, but he never expected his father to ask this question.

Several similar incidents have occurred since last night, and after several tests, he judged that his father, the emperor, must have tacitly approved of his behavior.

At this time, mentioning

With his mind racing, Li Yucheng couldn't fathom his father's intentions, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and tell the truth:

"Your subject has gone to see the son of the Vice Minister of Ministry of War."

"Wang Xianzhi?"

"Wang Licheng."

"Wang Yuqian's illegitimate son?"

"Yes."

"It seems Zhaoyuan has indeed pushed you a bit too far, to the point that you've lowered yourself to meet a mere illegitimate child."

"." Li Yucheng.

His father's direct words left him somewhat speechless.

But after his hand clenched slightly beneath his sleeve, Li Yucheng still spoke softly:

A person's talent should not be judged by their birth.

"Huh?"

Li Yaoxuan smiled slightly when he saw the other party retort.

"For a mere one-night conversation to make you, the Crown Prince, talk back to me, it seems you have a very high opinion of that person."

"Your subject is simply telling the truth."

"Never mind, none of that matters."

Li Yaoxuan didn't seem inclined to continue the topic and went on to say:

"Your idea is not bad, but it's a pity that you don't seem to have enough time to lay the groundwork. Even if you recruit that person and keep him as a spy in the Prime Minister's Mansion's residence, it's highly likely that you won't be able to use him."

"."

Upon hearing this, a strange light flashed in Li Yucheng's eyes.

He sensed that his father's words were a veiled reference to him.

The hidden agents that require time to plan are useless. In other words, if he wants to keep his position as Crown Prince, he has to rely on forces that don't require planning.

Thinking of this, Li Yucheng raised his eyes to look at the hunched old man sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes filled with probing.

Upon seeing his eldest son's gaze, Li Yaoxuan gently shook his head:

"Yucheng, among my many princes, I truly like you the most. I admire your uprightness and your broad-mindedness. However, in some matters, you do fall short of Junqing and Zhaoyuan."

Speaking of this,

Li Yaoxuan sighed:

"If it were either of them, they would most likely have understood what I meant the moment I uttered my first question."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Li Yucheng's gentle eyes, and he lowered his head slightly.

"Your son has disappointed you, Father."

"I don't mean to blame you. Sometimes it's a flaw, but sometimes it's a strength."

Li Yaoxuan leaned back against the bed, his gaze lingering on the window. "As long as... you understand."

"."

Upon hearing his father's order to leave, Li Yucheng did not immediately get up and leave, but remained kneeling on the spot.

The incense was sparse, and the room was silent.

Seeing the Crown Prince kneeling alone in the Clear Heart Pavilion, Li Yaoxuan's brows gradually furrowed.

"If you don't come down, do I have to come all the way to invite you?"

Li Yucheng looked up into his father's eyes and said softly:

"Father, I do not believe this is the right thing to do."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Yaoxuan slammed his hand on the low table on the bed.

A hurricane swept through the room in an instant, the silk curtains fluttering wildly. When everything settled, the low table on the bed, along with the morning court notes that Li Yucheng had written that day, turned to dust.

Li Yaoxuan stared at the Crown Prince before him, his voice slightly lower in temperature:

"I have already given you a path to take; whether you choose to follow it or not is up to you."

"Now, get out."