Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 276 - 209: Infighting in the Great Desert

Chapter 276: Chapter 209: Infighting in the Great Desert

"A marriage?"

Xu Yuan’s eyes held a hint of hesitation, "Has His Majesty decided not to pursue the matter with Nalan You?"

The carriage gently swayed as the black dragon-drawn carriage slowly made its way toward the end of the alley.

Xu Yinhè smiled calmly for a moment:

"How is he to pursue it? The event has already occurred, and given the choice between laying blame and extracting benefits, Li Yaoxuan would surely not choose incorrectly."

Xu Yuan was quick to respond, sighing as he took a seat opposite his father:

"Is the Emperor expecting us to assist him wholeheartedly with the Northern Frontier matter?"

"Most likely, yes."

Xu Yinhè’s expression was as still as water, he nodded, "It’s just that your father still does not know what means he intends to use."

With that, father and son fell into a momentary silence.

Xu Yuan felt something was off.

Because Xu Yinhè hadn’t even mentioned Nalan You’s affair at all.

If it were the man from his memories, having killed a prince like Nalan You of the Great Desert, Xu Yinhè’s likely not asking because even if he did ask, it would be a question in vain.

There was no motive, all was

temperament.

To kill him was simply because he wanted to kill.

But now, with what he had revealed, to kill a foreign envoy, especially one involved with military matters, there must surely be a clear motive. Why would his father not even ask about it?

After waiting for a while,

Xu Yuan saw that Xu Yinhè still showed no intention of asking, so he took it upon himself to bring up the matter:

"Father, aren’t you going to ask why I killed Nalan You?"

Xu Yinhè looked up, counter questioning:

"Why should I ask?"

His response left Xu Yuan at a loss, and he awkwardly grimaced:

"Didn’t you say earlier, it seems like the tribes from the Great Desert have formed an alliance with the Barbarian Tribes? If I kill him now..."

"Enough."

Xu Yinhè interrupted him, his eyes filled with amusement:

"You killed him surely with your own plans in mind. If you wish to share, your father can give you advice. If you don’t, the death of a Dachao prince will not disrupt the greater scheme of things."

"....."

Xu Yuan did not immediately respond.

Seeing Xu Yuan’s expression, Xu Yinhè’s eyes revealed a touch of affection, solemn and heartfelt:

"Changtian, as long as I am here, I can strategize and take charge of these matters, but when I am gone, you will have to handle them yourself. There will be no one to help you then. While I am still here, you must learn to make your own decisions and to bear the consequences of those decisions."

"....."

Xu Yuan’s gaze became somewhat peculiar.

He understood, but was somewhat incredulous.

Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, some well-informed and utterly loyal higher-ups in the Prime Minister’s Mansion could more or less guess that the Crown Prince had been replaced.

In other words, he could utilize this identity to orchestrate certain matters.

For instance, asking Lou Ji to investigate a matter or instructing Hua Hong to research a type of formation.

As long as he could give orders effectively, there was no need to explain himself to Xu Yinhè.

This was an incredibly powerful authority, one that allowed him to deceive and manipulate freely within the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Xu Yuan’s gaze grew complex.

This was his father’s helpless decision, driven by the urgency of time.

It was also this father’s unconditional trust in his child.

But, perhaps, it was this very trust that enabled Xu Xinyao in "Cangyuan Chronicles" to successfully assassinate such a formidable figure.

After sighing, Xu Yuan still said softly:

"Father, although the situation on the Northern Frontier has reached a stalemate temporarily due to the Sects and weather, if the Tartar People dare to interfere at this juncture, my guess is that it’s highly likely the Sects have offered them some benefits to mobilize their troops, and their sending an envoy to Di’an is simple—to test the determination of the Emperor and you, and to wait to drive a hard bargain, seeking to please both the Sects and The Imperial Court."

"So, the reason I dared kill that Dachao prince is simple, the talks between the Emperor and the Great Desert will most likely not reach an agreement."

Xu Yinhè pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly, not responding directly but instead spoke leisurely:

"To achieve his goal, he scrupled at nothing, even willing to support me to this stage in order to eradicate the Sects," Xu Yuan said.

Translate:

If it would exterminate the Sects, His Majesty would not mind compromising with the Great Desert.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan was startled, pondered for a moment, and looked uncertain:

"Father, are you suggesting that the Emperor would even be willing to abandon half of Yu State to let those local Sects and the Great Desert dogs fight among themselves?"

Remove the Ancient Abyss army, letting the Sects bordering the Great Desert in Yu State go solo against the desert wolf cubs.

Xu Yinhe’s eyes were remarkably calm:

"He did it once, forty years ago."

When Xu Yuan heard the number of years, he pondered for a moment:

"Forty years ago... had His Majesty just ascended the throne?"

Xu Yinhe nodded:

"During that period, the power of Yu State’s Sects had grown so large that they dared to reach their hands into tax collection. Left with no choice, he withdrew the Ancient Abyss army back to the border of Daying Continent and Yu State."

Xu Yuan: "...."

It was as if the rebels were guarding the nation’s gates.

A hint of reminiscence appeared in Xu Yinhe’s deep, pond-like eyes:

"That conflict lasted three years, and although it caused some serious disturbances in the process, the outcome was not too bad. The Sects in Yu State shrunk considerably, and although many people died, The Imperial Court completely regained control over Yu State, and it also secured Li Yaoxuan’s position on the throne."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan’s eyes revealed a flash of realisation.

The near-monopoly status of Tian’an Commerce Assembly in Yu State was probably largely due to this matter.

Thinking this, Xu Yuan glanced out of the carriage window.

At this moment, the black dragon carriage had already left the alleyway and was driving towards the "Beast Trail" within the Imperial Capital.

Though the streets on both sides were bustling with activity, the common people were keeping their voices low due to their carriage, leaving the busy streets oddly silent.

"Father, the three largest alien races bordering Dayan - the Barbarian Tribes, the Great Desert, and the Ancient Abyss - all have ultimately one goal, and that is to enter the Central Lands. This covetousness is most pronounced with the Barbarian Tribes and the Great Desert. Allowing them in would be even worse than the Sects, so we absolutely cannot let them reach an agreement."

"Is that so?"

At this, Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan and smiled meaningfully, but said no more.

"...."

Xu Yuan felt a chill from his father’s final look.

What he had just said was the truth, but he had omitted some details.

Killing Nalan You was not solely because of this great cause for humanity; it was more about Nalan You’s actual purpose for visiting Di’an.

Although he was a prince of the desert royal court, in reality, he was a double agent within the Dachao Royal Family.

Perhaps out of admiration, or perhaps because the Desert Goddess’s presence was advantageous for the Tatar foundation, Nalan You became a faithful supporter of the Desert Goddess.

In other words, Nalan You appeared to be sent by the Tatar Royal Family but was actually representing the cunning Desert Goddess.

Now that the Tatar’s situation in the Northern Frontier had reached a stalemate, them sending an envoy to Di’an City for negotiation meant nothing but an attempt to take advantage of the chaos.

And even if their demands were accepted, these wolf cubs would still mobilize their forces in an opportunistic raid.

The Desert Goddess, however, was different.

The existence of the Qilin Wolf elevated the Goddess’s status within the desert royal court to something transcendent.

Her strong binding with the Qilin Wolf meant that she could induce it to provide more divine beast blood, which in turn implied helping the desert produce more powerful fighters.

This was where the problem lay.

If the Desert Goddess held no ambition for power and influence, peace with the Tatar Royal Family was possible. But if she aspired for control, it would spell disaster for the Great Desert.

Unfortunately, this time the Desert Goddess had a strong thirst for power.

Therefore, the envoys she sent here would not ask for land or resources. Instead, aiming for neutrality and even willing to make some large sacrifices, they would seek to trade for high-level Cultivators and resources to support her coup.

Dayan had no shortage of high-level Cultivators.

In other words,

As long as Nalan You met with the Emperor, it was highly likely that they would reach an agreement.

And in the "Cangyuan Chronicles", once the cunning Goddess seized power, she would nestle deep within the desert and focus on her development; the desert’s power would exponentially increase within a few years.

This was something Xu Yuan did not want to see, and it was his reason for having to kill Nalan You.