ABRIWMTHM Chapter 66

Chi Yao had inquired in advance and timed his visit to coincide with Chang Quan’s being home.

Although, theoretically, it would have been better to wait a few more days.

But,

Chi Yao was afraid he couldn’t wait that long, so he decisively decided to take Shi Xing to try while he still had control over his body.

Regarding Chang Quan…

Chi Yao: “First, I want to be clear that I don’t have a hundred percent confidence.”

“I’m just bringing you here to try.”

Shi Xing nodded, looking especially obedient. “I understand, Your Highness.”

Worried about adding to Chi Yao’s burdens, he leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, “We’ve agreed that for political matters, it’s just a trial. If it works, that’s great; if not, we won’t force it.”

Chi Yao nodded.

He admired Shi Xing’s attitude in this regard.

He would fight with all his might for what he could actively pursue, and what he couldn’t get would be graciously let go. He might feel a bit disappointed at the time, but he wouldn’t be heartbroken for long.

This time, the attendant was Yan Changyue. He went to knock on the door and notify the Chang family of their visit, while Shi Xing waited outside with Chi Yao.

Shi Xing glanced around the surroundings. In his previous life, he found life in the Imperial Capital quite dull. In the first half of the year, he mostly recuperated at the Prince’s Mansion. The following year, he attended the first military academy with Lu Lu. The academy was closed off; his daily life was nothing more than a routine shuffle between the dormitory and classrooms. Coupled with his Blue Star physique, he barely had time to play.

Later, when the internal conflicts in the Prince’s Mansion erupted, he left the Imperial Capital and had even less time to explore.

If he had to say, perhaps the only time he truly saw scenery was during Lu Lu’s wedding when he saw more in Central Park than he did during his time in the Capital.

His lashes fluttered slightly, and as he thought of something, his curiosity in the surroundings faded once again.

Chi Yao, however, thought he was enjoying the view and commented, “The greenery here is very nice. Many civil servants in the Imperial Capital like to retire here.”

“Is it better than Central Park?” Shi Xing suddenly asked.

Chi Yao: “There probably isn’t one. The variety of plants in Central Park is immense, managed with state funding. Many species that are endangered or nearly extinct from various star systems still thrive there. Every year, the Alliance and some planet’s botanists actively apply to conduct cultural exchanges and study in Central Park in the Imperial Capital.”

Shi Xing looked at Chi Yao, who gazed back down at him. The gray hues in his eyes no longer felt cold to Shi Xing. Instead, whenever he felt that gaze upon him, he could sense a warmth flowing through him.

“It seems that Your Highness knows everything,” Shi Xing remarked.

Chi Yao smiled, “You will too, in the future. I will teach you.”

As a direct member of the royal family, his knowledge was particularly diverse, and he had learned a great deal about various situations within the Empire.

Chi Yao glanced at the time, bringing the topic back on track. “In terms of internal affairs, there are a total of seven or eight agencies responsible for it. Excluding the Supreme Court and special courts, as well as those focused on legal studies, the leading two among the remaining agencies are the Senate and the Elders Council.”

“They have distinct functions; the Elders Council mainly restrains the royal family from interfering in internal affairs, while the Senate directly makes decisions for the Empire.”

“When I ascended to the throne at a young age, following the change in leadership of the Elders Council and Senate, in order to ensure the stability of the Empire, the leaders chose those with relatively conservative ideologies.”

“In recent years, my ideological friction with Ren Yan Yong has intensified. Thankfully, he won’t remain in his position for many more years. Xu Mi Rou will take his place, and once the transition occurs, the conflict between the royal family and the Elders Council will ease somewhat.”

“On the Senate side, the current Speaker Wei Zhen usually gets along with Ren Yan Yong, and he should retire alongside him. The next generation will consist of those groomed by Chang Quan.”

In his line of sight, Yan Changyue emerged from the Chang family’s residence, followed by the Chang family’s butler.

Chi Yao finished his last points, “Although Chang Quan is the former Speaker, he has been very open-minded and willing to try new things. Of course, I cannot be sure if I can persuade him to support you, but bringing you here doesn’t completely rely on Chang Quan’s political inclinations.”

Shi Xing’s light blue eyes fixed on Chi Yao, blinking, and looking innocent.

Chi Yao’s brows moved slightly; he wrapped an arm around Shi Xing’s shoulder, leaning in, and leaning his lips close to Shi Xing’s ear, as if whispering intimately, he said softly, “Chang Quan has a grandson whose mental sea has some issues.”

Shi Xing’s heart stirred.

“Your Majesty, young prince.” Just then, Yan Changyue approached them, bowing.

The butler and several servants followed Yan Changyue in greeting and explained, “Good afternoon, Your Majesty. Lord Chang has difficulty with his mobility…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Chi Yao, “I know, no need for apologies, let’s go inside.”

Before arriving, Chi Yao had already informed Yan Changyue that this visit should remain low-key. The Chang family had civil service officers living nearby, so there was no need for Lord Chang and his family to go out to greet them formally, as it could draw unnecessary attention. They could enter like ordinary visitors.

Of course, that said, the Chang family understood the rules well.

Chi Yao led Shi Xing through the front garden, and after officially entering the main gate, they found the Chang family, led by Lord Chang, lined up at the entrance to welcome Chi Yao and Shi Xing.

After they exchanged pleasantries, while Chi Yao engaged in small talk with the Chang family, Shi Xing’s gaze evaluated the former Speaker Chang Quan.

During the greeting, Lord Chang’s expression was friendly.

Aside from sitting in a hoverchair due to mobility difficulties and his white hair, there were no other significant external traits. Shi Xing couldn’t discern much depth.

He had a gentle demeanor, lacking the imposing aura that might come with a high position, and when conversing with Chi Yao, he seemed relaxed, not putting on a show of being an elder, nor was he overly humble or obsequious.

If anything, his interaction seemed somewhat similar to Xu Jin’s with Chi Yao—familiar yet maintaining each one’s identity.

After their cordialities, Chang Quan turned to look at Shi Xing again, his gaze holding something that Shi Xing could not decipher, but the predominant emotion was one of an elder’s fondness.

“Young Prince Shi Xing, you have just arrived in the Imperial Capital, right?” Chang Quan asked.

Chi Yao replied, “Yes, after leaving the Nest, we made a detour to the Northern Territory and just returned.”

Despite rarely leaving his residence, Chang Quan was well-informed. “Having gone to the Northern Territory, you must have earned Marshal Tan’s support. I believe he holds you in high regard, young Prince.”

Shi Xing found it difficult to respond without seeming boastful, so he just smiled in return.

Chi Yao looked at Shi Xing, not being modest, “It seems that way. I didn’t expect to receive Marshal Tan Bai Shan’s support at first.”

And without any obstacles, Tan Bai Shan had stood behind Shi Xing, which Chi Yao found quite novel.

Chang Quan chuckled, nodding at Shi Xing, praising, “Marshal Tan is generally quite stubborn and only acknowledges those he approves of. Young Prince must have something exceptional about you.”

Chi Yao suddenly interjected, “Perhaps it’s partly due to his high rank and the fact that he healed Tan Chi.”

Military news was typically tightly controlled; if there’s no communication between military factions, they might not even know. Even between military and civil sectors, even if metrics had been received, the civil sectors often didn’t have clarity.

Sure enough, after this tentative remark, Chang Quan looked surprised.

“Healed? Your Majesty, you mean that Tan Zhongjun…”

Chi Yao remained silent, and Yan Changyue supplemented, “Yes, Lord Chang, Tan Zhongjun’s mental sea has fully recovered. After resting for a while, he should be able to return to the front lines and continue serving the Empire.”

Chang Quan’s astonishment quickly turned to Shi Xing.

Shi Xing offered a standard smile.

Smart people don’t need to say too much. In an instant, Chang Quan understood the purpose of Chi Yao’s visit. While inwardly he might be wryly smiling, his face remained composed. He didn’t pry much into Tan Chi’s condition but smoothly shifted topics, leading the family to welcome Chi Yao and Shi Xing inside.

The Chang family also resided in a three-story villa. It wasn’t as grand as the palace where Chi Yao and Shi Xing lived, but with gardens wrapping around it, accommodating no more than five family members, it was not exactly small.

After retiring, Lord Chang enjoyed tending to his garden. After chatting a bit in the living room, he invited Shi Xing to the back garden to see the plants, and Shi Xing, intrigued, followed along with Chi Yao.

Tang Mi, as Shi Xing’s teacher and subordinate, also accompanied them.

So, on the way, the scene was rather unusual in Tang Mi’s eyes.

Shi Xing was fully absorbed in the novel plants, listening intently as Lord Chang introduced one type. At times, his curiosity was so evident that Chi Yao would explain a few things to Shi Xing, making the entire experience fresh and enjoyable for him.

But between Chi Yao and Lord Chang, there was an undercurrent, and too many sharp exchanges in their conversation.

With two shrewd individuals conversing, every statement was layered with meaning. Having been in the bureaucratic field for years, Lord Chang would not simply go along with everything Chi Yao said. The conversational lead bounced back and forth, to the point where Tang Mi started to feel dizzy.

“If His Majesty wants to discuss this matter, we should move to the study.”

Suddenly, triggered by an unforeseen comment, Chang Quan extended an olive branch for private conversation.

Chi Yao looked at Shi Xing, and Chang Quan added, “Since the young prince loves greenery, chatting about these things can get dull; there are many intriguing plants in the front garden you can continue to admire.”

“Are there more interesting plants in the front garden?”

Shi Xing’s eyes lit up, completely unaware that Chang Quan sought to steer the conversation away from discussing him and Chi Yao’s matters.

Tang Mi also did not catch on; his sensitivity as a civil servant merely hinted that he felt something was awry.

Even the transition was too cleverly concealed.

Chi Yao surveyed Shi Xing, “Would you like to go?”

Upon receiving Shi Xing’s affirmative nod, Chi Yao smiled, “Then let’s go. The old master’s plants are always well-tended.”

Shi Xing led Tang Mi out, and as they stepped away, Tang Mi’s mind was racing with a single thought—human joys and sorrows are not communicated.

Once they moved far enough away, noticing Chi Yao did not rush to withdraw his gaze, Chang Quan keenly observed that Chi Yao was somewhat indulgent towards Shi Xing.

Sure enough, turning back, Chi Yao’s smile faded, and he adopted a serious demeanor. “Should we head to the study?”

Chang Quan nodded, reining in his elder warmth, adopting a more restrained and deferential posture. “Your Majesty, this way please.”

Arriving at the study, with no one else present, Chang Quan opened the window for candid discussion, the first sentence posing a challenge to Chi Yao.

“Your Majesty is seeking to secure political participation for the young prince by coming to me?”

Chang Quan’s next statement all but revealed his attitude. “I have heard about the affairs of military power, but civil servants should not interfere too much in military matters. Ren Yan Yong has overreached, but in terms of managing internal political power, except for the Supreme Court, it falls under the proper jurisdiction of the Elders Council and the Senate.”

Though phrased indirectly, the meaning was clear.

In internal affairs, whatever the Elders Council maintained, it was their decision and justified.

On the third point, he pivoted to the most critical issue.

Chang Quan: “If I may be so bold to ask, Your Majesty… how much longer can you continue to appear normal like this?”

“The time given by Er Ya is drawing near, and the cultivation of Young Prince Bi Zhu is progressing steadily. How much longer can the contract’s binding power last?”

As his words fell, the room fell silent.

In that silence, Chi Yao thought, perhaps only someone with Chang Quan’s caliber would dare to speak so frankly to him.

Tang Mi wasn’t interested in the plants; they had a natural affinity for Shi Xing.

Perhaps due to being born from the Mother Tree, he felt the plants could communicate with him.

If there were plants imbued with mental power, Shi Xing would feel even closer to them.

Tang Mi was guided by the butler to a bench in the front garden. After going through the variety introductions, Shi Xing walked around by himself, exploring.

The front and back gardens were interconnected, linked by a small path that also led to a glass greenhouse on the first floor.

Amid the dazzling flowers, unaware of where he wandered, Shi Xing suddenly felt a thud at his feet and looked down to find a ball had rolled into him.

Just as he picked it up, a child darted out from behind the bushes, staring eagerly at the ball in Shi Xing’s hands.

“Is this your ball?” Shi Xing asked.

The little boy, dressed in overalls and sporting a watermelon hairstyle, didn’t seem energetic like Bi Shu. Instead, he looked somewhat listless, nodding at him.

“It’s mine; did it hit you?”

Before Shi Xing could respond, the boy politely added, “I’m sorry, Jing Jing didn’t mean it.”

“She just wanted to make me happy.”

This statement…

Shi Xing: “Do you want it back?”

The child nodded and then shook his head. After a moment, he asked Shi Xing, “Can you wait a bit to give it back to me? I want to stay here for a while before going back.”

“No problem, I’ll put the ball here and give it to you later, alright?”

The child nodded.

Shi Xing placed the ball aside and noticed it was clean, looking like it hadn’t been played with for long.

Turning away from the child, Shi Xing conversed casually, “Can you tell me why you don’t want to go back?”

“Did someone bully you?”

Shi Xing asked deliberately.

The boy shook his head vigorously, like a rattle. “No.”

After a pause, he spoke softly, “I’m not feeling very well, but I don’t want Jing Jing and the others to worry.”

As he said this, he balled his fists and rubbed his eyes, showing clear signs of fatigue.

Shi Xing hadn’t perceived the boy’s condition until he spoke, but now he could see the subtle signs of illness on the child’s face.

——”Chang Quan has a grandson whose mental sea has some problems.”

Chi Yao’s whispers echoed in his mind, and Shi Xing shifted, concerned. “Are you still feeling very unwell?”

Shi Xing’s appearance was non-threatening, and he had been remarkably gentle since their interaction began. Even though the boy knew to be cautious around strangers, he still nodded at Shi Xing’s harmless face and chose to tell the truth, “Not feeling very well.”

“Would you like to sit here on the stool for a while?”

“That’s for adults; I don’t want to climb.”

“Shall I carry you?”

“Thank you, brother.”

Shi Xing placed the little boy on the bench. The moment they touched, he sensed something but didn’t ask. Once the boy was settled, he released his hold and started chatting with him, “How old are you this year?”

“Five years old.”

So young.

He gently patted the boy’s head, and the boy did not resist, although Shi Xing noticed him rubbing his eyes again—clearly fatigued.

The boy’s mental sea was developing with his age; it wasn’t difficult for Shi Xing to probe it. Without the child even realizing it, Shi Xing swept through with his mental power. In doing so, he noticed something interesting—the boy’s mental sea had similarities with Chi Yao’s, but instead of a piercing wound, it had many fissures simply formed within the sea bed.

These fissures were filled with uneven energy that needed organizing.

Suddenly, Shi Xing mentioned, “Can you give me your hand?”

The boy looked puzzled but had a favorable impression of Shi Xing and obediently extended his hand.

At the moment their hands clasped, the child’s tender voice exclaimed in wonder, “Brother, shaking hands with you feels so nice.”

But it wasn’t that shaking hands with Shi Xing felt nice; it was Shi Xing’s mental power that brought comfort to the child.

Shi Xing hadn’t treated such a young child before and wanted to make his mental power gentler. He ultimately opted to release his healing mental energy little by little through their contact.

As the mental energy streamed in, the child felt the indescribable discomfort slowly dissipating, his mouth forming an ‘O’ shape in surprise.

After a moment, the boy cautiously asked, “Brother, are you… that kind of doctor?”

The concept of a therapist wasn’t very clear to the boy; to him, it was a very special sort of doctor—one who could heal people without instruments and equipment.

Before Shi Xing could answer, the child refuted, “Um, maybe not.”

“They can’t help me, but your mental power feels so good and doesn’t hurt anymore. You must be more amazing, brother.”

After thinking for a moment, the boy proactively changed his title, “Doctor brother.”

Then he amended it again, “Amazing doctor brother.”