Every member of the Dayan Royal Family, upon birth, was chosen a child of excellent aptitude by the ancestral house, to be fostered from a young age by the head of the clan.
When the princes and princesses reached the age for early education, they would be sent to serve in the palace, sharing in the honor or disgrace of the Imperial Family descendant they served—a loyalty unto death to just one person.
A lifelong loyalty to a single person.
The trust that the Imperial Family's progeny placed in their personal companions could even surpass the affection between blood relatives.
Now, the fact that the Crown Prince had sent his personal companion across great distances to meet Li Qingyan already spoke volumes of the importance he attached to the events of this night.
Speaking more broadly, this secret meeting tonight might even affect the final outcome of the battle for inheritance.
With this thought, Xu Yuan carefully poured a fine drink and watched the ripples in the glass:
