At midnight, the prince's grand chamber stirred to life. Subei leapt from his nine-meter-wide bed, traversed the hundred-meter hall, swam across the thousand-meter pool, and climbed the ten-thousand-meter peak, shouting triumphantly toward the starry sky, "I'm so handsome!"
"According to the Ministry of Households' investigation of records, the deputy senior official of Fasno province exploited the people's wealth for personal gain," an official declared.
"The seemingly harmonious relations between the Xingluo Empire and Fasno were bought through his secret donations to Xingluo and bribery of high-ranking officials for protection from scrutiny."
"This shameless balancing of merits and faults is absurd."
"Last year's famine in the western provinces was actually economic sanctions orchestrated by neighboring provinces, collapsing trade and draining capital."
Under Subei's control, the high-ranking official of the Household Department, second only to Minister Shangshu, revealed all he knew.
"Regarding the princes' deaths, there's no evidence; suspicions based solely on possibility are ridiculous."
Unaware of being manipulated, the official believed his twitching mind reflected genuine justice and youthful zeal for governance.
The Ministry of Households scolded loudly, denying accusations and claiming detailed archives proving embezzlement of tens of millions of gold soul coins by Minister Shangshu.
The Minister of Military Aircraft retorted angrily, exposing the Household Department's decades-long economic corruption and smuggling operations.
Tensions escalated as accusations of infidelity and scandal surfaced, painting the court officials in disarray.
Emperor Xueye watched, stunned by the chaos.
Rao (Xue Qinghe) and Subei exchanged a glance, noticing Emperor Xueye's displeasure.
Such dirty politics harmed both prince and empire.
Though Xue Qinghe had attempted to recruit the Minister of Household, no success followed.
The only path to break the deadlock seemed to involve the Papal Palace.
If it moved, it must be coordinated carefully.
Perhaps even the imperial brother Subei was key.
Subei, with unmatched power and presence, was beloved by all.
Xue Qinghe's fiery gaze seemed to pierce through Subei, longing for time to pass, trials to end, and a sibling bond to grow stronger.
Emperor Xueye rubbed his temples, overwhelmed by palace scandals.
As the Household Minister's hands shook, the prince's imperial seal ceremony erupted into farce.
What had begun as a simple attempt to restrain Xue Qinghe's power spiraled into a relentless fiasco, exposing the Heaven Dou Empire's flaws and igniting court-wide mockery.
From highest temple officials to commoners, suspicion spread.
Emperor Xueye waved his hand to restore order, condemning two officials from DPRK and China for disturbing the court with baseless rumors.
"The farce ends here. The eldest prince shall remain in the Eastern Palace without further debate!"
Subei withdrew mental control, confident his mission was complete.
The system immediately issued rewards:
[Qian Renxue (Xue Qinghe) succeeds as prince, takes the seal, and holds legitimacy. The host gains:]
[1: Holy Blood of Angels]
[2: Body power doubles, combined with bloodline, rivaling a soul deity]
[3: One fairy medicinal herb]
[Host's mystery increases significantly in Qian Renxue's heart, gaining:]
[1: One-time puppet control right]
[2: Extension of first spirit ring's age to 1,000 years]
[3: Reserved for second soul ability summoning of Dragon God's Gate—Nine Dragons' Nine Sons' Negative 屃]
Following the emperor's proclamation, a young official panicked, kneeling desperately before the throne.
"Your Majesty! I am loyal! I followed your orders exactly! Why would you condemn me?"
The Household Minister, realizing his outburst, broke into cold sweat.
Overwhelmed with dread, he muttered, "It's useless to beg. I'm done for."