I traveled back to ancient times, but I was able to lie down and relax.

"Time is running out, so I won't waste any more time with your nonsense." The two faced each other, both with serious expressions.

"You are now an editor in the Hanlin Academy. Although your position is not high, now that you have entered officialdom, there are some things you still need to understand."

Song Chen first gave Liu Yanxi a briefing on the current power structure within the imperial court.

"The emperor is old, and the biggest problem at present is the selection of the successor to the throne. The court can be roughly divided into four factions based on this."

"First is the Crown Prince's faction. He is the Empress's legitimate son and the eldest of the princes. He was made Crown Prince when he was still young. His biggest backer is the Empress's maternal family, the Zhou family."

"But the Crown Prince himself is weak-willed and of average talent. The Zhou family has also gradually declined in recent years, so his position as Crown Prince is not very secure."

"Then there is the fourth prince, Prince Li. His mother, Consort Li, is very favored. In addition, Prince Li is gentle and polite on the surface and shows great talent, so he also has many supporters and is the main rival of the crown prince."

"There is also a neutral faction that insists on not participating in any partisan struggles. It's best to just get along and befriend them normally."

"Finally, there's Prince Ning. My uncle is the third in line. His mother's status isn't high, and she's not particularly favored, so he wasn't very prominent among the princes to begin with. A few years ago, when my father got into trouble, he pleaded for him and was implicated. It wasn't until these past few years, when he quelled the disaster and won a battle, that he regained some influence. There are a few other princes, but none of them are particularly capable."

"Then you must be supporting Prince Ning?" Although it was a question, Liu Yanxi's tone was very certain.

“That’s right.” Song Chen nodded. “The Crown Prince is incompetent. Not only the Empress, but even the Crown Princess comes from the Zhou family. Given the Zhou family’s ambition, the maternal relatives will surely cause trouble after the Crown Prince ascends the throne. Prince Li appears refined, but he is actually a hypocrite, ruthless and cruel, and certainly not a wise ruler. Even if Prince Ning didn’t have my uncle’s status, I would still think he is the most suitable candidate.”

"The path to the throne is fraught with danger. Have you thought it through?" Liu Yanxi scrutinized Song Chen, his usual gentle demeanor replaced by a sharp edge.

"I have never forgotten the hatred for my parents and my elder brother," Song Chen said, his eyes filled with resentment, revealing his true feelings.

"So what I'm doing now is not only to help my uncle seize the throne, but also for myself."

"And what about Nan Jia? What are your plans between you two?" Liu Yanxi stared intently at Song Chen, his posture suggesting that he would turn hostile if Song Chen said anything that might offend Liu Nan Jia.

Upon hearing Liu Nanjia's name, Song Chen's expression immediately softened, as if his face had changed completely: "I would never hurt her."

She then looked at Liu Yanxi and said, "Meeting you and Si Rou is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. Otherwise, even if I had survived by chance, I might have already gone down a path of no return."

"I won't involve you."

Liu Yanxi snorted lightly: "You make it sound so easy. The things my sister did for you guys are all related to that. Plus, the two of you were on the street today."

At this point, she glared at Song Chen again: "The victorious young general and the young lady fell in love at first sight? Or did they reconcile after a broken relationship? There will be storybooks about them in no time!"

Song Chen was a little embarrassed. He couldn't control his excitement when he first saw Liu Nanjia today, which was a bit out of line.

"Those who know I'm here today are all trustworthy people. From now on, I'll pretend to be pursuing her, and let Nan Jia reject me in public."

Liu Yanxi then let him go, "Then what about your identity? Although your appearance has changed a bit, it's not that much different from back then. There will always be people who can recognize you."

“That’s alright. My uncle has already arranged my current identity. Besides, there will always be people in the world who are similar. If I stick to my guns and deny it, there’s nothing they can do. Furthermore, anyone who reacts strongly to me must have something to hide. We’ve already gathered some evidence, so we can use this opportunity to trick another group of people out of it.”

"Alright, it's good that you have a solution." Liu Yanxi nodded, then casually added, "You and Deng Lin and Deng Yan have a secret way of contacting each other, right?"

"What do you mean?" Song Chen hesitated, unsure if Liu Yanxi meant what he thought.

"That's right, I'll stand by your side. My position will probably be of some use to you."

It's somewhat useful; as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, one has the opportunity to access core imperial edicts.

"Actually, there's no need for that. If something were to happen... Nan Jia would still need you."

"Do you think we can still distance ourselves from you? You can fabricate what happened before you met us, but what happened afterward? So many people in Anping and Changning have seen it all, how could you possibly hide it! Besides, do you think Nan Jia, with her personality, would agree to you cutting ties with us? She even went to the northern frontier for you! Just watch, she'll get angry if you keep something from her."

This time, it was Song Chen's turn to remain silent.

"It's settled then. I'll help you out in the future. Don't stay here too long, go now."