Sitting in the Eastern Palace

"I heard you're going to Lanxi soon?" Li Yunrui took a sip of Mu Bai tea and refilled his cup. "Not bad, Mu Bai is best enjoyed in summer, it's so refreshing." Li Yunye nodded and picked up a piece of white pastry. "Yeah! Anyway, I'm pretty free. You and Lao Si are getting along really well, so I'm looking for a quiet place to avoid trouble. Hey, I haven't seen Tang Feng in a while, I was thinking of inviting him to come along!"

Upon hearing Tang Feng's name, Li Yunrui couldn't help but sigh. "He went to Shanghan. Perhaps I pushed him too far, but... I recently investigated, and Tang Feng seems quite interested in the bells in the pawnshop."

"A bell? I don't know anything about that. What bell?"

Have you heard the legend of Su Zili?

Upon hearing the name Su Zili, Li Yunye's body trembled. Seeing no one outside, he spoke, "Why did you bring him up? How many people died in the entire palace because of him back then!" To be honest, Li Yunye and the others had never met Su Zili, but the rumors they heard were usually quite accurate. Years ago, Emperor Yun had killed many people in the palace because of rumors about Su Zili, causing widespread panic throughout Xiling.

“I heard that Su Zili used to have a pair of Spirit-Controlling Jade, and one of them is currently in a pawn shop… Tang Feng seems quite interested in this Spirit-Controlling Jade.” Li Yunrui looked at Li Yunye. “I don’t intend to let Tang Feng slip through my fingers like this. Once he returns, I will keep him by my side. Fourth Brother has already started making moves; I can’t just sit idly by any longer.”

"Brother... by the time Tang Feng comes back, who knows when!"

"Don't worry, I have my own plans." This plan was simply Li Yunrui instructing Shen Qinghang to find a way to get Tang Feng back as soon as possible. After all, Li Yunrui wasn't Li Yunheng; he didn't want to take the initiative unless absolutely necessary. As the Crown Prince, he was under the spotlight and couldn't be too obvious. "You don't need to get involved in these matters."

Li Yunye laughed after hearing this, "If you had said those words to Tang Feng verbatim, he might not have left. I am a prince, and you tell me not to get involved, but you insist on binding a mere subject."

Li Yunrui glanced at Li Yunye, put down his teacup, and said, "How can this be the same? You originally didn't want to get involved. As for Tang Feng, no matter how aloof he is, I'll drag him down from the sky. To achieve great things, he's indispensable." Speaking of Tang Feng, it was practically become a thorn in Li Yunrui's side. No one knew why Li Yunrui was so fixated on Tang Feng.

Li Yunye shrugged. "Fine, fine, whatever you want to do, I won't interfere. But as your younger brother, I still have to remind you of something: Li Yunheng isn't just anyone; backstabbing is something he does all the time. You shouldn't put all your hopes on Tang Feng. He's not even in Xiling; he doesn't have the time or inclination to care about you! Sigh, I've been hearing a lot about these things lately from visiting my mother. Don't mind me, I won't get involved in your affairs. I'm neutral, just like Tang Feng."

"You've managed to distance yourself quite a bit. Alright, if there's nothing else, go back! Thanks for the Mu Bai, it really helps to cool you down." Sometimes, the fewer people who know about certain things, the better. Li Yunrui didn't want Li Yunye to get involved, but Li Yunheng didn't think that way. The more people involved, the greater his chances of winning in the end. Rather than fighting Li Yunrui to the death, he'd rather be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Li Yunheng summoned Xu Chang'an late at night. His original plan was not to tell Xu Chang'an first, but after much deliberation, Li Yunheng decided that since he was going to do it, he might as well drag the Xu family into it. Compared to others, the Xu family was indeed more loyal, but who could be so sure when faced with self-interest? Li Yunheng intended to use this incident to give the Xu family and Xu Chang'an a warning.

Li Yunheng admitted to colluding with ministers and instigating his cronies, saying he had done many such things, and Xu Chang'an had always followed him, but they were all trivial matters. This time was different. Li Yunheng knelt before the desk, the candlelight in the room flickering, making it impossible for Xu Chang'an to see Li Yunheng's face clearly. Li Yunheng suddenly summoned him to his study for a late-night private talk, causing Xu Chang'an's heart to tremble, and cold sweat soaked his clothes. "Your Highness?" Seeing that Li Yunheng remained silent for a long time, Xu Chang'an could only tentatively call out. Li Yunheng threw a memorial in front of Xu Chang'an and said coldly, "How many years has the Xu family followed me?"

Xu Chang'an lowered his head. The memorial on the ground was anonymous, lacking a name of the submitter. Anonymous memorials were common in officialdom, but they usually came from two types of people: those of low rank but with an upright heart, impeaching others but fearing the implication of their families, thus choosing anonymity; and those who, lacking the trust of their superiors, were spies planted by them. These spies would submit daily memorials to their superiors, allowing them to know their whereabouts and use people with confidence. Xu Chang'an's heart tightened at the sight of the memorial, but he had to feign composure. For Xu Chang'an, loyalty to Li Yunheng was unwavering. However, the Xu family was a different story. His father, the Prime Minister, was shrewd and adept at handling affairs, but also liked to cast a wide net and catch many fish. Among the princes around Emperor Yun, those who could speak with authority in court all had trusted confidants from the Xu family by their side. On the surface, Xu's father was on good terms with Li Yunheng, but in reality, he was indecisive. Li Yunheng had previously tried to subtly criticize Xu's father, but when asked, the old man replied, "This old minister is utterly loyal to the Emperor, as Heaven and Earth can attest!" This statement left Li Yunheng speechless.

"I have followed Your Highness for approximately sixteen years, from beginning to end," Xu Chang'an said, not responding to Li Yunheng's words. He knew that before Li Yunheng was made crown prince, the Xu family would not wholeheartedly support him. After much deliberation, Xu Chang'an felt it was better to phrase it more tactfully, both exonerating the Xu family and expressing his own sentiments—killing two birds with one stone.

"Guess what's written in this memorial?" Xu Chang'an listened to Li Yunheng's words, unable to discern his true feelings, and could only try to keep his voice steady. "Your Highness is busy with countless affairs of state, this must be an important matter in the court. If Your Highness doesn't speak, how dare I overstep my bounds and make arbitrary guesses?"

“You don’t need to worry about this! Feel free to make your own guesses,” Li Yunheng said with interest, looking at Xu Chang’an kneeling below.

"Even if you say so, I dare not overstep my bounds." Hearing this, Xu Chang'an roughly understood Li Yunheng's meaning. Li Yunheng was probably testing him, giving him a warning. At this moment, Li Yunheng took out a dagger and began toying with it. The cold light reflected from the moonlight shone on Xu Chang'an's face. "This dagger was sold to me by a merchant from Shanghan years ago. I accepted it because I saw it could cut iron like mud. Would you like to take a look, Xu Chang'an?" After saying this, he threw the dagger, the tip of which stuck straight into the floor in front of Xu Chang'an. Xu Chang'an closed his eyes and calmed himself for a moment, then raised his hands above his head and said, "Since it is a fine dagger, then I will dare to take a look."

Seeing that Xu Chang'an showed no unusual behavior, Li Yunheng stood up, walked to Xu Chang'an, squatted down, opened the folded document on the ground, and said, "It's just a blank document, no need to be nervous."

Seeing this, Xu Chang'an slowly exhaled, then picked up the knife with both hands. "It is indeed a fine knife!"

Li Yunheng stood up and lit several more candles in the room. "This report is empty, but this one isn't." He then handed a new envelope to Xu Chang'an. "This is a secret report from the palace that my mother sent a couple of days ago. I'd like to hear your opinion."

"Your Highness, if you trust me, then let's put this matter on the agenda. The repairs to the Grand Palace and the prayer ceremonies reveal... that the Crown Prince has begun to consolidate his power. If we don't act now, we may miss our chance."

Li Yunheng stared at the candlelight, his brow furrowed. For a moment, he was unsure whether to make a move. "I've considered this idea before, but... isn't starting with the concubines a bit too risky?"

"Your Highness... nothing ventured, nothing gained. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to turn the tide later."

Li Yunheng rubbed his hands together, seemingly having made up his mind. He turned around and helped Xu Chang'an up. "I used to always think about seeking stability, but now it seems I have to take a risk. I have many ministers around me, but you are the only one I can trust. Although it's better to consider this matter carefully, I need to hurry. Do you have any good ideas?"

Xu Chang'an pondered for a moment, then said, "If Your Highness trusts me, then find a few disloyal people from His Highness the Crown Prince's inner circle!" Upon hearing this, Li Yunheng froze, his eyes narrowing, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze. Xu Chang'an knew Li Yunheng was somewhat angry and quickly explained, "If we want to frame the Crown Prince, we must make it seem real. The Crown Prince is now in power; he can't possibly ignore this incident. If we send our people, it will be easy to trace us back. Although finding people will waste time, it will be twice as effective! Please reconsider, Your Highness."

Li Yunheng stroked his chin, looked down at Xu Chang'an, and after a long while slowly smiled, "You've been following me all this time, yet you're so afraid of me? I didn't say I disagreed. Just do what you're supposed to do. We still have that much trust between us. But remember this: this time, be ruthless. I don't want any remnants left. Even I don't understand royal affairs. If things aren't handled cleanly, it's easy for things to reignite."

Xu Chang'an bowed deeply and said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will do my utmost. However, I hope Your Highness will remain calm and proceed cautiously, as it will naturally take some time."