Just then, someone beside the Third Prince suddenly rose, leapt into the air, and attacked Mu Xueshi.
“You think you can defeat me?”
Mu Xueshi gave a cold snort. With one hand gripping the ceiling beam, he used only the other to fight Yu’er. Refusing to be outdone, Yu’er used every skill he possessed, determined to knock Mu Xueshi down from the beam and teach him a proper lesson.
Seeing the ferocity in Yu’er’s attacks, Mu Xueshi suddenly decided that defeating him too quickly would be no fun. It would be better to toy with him for a while.
With that thought, Mu Xueshi hooked one foot around the beam and fought Yu’er while hanging upside down. Yu’er was impatient by nature and attacked with great speed, while Mu Xueshi deliberately adopted a leisurely approach. Each time, he waited until the most critical moment before evading Yu’er’s attacks, causing Yu’er to fall short just when victory seemed within reach.
The civil officials who knew nothing of martial arts could not help breaking into a cold sweat for Mu Xueshi, afraid that one mistake might send him tumbling down or allow Yu’er to injure him. Anyone with even a little knowledge of martial arts, however, could see that the two of them were not remotely on the same level.
After playing around for a while, Mu Xueshi lost interest in continuing to fight this little enchantress. With a twist of his ankle, he righted his body, released the beam, and flew forward with one foot extended, kicking Yu’er all the way to the entrance.
“My apologies, Noble Consort Yu… Uh… no. I suppose you are no longer called Noble Consort Yu.”
The Third Prince suddenly said to Mu Xueshi, “He is not Noble Consort Yu. He is the Empress I am about to install.”
Something crashed inside Mu Xueshi’s heart, and he shouted uncontrollably, “Why?!”
The Third Prince looked at Mu Xueshi with faint amusement. “What is this? Does Young Master Xue object?”
“Yes! I object very strongly!”
Hearing this, the Third Prince said unhurriedly, “Yu’er is of noble blood and exceptionally talented. He helped me kill the previous ruler and will also be capable of managing the imperial harem in the future.”
Mu Xueshi inwardly bared his teeth. You are already thinking about managing a harem?
“You should at least have discussed it with me first. How can you decide so quickly and expect anyone to accept it?” Mu Xueshi glared at the Third Prince.
The Third Prince paused before asking indifferently, “And why should I discuss it with you?”
“Well…” Mu Xueshi racked his brains, then suddenly slapped his forehead and declared loudly, “You ascended the throne, and I am your biological younger brother. Everyone in this court knows that. Since you have become Emperor, I should at least be a prince. Even if you do not consult anyone else, you ought to consult me!”
The Third Prince smiled faintly. He truly had not expected Mu Xueshi to drag that into the argument.
After admiring the imperious, unreasonable look in Mu Xueshi’s eyes, the Third Prince waved a hand toward the officials below. “Court is dismissed. The installation of the Empress will be discussed again tomorrow.”
Mu Xueshi released a long breath of relief.
Supported by others, Yu’er’s eyes burned with intense hatred and unwillingness. Why? Why had the position of Empress, already within his grasp, been obstructed halfway by someone else?
Before long, only three people remained in the vast Linan Hall.
The Third Prince glanced at Yu’er. “You may leave first.”
“Your Majesty…” Yu’er could not help calling out, his eyes immediately reddening.
The Third Prince merely cast him a cold glance. Yu’er understood his meaning. Although unwilling, he suppressed his resentment and left.
After Yu’er departed, the Third Prince and Mu Xueshi stared at each other for a long time in silence.
In the end, the Third Prince was the first to speak.
“Why did you not leave?”
“Did you want me to leave that badly?”
The Third Prince said nothing. After a moment of silence, he could not resist reaching out and stroking Mu Xueshi’s face. A flood of complicated emotions surged through Mu Xueshi, and he immediately threw his arms around the Third Prince.
“I have been studying martial arts with Aunt. She made an unprecedented exception and allowed me to come out once, but I still have to return later. Could you spare the Second Prince and Su Ying? The Second Prince has no interest in court affairs and spends his days traveling among mountains and rivers. He poses no threat to your rule. Su Ying is still a child, and he shared our bed for such a long time.”
“If you do not return to Aunt, I will spare the Second Prince and Su Ying.”
Mu Xueshi’s heart filled with delight. He chuckled foolishly twice and asked, “Are you trying to persuade me to stay?”
“You could say that.”
Mu Xueshi considered it, then said, “If you do not install an Empress, I will stay here.”
“Whether you stay is not for you to decide.”
Upon hearing this, Mu Xueshi abruptly shoved the Third Prince away, his eyes filled with murderous fury.
“You still intend to install Yu’er as Empress, do you?”
The Third Prince said nothing and merely looked at Mu Xueshi with a half-smile.
“Ah!!!”
Mu Xueshi shouted twice and launched himself furiously at the Third Prince. The Third Prince raised a hand to block him and used the momentum to pull Mu Xueshi into his arms.
…
The two rode out of the palace together. The Third Prince had already changed back into his usual clothes and followed Mu Xueshi into the countryside. Birds sang along the road as they talked and laughed. When they passed the twin tree, Mu Xueshi reined in his horse, dismounted, and walked toward it.
They sat beneath the twin tree together. Mu Xueshi pulled a small curved knife from his robes, took the Third Prince’s hand, and said with a grin, “It is only a tiny cut. It will not hurt.”
With that, Mu Xueshi lightly nicked the Third Prince’s finger and let the blood drip into a small bottle. He then brought the knife to his own finger, but just as he was about to cut it, the Third Prince stopped him.
“There is no need. We truly do share the same blood.”
Mu Xueshi ignored him. Without hesitation, he cut his own finger and squeezed several drops of blood into the little bottle. He then stood and walked toward the tree.
When he returned, the branches of the tree had already begun rustling. Mu Xueshi sat beside the Third Prince and said quietly, “Tell me everything.”
The Third Prince deliberately feigned ignorance. “Tell you what?”
Mu Xueshi forcibly pressed the Third Prince’s head onto his shoulder. “Tell me everything you experienced as a child. I know you must have suffered many grievances, otherwise you would not have… Just tell me. Once you speak to someone about it, everything will be in the past.”
“You no longer blame me for how I treated Madam that day?” the Third Prince asked.
Mu Xueshi bit his lip, then said as though making an immense decision, “Everything happens for a reason. I need to hear yours first before deciding whether to blame you.”
The Third Prince gently enclosed Mu Xueshi’s hand within his palm and said quietly, “Actually, from the moment I was born, the first time I saw my mother, I remembered her face…”
…
Only when the sun began setting did the Third Prince finally stop speaking. Mu Xueshi’s face was already drenched in tears.
“It is all in the past… It is all right now… Do not be too sad… They all deserved to die…” Mu Xueshi choked out as he tried to comfort the perfectly calm Third Prince.
The Third Prince pulled Mu Xueshi into his arms and held him silently until darkness fell.
On their way back, they rode the same horse beneath a bright moon. Bathed in moonlight, Mu Xueshi’s face appeared even more luminous and translucent. The Third Prince could not resist closing his eyes and gently kissing Mu Xueshi’s lips.
By the time their lips finally parted, the horse had already carried them a considerable distance.
“Now that I am a sovereign, I can no longer spend every day wandering among mountains and rivers with you. Are you still willing to remain by my side?”
Mu Xueshi paused before saying, “My aspirations have already changed. Traveling among mountains and rivers is no longer what I pursue. If you truly become a sovereign, I will willingly remain beside you and assist you.”
Seeing Mu Xueshi’s solemn expression and the faint heroic spirit emerging between his brows, the Third Prince felt something within him finally ease. The greatest joy in life did not lie in what one did, but in whom one shared it with. Even if two people had to eat coarse food and endure suffering together, it would still be far more satisfying than enjoying every pleasure alone.
“But!” Mu Xueshi suddenly spoke, emphasizing the word heavily. “There is one matter that will determine whether I remain with you.”
“Oh?” The Third Prince deliberately pretended to know nothing.
Mu Xueshi took a deep breath and said firmly, “If you do not install an Empress, I am willing to stay. But if you already have someone better in mind, I will return and continue practicing martial arts. Aunt… no… I should call her my mother. She said I am a martial-arts prodigy.”
Faced with Mu Xueshi’s blatant threat, the Third Prince remained entirely unmoved and replied firmly, “An Empress must be installed. A nation cannot go a single day without a sovereign, nor can it go a single day without an Empress.”
“What? You mean you would rather let me leave than give up installing that Yu’er as Empress?”
The Third Prince gave Mu Xueshi a meaningful look. “You cannot leave, and an Empress must still be installed.”
“Why? Why?! Mu Linxi, you are eating from the bowl while still eyeing the pot! Do you think I am joking with you? If that is truly what you intend, I will definitely go back and continue practicing martial arts. The day I become an unrivaled master, I will kill both you and that Empress!…”
Futile Devices Scans 
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