Turning the Hand into Rain

"What exactly are you doing now?"

In the study of the Prime Minister's Mansion's inner courtyard, the furnishings remained as they had always been, but the person seated in the seat of honor had changed. Seeing his younger brother again—the current head of the Xu Family—Xu Changge's voice was as detached as ever, though tinged with weariness: "Changtian, do you realize that because of what you've been doing this past month, everyone below is already in a state of panic?"

Behind the desk, Xu Yuan kept his head lowered over the government affairs piled before him. "They actually took their complaints about me all the way to you, Elder Brother?"

Standing before the desk, Xu Changge frowned and asked in return, "Who in the entire residence can complain about you now?"

"Then they came to you, Elder Brother, to remonstrate with me? Who was it?"

"..." Xu Changge.

Though the tone of the two brothers' exchange had not changed much, its content quietly revealed a shift in their respective positions.

After a brief silence, Xu Changge finally said in a low voice, "A great many people."

Xu Yuan lifted his gaze from the burdensome official work. Sunlight streamed through the lattice window onto his face, and the shifting light made him narrow his eyes unconsciously. His emotions unreadable, he asked with a smile, "So you're saying I can't touch them now?"

Xu Changge's frown deepened as he warned, "Using killing to win hearts is the stupidest method."

"I was only joking."

Xu Yuan put away that smile that didn't reach his eyes and leaned back in his chair. With exhaustion in his gaze, he looked at Xu Changge and said softly, "Elder Brother, I had already anticipated the reactions of those below, but I hadn't expected things to reach you."