"Young Master… are you truly willing to support me?"
Li Luo stared at Ye Qian with naked disbelief, searching his face for certainty, for some concrete reassurance that this impossible offer wasn't merely a cruel jest.
Ye Qian's lips curved—barely, imperceptibly—into a smile that dripped with mocking condescension. Men like Li Luo were pathetically transparent.
The Third Prince hungered for the throne but lacked both the cunning to seize it and the connections to sustain a claim.
He needed a patron. A master.
He would accept being a puppet emperor if it meant his brothers wouldn't leave him choking on their dust.
Ye Qian's gaze hardened to flint.
"When have words spoken by me, Ye Qian, ever been false?"
His voice carried the chill of winter steel.
"Or are you suggesting I would stoop to deceiving you?"
The words cut through Li Luo like a blade drawn across silk. His heart lurched.
He dropped to his knees so fast his bones cracked against stone, pressing his forehead to the floor with the desperation of a man drowning.
"Forgive me, Young Master! Madness possessed me—how dare I question your word?
My arrogance is unworthy, my suspicion unforgivable!"
His voice cracked, trembling with abject terror.
"I swear on my life, on my bloodline, that I shall never again harbor such baseless doubt.
Please—do not cast me aside for my stupidity. I beg you!"
Ye Qian's gaze flickered over the kowtowing prince without warmth, assessing him the way one might evaluate livestock.
He offered a curt nod—lord acknowledging vassal.
"Very well. Rise."
Li Luo dared to straighten, though his face remained ashen, hands still trembling like leaves in a storm.
Ye Qian continued, his tone settling into cool, aristocratic certainty.
"Power is never given freely. If you want me to deliver the throne into your hands, you already know what I demand in return."
Serving Ye Qian carried no shame—far from it. The man before him would one day command the entire Ye Family, a power capable of reshaping dynasties on a whim.
Submission to such power wasn't degradation; it was survival elevated to art.
Li Luo knelt, clasping his hands before him in the formal gesture of fealty.
"Young Master, from this moment forward, Li Luo exists only to obey your commands!"
His voice rang with desperate conviction.
"If you tell me to go east, I will never look west.
If you order me to chase a dog, I will never pursue a chicken.
My will is yours. My life is yours. Everything I am belongs to you!"
The decision was simple in his mind—total submission to Ye Qian.
If it meant crushing his brothers and claiming the throne, if it meant he could finally stop being the overlooked third son, then surrendering his autonomy was a pittance to pay.
Ye Qian nodded, satisfied. His goal had been achieved with admirable efficiency.
"Good. A servant who knows his place is one I can use.
From now on, you are my pawn.
I will support you. I will lift you higher than you could ever deserve.
And I will grant you your heart's desire."
No flowery promises, no lengthy oaths—just simple, absolute assurance.
It was enough to settle the gnawing anxiety in Li Luo's chest completely. Relief flooded through him.
He had found a backer whose power dwarfed anything his brothers could muster. With the Ye Family's Young Master behind him, victory in the succession struggle was inevitable.
Meanwhile, Yun Xi was secretly listening to every word. She had slipped away unnoticed when Ye Qian turned his back on her.
She felt no particular concern about the political maneuvering—such matters only brushed against her at the edges.
The Heavenly Dragon Dynasty had long been a thorn in the Yun Family's side, but if Li Luo ascended the throne as Ye Qian's subordinate, that threat would evaporate.
Better still, she could finally reject Li Luo's tedious advances outright without diplomatic complications. Her father would have no grounds to pressure her into tolerating the prince's attention.
A strange smile played on her lips. Perhaps Ye Qian had orchestrated the entire arrangement just to please her.
The mere thought was enough to make her blush—if it were true.
When Ye Qian checked Li Luo's information again through his system interface, he noticed a new attribute had appeared beneath the prince's standard details: Loyalty.
Moreover, Li Luo's Loyalty value wasn't merely adequate—it stood at sixty‑five points from the outset.
Such a high initial Loyalty was quite rare. For now, at least, betrayal seemed unlikely.
The prince was a relatively trustworthy asset.
…
The magnificent flying ship sailed onward, cutting through clouds and wind with steady grace, until the Ye Family's ancestral lands finally came into view near noon.
At the spacious outer perimeter of the Family compound, Yun Yao had already assembled a welcoming party.
Attendants, retainers, and even armored soldiers lined up in precise formation.
These were elite warriors trained by the Ye Family—each one worth a hundred ordinary fighters. Their mere arrival was enough to show just how much prestige the ship's passengers commanded.
Yun Yao's gaze lifted to the sky as the familiar insignia became visible.
The massive flying ship descended slowly, its propulsion arrays dimming as it shed altitude.
Immortal Qi that had driven its journey dissipated like morning mist. Soon the magnificent vessel settled onto the ground with barely a tremor.
Ye Qian spotted his mother immediately—standing at the very forefront, her bearing regal yet warm.
He leaped gracefully from the ship's deck and strode to her side.
"My sweet Qian'er." Yun Yao beamed, placing a gentle, loving kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you for fulfilling your promise."
"Anything for you, Mother. Cousin Xi should be with us shortly."
Yun Yao's attention shifted toward the ship as Yun Xi descended.
Dressed in flowing white that caught the breeze like gossamer, she floated down with the grace of an immortal fairy stepping from a painting.
Her posture was impeccable, her figure enchanting.
Yun Yao's eyes lit with genuine pleasure. Girls truly transformed as they matured—Yun Xi had blossomed into a stunning young woman since their last meeting, elegant and poised beyond her years.
She stepped forward eagerly and clasped Yun Xi's hand, affection radiating from her.
"Yun Xi, come here and let your aunt have a proper look at you.
You've grown into such a fine noble lady. Worthy of our bloodline."
Yun Xi quickly shook her head, demure and humble.
"No, Aunt—you are truly beautiful. Compared to you, Yun Xi is still far behind."
Before Yun Yao, Yun Xi presented perfect modesty.
She understood precisely why her aunt showed such warmth and kindness—they both knew the unspoken scheme to match her with Ye Qian.
She couldn't fault Yun Feng for enlisting his sister's aid in the endeavor.
Yun Yao was indeed testing her reaction, gauging her suitability.
Seeing no hesitation, no discomfort in Yun Xi's demeanor, she felt even more satisfied.
The girl was gorgeous, talented, and possessed the cunning necessary to thrive in their world. An ideal prospect for her son.
Li Luo descended at that moment. Upon seeing Yun Yao, he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.
"Madam Ye, it is an honor to meet you. I am Li Luo, Third Prince of the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty.
I accompanied Young Miss Yun Xi to congratulate Young Master Ye Qian on successfully overcoming his tribulation."
His tone was respectful, carefully calibrated to show deference without groveling.
Yun Yao's expression transformed instantly.
Whatever warmth had existed—genuine or performed—vanished like smoke.
Her eyes passed over Li Luo with the cold disinterest one might show an insect. She didn't acknowledge his greeting. Didn't even nod.
There were simply too many people desperate to curry favor with the Ye Family. Countless opportunists and sycophants.
Li Luo's status wasn't remotely high enough to warrant her attention, let alone a courteous response.
He understood this perfectly.
The woman before him was the Madam of the Ye Family—a position of immense power. Such dismissive treatment toward a mere third prince was entirely reasonable.
He felt no embarrassment, only acceptance of the hierarchy.
Afterward, Yun Yao took Yun Xi's hand and walked toward the Ye Family's inner compounds.
Li Luo followed at a respectful distance behind Ye Qian, exactly as a subordinate should.