Luo Wei’s remark about the battlefield made Long Xiang flush with embarrassment, yet he couldn’t find words to refute Luo Wei.
“Never been to the battlefield?” Long Xiao had never thought about this question before. As a child with a short-sighted mind, he hurriedly asked Luo Wei, “Then what about Sixth Uncle?”
“What about me?”
“Has Sixth Uncle been to the battlefield?”
Luo Wei pretended to ponder for a moment and said, “I guess you could say I have.”
Of course, Luo Wei had been to the battlefield—Yejia City, Wushuang City and Tian Shui Yuan. This man who had never trained in martial arts had experienced battles on more than one occasion in his life. Long Xiang suddenly felt ashamed. “Do you think I wanted it to be this way?” he retorted to Luo Wei.
“Zhao Fu,” Luo Wei commanded Zhao Fu, who was standing nearby, “accompany His Highness to play somewhere else.”
Zhao Fu immediately moved to take Long Xiao away.
“Sixth Uncle,” Long Xiao refused to leave.
“Be good, Xiao’er,” Luo Wei patted the little prince’s cheek again. “Sixth Uncle has something to say to your Fifth Uncle. Xiao’er will go and wait for a while, alright?”
“Fine,” Long Xiao reluctantly agreed. What could there be that he couldn’t hear? But Long Xiao didn’t dare refuse Luo Wei’s request, and pouting, he followed Zhao Fu to play somewhere else.
After Long Xiao left, Long Xiang said to Luo Wei, “It’s not that I don’t want to go to the battlefield, it’s because no one allows me to go!”
“You’re lucky, who else has such a good life as you?” Luo Wei remarked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The late Emperor couldn’t bear to see you go, and the current Emperor feels the same,” Luo Wei said. “It’s not bad for you now. You’re also a grand general, even though you haven’t been to the battlefield, it still fulfills one of your dreams, doesn’t it?”
“I’ve said it before!” Long Xiang looked at Luo Wei’s cold smile and exploded with anger. He had always known that this person looked down on him. “It’s not that I don’t want to go, no one lets me go! Do you think I want to stay here?”
“Prince Yu is His Majesty’s full blooded younger brother,” Luo Wei said. “You don’t need to go to the battlefield. If you really want military achievements, just ask His Majesty to give you one.”
Long Xiang clenched his fists. “In your eyes, am I someone who covets others’ military achievements?”
“Not at all, just don’t let people think you are a great general with outstanding achievements,” Luo Wei said coldly. “Those who don’t know the truth are easily deceived. But there are still many old people in the palace who haven’t died out and who will laugh at you. Do I need to spell it out for you?”
“You,” Long Xiang was infuriated. “On what basis do you say these things about me?”
“On what basis?” Luo Wei looked at Long Xiang with disdain. “Based on me having seen piles of dead bodies, based on me having contributed a little to Great Zhou. Prince Yu, you were born lucky. You’ve enjoyed it your whole life. Why pretend to work for the country? Who are you trying to fool?”
Long Xiang was almost fuming with smoke coming out of his head, but deep down, he felt that Luo Wei hadn’t scolded him wrongly.
“You should teach His Highness well,” Luo Wei tapped the armrest of the sedan chair, making the eunuch carrying it lift it up again, then said to Long Xiang, “This can also be considered a great achievement for you.”
Seeing Luo Wei about to leave after saying he was useless, Long Xiang reached out and grabbed one side of the sedan chair’s armrest, saying to Luo Wei, “Explain yourself.”
“What else do you want me to say?” Luo Wei said.
Long Xiang glared him, his hand gripping the armrest tightly.
“The war in Southern Zhao is about to begin,” Luo Wei finally said, “If you’re truly willing, then go and enlist. This is the only chance for you to clear your name.”
Long Xiang loosened his grip. “How did you know?”
“His Majesty consulted with me,” Luo Wei said. “What, he didn’t consult with you? He’s truly protective of his biological younger brother. Let’s go.” After jabbing at Long Xiang with his words, Luo Wei ordered the eunuchs to follow him with some satisfaction.
Long Xiang watched Luo Wei and his party walk past him till the end of the road, and then turn to the left. That was the road to Changming Palace. Long Xiang wondered in his heart, could this person really be able to compete with him? Was this person the one who could discuss politics with his royal brother?
“Fifth Uncle?” Long Xiao ran up to Long Xiang. Seeing Long Xiang’s grim face, the little prince asked with some fear, “Did you quarrel with Sixth Uncle?”
“Do you enjoy being with your Sixth Uncle?” Long Xiang didn’t know when Long Xiao had become so close with Luo Wei.
“Sixth Uncle is very nice,” Long Xiao said.
Long Xiang felt a suppressed anger building up inside him. He felt like he was being suffocated to death. Luo Wei’s contempt made him feel unbearable. “Let me take Xiao’er to the Empress Dowager’s place,” Long Xiang grabbed Long Xiao’s hand and said, “Fifth Uncle suddenly remembered he has something to do. I won’t accompany Xiao’er today.”
“Oh,” Long Xiao obediently nodded. He wasn’t oblivious to people’s moods. Fifth Uncle must be angry, it seemed he was provoked by Sixth Uncle. Long Xiao suddenly felt that his Sixth Uncle must be the most powerful person in the world. His Father listened to him and Fifth Uncle could also be bullied by him. Sixth Uncle was indeed very formidable.
“Let’s go,” Long Xiang would definitely spit out blood if he knew what Long Xiao was thinking at that moment.
Luo Wei’s sedan chair arrived at the front courtyard of Changming Hall. He saw the five Dragons kneeling side by side on the steps in front of the hall.
“Your Highness,” seeing Luo Wei approaching, a eunuch from Changming Hall hurried over.
“Is His Majesty discussing state affairs in the hall?” Luo Wei asked as he sat on the sedan chair.
“Yes,” the eunuch replied. “His Majesty is indeed discussing with the ministers.”
“Go inform him for me,” Luo Wei said, “Just say that I have something to discuss with him.”
The eunuch agreed and hurried off to the main hall. If it were someone else, he might dare to neglect it, but with Luo Wei, even if he had more courage, he wouldn’t dare to delay. Fu Yun was still lying in bed until today.
“Help me up,” Luo Wei said to Zhao Fu beside him as he tried to get up from the sedan chair but found himself unable to stand.
Zhao Fu looked at Imperial Physician Wei, wondering if His Highness could get up like this.
Imperial Physician Wei nodded at Zhao Fu. With Zhao Fu and Imperial Physician Wei each supporting one side, they helped Luo Wei off the sedan chair.
Supported by them, Luo Wei walked to where the five Dragons were kneeling.
“Your Highness,” the five Dragons knew Luo Wei had arrived as soon as he started speaking with the eunuch and they were no longer as scared as before. When Luo Wei walked up to them, they hurriedly greeted him.
“It’s alright,” Luo Wei comforted the five of them softly, “With me here, you don’t have to worry.”
“Your Highness,” one of the Dragons wanted to speak.
“It’s not convenient to talk here,” Luo Wei shook his head at the Dragon, “I know what’s going on, everything is fine.”
“Just kneel quietly,” Imperial Physician Wei whispered to the five Dragons, “His Highness has arrived, do you still think you will be in trouble? You are all martial artists and used to endure hardships, are you still afraid of kneeling?”
“You should hold your tongue,” Luo Wei glared at Imperial Physician Wei. This person was good at everything, but his mouth was a headache.
Boundless Dao 
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