Chapter 263: A Brand-New Betrothal (1)

Stepping down from the carriage, Xu Yuan surveyed the very heart of imperial power.

Compared to the Forbidden City from his previous life, the imperial palace of the Great Flame Empire was probably more than twice its size.

Upturned eaves and soaring roof corners rose on every side. A broad avenue stretched into the distance, flanked by vermilion palace walls that continued all the way to the edge of his vision. The occasional eunuch or palace maid walked between them with lowered heads.

The place was majestic, yet suffocating.

Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and remarked with some admiration, “Father, this palace really is enormous.”

Xu Yinhe glanced at him. “It is. But don’t say that outside.”

Before Xu Yuan could wonder why, a thin voice suddenly came from just off to his side.

“Chancellor Xu certainly knows how to jest. His Majesty himself has given orders that you may enter the palace whenever you please.”

Again? Xu Yuan was speechless.He turned his gaze toward the man who had spoken beside the palace gate.

The man wore a gray python robe with a jade belt. His features were soft and delicate. Bowing slightly, he raised a hand and invited the two of them inside.

“His Majesty has already arrived at the Tranquil Heart Pavilion. He specifically ordered this servant to wait here for you.”

Judging from the eunuch’s attire, Xu Yuan guessed that he had to be someone on the level of the Commander of the Eastern Depot or the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household, a vicious character with power to spare.

That was how it always worked in the movies. How could an emperor not keep some supreme inner-palace expert at his side? But if this man’s cultivation was truly that high, would he still count as a eunuch?

An Origin Awakener could survive even after having his head chopped off. Xu Yuan wondered whether certain other missing parts could grow back as well.

While Xu Yuan was pondering this profound question, Xu Yinhe had already walked silently through the palace gates.

Xu Yuan followed him, but before entering, he instinctively glanced back at the python-robed eunuch. His expression was rather peculiar.

The instant the eunuch noticed his gaze, he seemed to understand exactly what Xu Yuan was thinking. Narrowing his eyes, he smiled. “Third Young Master, there’s no need to stare. Mine isn’t growing back in this lifetime.”

Xu Yuan froze for a moment, then casually asked, “Why not?”

The eunuch’s expression stiffened. Still, he forced a smile that did not reach his eyes. “Those of us who have suffered the knife are cut with a Thousand-Cycle Blade. Once we advance to the Grandmaster Realm, we also consume Lineage-Severing Powder. Besides, we are men who know our duty.”

Xu Yuan paused, then regarded him with newfound respect. “You’re remarkably accepting of it. May I ask your surname?”

The python-robed eunuch smiled. “I wouldn’t dare call it an honored name before you, Third Young Master. My surname is Nie.”

Xu Yinhe continued walking ahead without so much as glancing back.

Xu Yuan remained behind, quietly chatting with the eunuch as though he did not have a care in the world. Leaning a little closer, he lowered his voice and asked, “Eunuch Nie, judging from what you just said, if someone didn’t know his duty, there would be a way to fix the problem, wouldn’t there?”

Eunuch Nie looked at Xu Yuan strangely.

They were about to meet the Emperor. Most people visiting the palace for the first time would either be trembling with fear or, at the very least, solemn and respectful. Yet the Third Young Master Xu was strolling into the palace as though he were coming home.

After a second of silence, Eunuch Nie slowly exhaled. “There is indeed a way. But His Majesty’s kindness toward me is as weighty as a mountain. Besides, the legitimacy of the imperial bloodline must never be thrown into question.”

Hearing this, Xu Yuan instinctively glanced toward the depths of the imperial harem, then nodded in understanding.

Not every imperial consort was a cultivator. Even among those who were, their cultivation might not be particularly high. It was entirely possible for some powerful expert to slip into the harem and wreak havoc.

Seeing the utter lack of subtlety in Xu Yuan’s gaze, Eunuch Nie’s cheek twitched. He said with exaggerated cadence, “A great reputation is never undeserved. Even after entering the imperial palace, the Third Young Master remains as gloriously unconcerned with minor proprieties as ever.”

“Oh, I do all right.” Xu Yuan waved it off without a care, then continued peppering the python-robed Eunuch Nie with all manner of random questions about life inside the palace.

Ahead of them, Xu Yinhe simply pretended not to notice.

The Great Celebration Hall was enormous. The three of them followed a stone-paved path for a good seven or eight minutes.

Xu Yuan asked questions the entire way, and Eunuch Nie answered them all. Gradually, however, the eunuch’s expression grew uglier and uglier. Every so often, his eyes darted toward the figure walking ahead, as though desperately hoping Xu Yinhe might turn around and save him.

Just as Xu Yuan was about to ask how the arrangement known as shared meals between eunuchs and palace maids actually worked, another man in a python robe emerged from deeper within the hall. A blue-robed eunuch followed behind him.

Sunlight fell across the newcomer, revealing a tall and strikingly handsome man. He wore a purple python robe and had strong, masculine features. He was clearly no eunuch dressed in an imperial gift robe, but one of the princes.

At the sight of him, Eunuch Nie seemed to let out a tremendous sigh of relief. He immediately shook Xu Yuan off, hurried forward several steps, and dropped to his knees in salute. “Your Highness, the Second Prince.”

When they drew near, Li Zhaoyuan did not immediately acknowledge Eunuch Nie kneeling on the ground. Instead, he first bowed deeply to Xu Yinhe. “Zhaoyuan greets Lord Xu.”

Xu Yinhe remained standing, his gaze calm as he looked at the bowing Second Prince. “There is no need for such a grand salute, Your Highness.”

“Lord Xu is a pillar of the Great Flame Empire. This courtesy is only proper,” the Second Prince replied respectfully.

“Rise.” With that, Xu Yinhe walked straight past him.

The Second Prince remained bowed until Xu Yinhe was more than ten meters away. Only then did he slowly straighten.

Watching from behind, Xu Yuan found the whole scene rather peculiar. By any proper code of etiquette, a chancellor was supposed to salute a prince first. But this…

Well, I guess that’s what happens when your father commands armies. Xu Yuan remarked to himself.

Still, the Second Prince was technically an old acquaintance of his. The last time Xu Yuan had secretly entered the Palace Ring to visit the Bureau of Entertainment, he had run into the man there. He had even suffered a loss at the Second Prince’s hands.

It had been the most cliched sort of brothel dispute imaginable.

Though when it came down to it, the real problem was that the Third Young Master had taken offense to the Bureau of Entertainment’s little routine of artificially driving up the price of a night’s entertainment.

Inside there, everything had to be done according to the rules. If a man wished to become a courtesan’s chosen guest, paying money was only the beginning. He also had to possess either exceptional literary talent or outstanding cultivation. And even after all that, the courtesan still had to find him pleasing to the eye and enjoy his conversation.

How could someone with the Third Young Master temperament possibly tolerate such nonsense? He had already thrown down the money. How could he possibly leave empty-handed?

After trying to reason with the brothel steward several times and finding the man utterly unmoved by either threats or persuasion, he had simply started smashing the place.

As luck would have it, the Second Prince had been entertaining a newly recruited adviser at the Bureau of Entertainment that very night.

A confrontation had therefore become unavoidable.

Since his adviser had been injured, the Second Prince naturally had to step forward. Neither side revealed their identity at first.

One opened by announcing that he would graciously accept the other as his adopted son. The other demanded to know what gutter had produced this bastard who dared run wild in the Bureau of Entertainment.

In the end, the Imperial Guard had been called in to clean up their mess.

By the time Xu Yuan finished recalling the incident, the Second Prince had already helped Eunuch Nie to his feet.

He turned toward Xu Yuan, nodded in greeting, and said with a soft laugh, “Changtian, judging from that look in your eyes, you’re not still angry with this prince, are you?”

Xu Yuan grinned. “I’m not angry. I’m only wondering whether Consort Qin is still holding a grudge against me.”

The Second Prince drew a deep breath. Staring at Xu Yuan, he smiled and said, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Changtian. Why would my mother be angry with you?”

Xu Yuan smiled without the slightest restraint. “You’ve forgotten? Back at the Bureau of Entertainment, you asked what gutter had produced a wild bas—”

“Ahem. Changtian, you must be joking.” The corner of the Second Prince’s eye twitched. He coughed and hurriedly cut Xu Yuan off, immediately changing the subject. “Father is still waiting inside for Lord Xu and you. We should not keep His Majesty waiting.”

Xu Yinhe was standing right there.

Some stories were better left untold.

Xu Yuan grinned at his words and walked forward. Then, under the watchful eyes of Eunuch Nie and the Second Prince’s personal attendant, he raised a hand and patted the Second Prince on the cheek. “Li Zhaoyuan, I still prefer the proud, unruly bastard you used to be.”

With that, he gave him a mocking look, patted him on the shoulder, flicked his sleeve, and strode off to catch up with Xu Yinhe.

Eunuch Nie had witnessed the entire exchange. He silently bowed to the Second Prince, then followed the others away.