Chapter 210 - A Grave Matter

“Father, you mean he’ll kill himself?” Xu Yuan frowned.

Xu Yinhe’s voice remained mild, but he had seen this happen before, and so he was certain. “Yes.”

Xu Yuan hesitated before asking, “But I already promised him I would ask you to spare his life.”

A clever man was not immune to the fear of death. With Xu Yuan’s promise in hand, why would Bai Zhao still choose to die?

Xu Yinhe did not answer him directly. Instead, he suddenly asked, “30 years ago, Lou Ji scattered a handful of spring seeds across the realm on my behalf. Most of those seeds died before they could sprout. Bai Zhao was one of the few that bore fruit. I agree with what you said earlier. For many people, the limits they reach are merely the limits of the platform beneath them, not the limits of their own ability. Bai Zhao may well be one of those people. But I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Who am I?”

The question came out of nowhere, leaving Xu Yuan momentarily stunned. He instinctively glanced at Xu Xinyao beside him.

Xu Xinyao shook her head, indicating that she did not understand their father’s meaning either.

After a long moment, a possibility occurred to him. Still uncertain, he answered, “The Chancellor of the Great Flame Empire?”

Xu Yinhe was quite pleased by his third son’s quick understanding. He smiled and nodded, then continued, “Then what sort of matter would require you to plead with me before you could save a man who was once nothing more than a seed I casually scattered?”

Xu Yuan’s pupils contracted. He understood his father’s meaning at once. Whether the matter itself was truly important no longer mattered.

Even if the trouble Bai Zhao had encountered was something trivial beyond mention, the moment Xu Yuan told him that he would seek the Chancellor of the Great Flame Empire’s protection, the matter would swell infinitely in Bai Zhao’s mind.

More importantly, there was no longer any way to explain it.

Any attempt would only make him look guiltier.

Xu Xinyao spoke up then. “Father, Third Brother has a terrible reputation. Outsiders wouldn’t think he had anyone else he could turn to.”

Even the more capable guards in the Chancellor's Manor looked down on Xu Yuan, much less the powerful officials who wielded real authority. When trouble came, the only people he could ask for help were their father or eldest brother.

Xu Yinhe did not answer.

After a long while, Xu Changge spoke in an even tone. “Xinyao, everything concerning Changtian may be common knowledge among the people you know, but your world is only a tiny part of the whole. Aside from senior court officials, the upper ranks of the sects, and their close relatives, most people do not even know how many children Father has.”

“But the things Third Brother did in the Imperial Capital...”

“The Imperial Capital is vast, and the realm is vaster still. Not everyone has access to a communication crystal, and not everyone dares to gossip freely.”

Xu Xinyao fell silent.

When the siblings finished speaking, silence settled over the room once more.

After a long while, Xu Yuan slowly raised his eyes. His expression was complicated. “I sent Yuan Hao to retrieve him.”

This time, Xu Yinhe answered. “Yuan Hao will obey your orders. If Bai Zhao has not already taken his own life by the time he arrives, Yuan Hao will not allow him to die. But that may only postpone his death.”

“Postpone it...” Xu Yuan frowned. “Wouldn’t that prove I really did manage to save him?”

Xu Yinhe enunciated each word carefully. “His continued existence would become a thorn buried in your heart. If he is truly clever, he will know that. When a ruler suspects his minister, and the minister knows it, the minister must be executed. If he is not, he will rebel.”

Xu Yuan said nothing, his brow still furrowed.

Xu Yinhe’s voice grew earnest. “Still, since you have spoken, I will give you my word. I will not kill him. Because if your judgment of him is sound, he will not choose to remain alive.”

As he spoke, a rare trace of complexity surfaced in the hawk-like eyes of the weathered Chancellor. “Changtian, perhaps you think this is harmless for now. Bai Zhao’s cultivation is low, so house arrest or constant surveillance would seem enough to solve the problem. But once you truly understand the position we are in and the enemies we face, you will realize that there are many things you will have no choice but to do... and many people you will have no choice but to kill.”

Xu Changge watched the fleeting emotion that had slipped through his father’s usually unreadable expression. His narrow eyes lowered slightly.

In the years since Chang’an’s death, he had come into contact with some matters from the past.

His father had killed many of the close friends he had made in his youth.

After a brief pause, Xu Yinhe’s expression returned to its usual calm. He smiled gently. “That is enough, Changtian. You still have time to consider it. If you intend to walk this path, remember what I am telling you now. Every move you make in the future will affect the lives and deaths of many people. You will also face one impossible choice after another. I hope that by the time you return to the Imperial Capital, you will be able to give me a clear answer.”

Xu Yuan did not respond. His eyes remained lowered as he sank into thought.

Xu Yinhe smiled, his tone turning warmer as he continued. “The small matter is settled. What is this great matter you mentioned?”

The great matter... Xu Yuan’s heart tightened at those words. He looked up at Xu Xinyao. “Step outside for a moment.”

With that, he began pushing his visibly surprised and unwilling little sister toward the exit of the secret chamber.

Xu Xinyao glared and pouted, resisting his pushing.

ᯓ➤

Inside the carriage, father and son exchanged a glance when they heard this.

Xu Changge raised an eyebrow, then smiled in understanding.

Xu Xinyao had been protected too well. She saw everything too purely. It seemed their Xu Yuan was about to discuss something truly important...

“Xu Changge, stop standing there. You too.”

Xu Changge’s expression froze, a trace of shock flickering through his eyes.

But at that moment, Xu Yinhe suddenly spoke. “Changtian, what matter could possibly require such secrecy?”

The question was clearly meant to stop Xu Yuan from clearing the room.

Xu Yuan halted mid-shove and released Xu Xinyao. He answered simply, “There is something I want to ask you, Father. Your answer will determine how I respond to the question you asked me earlier, whether I will choose the path you have arranged for me.”

Xu Yinhe fell silent for a moment before replying, “That is fine. Ask it here.”

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes, puzzled at first. But he quickly understood his father’s intention.

On the surface, it showed trust in Xu Changge and Xu Xinyao. In truth, it was meant to completely extinguish any thoughts either of them might have had.

Perhaps Xu Changge and Xu Xinyao had never entertained such ambitions in the first place, but Xu Yinhe still had no choice but to do this.

The Chancellor's Manor was too vast, and the power it held was greater still. Once a successor was chosen, every trace of hope in the others had to be uprooted.

Both Xu Changge and Xu Xinyao had die-hard supporters among the upper ranks of the Chancellor's Manor.

Behind Xu Xinyao stood a faction of doves. At the very least, Jiang He, the head of the Institute of Applied Research, would certainly support her.

Xu Changge, meanwhile, had the backing of the martial faction that advocated military expansion. They might dislike his temperament, but they would undoubtedly admire his iron-fisted methods.

Still, was this truly something Xu Xinyao and Xu Changge could be allowed to hear?

Xu Yuan remained silent for a moment before confirming, “Are you certain, Father?”

Xu Yinhe said, “Ask.”

Xu Yuan patted Xu Xinyao on the head to reassure her, then turned back. He weighed his words briefly, but in the end chose to be direct. “Father... How much longer can you live?”