What happened in the academy couldn't be kept secret. News spread quickly. When Ju Zi reported everything that happened in the academy to Xu Tianran, who was in the middle of handling some government affairs, he immediately paused.
"You're saying the second son showed up to stop the Imperial Inspection Team from arresting Huo Yuhao?" Xu Tianran sat expressionlessly behind the desk, his cold expression making the atmosphere in the hall turn heavy.
Ju Zi's heart trembled as she replied, "Yes. By the time our people arrived at the academy to intervene, it was already over. I had someone ask around... They said the Hongchen Hall Master and the Shrek Academy team leader were also present. The watching students were later dispersed by Lin Jiayi, so we don't know what happened in their subsequent conversation."
Xu Tianran's expression shifted. "What was the second son doing at the academy? Did you find out?"
"It was to customize a Rank 8 Flying Soul Tool," Ju Zi said quickly. "According to the reports from our informants over the past few days, the Second Prince seemed to have been visiting Mingde Hall a week ago, and he happened to encounter the Imperial Inspection Team arresting Huo Yuhao today."
"Who was the captain of this Imperial Inspection Team?" Xu Tianran asked.
Ju Zi said in a low voice, "It was Xu Mochen, the eldest son of the Jialan King."
"Jialan King, Xu Mochen..." Xu Tianran murmured, a strange look soon appearing on his face. He sneered, "Clever people can be fooled by their own cleverness. Second Brother, you almost never go to Mingde Hall, yet you happened to go during this time, and you happened to encounter this matter. Heh, who are you putting on a show for?"
Ju Zi raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Your Highness means that this arrest was a play orchestrated by Xu Mochen and the Second Prince? But aren't they enemies in court?"
Xu Tianran's voice softened slightly. "They may be enemies in court, but privately, who knows?"
"When my father was still a prince, wasn't he and the previous emperor brothers in harmony? In the end, didn't he raise an army and rebel, wiping out their entire family?"
"Ju Zi, you must remember. What they show you is what they want you to see. What they don't want you to see is always hidden deep, with no bottom in sight."
"Ju Zi will remember Your Highness's teachings." Ju Zi's eyes moved, and after a moment of thought, she asked, "Your Highness, if the Second Prince is really working with the Jialan King, how should we break this situation?"
"Wait," Xu Tianran picked up his brush again. "If nothing unexpected happens, Jing Hongchen will, during tomorrow's court session, express his gratitude to Father for Second Brother's help. Jing Hongchen is most afraid of owing favors. After all, Shrek Academy and we have the exchange student plan. Once the Royal Investigation Team arrests their students in the name of the royal family, it will definitely cause disputes. This is definitely a headache, and Father's health is poor. He is most afraid of these troubles now. At that time, he will certainly reward my excellent second brother."
"Maybe he will even compare me, the disabled Crown Prince, with Second Brother... Heh, although the opportunity to make Jing Hongchen owe a favor was taken by Second Brother, we haven't gained nothing. After tomorrow's court session, see which of those originally belonging to us leave. You remember them all, so we can settle accounts later."
Juzi's expression changed. "Understood."
"You may leave. I have other matters to attend to," Xu Tianran ordered, dismissing her.
Juzi respectfully bowed and then quietly departed.
"Shh."
The instant Juzi closed the door and left, the soft soul guide lighting in the hall flickered strangely.
Without raising his head, Xu Tianran said, "Hall Master Zhongli, it's been a long time."
Strands of blood-red qi lingered in the hall, eventually coalescing into a middle-aged man in a black robe.
The middle-aged man had short, silver hair that was very dense. His hair looked extremely stiff, like steel needles.
His figure was slender, and his appearance was quite handsome. But what was most eye-catching were his deep purple eyes, which seemed to contain a strange power that drew people in.
From his appearance, no one could guess that he was a Rank 98 Evil Soul Master powerhouse, even younger than Xuan Zi.
Zhongli Wu glanced at the obscure human-shaped light and shadow beside Xu Tianran and said with a faint smile, "It seems the Crown Prince has some troubles."
"It can't be called troubles." Xu Tianran raised his eyes slightly and looked at Zhongli Wu. "I wonder what brings Hall Master Zhongli here this time?"
Zhongli Wu casually found a chair and sat down, saying intentionally or unintentionally, "In the past, my Sacred Spirit Cult assisted His Majesty in ascending the throne successfully. Our work has not yet succeeded, and now it seems that there is a hint of killing the donkey after the millstone."
In his words, a trace of killing intent was quietly released, but it wasn't directed at Xu Tianran.
Xu Tianran's expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly, "In this case, your cult and I are the same kind of people. We have ambitions, but we cannot realize them."
"How do you see it?" Zhongli Wu asked.
Xu Tianran spoke, "After I was crippled, the people in the Crown Prince's residence either became neutral or joined the factions of my two younger brothers. Most people didn't believe that I, a disabled Crown Prince, could ascend to the throne."
"It's like you, Hall Master Zhongli. No matter how strong you are, you can never appear openly because in the eyes of the world, Evil Soul Masters will always be outsiders."
Zhongli Wu listened in silence. Unable to appear openly, the Sacred Spirit Cult would never be able to turn things around. Back then, they had helped Xu Tianran's father usurp the throne. The reward they received was the smooth establishment of the Xishui Alliance, allowing them to exist as another power. At the same time, they gradually controlled various resources and established a talent network, uncovering more outstanding younger generations.
It was through this opportunity that the Sacred Spirit Cult truly grew stronger, its strength far surpassing what it had been before.
But as time went on, perhaps sensing that the Xishui Alliance was becoming increasingly uncontrollable, the emperor, who was once their ally, had already begun to take action in secret.
If it weren't for the emperor's health problems, coupled with the large number of strong individuals within their cult, which made the emperor wary, the capital would have long since had no place for the Sacred Spirit Cult.
"Your Highness, to be frank, the old man has come this time for only one thing," Zhongli Wu said in a low voice. "Doing things alone has its drawbacks for both of us, but if we cooperate, we can certainly obtain what we each desire."
Xu Tianran said casually, "What rewards do you want?"
Zhongli Wu's eyes narrowed. "The National Religion. If we secretly support you, Your Highness, to become Emperor, then let the Sacred Spirit Cult become the empire's Guardian Sect."
Xu Tianran's eyes flickered, and he lightly tapped his fingers on the table, lost in thought.
Cooperating with Evil Soul Masters was a double-edged sword, likely to harm oneself, but the power of this force was undeniable.
The power he possessed was strong, but there were too many uncertain factors. Because of revenge, he had dismembered his younger brother, the sixth, who had crippled him and made him unable to have children. Although his father hadn't criticized him, the Emperor, who had already seized the throne by killing his brother, was extremely displeased that his son had also targeted his siblings.
The tapping stopped, and Xu Tianran curiously asked, "Actually, I'm very curious. If the Sacred Spirit Cult wants to turn things around, why not seek cooperation with my third brother? He's so easy to control; perhaps your esteemed Cult could turn him into a puppet, and then the empire would fall into your hands."
"At that time, it wouldn't be a simple turnaround; it would be becoming the master of the empire directly."
Xu Tianran's eyes held a probing look.
Hearing this, Zhongli Wu smiled indifferently. "We have no intention of controlling the empire. As Your Highness said, Evil Soul Masters are, after all, a different breed. Being able to become a Guardian Sect and obtain a legal identity is already the limit. To go any further would be self-destruction."
"I don't think the Imperial Offerings Hall will agree, the imperial military won't agree, the common people won't agree, and no one on the Douluo Continent will agree. Besides, if the Emperor is truly a puppet, why wouldn't they control him themselves, instead of letting the Sacred Spirit Cult do it?"
"Most importantly, neither the Second Prince nor the Third Prince have the determination to unify the continent like Your Highness. If we're going to cooperate, we cooperate with the strong, not with a bunch of useless people playing house. That, is our answer."
Xu Tianran looked directly at Zhongli Wu. After a long moment, he laughed. "I have some top-grade tea here. How about we share some, Hall Master Zhongli? We can see if the taste is acceptable."
Zhongli Wu smiled and said, "How can I refuse the Crown Prince's invitation?"
The next day, the sky was clear.
Inside the Sun Moon Imperial Palace, a large group of civil and military officials were walking orderly towards the Sun Moon Hall. The court assembly wasn't held every day, but once every other week.
On ordinary days, the ministers would meet with the Emperor individually to report various matters. After the Emperor gave his approval, the ministers would follow through. In the Sun Moon Hall, on the dragon throne, the current Sun Moon Emperor sat. Even though the old Emperor's health wasn't good anymore, the aging tiger was still a tiger. His sharp eyes swept across the hall, causing all the civil and military officials on both sides to feel a chill.
Actually, the old emperor wasn't that old. He was only sixty-two years old. For ordinary people, perhaps that was old, but for a Title Douluo, living another few decades or even a hundred years wasn't a problem. Yes, the old emperor was also a Title Douluo.
But the strange thing was that on the day he ascended the throne, he fell seriously ill. Until today, no one knew the exact reason. The ultimate result was that his body grew increasingly weak, and it seemed he didn't have many years left.
Some in the outside world said it was retribution for killing his brother to seize the throne. Others said he was poisoned by Evil Soul Masters, but these were ultimately just guesses.
"Speak your business. If there's nothing, dismiss the court." In Douluo Continent, there were no eunuchs. All announcements were made by the guards.
"Your Majesty, this subject has something to report."
As soon as the guard spoke, Jing Hongchen walked out from the ranks of the civil officials, faced the emperor, and respectfully bowed.
Seeing Jing Hongchen, many officials' eyes showed some surprise. Jing Hongchen managed Mingde Hall and rarely attended court meetings, and he was also a lone minister.
"It's rare to see you at court. Speak, what is it?" Seeing Jing Hongchen, the old emperor said with a smile.
Jing Hongchen said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I request that you punish the Jialan King's son, Xu Mochen, for disregarding the larger picture, damaging the relationship between the empire and Shrek Academy, and rashly coming to my Mingde Hall to capture someone. He even intended to execute the Shrek Academy exchange student on the spot."
"Swish."
Upon hearing this, many officials in the court were stunned.
Some even looked at the Jialan King standing at the front, their eyes filled with surprise.
Your son is so bold?
Other princes were also somewhat surprised.
It should be known that the exchange student program between Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy was approved by the emperor in the court. The main reason was that His Majesty hoped to use this opportunity to promote the relationship between the two forces and, at the same time, to better understand the other side.
If the Shrek Academy exchange student were really executed on the spot, what the hell? This would definitely be a slap in the face to Shrek Academy.
The old emperor's expression immediately soured. It wasn't that he feared Shrek Academy's dissatisfaction and retaliation. As powerful as Shrek Academy was, it couldn't compare to the empire's might. However, as the emperor, he had personally ordered the exchange student program precisely to ease relations between the two powers. Yet, someone was trying to sabotage his efforts?
Even if a Shrek Academy student had done something wrong, it was still required to be reported to him for handling.
Thinking this, he subconsciously glanced at the Jialan King.
But for some reason, the Jialan King seemed not to have heard anything, his expression remaining calm.
At this moment, Jing Hongchen continued, "There's one more matter to report to Your Majesty. In this conflict, we were indebted to the Second Prince for being present to stop it. It was also the Second Prince who helped ease the situation, ultimately leading the Shrek Academy's leader, Wulong Douluo, to back down."
As soon as these words were spoken, the civil and military officials, regardless of which prince they secretly supported, all had their expressions subtly change.
Who was Jing Hongchen?
The Mingde Hall Master, a Rank 9 Soul Tool Master, with countless disciples and students spread throughout every industry in the capital. He had always been a lone minister. Now, he was openly thanking the Second Prince. What did this mean?
For a moment, the officials supporting the Second Prince's claim to the throne looked delighted.
In contrast, the officials supporting Xu Tianran's claim to the throne had their expressions gradually become grave.
As for the officials supporting the Third Prince, they were the fewest in number, and nothing could be discerned from their expressions.
The only prince present today was the Second Prince.
The Crown Prince and the Third Prince were both absent.
The Crown Prince was unwell, and the Third Prince was currently in Sea Soul City, the largest city in the southwest, away from the capital.
"Oh!" Upon hearing this, the old emperor's expression subtly changed. His gaze shifted to Xu Tianran, who was standing respectfully, and he praised, "Tianran, you've done well this time."
Xu Tianran's expression was calm, neither servile nor overbearing as he stepped forward and said, "Replying to Father, this is what I should do. At the same time, I have also investigated the ins and outs of this matter. I ask Father to take a look."
With that, Xu Tianran took out a memorial. The guards standing beside the emperor understood and stepped forward to receive it, then respectfully handed it to the emperor.
The old emperor didn't even open it, but said, "If there's anything else to report, say it together. I want to rest now."
No one in the audience spoke up.
The morning court session started late and ended quickly. After the officials left to handle their business, some were kept behind by the Emperor for a discussion in the Imperial Study.
After leaving the Sun Moon Hall, Xu Tianran found Jing Hongchen and expressed his gratitude.
Jing Hongchen's expression was indifferent, and his tone was neither too close nor too distant. "The Second Prince is too polite. Consider this as me returning a favor."
Xu Tianran also knew that Jing Hongchen wouldn't join his side, so he wasn't too disappointed. He had used this favor very well.
"Your Highness, the Emperor requests your presence in the Imperial Study," a guard's voice sounded behind Xu Tianran as he watched Jing Hongchen leave.
He looked towards the Crown Prince's residence, a smile playing on his lips, and thought to himself, Big brother, I'll take the next step in this game.
Two edicts were circulated less than an hour after the court session ended.
Xu Mochen, the eldest son of the Jialan King, has been removed from his position as captain of the third team of the Imperial Inspection Squad and ordered to serve in the Claw Soul Tool Master Group, currently stationed in Haihun City on the southwestern border of the empire.
Second Prince Xu Tianming is now fully responsible for the appointment and management of the Imperial Inspection Squad. At the same time, the Inspection Squad has been separated from the Clan Affairs Office and made into an independent organization, with its original powers unchanged. The highest position will only be held by a prince in the future.
The first edict concerning Xu Mochen was of little concern to anyone, but the second one, concerning Second Prince Xu Tianming, was different.
Almost seventy percent of the Imperial Inspection Squad consisted of elite children from the noble class. Now, with the Inspection Squad separated from the Clan Affairs Office and under the full control of the Second Prince, the implications were significant.
The original powers remain unchanged, meaning that joining the Inspection Squad would still lead to promotions and titles. No one would give up on that. And with the highest position only being held by a prince, it meant that in the future, joining the Inspection Squad would require contact with the Second Prince.
Elite children from the noble class, all having to interact with the Second Prince... who knew if they would secretly join his faction?
For a time, various forces within the vast capital city of Mingdu began to stir.
The Emperor's health was declining, the Crown Prince was ill, and the Second Prince was gaining power.
...
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(End of Chapter)