Chapter 59: Surrounded by Powerful Enemies, and Still You Dare to Be So Smug?

"Boom!" Li Chengqian felt a wave of darkness before his eyes, his ears ringing.

Western Regions, frontier generals, local officials! Senior ministers in the imperial court!

Even that fat-pig-like younger brother of his, the Prince of Wei!

If any single one of these factions chose to bite back, it could trigger a catastrophic disaster!

Let alone all of them converging at once!

In an instant, the dark, heavy expression Changsun Wuji wore upon leaving the imperial court flashed through Li Chengqian's mind. Behind that probing gaze, was there also a critical scrutiny of this tax reform that encroached upon certain people's interests?

Immediately, a crushing fear like an iron claw gripped Li Chengqian tightly!

His body swayed, and he abruptly grabbed the edge of the nearby red sandalwood low table, his knuckles turning pale white.

Zhao Mu's eyes remained wave-less, as if he had anticipated this all along.

Staring at the Crown Prince's pale face, his gaze at that moment was as cold as needles.

Yet suddenly, he said with profound meaning, "Your Highness, you cannot simply rely on petty cleverness in the imperial court, getting carried away by a moment of insignificant success!"

"Even thinking that the momentum of the realm is already entirely within your grasp..."

"Otherwise, when surrounded by formidable enemies and hidden murderous intents, you will find yourself completely powerless to fight back!"

"After all, establishing a state policy is easy, but implementing it is difficult!"

"Of course..." Zhao Mu paused, continuing in a deep voice, "If Your Highness only wishes to be a crown prince satisfied with the momentary gains and losses of the court, rather than a true heir apparent who bears the burden of the state and holds the common people of the world in his heart..."

"Then let those words I just spoke be dismissed as the idle ramblings of a mere merchant."

"Otherwise, I must ask Your Highness to put aside this ignorant complacency toward grave dangers, return to the Eastern Palace immediately, and ponder deeply: how should Your Highness walk the path of the Great Tang's heir apparent!"

Zhao Mu's sudden order to issue a dismissal fell upon Li Chengqian's heart like a heavy, cold iron hammer.

He even began to think that Brother Zhao was utterly disappointed in him...

A massive wave of desolation left Li Chengqian standing stiffly in place, his face drained of color.

The merciless, soul-searching reproaches Zhao Mu had just uttered were like blades, fiercely slashing at his heart.

What plunged him even deeper into an icy abyss was that bone-chilling command to leave.

The severity of the tone and the resoluteness of the attitude were something Li Chengqian had never witnessed in Zhao Mu before.

He and Zhao Mu knew each other as kindred spirits, acting as both teacher and friend.

To him, Zhao Mu had always offered guidance woven into casual conversations over drinks.

Yet today...

Recalling every bit of his acquaintance with Brother Zhao.

Thinking of how, under Brother Zhao's influence after they met, he gradually regained his confidence.

Thinking of himself—a crown prince once regarded as utterly worthless by all the court officials and his own Imperial Father—daring to let his own brilliance shine in the court with Brother Zhao's help...

With Brother Zhao's wholehearted support, he had finally managed to change everyone's perception of him.

And he had gradually secured his position as the Crown Prince...

Could it be that all of this was about to...

The thought of potentially losing this top-tier strategist and close friend who understood him, assisted him, and whom he regarded as his spiritual pillar forever, drowned him in overwhelming panic and desolation.

So much so that he stood there blankly, his eye rims involuntarily turning slightly red.

Watching the Crown Prince like this, Zhao Mu frowned in a way that was hard to detect.

In his heart, he inexplicably felt... rather odd!

Surely not?

Of course he knew his words today were far too harsh, hitting every pain point directly. According to the laws of the Great Tang, they were enough to get him beheaded several times over.

But...

Li Chengqian, you fellow, are you standing there with red rims and a wronged expression looking at me?

What the hell is this supposed to be?

I'm not Chengxin!

Still... he certainly hadn't expected the Crown Prince's reaction to be so... intense and emotional.

One might even say, somewhat fragile...

Especially those reddened eyes.

A trace of extremely subtle astonishment flashed deep within Zhao Mu's eyes.

Yet this trace of surprise was instantly suppressed by an even deeper resolve.

After a moment of hard-hearted hesitation, deciding not to comfort this Crown Prince who looked on the verge of tears, he slowly turned around, avoiding that glaring fragility, and said indifferently, "Your Highness should return to the palace early, lest my earlier prediction actually come true, in which case it truly would be beyond remedy..."

"After all, that was the very first piece of advice I, Zhao Mu, have ever offered to Your Highness..."

"I would hardly wish to see it wasted..."

Despite saying this, Zhao Mu didn't actually care about such things. The atmosphere had simply carried him here, so he had to put on an act to make Li Chengqian genuinely ponder how to be a proper Crown Prince of the Great Tang, and even...

Those so-called pieces of advice were unimportant to Zhao Mu.

Yet he also wanted to see how far and how long the only true friend he had in the Great Tang could walk under his influence and assistance...

Besides, he had no desire to fight for supremacy; he only wanted to indulge in pleasure and live a carefree life.

Back in the dormitory, bringing food back for his dormmates used to earn him a chorus of "Godfather..."

If he actually managed to train Li Chengqian up...

By then, having him call him "Godfather"—or no, "Viceroy Father"—wouldn't be too much to ask, right?

Just a moment ago, Zhao Mu had been righteously reprimanding the reigning Crown Prince until he was utterly defenceless.

Yet by this moment, his mind had already drifted off to who knows where...

Li Chengqian was oblivious to the erratic thoughts spinning in Zhao Mu's head.

He only felt that Brother Zhao's parting words—"The very first piece of advice... I would hardly wish to see it wasted..."—were like a thorn, piercing deeply into his heart.

A profound sense of desolation intertwined with the faint, lingering thread of expectation in Zhao Mu's words, clogging his chest painfully.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, not a single syllable came out.

Ultimately, he could only bow deeply toward Zhao Mu's retreating figure.

This bow was laden with the shame of having his eyes opened, the disorientation of being reprimanded, and the dread of losing this precious bond.

Then, he jerked around.

Without a shred of hesitation, driven by an unprecedented determination, he practically bolted out of the Qiwu Pavilion.

He even forgot to limp...

"Return to the palace immediately!" Li Chengqian's voice was hoarse yet brooked no argument. Never having seen the Crown Prince in such a state, the guards were terrified into moving even faster than they had upon arrival, cluster-sweeping him out of the Pingkang Quarter like a gust of wind.

Inside the private pavilion, listening to the hurried sound of hoofbeats fading away downstairs, Zhao Mu slowly turned back around.

Gazing at the empty doorway, his expression settled back into the profound stillness of a deep pool, yet within his eyes lingered... a trace of amusement.

"Let's hope... you can figure it out."

At that moment, Night Owl quietly materialized within the pavilion once more...

"Sir... this subordinate is incompetent."

Zhao Mu was instantly startled!

Turning his head to see that it was Night Owl, he shot him a blank, exasperated look. "Can you stop appearing and disappearing like a ghost? You're going to give me a heart attack sooner or later, you bastard!"

"Uh..." Having no idea what a heart attack was, Night Owl chose to pretend he hadn't heard and proceeded with his report, "Sir... just now I went to seal off the news of the Crown Prince's visit here."

"Yet I still failed to suppress it. It seems word had already leaked out before you even gave the order..."

"Sir, what should our next step be?"