"Your Highness, you must not act recklessly!"
Yang Ye quickly spoke up.
He was truly afraid Yang Cheng was too young to understand the consequences and might actually kill Tuoba Xiao.
If that happened, even as the Crown Prince, Yang Cheng could be dethroned. He might even be completely ruined.
Yang Cheng glanced at him. "Third Brother, shouldn't you be hoping I kill him so that I lose my position as Crown Prince?"
Yang Ye froze.
That should have been true. But just now, he instinctively tried to stop Yang Cheng and spoke in his defense.
Yang Cheng gave a faint smile and didn't say more. He turned back toward Tuoba Xiao. "If I want someone dead, no reason in the world can stop me."
"Anyone can boast! I'm standing right here—go ahead and kill me if you've got the guts!"
Tuoba Xiao's eyes were bloodshot. His face twisted with madness.
Yang Cheng didn't waste a single word. He simply threw a punch.
Tuoba Xiao was a true schemer.
Someone like him, if allowed to return to Great Yan, would be a tiger released back to the mountain.
Now he had come to Great Zhou of his own accord and provoked Yang Cheng? Not killing him would be an insult to himself.
Tuoba Xiao's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Yang Cheng to actually make a move.
Panicking, he grabbed a nearby Great Yan genius and dragged him in front of him as a shield.
Boom!
The Great Yan genius's body exploded under Yang Cheng's punch, shredded into a cloud of blood and flesh.
Tuoba Xiao avoided instant death, but half his body was obliterated. It was a bloody, miserable sight.
Yang Ye was shocked. "Your Highness, how could you be so reckless!"
"Your Highness, this is outrageous!"
Deputy Prime Minister Yan Chonggu appeared out of nowhere and roared in fury.
Beside him stood the sixth prince, Yang Xiu.
"Crown Prince Brother, how could you be so rash and impulsive!"
Yang Xiu looked heartbroken. "Tuoba Xiao is a prince of Great Yan. If you kill him, how can Great Zhou still negotiate peace with Great Yan? If talks collapse because of this, you'll become the eternal sinner of Great Zhou!"
Yang Cheng looked at him coldly. "Sixth Brother, I imagine you're already laughing in your heart right now, aren't you?"
Yang Xiu almost lost control of his expression. He quickly put on a serious face. "Nonsense. I'm only angry that you've let everyone down. You're the Crown Prince of Great Zhou. How could you act so lacking in self-control and composure?"
"Your Highness," Yan Chonggu scolded, "though your martial talent is extraordinary, your recklessness makes you unfit to be heir to the nation."
"Hahaha! Yang Cheng, I told you long ago—if you dare kill me, the consequences won't be something you can bear!"
Tuoba Xiao let out a hoarse, mocking laugh.
"So noisy."
Yang Cheng tossed the wooden sword in his hand. It pierced straight through Tuoba Xiao's body.
Tuoba Xiao's body convulsed violently, then went completely still.
The famed Great Yan prodigy—the Fourth Prince of Great Yan, and future emperor—was killed by Yang Cheng, just like that.
The onlookers were all stunned.
No one had expected the Crown Prince to actually kill Tuoba Xiao under these circumstances.
"Utterly foolish… hopeless!"
Yan Chonggu was both furious and shocked. "Even if I lose my position today, I'll submit a memorial to impeach you. I'll drag you off that throne myself! A person like you, if allowed to ascend as emperor, will bring disaster to the realm!"
Yang Cheng stared calmly at Yan Chonggu and said flatly, "Deputy Prime Minister Yan, I've heard what you said. I hope you mean it."
"Are you threatening an official of the court?" Yan Chonggu sneered.
Suddenly, silence fell on the street ahead.
The crowd parted.
A wave of imperial guards poured in.
The street quickly emptied.
A golden imperial dragon chariot appeared, moving slowly.
Behind it followed a number of high-ranking officials of Great Zhou.
After a moment, the dragon chariot stopped at the edge of the battle-scarred street.
"His Majesty has arrived."
Chief Eunuch Su Jin declared from the front.
Rustle!
All the nearby citizens of Great Zhou dropped to their knees.
"Long live the Emperor!"
Yan Chonggu gave a deep bow.
"Greetings, Royal Father."
Yang Xiu, Yang Ye, and Yang Cheng all bowed.
The golden curtain of the chariot lifted. Emperor Qian Yuan stepped out.
"Your Majesty, I request permission to impeach the Crown Prince!"
Yan Chonggu immediately stepped forward. "Crown Prince Yang Cheng has disregarded the safety of the realm and executed Prince Tuoba Xiao of Great Yan. This act will severely damage our peace talks with Great Yan."
"I report to Your Majesty: negotiations between our nations concern the fate of the entire realm. No one may be allowed to sabotage them."
"The Crown Prince acted on impulse. His actions may destroy our diplomatic efforts. Great Zhou must give Great Yan an answer to quell their rage."
Many ministers echoed the call.
Emperor Qian Yuan's face was expressionless. "Then, my loyal officials, what do you suggest Great Zhou should do?"
"Please, Your Majesty, immediately arrest the Crown Prince and await further judgment!"
"The Crown Prince has brought shame upon the nation. His title must be revoked. Only then can we calm Great Yan's wrath!"
At this moment, the ministers stood united in condemnation.
The Great Yan envoy stepped forward quickly.
His face was twisted in fury. "Emperor of Great Zhou, since ancient times, a life must be paid with a life. This is justice!"
"Your Crown Prince killed a prince of Great Yan. He must pay with his life. We demand the execution of your Crown Prince!"
"If not, you can forget peace with our nation. Great Yan will soon raise its armies and let Great Zhou taste our wrath!"
Emperor Qian Yuan's expression darkened.
He turned to Xu Yan. "Grand Secretariat Head Xu, what is your opinion?"
Xu Yan looked solemn. "Your Majesty, of course we cannot execute the Crown Prince. But we must depose him. Otherwise, we cannot give Great Yan the response they demand."
"This incident isn't anyone else's fault. His Highness brought it on himself. He must bear the consequences."
"Please, Your Majesty, remove the Crown Prince's title!"
More than half the ministers in court cried out in unison.
They all knew Emperor Qian Yuan would never kill his own son.
So they chose the next best option—strip him of his title first, then figure out what came next.
Last time, they'd tried to do the same thing. But the Crown Prince had been too lucky and managed to escape.
This time, he brought disaster upon himself. How could they possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?
Emperor Qian Yuan locked his eyes on Xu Yan.
He understood very clearly—everything surrounding the Crown Prince lately wasn't just about a single event. At its core, this was a battle between imperial authority and the aristocratic clans.
These ministers calling to depose the Crown Prince weren't just targeting Yang Cheng—they were aiming to weaken the throne itself. If they succeeded, his imperial power would take a major hit, while the clans would grow even stronger.
"Report!"
"Urgent dispatch from ten thousand miles away!"
Suddenly, a messenger galloped over riding a scarlet-blood dragon horse, clutching the banner of Great Zhou.
Crowds along the road scrambled to clear a path.
In mere moments, the messenger reached Emperor Qian Yuan, dismounted, and dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty! Urgent report from the border—General of the Cavalry, Yun Jinghuai, led 100,000 troops into Great Yan territory. In just three days, he's taken seven cities and now stands at the southern banks of the Yue River!"
The messenger's voice was hoarse with exhaustion but could hardly hide his excitement.
The moment those words landed, it was as if time froze.
All the people watching went completely still—their voices, expressions, even movements halted at once.
Emperor Qian Yuan's breath caught in his chest. Then a flush of emotion rose to his face. "Quick, bring me the letter!"
Su Jin stepped forward at once, took the letter from the messenger, and handed it over.
Emperor Qian Yuan eagerly unfolded the sweat-soaked message. His hand trembled as his eyes scanned the opening lines.
Then he reached the final line.
"The army of Great Zhou drinks from the Yue River!"
He whispered those words at first, as if he could hardly believe them.
Then his voice soared, and color surged into his face. "Our Great Zhou army… has reached the southern bank of the Yue River—hahahaha!"
He couldn't hold back anymore and burst into wild laughter.
"Your Majesty?"
The court ministers looked at him with confusion and disbelief.
Even now, most of them were stunned. The news had come too fast, too unexpectedly—and it sounded too unreal.
"Loyal ministers," Emperor Qian Yuan said, raising the urgent report high. His voice rang out powerfully. "General of the Cavalry, Yun Jinghuai, has led 100,000 soldiers to crush Great Yan. In only three days, he has taken seven cities. Our army now drinks from the Yue River, flying the banner of Great Zhou!"
"This is the fortune of our realm! A blessing for the empire!"
"No! That's impossible!"
The envoy from Great Yan shouted, "Our nation stationed heavy troops at the border to guard against Great Zhou. Even if you had 1,000,000 soldiers, not even they could break through!"
He wasn't alone—even some of the Great Zhou ministers found it hard to believe.
"Your Majesty, could this battle report be fake?"
"The Great Yan envoy may have spoken out of turn, but what he said reflects reality."
The ministers nodded in concern.
But Emperor Qian Yuan was calm now. He spoke evenly. "Before the fighting began, General Yun spent nine months and the lives of nearly 5,000 soldiers carving a secret path through Northern Reach Mountain Range, straight into Great Yan. That is how our army launched its surprise attack and achieved this unprecedented victory."
The court fell silent. Then realization struck.
Judging from the Emperor's expression, he had known about this all along.
So there was no way the border army had faked the report.
"Long live His Majesty! Glory to General Yun! Glory to Great Zhou!"
Xu Yan was the first to shift his stance.
The rest of the ministers followed suit, dropping to their knees and shouting in unison. "Long live His Majesty! Glory to General Yun! Glory to Great Zhou!"
Their cries echoed through the streets like thunder.
The Great Yan envoy, meanwhile, went pale as a ghost. It was like he'd lost his soul.
Emperor Qian Yuan stood tall among the cheers, filled with pride.
This battle led by Yun Jinghuai not only wiped out the threat from the northern border—it shook the entire realm with the might of Great Zhou.
It also gave the Emperor the upper hand in his power struggle against the aristocratic clans.
"Pass my decree—proclaim Yun Jinghuai's and all his troops' accomplishments throughout the entire nation!"
Emperor Qian Yuan's voice rang out firm and steady. "Their contributions will be rewarded once they return to the capital."
"Long live His Majesty!"
The court bowed again.
Then Emperor Qian Yuan's tone changed. "Now, what do you all think of the Crown Prince executing a prince of Great Yan?"
The ministers looked uneasy.
Especially those who'd shouted the loudest earlier—they felt the sting on their faces.
After all, Yun Jinghuai was the Crown Prince's strongest supporter.
Now that he had achieved such a legendary victory, forget killing just one Great Yan prince—Yang Cheng could wipe out all of them, and no one would dare object.
Besides, Great Zhou had just crushed Great Yan.
What right did Great Yan have left to make threats?
Even if their prince died, he died for nothing.
"The Great Yan prince and His Highness the Crown Prince were engaged in a fair martial duel. Since he lost, that's on him. No one else is to blame."
A minister stepped forward without hesitation.
"Exactly."
"Haha! The Crown Prince slays a Great Yan prince in the capital. General Yun crushes Great Yan on the battlefield. Both acts show the glory of Great Zhou!"
The rest of the ministers suddenly changed their tone.
A faint smile flickered in Emperor Qian Yuan's eyes as he looked toward Xu Yan. "Grand Secretariat Head Xu, what do you think?"
Xu Yan bowed slightly. "Now that General Yun has delivered such a monumental victory, there's no need for us to negotiate with Great Yan. In that case, the Crown Prince killing a Great Yan prince is not a mistake—but a contribution."
"Very well. I hereby reward the Crown Prince with 10,000 taels of gold to honor his deed!"
The Emperor took Xu Yan's words and turned them into an open reward for Yang Cheng.
Just then, a voice rang out. "Deputy Prime Minister Yan."
Yan Chonggu's face instantly froze. He forced a stiff smile. "What guidance does Your Highness have for me?"
Yang Cheng said with a teasing grin, "I recall you said earlier—even if you had to give up your position today, you would personally impeach me and drag me off the throne."
"Well, my title as Crown Prince looks more secure than ever. Shouldn't you be resigning by now?