The Decay of the High and Mighty

Afterward, Xiao Fan told Ji Xuanyuan about completing the Nine Provinces Martial Tournament rating assessment today.

"Old Xiao, this Nine Provinces Martial Tournament is far from ordinary. If you ask me, you'd better..." Ji Xuanyuan clearly seemed to be getting cold feet.

"What do you mean?" Xiao Fan asked, puzzled.

Ji Xuanyuan looked conflicted. "Father places great importance on this Nine Provinces Martial Tournament. He's even encouraged all the princes to nominate martial talents under their command. Aside from Crown Prince Brother, whichever prince's nominee takes the championship may be granted a kingship!"

"See, Crown Prince Brother and Fourth Brother have already locked horns... They've both put forward the strongest martial geniuses under their command, determined to seize the championship!"

"You should know that the martial artists recommended by us princes can enter the fast-track group for this Nine Provinces Martial Tournament. That means skipping the preliminary selection and the initial scored matches, going straight into the one-on-one elimination rounds!"

"There are only so many fast-track slots. Everyone wants their own martial artists selected to raise their chances of taking the title."

"Old Xiao, if I send you to contend against them, wouldn't that ruin Crown Prince Brother's and Fourth Brother's plans?"

Xiao Fan understood. So the young master did not want to contend with his imperial brothers, fearing it would harm their brotherly bond... A carefree prince in every sense of the word.

"Your Highness, I have something to say, though I'm not sure whether I should."

Ji Xuanyuan bobbed his head. "Speak freely!"

"Let me ask Your Highness a question first. Do you want His Majesty to see you in a new light? To praise you and acknowledge you?" Xiao Fan asked seriously.

Ji Xuanyuan did not even need to think about it. He immediately replied, "Of course I do! How I wish Father could be like he was when I was little..." As he spoke, his expression darkened...

No boy did not want his father's approval, especially not a royal son.

Though Ji Xuanyuan was easygoing and laid-back by nature, he too hoped his father would truly look at him.

"Then you can't always think about running away and backing down. When it's time to shine, you have to give it your all!"

Xiao Fan switched into his gold-medal lecturer mode. "You just said that His Majesty values this Nine Provinces Martial Tournament greatly. As a prince, you especially cannot hang it high when it does not concern you!"

"On the grand scale, you'd be winning glory for the nation and sharing your sovereign's burdens—loyalty and filial piety, both fulfilled! When His Majesty is delighted, why would you fear that he might refuse to acknowledge you?"

"Taking a step back, even if I fail to win the championship and lose the matches, at the very least His Majesty will see the responsibility and attitude you possess as a prince of Great Liang. Surely that would leave a good impression, wouldn't it?"

This impassioned speech set Ji Xuanyuan's blood boiling, leaving him eager to give it a try...

Ji Xuanyuan thought it over and over, until his scalp began to itch, as if he were about to grow a brain...

He had never thought of competing with his imperial brothers for anything, nor had he ever considered showing himself off before Emperor Hongwu.

Part of that was due to his carefree temperament, but on the other hand, he seemed to have always been avoiding the fate of being a prince...

"If I take part in this nomination, will Crown Prince Brother and Fourth Brother get angry?" Ji Xuanyuan still lacked confidence.

Xiao Fan spoke earnestly as he began to explain. "Your Highness, you must understand that not everyone is watching this grand Nine Provinces Martial Tournament for exactly the same reason."

"For example, His Highness the Crown Prince is already Great Liang's heir apparent. Being granted a kingship means nothing to him, but it is extremely important to His Highness the Fourth Prince."

"So the Crown Prince's focus is not on whether his own candidate can take the championship. It is on making absolutely certain that Fourth Brother's candidate cannot take the title!"

"In that case, there is no fundamental conflict of interest between you and the Crown Prince. Whether the Crown Prince's man wins or I win, his goal will have been achieved."

At those words, Ji Xuanyuan's scalp itched even more! No one had ever analyzed such things for him... because no strategist would ever serve as an adviser to a prince like him!

That was not all. Xiao Fan continued turning up the pressure on the young master. "Now that we've discussed the Crown Prince, let's talk about His Highness the Fourth Prince."

"Everyone in the capital knows that you and the Crown Prince are brothers born of the same mother, and that among all the princes, the two of you are the closest."

"In Fourth Brother's eyes, every move you make in the Nine Provinces Martial Tournament will surely be at the Crown Prince's instruction. He will not see it as your personal decision."

"Sometimes, the smarter a person is, the more complicated their thoughts become. They tend to turn simple matters into tangled knots... So Fourth Brother truly may get angry, but he will not be angry at you. He will be angry at the Crown Prince."

"To sum it up, if you take the initiative to participate in the Nine Provinces Martial Tournament this time, you will neither offend the Crown Prince nor Fourth Brother. You may even earn His Majesty's favor. It is a hundred benefits without a single drawback!"

"Do you understand, Your Highness?"

After Xiao Fan finished speaking, Ji Xuanyuan could only scratch his head...

"Um... I think... maybe... I understand a little!" Ji Xuanyuan tilted his head, his eyes brimming with the light of wisdom, while looking rather less than clever.

Apparently, he did not understand... But it did not matter. Sometimes, not understanding was better... Xiao Fan analyzed inwardly.

In the end, Ji Xuanyuan chose to stop thinking. His itchy head was simply too uncomfortable...

"Fine! I'll listen to you. We'll do whatever you say!" The young master promptly lay flat.

Xiao Fan gave a slight nod and offered his advice. "When you have time in the next couple of days, go visit the Crown Prince and ask for his opinion. If I am not mistaken, he will certainly advise you to take part in this nomination as well. When that happens, simply go with the flow and submit my name."

That left Ji Xuanyuan baffled again. "No... How do you know Crown Prince Brother will definitely advise me to take part in this nomination? What if he doesn't?"

The corner of Xiao Fan's lips curled upward in a wicked smile. "Trust me. He will."

He did not explain further, because even if he explained it to this big genius, he probably would not understand.

This was actually the best state of affairs. Precisely because Ji Xuanyuan understood nothing, everything he did would be entirely natural, requiring no disguise.

Without disguise, there would be no cracks to show. The more one thought, the more mistakes one made. Think of nothing, and one would remain forever invincible...

As the sun set in the west, night arrived in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Fan also left Cloud Rest Garden, eager to return home and study the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal! This thing might be crucial to the scales on his chest!

Walking along the brightly lit Everpeace Street, he could hear from far away the songs, dances, pipes, and flutes drifting out of Wondrous Immortal Pavilion, accompanied by the chatter of warblers and swallows...

Last time, he had wanted to go in and properly condemn the decadent nightlife of the high officials and nobles, but unfortunately, his father—impersonated by Wu Xiong—had ruined it.

Passing by Wondrous Immortal Pavilion again, surely this time he could properly condemn the decadence of the high officials and nobles... right?

Yet he still dismissed the thought, because he was carrying something extraordinary... the Sovereign True Dragon Heart Seal manual!

If anyone discovered this, both he and Ji Xuanyuan would likely be in deep trouble...

"Forget it this time. Next time, for sure!" Xiao Fan passed by that place of pleasure once more without going in.

Orioles and swallows chirped above Wondrous Immortal Pavilion; the young man turned and headed home...

The moment he reached his front gate, he heard commotion from within the courtyard.

"Daddy, play with me! Play with me!"

"Father, what happened to you? You're hurt this badly? And why did the Black-Clad Guard send you home?"

"Xiao Cui, take Yu'er to play in the back courtyard... And Lan'er, whatever you want to ask can wait until tomorrow. Let your father catch his breath."

"Exactly, exactly. My wife understands me best..."

"Understands what?! You're never home, and when you do come back, you're in this miserable state! Do you know how worried we are?! What kind of work does some damned gold-medal instructor even do?!"

As she spoke, Ye Shu's aggrieved sobs could be heard.

Xiao Wu's head began to throb, and he hurriedly consoled her. "My wife, don't cry. Aren't I perfectly fine?"

Outside the courtyard gate, Xiao Fan let out a long breath. No matter what, the Shadow Pivot Court had not made things difficult for his father. Now that he was back, everything could be discussed.

He pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard. "Father!"