Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 536 - 344 Crown Prince’s Grand Companion_2

Chapter 536: Chapter 344 Crown Prince’s Grand Companion_2

"Hmm?"

"Would Li Zhaoyuan ever speak of such illusory things?"

Xu Yuan still smiled gently, his eyes betraying neither joy nor anger, "Since he dared to inform us, he must have secured some military power for himself."

He certainly understood the purpose of Li Zhaoyuan’s visit.

The so-called comrade-in-arms was not just any military hostage.

Li Qingyan looked up at Xu Yuan, curiosity in her eyes:

"Changtian, you seem to know something?"

This cunning woman’s reactions were as quick as ever.

However, Xu Yuan did not respond immediately, glancing instead at the man in the black robe standing to the side.

Great, this uncle was self-isolating again.

Quite conscientiously.

But then again, someone who dealt with intelligence alongside Lou Ji would know very well that curiosity could be lethal at any moment.

Redirecting his gaze, Xu Yuan took Li Qingyan’s arm and stepped into the carriage.

The scent of incense lingered inside, faintly mixed with the aroma of jasmine flowers.

The soft couch sank as Xu Yuan faced the woman opposite, leisurely taking out a flask and cup, ready to pour when she snatched it from his hands:

"Since when do you drink alcohol?"

After a moment of eye contact, Xu Yuan jokingly said:

"What’s the rush? We still have some way to go before we reach your army camp. If you don’t let me drink, I might just lose my memory."

While he spoke, he casually lifted a finger to activate the top-level silence array and Soul Evasion array engraved on the Black Dragon carriage.

The former to silence, the latter to shield souls.

Li Qingyan smiled gently, lowered her gaze to pour him a cup, and slowly rose to sit beside him:

"...Stop beating around the bush."

As she spoke, she lightly lifted the cup to his lips.

Xu Yuan’s eyes sparkled, as he opened his mouth and laughed:

"To have Prince Wu Yuan pour the wine personally, how many in this world have such an honor?"

As the words fell,

woosh—

"...."

Xu Yuan glanced at his wine-drenched robe and then back at her.

After a moment of eye contact, Li Qingyan looked away:

"I...have never done this before, so I’m not skilled. A few more tries....."

"Enough," Xu Yuan said, taking the cup from her hand and placing it on the table, leaning against the couch and said:

"I don’t know much about this matter, but it’s highly likely that Li Zhaoyuan and the Sects came to some agreement tonight, which is why he was so confident with his words."

Li Qingyan, with her distinctively noble posture, looked at the man sitting before her without any proper decorum:

"The Sects... what does that have to do with him taking control of the army? Without the court’s approval, that would be maintaining a private force, a crime of rebellion, and that would be enough to execute Li Zhaoyuan ten thousand times over."

Xu Yuan was taken aback, his expression turning strange:

"That serious? Then what about my family’s Black Scale Army..."

"It’s a private force."

Li Qingyan stated resolutely, but after a pause, she playfully added:

"Of course, they could also be considered the household guards of the Protector.

"After all, even I don’t know exactly how many men the Black Scale Army has."

"....."

Well, Dayan’s laws sure are flexible.

A small force is a private army plotting rebellion, a large force is the household guards of the Protector.

After the jest,

Li Qingyan’s eyes, clear as spring water, flickered with seriousness:

"However, the nature of your Prime Minister’s Mansion’s connection with Li Zhaoyuan is completely different. Princes with their own establishments in the Capital City are not allowed to have troops."

Because of the lessons from history.

Six hundred years ago, Dayan experienced a Crown Prince staging a military coup in the Imperial Capital, attempting to kill his father to take the throne early. Since then, princes with their own establishments have generally been prohibited from having "household guards."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan looked puzzled, asking softly:

"But isn’t the head of the Imperial Guards in the Imperial Capital a supporter of the Crown Prince?"

Li Qingyan glanced at him:

"The Imperial Guards, they only obey the Emperor, oh no, they only obey the Emperor."

Xu Yuan chuckled lightly, unconcerned:

"You’re being a bit too absolute with your words. Decades of loyalty, coupled with the accomplishment of assisting in ascending the throne, would make anyone inclined to choose..."

"Changtian, you’re mistaken."

Li Qingyan interrupted him, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear:

"There are some matters within the Imperial Family that I cannot disclose to you, but think about it, if all of the Imperial Guards were under my elder brother’s command, why would he now be seeking my support so eagerly?

"The Imperial Guards are permanently stationed with the four townships’ forces within Di’an City, and if he wanted to control the Imperial Capital, he could simply command the Imperial Guards, a much easier task than seeking my support."

"...."

Xu Yuan’s thoughts suddenly came to a halt, his brows gradually knitting together.

Imagine for a moment...

Li Qingyan’s words brought to Xu Yuan’s mind some things he had not deeply considered before.

If the imperial power could be smoothly handed over and the Crown Prince ascended the throne as scheduled, then all would be fine.

But if not,

if the head of the Imperial Guards truly obeyed the Crown Prince, with just one order, the tens of thousands of Imperial Guards permanently stationed would directly control Di’an City...

What could Li Zhaoyuan, the Second Prince, do?

Xu Yuan felt that he could directly surrender.

No matter how much he struggled, it would be impossible to create even a ripple.

The fragrance of incense wafted through the carriage, and for a moment there was silence.

Li Qingyan picked up Xu Yuan’s wine cup, poured herself a drink, and took a sip with her red lips:

"Have you figured it out?"

Xu Yuan licked the corner of his lips and said with a low laugh:

"I... I think I know why Li Zhaoyuan risked trying to kill you."

If he were in Li Zhaoyuan’s shoes, he would also kill.

If he didn’t, he truly wouldn’t be able to sleep or eat in peace.

After all, Li Qingyan was the birth sister of the current Crown Prince. Once she stood by the Crown Prince’s side, he would basically have no chance of turning the tables.

Li Qingyan’s smile was brimming as she stared at him:

"Although Father Emperor and Big Brother now probably think that Second Brother’s assassination target was me and Changtian you were just incidental, he probably doesn’t really think that."

As a prince, Li Zhaoyuan would stop at nothing to ascend to the Dragon Throne.

As a member of the Imperial Family, Li Zhaoyuan also wanted the Prime Minister’s Mansion to have no successor.

Xu Yuan felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and said:

"Hey, you’re not thinking of murdering your own husband, are you?"

Li Qingyan’s eyes showed her contemplation, but she did not answer.

Xu Yuan hissed softly:

"Hey, are you serious?"

"Hmm..."

Li Qingyan’s eyes blinked, her smile blossoming like flowers: "Considering your flirtatious nature, Changtian, it’s not entirely impossible..."

Having said that, she casually handed him the porcelain cup.

Xu Yuan took it, filled it up, drank it down, and said with a light laugh:

"It’s not like I haven’t died before, but when the time comes, can you at least leave me an intact corpse?"

Li Qingyan was silent for a few breaths, her voice very light:

"Changtian, you don’t really think that I would... "

"Right, Qingyan."

Xu Yuan interrupted her, smiling as he said, "It seems Li Zhaoyuan is not aware of the relationship between you and your older brother?"

"....."

Seeing him directly skip over that topic, the expression in her eyes flickered imperceptibly.

In the silence,

The scent of jasmine flowers in the carriage entered her nostrils, turning into a sour and intense ripple in her heart.

But this was only for an instant.

Returning to normal, Li Qingyan didn’t dwell on the previous topic:

"I don’t know, otherwise, he wouldn’t have wanted to kill me."

Xu Yuan stroked his chin, glanced at the direction in which the carriage was traveling, and asked with interest:

"Qingyan, although you were at the Northern Frontier, didn’t the Crown Prince think of reaching out to you? And I remember two years ago when he went on a mission to the Barbarian Tribes, he passed through the Northern Border and stayed for so long, didn’t he bond with you as siblings?"

"I believe I have mentioned this to you before."

Li Qingyan’s face showed a hint of sarcasm:

"There were no letters, and in the Northern Border, he had no interactions with me. The Crown Prince began to visit me frequently only after I returned to the Capital to get engaged to you."

Xu Yuan slightly sat up, asking:

"There must be a reason for this, right?"

Although he had never met that Crown Prince, judging from the rumors, it didn’t seem likely that the other party wouldn’t take precautions.

Having a sister outside who held military power, by virtue of their same blood, it would have made sense to curry favor with her early on.

Yet the Crown Prince had waited until the critical juncture of the struggle for succession to start cozying up...

It just didn’t seem right.

"A reason?"

Li Qingyan tilted her head, her delicate features animated with a playful smile: "Is that important?"

Xu Yuan looked at her expression and found himself speechless.

At this point, whether the current Crown Prince truly forgot or whether the Emperor interfered no longer mattered.

Because the established fact was clear,

Li Qingyan had no affection for that Crown Prince, her elder brother.

With that thought,

Xu Yuan poured a cup of wine and passed it to her, asking softly:

"I think I roughly know why the Crown Prince sent his great companion to meet you, but why did you want to take me with you?"