Li Weiyang thought carefully, then said, “I want to go see what’s happening outside.”

Yuan Lie shook his head disapprovingly. “The imperial physician said your chill hasn’t recovered yet. You need to stay in a warm environment and keep warm. Do you want to run outside? No!” As he said this, Li Weiyang had already sat up. Yuan Lie quickly pressed her back down. “I already told you—let them make their fuss outside. We don’t need to worry about it.”

But Li Weiyang frowned, looking at him and saying, “Such a spectacular scene—it would be too much of a pity to miss it. I want to see what kind of chaos those people will create now that the Great Khan is dead.”

Knowing this was exactly her personality, Yuan Lie thought for a moment, then instructed Zhao Yue, “Go get your young lady’s thickest cloak.”

Li Weiyang naturally stopped him. “I only caught a slight chill. There’s no need to be so nervous. I’m fine.”

At this moment, Madam Guo’s voice came from the tent entrance. She quickly walked in and, having just heard them talking, hurriedly said, “Jia’er, this time Prince Xu is right. It’s chaotic outside. Your father and three brothers have all rushed to handle the situation. In my opinion, you’d best not move around. If your cold worsens, wouldn’t that be counterproductive?”

Li Weiyang laughed despite herself. “I just drank medicine and kept warm for a while. Mother, if you don’t let me go see, I won’t feel at ease.”

Madam Guo looked at her helplessly and had no choice but to say, “If you must go see, you have to bundle up completely! Zhao Yue, bring the brocade robe I brought for your young lady and help her change into it.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yue smiled gently and quickly brought over the brocade robe embroidered with peacocks. Li Weiyang looked at it and felt her scalp tingle. It was only spring now, but Madam Guo had brought clothes meant for deep autumn. The thick satin was cotton-lined inside, with fluffy fox fur on the outside. It looked very warm indeed, but could such clothing really be worn outside?

Madam Guo saw through her thoughts and said, “The grassland wind is strong. What’s wrong with wearing more layers? You’re still sick—listen to me. Put on the clothes before you’re allowed to go out.”

Li Weiyang looked troubled but had no choice but to say, “Alright then.” Having said this, she looked at Yuan Lie. “Go wait outside. I’ll be there shortly.”

Yuan Lie smiled, then bowed to Madam Guo before walking out. Madam Guo glanced at his retreating figure and said, “What about that cloak Prince Xu just mentioned? Bring that too.”

Li Weiyang was already speechless. After quite a while, she finally sent Madam Guo away. When she walked out of the tent, she was bundled up from head to toe like a dumpling. Her outfit made Yuan Lie laugh involuntarily.

Li Weiyang glared at him. “What are you laughing at? Isn’t this all your doing?” One autumn garment plus a cloak—this outfit was truly laughable. But Madam Guo wasn’t wrong—the grassland wind was indeed very strong. Even wearing such thick clothing, she still trembled slightly. Perhaps her cold had worsened. She looked at Yuan Lie and said softly, “Let’s go see what’s happening up ahead.”

Yuan Lie nodded and accompanied her. The two spent nearly half a shichen to complete what wasn’t actually a long walk. A gust of wind blew over, and Li Weiyang coughed lightly twice, her cheeks flushed red.

Yuan Lie looked at her, his eyes full of heartache. “I already told you not to push yourself! What’s so interesting about those people! While there’s still time, let’s go back quickly!”

Li Weiyang made a slight gesture toward him, indicating he should look over there. Yuan Lie followed her gaze and saw that in front of the golden tent, the Second Prince and Third Prince had already drawn their swords, obviously preparing to settle matters. The khans were actually cursing loudly at each other and pushing each other around. Some had even lost their felt hats on the ground, their clothes torn, completely disregarding their usual lofty images.

Standing at a distance, Li Weiyang couldn’t help but laugh. She said, “I never imagined grassland people would be so unrestrained. To fight for the throne, they’re actually brawling in public.”

Yuan Lie sneered coldly. “Among all the princes, the Second Prince is brave while the Third Prince is cunning—they’re the strongest competitors for the throne. If not for the Third Prince’s impure bloodline, the Great Khan would have already chosen him as successor long ago. Now if they settle this by force, the Second Prince and Third Prince are evenly matched. However, the Second Prince supports the Crown Prince, while the Third Prince is quite friendly with Prince Jing. Which of them can win seems to also depend on the struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Jing.”

Li Weiyang glanced at Yuan Lie and smiled. “So, who do you think will win among them?”

Yuan Lie smiled faintly and said indifferently, “Naturally the Third Prince. When Batu died, each prince had their own supporters, but in just a few days, the situation changed. I heard that now one-third of the khans remain neutral, while the rest support either the Second Prince or Third Prince respectively. Considering this Third Prince isn’t even the Great Khan’s bloodline yet can win so much support—clearly this person is no simple matter. I think he’s truly quite suitable to be this Great Khan. However, his mind is full of schemes. Once he ascends to the Great Khan’s position, he’ll certainly maneuver between Yuexi and Dazhou, profiting from both sides.”

Li Weiyang smiled gently. Her smile in this cold wind was like a blooming winter plum blossom—cold and fragrant. She moved her lips as if to say something but stopped, only turning her head to quietly watch this scene. The strong wind caught her cloak, making it flutter loudly. Yuan Lie, watching from the side, quickly pressed down her cloak and said, “Since you’ve already seen it, let’s go back. I don’t think they’ll start fighting for a while yet.”

Li Weiyang thought for a moment and shook her head. “The most exciting scene hasn’t come yet. Didn’t you hear Mother say that Father and my three brothers are all in the crowd trying to break up fights? But do you see them?”

Yuan Lie looked over. The crowd was packed together—he really couldn’t see the Yuexi nobles. So where were Duke Qi and the others? Suddenly, a sharp voice came from the crowd: “His Majesty arrives!”

Both Yuan Lie and Li Weiyang were startled at the same time, then saw the bright yellow imperial procession arrive. The Yuexi Emperor’s face was covered with a layer of frost. His imperial carriage arrived before the golden tent in an instant. He stepped down from the dragon palanquin and walked step by step toward the Second Prince and Third Prince.

The people who had been brawling in a heap hadn’t noticed their surroundings at all, but the khans had already frozen. No one could believe their eyes—the Yuexi Emperor seemed to burst forth with the power of a lion from his body. He easily separated the two with one hand, then fiercely grabbed the Second Prince by the collar and lifted his entire body up like a sack. The Emperor’s gaze was extremely contemptuous, looking at the Second Prince as if looking at a dog. The Second Prince was about to curse angrily when he saw those eyes—those amber eyes that were a hundred times more fierce than Yuan Lie’s—and was immediately frightened into silence. The Emperor sneered and tossed him to the ground like disposing of a little chick. Then he backhanded a slap across the Third Prince’s face. Both men were stunned by his blows, and the scene fell completely silent.

This matter could originally have been done by the guards at the Emperor’s side, but at this moment when the Emperor did it himself, there was no sense of incongruity whatsoever. He was more like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into their battle, mercilessly delivering heavy blows to each. The Yuexi Emperor’s gaze was ice-cold as he said, “Your grassland struggle for the throne—I am an outsider and disdain to interfere. But your father still lies dead there, his bones not yet cold! Yet here you are fighting for the throne like chickens and dogs, battling to the death. Looking at you such disloyal and unfilial sons, I feel cold-hearted on the Great Khan’s behalf!”

Having said this, both the Second Prince and Third Prince’s faces showed shame. With their father’s bones not yet cold, they indeed shouldn’t be fighting like this under these circumstances. If others said this, they would immediately raise their swords and kill them. But when the Emperor spoke, the weight was naturally different. The Third Prince Bashu was a shrewd and capable person. He immediately showed an extremely guilty expression, lowered his head, and knelt before the Yuexi Emperor, saying, “Your Majesty, I find my father’s death very suspicious. Please seek justice for him!”

The Emperor glanced at him coldly and said, “Seek justice? Wasn’t it said your father was killed by a wolf pack?” As he said this, Li Weiyang noticed that through the layers of people, the Emperor’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. This subtle movement made Li Weiyang narrow her eyes slightly.

Then she heard Bashu say loudly, “I just examined my father’s body. Besides the marks of wolf bites, there’s also a wound on his back left by an iron rod. I think that while fighting the wolf pack, someone attacked from behind, causing him to fall from his horse and drop into the midst of the wolves. Otherwise, how could someone as brave as the grassland Great Khan die at the mouths of a pack of wolves?” Actually, Bashu had wanted to say these words long ago, but that Second Prince was too unreasonable, grabbing his neck tightly and preventing him from explaining clearly.

The Yuexi Emperor’s gaze moved back and forth between them, his eyes appearing especially sinister. The Second Prince Balu said angrily in shame, “Bashu, what do you mean by this? Do you have any concrete evidence?”

Bashu snorted coldly and clapped his hands. Guards brought several people forward under escort. Bashu pointed at them and said, “They are the Great Khan’s personal guards. If there are any questions, interrogate them carefully to find out exactly who betrayed the Great Khan!” The four people brought up together looked at each other—none dared make a sound. In the end, they could only kowtow repeatedly, saying, “Third Prince, spare our lives! We truly know nothing!”

Bashu sneered coldly. “Since you won’t speak, there’s only the punishment for failing to protect the Great Khan—we’ll turn all four of you into sky lanterns!”

Hearing this, the four men’s faces immediately showed expressions of terror, but they still said nothing. Bashu snorted coldly, drew the long sword from his waist, and slashed straight toward the person in the middle. As the blade approached his nose, that man’s face turned white as gold paper, sweat poured down like rain, and he shouted loudly, “This servant will confess everything! This servant will tell all!” Having said this, he pointed at the Second Prince Balu standing to the side. “It was the Second Prince who gave this servant gold, silver, and treasures, telling this servant to kill the Great Khan when necessary to help him ascend to the throne! He also promised this servant high office and generous rewards, cattle, sheep, and treasures!”

Having said this sentence, everyone’s expressions changed. Bashu’s face showed a satisfied expression. Balu’s dark face flushed completely red. He roared angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting?!” With that, he rushed forward, grabbed the man by the collar, as if to tear him apart. His iron arms grabbed the man so he couldn’t speak. The entire person, being strangled, let out cries for help. Balu sneered and actually lifted the man up, bent his left knee, and forcibly broke him in half. Everyone who heard the sound of bones shattering turned pale. Then they heard Bashu say with neither yin nor yang, “Second Brother, are you trying to silence him?”

Balu turned around, looking at Bashu with fury. “I understand now—you must have bribed this person to make false testimony to frame me! You cunning thing! You think that being ruthless enough to strike first means you can become the grassland Great Khan? If you have the ability, kill everyone—kill all the khans here. Then no one will compete with you for this position! Otherwise, you bastard with no legitimate name or claim—what qualifications do you have to inherit as Great Khan?”

Although his sore spot was touched, Bashu’s expression remained unchanged as he sneered coldly. “Now saying these things is useless. Your conspiracy has been exposed before everyone. The crime of murdering the Great Khan is truly unforgivable! According to the rules, we will split open your chest, dig out your heart, and place your head together with those traitors! To comfort the Great Khan’s spirit in heaven!” With that, he turned to order his own guards, “What are you waiting for?”

Balu’s expression changed, and he flew into a rage. “You dare!” The people around him also looked ready to rush forward.

Just then, everyone heard the Yuexi Emperor say coldly, “All of you, shut up!”

Everyone looked at him, all somewhat surprised. Bashu said coldly, “Your Majesty, didn’t you say you wouldn’t participate in our succession struggle?”

The Emperor said indifferently, “Balu assassinated the Great Khan first and schemed to seize the throne second. Bashu, you harbor evil intentions and treasonous designs. Neither of you has the qualifications to inherit the Great Khan’s position! These words aren’t mine but your father’s!” With that, he waved his hand. Naturally, a eunuch beside him presented a box inlaid with rubies. Seeing that box, everyone’s expressions showed shock. One old khan cried out, “This—this is the Jade Dragon Box! How is it in your hands?”

The Emperor’s expression was calm. He opened the box with one hand, took out a sheepskin scroll from inside, then with a wave of his hand unrolled it, displaying its contents before everyone. The khans all stepped forward to carefully examine the writing, but they were all stunned. The Fifth Prince Baxuan, who had been silent in the crowd, suddenly jumped up, ecstatic with joy. “The Great Khan passed the throne to me! I am the true grassland Great Khan!” Having said this, the others all glared at him with fury, especially Balu and Bashu. Bashu stepped forward, his expression extremely ugly. He looked at the Emperor and said, “What is this?”

The Emperor said carelessly, “As grassland people, don’t you even recognize the Jade Dragon Box you use to establish succession?”

Bashu said incredulously, “How could this thing be in your hands?” Then he and Balu exchanged a glance. The two simultaneously walked to one side, eyeing the Yuexi Emperor like tigers watching their prey. Before this powerful enemy, they prepared to unite first and settle the Great Khan issue afterward.

The Emperor sneered and waved his hand. Everyone saw over a thousand Imperial Guards surge forward like a tide, surrounding all the grassland nobles in three layers inside and out. Those gleaming treasure swords were placed at the necks of several princes. Before Balu and Bashu’s soldiers could react, they were already seized. Their weapons clattered to the ground in a heap.

Li Weiyang smiled faintly. “His Majesty truly anticipated everything.”

Yuan Lie, looking completely relaxed and laughably arrogant, said, “The Yuexi Emperor’s throne isn’t easy to sit on. How could he have a hollow reputation!”

Bashu couldn’t help but grit his teeth. He himself had three thousand soldiers who should be outside the camp. To prevent accidents, he had already ordered them here. If he just waited another half shichen, his men would arrive—

“Are you waiting for reinforcements? What a pity—they won’t come.” The Emperor smiled faintly, watching Bashu’s expression change. “Also, the letters between you and those khans plotting rebellion are all in my hands. Should I take them out for everyone to see?”

Cold sweat rolled down Bashu’s forehead. The Emperor no longer looked at him but walked toward the Fifth Prince Baxuan. Baxuan was somewhat afraid of that face and instinctively stepped back two paces. But the Emperor actually raised his wrist high and loudly proclaimed, “Fifth Prince Baxuan is the successor chosen by the Great Khan. From this day forward, he is your grassland master! Your new Great Khan!”

His voice echoed across the grasslands, yet not a single person responded. The grassland people completely didn’t understand what was happening before their eyes. Among the khans, someone had already spoken out in opposition: “Our Great Khan should be determined by us. You’re an outsider—what right do you have to point fingers?”

The Emperor looked at him coldly. In the next instant, this old khan’s head was severed and fell to the ground, rolling all the way to Bashu’s feet. He was shocked and terrified, suddenly understanding something. Looking at the old khan’s head, despair welled up within him for a moment. They were too young and too foolish! To obtain the Great Khan’s position—how could it be so simple!

The Emperor smiled as he looked at everyone. “Why is no one cheering? Your new Great Khan has been born.”

What would happen if they resisted? Looking at those cold-faced Imperial Guards around them—if they said one more word of refusal, those thousand densely packed long swords would nail them into complete honeycombs. The grassland people looked at each other. For a long time no one spoke. Everyone’s gaze finally settled on that head rolling on the ground. Finally, someone was the first to kneel down. Slowly, one after another, all the people knelt on the ground. They buried their faces in the earth, then raised them up, cheering the name of Fifth Prince Baxuan in their mouths. That sound suddenly spread very high, as if about to pierce the sky.

Baxuan stood there bewildered. Originally, he hadn’t expected the Great Khan would pass the position to him, because he was the most cowardly among the princes, so much so that no one on the grasslands supported him. He wasn’t brave and warlike like his brothers. Although he had countless times imagined that one day he could inherit the Great Khan’s position, could marry the most beautiful girl on the grasslands, possess the most vast lands, with everyone kneeling on the ground bowing to him in submission—that was only imagination. Today it had actually come true, giving him a sudden sense of unreality… At this moment, he heard a low voice beside him. The Yuexi Emperor smiled at him and said, “Child, from this day forward, you are the master of the grasslands.”

At this moment, the Emperor looked especially gentle—so gentle it was bone-chilling.

That deeply meaningful gaze made Baxuan suddenly shudder with shock. That was definitely not friendship, nor help, but a kind of intimidation. He only felt his heart suddenly start pounding, then suddenly understood, quickly saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

The Emperor only smiled faintly, noncommittal. People’s cheering continued, while Balu and Bashu exchanged a glance and simultaneously stiffened their necks without making a sound. Bashu was a clever person. He ultimately still knelt down, praying blessings for the new Great Khan. And because Balu refused to beg for mercy and refused to acknowledge Baxuan’s position, he was soon taken away by Yuexi’s army. Bashu understood in his heart that he would never see this Second Brother again. In this hunting expedition, who was the hunter and who was the prey? Thinking this in his heart, his entire body felt as if falling into an ice cave, cold to the extreme.

The grassland Great Khan had once achieved extremely outstanding military accomplishments, using very weak military strength to subdue seventeen tribes and become master of the entire grassland. During his reign, he launched a life-or-death struggle against the Yuexi Emperor, intending to lead brave cavalry to completely break free of Yuexi’s control. Unfortunately, he failed. So according to custom, he bowed his head to the Yuexi people, allied with the Yuexi Emperor as a barbarian master, and in the following many years contributed fertile grasslands for the Yuexi imperial family to hunt for pleasure. In his later years, his eldest son died by accident, and two sons fought endlessly for the throne. Ultimately, the throne fell into the hands of Fifth Prince Baxuan. Because Baxuan had the support of Yuexi cavalry, he became the grassland’s new Great Khan. But according to his strength, he couldn’t sit firmly in this position. The only method was to continue depending on Yuexi, depending on the Emperor. Only this way could he keep his position and suppress those who resisted him—whether it was the Second Prince Balu supported by the Crown Prince, or Bashu supported by Prince Jing—they were all just shooting stars, brilliant for a moment before disappearing.

The Crown Prince and Prince Jing watched this scene from afar. The Crown Prince suddenly sneered, though it was unclear what he was laughing at. Prince Jing looked at him, his gaze showing a trace of deep thought.

The Crown Prince laughed. “Fighting and competing with each other—how are we any different? These two were too foolish, allowing others to exploit the gap.” Although the Crown Prince didn’t say it explicitly, Prince Jing understood his meaning. The two rarely stood together harmoniously, quietly talking.

Prince Jing smiled slightly, but that smile carried some inexplicable mockery. He said slowly, “If they had waited until after the Great Khan’s burial to act, they wouldn’t have fallen to this state. The fault is they were both too impatient.” Prince Jing was very disappointed in Bashu. He thought this Third Prince at least had some brains, but he hadn’t expected that ambition for power made his head heat up temporarily, actually doing such an irrational thing. Fortunately, Bashu pulled back in time, otherwise Balu’s fate would be waiting for him. One could imagine that Father Emperor absolutely wouldn’t spare Balu, because he absolutely wouldn’t let go of anyone who dared resist him.

The Emperor unhurriedly gave orders that tomorrow the Great Khan would formally be mourned and the new Great Khan would simultaneously ascend: “This Great Khan is now young and promising. I believe the grasslands will move toward prosperity under his leadership. You will have more land, more slaves, more wealth.” He didn’t need to deliberately raise his voice. Except for the sound of wind, the field was quiet—not a single person spoke. People looked at him, and even the bravest grassland warriors had fear and unease in their eyes.

Li Weiyang said indifferently, “This hunting expedition—His Majesty has truly reaped a bountiful harvest.”

Yuan Lie looked at her, his smile warm. “What, did this exceed your expectations? The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—isn’t that the principle?”

Li Weiyang sighed softly. In that instant, she had a dazed illusion. The Yuexi Emperor before her eyes was like a lion that had been sleeping all along, but when he opened his eyes, his presence could overwhelm everyone. The Emperor exploited the contradictions between the brothers, supporting the Fifth Prince to become the grassland Great Khan. However, the Fifth Prince’s personality was extremely cowardly. He had to surrender control of the grasslands to sit firmly in this Great Khan position. Such a transaction was extremely worthwhile. The new Great Khan would offer up his cavalry and the grasslands would bow in submission to the Yuexi people. Yuexi would no longer need to worry about the grasslands turning against them, because they had already lost this power.

Actually, if Balu or Bashu inherited the throne, given their strong personalities, they would eventually turn against Yuexi one day. At that time, Yuexi’s control over the grasslands would weaken. The grasslands could possibly exploit the contradictions between Yuexi and Dazhou to threaten and control them in every way. Rather than that, it was better to strike first.

Yuan Lie said in a mocking, disdainful tone, “Actually, the grasslands’ enemy isn’t Yuexi, nor Dazhou, but themselves. The Emperor just saw the contradictions between them and exploited them. As for the Great Khan’s death…” He said half, leaving the other half unsaid—he and Li Weiyang understood each other tacitly. If Bashu accused Balu of planting people around the Great Khan, then in that pitch-black night, who could see through everything? Didn’t this indicate that Bashu had also planted people around the Great Khan? No—one should say there were too many forces around the Great Khan, so much so that his sons hadn’t realized they were being watched all along by the cold gaze of the oriole behind them. So they couldn’t be winners—they could only suffer crushing defeat.

Events indeed unfolded as Yuan Lie predicted. The next day, the Yuexi Emperor had already executed Balu and demoted Bashu to commoner status, banishing him far away to the grassland’s most barren lands. Survival there was questionable—Bashu could barely think about letting his people eat their fill rather than fighting for the throne. This way, no one on the grasslands who could compete with the Fifth Prince existed anymore. As for those khans, after the Emperor consecutively killed four or five people, the others also quieted down. The grassland’s opposition forces had tried to resist the Yuexi Emperor, but they ultimately discovered that at some unknown point, the wind had changed direction. The khans who had originally always supported the Second Prince’s succession divided up the cattle, sheep, and population that the Second and Third Princes possessed, maintaining silence about all this. And among the khans, the three families with the most powerful influence—the Takhan, Tuoke, and Wojin families—all supported the Fifth Prince proposed by the Yuexi Emperor. Their support could allow the Fifth Prince to rapidly stabilize his position and intimidate other tribes.

When Li Weiyang heard this news, she smiled faintly. She looked at Princess Ali who had come to visit her and said, “The slaughter Your Highness worried about didn’t occur. You should be happy.”

Princess Ali nodded. “No matter what, Fifth Brother is a kind-hearted person. He may not be a good ruler, but he definitely won’t randomly start conflicts. With Yuexi’s protection, the grasslands may perhaps become peaceful.”

Li Weiyang sneered coldly in her heart. This child was ultimately too young. She didn’t even know everything was determined by that person. He controlled the grassland’s power—would his next step be to move against Dazhou? Using external conflicts to divert internal disputes—what kind of person was this Yuexi Emperor really?

Princess Ali wiped her reddened eyes, then looked at Li Weiyang. “Will you all be setting off to return soon?”

Li Weiyang nodded. Ali said softly, “Today is the Great Khan’s funeral. Will you all attend?”

Li Weiyang’s gaze was quite emotional. “Naturally. His Majesty has already ordered all Yuexi nobles to go send off the Great Khan. This is also Yuexi people’s respect for you.”

Princess Ali nodded. She suddenly said, “After the funeral, can I return with you all?”

Li Weiyang looked at Ali and smiled faintly. “Is it still for Prince Jing?”

Princess Ali shook her head. She said slowly, “Regarding Prince Jing, what I should do and could do has all been done. There’s nothing left to regret. I want to leave the grasslands only because the Great Khan is dead and Third Brother has also been exiled. I have no other relatives here anymore. So I want to go elsewhere to see. I heard Yuexi is very prosperous—the girls’ clothes are very beautiful, the young men are also very handsome. Perhaps I can find my beloved.”

Li Weiyang’s heart stirred slightly. She pondered for a moment before saying, “If Your Highness is willing, naturally you may. Moreover, I welcome you to stay at the Guo residence. I think Fourth Brother will be very happy.” Li Weiyang noticed that when she mentioned Guo Dun, Princess Ali’s face seemed to redden slightly. Although she hadn’t transferred her affections so quickly, Guo Dun’s confession still left a deep impression on her.

Princess Ali stood up, patted her skirt, then said to Li Weiyang, “The mourning ceremony will be this afternoon. I’ll wait for you outside. When you’re ready, we’ll go together.”

Li Weiyang nodded, then instinctively coughed heavily twice. Zhao Yue looked at her with worry. She always felt this cold had damaged Li Weiyang’s vitality. But the grassland environment was poor with heavy wind and sand. She hoped they could set off for home early so Li Weiyang could recover as soon as possible.

The Great Khan’s funeral was very simple—just building up a wood pile and carrying the corpse onto it. The shamans waved knives and sang songs loudly. Li Weiyang couldn’t understand what the song was about. She only saw countless grassland people kneeling from the slope all the way down, a dark mass almost covering half the camp. They raised their hands high, continuously singing some strange songs toward the sky. Until the Fifth Prince personally threw down the fireball and the wood pile became a huge bonfire—the raging flames gradually burned the Great Khan’s body to ashes.

Watching this scene, Li Weiyang’s gaze became very deep. In this play, she thought she was the winner. Now it seemed she had only achieved a small victory. The biggest winner was currently in the golden tent.

The Emperor was handling official documents. Red pinch marks had already appeared on his forehead. Because of the severe headache, he kept pinching his brow, causing these red marks. The marks were very deep, faintly turning black. At this time, the tent moved and Yuan Lie strode in, bowing. “Yuan Lie pays respects to Your Majesty.” Yuan Lie’s attitude was neither cold nor warm.

Seeing him, the Emperor showed impatience. He tossed the documents onto the desk with one motion, his eyes fixing on his son. “Coming to the grasslands—did you gain anything?”

Yuan Lie glanced at him, thinking to himself that the gains really weren’t small, but the one who gained most was clearly you. However, he didn’t say this aloud. The Emperor sneered coldly. “The rules of this world are very simple. Whether Yuexi or the grasslands, everyone holds a blade. If I don’t kill him, he’ll kill me. If we don’t slaughter enemies and expand our territory, very soon we won’t even be able to hold our own position—just like the Great Khan. But every time I look at you, you’re always a pathetic sight, constantly circling around women’s skirts.” Having said this, he laughed softly, that laugh carrying several parts cruelty.

Yuan Lie looked at him, silent for a long time, before slowly uttering one statement: “Your Majesty set this trap very cleverly.”

The Emperor raised his head and glanced at him. “Oh? What trap did I set?”

Yuan Lie sighed softly. “If the Great Khan had stayed properly in the golden tent, he definitely wouldn’t have encountered danger. I guess Empress Pei first bribed him, ordering him to take mine and Guo Jia’s lives. Your Majesty permitted this. With your permission, the Great Khan dared so brazenly to pursue and kill us. Once he took action, you followed behind him. When he was exhausted, you led him into the wolf pack, then delivered the fatal blow. Afterward, you framed Second Prince Balu, then exploited the dispute between Balu and Bashu, killed several khans to intimidate them, making those other princes with restless ambitions not dare act rashly. You also supported the most cowardly and incompetent Fifth Prince to ascend to the Great Khan position. This person has no other abilities—his greatest virtue is obedience. Only by depending on you can his Great Khan position sit firmly. One can easily understand—the grasslands will be peaceful for quite some time. Your wishful thinking was truly precise.” But using his and Weiyang’s lives as bait—he truly couldn’t understand. The Emperor watched him being pursued and killed with his own eyes. This behavior made him doubt whether he was actually his biological son.

The Emperor remained unmoved. “If you died from such a small matter, that would only mean you lacked ability. You can’t blame anyone else.”

Yuan Lie showed his teeth in a smile that made all the stars and moon lose their brilliance, but his tone was extremely mocking: “Yes, life and death are my own matters. I absolutely won’t blame Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked at him and laughed heartily toward the sky. “What? Are you angry?”

Yuan Lie lowered his head, his gaze ice-cold. “No, I’m not.”

The Emperor said, “I know—you’re not angry that I used you as bait. You just can’t bear that girl dying together with you.” When he said “that girl,” a trace of cold light shot from his eyes.

Yuan Lie suddenly raised his head and said coldly, “She’s not some girl. She’s my beloved. Her name is Li Weiyang—no, perhaps you’d prefer to call her Guo Jia.”

The Emperor sneered. “Beloved?” His smile contained three parts mockery and one part coldness. “What is ‘beloved’? How old are you? What do you understand? Talking about ‘beloved’ with every breath—utterly ridiculous.”

As he said this, his tone held undisguised contempt. Yuan Lie looked at him, his gaze without a trace of fluctuation. In his view, whether this Emperor had a blood relationship with him wasn’t important. There wasn’t much familial affection between them either. He originally thought that at least for his mother’s sake, the Emperor would show him some care. Now it seemed he had completely thought wrong. Perhaps the other party’s favor was also just a façade. Maybe there was no one in this world who could enter his eyes. But Yuan Lie didn’t care. He only cared about Li Weiyang alone. What made him unhappy today was only that the Emperor had pushed Weiyang toward danger.

Seeing Yuan Lie’s ice-cold gaze, the Emperor’s fingers tapped on the desk—”thump thump thump thump”—producing dull, continuous sounds from the desk that were very irritating to hear, yet faintly carried a threat. He said, “That night you clearly had the ability to kill the Great Khan’s troops. Why did you only focus on fleeing in panic?”

Yuan Lie was shocked. He hadn’t expected his every move fell under the other party’s gaze. His gaze gradually became ice-cold, like an eagle fixing on its prey. That gaze was definitely not how a son looked at a father—it had several parts of looking at an opponent and enemy.

The Emperor laughed despite himself. “You needn’t be nervous. If I wanted to eliminate your forces, I wouldn’t have handed some of my people over to you in the first place. I just want to know the reason.”

Yuan Lie didn’t make a sound. He didn’t even intend to answer. The Emperor laughed coldly. “Even if you don’t say it, I know. Your little schemes, hmph.” He suddenly snorted. “You just wanted to create an opportunity to be alone with that girl. You probably also wanted to scheme against the Guo family—forcing them to acknowledge the marriage. Speaking of being despicable and shameless, you’re not much different from me. You even show a trend of the student surpassing the master.”

Yuan Lie smiled faintly. “Those who achieve great things shouldn’t be constrained by minor details. Naturally, some sacrifices must be made to achieve one’s goal. I don’t care about reputation anyway. I really did plan this originally, but later…” He said half his words. The Emperor finished for him: “But later, that sweetheart of yours disagreed. You were afraid she’d be angry, so you temporarily changed your mind. What a useless thing!”

Yuan Lie didn’t speak. He felt the Emperor couldn’t understand his meaning. To make Li Weiyang happy, he could do anything. Why not wait a bit longer? Of course, explaining this to the Emperor was useless. In the other party’s dictionary, there were only ever four words: seize by force. He didn’t understand at all the meaning of the word “cherish.”

The Emperor straightened his expression. “That woman has already instigated the Great Khan to move against you. If not for my secret arrangements, do you think you could have so easily escaped their encirclement? This is the first time, but it definitely won’t be the last. If you don’t strike back at them, if you don’t use thunderous methods to painfully strike down all those who want to kill you one by one, then you’ll have no way to establish yourself in the capital in the future, much less continue living in this man-eating world!”

Yuan Lie’s gaze was ice-cold, his expression indifferent. “That’s my own business and has nothing to do with anyone. You needn’t interfere.”

The Yuexi Emperor sneered. “You are my son. Without me, there would be no you at all.”

Yuan Lie suddenly laughed mockingly. He said, “Yes, without you, there would be no me at all. Without you, I wouldn’t have been abandoned in a foreign land to become someone else’s discarded piece, suffering countless cold shoulders. Even returning to the capital, I’m still a thorn in others’ eyes, a nail in their flesh.”

The Emperor’s expression changed. At this moment, his playful expression disappeared, slowly becoming very serious. His tone also carried coldness: “I know you still resent the matter of your mother. You must remember—the past between her and me has nothing whatsoever to do with you. I don’t want to hear a single word about the past from your mouth.” At this moment, before Yuan Lie, he was cold like a true emperor, without the slightest emotion that humans should have.

Yuan Lie looked straight at him, his gaze meeting, confronting, persisting, even without the slightest retreat. The Emperor, looking at his outline that bore three parts resemblance to that person in his memory, felt that just looking could bring out that lingering, unending pain like death by a thousand cuts from the depths of his heart. He didn’t speak for a long time. Finally, he laughed, only revealing an extremely shallow smile. “Perhaps your weakness is that little girl. What if she died?”

Yuan Lie’s gaze instantly became extremely terrifying. He looked at his own father, his cold face like ice and snow accumulated for thousands and tens of thousands of years. Word by word, he said, “Li Weiyang is the most important person in my heart—surpassing Mother, and surpassing you as my father.”

“What did you say?” The Emperor suddenly became enraged. In Yuan Lie’s eyes, he saw resistance to his authority. In all these years, no one had done this. Even that arrogant and domineering Empress Pei still bowed and scraped before him, lowering her eyebrows submissively. He hadn’t expected this barely grown boy would speak to him this way!

Yuan Lie didn’t care about his warning and continued speaking: “When I was small, if not for her, I would have already been held down in the water by two nannies and drowned alive. When my foster mother had just died, if not for her protecting me in every way, ensuring my safety, I would have long since died in those assassinations. I would never have had the chance to return alive to Yuexi, nor face my own origins. I hate everyone, including you. Only she alone is the one I truly care about. If she’s gone, I also have no meaning to exist!”

The same stubborn temper as that person! The Emperor’s left hand fingernails in his sleeve nearly pierced a hole in his palm. That innately vicious nature immediately erupted. With a bang, he overturned the entire desk. “What do you mean ‘no meaning to exist’?! Do you know what you’re saying?!”

But Yuan Lie laughed and continued: “In your eyes, she’s just an ordinary girl—nothing attractive about her, not worth wasting a glance on. But in my eyes, no matter how harsh the environment, she can still struggle to survive, protecting everyone around her, step by step achieving her goals. She changed my fate, binding me firmly together with her. I’ll only say one thing—I don’t care about your throne, nor your concern. I only care about her. If anyone dares harm her, they’re my enemy! Even to the ends of the earth, I won’t let them go!”

The Emperor felt somewhat dazed. He looked at his son. The brilliance and determination in the other party’s eyes were exceptionally real: “Do you truly like this girl so much?”

Yuan Lie revealed a proud yet certain smile. “Yes, I like her and will marry her. No one in this world can stand in my way.”

His face showed an open expression. The Emperor finally sighed. In Yuan Lie’s body, he seemed to see his own shadow from years past—as stubborn and ignorant as when he was young, crazily persistent, and also foolish. He thought about it, and his tone softened. “If you truly like her, I can grant you a marriage.”

Yuan Lie sneered coldly. “This has nothing to do with you. I said you needn’t interfere.” With that, he had already turned and strode toward outside the tent.

The Emperor called after him. Yuan Lie turned back to look at him. “Does Your Majesty have other instructions?”

The Emperor looked at him and suddenly revealed a trace of amused expression. “I heard that boy Yuan Ying also likes her very much. Are you confident?”

Yuan Lie smiled faintly but didn’t answer. He turned and lifted the tent flap, walking out.

The Emperor’s sigh could simply reach the sea. Outside the tent, a person walked in—it was Eunuch Zhang, the most intimate attendant at the Emperor’s side.

Eunuch Zhang had just watched Yuan Lie depart from outside the tent before daring to enter and serve. He came forward to right the desk, dusted off the memorials, and folded them up. But he heard the Emperor say pensively, “Tell me, who does this child resemble?”

Eunuch Zhang thought to himself: Who does he resemble? Doesn’t he resemble you, Your Majesty? But he didn’t dare say these words aloud. He smiled and answered, “Prince Xu is a clever person. He understands Your Majesty’s meaning.”

But the Emperor shook his head. “Wolves surround him on all sides. Let’s see how he breaks through. If he can’t do it, he won’t be able to sit firmly in that position in the future either.”

Hearing these words, Eunuch Zhang was shocked with sudden realization. He suddenly understood what the Emperor was saying. The Emperor glanced at him, his gaze seeming to carry killing intent. Eunuch Zhang immediately lowered his head, vaguely responding, “Your Majesty can rest assured. His Highness knows what he’s doing. He definitely won’t disappoint Your Majesty’s hopes.”

The Yuexi Emperor laughed coldly. He quickly withdrew his gaze. That enormous pressure had caused a layer of fine sweat beads to appear on Eunuch Zhang’s back. Only when the Emperor looked away did this pressure suddenly disappear. Eunuch Zhang finally breathed a slight sigh of relief: Your Majesty, only heaven knows your thoughts.