"Alright, my task for today is complete," Elder Ye said, putting away the secret manual. He then stood up and told Li Xuan, "In the future, if you have any questions about cultivation, you can come to Thousand Stars Pavilion to find me."
"From now on, you must review your progress daily and gain insights into your path of cultivation."
"When you come to Thousand Stars Pavilion to read books each month, you must recount them to me, and I will record them. The insights gained from cultivating Yin Yang True Qi are immeasurable."
Elder Ye earnestly instructed Li Xuan.
Li Xuan nodded, indicating he had noted it.
He himself understood that after reading so many secret manuals in Thousand Stars Pavilion, there would eventually be a time for repayment.
Moreover, he could tell that Elder Ye was very interested in the cultivation insights of Yin Yang True Qi.
It should be said, is there any cultivator who wouldn't be interested in Yin Yang True Qi?
Elder Ye, having lived to this age, knew that some things only needed to be said once; saying more was useless.
Whether others listened to his words was something that could not be forced.
Seeing Li Xuan nod, Elder Ye turned and walked into the shadows in the corner of the room.
Then his figure merged with the shadows, and the next moment, he disappeared.
He truly was an expert who didn't follow the conventional path.
Li Xuan quickly meowed, as if greeting Elder Ye.
He hadn't expected Elder Ye to just leave once he had finished his business.
Seeing Elder Ye leave so cleanly and decisively, Chief Steward Shang couldn't help but sigh with emotion:
"Elder Ye now only focuses on cultivation, which can be considered quite uninhibited."
"It's just hard for us ordinary people, who still have to struggle endlessly in this whirlpool of power."
With that, Chief Steward Shang and Zhao Feng, both of similar age, gave a bitter smile.
Li Xuan couldn't help but look at the father and son, rarely hearing such disheartened words from them.
"Li Xuan, regarding the crisis His Majesty spoke of, let me explain it to you properly," Chief Steward Shang said earnestly to Li Xuan.
"The Regent Prince His Majesty mentioned is the current Prince Zheng."
"Prince Zheng is His Majesty's Imperial Uncle and holds considerable prestige among the common people."
"When His Majesty ascended the throne back then, he was appointed as the Regent Prince to assist His Majesty in managing Imperial Court affairs."
Chief Steward Shang began to introduce Prince Zheng.
Emperor Yongyuan had previously said that compared to Empress Wu, his Imperial Uncle was the more pressing enemy at present.
"Although Prince Zheng has a reputation for being magnanimous, generous, and knowing how to treat people, he also harbors his own ambitions in secret."
"Although we don't have clear evidence yet, all signs indicate that Prince Zheng is coveting the throne and may even have colluded with external enemies, preparing to overthrow the Imperial Court."
Upon hearing this, Li Xuan couldn't help but frown and immediately asked, "Is there no way to take this person down?"
"How large is Prince Zheng's influence?"
Since Emperor Yongyuan already had such suspicions but could only let Prince Zheng be, it was clear that he was not someone who could be dealt with by a simple imperial decree.
"He almost controls the Imperial Court," Chief Steward Shang's reply made Li Xuan's heart sink.
"When His Majesty ascended the throne, there were many unexpected factors, so he had almost no foundation."
"At the beginning of his reign, Prince Zheng, as the Regent Prince, held great power. Coupled with his original prestige, he garnered a large number of supporters and gathered a significant faction in the Imperial Court."
"Over these many years, His Majesty made many efforts, but they had little effect until he enfeoffed Empress Wu and allied with the Wu Family's influence, which finally brought about a change."
At this point, Chief Steward Shang and Zhao Feng inevitably glanced at Li Xuan's expression.
After all, Empress Wu had ascended to her position by stepping on Consort Xiao.
And Consort Xiao was Ankang's birth mother.
Li Xuan, however, showed no change in expression, maintaining an attentive listening posture.
Seeing that Li Xuan had no strong reaction, Chief Steward Shang continued:
"The Wu Family was originally just a local military officer family. Their ancestors were founding meritorious officials, and at their peak, someone in the family held the position of Minister of Works and was ennobled as a Duke."
"However, after nearly a thousand years of official ups and downs, the Wu Family gradually declined, becoming a local military officer family with a low sense of presence."
"But the descendants of the Wu Family are spread throughout Great Xing. Although they haven't held many important positions, when united, they form a formidable force."
"And the person who accomplished this was Empress Wu's grandfather."
"At that time, His Majesty considered enfeoffing Empress Wu also because the Wu Family's influence had not yet been won over by Prince Zheng."
"Now, with Empress Wu assisting in the Imperial Court, the Wu Family also has considerable influence in the Imperial Court."
"If the Second Princess is successfully enfeoffed as the Crown Prince, the Wu Family's say will be even greater."
Chief Steward Shang and Zhao Feng both looked worried about this.
Li Xuan understood after hearing this.
There were currently three factions in the Imperial Court: Emperor Yongyuan, Empress Wu, and Prince Zheng.
Prince Zheng had the largest influence. After years of planning, he had reached a critical juncture, one step forward and he could depose Emperor Yongyuan and ascend to the throne himself.
Empress Wu was also not to be trifled with. Although she was a force supported by Emperor Yongyuan to contend with Prince Zheng, she had also developed her own ambitions because she gave birth to the monstrous Princess Zhen Zhao Princess.
And the most miserable was Emperor Yongyuan. Aside from the righteous title of Emperor Yongyuan, it seemed only these old eunuchs in the palace were somewhat capable.
Li Xuan shook his head, feeling very troubled.
Aside from Emperor Yongyuan, for the Three Little Ones, it would not be a good outcome regardless of which of the other two factions won.
Whether Prince Zheng ascended the throne or Princess Zhen Zhao Princess ascended the throne, it would not be good for Ankang.
These people would likely not tolerate Emperor Yongyuan's descendants living well, as they would all be threats.
From this perspective, Li Xuan had no better choice than to ally with Emperor Yongyuan.
With his current strength, he couldn't even take Ankang and Yu'er and flee far away.
"Still too weak. I need to secure enough cultivation time." Li Xuan's eyes flashed, and he had his own plan.
As long as this superficial peace was maintained, Li Xuan would have an opportunity to grow.
He was already exceptionally gifted. As long as he had ample time, ensuring the safety of Ankang and Yu'er in the end would be no problem at all.
What he feared was someone making a move prematurely, leading the situation to the worst possible outcome.
"Alas, I hope Emperor Yongyuan can be more capable."
This feeling of having to pin the key to victory on others was not pleasant.
Chief Steward Shang saw Li Xuan deep in thought and did not continue speaking, giving him time to slowly digest the information. He picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea, constantly observing Li Xuan's reaction.
Such a difficult situation, over so many years, they, a few of Emperor Yongyuan's most trusted Grand Eunuchs, had long adapted to it.
What they feared was Li Xuan, who had just learned of the situation, shrinking back and having other ideas.
Some things Chief Steward Shang couldn't say directly; Li Xuan needed to figure them out himself.
Otherwise, if they came from his mouth, the meaning would be different.
Chief Steward Shang didn't expect Li Xuan to immediately figure out who was an enemy and who was a friend; he only needed them to consider it carefully.
After all, Li Xuan's Yin Yang True Qi was crucial to everyone.
At this moment, Chief Steward Shang and Zhao Feng were both quite anxious.
They were afraid that a single misspoken word would cause Li Xuan to have unnecessary misunderstandings and choose to abandon cooperation with Emperor Yongyuan.
After all, from anyone's perspective, Emperor Yongyuan was currently at a disadvantage.
Giving help in times of need is rare, but adding flowers to embroidery is common.
For most people, that's how choices are made.
It was not an easy task to get Li Xuan to go against the tide and help Emperor Yongyuan.
And on this point, Chief Steward Shang and Zhao Feng also had their own considerations.
Initially, what they valued most about Li Xuan was not his talent in martial arts, but his loyal and righteous character.
Even in an environment like Jingyang Palace, Li Xuan remained devoted to Ankang and Yu'er, even secretly shielding them from hardship.
This was the key factor that led the father and son to strongly recommend him to Emperor Yongyuan and take this gamble.
Li Xuan pondered for a long time, organizing his thoughts, and suddenly realized the room was incredibly silent. He couldn't help but look up at the two and found that Chief Steward Shang and Zhao Feng's expressions were both unnatural.
"What's wrong?" Li Xuan wrote, tilting his head.
It was the first time he had seen the Two Chief Eunuchs look so strange.
"No, nothing." Chief Steward Shang forced a smile, his expression quickly returning to his usual calm demeanor.
Zhao Feng, on the other hand, was too nervous to speak much, merely agreeing with his foster father's words from the side.
He was also afraid of saying something wrong and ruining the final outcome.
Seeing Chief Steward Shang say this, Li Xuan didn't dwell on it, merely asking casually, "Is there anything else I need to pay attention to?"
He paused, then Li Xuan revealed a bitter smile and continued to write with his tail, "Honestly, I really can't imagine how you plan to deal with Prince Zheng's influence."
"Do you have any ideas?"
Chief Steward Shang's heart tensed, realizing that Li Xuan was indeed worried about this issue.
"We already have quite a bit of evidence regarding Prince Zheng's conspiracy to rebel."
"But to completely overthrow Prince Zheng, we need more irrefutable proof."
Li Xuan looked up at Chief Steward Shang, then teased, "Is it not a matter of evidence?"
"If you had enough power to crush Prince Zheng, I'm afraid you would have acted long ago."
"Evidence, in the face of true strength, shouldn't be that important, right?"
When Li Xuan learned that the Daxing Dynasty had endured for nearly a thousand years, he already realized how much influence cultivation had on this world.
When an individual's power is infinitely magnified, it is enough to create an extraordinary deterrent.
Emperor Yongyuan's tolerance of Prince Zheng's "regency" for so long was likely not out of great respect for his Imperial Uncle.
If it weren't for the need to maintain the moral high ground, Prince Zheng probably wouldn't have waited until now.
Moreover, he would need to rely on external forces to ensure his smooth ascension to the throne.
Li Xuan thought that Prince Zheng, having plotted for so long, surely wasn't planning a simple rebellion.
If Emperor Yongyuan didn't personally give up the dragon throne, or if Prince Zheng wasn't ultimately enthroned with everyone's support, Li Xuan would have to curse Prince Zheng for being redundant and making a fuss over nothing.
Twenty years ago, when Emperor Yongyuan was a weakling, he didn't deal with him. Now, dealing with him must be done much more splendidly than back then.
To Li Xuan's question, Chief Steward Shang sighed helplessly and lightly tapped Li Xuan's head with his finger.
"You little cat, you haven't seen much, but your mind is so sharp, and you get straight to the point."
"Li Xuan, you're right, this kind of problem really comes down to who has the bigger fist."
"If Prince Zheng didn't care so much about his reputation and didn't want to leave a blemish in the history books, we would have had no room to maneuver long ago."
Zhao Feng, hearing his foster father say this, quickly gave him a frantic look.
"Isn't this just giving up?"
Years of tacit understanding allowed Chief Steward Shang to clearly understand Zhao Feng's meaning through just a glance.
"Things Li Xuan can figure out on his own, there's no point in us not saying them."
"It's better to be open and honest in our communication and then let Li Xuan make his own decision."
Chief Steward Shang said directly to Zhao Feng, then turned to Li Xuan.
"Li Xuan, His Majesty is the only one in this struggle who will treat Ankang kindly; I can guarantee you that."
"His Majesty's feelings for Consort Xiao far exceed your imagination."
Li Xuan hadn't expected Chief Steward Shang to suddenly bring up the deceased Consort Xiao at this moment.
Li Xuan had personally witnessed Consort Xiao's passing at the time.
When Consort Xiao was gravely ill, no imperial physicians came to Jingyang Palace, and they even lacked clothing and food, not even having enough charcoal for warmth in winter.
The helpless sight of the Three Little Ones weeping around Consort Xiao's sickbed was something Li Xuan could never forget.
Was this the kind of feeling Emperor Yongyuan had for Consort Xiao?
What kind of man would let his beloved woman die like that?
At this moment, Li Xuan's eyes became incredibly cold, glaring fiercely at Chief Steward Shang.
Zhao Feng, watching from the side, secretly thought, "This is bad." He couldn't understand how his foster father, usually so rational, would make such a foolish move.
Under Li Xuan's furious gaze, Chief Steward Shang slowly held up three fingers.
"I, Chief Steward Shang Wenfu, swear upon my martial heart."
"If there is any falsehood in the words that follow, may my body be crippled, my True Qi scatter, my will crumble, and may I die a terrible death!"
Chief Steward Shang's sudden oath made Zhao Feng cry out in alarm from the side:
"Foster Father, what are you doing?!"
Swearing upon one's martial heart was extremely serious for a martial artist; if the oath was broken, one's mental state would inevitably be damaged, and then the oath's fulfillment would only be a matter of time.
"Feng'er, shut up!" Chief Steward Shang roared, his expression serious.
He then said to Li Xuan:
"Back then, His Majesty chose the Daxing Dynasty over Consort Xiao."
"If His Majesty had insisted on enfeoffing Consort Xiao, who had already lost her homeland, as Empress, he would have become a monarch of a fallen nation by now, and Consort Xiao and Ankang would not have been able to remain safe."
Li Xuan knew that Chief Steward Shang was not wrong about this.
Consort Xiao's former homeland, Northern Liang, had lost contact during the Cold Tide. Even if Emperor Yongyuan enfeoffed Consort Xiao as Empress, it would not provide any substantial help.
"When His Majesty enfeoffed Empress Wu back then, he reached an agreement with her."
"Empress Wu was not to harm Consort Xiao or Ankang in any way, nor was she to persecute anyone in Jingyang Palace."
"But in return, Empress Wu also demanded that His Majesty not allow Consort Xiao to step out of Jingyang Palace, nor to ever see Consort Xiao again in this life."
Li Xuan was slightly surprised, not expecting such an agreement between Emperor Yongyuan and Empress Wu.
"This is too…"
Li Xuan didn't know what to say about it.
"His Majesty adopting an indifferent attitude towards Jingyang Palace was the best protection for Jingyang Palace."
"Li Xuan, I know you resent His Majesty."
"But that was the best way His Majesty could protect Consort Xiao."
"After Consort Xiao passed away last year, His Majesty sent me to secretly transport her remains into the Imperial Mausoleum, burying her in His Majesty's own coffin chamber in advance."
After saying this, Chief Steward Shang slowly lowered his swearing fingers.
After hearing these words, Li Xuan turned his head, cursing in his heart:
"Tch, incompetent dog emperor!"
But knowing that Consort Xiao was buried in the Imperial Mausoleum, Li Xuan's heart ached slightly, and his eyes welled up.
At least, knowing that the gentle woman who had been so kind to him was properly buried brought Li Xuan a good deal of comfort.
However, a question couldn't help but arise in his mind:
"Consort Xiao, do you still love that man who couldn't protect you?"