Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Taihe Temple wasn't in the East Market, but it wasn't far away either, and was even closer to the Imperial Palace. Although Taihe Temple was a Taoist temple, it was located in a place like Yuanjing City. Even though it wasn't in the middle of a busy city, it wasn't very quiet.

The Taihe Temple looks plain from the outside, and its interior is not much different from that of any other Taoist temple, except that it is much smaller. It consists of only four courtyards. The Tianzun is enshrined in the main hall, and pilgrims come and go. After passing the middle courtyard is the main hall, where believers can listen to Taoist scriptures. Ordinary visitors are not allowed to enter.

Qi Xiao handed a small wooden sign to the young Taoist priest, and the young Taoist priest led him into the backyard and to the wing room.

Lu Fangjin was already waiting in the room until he was drowsy. He supported his head with one hand and nodded repeatedly, as if he would fall asleep at any moment. He answered the knock on the door in a daze and did not wake up for a while.

"Have you been waiting for a long time?" Qi Xiao sat next to Lu Fangjin.

Lu Fangjin yawned, still feeling extremely sleepy: "Yeah."

"Why did you choose such a place?" That day in Wanqinzhai, Lu Fangjin quietly told Qi Xiao to come to Taihe Temple to see him. Qi Xiao felt strange. Lu Fangjin never believed in these things. He only believed in the longbow and sharp sword in his hands, and the brothers who were with him through thick and thin.

"I came here with my mother. Otherwise, how could I have had the opportunity to see you?"

Qi Xiao laughed. What he said was true. Lu Fangjin was now a big celebrity in Yuanjing City, no less famous than Tang Ling. The door of Lu Mansion was almost broken down by people. Lu Fangjin had nowhere to hide.

"Go ahead."

Lu Fangjin said, "You have seen the current situation in Wanqinzhai. His Majesty is refusing to let me return to Linjiang Prefecture based on my memorial. Please think of a solution for me."

"If I don't want to let you go, there must be an explanation, right?"

"Alas," Lu Fangjin regained consciousness and sighed, "The Autumn Encirclement is approaching, and His Majesty has asked me to accompany him."

"Then we'll just have to wait until the Autumn Encirclement is over. Anyway, if you count the days, the Autumn Encirclement is in ten days, so you should just hold on a little longer."

"If it were that simple, would I still need you?" Lu Fangjin sighed again. "The incident at Wanqinzhai has caused a big stir. His Majesty knows that the Fifth and Seventh Princes have met me. I've tried to find out, but His Majesty doesn't seem to have any intention of letting me go."

Qi Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly: "That means I want to remove your military power."

Lu Fang held his forehead, a look of worry unconcealed. "The Zhou Kingdom is seeking peace, Tang Ling has entered the capital, and there is no war between Chen and Zhou. It is only natural for me to return my military power, but right now, Yuan Capital is more terrifying than a battlefield. I really can't stay here any longer."

Lu Fangjin sighed several times in succession, and in order to avoid being heard by Bai Xiqiao outside the house, he whispered to Qi Xiao: "I'm afraid of following the same path as General Bai."

Qi Xiao shook his head: "They won't, you, Lu Fangjin, haven't reached that point yet."

"Tsk, are you trying to comfort me? Or are you insulting me?"

"Since the Dingyuan Army was split up, the Tiger Power Army currently stationed in Linjiang Prefecture only numbers 50,000. With such a small number of people, even if you had ten times the courage, you wouldn't dare to do anything. His Majesty wants to keep you in Yuanjing just to see which of the Fifth and Seventh Brothers can gain more support from you and stand firmer."

Lu Fangjin frowned. "Don't talk like it's none of your business. It gives me a headache. Can you Qi family please just come clean? If His Majesty appoints a crown prince soon, won't everything be resolved? Why are you dragging me into this?"

Qi Xiao snorted and laughed. "Lu Fangjin, you were quite intelligent during the war, so why are you so dumb now? Choosing the fifth, seventh, or even the eldest brother isn't a problem. The key is that the Qin and Gongsun families are now divided in the court. It's not like they can shake hands and support each other just by appointing a crown prince. If it's not a question of appointing a crown prince, why would he do that?"

Lu Fang didn't understand, nor did he want to understand, the art of checks and balances within the imperial court. For years, he'd led the army with his sole purpose of winning, achieving victory with minimal sacrifice and swift victory. He didn't understand how peace could be achieved with such mutual constraints and internal friction within the court. Was he completely blind?

Qi Xiao kept referring to "Your Majesty" and "He" as if this person wasn't his father. He was extremely distant and indifferent. Lu Fangjin could only sigh and shake his head: "You decide what to do!"

It has been two months since Lu Fangjin returned to Yuanjing. The depressing atmosphere in the capital has almost driven him crazy. Whether it is the Qin family or the Gongsun family, the fifth prince, the seventh prince, or the eldest prince, their intrigues are their own business. Lu Fangjin is just a general of Dachen, serving as the spear and shield of Dachen. He can't take care of anything else.

Qi Xiao took a sip of tea and frowned slightly. Perhaps it was because he had just come out of Qinxin Tea House, or perhaps it was because Tang Ling gave him some advice, but he could actually taste that the tea from Taihe Temple was better than the one from Qinxin Tea House, and seemed to be the tribute tea from the palace.

"What are you staring at? I'm asking you a question. What should I do?"

Qi Xiao shook his head: "Don't think about anything, don't do anything. His Majesty has his own plans. Just think of yourself as a prop on the stage. Although you take up a lot of space, this play has nothing to do with you."

Lu Fangjin's mouth twitched. Why did Qi Xiao's words sound so hurtful? How had he become a dead object? And even taken up so much space? He'd been so frightened day and night, and in the end, all he got was a "It had nothing to do with him"?

Qi Xiao's words didn't comfort Lu Fangjin at all, but they weren't completely useless either. Lu Fangjin thought for a long time and sighed deeply.

"You mean, I don't care about anything? But the Fifth Prince and the Seventh Prince come to stop me from time to time, and there are also lobbyists from all sides. The court sends all kinds of gifts and invitations to the Lu Mansion. Should I accept them or not?"

Qi Xiao smiled and said, "Isn't this a good opportunity that will allow you to avoid these troubles?"

"Huh?" Lu Fangjin looked puzzled. "Can you explain yourself more clearly?"

"Taihe Temple."

Lu Fangjin still shook his head: "I don't understand. What does it mean?"

"My aunt is a devout believer in the Heavenly Venerable. She will surely pray for you when you come to the Taihe Temple. You only need to tell the abbot that you have been engaged in battles for years and have a strong murderous aura. She hopes to stay in the Taihe Temple to serve the Heavenly Venerable and resolve this conflict. My aunt will surely be pleased. No one in the court would dare to come here to disturb the Heavenly Venerable's peace, right?"

Lu Fangjin suddenly understood: "You mean, you want me to hide in Taihe Temple?"

Qi Xiao nodded.

"Alright! Let's do it!" Lu Fangjin clapped his hands, almost bursting out laughing. Taihe Temple was a branch of Yuanxing Temple, and with the help of Ning Wanxiao, the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, even His Majesty would give Ning Wanxiao some respect. Who would dare to come to Taihe Temple and harass him? Taihe Temple was simply the most peaceful place in all of Yuanjing City.

Qi Xiao drank his tea slowly and said, "I've helped you, now it's your turn to help me."

Lu Fangjin nodded generously: "Speak!"

Qi Xiao handed the memorial Tang Ling had given him to Lu Fangjin and said, "This is some information I found about Bai Liu. I'd like you to take a look at it."

"Bai Liu?" Lu Fangjin's face darkened again in an instant, "Are you still investigating?" Several years had passed since Bai Liu's incident, and Qi Xiao had never even met Bai Liu. If it was just for Baixi Bridge, the risk Qi Xiao took was really too great.

"Lu Fangjin, you are also a general of Dachen. Aren't you disheartened by Bai Liu's ending?"

"Oh!" Lu Fangjin gave a wry laugh, feeling more than just disheartened. Back when Lu Fangjin first joined the military camp, Bai Liu was already world-renowned. Lu Fangjin had chased Bai Liu's legend all the way, hoping to one day rival him, but that day never came. The most recent time Lu Fangjin had met Bai Liu was during the military performance review at the end of the tenth year of Tianhua. Bai Liu, dressed in court robes, conversed with the officials in the Ministry of War. His aura, as if carved by a knife or an axe, overwhelmed everyone else. Lu Fangjin could almost imagine how heroic and godlike Bai Liu must have been leading the troops on the battlefield, but it was a pity he never got to witness it in person.