“Poof!”

In the western wing of the Li Family’s estate, Li Ziye was having tea and discussing ideals with Xiao Hongmao when he heard Li Youwei’s instructions to the young maidservant. He sprayed out a mouthful of tea in surprise.

“Yan Xiaoyu is coming to the capital?” Bai Wangyu exclaimed in astonishment.

“He’s bringing a King Medicine?” Li Ziye exclaimed excitedly.

Bai Wangyu looked at the young man beside him with a puzzled expression. Li Xiong’s perspective on the matter was indeed… unique.

The Divine Child of the Divine Temple coming to the capital was not less important than a King Medicine, was it?

In front of the two, a beautiful maidservant nodded and said, “I just received the news. The Divine Child Yan Xiaoyu is already on his way to the capital. He should arrive in ten days.”

“Old Bai,” Li Ziye looked at the young man beside him and said.

“Hmm?” Bai Wangyu looked puzzled.

“If I ask you to help me ambush Yan Xiaoyu and snatch the King Medicine, will you do it?” Li Ziye asked eagerly.

“…”

Bai Wangyu pretended not to hear, really not wanting to answer such a stupid question.

“You have no loyalty. I’ll go find Old Zhang.”

Li Ziye sneered and immediately got up, running towards the inner courtyard.

Half an hour later, in the inner courtyard, the deafening curses of Slovenly Zhang could be heard.

“Get lost! Why don’t you let me dig up the ancestral tomb of the Master of the Divine Temple!”

“Just asking, why are you so worked up.”

Li Ziye shouted with a lack of confidence, then slinked out of the inner courtyard and back to the western wing.

“Li Xiong.”

Li Ziye’s smile became very cordial as he said, “Didn’t the Confucian Scholar tell you to listen to me?”

“Brother Li.”

Bai Wangyu looked helpless and said, “When Yan Xiaoyu comes to the capital, he will definitely bring a large number of experts from the Divine Temple. Not to mention me, even if the Confucian Scholar personally intervened, it would be useless. Of course, if you can get the Confucian Scholar to help, there might be hope.”

“Act like I didn’t say anything.”

Li Ziye said angrily. He couldn’t even meet the Confucian Scholar, let alone ask him to help.

Why was his life so bitter?

Apart from money, he had nothing.

“Brother Li really wants that King Medicine?” Bai Wangyu thought for a moment and asked.

“Very, very much.” Li Ziye nodded vigorously.

“If I’m not mistaken, the King Medicine is to be presented to the court. According to past practice, His Majesty will reward these tributes to the meritorious officials of the court and the favored concubines in the palace. If Brother Li wants it, you can try to find a way from this aspect.” Bai Wangyu reminded.

“Good point.”

Li Ziye nodded and stroked his chin. The King Medicine was with Yan Xiaoyu, and he couldn’t take it from him. However, if it was presented to the court, he wouldn’t be completely helpless.

It seemed that he needed to sell his looks.

Half a day later, at the Zhangsun Family estate.

Zhangsun Fengyu looked at his aunt in front of him, then at the letter on the table, a strange expression on his face. “Aunt, the legitimate son of the Li Family invited you to go to the outskirts of the city to visit the lake in three days. Do you have anything to say?”

“Zhangsun Fengyu, it seems like you’re itching for a beating.”

A dangerous light flashed in Zhangsun Nanqiao’s beautiful eyes as she spoke.

“Aunt, spare me, I dare not.”

Zhangsun Fengyu decisively surrendered, then reminded, “But Aunt, you should be careful. Based on my dealings with the legitimate son of the Li Family, that kid is very cunning and not easy to deal with. If he takes the initiative to find you, he must have ulterior motives.”

“I understand, no need for you to remind me!”

Zhangsun Nanqiao replied, then seemed to remember something and asked, “By the way, how did the task I gave you go? Try to persuade your cousin, the Fourth Prince, not to be so stubborn. Our Zhangsun Family has worked so hard to gain power for him, but he doesn’t care about anything, leaving the throne unchallenged and focusing on his broken sword.”

“Aunt, please don’t rush me. I’ve done my best.”

Zhangsun Fengyu smiled bitterly and said, “You know Cousin Mu Bai’s personality. If he were so easily persuaded, we wouldn’t have to work so hard all these years.”

“Born in the royal family, as a prince, if he doesn’t do what a prince should do, I really don’t know how I gave birth to such an incompetent son.” Zhangsun Nanqiao said indignantly.

“Aunt.”

Zhangsun Fengyu’s expression suddenly became strange and he said, “Didn’t the legitimate son of the Li Family say he only wants to be a Sword Immortal? Well, Cousin Mu Bai also aspires to be one. Why not arrange for them to meet? Maybe they will hit it off and help us bring the Li Family over.”

“It would be good if they don’t fight, let alone hit it off.”

Zhangsun Nanqiao said irritably, “Mu Bai has finally met a worthy opponent. How could he possibly let it go so easily? The legitimate son of the Li Family has been personally taught by the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal. His swordsmanship must be strong. Both of them getting injured would be a big problem. Don’t come up with these ideas, go cool off somewhere else.”

“Haha, I just mentioned it casually. Aunt’s words make sense. Forget it, I won’t take this risk.” Zhangsun Fengyu laughed and agreed.

Zhangsun Nanqiao no longer paid attention to the fool in front of her, her beautiful eyes staring at the letter on the table, a hint of strangeness flashing in them.

The sudden invitation from that kid was really unexpected.

Could it be that he had changed his mind?

In the palace, at the Ninth Princess’s residence.

Murong, Mu Bai’s sister, and Mu Bai were playing chess.

The woman was as beautiful as a flower, and the man was as sharp as a sword.

Even though they were born in the royal family and held high positions, they could not conceal their outstanding talents.

“Elder brother, you’ve lost again.”

Murong made her move, deciding the outcome of the game, and a brilliant smile appeared on her face as she said.

“I’m not inferior to you in chess skills,” Mu Bai put down the chess piece and said calmly.

“Elder brother, it’s not that your chess skills are inferior to mine, but that your mind is not calm enough.”

Murong smiled and said, “If I hadn’t dragged you into playing chess with me every day, you would have gone to challenge the legitimate son of the Li Family long ago.””He has been taught by the Plum Blossom Sword Immortal; his swordsmanship must be extraordinary. There’s no harm in a friendly match,” Mu Bai said calmly.

“But I’ve heard that the cultivation level of this direct descendant of the Li Family isn’t that impressive, seemingly having just opened his first Divine Hidden Technique not long ago,” Murong remarked.

“Cultivation level is not important.”

Mu Bai replied indifferently, “If he has not been cultivating for long, it’s not strange that his cultivation level isn’t high. I am only comparing swordsmanship with him, not cultivation levels.”

“Big brother.”

Murong said helplessly, “I understand how you feel, but just because I understand doesn’t mean others will. Swords and sabers are blind; if you accidentally injure the Li Family’s direct descendant, it will give people an excuse to say that our Royal Family is deliberately humiliating the Li Family. Now is a sensitive time, just as the Li Family has entered the Capital City. Big brother, please be patient.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Bai’s brows furrowed slightly. After a long pause, he nodded and said, “I heard that Yan Xiaoyu is also coming to the Capital City.”

Murong, who was packing up the chess pieces, paused and looked up at his elder brother, his beautiful eyes full of warning, “Big brother, please don’t act rashly. Yan Xiaoyu’s visit represents the Divine Oracle Palace to pay respects to the court and the Imperial Academy. If you injure him, Great Shang will have trouble explaining to the Divine Oracle Palace.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not so unreasonable.”

Mu Bai said calmly, “This Capital City is getting more and more boring by the day. Everyone is bound by so-called rules and cannot be their true selves.”

“Big brother, you better not let our aunt hear that, or she’ll say you’re lacking ambition again,” Murong said with a smile.

“She’s a madwoman.”

Mentioning Changsun Nanchao, Mu Bai felt a headache coming on. He had no way to deal with this aunt of his.

Though she was only a few years older than him, her seniority was higher, and she was unreasonable when angry. He, a Prince, could only be scolded in front of this madwoman, Changsun Nanchao.

Meanwhile, inside the Capital City, the news that the Divine Child of the Divine Oracle Palace was coming to Great Shang spread like wildfire.

Thus, this sudden event completely replaced the drama between the Merchant Alliance and the Yin Family Money House, becoming the hottest topic in the Capital City.

Whether it was the nobility, commoners, or storytellers, everyone was discussing Yan Xiaoyu’s visit to the Capital City.

“Have you heard? The Divine Child is coming to the Capital City to challenge Mu Bai, who is also one of the four great prodigies of the world.”

“Is that true? I heard that the Divine Child is coming to visit the Imperial Academy and to exchange martial arts insights with the Confucian School’s top disciple, Bai Wangyu.”

“You’ve all got it wrong. If the Divine Child from the Divine Oracle Palace wanted to challenge Mu Bai or Bai Wangyu, he would have come earlier. Why wait until now? According to reliable information, Yan Xiaoyu’s target is not them.”

“If not Mu Bai and Bai Wangyu, then who?”

“Have you forgotten who has been the most talked-about person in the Capital City recently?”

“Are you talking about the Li Family’s direct descendant?”

“Yes, that’s Li Ziye. I have relatives in Yangzhou City, which is close to Yuzhou. They say that Li Ziye is a peerless genius who can rival the four great prodigies, born with a sword in hand, creating his own swordsmanship at the age of ten. The Plum Blossom Sword Immortal took notice of his talent and deliberately went to Yuzhou City to take him as a disciple.”

“Wow, is Li Ziye really that amazing?”

“Of course. Think about it, Li Ziye just arrived in the Capital City a few days ago, and the Divine Child followed. Isn’t the target obvious?”

“Now that you mention it, it does make sense. The Li Family from Yuzhou City is really something. Not only are they rich enough to rival nations, but they’ve also produced such an extraordinary genius.”

“The Li Family is on the rise!”

“If heaven had not created Li Ziye, the path of swordsmanship would be as dark as night!”

Rumors, always rumors. Li Yuan, Li Ziye, upon hearing the rampant rumors outside, spat out his tea again.

“This, this time it’s not me.”

Li Ziye had a look of misunderstanding on his face, as if to say you’ve got it all wrong.

These people, truly uneducated. It’s supposed to be “If heaven had not created Confucius, the world would be in eternal night.” How could they change the classics like this!

Beside him, Bai Wangyu remained detached, as if the matter did not concern him, calmly eating melon seeds.

Slovenly Zhang took a sip of wine, his smile not reaching his eyes. He didn’t believe a word Li Ziye said, not even a punctuation mark.

Hong Zhu passed by with a plate of dried fruit, casually tossing a piece to both Bai Wangyu and Slovenly Zhang, then floated away.

The Young Master’s words? Just listen and let it be.

Anyone who believes it is a fool.

“You guys!”

Li Ziye looked aggrieved. This was too much bullying!

Which bastard spread these rumors? He had finally wanted to keep a low profile for once, and now he was pushed into the limelight again.

In the Flower Garden Pavilion, on the third floor, a servant boy entered and said respectfully, “Tower Master, I have spread the rumors as you instructed.”

“Understood, you may go.”

Inside the room, Li Qingzhi, dressed in a silver-gray wide robe, nodded slightly and said indifferently.

The servant boy took the order and left.

Li Qingzhi walked to the window, looking out at the bustling Capital City, a barely noticeable smile appearing on his stern face.

Little brother, do you like this gift from your Second Brother?