Lady Hong-Lan Li

No one spoke up after that. Between the Imperial Council and the Alzar Kingdom, they were truly stuck between a rock and a hard place. These were two titanic enemies! The future of the Li Family seemed bleak and riddled with destruction. On the surface, everything appeared fine. They were the 'fourth' human civilization after all! But how could anything be so simple? The Li Family was a humongous force, spanning over half of the Xingyuu Empire and consisting of over thirty branch families. Where there were people, there were bound to be disagreements. The larger the organization, the larger the disputes and even the preeminent Li Family was not spared from that fate.

Imperian Qiang's face was particularly gloomy because of that. He decided to support his nieces, the Imperial Princesses, in succeeding their late father and becoming the new empresses. This meant clashing with the Imperial Council and the three other Four Great Nobility Families. It meant fighting against the world! And in this regard, the Li Family was completely supportive of this. Everyone wanted to show the world the supremacy of the Li Family once more! But the biggest problem was Elizabeth. What was the Imperial Princesses relationship with the new heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom? Everyone knew about how Elizabeth killed the late Emperor Lianghu, and that the Imperial Princesses actively defended her. Just where did their true loyalties lay then? This single question created a large rift in the Li Family!

"Should we try working with Elizabeth and the Alzar Kingdom, sister?" Xiuying asked quietly.

Ming closed her eyes. "We don't know what the new Royal Army General is planning. It's too dangerous to rely on Princess Elizabeth for this, especially when we're unsure of how much authority she wields."

"But we have to try! For our mother's sake!"

"I feel the same way you do, but… what good would that bring? Suppose we work with Princess Elizabeth and the Alzar Kingdom to defeat the Imperial Council, what next? The Li Family would be severely weakened, while the kingdom retains most of their strength. At that point, if they want to devour us whole, it would be trivial. No matter what, the Xingyuu Empire loses." However, Xiuying kept a stubborn expression, eliciting a sigh from Ming. Directing the conversation over, she asked, "Uncle, what is the opinion of the Li Family? What will happen if we decide to ally ourselves with the Alzar Kingdom?"

"Absolutely nonsense!" a woman shouted.

At that noise, everyone noticed a small group of people approaching. Leading them was a fierce-looking middle-aged woman. Her clothes were extravagant with a myriad of beautiful silk and colors and her hair was woven in a tall bun with priceless jade pins fixing it in place. She walked with a certain proud and confident gait, which showed her high-born background. Not to mention invading this meeting, but directly arguing with Princess Ming… Very few had the status to do so! As a woman from the previous generation, she was one of the most influential figures in the Li Family, allowing her to stand above even Imperian Qiang in terms of seniority! Lady Hong-Lan Li entered with a scowling face.

"Aunt Hong-Lan, you weren't invited to this meeting. Stand down," Imperian Qiang grew upset.

"Hmph, who are you to say that to me? You might be the patriarch now, but don't forget who helped raise you. You should learn to treat your seniors with respect!"

Qiang furrowed his brows since what Hong-Lan said was true. Although he was older than both Princess Xiuying and Princess Ming, the age difference was not that big. He was in his early to mid thirties, while the princesses were nearing their twenties. To call him 'uncle' was not wrong, but incorrectly reflected his true age. Aunt Hong-Lan and the rest of the previous generation were still alive and well, holding considerable control over the Li Family's internal politics, especially after the former matriarch of the family, Empress Mei Li, passed away abruptly. To them, Qiang was still too green behind the ears to rule the strongest nobility family in the empire!

"It has been some time since we last met, Aunt Hong-Lan," Ming said eloquently.

"Yes, you'll have to pardon my arrival, Your Highness," the woman replied. "But I cannot ignore what you said. Don't forget who killed our late matriarch, Empress Mei! We would rather die than ally with the Alzar Kingdom again!"

"But Aunt Hong-Lan…" Xiuying tried to add.

"Don't forget who killed your father, Emperor Lianghu! It was none other than Princess Elizabeth, the new heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom!" she sharply stated. "And you want to trust her? Your father's killer?"

"Hong-Lan Li, that's enough!" Qiang roared loudly while slamming the table.

"Now, now… Let's calm down," one of Hong-Lan's companions pacified. "Imperian Qiang, you must understand that while we will support the Imperial Princesses, supporting the kingdom is a different matter altogether. You cannot expect us to condone your actions."

With that, the other people nodded their heads. The people Lady Hong-Lan brought with her were the respective heads of the Li Family branch families. Despite the fact they were branch families, subordinate to the main Li Family, that did not mean they had no say. Their authority, when combined, was enough to triumph Imperian Qiang's own! In the end, what mattered was the Li Family's collective interests. If that did not align with his beliefs… If the entire Li Family were resolved to fight against him, what could he do? He was one man! Without a shadow of a doubt, he would be cast aside and thrown away! That was the cruel truth of this world!

Lady Hong-Lan crossed her arms and snorted, "Imperian Qiang Li, if you choose to side with the Alzar Kingdom, then we will have to ask you to step down as patriarch of the Li Family!"

His face sunk. "Is this the opinion of the Li Family?"

"The fact that I brought everyone here today shows that," she affirmed. "Remember who our enemy is. We might be fighting with the Imperial Council now, but the Alzar Kingdom has always been our true enemy! That will never change!"

"Then what do you want me to do?" Qiang massaged his forehead in frustration.

"Simple. We'll negotiate with the Imperial Council to repel the kingdom from our borders. Once we've dealt with them, then we can slowly settle our differences with the council."

Seeing his conflicted face, Princess Xiuying stood up and smiled. "It's fine, uncle. You don't have to force yourself for our sake. We can handle this by ourselves."

Ming instantly understood her sister's intention and sighed. "We've been imposing on the Li Family for too long. My sister and I are exhausted, so we'll have to excuse ourselves. We bid everyone farewell."

"Sister!"

"We're leaving, Xiuying," Ming declared and stepped past Uncle Qiang and Aunt Hong-Lan.

"Wait!" her sister cried and chased after Ming with their Protectors in tow.

"Imperian Qiang Li," Lady Hong-Lan started once the four were gone from sight. "We hope you'll make the correct decision. Do not disappoint us."

"Sister, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Xiuying finally caught up.

"Don't you understand, Xiuying?" Ming shook her head. "We… don't have a say anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Why does the Li Family support us? It's not because they're magnanimous or kind-hearted, but because of our value as Imperial Princesses. Our titles are the keys to the imperial throne! Since our mother died and our uncle became patriarch, he had to placate the Imperial Council and the other Great Nobility Families by stepping back. That's why none of the Li Family members sit on the Imperial Council. It was our uncle's way of ensuring that the power balance between the Li Family and Imperial Council was preserved. However, because of this, their ambitions grew unchecked, leading to the present civil war."

"What does that have to do with the Li Family?" Xiuying was confused.

"Everything… Since the Imperial Council and the three Great Nobility Families formed an alliance against the Li Family, many in the Li Family grew discontent. They believed that their supremacy was being challenged! Therefore, they're using us as an excuse for their 'righteous' claim to the throne, to thoroughly extinguish their enemies and consolidate their rule! That's why our opinions are irrelevant. The Li Family knows that we're helpless without them and that's true. Our powers and authority are limited. What is an Imperial Princess if the people do not acknowledge it? They're the hand we must cling to, even if it bites us in the end."