Chapter 43

He said it so casually, but for his parents, it was like a bolt of lightning!

My goodness, does it have to be so intense? A son who had been a slacker for sixteen years, either doesn't break out at all, or once he does, he can shock people to the point of fainting!

How long has it been? Not even three months, and his realm has already exploded from the second level of the Initiation stage to the second level of the Qi Induction stage? I've seen prodigies, but never one as prodigious as this!

"Brat, how did you manage to do that?" Yun Lin was overjoyed and gave Song Li a punch.

"Cough, cough..." Song Li covered the spot where he was hit, thinking to himself that his mother was always so violent, even when she was happy, her punches still hurt. He said helplessly, "During this period, I refined quite a few medicinal pills. Eating a lot of them definitely had an effect, so my realm naturally improved."

Song Xinghai and Yun Lin both said "Oh" at the same time. Medicinal pills indeed had a significant effect on improving cultivation realms, which was why everyone wanted to become alchemists. Now that their son was already an alchemist, medicinal pills were no longer such a rare item for him. Eating a lot of them naturally led to a rapid improvement in his realm. Understanding this, the couple no longer found it surprising. However, with their son becoming so accomplished, they felt their lives were full of hope, and they hugged their precious son, chatting happily as a family of three.

"This matter is a happy ending for everyone, but Li'er, don't go to such dangerous places in the future. If anything happens to you, what will your mother and I have to look forward to?" Song Xinghai still gave Song Li a bit of a warning.

"Dad, curiosity can sometimes harm people, but sometimes it can save them," Song Li said with a serious expression. "Fortunately, I entered the Langya Cave, otherwise you would have been in trouble."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Song Xinghai and Yun Lin looked at Song Li simultaneously, both a bit puzzled.

So, Song Li recounted the conspiracy he had overheard in the Langya Cave from Song Qingshan. The more they listened, the more shocked Song Xinghai and Yun Lin became. By the time Song Li finished, the two of them almost jumped up!

"Too much! It's just too malicious!" Song Xinghai glared and slammed his palm on the table, leaving a palm print on the granite surface! It seemed the Duke was truly enraged!

"Son, are you sure the information you heard is accurate?" Yun Lin was very cautious in the face of such shocking news.

"The information is absolutely reliable. I don't know why Song Mojie and Song Qingshan were at the entrance of the Langya Cave, but they must have thought that no one could possibly be inside after the cave had just spewed out the fire from the earth's core, so they talked about the conspiracy without any restraint. I just happened to overhear it. Dad, Mom, this is a big deal, I wouldn't joke about it." Song Li's expression was very serious, and his gaze was sincere.

"It should be correct," Song Xinghai said solemnly. "Wen Liren, the Deputy Prime Minister, is a key minister who helped the Sacred Emperor ascend the throne. He is a pillar of the Sacred Emperor's faction and is highly respected both inside and outside the court. The Loyal Prince and his group have been trying to get rid of him for a long time. It's said that the Loyal Prince's faction once tried to win him over, but Deputy Prime Minister Wen is a clean and loyal official, and he disdains to engage in underhanded activities. Unable to buy him off, they finally decided to remove this thorn. Treason is a grave crime, heh, their intentions are truly malicious. If the Sacred Emperor sees the letters between Deputy Prime Minister Wen and the Prime Minister of the Lambis Kingdom, he might really behead him!"

"You seem quite concerned about Wen Liren's head, do you know that your head is also in danger?" Yun Lin glared at him, not in a good mood.

"They mainly want to get rid of Deputy Prime Minister Wen, I'm just an accessory," Song Xinghai said with a bitter smile. "It seems our efforts these past few months haven't been in vain, at least we've aroused the suspicions of the Fifth Prince. I don't know whether I should be happy or sad about that."

Song Li, though not familiar with the political landscape, had a soul from a different time and space where information was abundant, so his theoretical knowledge was quite extensive. He knew that the key to politics was choosing the right side. If you chose the right side, it was like buying a high-quality stock that would only go up, and your future would be bright. If you chose the wrong side, even if you had the talent to govern the world, you might still face death. The most terrifying scenario was not choosing either side, as you might end up offending both.

In fact, the Duke of Hai had always taken the last path, pretending not to see the conflicts between the Loyal Prince and the Sacred Emperor, and living his own small life behind closed doors. But Song Li knew that this path, though seemingly stable, was actually the most dangerous. Once disaster struck, they would have no power to protect themselves because they had not cultivated their own forces.

The most urgent task was to persuade his father to change the status quo and choose a side.

So, Song Li explained the "choosing sides" theory in politics to his father. Song Xinghai and Yun Lin looked at their son as if he were a monster. His rapid progress in cultivation, strong fire control, and ease in learning alchemy could all be attributed to his exceptional talent, but why was he also so mature in politics? Was this also a natural talent?

Seeing his parents' shocked expressions, Song Li couldn't help but touch his nose and said with a smile, "Hehe, when I was a companion reader in the palace, I read books on this topic."

This experience of being a companion reader in the palace had become his talisman. Whenever he encountered something hard to explain, he would attribute it to the books in the palace. Since his parents had no chance to enter the imperial study, they wouldn't be able to expose him.

"Uh..." The couple suddenly understood and said "Uh" in unison, the sound dragging on.

"Son, who do you think I should stand with?" Song Xinghai couldn't help but ask for his son's opinion.

"Throughout history, the success rate of princes rebelling is extremely low. The Loyal Prince, a hypocrite, might not be a blessing to the state even if he ascends the throne. So, Dad, you should naturally stand with the Sacred Emperor." In Song Li's memory from another time and space, in ancient Chinese history, there was only one successful rebellion by a prince, and that was the Ming Chengzu. His success was largely due to his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, and his nephew, Zhu Yunwen. Essentially, if Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yunwen hadn't destroyed their own defenses, Zhu Di wouldn't have succeeded.

In the entire two-thousand-year history of the feudal dynasty, there was only one successful rebellion by a prince, which shows how low the success rate is. Even from a probabilistic perspective, the Loyal Prince's faction is likely to fail.

Therefore, Song Li naturally chose the Sacred Emperor.

"I've never been interested in these power struggles. We are of the same root, why must we fight so fiercely! If we could be as loving as siblings in ordinary families, how wonderful it would be!" Fundamentally, Song Xinghai's weak image was largely due to his strong sense of emotion. Born into the imperial family, the bonds of kinship were as fragile as a maiden's hymen, easily broken. In the struggle for the throne, every emperor who stood out had the blood of his brothers on his hands. However, there were a few princes, like Song Xinghai, who valued family ties as much as ordinary people.

He didn't want to engage in intrigue and conflict with his brothers. So, he stayed out of their factions and avoided the throne, which every prince coveted. Over time, everyone thought he was incompetent and weak. In reality, he just didn't like the idea of brothers fighting.

Now, the situation forced him to choose a brother, which meant he would have to fight to the death with his other brothers. Instinctively, Song Xinghai was resistant.

"Please, Dad, it's not that you're trying to fight with them, but they are actively trying to kill you. Do you know that if the charge of treason is confirmed, not only you, but also Mom, me, and even the maids, servants, and your dog Laifu, will all lose our heads! At this point, you're still sentimental about being of the same root... I think I should just give you a 'good person card'..." Song Li felt like he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He recalled the words his mother used to provoke his father when he first arrived in this time and space. It seemed that the Duke of Hai was sometimes really not up to the task. He needed to be provoked.

"Are you brain-dead? They are trying to send your whole family to hell, and you still consider them brothers?" Yun Lin's eyes widened, and she placed her hands on her hips, starting to scold Song Xinghai.

"I'm just being sentimental, I didn't say I wouldn't deal with them..." Song Xinghai said sheepishly.

"Sentimental my ass! You're in your forties and still so naive! If you don't wake up, my son and I will be buried with you!" Yun Lin said firmly, "Just listen to Li'er and stand with the Sacred Emperor, and fight the Loyal Prince to the death!"

"But... I've always been neutral, and now to suddenly take a side, the Sacred Emperor might not even accept it." Song Xinghai expressed his concerns.

"Dad, you don't need to worry about that. Do you remember what happened in the Golden Hall last time? When the court session ended, the Sacred Emperor gave us several meaningful glances. I think our family's display of strength in the Golden Hall impressed him. If I'm not mistaken, he must want to cultivate you to counter the Loyal Prince. Besides you, there's no one more suitable. I think the Loyal Prince's faction noticed this and decided to eliminate you to nip any potential threat in the bud. The Sacred Emperor, if he wants to cultivate you, will wait for the right opportunity to elevate your rank and expand your power. But the Loyal Prince's faction clearly doesn't want to give you that chance. They want to cut the grass at the root and eliminate all future threats. So, they are targeting you along with Deputy Prime Minister Wen. As the saying goes, danger and opportunity coexist. Now that we have foreknowledge of this conspiracy, if we use it properly, we can completely turn the situation around. If we can not only neutralize the enemy's attack but also turn the tables and help the Sacred Emperor remove a thorn, we will give the Sacred Emperor an opportunity to elevate your rank and expand your power. At that time, you won't have to beg him; he will come to you."

"Glances? What glances? Did the Sacred Emperor give us glances?" Song Xinghai was completely confused.