In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era, I wrote my will in the examination hall.

Dugu Jialuo listened quietly until Yang Jian was exhausted from cursing and leaned back on the soft couch, panting. Only then did she slowly reach out and gently stroke Yang Jian's back to help him catch his breath.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. The imperial physician said that your liver fire is too strong, which is likely to harm your health."

Her voice was calm yet powerful, like a clear spring that quenched Yang Jian's anxiety.

"Guang'er's thoughts are indeed a bit too heavy. Whether it was the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period or the Northern and Southern Dynasties, discord among the royal family and relatives was often the root cause of national turmoil. This time, even without the Lingnan incident, it's time to give him a good warning."

Upon hearing the words "Lingnan," Yang Jian's brows, which had just calmed down, instantly furrowed again.

He sighed deeply, "Sigh... What good will it do after giving them a talking-to? Forget it, let's deal with the mess right now."

"This mere Lingnan region, a piece of chicken rib that's neither tasty to eat nor too precious to throw away, has left me without a single person I can trust to send there!"

Yang Jian closed his eyes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade thumb ring on his thumb: "Sending an important minister would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, a waste of talent, and would also arouse the vigilance of the powerful clans in Jiangnan; sending an incompetent person, on the other hand, might cause him to mess things up and stir up even more trouble."

"Now that we've decided to send Jun'er under the guise of 'repentance through meritorious service,' the strategy is sound. But..."

Yang Jian looked at Dugu Jialuo, his eyes filled with worry: "Jialuo, you know Jun'er. In Bingzhou, besides building gardens, inventing things, and indulging in those strange and wonderful skills, he's absolutely terrible at governing the people and commanding the army!"

"That Li Xian is a former general of the Chen Dynasty, cunning and treacherous. We need to find him an accomplice, and also have troops to support him. Otherwise, with Jun'er's mild-mannered nature, once he gets there, he'll probably be sold out by Li Xian and still help count the money!"

"But who should we look for?!"

He possessed the world and held power over all, seemingly rich beyond measure, but in reality, he had no one he could rely on.

This is his deepest anxiety and loneliness as an emperor.

Inside Yong'an Palace, a suffocating silence fell once again.

"Since that place is a dilemma, as long as we can ensure Jun'er's safety, we shouldn't force anything else."

Dugu Jialuo slowly turned around and pulled out a small, unremarkable blue booklet from the bottom of the table behind her.

The booklet was thin, and the paper was somewhat rough, suggesting it wasn't from the palace.

"Isn't Your Majesty worried that Jun'er doesn't have a 'smart person' by his side? Isn't he worried that no one can control him and no one can offer him advice?"

Dugu Jialuo gently pushed the booklet in front of Yang Jian and tapped the cover with her finger.

"I have a plan that kills two birds with one stone. It can ensure Jun'er's safety, and also..."

Yang Jian took the booklet with a puzzled look, turned to the first page, and became even more puzzled.

"What are all these things?"

Yang Jian threw the booklet back.

……

Outside Yong'an Palace.

The cold wind was like a knife, swirling withered yellow leaves across the bluestone slabs.

Yang Yan remained kneeling upright.

His knees had long since gone from excruciating pain to numbness, as if his legs no longer belonged to him. But he still held his head high, his gaze fixed on the two tightly closed vermilion palace doors, unwavering in the slightest.

Just then, a series of slow footsteps came from the side.

Yang Yan glanced sideways.

A young man dressed in a python robe was seen being "supported" by two eunuchs, almost shuffling to the entrance of Yong'an Palace.

The man was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with a pale face that looked somewhat sickly. Although his features were handsome, they exuded an undeniable air of decadence and timidity. His eyes darted around like a startled rabbit, and his hands, tucked into his sleeves, trembled occasionally.

What's most eye-catching is his waist.

As a prince, he should have been wearing a precious jade pendant or a sword, but this man had a string of strange little trinkets hanging from his waist—an exquisite wooden Luban lock, a miniature bronze waterwheel model, and even a carving knife.

The man walked up to Yang Yan and seemed startled by the fierce aura emanating from Yang Yan, instinctively shrinking his neck.

"Thump."

He knelt down obediently three steps away from Yang Yan.

Their movements were so practiced it was heartbreaking.

After kneeling down, he seemed to have no bones left, his head drooping, muttering to himself as if reciting some scripture, or perhaps trying to comfort himself.

As Yang Yan looked at this suddenly appearing "kneeling friend," the gears of history in his mind began to turn rapidly.

In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era... he was recalled from Bingzhou... obsessed with his craft... weak-willed...

All the clues converged on one name in an instant.

King Qin, Yang Jun!

He was a tragic figure in history who was known for his "exquisite ingenuity" but was summoned back to the capital by Emperor Yang Jian for his extravagance. He was then poisoned by a concubine and eventually died in despair.

It was also his third uncle, whom he had never met.

Yang Jun had been in Bingzhou for many years, and had just been escorted back to the capital. He then secluded himself in his residence to reflect on his mistakes and did not recognize the grown-up Yang Yan at all.

The two knelt side by side, with a three-foot-wide chill in the wind between them.

After a long time, perhaps the silence was too awkward, or perhaps the shared plight created a strange sense of resonance.

Yang Jun secretly raised his eyelids and glanced at Yang Yan, his voice barely audible:

"Who are you? Are you also here to apologize?"

Yang Yan found it amusing, but remained outwardly composed, nodding slightly: "I suppose so."

Yang Jun seemed to have found an outlet for his emotions, letting out a long sigh. His pale face was filled with sorrow: "Alas, Father is truly enraged this time. I shouldn't have built that water palace in Bingzhou. Although the water-powered mechanism was indeed ingenious, making a cool breeze come automatically..."

As he said this, a flash of the fervent light of a craftsman appeared in his eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.

"Enough, enough. I am a sinner. If I go to the palace this time, I'm afraid my father will skin me alive."

Yang Jun muttered dejectedly, his appearance completely devoid of the majesty of a prince of the Sui Dynasty. He looked exactly like a naughty child who had just caused trouble at the private school and was waiting to be punished.

He turned his head and looked at the young man kneeling upright beside him, a hint of sympathy in his eyes: "Young man, you look unfamiliar. Are you also a member of the imperial family? What did you do wrong? If it's a minor matter, I'll plead for you later. Perhaps Father will be too tired to punish you after scolding me."

At this point, he seemed to realize that his words lacked confidence, and awkwardly added, "But I'm just saying maybe, I can't guarantee it! I'm in dire straits myself."

Upon hearing these words, Yang Yan felt a strange sensation welling up inside him.

Although this third uncle is a negative example in history books who was impeached for his extravagance, his heart... in the royal family where people are devoured without spitting out the bones, is so pure that he is almost an anomaly.

You could even say it's kind of cute.

In the ruthless royal court, such a personality would make one a lamb to the slaughter.

Yang Yan's lips curled slightly as he turned his head, looked directly at Yang Jun, and slowly said, "Your Highness need not trouble yourself."

"Compared to Your Highness's Water Palace and Cool Room, what I did might be slightly more serious."

Yang Jun was taken aback, blinking twice: "How big? Did you burn down the Prince's mansion?"

Yang Yan looked at the tightly closed palace gates and rubbed his nose: "It seems it really was burned before, but now it's because of deceiving the emperor and impersonating someone else to take the exam..."