Lixuan almost spat out his grapes at how crudely Lanling handled the situation. But he had to admit—it was very effective.
He watched, flabbergasted, as every member of the Li family disappeared from the venue, with Baili himself hauling the bound Saki away like a sack of rice.
When Lanling returned to his seat, Lixuan had a mouthful of grievances ready to spill. But every single one of them would shatter his composure, so he could only glare at Lanling in silence.
Lanling met his gaze, quirking a brow. "What? Who gave me actual power to order the soldiers?"
Lixuan exhaled sharply, exasperated. "This is exactly why I wanted to give you real power when you were fourteen! You could have been Ayella's temporary adjutant and turned this kingdom into an empire years ago!"
He clicked his tongue, sighing—only to freeze mid-breath as realization struck. His eyes widened as he met Lanling's deadpan stare.
"You... it can't be that you only move when that boy is involved?"
