336: Black hair

The candlelight in the tavern's private room flickered, casting the shadows of the three individuals onto the carved window lattice, blurring the light and figures.

Gan Lei held his wine cup, the liquid gently swirling. With the deep, turbulent undercurrents of the Imperial Capital reflected in his eyes, he slowly spoke, "The Imperial Capital is not a peaceful place right now. Everyone is focused on self-preservation, and no one wants to get dragged into the muddy waters of the Succession Struggle."

Feng Ming tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips, his gaze slightly heavy.

Having just arrived in the Imperial Capital, he knew it housed many hidden talents, but he hadn't expected the undercurrents to be so fierce. Lu Qianqian rested her chin in her hand, forgetting to touch the exquisite pastries on the table, focusing intently on listening.

"The Succession Struggle in the Immortal Realm is vastly different from that of the ancient mortal world," Gan Lei said, taking a sip of wine and lowering his voice. "In ancient times, seizing power meant having military authority, and if things got desperate, one could commit treason and force the abdication. But here in the Bright Moon Dynasty, no one dares to harbor such thoughts. No one can gauge the true strength of King Haoyue; even the princes must suppress their ambitions and dare not overstep."

He set down his wine cup and lightly traced the edge of the table. "That's why you see that no matter how fiercely the princes fight, the officials under King Haoyue rarely take sides beforehand. It's like placing a bet: bet correctly, and you rise instantly; bet wrong, and you lose everything. Since you can't burn your bridges and commit treason, it's better to wait and see. First, live securely under King Haoyue, wait for them to fight out a result, and then choose a master to follow. That's better than picking the wrong side and losing your life."

"Getting back to the main topic," Gan Lei shifted gears, glancing over the two of them. "The current Crown Prince is the Second Prince, Yue Long. This prince has a volatile Heart-Nature and is ill-suited for great responsibility, but his mother, Yao Ji, is the apple of King Haoyue's eye. The First Prince died young, so he naturally ascended to the position of Crown Prince."

"But all the officials in court know perfectly well that the person truly fit to be King Haoyue's successor is the Moon Enthalpy, Yue Han." Gan Lei's tone held a hint of certainty. "That child is naturally intelligent and meticulous, and more importantly, he has the Prince Zhenwei standing behind him. That is his maternal uncle, who commands heavy troops and holds extremely high prestige in court."

"Although Yue Han doesn't hold the Crown Prince position, his reputation, both in court and among the people, is in no way inferior to Yue Long's. With the Prince Zhenwei supporting him, it's truly hard to say who the next master of the Bright Moon Dynasty will be."

Feng Ming and Lu Qianqian were startled. They exchanged glances, both seeing astonishment in the other's eyes. Although they knew there was a Succession Struggle in the Imperial Capital, they hadn't expected the involvement to be so deep, nor the conflict of power so complicated.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Lu Qianqian quickly asked, "Senior Gan, what about King Xibei? He is also a high official in court and commands military power. Whose side will he take?"

Hearing this, Gan Lei suddenly smiled, though his eyes held a profound meaning. "King Xibei? He is already at the end of his rope and won't last much longer. What the court officials are staring at isn't him; it's clearly his only daughter, Xun Luoyuan."

"You probably don't know the importance of Xun Luoyuan and the Prince Zhenwei," Gan Lei's tone deepened. "When King Haoyue pacified the Nine Provinces and unified the world, the only old officials who followed him from the very beginning who remain today are King Xibei and the Prince Zhenwei."

"If you think about it, although the structure is still the Nine Provinces, apart from King Xibei and the Prince Zhenwei, the governors of the other provinces only have a few Guest Elders and retainers at most, plus some guards and mansion soldiers. They simply don't have large armies of cultivators."

"Throughout the entire Bright Moon Dynasty, besides the grand cultivator army personally led by King Haoyue, only these two princes hold such a trump card." Gan Lei looked at Feng Ming and said, word by word, "So don't be fooled by King Haoyue favoring the Crown Prince; the Third Prince has the Prince Zhenwei backing him and fears nothing in terms of strength. Unless King Haoyue acts stubbornly on his own, it is still unknown who this empire will ultimately belong to."

"Furthermore, since you asked about Xun Luoyuan, you must know that the Second Prince is currently pursuing her. King Haoyue also intends to facilitate the match, hoping Xun Luoyuan marries Yue Long to compensate for the Crown Prince's lack of power and allow him to contend with the Prince Zhenwei. It's only because King Xibei's health is poor that this matter has been delayed and hasn't yet materialized."

"To put it plainly, King Haoyue currently wants to balance the various powers. He hasn't made up his mind about who to pass the throne to. On one side is his beloved son, and on the other is the Prince Zhenwei, who controls heavy troops. He is in a difficult position."

Speaking up to this point, Gan Lei looked at Feng Ming, his tone serious. "Therefore, if you want to gain a firm foothold in the Imperial Capital and protect yourself, there is only one path: offend no one."

Hearing this, Feng Ming sighed helplessly.

He understood the principle, but how easy was it to remain untainted while caught in this vortex of power? The slightest carelessness could drag him into the undercurrents, leading to eternal damnation.

Lu Qianqian, being meticulous, didn't dwell on this unsolvable problem. She changed the subject and asked, "Senior, let's not talk about the distant future. Just focusing on the present: my brother-in-law is about to enter court to receive his title. What should he be careful of in the next few days?"

The moment she spoke, the private room fell silent. Gan Lei stroked his beard, his brow tightly furrowed, lost in thought. The candlelight flickered, making his expression shift between light and shadow. After a full five minutes, he suddenly slapped his forehead, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

"Oh! So that's it! I knew I felt like I was missing something!"

Feng Ming was momentarily stunned by his sudden action and quickly asked, "Senior, what did you think of?"

"Qianqian's question actually woke me up," Gan Lei leaned forward slightly, his voice extremely low and serious. "I really do have a few important things I need to tell you."

Feng Ming's expression turned serious. He cupped his hands and said, "Senior, please speak. This Junior is listening intently."

Gan Lei's gaze darkened. He said, word by word, "Not long ago, a potent aphrodisiac wine called Entangling Love Threads appeared in the Inner Palace. This substance is incredibly sinister. You don't even need to drink it; just smelling it will cause one's Qi and blood to surge, burning with desire. If that desire is not released, the victim will ultimately explode and die."

"I found out that two bottles of Entangling Love Threads were secretly moved out of the Inner Palace. I originally thought a concubine wanted to compete for favor and planned to use it against King Haoyue. But there has been no movement in the palace. Now it seems their target is not King Haoyue at all."

He raised his eyes, fixing his gaze directly on Feng Ming, his tone certain. "It's you."

"Me?" Feng Ming's pupils shrank, his face full of disbelief. "Senior, you must be joking. I'm an external official; I can't even enter the Inner Palace. Why would they plot against me? If I really fell victim, wouldn't I be cuckolding King Haoyue? How could the old man possibly spare me?"

Lu Qianqian glared at him irritably, scolding, "What are you rushing for! Do you actually want to cuckold King Haoyue? Just listen to Senior finish speaking."

Gan Lei suppressed a smile, waved his hand, and continued, "You won't have a chance to enter the Inner Palace, but don't forget that on the night you enter court to receive your title, you must stay in the Imperial Palace for the celebration banquet. Besides you, who is about to take a crucial position, I can't think of a second person they would meticulously plot against."