roccoschili Chapter 1921 What makes you think you can help me?
Chapter 1921 What makes you think you can help me?
Mingchuan was brought into the Third Prince's residence a while later.
After passing through numerous courtyards and bypassing countless sentries, he was finally led to a secluded side hall.
The man in black who was leading the way stopped and stepped aside to indicate, "His Highness is waiting for you inside."
Mingchuan nodded and pushed open the door to enter.
The interior was simply furnished, without the glittering decorations one might expect. There were only a few tables and chairs, a few paintings and calligraphy, and a middle-aged man brewing tea.
The man was dressed in a black brocade robe, with a handsome face and a composure unique to those who had long held high positions.
He looked to be in his early forties, but Mingchuan could sense that his real age was at least over a thousand years old.
Cultivation level: Late stage of Nascent Soul.
"Sect Master Ming has arrived? Please have a seat."
The Third Prince pointed to the prayer mat opposite him, speaking casually as if he were greeting an old friend.
Mingchuan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly opposite him.
The third prince picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.
The tea was clear and bright, emitting a faint fragrance. Just one sip was enough to soothe the aching meridians in Mingchuan's body.
"This is tea brewed with thousand-year-old snow ginseng; it's good for healing injuries," the Third Prince said with a smile. "Your injuries are quite severe."
Mingchuan picked up his teacup and took a sip.
As the tea entered his stomach, a warm current instantly spread, nourishing his damaged meridians.
The persistent feeling of fatigue had actually lessened considerably.
"Thank you." Mingchuan put down his teacup and looked at the Third Prince. "Isn't Your Highness curious about what I've come for?"
The Third Prince smiled.
"I can probably guess what you're here for," he said slowly. "Yueyao just left, and you came right after. You just want to beat her to it and make a deal with me."
"But what I don't understand is... why do you think I would make this deal with you?"
Mingchuan did not answer immediately.
He simply stared at the Third Prince quietly for a long time.
It took so long that even the Third Prince grew impatient before he finally spoke:
"Because all Yueyao can give you is power."
"And what I can give you is the truth."
The Third Prince paused slightly in the teacup he was holding.
He raised his head and looked at the young man in front of him again.
His pale face and weak breathing clearly indicated that he was still recovering from serious injuries.
But those eyes were too calm.
He was so calm, it didn't seem like someone coming to ask for a favor, but rather like someone coming to inform you.
"The truth?" The Third Prince placed his teacup back on the table, his tone playful. "What truth?"
"What Yueyao told you, about Guixu, about the gatekeeper, about the Wanchuan Sect."
"How much of what she said is true, how much is false, and how much is deliberately concealed—I can tell you that."
The Third Prince remained silent for a moment.
He looked at Mingchuan and suddenly smiled.
"Interesting." He leaned back in his chair. "You have quite the nerve. Yueyao had only been gone for three days, and you came right after her, accusing her of lying to my face. Aren't you afraid I'll tell her what I said and have her confront you?"
"Your Highness wouldn't do that." Mingchuan shook his head.
"why?"
Mingchuan curled his lips: "Because Your Highness is not a three-year-old child. Your Highness knows why Yueyao came here. Your Highness also knows what she wants. She is helping Your Highness now because Your Highness is useful to her. Once Your Highness sits on that throne, it's uncertain whether she will still be respectful to Your Highness."
The Third Prince's eyes flickered slightly.
But he didn't respond.
Mingchuan continued, "I know Yueyao better than she does. She only cares about interests, not sentiments. Today she might help you for the throne, but tomorrow she might betray you for something even greater. Your Highness needs her now, so you're putting up with it. But does Your Highness truly trust her?"
The side hall was quiet for a moment.
The Third Prince picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
"And what about you?" He put down his teacup, looking directly at Mingchuan. "What's the difference between you and her? You came to me for your own benefit, didn't you?"
“Of course it’s for profit.” Mingchuan nodded. “But my interests do not conflict with Your Highness’s interests.”
“What Yueyao wants is the entire Spirit Realm, or even more. She helps His Highness so that His Highness will be her backing, allowing her to seize whatever she wants.”
"All I want is to protect the Wanchuan Sect and the people I care about. As for what happens outside the Spirit Realm, who becomes the master of the Holy Realm has nothing to do with me."
The Third Prince raised an eyebrow: "So you mean you're easier to control than Yueyao?"
“No.” Mingchuan shook his head. “What I mean is, I don’t have any fundamental conflict of interest with His Highness. Yueyao does. That’s the difference.”
The Third Prince did not speak again.
He stood up, walked to the window, turned his back to Mingchuan, and looked towards the distant palace.
The magnificent palace complex appeared exceptionally solemn and distant in the afterglow of the setting sun.
“My father has three months left. After three months, whether he likes it or not, he will have to give up that position.”
“My eldest brother was born to the Empress and was made Crown Prince from a young age. Most of the ministers in the court are on his side.”
"My second brother holds military power, and the 100,000 iron cavalry on the border obey only his orders."
"And I—"
He turned around, looked at Mingchuan, and gave a bitter smile:
“I have nothing. I have no support from my maternal clan, no military power, and half of those opportunists in the court are waiting to see me make a fool of myself, while the other half have already been bought off by my elder brothers.”
“When Yueyao came to find me, I thought I had finally gotten my chance. Longyin Temple has considerable influence in the Holy Domain. With her help, at least my eldest and second eldest brothers will be more wary of me.”
"But now you're telling me that Yueyao is untrustworthy."
He walked back to his seat, sat down again, and poured himself a cup of tea.
"Then who should I believe? You?"
Mingchuan looked at him and remained silent for a few moments.
Then, he slowly said, "What Your Highness needs is not to trust anyone. What Your Highness needs is to know what you really want."
"Do you want that position because it's your destiny, or because you genuinely want to sit in it?"
The third prince was taken aback.
“If you’re just trying to prove yourself and that you’re no worse than your older brothers, then neither Yueyao nor I can help you. Because people who try to prove themselves will always end up getting angry.”
"But if you really want to do something, want to change something..."
Mingchuan paused, looking directly at him:
"Then I can help you."
The third prince stared at him for a long time.
After a long silence, he finally asked, "Why should I help you?"
Mingchuan calmly raised his hand, palm open.
A silver token, shimmering with light, floated silently in his palm.
The moment the token appeared, the temperature in the entire side hall seemed to drop several degrees.
The Third Prince felt his spiritual energy suddenly stagnate, as if it were being suppressed by something!