Chapter 1173: Chapter 739: Promise

The Prime Minister emerged from seclusion on the seventh day at noon following Li Zhaoyuan’s visit. Xu Yuan, who was handling government affairs in the Mo-Yin Pavilion, was the first to learn of this.

Upon entering the Inner Courtyard, Xu Yuan immediately sensed that no one seemed to have returned home for some days. The courtyard, lacking in human presence, appeared cold and deserted.

Previously, the Inner Courtyard was always populated by someone—either by his aging father or the three juniors. The other three would tidily maintain the courtyard, and even though Xu Yuan did nothing, his presence would leave traces of human activity.

Lately, everyone in the Inner Courtyard had been busy. Xu Xinyao remained cooped up in the Geometry Institute while Xu Changge stayed permanently at the Sword Pavilion after losing to him. With no one at home, within half a month, the leaves of the century-old ginkgo trees in the courtyard had entirely fallen, spreading a golden yellow across the ground. They gradually withered and decayed during successive days of autumn rain, and the mud yard sprouted numerous weeds.

A glance revealed a chilly desolation.

A large courtyard, if lacking human vitality, always ends up like this.

While pondering whether to move the office into the Inner Courtyard, Xu Yuan traversed the narrow corridor connecting several rooms and entered the study.

Among the fallen leaves in the courtyard lay a line of footprints, leading directly to the slightly open wooden door inside. Following the tracks, he saw his old father in a robe with red patterns on a black ground, sitting serenely behind the desk, silently reviewing a dossier in hand.

Noon sunlight streamed through the window panes. The dust in the study had been cleaned, yet various dossiers and documents piled densely throughout the room, numerous to the point where stepping around was challenging.

Xu Yuan glanced at them, felt a bit surprised, and then quickly understood.

The administrative procedures in the Prime Minister’s Mansion weren’t complicated. Regional affairs were summarized to the Imperial Capital and presented to respective superior agencies. Forces like the Black Scale Guards, Geometry Institute, and Tian’an Commerce Assembly would be reviewed by the Xu Family Ministers, eventually organized by Wenshu Courtyard and presented to Mo-Yin Pavilion, which was Xu Yuan himself.

Yet, there were some exceptions.

Similar to internal affairs, the inner workings of the Prime Minister’s Mansion were categorized into ten levels from heavy to light following the Heavenly Stems sequence “A, B, C, D.” Typically, matters above C-level would bypass Wenshu Courtyard and Mo-Yin Pavilion, and go directly to Lou Ji and others to be presented to the Prime Minister.

Of course, this is during typical times.

Before entering seclusion, his father had already instructed that Xu Yuan would handle all affairs within the Prime Minister’s Mansion. With this verbal directive, most dossiers piled in the study were ones Xu Yuan had reviewed, except those secret reports presented by the Black Scale Army.

“Find a seat yourself.”

Not lifting his gaze upon hearing movement at the door, Xu Yinhè casually remarked while dedicating his focus on those documents; even in such critical times, a half-month of seclusion had left a pile of work that he required time to digest.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan didn’t intend to disrupt his father and swiftly moved to the cushion by the tea table, sitting down.

Since returning to the capital, he had been constantly busy through twelve hours a day, rare to have a moment to unwind. Seizing this waiting time, he intended to brew a pot of quality tea to reward himself.

This thought passed, yet Xu Yuan found it hard to bear.

Since when did brewing a pot of tea count as a reward?

With a sigh in his heart, he fetched out various tea wares he hadn’t used for a while, slightly clumsy in boiling water and warming the cup. Before long, the bubbling sound of boiling water gently echoed in the tranquil study.

Jing tea from Longxin Mountain, complemented by the Kunlun Ice Spring, had a salty, somewhat astringent entry but carried an intense aftertaste. As the fragrant tea passed down, Xu Yuan unconsciously released the stale air locked in his chest for over a month.

Time trickled by as autumn’s warm sun basked upon him, fingers caressing the slightly raised ceramic pattern on the cup’s wall, enjoying this long-lost leisurely afternoon.

With the pot of tea finished, Xu Yinhè’s voice timely arose:

“Rested enough?”

Xu Yuan’s movement of grasping tea into the pot mildly paused. Turning his gaze again, the towering dossiers in the room were mostly gone. His father speaking now was a reminder to discuss proper business. After a slight hesitation, Xu Yuan softly inquired:

“Plan to go out?”

“Not quite.”

“Can’t we discuss while drinking?”

“….”

Xu Yinhè stared at his third son, who refused to leave the tea table, for several moments. His gaze flickered with a hint of helplessness before he decided to rise and approached the table.

Xu Yuan promptly brewed fresh tea.

Father and son sat facing each other.

Xu Yuan glanced at the silver strands visible in his father’s hair, casually remarked:

“Father, your hair has grown quite white.”

Xu Yinhè brushed his sleeve, holding the cup, and spoke plainly:

“Let it be, there’s no need for concern.”

Indeed.

Xu Yuan inwardly sighed.

Knowing his father’s disposition, with the Immortal Tax Law newly passed and the major shift commenced, it would be impossible to enter seclusion without necessity.

After a brief contemplation, Xu Yuan elected to ask:

“Father, what’s exactly that thing in the sky, surely it isn’t truly a so-called Heavenly Will?”

Xu Yinhè raised his gaze and pondered for a moment. Seeing his third son had reached Mortal Transcendence in cultivation, he opted to reveal:

“Not quite a Heavenly Will, just a form of Dao.”

Xu Yuan was puzzled; this answer seemed enigmatic:

“What’s that mean?”

Xu Yinhè indeed did not elaborate further:

“Once your cultivation is sufficient, naturally you’ll understand what I mean. If your cultivation isn’t attained, explaining more wouldn’t make you understand.”

Xu Yuan discerned his father’s unwillingness to continue but still persisted in asking:

“Does that thing possess subjective consciousness?”

“Subjective consciousness…..”

Upon hearing, Xu Yinhè slightly furrowed his brows, pondered briefly, and gently shook his head: “Even I don’t know this for sure, but perhaps it may be known in the future.”

Xu Yuan promptly opened his mouth upon hearing but was interrupted by Xu Yinhè. With a faint smile, he asked:

“After returning to the capital, it must have been quite tiring, right?”

Xu Yuan halted his words and ultimately followed his father’s topic, responding:

“A bit, I feel the Prime Minister’s Mansion system has a significant problem, overly reliant on the leader personally, which isn’t a sustainable strategy.”

Of this matter, Xu Yinhè naturally was aware, he solemnly spoke:

“The system initially wasn’t designed with perpetuity in mind; ultimately, I over-idealized, leaving you to endure the hardships.”

Xu Yuan pondered for a while, then stated:

“Now, it’s challenging, but perhaps once tasting the essence of power in the future, it will be sweet as ever.”

Xu Yinhè gently shook his head, picked up the boiling Kunlun Mountain Spring, warmed the cup, and softly remarked:

“Sweet as ever…. doing less and taking more is your Changtian.”

Xu Yuan pursed his lips, his father unexpectedly joked, so he replied:

“The giant wheel has already launched and sailed, no turning back, even if wanting to do less and take more, we must wait until the ship docks again.”

Shifting his speech, Xu Yuan continued:

“Father, Li Zhaoyuan came to see me.”

Upon hearing, Xu Yinhè collected his whimsical gaze and nodded:

“The Black Scale Guards have already informed me of this, he intended to seek your support?”

Xu Yuan pondered briefly, then with slight amusement said:

“He offered me a chance to kill him to mend our rift, to indeed seek my support as it seems now.”

Xu Yinhè heard this and gave a slightly complex glance at the third son opposite:

“Is that so…..”

Xu Yuan raised his eyes and solemnly stated:

“Father, Li Zhaoyuan said Li Yaoxuan agreed to this.”

“Li Yaoxuan?”

Xu Yinhè murmured, expressionless, but within his eyes flashed a hint of concern. He asked:

“What do you intend to do?”

Xu Yuan’s gaze was resolute:

“I promised him.”

“This matter is not as simple as you mastering the new method.”

“I understand.”

“……”

Upon hearing this answer, Xu Yinhè did not respond immediately but fell into a period of contemplation.

After a while,

he asked word by word:

“Changtian, do you know what this means?”

“…..”

Xu Yuan certainly knew what this meant.

The source of power comes from violence.

In other words,

the person with supreme power must also possess supreme violence.

In the Fourteen States of the world, transitioning from the world of sects to an imperial realm essentially means that the possessor of supreme violence has shifted from a single cultivator to a military formation.

And the ruler of the empire is the possessor of that military formation.

Li Yaoxuan wanted to support the Second Prince to ascend the throne, which would inevitably involve handing over the imperial family’s highest Military Formation Technique to him, directly resulting in a promise that Li Zhaoyuan could hardly fulfill.

To kill him, personal might is not enough; an equivalent military formation must be used in opposition, and once formations are deployed, it is no longer an assassination but a declaration of war!

That night, Li Zhaoyuan claimed he came to mend the rift between them, but in essence, it was a query from the imperial family, or rather, a declaration of war.

A declaration after settling the sects.

If Xu Yuan agreed, it meant that a battle between the imperial chancellors was inevitable.

Thinking of this,

Xu Yuan took a deep breath, explaining in a slow voice:

“Father, what I agreed upon is that if he survives, I will confront him and settle the sects.”

“….”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yinhè visibly relaxed.

Regarding the relationship between the imperial chancellors, his attitude aligned with Li Yaoxuan’s, converting the ruinous hot war into a power struggle among the central high-ups, allowing the bottom layers a chance for respite.

Dayan cannot endure two internal wars.

And Xu Yuan’s intention was straightforward.

He would attempt assassination before Li Zhaoyuan ascended the throne, and if Li Zhaoyuan truly ascended, then the matter would be set aside.

Seeing this,

Xu Yinhè did not speak further on the matter:

“As you wish, be cautious.”

Receiving approval, Xu Yuan felt complex within.

Before narrating this matter, he had prepared to face rejection; after all, if mishandled, there would be internal war between the imperial chancellors. Yet he didn’t expect that his father would approve of his idea.

It seemed that Xu Yinhè guessed his thoughts, smiling faintly:

“My days are limited, and the future will eventually change as you wish, even with restrictions, you will eventually do it.”

After a silent moment, Xu Yuan said softly:

“Father…thank you.”

Xu Yinhè merely shook his head, saying:

“It was ultimately my initial failure to keep my promise to you. During the plague in the Northern Frontier, I promised to kill Li Zhaoyuan. Now it seems I couldn’t do it, and granting your request is but mending that promise.”

Upon saying this,

Xu Yinhè paused slightly before continuing:

“However, I did fulfill another promise I made to you.”

“…..”

Xu Yuan was taken aback, pondering slightly, then realized, hesitantly asking:

“…Tianyuan Sword Sect?”

Xu Yinhè nodded:

“Yes.”

“But… wasn’t the State Preceptor already….”

“Lou Ji said that?”

“Yes.”

“Her information was wrong.”

Xu Yinhè picked up the fragrant tea he had poured, taking a gentle sip, saying:

“Ran Jianli is still alive, but the situation requires him to fake his own death, he cannot reveal himself. You should understand the reasoning behind this, do not spread it.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan exhaled a long breath.

Since his father purportedly slayed Ran Qingmo’s master, he was prepared to be chased with a sword by the Big Ice Lump.

Now with a definitive answer, the huge stone weighing on his heart for over half a month finally settled.

“Knock, knock.”

Xu Yinhè lightly tapped the tea table, drawing Xu Yuan’s attention back, speaking solemnly:

“Don’t celebrate too soon; there are some lines I need to draw for you in advance.”

As he spoke, he casually summoned a document marked with the Black Scale Army insignia, placing it on the tea table:

“This is military intelligence sent by Zong Qingsheng. Sixty percent of the ordinance near the Two River Valley has been prepared, and Yuan Hao has already rushed from the Northern Frontier to that area. At the current pace, the first surprise attack on the sects will erupt in two months.”

“Although I promised you an opportunity, planning for a hundred-year strategy cannot be delayed for personal reasons, meaning that Changtian has two months’ time.”

“…..”

Xu Yuan remained silent.

In the Cangyuan Chronicles, the conflict between the Imperial Court and the sects originates from the destruction of the Tianyuan Sword Sect, and now, under his intervention, although various hidden sects have surfaced, the Imperial Court still has to first target the Sword Sect.

The Tianyuan Sword Sect is located on the plains between the Two River Valley, a place of conflict since ancient times. Other major sects, Jiatiange is in the Dayan Southern Borders, while the Lady Wen is directly at the sect’s main base on the Jiangnan Coast.

The Imperial Court’s surprise attack can only be launched at the Tianyuan Mountain!

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan slowly stood up:

“Then I will set off today…..”

“Sit down!”

“…”

Xu Yuan quietly sat back down.

Xu Yinhè took out a secret manual from the Sumeru Ring, handed it to him, and said:

“This is the primary formation technique of the Black Scale Army; practice it first before you leave.”