Yu Linglan felt he was being deeply despised, because Yu Changkong’s gaze was utterly unrestrained, clearly saying that he was blind in both eyes and heart.

He glanced toward Prince Zhao, impatience flickering in his eyes.

Prince Zhao inadvertently met Yu Linglan’s gaze; a chill ran down his spine, his hairs stood on end, and his heart fluttered with panic.

But in just a moment he calmed down again. Yu Boyin was his strategist, not his Laozi—he, a堂堂Prince, had no need to be so afraid of him, did he?

Besides, Yu Boyin had been by his side for several years and hadn’t produced any particularly dazzling results. Aside from getting his fief to pick up a bit, if he really had such ability, he would have helped him onto the Crown Prince’s seat long ago, no?

Look at his cousin Yu Changkong: assisting Qi Qian—how long has it been, and he’s already been enfeoffed as a Prince.

No wonder the man was the Number One Young Master, while Yu Boyin was merely the second.

Yu Linglan very keenly sensed Prince Zhao’s dissatisfaction with him, and his gaze grew even colder.

Yu Changkong watched the silent exchange of looks between the two and grew impatient in his heart. He said, "What Your Highness asked has indeed stumped me, a mere man in white. If you must hear my answer, then it is this: the able one occupies the seat!"

Prince Zhao said, "To be an emperor, one’s virtue and disposition are paramount. If someone with an underworld background who can’t even get on the stage becomes emperor, wouldn’t that be a grand joke?"

Yu Changkong, hearing this, did not reply directly. Instead he gave Yu Linglan a look and said meaningfully, "The clan academy has opened. It’s no longer exclusive to the Yu Family and has enrolled children from several other families as well. Quite a few clansmen have gone out to broaden their horizons, and we’re actually a bit short on teachers now. Do you want to go back and pick out two students? The clan has never required that those who go out to make their way in the world must become somebody before they return!"

Yu Linglan’s face turned green.

You could just say straight out that he’d picked a lump of mud that wouldn’t stick to the wall.

Prince Zhao also caught the implication. His gaze turned icy—was this calling him stupid?

Sure enough, there wasn’t a single pleasing person here, including this Number One Young Master, Yu Changkong. He was even more infuriating than Yu Boyin, because he made others feel that in front of him they were nothing but trash that couldn’t be brought onto the stage.

Prince Zhao had just opened his mouth when Yu Changkong slightly turned his head and said to Qin Mingyan, "What His Highness just said—your answer."

Qin Mingyan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "In this student’s view, a hero is not judged by his origins. A respectable background does indeed add points, but without sufficient strength, no matter how fine the background, one will not be able to sit that seat. Even if he sits it, without the ability to command subordinates, he will be hollowed out by the courtiers and turned into a puppet, or dragged down from the throne by one truly possessed of grand strategy. In history, there have been emperors of slave-groom origin, bandits and hooligans, those who have been beggars, and those who have squatted in great prisons. Many with lowly and bitter origins still have much that is praiseworthy. Their origins cannot erase their strength. That is what it means to say that a hero is not judged by his lowly birth. This is this student’s shallow view; I’ve made Your Highness laugh."

Prince Zhao’s breath stuck somewhere between his chest and throat. With a skin-deep smile he said, "The students taught by Yu Clan Leader are indeed remarkable. You’ve gone to a lot of effort."

Yu Changkong said, "A teachable youth is worth the effort. An unteachable youth makes it all a waste of trouble—best to cut your losses in time."

Yu Linglan’s face burned. He said, "Big Brother has come from afar. I won’t let Boyin disturb your rest any longer. I’ll take my leave."

"Go on then." Yu Changkong said, "And go back and give good thought to what I just said."

Yu Linglan tugged at the corner of his mouth and led Prince Zhao in a flight from this private room.

A few years ago, facing Yu Changkong he had not been this embarrassed. Now he was clearly on the back foot. Having his eyesight back and power in hand really did make all the difference.

"Intolerable—utterly intolerable. That Yu... that wild spawn Qi Qian—what virtue, what ability—what virtue, what ability does he have for such luck?" Prince Zhao viciously kicked over the small tea table in the carriage.

Yu Linglan cast a glance at the overturned tea table and said, "Your Highness, impotent rage only makes you look small-minded. At this point you ought to be treating Prince Rui as a formidable rival."

"He deserves that?"

Yu Linglan unhurriedly righted the tea table, saying coolly, "So long as the Saint does not say otherwise for a single day, in the eyes of the world he is the legitimate eldest son of Prince Ning, and now he is Prince Rui with military merit. If that title in Prince Ning Mansion ultimately does not land on the heir of Prince Ning, he could even end up with a double-prince title in one mansion."

He picked up a teacup and said, "Prince Ning’s eldest son also carries the surname Qi and the blood of the same ancestors. That alone is noble enough. If all that still isn’t worth mentioning, have you forgotten who Princess Rui is?"

Prince Zhao froze. Who was Princess Rui?

She was the Empress Mu’s younger sister. The Empress had no legitimate son under her knees. If the Mu Family wanted to secure its wealth and honor, they could completely support Qi Qian’s rise. As for whether he would be a brother‑in‑law or a registered legitimate son, so long as they won, none of that would matter. How hard could it be to invent a sudden illness and kill someone off?

Once Qi Qian became a legitimate son, his origin would be transformed from base to exalted.

Prince Zhao grew even more irritable.

Yu Linglan continued his analysis. "Empress Mu’s side is still relatively easy to alienate. What’s truly worrisome is that cousin of mine, and on top of that, his student happens to be that temple master Buqiu’s blood brother. That man’s network—now that is a real headache."

Prince Zhao: "..."

The more you talk, the darker the road ahead looks for this Prince. How is one supposed to play this game? Might as well just go back to the fief and be a Vassal King who calls the shots, forget fighting for anything.

"We finally got rid of a Crown Prince, only for a Qi Qian to appear—and this one isn’t even legitimate. Is Heaven playing games with this Prince or what?" Prince Zhao frowned. "Go on then, tell me—from where should we start?"

Yu Linglan said, "First sever the relationship between Prince Rui and the Mu Family. To prevent Empress Mu from adopting him in the future, it would be better to press him into Princess Consort Ru’s name first, making his status even more proper. I imagine both the Saint and Princess Consort Ru would be pleased."

Prince Zhao’s eyes brightened slightly. "But Princess Consort Ru is currently under confinement because of that Tiansheng Sect business."

"That actually gives her a pretext to speak. Her fervor for the Tiansheng Sect was only because she wanted a child. If she can adopt Prince Rui, she might take the chance to get her confinement lifted. The Saint would likely be glad to see it too—after all, he is his real son."

Prince Zhao also found this feasible, but when he thought that, once the adoption succeeded, wouldn’t Qi Qian become even more legitimate...

"Previously I considered him negligible, because I only looked at how much the Saint cares about his reputation. I never expected Yu Changkong to be scheming at his side. In hindsight, that was my shallowness. With Changkong entering the world, he’ll only pour his full strength into pushing him upward. Sooner or later he’ll legitimately become a Dragon Son, and adoption is the best path. But whether he’s adopted under a concubine’s name or under the Empress’s knees is a different matter altogether." Yu Linglan said, "Your Highness, Prince Rui is already in the game and is a formidable rival. That is now inevitable."

Prince Zhao’s eyes turned vicious. "If he’d just behaved and been content to act as his Prince Rui, that would have been fine. But he just has to stick a foot in, as if life is too comfortable. Since he doesn’t want to live, then he doesn’t get to."

For a bastard like Qi Qian to think of contending with them for the throne—he can keep dreaming his Spring and Autumn dream.

A formidable rival?

If you snap the enemy’s wings before they’re fully grown, he’ll never become a formidable rival.