Wew.
Li Luo breathed out and let his resonant power fade away. Looking at the scrawny back of the Little Emperor, the green lotus seemed to have gotten just a touch lighter in color.
“It really works,” he noted tiredly. “Your Majesty, it’s done.”
The boy had been sleeping fitfully, but he was jerked awake. He hurriedly put his shirt back on. “Li Luo, you’re amazing. I always feel so much better after you treat me. You’re much better than those Duke quacks.”
Li Luo laughed. It was at times like this that he was reminded of the boy’s youth. If he was truly stronger than a Duke, he wouldn’t be screwing around in a place like this. He would have gone straight to school to teach Shen Jinxiao the lesson of his life, via stomping on his face.
And Pei Hao. That one required a stomping too.
He was still lost in his stomping fantasies when the First Princess reentered the room. She saw the boy looking much more fit, and she brightened up as well.
Li Luo’s treatment was really working.
“Sis!” the boy called out.
She tenderly straightened out his shirt, then turned to Li Luo. “Junior Li Luo, thank you so much.”
Her words were soft, and she had a different look from her usual regal composure. She was truly moved by Li Luo’s help for her brother.
The feeling was completely aromantic. It was the same feeling of gratitude a desert wanderer had when he came across an oasis.
In half a year, they had to be ready for the struggle for power. And the Little Emperor’s frailty might well become an excuse for the other powers to pounce upon.
Even if Li Luo could not cure him completely by then, if he could just go without any spasms or accidents, that would already do wonders for the First Princess’ peace of mind.
“Thank you, YourHighness. House Luolan needs friends like yourself.”
The First Princess inclined her head in understanding. “We are like souls in the same boat after all.”
Li Luo laughed at that. “Your Highness is too humble. Surely you know the storm that House Luolan is weathering? The vultures circle.”
“Do you think the vultures do not fly here as well?”
Li Luo was drawn up short. This was the first time that the First Princess had spoken of her own history and secrets. It had been brief, but symbolically important. It was a gesture that marked their deepening relationship.
“In half a year, it will not just be House Luolan that will face trials. The king and I also stand on the cusp of important changes.
“The wolves prowl for House Luolan’s treasure. If they are not repelled, the house will end in death. House Luolan will be no more here in the Xia Kingdom.” She looked at him full in the face. “We are the same. At the coronation ceremony, we will find out if my brother can truly take the throne and wield the royal power that is rightfully ours.
“According to the promise, my royal uncle will step down. But I am not sure he will do so willingly. Power is a curious thing. Those that taste it often develop an addiction,” she said evenly.
Li Luo felt a prickle of fear. He was an outsider to royal intrigues, and House Luolan had never gone up against the royal court. He had not imagined that their factions would be just as vicious.
It was sobering information. It meant that the Xia Kingdom would never be the same after that.
The regent had laid down deep roots while on the throne. He had gotten comfortable with his power. If he did not go willingly, uprooting him would devastate the Xia Kingdom one way or the other.
No wonder the First Princess was so anxious about the Little Emperor’s illness. Any weakness would be exploited by their enemies as a way to undermine his reliability and credibility. And the more the Regent rose, the further away the First Princess would fall.
“Li Luo, I am not telling you this to ask House Luolan to stand with us. Bluntly speaking, House Luolan cannot even stand with us,” she said with an apologetic but firm smile.
Li Luo nodded. They were ugly words, but true ones. In a fight of this level, without even a Duke to hold them down, they would be blown away like cannon fodder.
Their relationship was built on the foundation of Jiang Qing’e’s potential and Li Luo’s curious healing abilities.
With that alone, they had won the First Princess’ confidence.
They might not be standing together on the battlefield, but both knew that their futures were connected now. Of course, Li Luo would be hoping that the First Princess’ faction won.
Compared to the power-hungry regent, whom Li Luo had always been a little leery of. The man was too dangerous and wily. If House Luolan came too close, he would swallow them whole without leaving a single bone behind.
“Your battle will be tough as well. I do not know what House Lords Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan have left to you, but the treasure is an irresistible temptation for many. You will probably face many Dukes.
“Although both you and Jiang Qing’e are valued students at school, I am not sure it will be enough to turn away the pack of wolves. They will not pass up on the chance to smash House Luolan’s headquarters. Plus, Principal Pang has not left the Umbra Cave in years, diminishing the Astral Sage College even further, and with it any protection you might hope to rely on.”
Li Luo nodded. “Do you know which powers are against us, Your Highness?”
She shook her head. “It all depends on who is tempted.”
He sighed. This fight was not just about the five Great Houses. There were many more besides them. Hyenas and vultures, on top of the wolves.
The weighty topic addressed, the First Princess brought the conversation into lighter waters, and they had a pleasant time together.
And then she personally escorted him out of the palace, even calling him a carriage.
“Your Highness,” Li Luo said, turning to her with a smile. “House Luolan has fallen far.
“But I will not let my parents’ legacy be destroyed so easily.”
He had chosen his words with care, and they smashed through one needling doubt that had nestled like a rock in her heart. She returned his smile. “And neither will I.”
