"I hereby announce that, from this day forth, the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire shall be Xu Tiannan!"
As the Emperor's words fell, inside the grand hall, aside from the relaxed and exalted Rank 9 Soul Engineers, countless officials' expressions changed instantly.
However, no one dared to oppose Xu Jing's decision.
As the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Jing controlled the Five Great Guardian Soul Engineer Corps as well as the Imperial Offering Hall—commanding more than half of the empire's total strength.
At present, aside from Kong Deming, who was in seclusion researching humanoid soul tools, who else in the empire would dare oppose him?
And Kong Deming, without question, couldn't care less about something as trivial as who became the Crown Prince.
Upon hearing the Emperor's decree, the ministers who had supported Xu Tiannan were overjoyed.
They had gambled and won. Now that Xu Tiannan had become Crown Prince, when he ascended the throne in a few years, what awaited them would be boundless glory and wealth.
Meanwhile, the officials who had supported the Second Prince Xu Tianyu or the Third Prince Xu Tianshi all turned pale; some even went completely white.
Standing near the front of the great hall, Wang Yan remained expressionless, but deep in his eyes brewed an icy, bone-chilling killing intent.
As for those ministers who had not taken sides in the princes' struggle, some lowered their eyes and assumed a detached, indifferent posture, as if none of this concerned them.
Others began scheming in their hearts, preparing to side with Crown Prince Xu Tiannan.
They intended to seize the moment—while few had yet pledged allegiance—to make their loyalty known and secure themselves a chance for future advancement.
At the very front of the hall, Xu Tiannan, upon hearing himself declared Crown Prince, could no longer suppress the upward curl of his lips.
If not for the solemn occasion, he might have thrown back his head and laughed to the heavens, releasing the excitement in his heart.
After struggling for so many years, he had finally become the Crown Prince.
In the future, he would be Emperor—the ruler of the entire Sun Moon Empire.
Xu Tiannan was full of confidence and pride. His heart swelled with ambition, already envisioning the day he ascended the throne and spread his grand designs across the world.
He quickly composed himself, forcing his face into a calm and dignified expression to keep his smile from betraying his excitement.
He lowered his head slightly, clasped his hands, and spoke respectfully:
"Your son is deeply grateful for Father Emperor's trust and the favor of the ministers, for allowing me to be named Crown Prince.
From this day forward, I shall devote myself wholeheartedly to the study of governance and never betray Father Emperor's expectations—serving the empire with all my strength for its prosperity and glory."
Though Xu Tiannan tried his best to restrain himself, the faint tremor in his voice still revealed his inner excitement.
The Second Prince Xu Tianyu, upon hearing that Xu Tiannan had been named Crown Prince, felt his heart sink.
Over the years, in his bid for the throne, he had schemed endlessly against Xu Tiannan, setting traps and playing tricks—no doubt earning Xu Tiannan's hatred to the bone.
More importantly, his father's health had been declining for years.
He likely wouldn't live much longer.
Once Xu Tiannan became Emperor, Xu Tianyu's fate would be precarious.
Yet in that moment, Xu Tianyu instead grew calm.
Forcing a strained smile, he stepped forward and bowed respectfully:
"Congratulations, Elder Brother, on being named Crown Prince.
Elder Brother is talented and capable—surely you will lead our Sun Moon Empire toward an even brighter future.
Your younger brother is willing to give his all in support."
Though his mouth spoke such words, his heart burned with resentment.
Within his sleeves, both fists clenched tight as he repeatedly reminded himself: Endure, endure, endure.
Was it not common throughout the Sun Moon Empire's history for Crown Princes to be overthrown?
He would bide his time in silence, lull Xu Tiannan into complacency.
As long as Xu Tiannan had yet to ascend the throne, he still had a chance.
Inwardly, Xu Tianyu thought,
Xu Tiannan, don't get too pleased with yourself. Don't think that becoming Crown Prince means you can rest easy. In the end, who wins and who loses is still undecided.
The Third Prince Xu Tianshi also looked grim.
He had once cooperated with Xu Tiannan to suppress Xu Tianyu together.
But he hadn't expected Xu Tiannan to have hidden his true strength all along.
During the Emperor's appointed trial, he and Xu Tiannan had first joined forces to eliminate Xu Tianyu.
Then, when Xu Tianshi thought victory was at hand, Xu Tiannan had revealed his full power and eliminated him in turn.
Xu Tianshi harbored deep resentment toward Xu Tiannan, yet he still stepped forward and bowed to congratulate him on becoming Crown Prince.
Watching the two brothers who had once opposed him now fawning upon him, Xu Tiannan felt immensely satisfied—even though he knew full well their words were insincere and their hearts surely cursed him.
Still, he couldn't help but feel elated.
On the imperial court, many words could not be said openly.
Xu Tiannan adopted the appearance of an elder brother showing magnanimity to his younger siblings, smiling as he said,
"Second Brother, Third Brother, you are both my family. In the future, I will still need your support."
With the Second and Third Princes having spoken, the other princes followed suit, one after another, offering their congratulations.
These lesser princes lacked the power or influence to vie for the throne. Their best future outcome would be to receive a fief and live out their days in idle comfort.
Seated on the dragon throne, Emperor Xu Jing spoke again,
"Tiannan, now that you are Crown Prince, I hope you will be diligent and tireless, recruit the worthy and wise, and always place the empire's stability above all else."
Xu Tiannan bowed deeply.
"Your son will faithfully uphold Father Emperor's teachings."
From the court came a resounding chorus:
"His Majesty is wise! Long live the Emperor—long live, long live!
May the Crown Prince live a thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand years!"
The thunderous voices surged like waves, echoing through the grand hall.
Hearing the cheers of the civil and military officials, Xu Tiannan felt himself float in euphoria.
The feeling of standing above the entire court, commanding their reverence, filled him with indescribable excitement and pride.
After the Crown Prince's title was officially declared, the Grand Court Assembly continued with its usual proceedings.
Ministers rose one after another—some requesting treasury allocations, some reporting natural disasters in various regions, and others submitting impeachments against their peers.
Time passed amid the petitions and disputes, and before long, as the deep chime of ceremonial bells resounded, the court session came to an end.
Afterward, Xu Tiannan returned to his mansion, where he finally let out an unrestrained laugh.
Pacing back and forth across his chamber, his eyes blazed with ambition.
He, Xu Tiannan, prided himself as the most gifted member of the Sun Moon royal family in thousands of years.
In cunning, intellect, and talent, he far surpassed all emperors before him.
He swore that under his rule, the Sun Moon Empire would grow stronger than ever before,
that he would wipe away the humiliation from four thousand years ago,
and conquer the three Douluo nations — renaming the entire continent the Sun Moon Continent.
Just as Xu Tiannan basked in his triumph, a maid's voice came from outside the door:
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, several ministers request an audience."
Xu Tiannan replied,
"Have them wait in the study. I'll be there shortly."
A short while later, in the study—
Several ministers who had supported Xu Tiannan bowed deeply before him.
"Congratulations, Your Highness, on successfully attaining the position of Crown Prince."
Looking at his loyal supporters, Xu Tiannan gestured for them to rise.
"Come, no need for such formality. Once I ascend the throne, you shall all have both power and wealth in abundance."
Hearing that Xu Tiannan hadn't forgotten his promises after becoming Crown Prince, the ministers all breathed sighs of relief and said in unison,
"Thank you, Your Highness. We shall serve you with unwavering loyalty!"