Liu Zhan smiled, bowed slightly, and cleared his throat. "This matter is complex and tangled, but a brief answer is actually quite simple."
"Humans and animals alike number in the countless millions, each merely one among all living beings. A True Dragon is different, born bearing the Fortune of heaven and earth. There is only one in each generation. As the saying goes, heaven has no two suns, and no two dragons descend together."
"While the True Dragon still lives, no other Dragon Seed can possess Heaven's Mandate. That is why a dragon's nine sons are each different."
Su Ziji had only asked casually. His mastery of painting was now complete; even in the work of Wu Boyu, a great master of the previous dynasty, he could see seven or eight shortcomings. He had not expected this answer. After a moment of surprise, he asked, "Then is the crown prince not a True Dragon either?"
It was an unusual question, but Liu Zhan was unafraid. He merely reined in his smile and bowed again. "Naturally. The crown prince may be called a Hidden Dragon. For every day he remains uncrowned, he remains short of fruition. He might be called a flood dragon, but not a true dragon."
Su Ziji looked thoughtful, then nodded with a sigh. "Indeed, that is so..."
As soon as an emperor ascended the throne, he possessed a share of Heaven's Mandate, whether great or small, and his name would surely remain in the annals of history. Of course, those without an era name, or whose reign lasted less than a year, were recorded as short-reigned emperors.
But a crown prince-who would remember him?
At this thought, Su Ziji withdrew his gaze and changed the subject. "Master, I have troubled you with this visit for the sake