Three weeks had passed since the meeting in the palace garden. Li Yuan spent that time as a quiet observer, watching as Prince Tian and Princess Mei—with difficulty and setbacks—began to try to build a bridge between their different visions.
The process was not smooth. Several times, their conversations erupted into heated arguments. Several times, one or both of them threatened to stop trying. But each time, they returned to the negotiating table—not because Li Yuan forced them, but because they began to realize that the alternative—a civil war that would destroy the kingdom—was too horrible to contemplate.
Through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard the gradual shift in their intentions: from defensive hostility to cautious curiosity, from rigid certainty to a willingness to consider other perspectives.
On the twentieth day, King Feng—who had been observing from his sickbed with a mixture of hope and worry—was strong enough to request a meeting with all parties. The entire kingdom gathered in the largest square, located on a plateau between several main peaks.
Li Yuan stood at the edge of the crowd, observing with deep attention. Thousands of Yunfeng residents were present—merchants and farmers, artisans and soldiers, old and young, those who supported Prince Tian and those who supported Princess Mei.
King Feng was brought to the central platform on a litter, his body weak but his eyes still sharp. Prince Tian and Princess Mei stood on either side of him, their expressions serious but no longer hostile.
"People of Yunfeng," King Feng began, his voice weak but amplified by the natural acoustics of the mountain architecture. "I have ruled this kingdom for forty years. In that time, I have seen us face storms, droughts, landslides, and many other challenges. But we have always survived because we were united."
He coughed—a deep cough that made his whole body shake—before continuing.
"Now I face my final challenge: ensuring that after I am gone, this kingdom remains united. I know that my children have different visions for the future. And I know that many of you have chosen sides, have argued about which path is the right one."
King Feng looked at both his children with an expression full of love and pride.
"But my children have learned something in these last few weeks—something I hope they will remember long after I am gone: that no one has all the answers. That true wisdom comes from the ability to listen to a perspective different from your own."
He motioned for Prince Tian to speak.
Prince Tian stepped forward, and when he spoke, there was a humility in his voice that hadn't been there before.
"People of Yunfeng, I have long believed that our future lies in openness—in trade, in the exchange of knowledge, in a connection to the wider world. And I still believe there is value in that vision."
"But I have also learned—through difficult conversations with my sister—that openness without caution is dangerous. That there is wisdom in protecting our independence, in maintaining the traditions that have made us strong."
He turned to Princess Mei with a sincere expression.
"I apologize for not listening to you earlier. For dismissing your worries as irrational fears rather than valid concerns."
Princess Mei stepped forward, and there was also a new gentleness in her voice.
"And I apologize for being so attached to the past that I could not see the possibilities of the future. My brother is right that total isolation carries its own risks—that without growth and adaptation, we can become fragile."
She looked out at the crowd with eyes that carried a quiet resolve.
"So we have reached an agreement—not because one of us gave in to the other, but because we found a path that neither of us could have found alone."
Prince Tian took over.
"We propose co-leadership. Not one king or queen, but two leaders who work together, who combine their perspectives to make decisions that serve the kingdom better than either of us could have done alone."
"I will focus on external connections—building cautious trade relationships with selected kingdoms, seeking knowledge and technology that can help us, ensuring that the younger generation has opportunities to grow."
Princess Mei continued.
"And I will focus on protecting our independence—ensuring that every external relationship serves our interests, maintaining the traditions that make us unique, guarding against ever becoming dependent on outside powers."
A silence fell over the square as the people processed this proposal.
Finally, an elder from one of the largest mountain clans stepped forward.
"Co-leadership," he said in a contemplative tone. "We have never done this before. How do we know it will work? How do we know that you won't go back to arguing and lead us into a conflict?"
Princess Mei answered with raw honesty.
"We don't know. We cannot promise that we will never disagree or argue. But we can promise this: that we will always put the well-being of the kingdom above our own egos. That we will resolve our differences through dialogue, not violence. And that we will always listen to the voice of the people."
A young merchant—one of Prince Tian's early supporters—asked with doubt in his voice.
"But how will decisions be made? If you disagree on something important, who gets the final say?"
Prince Tian smiled with understanding.
"That is an excellent question. And the answer is: you. The people. For major decisions that affect the entire kingdom—whether to open a new trade route, whether to change a major law, whether to make an external commitment—we will bring that decision to you to be decided."
"Our role as leaders is not to dictate, but to present the options, to explain the consequences, and to facilitate the collective decision that serves everyone's best interests."
A murmur of conversation rippled through the crowd. Through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard a spectrum of reactions: skepticism, hope, curiosity, worry. But most importantly, he heard a willingness to try—a recognition that this proposal, though not perfect, was better than the alternative of civil war.
King Feng spoke again, his voice getting weaker but full of satisfaction.
"People of Yunfeng, this is my final decision as your king: I declare that after I am gone, this kingdom will be led by my children together. They will divide responsibilities, combine their perspectives, and work together for a better future than either of them could have achieved alone."
"But the final decision rests with you. If you do not approve of this proposal, speak now. Your voice will be heard."
A long silence fell over the square. Then, slowly, hands began to rise—first a few, then dozens, then hundreds. Not all of them—some were still hesitant, some were still skeptical. But a clear majority approved.
And with that approval, the conflict that threatened to tear Yunfeng Kingdom apart was averted.
That evening, Li Yuan sat on the balcony of his inn room, looking out at the kingdom spread out below in the moonlight. Tomorrow he would leave—his work here was done.
Familiar footsteps approached from behind. Bai Shen—no, not him. Li Yuan turned and saw Prince Tian and Princess Mei standing in the doorway, their expressions a mixture of gratitude and sadness.
"Mister Li Yuan," Princess Mei said in a soft tone. "We heard that you will be leaving tomorrow."
"Yes," Li Yuan confirmed with simplicity. "My journey must continue."
Prince Tian stepped forward.
"We wanted to thank you. Without you... without your ability to make us see beyond our own certainties, we might have destroyed the kingdom we both love."
"You did the work yourselves," Li Yuan corrected gently. "I only showed you a possibility. You were the ones who chose to take it."
Princess Mei sat on a bench across from Li Yuan.
"May I ask... who are you, really? I sense something about you—something beyond an ordinary wanderer. The way you speak, the way you understand a complex situation with such clarity..."
Li Yuan smiled gently.
"I am someone who has walked long enough to see many conflicts, many communities, many different ways in which people try to live together. And in that journey, I have learned a few lessons that I try to share when the opportunity arises."
"What kind of lessons?" Prince Tian asked.
"That no one has all the answers. That true wisdom is often found in the ability to integrate different perspectives rather than force one perspective on everyone. That conflict is often born not of malice but of an inability to listen and understand."
Li Yuan stood up and walked to the edge of the balcony, looking at the stars twinkling in the dark sky.
"And that sometimes, the best path forward is a path that no one can see at first—a path that appears only when people are willing to let go of their certainties and be open to new possibilities."
A comfortable silence fell between them.
"Do you think we will succeed?" Princess Mei asked with a vulnerability she rarely showed. "Our co-leadership?"
Li Yuan contemplated the question seriously before answering.
"I do not know. There are no guarantees in human affairs. You may succeed brilliantly, or you may find that your differences are too great to bridge in the long run."
"But," he turned to look at them with eyes that carried the depth of vast experience, "what I can say with certainty is this: you have proven that you are capable of putting the well-being of the kingdom above your own egos. You have shown that you can listen, learn, and change. And that ability—more than a perfect plan or a brilliant vision—is what will determine whether your leadership will succeed."
Prince Tian and Princess Mei looked at each other, and in that gaze, Li Yuan saw something valuable: not just an agreement to work together, but the beginning of a genuine respect, perhaps even a deeper affection between siblings who had nearly lost each other to their ambitions and certainties.
"Thank you," they said together, then laughed at the synchronicity.
Dawn came with a thick fog, covering the kingdom in a white blanket that made everything seem like a dream world. Li Yuan stood at the city gates, a small bag on his shoulder, ready to continue the journey.
A small group of residents had gathered to say goodbye—Kang from the inn, a few merchants and artisans he had spoken to, and of course, Prince Tian and Princess Mei.
"Where will you go now?" Kang asked with curiosity.
Li Yuan looked toward the west, where the mountains slowly descended into plains, and further on, toward a region he had not yet explored.
"Wherever the path takes me," he answered with simplicity. "There are still many places I have not seen, many communities that may need a mirror or a mediation or just the presence of someone who listens."
He turned for a final look at Yunfeng Kingdom—a kingdom suspended in the clouds, which had found a way to integrate differences rather than be destroyed by them.
"Take good care of this kingdom," he said to the sibling leaders. "Take care of each other. And remember that true leadership is not about having all the answers, but about having the humility to admit when you don't know and the wisdom to seek different perspectives."
With those last words, Li Yuan turned and began walking down the mountain path, leaving Yunfeng Kingdom behind him.
The journey continued.
And somewhere in this vast world, there was another community, another conflict, another lesson waiting—to be either taught or learned.
But for now, Li Yuan walked in silence, surrounded by the mountain mist, carrying with him the quiet satisfaction of knowing that he had helped one more community find their own way to a better future.
One step at a time.
One kingdom at a time.
Forever.