CHAPTER 1154: CHAPTER 725 THE BEGINNING OF TURMOIL

At the hour of Mao, deep into the night,

A lone carriage sped through the rain across the central axis of Di’an Megalopolis, elevated several feet above the ground. The straight and unyielding royal road stretched onward, uninterrupted, leading to the summit of Palace City.

The night in Di’an City hung low, its dark curtain draped over a thousand lit households.

Autumn rain softly tapped against the window blinds, scattering faint sparks of firelight along the way.

In the fragrant, tranquil carriage compartment, a man with meticulously tied long hair sat silently, his angled gaze peering out at the scenery beyond the window.

The expansive Di’an City had largely succumbed to sleep by now. Only in the sleepless districts did revelry persist, their light soaked by the torrential rain.

The man watched the far-off revels in quiet contemplation,

observing the hysteria concealed beneath the surface of song and dance.

Unconsciously,

his gaze withdrew, furrowing his brow as he looked at the low table before him.

There lay a memorial.

Its crimson cover was vivid, the ink still fresh, inscribed with a message of monumental change:

"The law on Immortal Tax..."

"..."

Xu Yuan stared wordlessly at this memorial, his personal handwriting staring back at him as the moments stretched long.

The carriage’s fierce galloping sent water splashing from puddles, while the exclusive incense of the Imperial Family seeped into his senses.

He had lived through wars, witnessed countless deaths.

Yet all his past experiences paled before what lay in this folded letter.

Lost in thought, a faint rustling reached his ears.

He turned his head—

and saw a formless mist creeping through the tiniest gaps before coalescing into a distinct figure.

A woman draped in a white furred cape emerged before his eyes.

Her brows arched like distant emerald peaks, her eyes like autumn waters, enchanting in their allure. Clad in a tailored deep-purple qipao that accentuated her graceful curves.

Xu Yuan cast a fleeting glance at the soft, delicate line exposed at Lou Ji’s neckline, then quickly looked away.

There were times he simply did not understand his elder sister’s choice of attire.

Always dressed so provocatively, magnetizing attention.

To charm someone? Impossible.

Her position as Black Scale Leader meant very few dared even to meet her gaze.

If not to charm others, then perhaps purely for self-satisfaction.

This elder sister clearly enjoyed the twisted power of drawing covetous eyes while denying their courage to truly look.

Letting his thoughts wander, Xu Yuan casually asked,

"What brings you here at this crucial hour?"

"Can’t I just come by to check on you?"

Sinking into the seat beside him, Lou Ji lounged lazily, crossing her legs. The high-slitted hem of her qipao swayed lightly, revealing hints of her fair, rounded thighs. With a teasing smile, she asked,

"So, how was your first day at court? From the look on your face earlier, it seemed you were nervous."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, laughing softly,

"Nervous? Father and the others have already left the capital. Right now, in the whole of Di’an City, I hold the highest power. Why would I be nervous?"

Lou Ji’s flawless, alluring face revealed traces of a suppressed chuckle, as she replied,

"You’re the highest in power, aren’t you? What a bold sentiment, you little brat. You really don’t care for the Imperial Family or their rules, do you? But I suppose you’re not wrong. Still..."

At this point,

Lou Ji’s words paused. Leaning forward slightly, her delicate chest pressed against her thighs, reshaping under the pressure. She reached for the crimson memorial on the low table, unfolded it, and studied it closely before murmuring,

"... Changtian, I mean this Immortal Tax reform—are you truly prepared for it?"

"..."

Fixing his gaze on the memorial in Lou Ji’s hands, Xu Yuan suddenly fell silent.

He once believed himself ready, convinced he could confront the future with cold indifference. Yet when the authority of this War Blade was finally within his grasp, doubts began to creep in.

Still silent, Xu Yuan reached out to take the letter. Turning his face toward the window, he murmured softly,

"Hmm, maybe... I am a little nervous. But someone has to do it."

War is a means, not an end,

The shadow of war loomed over the entire Dayan Empire because, in the past decades, both political and economic tools had been exhausted.

Lou Ji narrowed her eyes, gazing at the profile of the man before her, speaking gently with persuasion,

"Such dirty work doesn’t always have to be done personally. The Duke Su, the Marquis of Zhenxi, or even those Chief of Staff members have enough weight to manage it. In the worst case, you could wait until Father returns; that’s an option too."

Xu Yuan shot his elder sister a sidelong glance,

"Deceiving oneself achieves nothing."

Unbothered, Lou Ji persisted, her tone earnest,

"At the very least, it brings peace of mind."

As she spoke,

The woman leaned back lazily against the cushioned seat, her gaze drifting over the ornately carved wooden walls of the carriage compartment as she murmured,

"In my lifetime, I’ve killed more people than I can count—directly or indirectly—with those who’ve died because of me numbering at least six figures. Yet even they pale in comparison to the weight of this document in your hands."

Night rain swept through the window frame, stirring both their hair.

Xu Yuan suddenly smiled, his eyes curving slightly as he remarked,

"Sis, you’re not usually so sentimental; what’s with this sudden indecision?"

"..." Lou Ji frowned faintly.

Xu Yuan reached out and pressed her seemingly boneless shoulder lightly.

He understood all too well what Lou Ji wanted.

Even at this pivotal moment, his elder sister—or rather, those elders in the Prime Minister’s Mansion—still sought ways to "ease his burden." However...

With these thoughts, Xu Yuan flicked the corner of the letter between his fingers, smiling as he said,

"To wish for me to advance while preventing me from bearing the corresponding responsibility—is there truly such a convenient arrangement in this world that’s meant solely for me to enjoy?"

"..."

Lou Ji lowered her gaze slightly.

The Dayan Empire’s thousand-year-long reign, the countless wise monarchs and renowned ministers it had seen—all had refrained from daring to touch a burden now fully resting on Xu Yuan’s hands within this slender crimson document.

In the foreseeable future,

Countless families would be shattered because of it. Countless lives would succumb to sickness and pain. All vitality would tumble into ruin, as cheap as weeds.

This memorial embodied the threshold between dawn and abyss.

It signified conflagration,

It signified death.