Chapter 78: The Third Imperial Prince

Hearing this, Li Yuanling furrowed her delicate brows, placed her hands on her hips, and said:

"She refuses to see her own younger brother, yet spends all day thinking about a fake Imperial Prince. I wonder what fills her mind?"

As she spoke, she walked up to Li Musheng, patted her own chest with her hand, and said with a determined expression:

"Rest assured, if your own sister doesn't want you, you still have me, your sworn younger sister. However..."

"I hope you will act like a person from now on and never backstab me, the only sister who treats you well."

Li Musheng chuckled, offering no comment.

Immediately, his gaze swept over the property belonging to him in the small hall, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well, remember to make up for the gift next time."

Li Musheng waved his hand, turned around to leave, and called out to a guard from the Tianjin Guard to take him to tour Shangyang City.

Seeing this, Li Yuanling's eyes shifted; she quickly followed, walking beside him with her hands behind her back, and said:

"I grew up in this Shangyang City; I know everywhere fun. Are you sure you won't ask for my opinion?"

"Eh? I actually forgot about you."

Li Musheng realized this, glanced at the other person, and said:

"Since you have volunteered, then let you show me around."

Hearing this, Li Yuanling rolled her eyes.

But soon, she seemed to think of something and suddenly said with sparkling eyes:

"I know a very interesting place, but I never had the chance to go. Just right, today we can go check it out together."

Li Musheng looked at her suspiciously and rubbed his chin with his hand:

"Why do I feel this doesn't seem reliable?"

Li Yuanling furrowed her delicate brows, placed her hands on her hips, narrowed her eyes, and stared at him, saying:

"Forgive this Princess for speaking plainly. If we speak of familiarity with the entire capital, if you cannot even trust me, Princess Huorong, then this Princess doesn't know who else you can trust!"

"So confident?"

Li Musheng raised an eyebrow, then clapped his hands and said:

"Excellent, excellent. I just like confident Misses."

The Great Li Capital.

On the central axis of Zhu Que Street, near the edge of the outer city of the Imperial Palace, stood a luxurious and majestic mansion.

Its vermilion gates stood wide open, the lintel towering high, magnificent and imposing.

Before the open gates, armored soldiers stood solemnly with armor on and weapons in hand, while martial artists came and going chatted loudly with one another, making the scene extremely noisy.

At this moment, a carriage from the Great Li Imperial Palace rushed swiftly from the end of Zhu Que Avenue and suddenly stopped before the mansion.

Soon, a white-faced, beardless Eunuch stepped down from the carriage and looked up at the mansion before him.

He then quickly passed a group of martial artists chatting and laughing, approached a guard, and said:

"Hurry and inform the Third Imperial Prince; I have urgent matters to report."

Hearing this, the surrounding martial artists turned their heads to look, all showing curiosity.

The guard sized up the Eunuch, saw his urgent expression, dared not delay, and quickly said:

"Please wait, Eunuch. I will go report immediately."

In the center of the Second Imperial Prince's mansion's rear garden, between a pile of rockeries, ponds, and lush ornamental trees, stood a massive martial arts arena.

At this time, the Second Imperial Prince Li Que sat on a high viewing platform, while on the armchairs to his left and right sat the Third Imperial Prince Li Zhu and an old man in a gray robe with white hair.

Li Que had a delicate face and a high nose bridge; only his eyes were somewhat gloomy, and the glances he occasionally revealed unintentionally showed sharp edges.

Beside him, Li Zhu appeared slightly more robust; his shoulders were broad and his body wide, with a square face and sword-like eyebrows. A purple silk robe was stretched tight by his burly figure.

His tiger-like eyes stared down at the martial arts platform cast from refined iron, and he said in a deep voice:

"The martial artists this Second Brother has recruited today at the mansion are indeed more powerful than usual."

"Just now, that abandoned disciple from 'Jin Ding Ting', with his Light Great Cauldron Technique, faced the siege of three Wudao Sect Masters alone for a full stick of incense time, yet remained unmoved; even his true energy defense was not broken. It truly opened my eyes."

Hearing this, Li Que's expression was natural, and he smiled, saying:

"Third Brother must have enjoyed the view. I heard from the servants in the mansion that a martial artist arrived at the mansion today, whose martial arts cultivation is breathtaking. That is why even Zhe Lao came personally to watch the fight."

As he spoke, he looked at the gray-robed old man beside him, lowered his head, and asked:

"Zhe Lao, you said that person's martial arts cultivation has reached the Heaven-and-Mortal Realm. Is this true?"

The gray-robed old man had high cheekbones, deep eye sockets, a face full of wrinkles, and lowered eyes, wearing a sorrowful expression.

He gently raised his eyes, bowed his hands toward the Second Imperial Prince Li Que, and spoke with a voice like a broken bellows:

"This old one would not deceive the Prince. That person used only one move with one hand to make Zhu Wuming, the Half-Step Heaven-and-Mortal Ten Thousand Tablets Mountain-Opening Hand, kneel on the spot, completely losing the ability to resist. Yet not a single person present saw how he made his move."

"Such methods are impossible unless one is a Heaven-and-Mortal expert. Even a Half-Step Heaven-and-Mortal with strength far surpassing Zhu Wuming could absolutely not achieve such ease and nonchalance."

Upon hearing this, Li Que showed joy, looked at Li Zhu beside him with smiling eyes, and said:

"Third Brother, did you hear? The martial artists serving as advisors in my mansion might have to add another Heaven-and-Mortal."

"Then this younger brother congratulates Second Brother in advance. Next, I must properly watch the style of that Heaven-and-Mortal expert."

Li Zhu bowed his hands, laughed heartily, and looked toward the martial arts platform, seeing no one had yet stepped up.

His eyes shifted slightly; suddenly, he changed the subject, turned his head, and asked:

"How does Second Brother view that Eighth Imperial Prince recognized by the Father Emperor?"

Hearing this, the Second Imperial Prince Li Que narrowed his eyes slightly, waved his hand, and said:

"That Eighth Brother wandered among the common people for twenty years. Jing Fei is already dead. He has no foundation in this capital. His maternal clan still has a Champion Marquis Manor barely hanging on, but I do not place it in my eyes."

Saying this, he rested his hand on the armrest, propped his chin, and said with sharp eyes:

"The only one I have ever regarded as a rival has always been my eldest brother, and that fake Imperial Prince Li Zhi who remains imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison."

Hearing this, Li Zhu furrowed his brows tightly and said:

"To speak honestly, I truly cannot fathom Father Emperor's mind. Since he already knows that Li Zhi is a fake Imperial Prince, why does he delay dealing with him? He has even left the position of the Seventh Imperial Prince vacant."

Li Que glanced at him, shook his head, and said:

"Third brother, you indeed still do not understand Father Emperor. Father Emperor acts this way naturally for his own profound intent."

Li Zhu remained perplexed, cupped his hands, and said:

"What does this mean? Please, Second Brother, make it clear."

Li Que smiled, gazed deeply toward the direction of the Imperial Palace, and said:

"Think of the current situation in the world. Great Li has been founded for only a hundred years, surrounded by neighboring states. Since Father Emperor took over the Great Li foundation from Grandfather, he has been single-mindedly governing with diligence, intending to contend for the world."

"To achieve this, the most important thing is people. The Way of the Sovereign is controlling people. Regardless of whether a person is good or bad, as long as they are useful and can be employed, they have value to remain."

"Therefore, in my view, regardless of whether Li Zhi is a true Imperial Prince or not, I will not kill him, because he is a sharp blade capable of opening borders and splitting lands. Keeping him is more useful than killing him."

Dear patrons, today I only managed to write one chapter due to rushing; the other chapter will be made up tomorrow. Wishing all patrons a Happy New Year!

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(End of this chapter)