The stolen magic is a bit magical

Li Gen arrived at Lin Xiaosu's courtyard gate and bowed: "Young Master Li, my master invites you to come down the mountain for a gathering. I wonder if you would be willing to accept?"

Who is your prince?

"The Prince of Dingbei!"

Lin Xiaosu smiled: "So it's His Highness the Seventh Prince! I'll accept your invitation."

"The carriage is waiting at the pavilion entrance, please, sir!"

"Let Qingying come along too!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Li Gen was in front, Lin Xiaosu was in the middle, and Qingying followed behind.

The three of them crossed the huge platform outside the Heart Pavilion and stepped onto the bluestone path. Ahead was a road paved with gravel. They got into a carriage and glided down the mountain.

In the basement, He Fanglue narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Father, what is the meaning of this blatant act?"

“It is indeed blatant, however, it is not Li Chengnian’s blatant ...

Xin Ge is a very special place.

It is a fair and impartial place in the martial arts world, without any prejudice or selfishness. It is all about getting paid to do things. Only with this kind of persona can various forces feel at ease asking him to do things.

Fairness is its very lifeline.

Therefore, the general principle followed by the people of Xin Ge is: anyone can come up the mountain and get things done for money.

However, the people of Xin Ge did not follow the powerful and wealthy down the mountain.

Going down the mountain means getting involved with cliques, which is not conducive to building a fair and impartial image.

Today, the Seventh Prince's head guard swaggered up the mountain and specifically invited Li Chengnian to come down. Li Chengnian went without any hesitation.

Is the Seventh Prince testing Li Chengnian to see if he's willing to go all in?
Faced with such a coup, Li Chengnian calmly accepted it.

Is this truly a do-or-die situation?
Are you planning to follow the Seventh Prince from now on?

Does he really not care what the Crown Prince thinks?
He didn't care whether he could establish himself in Xin Ge.
Perhaps, he himself carried a special mission as the crown prince.

Suddenly, He Fang was slightly startled: "Where is Yan Shi?"

He Yun was also stunned: "Father reminded me, and I suddenly realized that I haven't seen Yan Shi for several days."

A concubine is indeed not someone they need to care about.

But, it's been a few days since we last met?
This situation is highly unusual.

It's important to know that this concubine is no ordinary concubine; she is His Highness the Crown Prince's person, placed beside Li Chengnian.

Li Chengnian unusually accepted the Seventh Prince's offer of recruitment today. The Crown Prince's attitude is crucial, and the concubine the Crown Prince placed by his side has mysteriously disappeared...

A series of perplexing questions left even the renowned and shrewd Master of the Heart Pavilion, who had stirred up a storm throughout the capital, completely bewildered.

No one expected Li Chengnian to undergo such a change. The reason is simple: Li Chengnian is no longer Li Chengnian, and Yan Shi is no longer Yan Shi.

On this side, the carriage entered the city and passed through it. Ahead was a tall building, ten feet high, magnificent and splendid.

Upon reaching the third floor, two female attendants greeted him with a curtsy, saying, "Young Master Li, please!"

Lin Xiaosu nodded: "Qingying, you wait outside."

"Yes!"

Pushing open the door is like stepping into a wilderness; closing the door, all the noise behind you vanishes.

There is a formation in this room.

Soundproof array.

Lin Xiaosu looked up and saw a young man standing by the window, dressed in casual clothes, with a smile on his face.

It was none other than the Seventh Prince, Hong Yun.

Lin Xiaosu smiled slightly: "Greetings, Your Highness!"

The Seventh Prince raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder: "Do you still remember what you said that day?"

"I told Your Highness that when we met again, it would be when Your Highness had some trust in me. Today, I have come here specifically to invite you. How much trust do you have in me?"

"Because of you, I have perfectly avoided a hunt. At least for this moment, my trust in you is unwavering."

Lin Xiaosu laughed heartily: "Then what about Lord Song?"

The door next to them opened slightly, and Song Lifu appeared in the room, bowing deeply: "Young Master Li's plan truly saved my life. I have come here today specifically to thank you, Young Master."

"I dare not!" Lin Xiaosu bowed in return. "Lord Song is honest and fair, which is why he has become a thorn in the side of the other party, who wants to get rid of him as soon as possible. I admire Lord Song's integrity the most, which is also the key reason why I am willing to offer advice to Your Highness to solve this problem."

"Thank you!" Song Lifu thanked him again.

The first thank you was for saving my life.

The second expression of gratitude was for the words of praise.

The Seventh Prince gently raised his hand: "Please sit down!"

The three of them took their seats.

The Seventh Prince personally served tea, placing the teacup in front of Lin Xiaosu. He slowly raised his gaze and said, "Young Master Li, how about we be frank and open today?" Lin Xiaosu replied, "My willingness to come today is itself an act of frankness and openness."

"Very well, I will ask you directly. Young Master Li just said that out of respect for Lord Song's integrity, he could not bear to see the pillar of the court collapse so suddenly, which is why he took action in the face of danger. I would like to ask you, besides this reason, is there any other reason?"

"Of course there is!"

"May I ask what the reason is?"

Lin Xiaosu said, "Leave yourself a way out!"

Leave yourself a way out...

What frank words.

People often say that having more options means having more security in life.

In officialdom, having a backup plan is even more important.

But few people would say it out loud.

The Seventh Prince's eyes flashed: "I've heard that the Li family of Xihe holds the Crown Prince in high esteem, and the Crown Prince also values ​​the Li family of Xihe highly. Does the young master really think he needs a backup plan?"

This is a polite way of putting it, but the underlying meaning is quite sharp.

Your family, the Li clan of Xihe, has always been sucking up to the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince has always regarded your Li family as loyal dogs. Your Li family is already tied to the Crown Prince's warship. You are single-mindedly working for the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, he will be your biggest backer.

In this situation, is there still a backup plan?
Lin Xiaosu picked up the teacup and gently swirled it around: "Your Highness thinks highly of the Crown Prince?"

That's an even sharper statement.

The Seventh Prince said, "My elder brother, the Crown Prince, is highly regarded by Father Emperor. He has been overseeing the country for three years now, and the government is running smoothly. All the officials praise him, and his reputation and achievements are at their peak. What reason do I have not to be optimistic about him?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "The government is in good order, but I wonder if the government includes the people's livelihood? All the officials are praising it, but I wonder if these officials include the border generals?"

The Seventh Prince's heart pounded...

That's a complete rejection with just one word.

Today, the land is desolate, the people are impoverished, the masses are starving, and corpses of the starving are everywhere.

On the frontier, soldiers had not received their pay for three years, and resentment was already running high.

Even more so, the loyal and patriotic General Blood Dragon was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, while his family members were either exiled to the army or imprisoned in the Jiaofangsi (a type of brothel).

The officials' unanimous praise could not conceal the grief and indignation in their hearts.

Lin Xiaosu added, "Your Highness only sees the officials praising him, but doesn't reflect on why they are praising him."

"Tell me, why do you praise it?"

"Because they are allies of interest! Because there is an external force that has already infiltrated every aspect of the court."

"Extraterritorial forces?" Song Lifu asked, "Young Master is referring to..."

"Heart Pavilion!"

Song Lifu raised his eyes: "Regarding this prisoner exchange, I have already realized that His Highness the Crown Prince has a deep control over the Heart Pavilion. However, you say that the Heart Pavilion is using the Crown Prince to control the court?"

“Xin Ge, is it really willing to be a pawn for others? The Crown Prince dreams of controlling Xin Ge, but little did he expect that Xin Ge would treat him as a pawn.”

"How could a mere Heart Pavilion harbor such ambitions?" the Seventh Prince sighed.

"A mere Heart Pavilion?" Lin Xiaosu laughed: "Your Highness, do you know that only one in a hundred icebergs emerges from the water? Behind the Heart Pavilion is the Heart Gate, and behind the Heart Gate is the Left Path! The Left Path is not actually a product of today. It was once extremely popular millions of years ago. Because its actions were inhumane and against the harmony of heaven, it was punished by the heavens and only rose again after many years of silence."

"Unorthodox methods..." The Seventh Prince's expression changed slightly: "Are all things in the world merely pawns, resorting to any means to achieve one's own ends?"

"That's exactly right!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Today, the unorthodox path has risen again. In less than three thousand years, it has been included among the six paths, basically forcibly circumventing reincarnation. Furthermore, it has brought one of its side branches, the Heart Gate, into the Nine Gates. The world has not paid attention to the strength of this return."

The Seventh Prince let out a long sigh: "My brother, the Crown Prince, has already been influenced by the Heart Sect. If he were to ascend the throne in the future, the vast land of the Great Wilderness would likely fall into the hands of the heretical sects!"

"Therefore, I am unwilling to consider it the way forward, and I want to choose another path!" Lin Xiaosu picked up her teacup and took a sip.

That's the disclosure.

A full disclosure.

Having seen through the Crown Prince's character and the overall political situation, he resolutely chose to abandon the Crown Prince and choose the Seventh Prince instead.

Song Lifu sighed deeply: "At this juncture, even a commoner like you, young master, can see it clearly; how could I, an old man in the court, not see it? However, the Crown Prince's power is already secured; to try and change course now is nothing short of a pipe dream. I am already eighty-seven, and my death is not a pity, but Your Highness and Young Master Li are both in their twenties. If they forcibly go against the tide because they see no hope, I fear it will be..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but those who understood understood what he meant.

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently: "If we take us as the Crown Prince's hypothetical enemies, then the Crown Prince has indeed gained the upper hand, but... what if we give him a different opponent?"

"Change the opponent?" The Seventh Prince's eyes flickered slightly: "No one seems to work."

He was the most down-on-his-luck prince, the least powerful prince, and even the court officials ignored him. He was definitely no match for the crown prince, so who was worthy of being his opponent?

Former Crown Prince?
The former crown prince, his elder brother was Prince Xian, Honglie.

The eldest brother was indeed very popular back then, but after being removed from the position of crown prince, he was like a dog with its spine broken. He even sent his concubine to the current crown prince through someone else. The current crown prince deliberately spread the news, and everyone in the world despised him after they found out.

What gives him the right to capsize?

As for the other brothers, they were all the Crown Prince's lackeys. In terms of prestige, reputation, support from court officials, and favor from their father, none of them had any.

"Is it impossible to replace him with anyone else? What about His Majesty the current emperor?"

Lin Xiaosu's casual remark nearly made the two people in the room jump up. (End of Chapter)