A group of old men were discussing the issue of succession, but neither Yuan Qi nor Tu Shanli were interested in it.

I sat on the steps for a long time, reluctantly, but those old men still hadn't decided who to make the crown prince.

"So long-winded." Yuan Qi got up with a look of disgust and pulled Tu Shanli out.

However, the two of them figured it out: Xuanyuan Lang was the emperor's nephew, currently an unemployed vagrant who only held the title of Prince Wu'an's heir.

The two decided to leave the palace and stroll around the streets.

Yuan Qi strolled around leisurely for most of the day, but as it was getting dark, she began to worry.

"I wonder how we can break this illusion." She sat on the steps outside an inn and complained to Tu Shanli.

Tu Shanli said, "Illusions are essentially inner demons. All the illusions of the Tu Shan Nine-Tailed Fox Clan are like this. The same illusion will show different scenes to each person. What you see depends entirely on your inner demons. But the illusion we are in is obviously not like that. The scenes you and I see are the same, and others can't see us, but they can hear our voices."

Yuan Qi rolled his eyes at him: "Nonsense, do you think I don't know that we're seeing the same thing? Just pick out the important parts."

Tu Shanli glanced at her sideways: "You're really boring. Can't you be a little more patient? I have to start from the beginning."

After the two of them talked for a while, Tu Shanli continued, "So I think we are probably in the illusion created by Xuan Yuanlang's inner demon. If we want to get out, we have to break his inner demon."

Yuan Qi sighed: "Who knows what he couldn't understand for a thousand years? Could it be that he was abandoned by that heartless woman and died in the Sai River?"

"Most likely. Before it gets dark, let's go to the Wu'an Prince's Mansion and see what Xuanyuan Lang is up to." Tu Shanli stood up, and the two of them slowly walked towards the Wu'an Prince's Mansion.

The Prince of Wu'an's mansion was easy to find. When it was completely dark, the two of them stood in front of the mansion's gate.

Since no one could see them, the two swaggered into the Prince of Wu'an's mansion. There were many masters in the mansion, and the Prince of Wu'an had a large number of wives and concubines, as well as many children. Everyone was already seated, waiting for the meal to begin.

The Prince of Wu'an and his wife sat in the main seats, looking helplessly at the empty seats to their right.

The Prince of Wu'an asked impatiently, "Where is Xuanyuan Lang?"

"Father, my elder brother went to Chun'en Tower to see Miss Siqi again," a young man in the second seat on the right replied, his eyes filled with disdain.

Yuan Qi shook his head. So Xuan Yuanlang didn't have a good relationship with his brothers. He wondered if his current predicament was related to his brothers.

She felt a mix of anticipation and感慨 (a sense of mixed emotions, including regret and reflection). She realized that, regardless of time or place, the lives of the powerful and wealthy were always a dramatic spectacle, with siblings constantly vying for power – a situation that was unavoidable at any time.

What surprised her most was that Xuan Yuanlang's inner demon was actually a courtesan.

Yuan Qi chuckled, and even Tu Shanli looked surprised.

The two immediately became interested and waited curiously for the Xuanyuan family to continue.

The Prince of Wu'an was furious and lashed out at his wife: "Look at the good son you've raised! He ignores his wife at home and runs off all the time. He's so infatuated with a courtesan that he doesn't even come home. It's outrageous!"

Princess Wu'an was in a bad mood after being reprimanded by her husband in front of so many people. Her face was ashen as she retorted, "It's the father's fault for not raising a child properly. Don't you know whose temperament he takes after? His own wife has hardly seen him since he married into the family. It's not like I haven't mentioned this to him before, but does he listen? He simply doesn't listen to me. What can I do?"

A young woman to the left of Prince Wu'an lowered her head; this woman was none other than the Crown Princess of Xuanyuan Lang.

Yuan Qi and Tu Shanli approached from the left and right, looking at the woman's appearance. Although she wasn't a beauty that could topple kingdoms, she was still a rare beauty. She was quiet, dignified, and had excellent manners.

Both of them shook their heads simultaneously. Xuan Yuanlang had a story to tell. He had a bad relationship with his family and ignored his wife, yet he was infatuated with a courtesan. Could it be that this courtesan possessed unparalleled beauty?

Both of them were very curious.

The woman felt extremely ashamed, unable to win her husband's heart, even with the help of her in-laws.

Princess Wu'an, seeing her daughter-in-law's pale face, comforted her, "Huixin, don't be sad. When he comes back, you'll see how I teach him a lesson. If he ever wants that woman to come into the family, he can forget about it for the rest of his life."

Yuan Qi felt sorrowful and whispered in her ear, "Why don't you divorce him? What's the point of having a man like him?"

The woman shuddered, not because of the words themselves, but because she heard someone speaking in her ear, yet she couldn't see them. Was it a deity or a ghost?

She didn't dare to make it too obvious.

Yuan Qi discovered that others couldn't hear her.

She was very curious about what was going on. Why could some people hear her while others couldn't? She also didn't know what the rules of this illusion were.

Tu Shanli also felt sorry for the woman and said from the other side, "Miss, why don't you speak well of Xuan Yuanlang and persuade your parents-in-law to agree to let that courtesan into the family? That way, Xuan Yuanlang might treat you better."

The woman found the voice from Tushan very pleasant to hear, and blushed slightly. She felt that she must have encountered a deity, for even a deity could not tolerate Xuanyuan Lang's actions.

She was willing to listen to this god-like man.

“Father, Mother, since he is so fond of Miss Siqi, why not let him bring her into the manor and give her a proper status so that they can spend their days together? As his wife, I should help him plan things out. It is wrong of me to always try to stop Miss Siqi from entering the manor.”

Tu Shanli chuckled softly and whispered in someone's ear, "That's right. The more you go against him and prevent his sweetheart from entering, the more he'll hate you. If you let her in, they'll spend every day together, and over time they might discover that the other isn't so great after all. In a year or two, he might change his mind about you. How many courtesans are truly sincere? Isn't there a saying that actors are heartless and prostitutes are ungrateful? Just give them a chance and see what kind of ending they'll have."

Yuan Qi disapproved of the seductive rhetoric of Tushan and reminded the woman on the other side: "Don't listen to him. He's a man, so naturally he'd want a woman to fulfill a man's wishes. You should think it over. This kind of man is no good. Let's just divorce him. Wouldn't it be better if he married whoever he wanted?"

Tu Shanli was not to be outdone and continued to tempt them: "I am a man, and I know best how fickle men are. Just listen to me and you won't go wrong."