NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 320: 258
The Crown Prince's sleeping palace. Explore more stories at empire
At this moment, the Crown Prince was pacing back and forth in the hall, waiting for news from the early imperial court.
Now that the chaos in Yan State had spread throughout all nine provinces, the Crown Prince naturally paid great attention to it. He did not hope for Da Xia to hold Yan State; quite the contrary, he even preferred for Yan State to be completely lost.
As a result, the citizens of Da Xia would certainly be in a state of panic, and all under heaven would criticize the imperial court of Da Xia, particularly the current heir apparent, who would face an unparalleled amount of immense public pressure, with his reputation plummeting to an extreme.
These were all outcomes the Crown Prince wished to see, while the millions of commoners in Yan State, the Xuan Tie Army, and even the elite troops of the Jing Tian Department of Da Xia, were completely insignificant to the Crown Prince.
Those were not his subordinates; no matter how many died, it would not pain his heart. As for the millions of commoners in Yan State, what was the one thing that Da Xia, which governed the thirteen provinces, lacked the least? Naturally, it was people!
Therefore, the Crown Prince did not care about the lives and deaths of the millions of commoners in Yan State at all. In his view, the more people died, the better it would be, as it would naturally increase the pressure on the heir apparent.
At this moment, the Crown Prince's trusted eunuch hurried back, having gathered all the news from today's early imperial court for the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, I've returned." Upon seeing the Crown Prince, the eunuch immediately performed a bow.
"Speak quickly, how was the situation at the early imperial court today?" The Crown Prince, seeing his trusted eunuch return, immediately brightened his eyes and hastily asked.
The eunuch replied, "Your Highness, because of the issue with Yan State and the Marquis of Pingxi, the ministers were in an uproar at the early imperial court today. No matter how much the heir apparent tried to pacify them, it was no use, and his complexion turned extremely ugly. In the end, it was only after King Huai spoke out that the Golden Chrysanthemum Throne Hall quieted down."
Upon hearing this, a sneer appeared on the Crown Prince's face, "My fourth brother really is not up to the task, but proficient at ruining things. With him like this, unable to manage even his own ministers, how can he talk about ascending the throne, claiming that utmost seat of the Human Emperor? It's ludicrous!"
"You are absolutely right, Your Highness," the eunuch said, nodding and agreeing subserviently.
When these two spoke about the current heir apparent, they showed no scruples at all, speaking whatever came to mind, completely unafraid that today's conversation would be leaked.
After all, this was the Crown Prince's sleeping palace, where naturally all were his people.
The heir apparent was weak, and although he had the support of King Huai, he was unable to place spies inside the Crown Prince's sleeping palace.
Subsequently, the eunuch recounted in detail all that had transpired at the early imperial court for the Crown Prince.
"Oh? The Duke of the Liang State wants to lead the campaign to the frontier himself?" The Crown Prince was surprised to hear that the aging Duke of the Liang State intended to join the battle personally, a look of astonishment crossing his face.
In his view, given the Duke of the Liang State's age and the current situation in Yan State, going to the frontier was tantamount to seeking death.
"Yes, Your Highness, and it was the Duke of the Liang State himself who volunteered to lead the expedition to the frontier," the eunuch supplemented.
"Ha, a centenarian eating arsenic! That old fool is courting death!"
Despite the Duke of the Liang State's countless commendable services to Da Xia, the Crown Prince still did not show the slightest respect, saying, "It serves that old fool right if he dies! I've tried sending him gifts numerous times, but he's returned each and every one.
Not only that, when I personally visited to seek his support, he even dared to shut me out, just like Gu Chen and Chen Yu, those two cur-like creatures, all of them traitors and rebellious ministers. Once I ascend the throne, I will surely wipe them all out cleanly, those who follow me shall prosper, those who oppose me shall perish!"
The Crown Prince's words were teeming with murderous intent, it was clear that he held a deep grudge against the Duke of the Liang State.
Such was his selfish and self-serving nature, developed over time from his luxurious lifestyle, which had instilled in him a sense of arrogance and intolerance towards anyone who rejected him.
To reject the Crown Prince meant to be his enemy, which would result in a grudge within his heart.
At this point, the Crown Prince turned to his eunuch and asked, "Speaking of Gu Chen, it reminds me to ask how that cur is doing now, has he died yet?"
The eunuch hesitated for a moment before answering, "Not yet."
The Crown Prince's pupils constricted, and he roared, "This rebellious minister still hasn't died? What are the Marquis of Pingxi and the demonic cult doing, are they all just a bunch of rice buckets?!"
Hearing that Gu Chen hadn't died, the Crown Prince was obviously infuriated, but then, as if a thought struck him, a smile appeared on his face again.
"Let it be, if all of Yan State falls, let him hop around a bit longer. He's just a minor character after all, not worth my anger."
At this time, the eunuch glanced at the Crown Prince cautiously and ventured to ask, "Your Highness, if Yan State does fall, the barbarians and the demonic sect will surely grow much stronger, while the court's strength and prestige will suffer greatly. If you ascend the throne later on, won't this also become a difficult matter to handle?"
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince gave his eunuch a cold glance and sneered, "I don't mind telling you that for me, the more people die in Yan State, the better; best if the Jing Tian Department's Governor-General dies there too. The more people that die, the more advantageous it will be for me, and the more devastating it will be for my fourth brother."
"As for the aftermath, I've prepared a series of countermeasures. Not only will Da Xia's strength not decrease, but it will be even stronger than it is now. Once everything is ready and I make my call from on high, under the watchful eyes of the multitude, the position of the heir apparent will inevitably change hands!"
Thinking of himself becoming the heir apparent and even ascending the throne to become the Human Emperor of Da Xia, the Crown Prince couldn't help but become excited.
He knew that the day was not far off, and when it arrived, even King Huai's support for the Crown Prince would be in vain, for the power behind him feared not King Huai and could even disregard everyone, firmly grasping Da Xia in his own hands.
Seeing this, the chief eunuch immediately said, "Congratulations, Your Highness, my felicitations to you. Your Highness's foresight and long-term strategizing are unmatched, and even if the Crown Prince were trying to flatter, he could not hold a candle to you. In the eyes of this servant, there is no one more suitable for the position of Emperor than you."
The Crown Prince clearly enjoyed such talk, and the smile on his face grew even richer.
At that moment, something seemed to occur to him, and he said, "Right, did you just say that the court is preparing to send Deputy Commander Qin Wu of the Jing Tian Department to the border?"
"Yes," the chief eunuch nodded.
Upon hearing this, a chilling smile appeared on the Crown Prince's face, and he gestured for the chief eunuch to withdraw.
...
The next day, Deputy Commander Qin Wu of the Jing Tian Department received orders and, after consulting with the Crown Prince and King Huai, became aware of the gravity of the situation in Yan State. Therefore, amidst stringent secrecy, he set out personally for the border.
However, for reasons unknown, Deputy Commander Qin Wu's secret movements were leaked by someone. On the second day after Qin Wu's departure, the Protectorate King of the Six Union God Sect, the Blood Demon Xiao Yuntian, appeared and intercepted Qin Wu.
Given Qin Wu's unbending nature, what would happen upon encountering the Protectorate King of the Six Union God Sect was self-evident. The two met, and after exchanging no more than a few words, a cataclysmic showdown ensued!
The fight between two peak Grandmasters of the Divine Realm was unimaginable, impossible to conceal. The area was engulfed in blinding light and destructive power laid waste to everything.
The news shook the world!
The battle between the two was fierce and chaotic, lasting a full day and night without a victor. Countless mountains crumbled, and the earth was scarred with deep, unfathomable cracks.
Fortunately, Qin Wu had traveled through barren wilderness, sparsely populated areas. Otherwise, there's no telling how many would have perished in their clash.
And the name of the Blood Demon Xiao Yuntian of the Six Union God Sect spread far and wide in no time.
After all, across the entire nine provinces, there were only so many warriors at the Divine Realm. The appearance of every Grandmaster at this level caught the attention of the entire world.
Not to mention, Xiao Yuntian was merely one of the Six Union God Sect's four great Protectorate Kings, and the strength of the sect once again astounded everyone.
It was said that in this battle, Deputy Commander Qin Wu's armor shattered, and he was gravely injured!
When the Crown Prince, King Huai, and the courtiers heard this news, they jumped to their feet in shock, unable to remain seated.
"Commander Qin is injured?!" the Crown Prince exclaimed, and even King Huai's brow furrowed tightly. Qin Wu's significance to Da Xia went without saying. As one of the two existing Divine Realm warriors of Da Xia and its highest combat power, it was people like him who ensured that Tiandu remained safe and sound.
Under no circumstances could Qin Wu be allowed to come to harm.
Thus, on the very same day, the Crown Prince and King Huai hastened to the Jing Tian Department to check on Qin Wu's injuries, and before leaving, the Crown Prince ordered that many healing medicines be taken from the imperial secret treasury.
At this moment, inside the Jing Tian Department in Tiandu Inner City, Qin Wu was not wearing his usual armor but had changed into a military robe. On his resolute face was an unmistakable pallor.
Upon the arrival of the Crown Prince and King Huai and seeing the pale-faced Qin Wu, Crown Prince Ji Yuan promptly approached, asking anxiously, "Commander Qin, how are you, how serious are your injuries?"
"I've seen Your Highness."
Seeing the Crown Prince, Qin Wu also stood and paid his respects. Although his status meant he didn't need to, the Crown Prince was after all the Da Xia heir apparent, and Qin Wu wouldn't neglect the proper etiquette.
Towards King Huai, Qin Wu merely nodded, acknowledging him as well.
"There is no need for formalities, Commander Qin. I have brought some elixirs from the imperial secret treasury; please see if there is anything you can use. If there is anything you need, just say the word, don't stand on ceremony," the Crown Prince said hastily.
"Your Highness is considerate," Qin Wu nodded and then coughed lightly.
At that sight, King Huai's brow creased deeply. It was utterly unimaginable for a Divine Realm warrior to be so weakened as if afflicted with a cold.
Even without Qin Wu saying anything, everyone present could tell the severity of his injuries.
At that time, Mister Gongsun, who was behind King Huai, spoke gravely, "Commander Qin has harmed his life source. One-third of his vigor is lost. If nothing is amiss, this should be due to the teachings of the Six Union God Sect's secret and supreme skill, the 'Blood God Heaven-Seizing Scripture.'"