Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 282 - 212 Engagement_2

Chapter 282: Chapter 212 Engagement_2

Translate this, when you put two short tempers together, you, the Prime Minister, must figure out a solution.

Xu Yinhè pondered briefly and said languidly,

"Since he started practicing cultivation, Changtian’s temperament has changed somewhat, he shouldn’t fight....."

Before he could finish his sentence, the room fell suddenly silent.

"....." Li Yaoxuan pursed his lips toward the window.

"....." Xu Yinhè sighed.

Then,

"Bang!"

"Buzz——"

"Li Qingyan, are you crazy?! Do you think this is your military camp?!"

"Boom!!!!"

...

...

...

The Black Dragon carriage traveled along Tian’an Road, speeding in the opposite direction from whence it came.

The inside of the carriage was shrouded in silence.

Xu Yinhè sat with an expressionless face.

Xu Yuan also sat quietly, his face bearing some bruises.

Between father and son on the tea table, an incense burner wafted tendrils of blue smoke upwards.

Big eyes stared at small eyes.

Time passed unknowingly,

and Xu Yinhè’s voice eventually rang out faintly, "How bad are the injuries?"

This was an opening piece of nonsense; his father’s cultivation surely allowed him to see that all the injuries were superficial.

Xu Yuan also smiled and replied,

"Wu Yuan was measured in her actions."

Xu Yinhè nodded and asked,

"How did you end up fighting by the lake with her?"

Xu Yuan shrugged ambiguously,

"I made a few jokes with that woman, but it seems she doesn’t have the best of tempers."

Xu Yinhè made no comment on this remark.

Whether it was genuine emotion or an act, it would not affect the marriage arrangement, because so far, none of the third son had expressed any unwillingness to marry.

Xu Yuan sighed and then suddenly asked,

"Father, let me ask directly, was Wu Yuan always the intended match for my arranged marriage?"

Xu Yinhè raised an eyebrow,

"Changtian, why do you ask this question?"

Xu Yuan revealed a cryptic smile,

"The excuses the Emperor previously found were far-fetched. Mu Zhiyun is a woman of gentle nature; instigating death as a threat is not something she would do."

Xu Yinhè looked strangely,

"You seem quite familiar with that girl."

"....," Xu Yuan.

After clearing his throat, Xu Yuan continued to speak slowly,

"Father, on your way to the Imperial Palace earlier, you chatted with me and mentioned that it had been a long time since you last saw the Emperor."

"Previously, when you were discussing with the Marquis Wucheng, I guessed he probably acted as the Emperor’s mouthpiece. Moreover, when you spoke about ’taking their side,’ you were likely referring to the Imperial faction rather than the household of the Marquis of Wucheng."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan sighed,

"And from beginning to end, you never mentioned Mu Zhiyun as my marriage partner; instead, you kept referring to the marriage arrangement discussed with the Marquis Wucheng."

"Also, the matter of becoming a son-in-law, although it would be a trade of interests, it would not come to the point where the household of the Marquis of Wucheng would require me to marry into it."

"I hadn’t given it much thought earlier, but upon careful consideration, it does seem abnormal."

....

Xu Yinhè sat opposite, listening intently,

"Changtian, you are half right."

"Half right?" Xu Yuan asked.

Xu Yinhè glanced in the direction of the Imperial Palace,

"Initially, the marriage alliance I sought was indeed with Wu Yuan, but the Emperor disagreed, so I had to settle for the next best option. Those equivocal statements of mine were also acts of helplessness."

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice,

"The Emperor disagrees... Why?"

Xu Yinhè explained with a restrained voice,

"Should you become the Prince Consort and father children in the future, then I would not only be the Prime Minister but also an Imperial in-law."

"Li Yaoxuan can tolerate much, but he has his limits, and supreme imperial authority is his limit."

"However, if I were willing, upon his death and through careful planning, changing the surname of those in the Imperial Palace would not be too difficult."

....

After these words, silence fell.

The supremacy of imperial power, an inexorable advance.

Xu Yuan digested the conversation for a while before slowly saying,

"Father, is the Emperor indeed nearing the end of his days?"

Xu Yinhè answered vaguely,

"Not sure, but it should be soon. However, before his death, he will certainly try to incite a war between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Sects."

Xu Yuan quickly understood,

"So, the Emperor agreed to this marriage because of the war in the Northern Frontier?"

Xu Yinhè nodded,

"Yes, the Sects in the Three Prefectures of the Northern Frontier are constantly reinforcing their troops, and the scale of the war is steadily expanding. Li Yaoxuan probably wants to use this marriage to bind us together completely, at least until his death."

After hearing this, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice,

"Then... are we just bound and boarded the ship?"

Xu Yinhè smiled upon hearing this,

"Why not?

"Life is full of compromises; although I wanted to wait, the situation no longer allows it."

"Moreover,

"My goals have always been aligned with Li Yaoxuan’s since we were young. Although there is some divergence now, we are still united. If what he wants to do now is beneficial toward achieving this goal, then we are still on the same path."

"..."

Xu Yuan realized that his perspective was still too narrow.

Looking at Xu Yuan, Xu Yinhè spoke earnestly, emphasizing each word,

"Changtian, the Imperial Family is not the enemy. Unless absolutely necessary, never raise your hand against them."

Incense smoke wafted gently upward, and the carriage remained silent.

Xu Yuan looked at his father’s stern face, sensing the deep reluctance within him.

Comrades who had walked together for a lifetime now faced the prospect of harming each other at life’s end.

It was cruel but necessary.

An emperor would never allow an influential Prime Minister to remain before his heir upon his death.

A failure to act was a failure to resist.

If Li Yaoxuan could live longer, there would be no such tension between the Imperial Family and the Prime Minister’s Mansion, or at least, any tension would come after the threat of the Sects had been eliminated.