In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era, I wrote my will in the examination hall.

Chapter 72 A Match Made in Heaven

"hiss--"

Yang Jun gasped, the sound particularly clear outside the empty palace gates.

His eyes widened as he stared at Yang Yan as if he were a monster, and he subconsciously moved to the side, as if afraid of being infected by the boy's "outrageousness".

"Deceive...deceive the emperor? Disobey the emperor?"

Yang Jun was speechless. He looked Yang Yan up and down, his face full of disbelief: "Then...then you're still alive and kneeling here? Didn't Father Emperor order you dragged out and beheaded?"

"Perhaps they're reluctant to kill me, or perhaps they haven't decided how to kill me yet." Yang Yan smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Looking at his unfortunate third uncle, who was about to be "abandoned" and exiled to Lingnan, the plan that had been vague in his mind suddenly became incredibly clear, even radiant.

Look at the person in front of you:

A passion for unusual skills and crafts indicates exceptional practical abilities and flexible thinking.

A gentle and kind personality indicates that someone is easy to control and will not stab you in the back like Yang Guang.

Being a prince yet being disliked by the emperor shows that he desperately needed someone to help him out of his predicament.

A self with modern knowledge, desperately needing to escape the deadlock in the capital, but lacking real power to protect oneself.

A King of Qin who possessed a noble status and mastered top-notch craftsmanship, yet lacked political acumen.

If the two of them were to go to Lingnan together...

This is hardly an exile.

This is simply the perfect "tool" that God sent him! It's a match made in heaven!

The miasma of Lingnan? Yang Jun understands water conservancy departments and can improve the land and create farmland!

Li Xian is rebelling? Yang Jun has the title of prince, so he can use that title to his advantage!

The light in Yang Yan's eyes grew increasingly intense, making Yang Jun feel uneasy.

"Squeak—"

The heavy palace gates opened slowly with a sickening scraping sound.

The perpetually expressionless old eunuch, Yang Yue, stood inside the high threshold and called out in his hoarse voice, "Summon Prince Yang Jun of Qin and Prince Yang Yan of Changning to an audience—"

The cry of "Prince Changning" struck Yang Jun like a thunderbolt.

Ignoring the pain in his knees, Yang Jun sprang up from the ground, staggering slightly from the sudden movement.

His eyes widened as he pointed at Yang Yan, who was slowly standing up, and stammered, "Prince Changning? Yang Yan? You... so you're my elder brother's son!"

The gates of memory opened instantly.

"No wonder you looked familiar! I'm your third uncle! The last time I saw you was six years ago, when you were only this tall..." Yang Jun gestured to his waist, and the fear on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by a joyful feeling of "family".

"I even hugged you back then! You even peed on my neck!"

Yang Yan: "..."

Although Yang Yan was speechless, looking at the middle-aged man in front of him who was so guileless and even a little overreacting, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

In this cold palace, where everyone is wearing masks and scheming against each other, Yang Jun's silly reaction seems all the more precious.

Moreover, looking at Yang Jun's face, which was slightly pale from years of immersion in craftsmanship, yet still vaguely resembling his father Yang Yong, a feeling of blood connection arose spontaneously.

These two brothers, one was indecisive and was deposed as heir, the other was disgraced and exiled for indulging in frivolous pursuits.

Compared to the shrewd and capable Yang Jian and the ruthless and vicious Yang Guang, they were indeed complete "losers".

"Let's go, Third Imperial Uncle."

Yang Yan looked at his third uncle, who was only a few years older than him in his previous life, and shook his head helplessly, but was secretly overjoyed!

In the past, he might have thought Yang Jun was a hopeless case, but now, he was simply a "protective charm" and a "multi-talented engineer" sent to him by God.

Yang Yan stepped forward and naturally reached out to support Yang Jun, who was somewhat unsteady on his feet. He lowered his voice and said, "We can talk about catching up later. Right now, let's get past our 'uncle and nephew' first."

"Then let's go now. If Grandfather gets impatient, we might get punished!" Yang Jun shrank his neck, clearly terrified of his father in the hall.

"Yan'er, you've always been smart and healthy. If Father really resorts to family discipline later, remember to hold me back. I'm frail, so if that rod comes down, I'll hide behind you!"

Yang Yan couldn't help but laugh when he saw Yang Yan's cowardly demeanor before even entering the door.

In the scheming Daxing Palace, Yang Jun's undisguised "sincerity" seemed somewhat out of place and endearing.

"Don't worry, Third Imperial Uncle." Yang Yan looked up at the sky, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. "Look at what time it is now! Maybe they can even invite us to have lunch!"

Upon hearing the words "meal," Yang Jun immediately wore a constipated expression.

"What good food could Father possibly have here! If this were our Prince's residence, every meal would be exquisitely prepared, but here in Yong'an Palace? Humph!"

He looked around and, seeing that the eunuch was far away, leaned close to Yang Yan's ear and complained, "At most, one main dish has a little meat; the rest is just okra and turnips! The rice is also old millet mixed with beans, so hard it's gritty! I ate there last time I came back, and I was constipated for three days afterward!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Yan's heart stirred slightly, but he deliberately teased, "Third Imperial Uncle, our Imperial Grandfather was a proponent of frugality. He once said, 'When it comes to clothing and food, one should think of how hard it was to obtain them.' This is a virtue of a wise ruler, known throughout the land..."

"Virtue is virtue, but this is too much of a hardship!"

Yang Jun was clearly full of resentment. He shook his sleeves and muttered indignantly, "Father did suffer, growing up in a nunnery in his early years. But now he is the Emperor of the Great Sui! We possess the four seas, and all nations come to pay tribute! Why must he still put on such an act?"

At this point, he seemed to feel he had found a kindred spirit. He glanced at the expressionless old eunuch Yang Yue beside him, lowered his voice even further, and whispered in Yang Yan's ear:

"When your father, my elder brother, ascends the throne, you absolutely mustn't do this! We are princes of the Sui Dynasty, of noble birth! Shouldn't our food, clothing, and daily necessities reflect the grandeur of the imperial family? But Father Emperor leads the way by eating coarse food and wild vegetables, making us sons feel as if we've broken a law if we eat even a little bit of meat—we lose face!"

Yang Yan's eyelids twitched as he listened.

Good guy.

This third uncle is truly "innocent and naive," how could he say such things so casually in the imperial palace?

No wonder Yang Jian in history wanted to bring him back from Bingzhou. His ideological awareness was so low that he was just one step away from being deposed.

However, this also indirectly confirms one point—Yang Jun is a pure hedonist with no political ambitions whatsoever.

Such people are the easiest to control.

"Third Imperial Uncle, watch your words."

Yang Yan quickly pulled Yang Jun, who was still rambling on, and the two of them had already crossed the high threshold of Yong'an Palace.