Upon hearing Xun Yibai’s agreement, Qin Li quickly seized this lifeline, wiping the sweat of fright from his forehead as he hurriedly said, “Exactly, exactly, Your Highness. She’s just a little girl, and she still listens to you. Right now, most of the power in the court is in your hands—what do you have to fear? You’re close friends with Commander Yuan, and dealing with a widow and her orphans is the easiest thing.”
Xun Yi was truly furious. His eyes blazed at Qin Li as if spewing fire, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. He suppressed his trembling heart and coldly said, “The Yuan family has always only obeyed the king’s orders. Didn’t you all see the Imperial Guards surrounding the Forbidden Palace that day? Even as close friends, what of it? Yuan Qingming now takes orders from Xun Changqing. Qin Li, if you want to die, don’t drag my entire Pingnan Prince’s Mansion down with you.”
These were principles everyone knew, and it was precisely why the Yuan family could hereditarily hold the position of commander of the Imperial Guards. But with things having come to this, Qin Li naturally wouldn’t let go of this great tree that could suppress the new emperor. He glanced at Xun Yibai, who understood his intent and signaled him to stay calm.
He continued to persuade, “Father, the joint memorial has already been sent to you. Xun Changqing assumes you won’t respond and has already lumped you in with us. Why not play along and catch her off guard? Yuan Qingming doesn’t meddle in court affairs; he only handles the security of the Imperial Capital. As long as the emperor is safe, whether she rules personally or not has nothing to do with him—he won’t interfere.”
“Indeed, Your Highness. If you miss this opportunity, it will be gone forever. The court is ever-changing; who knows what tomorrow brings? If you show mercy today, how can you be sure the little emperor won’t turn on the Prince’s Mansion out of old affections? And with so much power in your hands now, she’s only likely to burn the bridge after crossing it.”
Qin Li’s voice grew urgent, leaving Xun Yi silent. He turned his back to the two, so Xun Yibai couldn’t see his expression and assumed he was swayed. He pressed on, “Father, Prime Minister Qin is right. If you miss this chance, it’s gone. Everyone in the court knows the Previous Emperor originally intended to pass the throne to you, but now it’s Xun Changqing—who knows what tricks she pulled…”
“Yibai,” Xun Yi abruptly cut him off. He raised his head to stare at the beam overhead, his chest feeling crushed, making it hard to breathe. “This matter ends here. See Prime Minister Qin out of the mansion. This prince knows how to act.”
“Your Highness…”
“Father…”
Both called out, but Xun Yi turned and left the study, paying no heed to their earnest pleas.
Xun Yibai and Qin Li exchanged glances, their hearts pounding before a wave of exhaustion washed over them. Xun Yibai had no choice but to first escort Qin Li out. They walked along the pebble path, and though it was summer, it suddenly felt oppressively hot—likely because the thunderclouds had blocked the sun, yet the temperature remained scorching.
Outside, the sun blazed like flames, its scorching heat nearly overwhelming him. Qin Li was drenched in sweat, his fear reaching its peak. He hadn’t anticipated things becoming so complicated, nor that Xun Yi would abandon him to save himself, passing up such a golden opportunity out of fear of a mere little girl. It was utterly unexpected. He inwardly fumed but could only sigh helplessly, “Second Young Master, in two days, the Previous Emperor’s coffin will be sent to the Imperial Mausoleum. Please persuade your father again. Our lives are trivial; the future of the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion is what matters.”
Xun Yibai’s face was also grim. Being forced to bow to a little girl was humiliating, but with his father present, he had no authority to act on his own. His emotions churned as he replied, “I can’t do anything about it. After all, Father still loves Liu Ying. She’s dead, and no one can compete with a ghost.”
Mentioning internal mansion affairs, Qin Li had heard bits before and couldn’t help but probe, “Who is Liu Ying? Have you investigated? The bloodline of a concubine is often questionable—didn’t the prince ever suspect?”
Xun Yibai dismissed it. “I was only ten then and don’t know the details. Besides, we were in the Southwest and only heard Father mention her. Liu Ying was with Father for over a dozen years, so she couldn’t have been wrong.”
Under the shade of the trees, a cool breeze blew gently. Qin Li smiled. “You said it yourself—a dead person can’t compete. But the dead don’t speak or argue. If there was something wrong, would the prince still protect the little emperor like this?”
At this point, Xun Yibai’s face also darkened. Even if given the courage, he wouldn’t dare scheme against his own father. He didn’t respond to Qin Li and just walked ahead blankly. The crown prince position that had been within reach had slipped away because of Xun Changqing. He couldn’t pretend not to resent her, and Qin Li was exploiting that resentment to goad him.
He wasn’t blindly foolish; he wouldn’t scheme against his own family. He had no feelings for Xun Changqing—they’d only met after she grew up. Now that she’d taken what was his, he wanted her as a puppet emperor.
As they exited the mansion, they ran into the Heir Apparent’s wife. Seeing them emerge together, she had the nursemaid take the child back first and approached to greet them. “Second Brother, Uncle.”
The term “Uncle” softened Qin Li’s expression slightly. They shared the Qin surname and were within five degrees of mourning kinship. Qin Jingyu was the Heir Apparent’s wife, and building ties with her was beneficial—after all, allying with Xun Yi by marriage wasn’t easy.
