The stolen magic is a bit magical

The primary reason is revenge!
On that day, when the Crown Prince was facing a crucial moment in his ascension to the throne, he extended an olive branch to Blood Dragon. You, a fool, not only refused to accept it, but you also turned around and brought your shady recruitment to the forefront, making it public. Do you think the Crown Prince was furious?
The Crown Prince is now in power, sweeping away all the princes without equal, and his position as the Eastern Palace is as secure as a rock. If he doesn't deal with you, who will he deal with?
What is the second reason?

The emperor was seriously ill and the crown prince was about to ascend the throne, but some important officials in the court strongly opposed the crown prince's ascension to the throne. Whenever there was any opposition to the crown prince, they would all jump up and down in anger.

If these people are not eliminated, how can the crown prince ascend the throne with peace of mind?

Therefore, Xin Ge gave the Crown Prince this idea: capture General Blood Dragon and use him as bait to lure out those high-ranking officials.

Therefore, Blood Dragon's arrest was a scheme set up by the higher-ups of the Heart Pavilion for the Crown Prince. The real purpose was to use him as bait to lure him in!

Suddenly, Lin Xiaosu looked up and stared at the mountain path ahead.

A scholar-like figure walked along the mountain path, stepping on the bluestone road.

His attire was like that of an ordinary scholar, exuding a touch of nonchalance and a hint of dissoluteness. His steps were unsteady, as if he had been drinking in a brothel the night before and was still lost in his own world.

In the height of summer, many scholars would go up to the Western Hills.

Because Xishan is not just about Xin Pavilion. Xin Pavilion is halfway up the mountain, and there is a temple on the top of the mountain called Tunyun Temple. Tunyun Temple is very ancient, with a history dating back tens of thousands of years. It has a profound cultural heritage, many eminent monks, and an elegant environment. In the summer, it is cool and comfortable. Many celebrities in Beijing like to visit the temple, listen to the sutras, and appreciate the timeless masterpieces left by cultural figures of all ages on the "Liuwen Wall".

Theoretically speaking, it's quite common for scholars to visit the Western Hills.

However, Lin Xiaosu stared at the scholar, her heart trembling slightly.

According to Li Chengnian's memories, and with his divine insight, this scholar was no scholar at all; he was none other than the Seventh Prince, Hong Yun!
"Sir, why do you have such an expression?" Qingying stopped explaining the situation.

Lin Xiaosu picked up her teacup and gestured towards the mountain path: "Look who he is!"

Qingying's gaze flickered with confusion, but suddenly her eyes lit up: "Seventh Prince!"

"He's entered the Heart Pavilion!"

As soon as Lin Xiaosu finished speaking, the Seventh Prince Hong Yun turned onto the bluestone path leading to the Heart Pavilion. He seemed nonchalant, but Lin Xiaosu clearly saw his eyes. His eyes were sharp, probably the last mark left on him by ten years of fighting on the border.

A young man greeted him.

Li Chengnian remembered this person; his name was Hui Zhou, and he was the assistant to another top-notch butler, doing the same thing as Qingying.

That top-ranked steward was named He Yun, and his status in the Heart Pavilion was extraordinary; he was known as the chief top-ranked steward.

"Steward He is receiving the Seventh Prince!" Qingying's eyes flickered slightly: "Steward, this is very unusual."

“Indeed!” Lin Xiaosu’s eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle expression that Li Chengnian wore while deep in thought.

Why is it said that He Yun's reception of the Seventh Prince was highly unusual?

This is because Xin Ge operates openly, avoids factional strife and political stances, and presents itself fairly to all major factions in the capital.

However, this is only on the surface.

In fact, Xin Ge had already completely sided with the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince is an adversary of all the other princes, and during this period, the Crown Prince has focused on suppressing the Seventh Prince.

Under such circumstances, anyone with even a modicum of political acumen should not offer advice to the Seventh Prince.

Otherwise, you will be making an enemy of the entire upper echelons of the Heart Pavilion.

A typical naive young person might not understand this relationship and, with an attitude of focusing on the issue rather than the person, take on difficult cases.

However, He Yun was no fool.

He is the top gold medalist.

He heard that he was the illegitimate son of "the one in the basement".

Because of these reasons, although he was in the "cabinet" and not in the "core circle," he was practically someone who had one foot in the core circle.

How could he possibly make such a basic mistake?
At this critical juncture, why would you associate with someone the Seventh Prince is so wary of?
"Young Master, what is it that the Seventh Prince has come to seek guidance from the Heart Pavilion?" asked the Holy Maiden of Thousand Spirits.

"As expected, they must be here for the Blood Dragon!" Lin Xiaosu said.

"Rescue Blood Dragon! They've actually come to the Heart Pavilion for help..." Qingying said, "This is probably one of the benefits of our Heart Pavilion. We get to see many glamorous big shots make a fool of themselves."

She was telling jokes, or perhaps she was being polite to the prince.

What she really meant was that the Seventh Prince was an idiot.

Blood Dragon was originally captured by the Heart Pavilion in conjunction with the Crown Prince.

Even in the joint petition submitted by high-ranking officials to impeach Blood Dragon, Xin Ge was a very important driving force.

Blood Dragon is imprisoned, and the Seventh Prince actually begs the Heart Pavilion to rescue him. Isn't that ironic?
Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "From his perspective, it's understandable that he might be desperate and try anything!"

"That's true. After all, the Seventh Prince fought on the border for ten years and knows nothing about the political situation. As for me, he probably hears most about not getting involved in factional struggles and not participating in the struggle for the throne among the eight princes."

The Holy Maiden of the Thousand Spirits chuckled softly, and a whispered voice entered Lin Xiaosu's ear: "I have reason to believe that the Seventh Prince is going to suffer a great setback this time."

Lin Xiaosu did not answer; he picked up his teacup.

Quietly watching the attic next door.

There is a secret room in that attic.

The secret chamber was completely sealed off. No matter how powerful the Heavenly Eye of Wisdom was, it couldn't see through it. The sound was completely blocked by the array, so he couldn't hear it either.

However, just as the Holy Maiden Qianling said, the Seventh Prince is probably in trouble.

A large part of the mistakes in the world are caused by people seeking treatment haphazardly when they are desperate.

The Seventh Prince's desire to save the Blood Dragon is known throughout the city.

As for his father, he himself had little influence and could not change the emperor's will.

As for the court officials, nine out of ten are watching the Crown Prince's expression. Who can a down-on-his-luck prince possibly ask for help?

The only person in the world who could help him solve this problem was probably Xin Ge.

This is why he came to seek guidance from Xin Ge.

It's not surprising that he came to Xin Ge.

Surprisingly, he was received by the chief gold-medal steward of the Heart Pavilion.

This top-notch butler is always shrewd and insightful, with a high level of understanding. Theoretically, he should have a clear understanding of the current situation and should stay far away from him.

However, He Yun received him.

And they seemed quite proactive. What was their intention?
There will only be one outcome: He Yun plans to implement further strategies to achieve their original goal of capturing the Blood Dragon.

The purpose of capturing Blood Dragon was to eliminate dissidents in the imperial court.

At this moment, the Seventh Prince's desire to save the Blood Dragon presents the perfect opportunity to eliminate dissidents, such as his only powerful patron in the court...

Countless thoughts raced through Lin Xiaosu's mind.

The door to the attic opened.

The seventh prince gently opened his folding fan and strolled out.

At this moment, he seemed to have broken free of some shackles, revealing a touch of high spirits...

Lin Xiaosu spoke up: "Qingying!"

"exist!"

"Go out and intercept him! Bring him to my secret chamber!"

Qingying was suddenly shocked: "Sir, this...this is against the rules."

XinGe has a tacit rule: when XinGe staff receive clients, they are subject to a first-contact reception system, and no one else is allowed to interfere—except for superiors.

This is a sign of respect for Steward Xin Ge.

Otherwise, it would lead to a situation where several stewards give clients random advice, leaving them confused and affecting the authority of Xin Ge.

Today, the Seventh Prince is looking for He Yun.

He Yun also received them normally.

If Lin Xiaosu interferes again, that would be a violation of the rules.

Because Lin Xiaosu was not He Yun's superior; in fact, his position was even slightly lower than He Yun's.

"Why so many rules!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Do what I asked you to do right now!"

"Yes!"

Qingying's figure flashed and she left the pavilion.

Lin Xiaosu raised her hand and tapped the pillar next to the coffee table, and the door to a secret room opened.

Saintess Qianling stood up: "I'll guard the door for you!"

"Okay!" Lin Xiaosu entered the secret room.

He picked up the teapot and teacups from the table.

The Heart Pavilion's secret chamber is a truly sealed-off place, sealed by array formations and physically isolated. Lin Xiaosu placed his hand on the windowsill, and the five elements circulated in his palm, further enhancing the sealing of the array. Even if a high-level array master wanted to use the array to spy on them, it would be impossible.

This was the first improvement Lin Xiaosu made after entering Li Chengnian's attic.

A gentle knock came at the door, and the voice of the Holy Maiden of Thousand Spirits came through: "Young Master, the guest has arrived!"

"Please let him in!" Lin Xiaosu said.

The door opened, and the Seventh Prince Hong Yun looked at the steward in front of him with suspicion in his eyes.

Li Chengnian!
The Seventh Prince knew Li Chengnian.

He was considered a celebrity in the capital.

His name appears in three places: first, he is from a prominent family, the Li clan of Hexi, a thousand-year-old family with a rich and profound heritage; second, Li Chengnian is a poet, wine-loving, and renowned scholar in the capital; and third, he is a man who has entered the Xin Pavilion and is quite shrewd.

If it were just these three labels, the Seventh Prince would probably be very eager to meet Li Chengnian.

However, Li Chengnian has a fourth label: his family has always been currying favor with the Crown Prince.

Therefore, the Seventh Prince was deeply wary of Li Chengnian.

"Your Highness, please come in!" Lin Xiaosu stood up and bowed slightly.

The four words he uttered immediately removed the veil of the Seventh Prince as a scholar, revealing his true identity.

The Seventh Prince was a seasoned veteran, and his composure remained quite strong. Now that his identity had been revealed, he didn't mince words and strode in: "I heard that Young Master Li has traveled far to Qingqiu to seek a marriage alliance. When will you return?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled slightly: "Since the marriage proposal was successful, it's time to head back. I just arrived."

"Congratulations!" The Seventh Prince bowed slightly with his hands clasped.

"Your Highness, please have a seat!"

Lin Xiaosu gently let her hand fall.

The door to the secret room closed silently.

The room was plunged into darkness. The candlelight flickered slightly in the wind as the door closed, then fell still.

Under the candlelight, the Seventh Prince slowly sat down, his gaze slowly rising: "I originally did not intend to visit Young Master Li today."

"Yes!" Lin Xiaosu replied, "It was I who took the initiative to pay my respects to Your Highness."

"As everyone knows, I am a retired prince in the capital, without power, influence, or wealth. It is quite unexpected that Young Master Li would take the initiative to pay me a visit."

These words carried a hint of dejection.

That's the truth.

In this world, there are many sycophants and many who seek to protect themselves; they often have ulterior motives when making friends.

Some are after fame, some after profit, some after protection, and some after a future.

But you can't get anything out of him.

He had no power, no influence, and no wealth.

Even getting close to him could incur the wrath of the powerful Crown Prince, bringing unexpected disaster upon oneself.

Therefore, he really couldn't understand why this young master of the Li family would take the initiative to visit him.

"I have no power, no influence, and no wealth, yet Your Highness has a deep-seated concern." Lin Xiaosu extended her hand, personally offering him a cup of tea. (End of Chapter)