A wise man does not fall in love

His Royal Highness Prince Xiang simply changed the subject: "Ren Xuan, go to the Wen Mansion. I don't need to teach you what to say, right?"

General Ren understood: "Don't worry, Your Highness."

Xuanwu Street, Wen Mansion, General Ren, dragging his teacup, spoke with earnest words.

"Master Wen, why do you bother?"

Ren Xuan sighed: "You've seen the ending, isn't it enough to just live a peaceful life and become a follower of the dragon?"

Wen Congren remained silent, his gaze fixed on the subject. "Does that have to be the ending? General Ren, many things are already changing."

Ren Xuan tutted his words, "No, I just don't understand. Who do you belong to?"

The young man before him remained cryptic, "General Ren, is it really a good idea to allow Qin Shu to get close to Lu Xiyun?"

Ren Xuan raised his eyes: "Your Excellency's words have hidden meanings."

Wen Congren continued calmly, "Qin Shu and Lu Xiyun are from two completely different worlds. Lu Xiyun died early. General, have you ever thought about this: if Lu Xiyun had lived to the end, would he have had a good ending?"

Wen Congren met the visitor's gaze directly and asked, "The Emperor held five purges of the imperial court. How many times did the Lu family escape?"

Ren Xuan remained silent, and the answer was very simple - not even once.

Even though Ren Xuan kept shouting "dog emperor" every day, in fact, he himself knew that Qin Shu was the epitome of the entire Dagan and the imperial rule over the past hundred years.

——Qin Shu will go to reduce the power of the vassal states.

The main branch of the Lu family had died out, and the Lu clan was in chaos over the issue of adopting a crown prince. Qin Shu wanted to start with the west.

First, he set up a puppet, and then he arrested and killed the rest. The dog emperor treated everyone equally.

Now, Ren Xuan finally understood what Wen Congren had been worried about from the beginning to the end.

Ren Xuan sighed, "Lord Wen is afraid... Even if Prince Lu survives, he will still become an enemy of the Emperor in the future."

The wise man before him spoke bluntly, "It's easy to share adversity, but difficult to share prosperity. If Qin Shu ever decides to reduce the power of the feudal lords, do you think Lu Xiyun won't go to war with him for the sake of his family?"

Wen Congren frowned. Lu Xiyun was killed by an outsider, and Qin Shu was already so abnormal. If Lu Xiyun was forced to death by Qin Shu himself, God knows how crazy the emperor would be.

How high is the level of the dog emperor? Doesn't he understand? BE is definitely BE - this love, let's not talk about it.

General Ren was quite embarrassed. He was still helping his boss with his daily tasks. Wen Congren had already written the epic BE script for Qin Shu, even down to the details of how he would become widowed.

They say a strategist looks three steps ahead before making a single move, but this Lord Wen is really thinking too far ahead...

Ren Xuan forced a smile. "Well, can't we be a little more optimistic? Let's say...is there a possibility that this isn't a reduction of power at all?"

As for the issue of reducing the power of the feudal lords, Ren Xuan had to be fair and said that the emperor could not be blamed entirely.

King Lu Xingde of the West had not yet died, but a group of clansmen who were eager to eat up his family's wealth were saying that they were visiting him, but in fact they were arguing fiercely in front of his bed.

The old man was unconscious and just kept muttering a few words about his son at the end of his life.

Being interrupted abruptly.

"Old Prince, the Crown Prince is gone now. Please think again, who should you give this seal to?"

There was confusion in the old man on the couch's cloudy eyes. The pillar of the Western Frontier who had conquered all his life was now no different from an ordinary farmer.

Lu Xingde murmured to his younger brother beside him, "Xingchuan...where's Xiyun?"

Lu Xingchuan was frozen in place, he didn't know how to answer. His second brother, the iron-blooded veteran who single-handedly supported the Nine Provinces of the Western Territory, the undefeated legend in his eyes, sounded exhausted, his eyes were blank, and he couldn't even distinguish the most basic things.

The old man on the couch had a wandering look in his eyes, and his cloudy gaze moved back and forth among the faces of the people in the room, but he could not find the familiar figure.

The argument in the room had not yet subsided, and Lu Xingchuan's mentality exploded.

Lu Xingchuan stood up suddenly and shouted angrily, shocking everyone in the room: "Get out!"

He sneered - what can you do when your second brother is so ill? You might as well ask the emperor directly.

It's also the fault of the Lu family. They are really confused and believe whatever Lu Xingchuan says.

You can just fight for the position of the crown prince at home.

You submitted a list and asked the emperor to decide for you?

You actually asked Qin Shu to appoint a new heir with the surname Lu for you?!

Qin Shu is not a saint, and his mentality as a dog emperor is still explosive.

Ren Xuan gave Wen Congren a meaningful look. "In short, it was those idiots who were the ones who started the reduction of power back then. It really wasn't Qin Shu who started it first."

Lord Wen's pupils were dizzy, and he coughed repeatedly because of such a casual answer: "Doesn't he consider Lu Xingchuan's ideas?"

Ren Xuan simply spread his hands, his tone full of helplessness: "I think it's the emperor guided by Lu Xingchuan."

His best friend was buried in the mud, he was the only one left among his brothers and sisters, and his several nephews all had white hair.

Lu Xingchuan's mentality at that time was definitely not healthy.

Wen Congren was speechless. Couldn't the Lu and Qin families have a normal person?

The natural conflict between royal power and imperial power is the inevitable trend of power transitioning to the central government under a unified dynasty.

Turning against one's own will and becoming a vassal king is completely consistent with what Qin Shu has shown so far - the instinct of a political animal.

All of Wen Congren's plans were built because of this, but he's the only one wasting time?!

Changes overwhelmed his plans, and Master Wen could only take the long view—no, reconsider: "General Ren, do I still have a chance to change my allegiance now?"

Ren Xuan shook his head very honestly: "It's hard to say. After all, you have cheated him twice."

What kind of personality does Qin Shu have?

Ren Xuan sighed, then changed his tone, speaking meaningfully: "Brother Wen, to be honest, if he hadn't been concerned about your potential use against Master Lu, the grass on your grave would have been two meters high."

Wen Congren: “…”

After a moment, Lord Wen gritted his teeth and said, "General Ren, I'm telling you the truth. I have completely withdrawn my backup plan."

Wen Congren tried to make up for his loss and defected: "As far as I know, Qin Xuan has not lost his memory at all."

Being so young, Wen Congren was far from breaking into the other party's core circle, but the fact that His Royal Highness the Prince of Han wandered around outside all day and never returned home was enough to make people puzzled.

Ren Xuan was not surprised when he heard this, but just shook his head slightly: "He won't believe anything the Lord says now."

He paused, his tone nonchalant. "To be honest, I have a mission to go south through the Sui Pass that has been assigned to you, sir. Brother Wen, why don't you use this trip to prove yourself?"

Wen Congren immediately became alert: "Barbarians?"

Ren Xuan nodded: "Yes."

Wen Congren: "How many people?"

Ren Xuan: "You can - bring your apprentice with you."

Wen Congren: “…”

...If you want me to die, just say it.

"By the way, Brother Wen."

Ren Xuan asked casually, "What did you show him that day? The emperor has been a bit gloomy lately."

···

"Hey, Qin Shu."

He heard someone calling him, the voice was a little unclear and hoarse.

"Save your energy and stop talking."

He heard his own voice, which was as cold and calm as iron, and it seemed as if something was stuck in his throat.

He knew why he looked like this.

He saw blood. The doctor beside the couch was covered in blood, Lu Xiyun's blood.

There were doctors in the room, all pretending to be busy and useful.

But not.

The red-stained white silk was sent out, and new white silk was sent in. These rubbish... couldn't even wipe the blood clean.

That guy's blood is almost drained.

"Qin Shu... I can't feel my right hand."

Qin Shu in the room spoke again, in a very gentle tone.

"No, it's the effect of the medicine. Your hand is fine."

He lied to Lu Xiyun again. The young man's right sleeve was empty, and only scattered pieces of tattered flesh and blood and broken bones could be seen.

"Don't lie to me."

"No, if you don't believe me, ask them."

All the doctors in the room were timid and agreed with his lies.

But it seems that he still couldn't deceive the other party.

The young man began to say things that made him more and more nervous.

[That day, because my uncle scolded me... I got mad at you... I'm sorry...]

Qin Shu could hardly remember how many times this man had apologized to him.

He rarely asks for an apology from the other party. He can almost help this guy to settle everything, and he always takes it for granted to cover up for him.

He is not used to it.

[I'll talk to Lu Xingchuan another day. I won't make it difficult for you.]

The guy didn't answer him.

[My uncle said you took advantage of the Lu family. Can you always treat the Lu family well?]

The young man looked at him, no longer as flamboyant as usual, and even spoke in a tentative tone.

It was as if as long as he nodded, she could leave him behind with peace of mind.

——What is this?

[Don't act like you're entrusting someone with an orphan. You'll understand if you watch carefully.]

[Just promise me, for the last time, I promise.]

"You promised the same thing last time when you let that alien go."

Last time and the time before that, he had promised too many things, and he often didn't ask the reasons for what Lu Xiyun mentioned.

This was meant to be a joke, but he couldn't laugh.

Lu Xiyun was really telling him this for the last time, and there would be no next time.

"Don't let your imagination run wild."

He answered irrelevantly in the room: "You will be fine."

The voice was very soft, but it seemed as if all the strength in the body was used: "You will survive well, I promise."

The young man nodded in agreement, but the guy was clearly not listening.

"...My uncle said you took advantage of me, but I don't mind. I know you're good to me. But...can you please stop lying to me and give me an answer?"

The loser in the room was speechless.

What answer? What Lu Xingchuan said was the answer. He always approached Lu Xiyun with a purpose.

He dared to say that he treated Lu Xiyun well and there was no Lu family factor at all, so he lied to Lu Xiyun again.

“…Forget it.”

The young man frowned and looked very tired.

"Even if you... lie to me forever... it's still fine..."

It was like a thorn in his throat. Before he could react, the other party took one step further than him.

He saw a resoluteness in the young man's forced eyes.

"Qin Shu, I like you."

He thought he should respond, he had always been able to deceive the other party with full confidence.

But the loser in the room remained silent for too long.

So silent that he had deceived himself.

"...Xiyun, there is no Lu family, only you."

He knew he was still lying, but this time, he had been lying for so long that even he believed it.

Perhaps, if he believed it first, it would not be considered as deceiving Lu Xiyun.

But the young man no longer responded to him.

The doctor covered in blood looked at him in fear, and the room fell into a noisy chaos.

He stood there, looking at the vague noise, and there was no movement for a long time.

In a trance.

He realized what he had lost and what he had missed.

Qin Shu woke up from his dream in shock.

The moonlight in the house was as calm as water, casting mottled shadows through the intricately carved window lattices.

It’s like this again. I can’t sleep for the rest of the night.

At night, all was silent. The mansion was filled with a profound stillness, and the moonlit bluestone floor seemed covered in a thin layer of mist.

The lights in the front hall were on, and there were always people who ignored the Queen's words to take good rest.

The young man in the room looked up at him: "What's wrong?"

Qin Shu shook his head: "I can't sleep."

"You're late, the zither master has been gone for a while."

The young man pointed to the zither on the table and said in a rather boastful tone, "But I learned a passage. Do you want to hear it?"

"Xiyun, give me a hug."

"What's wrong with you?"

Qin Shu took her into his arms without hesitation.

He buried his head in the other's shoulder, breathing heavily.

"Xiyun."

"I promise you."

"I, Qin Shu, will never make the same mistake again."

Outside the window, the moonlight is as bright as a silver thread, and on the desk, a golden beast is dissipating in the smoke.

The incense is faint, and the sound of the piano enters my dream.