Silence filled the study.
After some thought, Guo Yuanzhen suddenly spoke. "Your Highness, gentlemen, there is something I do not understand."
Li Longji looked at him. "Please speak, Lord Guo."
Guo Yuanzhen frowned slightly, weighing his words. "Princess Taiping's change today was exactly like what happened at Nine Bends a few days ago-before and after, she seemed like two entirely different people. I have only recently arrived in Chang'an and am not yet familiar with the people at court. May I ask, Your Highness, was this because of that man beside the princess... Lu Changfeng?"
Li Longji fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "It was."
Yao Chong nodded and added, "That man is extraordinary. Judging by his past deeds, he possesses remarkable attainments in literature, martial arts, military strategy, and statecraft alike. The Prince of Liang before, and the remnants of the Wei Clan more recently, all fell at his hands. He must not be underestimated!"
For once, Song Jing agreed, though his tone carried something difficult to name. "Princess Taiping's eye for male favorites has certainly improved."
Guo Yuanzhen did not laugh.
After a moment of contemplation, he raised his head, his gaze as still as water. "Could we... eliminate him?"
Yao Chong and Song Jing exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads.
"No."
Yao Chong spoke firmly, his brow tightly furrowed. "That might yield immediate results, but it would leave endless calamity in its wake! If struggles at court turn into murderous vendettas, everyone will fear for their own lives, just as they did when the cruel officials ran rampant in Wu Zhou. We seek to set things right and restore the spirit of Zhenguan. We cannot use such means to undermine the law and plunge the realm into chaos!"
Song Jing nodded as well. "We