Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 279 - 211 A Brand New Engagement_2

Chapter 279: Chapter 211 A Brand New Engagement_2

After spending all that money, how could I leave empty-handed?

I tried to reason with the tavern keeper for a while, but after he was uncooperative, I simply started to trash the place.

And, coincidentally, the Second Prince happened to be hosting a banquet for newly recruited aides at the Music Bureau.

Then, the conflict inevitably ensued.

Since an aide was injured, the Second Prince naturally had to stand up for him.

Both parties didn’t reveal their identities at first,

one started by bluntly offering to become the other’s godfather, while the other asked where the wild brat came from to cause trouble in the Music Bureau.

In the end, it was the Imperial City Forbidden Army that had to clean up the mess.

As I was reminiscing, the Second Prince had already helped the kneeling eunuch Nie to his feet.

He then looked at Xu Yuan, nodded, and said with a gentle laugh,

"Changtian, you’re not still angry with me, are you?"

Xu Yuan grinned and said,

"I’m not angry on my end, but I don’t know whether Queen Qin still holds a grudge against me or not?"

"....." the Second Prince.

Taking a deep breath, the Second Prince stared at Xu Yuan and said with a smile,

"I don’t know what Changtian is referring to. Why would my mother be angry with you?"

Xu Yuan, unphased, said with a smile,

"Have you forgotten? That time at the Music Bureau, you called me a wild....."

"Ahem, Changtian, you jest." The Second Prince twitched the corner of his eye, coughed lightly, and hastily interrupted Xu Yuan, changing the subject, "My father is still inside waiting for Minister Xu and you. Let us not keep the venerable man waiting."

Prime Minister Xu listened from the side, thinking that this matter should not be mentioned.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan smirked, approached with leisurely steps, and, under the watchful eyes of Eunuch Nie and the Second Prince’s personal eunuch, lightly patted the Second Prince on the cheek,

"Li Zhaoyuan... I still prefer the unruly way you were back then."

After speaking, Xu Yuan cast a teasing look at the Second Prince, patted his shoulder, and quickly followed Xu Yinhè who was ahead.

"......."

Eunuch Nie, who had witnessed everything, silently bowed and then followed suit in leaving.

The Second Prince stood still in his original spot, even as the three visitors had already disappeared from view, he continued to stand there.

Seeing this, the personal eunuch ventured, "Your Highness, this Xu Changtian is showing no respect for the...."

The Second Prince glanced at his personal attendants, prompting the eunuch to quickly fall silent.

At that moment, Li Zhaoyuan touched his cheek,

"Xu Changtian has changed, huh..."

The personal eunuch cautiously inquired, "Does Your Highness mean...."

Li Zhaoyuan, putting his hand down with a smile, said,

"The slap wasn’t symmetrical at all. Next time, let him give the other side a go, hehe..."

After these words,

the Second Prince cast a meaningful glance behind him and left without looking back.

...

...

...

Climbing the stairs all the way to Qingyu Pavilion, Eunuch Nie stood at the entrance on the top floor and bowed to signal,

"The Prince is waiting for you inside. I will not enter."

"Thank you for your trouble,"

Xu Yinhè didn’t reply; the one who replied was Xu Yuan, with a cheery tone, "Next time, I’ll come to you for more cooking advice."

"..." Eunuch Nie.

The sun was just right, and a mild breeze gently lifted the air, atop Qingxin Pavilion, one could overlook the entire Di’an Wang Cheng.

As soon as he entered, Xu Yuan’s gaze immediately locked onto an old man dressed in imperial robes.

His face showed signs of age but still looked vigorous, not at all like someone on the verge of death.

The mountaintop breeze stirred the curtains, causing the incense smoke to spread throughout the room.

The old man sat behind a desk covered with various dishes, with two cushions placed on the other side, obviously for Xu Yinhè and himself.

Xu Yinhè walked straight up, without saluting or kneeling, and sat directly on the cushion to the left.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan figured he too could dispense with formalities.

He followed suit and sat down directly.

But as soon as he sat down,

the old man across from him gave him a strange look.

At that moment, Xu Yinhè also glanced at him.

Xu Yuan looked puzzled.

Xu Yinhè let out a sigh,

"Changtian, give your respects."

"..."

Xu Yuan’s face showed embarrassment, and he was about to stand up again when the old man suddenly let out a laugh,

"Enough, you’re already seated, let’s not bother with formalities. Have you eaten yet, you father and son?"

"Not yet," replied Xu Yinhè.

The old man glanced outside,

"Attendant, serve the food."

Xu Yinhè remarked on the old man’s complexion,

"Your color looks somewhat better this time."

The man in imperial robes glanced at Xu Yuan,

"One cannot simply frighten the younger generation."

Xu Yinhè was noncommittal,

"Then you should try to look a bit younger."

The man in the imperial robes began to pick up his food with chopsticks,

"If you do not believe in my ailment, Your Majesty can let you take my pulse yourself."

Xu Yinhè’s eyes grew sharp.

Seeing this, the imperial-clad elder quickly waved his hand,

"Whoa there, Saint Xu, surely you don’t really intend to take my pulse?"

Xu Yinhè’s eyes carried a trace of amusement,

"You know I wouldn’t."’

Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief internally.

If the Emperor’s condition was stable, there would be no issue, but if he didn’t have much time left, the situation would escalate to open conflict.

Both parties understood this.

The man in the imperial robes gave Xu Yinhè a look, exhaling softly,

"You’ve always been like this since you were young, inscrutable."

"...."

"...."

Xu Yinhè and Li Yaoxuan chatted on and off as if they were old friends casually catching up.

As for Xu Yuan, with no opportunity to chime in, he sat boredly to the side drinking tea, contemplating.

After Xu Yinhè prompted him, he had been pondering over this succession struggle, but there were few memories from his past life he could apply to the situation.

In Cang Yuan, the death of the Jiaying Emperor was merely mentioned in passing.

That’s because at that point in time, players were mostly battling wits with minor characters in the hidden corners of the world and couldn’t get involved in such high-level power struggles.