Chapter 21

Luo Wei doesn't mind being a stepping stone for Xie Yu at all. It's not that he couldn't see Xie Yu's intentions in their interactions, but he knew that one day, Xie Yu will become one of the most powerful minds in the struggle between the crown prince loyalists and Long Xuan, the second prince.

They each put away the secret intentions deep in their hearts. Luo Wei and Xie Yu both knew they could be friends because it was a mutually beneficial relationship, and besides, the most important thing hurdle was that they could also have good conversations. So between these two people with crafty minds and the comfortable and jovial atmosphere of the feast, they weren't short of laughter and engaging dialogue.

Luo Wei has become the disciple of the emperor, accompanying him everywhere. Xie Yu has become the student of the Senior Chancellor, following close and always by his side. In one day, the imperial study had lost two people. So on the following day when the Junior Chancellor Liu Shuang Shi came to see Long Xuan, he spotted the shattered tea set on the floor of Long Xuan's study right away.

"Your Imperial Highness," The first thing Liu Shuang Shi needed to do was to calm Long Xuan's emotions, "The fact that Xie Yu got taken in by Luo Wei first wasn't something that anyone could have expected."

"It's all Luo Wei," Long Xuan said, "He was the one who brought Xie Yu back to the estate yesterday."

"It's true that Xie Yu has great literary aptitude," Liu Shuang Shi stated, "But it does Your Imperial Highness no harm to lose someone like him." Liu Shuang Shi knew that Long Xuan's rage stemmed from the fact that Xie Yu had become Liu Zhi Qiu's student.

But Long Xuan slammed his hand down on his desk again. Xie Yu was someone he'd wanted to make use of himself. For the last month and a half, Xie Yu has put up pretenses with him like a snake, his ploys were difficult to grasp. All this made Long Xuan more and more interested in Xie Yu. How could he let someone who had the ability able to run circles around someone like him go? Who knew that Luo Wei would step out in front? All he did was open his hand and Xie Yu just grasped it, taking on Luo Zhi Qiu as his master without a second thought. Why did he do it? Long Xuan knew the reason, though. He was only the second prince, and one birthed from a consort. In Xie Yu's eyes he was less than Long Yu, a proper son from the royal lineage, the real crowned prince of the Greater Zhou empire.

"Your Imperial Highness," Liu Shuang Shi poured another cup of tea for Long Xuan, "Xie Yu is not worth your anger."

"Funny," Long Xuan suddenly started laughing, an overjoyed laughter.

"Your Imperial Highness?" Liu Shuang Shi didn't understand why Long Xuan was laughing.

"That Xie Yu," Long Xuan said, "He'd never even met Long Yu but he threw himself into Long Yu's circle headfirst, isn't that funny?"

"And this just goes to show that Xie Yu is someone who clings to tradition and outdated ideas," Liu Shuang Shi understood what infuriated Long Xuan. Even though they were both princes, one of them could gain talented people's loyalty and was destined to sit on the throne without any extra effort, but the other one? The other one was well studied in both matters of literature and state as well as martial prowess, without daring to have a single moment of slacking off. The other one was also ambitious, had the ability to become emperor, but still lived under the shadows of the one who came before and had to endure slights and arrogance from others. It's not fair, but then again, what about this world was ever fair?

"Why did my imperial father suddenly favor Luo Wei?" After calming his emotions, Long Xuan asked, "Did Luo Zhi Qiu do something?"

"Has your mother consort not told you anything?" Liu Shuang Shi felt that the consort Liu would have more clarity than him on this question.

"What would my mother consort know?" Long Xuan asked.

"It's because Luo Wei looks a lot like his aunt." Liu Shuang Shi responded.

"Like the empress?" Long Xuan didn't think Luo Wei looked much like the empress.

"No, the third daughter of the Luo family, Luo Zhi Jin," Liu Shuang Shi clarified, "The emperor was once very enamored with this third daughter of the Luo family, but alas, beauty is fleeting, she passed before her time."

"Luo Zhi Jin?" This wasn't something that Long Xuan knew the details of, but he remembered one thing, "Wasn't she engaged to Zhen Guo Marquis' youngest son?"

Liu Shuang Shi replied, "Your Imperial Highness, the various matters of the past is only clear to those who were involved."

"So?"

"Perhaps the emperor is nostalgic."

"Nostalgic?" Long Xuan addressed Liu Shuang Shi, "Are you joking, uncle? Do you think my father a nostalgic person?"