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"Fifth Brother, what do you think I should do?"

Li Ji went to the Fifth Prince Li Ran's residence and told him everything that had happened in the Imperial Study that day.

Li Ran kept a low profile. His residence was fairly secluded, and the refreshments he offered guests were ordinary things like sunflower seeds and fruit.

There was no trace of the overbearing air he had worn back when he oversaw the government and competed for the succession.

After coming in, Li Ji grabbed some sunflower seeds and started cracking them open. He was quite casual. He had never been an heir to the Imperial Throne, and even now that he was a prince, he put on no airs.

After hearing the whole story, Li Ran replied, "To tell you the truth, the Prince of the South taught me for a while, so I know his temper very well. He holds grudges and repays even the slightest offense. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, too. When he helped the Previous Emperor seize power, quite a few people died at his hands. They all disappeared inexplicably, without even leaving a trace. That should tell you what he's capable of."

The more Li Ji heard, the more uneasy he became. Even the pace at which he cracked his seeds slowed considerably. "Is he really that terrifying?" he asked cautiously.

Li Ran took a sip of tea and continued, "I'm not trying to scare you. The Prince of the South is deeply suspicious by nature, but he sees the situation very clearly. I heard he recently yielded to His Majesty. That means His Majesty is sending you there to test his loyalty to the imperial family. Even if he only pretends to be loyal, that still counts as loyalty."

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