I am a living immortal.

His father once said that he was born at a more appropriate time than his older brothers and younger brothers. He never understood why, and his father didn't explain it at the time, but just told him to wear the jade pendant properly.

This jade pendant, made of an unknown material, felt warm to the touch, emitting a subtle warmth, yet retaining its coolness, keeping warm in winter and cool in summer. Perhaps it was because of this jade pendant that he had never been sick since childhood. While his family rarely fell ill, some did, but he never did. And a dangerous fall into the water had fully demonstrated the extraordinary nature of this jade pendant.

So the moment it lit up, he subconsciously looked up and saw a colorful bird flying high into the sky. In order to get a closer look, he walked into the yard, but unfortunately, the strange bird had already disappeared, vanishing into the sky.

Since we were out anyway, I rested for a while. I hadn't expected to see my eldest brother here, and he looked rather worried. I wondered what he'd discussed with my father. The only reason he'd looked like that was because of national events. But Dayan hadn't been ravaged by war for ages, and the weather had been good. This year was said to be a bumper harvest. The floods of the past had ceased to occur thanks to years of continuous efforts to control them.

The country is peaceful and the people are prosperous, so why does Big Brother have such an expression? Did something major happen at court? It doesn't seem like it. If something major happened that involved the Ministry of Justice, rumors would inevitably spread. But the most notable recent events are the young masters fighting over the most popular courtesan, Prince Yu spending a fortune to build the world's number one building, and the Empress Dowager's birthday, where several princes and dukes collected rare treasures from all over the world to present to her. There was even a crown prince who wanted to borrow the Demon Slayer Bureau from the Emperor, but was rebuked by the Emperor for his absurdity and forced to reflect on his actions. This rumor has spread like wildfire.

While somewhat extravagant, it was par for the course for a prosperous dynasty. A prosperous era should behave like a prosperous one. Extravagance had been prevalent in Yan State for some time, encompassing everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation, a symbol of the nation's prosperity. The emperor simply turned a blind eye and let it pass. Apart from this, there seemed to be no other rumors. This indicated that the court was relatively peaceful. Besides, if something truly had happened, his father wouldn't have the luxury of a birthday banquet. Sixtieth birthday... he remembered it was probably still two or three years away.

I didn't understand where my elder brother's sorrow came from.

Wei Zhao had no idea that the hint of sadness he revealed had been picked up by his younger brother. He also had no idea that this younger brother, whom he considered only a scholar, could, without leaving the house, gather a wealth of information about the world's affairs based solely on his father and older brother's behavior and a few rumors. Even his father hadn't noticed.

Wei Qian actually thought it was quite nice to have such a younger brother. Although it was premature to say so, his eldest brother had already made a name for himself in the officialdom, and his father held a very important position in the court, both in terms of prestige and status. He was also very confident in himself. When the three of them were active in the court and showed their talents, they would inevitably attract unnecessary suspicion and even fear. Although the emperor now valued the Wei family, "If the emperor wants his subjects to die, the subjects must die." His eldest brother was still jokingly called "a tiger father and a dog son", and this was because his father knew how to advance and retreat, resigned from the Minister of Justice, and entered the cabinet, switching from actual power to prestige and status, in exchange for self-depreciation.

Big Brother couldn't always be the Minister of Justice. While I didn't underestimate the world, being born into a prestigious family like the Wei family meant his vision was undoubtedly far superior to many others. This was an indisputable fact. While a prosperous era was a blessing for the people, it was definitely not a blessing for the officialdom. A wise ruler, a prosperous country, and a wealth of talented people, shifting from external problems to internal harmony, the imperial rule hung heavy over every official's head. This was no comparison to a court beset by internal and external troubles.

External threats would divert much of the public's attention, but in a prosperous era, internal strife and factionalism would intensify, and signs of this were already emerging. Life and death depended on the emperor's dictates. Is this a matter of balance or a warning to others? The Wei family must not become the chicken. My father seemed to share this consideration, so he willingly allowed the emperor to use him as the glue that balanced the various factions, and he himself became increasingly low-key.

A prosperous era might last a hundred years, but... the undercurrents within the court would undoubtedly reach a peak within a decade or so. He could already foresee the precarious situation in officialdom by then. But Wei Qian had his own ambitions; entering the court was what he desired.

The precocious Wei Qian knew what he wanted early on, and he also saw the situation clearly, always considering the next step. And I, perhaps, was the Wei family's golden ticket to immortality at that time. My dandyism would, to a certain extent, obscure the Wei family's edge. But I couldn't be a complete dandy; I had to maintain a balance.

He sincerely hoped Wei Qi would understand. He felt his heart was breaking. For the future of Yan State, for the Wei Family... the phrase "too much wisdom leads to harm" perfectly suited Wei Qian in his current state. His intelligence was a burden. Having foreseen the future early on, he also had to shoulder its weight early on. This burden followed him everywhere, suffocating him even if none of this had happened. There was no way to explain it; he had to bear it alone.

Wei Zhao had no idea what Wei Qian was carrying, and Wei Qian, likewise, had no idea what Wei Zhao was worried about. These two, each with their own concerns, staged a scene of brotherly affection in the courtyard, harmonious yet deeply thoughtful. Truly, a child of the Wei family.

Did Wei Ming really not know? He did. He felt somewhat indebted to his two sons. When Wei Zhao was born, he hadn't yet established himself in officialdom, his entire focus on the court, resulting in little time together. It was a similar situation when Wei Qian was born, coincidentally meeting his mentor. Wei Ming, then, was equally ambitious. His current position was the result of both support and his own hard work.

By the time Wei Qi was born, his position was secure, and he treated him with even more care and doting. He could have simply lived a life of luxury like everyone else, but Wei Ming never forgot his ambition to enter the officialdom. Time, power, and status couldn't erase these things; instead, they were passed down to the next generation through his words and deeds. The Wei family shouldn't have to bear so much, nor should they have to live like this. But whether it was Wei Ming, Wei Zhao, or Wei Qian, they chose these things naturally. They gave up so much, and so... the three of them, father and son, were enough, and Wei Qi could grow up happily.