Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The Imperial City, the Marquis's Mansion in Tears of Blood, Night

The moonlight, as clear as water, spilled onto the ancient rooftops of the Marquis's mansion.

The night in the imperial city always carries an indescribable sense of majesty and oppression. The outline of the imperial city appears and disappears in the distance under the moonlight, where lights are bright and people are singing and dancing—but everyone knows that beneath that prosperity, undercurrents are surging.

In the backyard of the Marquis of Weeping Blood's mansion, candlelight flickered in the master bedroom.

Dongfang Wudi sat in a grand chair by the window, dressed in casual clothes, with a resolute face and a fierce aura between his brows, a result of years of fighting on the battlefield.

At over eighty years old, he was in his prime compared to the three-hundred-year lifespan of a Grandmaster. His Grandmaster cultivation made him look no more than thirty years old, and his eyes were as deep as an abyss, as if he could see through all the illusions of the world.

Qin Lanyin sat opposite him, her long black hair tied up high. Although she was nearly sixty, she still possessed a graceful and charming demeanor. She was the eldest princess of the dynasty, the emperor's younger sister from the same mother. She had grown up in the palace since childhood, and her every move exuded royal nobility. However, having been married into a military family for many years, she also had a touch of heroic spirit in her eyes.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the faces of the two people.

"How far has things progressed with the Empress?" Dongfang Wudi asked, his deep, resonant voice breaking the silence of the room.

Qin Lanyin paused slightly in her teacup, then took a small sip and set the cup down. The bottom of the cup touched the table with a soft sound.

"Of the ten princes, seven have now clearly entered the fray to vie for the throne. Although the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the Empress Xiao and Consort Pei are engaged in the most intense power struggle."

Qin Lanyin's voice was calm, yet it carried a hint of coldness.

"The Xiao family, relying on the Empress's position, pressed forward relentlessly; the Pei family, relying on the foundation of the Hedong aristocratic family, refused to yield an inch. As for Consort Li, she appeared to be neither vying for power nor fighting for anything, but secretly she was also trying to win over the court officials. The other princes, though weaker in power, were not idle either."

"My elder brother is fully aware of this, yet he remains completely silent."

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness, yet seemed to be used to it all. "He said at the court meeting, 'The crown prince has already been chosen, there is no need to discuss it further,' but then he entrusted the third prince, born to Consort Pei, with important responsibilities, which made Lady Xiao feel like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat."

This is deliberately meant to provoke them to make trouble.

Dongfang Wudi snorted coldly: "Using the word 'fight' is more accurate than using the word 'make a fuss'."

"It was my elder brother who did this on purpose, so why should you worry about it?"

Qin Lanyin picked up her teacup again. "He's always been like this. He likes to watch others fight and see who can survive to the end."

Dongfang Wudi frowned. "The Prime Minister and the people in the Six Ministries have also been taking sides lately." He said slowly, "The Six Doors are biased towards the Crown Prince, the Zhenfu Division is maintaining neutrality, and the Xuanjingtai..." He paused, "The Grand Eunuch Cao Zhengchun is the Emperor's man, and the Xuanjingtai only obeys the Emperor's orders. But those below them, especially the four chief eunuchs, are inevitably being courted by various forces. After all, not everyone can be like Cao Zhengchun, who doesn't recognize anyone except the Emperor."

"Cao Zhengchun was able to rise from a lowly eunuch to the position of Grand Eunuch because of his 'only obeying the emperor's orders'."

Qin Lanyin said calmly, her tone carrying a complex mix of emotions, "Sometimes, having no stance is the best stance."

"What about the various regional kings?" Qin Lanyin asked.

A prince stationed in a vassal state is not allowed to easily return to the capital—this is an ancestral rule.

Dongfang Wudi said, "But ancestral rules are ancestral rules, and people's hearts are people's hearts. As long as the heir apparent is changed, the various vassal kings will definitely interfere under various pretexts. They may come to the capital to meet the emperor, or send envoys to the court. There will always be a way."

He glanced at Qin Lanyin, his gaze carrying a hint of caution. "As for the four great marquis families, my Blood-Weeping Marquis family never participates in the struggle for the throne; this is an ironclad rule. But the other three… the Zhenbei Marquis Wu family is related to the Crown Prince by marriage, the Pingding Marquis Zhao family has always been on good terms with the Pei family, and the Jingyuan Marquis Zhou family has an ambiguous attitude. Everyone in the court knows these relationships."

Qin Lanyin sighed: "My brother is in his prime, and his cultivation is unfathomable. These princes are nothing but clowns fighting over him. But he deliberately didn't appoint a crown prince because he wanted to see who was truly capable."

"But I understand his intention."

Her gaze drifted out the window, towards the direction of the imperial city.

"For a dynasty to continue, it doesn't rely on one wise ruler, but on wise rulers generation after generation. He's not choosing a crown prince; he's choosing someone who can take over this vast empire. So he wants to observe, to let them compete, and to see clearly each person's abilities, character, methods, and bottom line in the process. Only those who can survive such fierce battles deserve to sit in that chair."

The two remained silent for a moment.

Qin Lanyin suddenly said, "By the way, Mingyue sent a message from Qingyun Holy Land."

A hint of tenderness flashed in Dongfang Wudi's eyes. It was a tenderness that only appeared when his daughter was mentioned.

"What happened to that girl?"

"...Mingyue secluded herself in the Xuan Tian Secret Realm of the Holy Land for seven days on March 15th and successfully broke through to the late stage of Grandmaster. The elder of the Secret Realm granted Mingyue special permission to enter the ninth level of the Heavenly Character Cultivation Tower, a place only the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters are qualified to go..."

Between the lines, one can sense the liveliness and excitement of a young girl.

Qin Lanyin put away the jade slip and smiled, "At the late stage of Grandmaster level, in the tens of thousands of years since the Qingyun Holy Land was established, there are no more than three people who can reach such a level at this age. The elders of the Holy Land have granted her the cultivation privileges that are usually reserved for Holy Sons and Holy Daughters. The meaning is already very clear."

"A late-stage Grandmaster at twenty..." Dongfang Wudi picked up his teacup, the rim lingering on his lips for a moment, "Two years earlier than when I broke through to this realm."

He said this in a calm tone, but Qin Lanyin could hear the smugness in his words.

This man never praises anyone, but he's prouder than anyone else.

"Where's Lingyun? What's he been up to lately?"

"He was handling affairs at the Marquis's residence."

Qin Lanyin's tone calmed down, carrying a hint of a mother's relief.

"You've been in the northern border for most of the year, and he's been in charge of managing all the affairs of the Marquis's estate, fields, and personnel. With the autumn harvest approaching, the accounts of the estates in various places need to be checked, and he's been extremely busy."

"I heard from the steward that he reviewed the accounts all day yesterday and didn't rest until midnight. He got up again before dawn this morning, saying that there was a case at the Garrison Command that he needed to assist with."

"The case of the Zhenfu Division?" Dongfang Wudi raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing major, just a feud between two small sects. The Zhenfu Division is short-handed, so we sent him to lend a hand," Qin Lanyin said. "Speaking of which, the Zhenfu Division Commander mentioned Ling Yun to me the other day, saying that this kid is steady, courageous, and resourceful, a promising talent. Although it's a sinecure, he's very popular in the Zhenfu Division, and everyone respects him."

Dongfang Wudi hummed in agreement, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "This kid is steady in his work, and that steadiness is just like yours."

"We don't need to worry about either of the children," Qin Lanyin smiled, then her expression turned slightly serious. "But I am the only one..."