The sage was determined to die.

"Do you know how many steps there are in making a dish?" Ji Bai turned his head to look at Chu Xi.

Chu Xi clearly didn't want to answer him, but this colorless guy couldn't hear the answer, so he kept poking his arm, obviously determined to get to the bottom of things.

"I don't know," Chu Xi replied through gritted teeth. "I'm not interested."

He restrained himself from saying, "Why should I care about what the servants do?"

"Heh." Ji Bai glanced at him smugly and said, "As expected, all you know is how to eat."

Chu Xi couldn't stand being belittled like that, and his brows furrowed instantly. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the person say, "Your brother does it."

"How could my brother possibly know such a thing?" Chu Xi's disdainful expression was as if she had heard a joke.

Ji Bai nudged him with his elbow in a very familiar manner, his usually smiling face revealing a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He deliberately drawled out the last syllable, "In your eyes, isn't your brother omnipotent? Why can't he do it?"

"you--"

Chu Xi glared at him angrily, wanting to retort, but was speechless for a moment.

Ji Bai had the upper hand and stopped watching him make a fool of himself. His dark eyes turned to Chu Ze beside him, who stood there gently without interrupting their conversation.

On the surface, the three of them could even be considered friends, but Ji Bai knew very well that their superficial alliance was extremely precarious, not even as solid as the thin ice on the Chuchun River.

"Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish."

Chu Ze smiled and looked in Ji Bai's direction: "Thank you for the compliment."

Ji Bai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This guy really is the kind of person who will climb up any ladder given the chance; it's a rare talent.

"However," Chu Ze's gaze swept over his younger brother, and he continued, "my brother is very straightforward. Next time, just say what you mean directly. He won't understand the hidden meaning."

Chu Xi clenched her arms, veins bulging on them, and turned her head to give a cold snort.

"You really are a good older brother."

Ji Bai shrugged and said, "Then let's start planning."

Chu Ze nodded upon hearing this, then glanced at him and said, "I don't mean anything by it, but can you be sure that Yan Ming will listen to you?"

"meeting."

Ji Bai did not hesitate and remained as nonchalant as ever. If one did not know his background, he would have been the spitting image of a playboy from the capital.

"Yan Ming... can be considered a fairly intelligent person; he can make intelligent choices."

Chu Ze shook his head slightly, not intending to say anything more, but then, as if thinking of something, he suddenly said, "You're really strange."

"What's so strange?" Ji Bai asked.

The three stood on high ground. Chu Ze lowered his eyelids slightly, looking down at the densely packed crowd below. His voice was soft: "You clearly have literary talent, much better than me. Why do you always rely on others when you could do so many things yourself?"

He turned to look at Ji Bai, his eyes slightly brightening: "You seem to particularly dislike killing."

Ji Bai didn't speak for a moment, then said, "Is it not allowed?"

Chu Ze turned around, his back to him, and his laughter slowly drifted over.

"There's nothing wrong with that." He raised his hand, his five fingers clean. "There are indeed many people in this world who are germaphobes and don't like having blood on their hands, which is perfectly normal."

"only……"

He didn't say anything more, but Ji Bai filled in the blanks in his mind.

Does using someone else to do the dirty work mean it's not murder?