Half an hour later, Zeng Li and the other two arrived before Li Xuan, their clothes slightly disheveled. Their faces were pale, and they lowered their heads, not daring to look Li Xuan in the eye.
On the way back, the trio had learned of the events at the Zeng manor. They hadn't expected Li Xuan to single-handedly protect the Zeng manor.
"Senior Li, we know we were wrong," Zeng Nuo said respectfully. If it weren't for Li Xuan, they wouldn't have survived to return. Although the three of them weren't strong, they weren't foolish.
"It is a great virtue to know and correct one's mistakes. I hope that after this experience, you will understand some things. In the face of absolute strength, the glory of your ancestors cannot protect you. As a person, you can only rely on your own strength. Just as I said before, without your father, how long can your Zeng family survive in Tianyun City? Alright, go wash up and get some rest," Li Xuan said, waving his hand before turning and returning indoors.
Inside the Imperial City.
"That person is actually the rumored Great Swordsman Li Xuan. His strength is quite formidable," Yue Lingxiao said in surprise after hearing his subordinate's report.
"Luo Cheng is also a sixth-grade alchemist. Although his quality is slightly weaker than that of Zeng Ming, he is still sixth-grade. Li Xuan did not kill him, which seems to be giving some face to our Tianyun Kingdom. Third Brother, shall we go and make his acquaintance?" the woman sitting opposite Yue Lingxiao said with a smile.
"Yes, we must go. Such a young Great Swordsman, if we can win him over, he would be a great help to us," Feng Lingxiao said with a smile.
"Third Brother, if you have such thoughts, I advise you to give them up as soon as possible." The woman immediately shook her head upon hearing this. "Such a young Great Swordsman, do you think he would care about our royal family? For such a celestial genius, we can only strive to forge a good relationship. To have other intentions would be like tying ourselves up in knots."
"If some of the others forge a good relationship with him first, it will be trouble for us then."
"Imperial Sister, you are right. Imperial Brother understands." Feng Lingxiao's expression turned slightly solemn. The woman before him was named Feng Jiuge. Although she was a woman, her wisdom and strategy were the highest among their siblings. When Feng Jiuge spoke, Feng Lingxiao had already understood.
Li Xuan could only be approached and befriended with an equal mindset. To have other intentions would be equivalent to pushing this person towards his other brothers.
The royal family had a total of five princes and three princesses. If someone else were to gain Li Xuan's favor first, it would undoubtedly be very bad news for him.
A Great Swordsman already possessed significant deterrent power over Tianyun Kingdom, let alone Li Xuan's age.
Feng Lingxiao knew that whoever could establish a connection with Li Xuan first would undoubtedly increase their standing in the eyes of the King. Previously, the strengths and reputations of their five brothers were almost equal.
Li Xuan had undoubtedly become the person who could break the deadlock.
Upon thinking that Li Xuan was less than eighteen years old according to the investigation, Feng Lingxiao felt a sense of powerlessness.
"Third Brother, are we still going?" Feng Jiuge asked again after seeing Feng Lingxiao's expression change several times.
Feng Lingxiao smiled and said, "Yes, we must go. I met Li Xuan a few days ago. Although we only spoke one sentence then, at least we've made each other's acquaintance. Speaking of which, the other four have not met Li Xuan yet, have they?"
Feng Jiuge smiled faintly. The reason she chose to help Feng Lingxiao was precisely because she valued his disposition and character. As a woman, she had no power within the royal family, and finding a strong supporter was the best outcome. Feng Lingxiao was the choice Feng Jiuge had carefully considered.
At the very least, Feng Jiuge was certain that once Feng Lingxiao truly gained power, she and her mother would have some say in their later lives. For Feng Jiuge, this was enough.
Zeng Manor, small courtyard.
"Senior Brother, this is the Eight Treasures Porridge I made, please try it." Zeng Ruxue carried a bowl of porridge to Li Xuan, looking at him with a hint of anticipation.
"Alright." Li Xuan smiled upon seeing this, then wiped the soot from Zeng Ruxue's face and took a sip of the porridge.
"Little Junior Sister, what did you add?" Li Xuan paused after a sip, then looked at Zeng Ruxue with a wry smile and asked.
"Hmm, Mother said to add glutinous rice, red dates, lotus seeds, white sugar, yam, and those things," Zeng Ruxue said, tilting her head. "Senior Brother, is it delicious?"
"Well... it's delicious." Li Xuan couldn't bear to dampen Zeng Ruxue's enthusiasm as he looked at the hopeful expression in her eyes. He felt a bit speechless, though. Why was this Eight Treasures Porridge sour and salty?
"Senior Li, the Third Prince has come to visit," Zeng Yi said quickly, bowing to Li Xuan as he entered the courtyard.
"The Third Prince? Since he is from the royal family, we must not neglect him." Li Xuan, as if granted a pardon, quickly put down the porridge and stood up to follow Zeng Yi to the front hall.
"Is it really delicious?" Seeing Li Xuan's hurried departure, Zeng Ruxue curiously picked up the bowl and took a sip.
Pfft!
Zeng Ruxue immediately spat it out after taking a sip.
"Senior Brother actually lied to me! This is too hard to swallow." Zeng Ruxue's eyes welled up with tears of grievance, but she quickly shook her head. "It's so hard to swallow, yet Senior Brother drank two mouthfuls and said it was delicious. Senior Brother is truly a good person."
Front hall.
"Feng Lingxiao, Feng Jiuge, greet Senior Li Xuan." As Li Xuan arrived, Feng Lingxiao and Feng Jiuge immediately stood up and bowed.
"It's you." Li Xuan glanced at Feng Lingxiao, a trace of thought flashing in his eyes, and he remembered meeting this person at the Treasure Pavilion a few days ago.
"Senior remembers me, it is truly my honor. I hope Senior will forgive me for this uninvited intrusion today," Feng Lingxiao said, a hint of joy in his eyes.
"We are of similar age, so there's no need to call me Senior." Li Xuan sat down on his own and said, shaking his head. "Are you here to see me or Senior Zeng?"
"Since that is the case, I shall boldly address you as Brother Li. To be frank, I have come to meet you, Brother Li." Feng Lingxiao said tentatively. Seeing that Li Xuan did not seem to mind, he continued, "Brother Li, I am the Third Prince of Tianyun Kingdom, and the constant infighting among the princes within the royal family is normal.
"Of course, I have no intention of drawing Brother Li into my camp. Just to have the opportunity to meet Brother Li is enough for me. However, I cannot guarantee that my other four brothers will not have such intentions, but all of this is unrelated to me."
The Zeng family members felt a bit helpless. You are of similar age to the Third Prince Feng Lingxiao, so you don't need to call him Senior, but we are several times younger than you.
However, upon considering the identity of the Third Prince Feng Lingxiao, the Zeng family members felt resigned. The entire Tianyun Kingdom belonged to the Feng family; no matter how strong their Zeng family was, they were still within Tianyun Kingdom.
"I have no interest in your royal family's struggles," Li Xuan said, immediately understanding Feng Lingxiao's intention. Although Feng Lingxiao claimed not to intend to draw him into his camp, he was actually worried that Li Xuan might join the camps of his other brothers.
"Third Prince, what would you do if I joined the camp of your brothers?" Li Xuan suddenly had an idea and looked at Feng Lingxiao.
"This..." Feng Lingxiao and Feng Jiuge's expressions changed immediately, but soon Feng Lingxiao said with a wry smile, "If Brother Li chooses to join another brother's camp, I will ask my father to resign and leave the capital."
"I was just asking casually." Li Xuan nodded secretly. This Feng Lingxiao was quite direct.
"Report, the First Prince has arrived!"
"Report, the Second Prince has arrived!"
"..."
"Report, the Fifth Prince has arrived!"
At this moment, the sound of guards suddenly rang out from the entrance. Feng Lingxiao and Feng Jiuge exchanged glances. These people were truly not falling behind.
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed the royal family's struggles were indeed quite fierce.
"Let them in," Li Xuan said after thinking for a moment. He was actually curious to see how these people compared to Feng Lingxiao.
Soon, several figures walked in.