"Come here, please ask Prince Xuexing and Prince Xuebeng to leave."
"Your Highness, please stop causing trouble. Right now, only Prince Xueqinghe is capable of leading the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Xuexing, you are slandering His Highness the Crown Prince. Do you intend to betray the Heaven Dou Empire?"
The people aligned with Xueqinghe's faction began to exert their power. Emperor Xue Ye was in a coma, and Xuebeng was still a youth who spent his time wandering flower shops. He truly wasn't suitable to be emperor. The ministers and generals had no choice.
There were also some ministers who had invested all their wealth into Xueqinghe's command and were eager to gain favor by supporting him. They immediately turned their accusations toward Xuebeng, claiming he was a madman trying to become emperor.
Xueqinghe, who sat beside the throne, observed the scene with great satisfaction. This was the best evidence of the effects of more than ten years of covert planning.
However, when he saw the fourth prince Xuebeng calmly standing next to Prince Xuexing, he couldn't help but murmur inwardly, wondering why this handsome young man seemed so composed today.
Based on his previous impression of this fake brother, he should be hiding behind Xuexing right now.
"Ministers and generals, please be patient. You are all pillars of our Heaven Dou Empire. Do not argue over such a small matter. Perhaps Brother Xuebeng is just confused for the moment.
What's most important now is to stabilize the hearts of the military and the people of the Heaven Dou Empire and minimize the impact of our father's coma."
"The Prince is wise."
"What the Prince said is absolutely right. Let's proceed at once."
Amid the crowd's praise, Xueqinghe left first without even glancing at Xuexing and his nephew who were still standing in the hall.
He would not argue with them. In today's Heaven Dou Empire, from civil and military officials to noble families and commoners, everyone knew that Prince Xueqinghe was far more competent than Xuebeng. Arguing too much would only make him appear guilty. The more you speak, the more mistakes you make. Perhaps these two—uncle and nephew—really might find a gap to exploit and turn the situation around.
Xuexing looked at Xueqinghe despairingly, shouted continuously, but was eventually escorted away by surrounding generals and placed under house arrest along with Xuebeng.
Mouth sealed shut, Xuexing felt extremely disappointed. Perhaps his only remaining hope lay in the rumors he had arranged to be spread by his followers before entering the palace. That was his final hope.
Standing before the crowd, Marshal Ge Long, who had rushed back due to Emperor Xue Ye's coma, silently observed the scene, deep in thought. This Crown Prince, whom he didn't know well, seemed to wield too much power.
Emperor Xue Ye was only in a coma, not dead, yet these ministers acted as if they were already clearing the way for Xueqinghe. Wasn't this a bit too impatient?
As the supreme commander of the three armies, though not a strategic genius, Ge Long still had some political wisdom.
Though only Xuebeng and Prince Xuexing were under house arrest for now, once Xueqinghe fully took power, he might replace the commander-in-chief of the three armies with someone he trusted.
Having Xuebeng take the throne might actually align better with the interests of these powerful officials than Xueqinghe? A thought began to form in Ge Long's mind.
What Prince Xuexing said earlier was true. In order to ascend the throne, Xueqinghe not only poisoned his brothers but was now even willing to kill his own father.
After careful consideration, Marshal Ge Long decided to throw his support behind Xuebeng's claim to the throne. The Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire were watching Heaven Dou enviously. The Heaven Dou Empire could not afford any more internal chaos.
This thought took root in his heart—waiting for the right opportunity to grow and eventually become a towering tree.
---
Xu Mingxi brought Dugu Bo to Heaven Dou City and went directly to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Before long, Ning Fengzhi came to welcome them personally and led them to the guest hall.
He had already sensed signs of unrest in Heaven Dou City. Most people looked worried. Regardless of whether they supported Xueqinghe, the fall of Emperor Xue Ye was a heavy blow to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Even when Xu Mingxi arrived in the city, he heard people talking about how the current Crown Prince Xueqinghe didn't hesitate to kill his own relatives for the throne. Letting such a ruthless man become emperor would be disastrous for the Heaven Dou Empire.
There were quite a few people saying this. Xu Mingxi relayed this to Ning Fengzhi. After thinking it over, both suspected that it might have been Prince Xuexing behind the rumors.
"It seems our Prince Xuexing had no other choice and resorted to such a desperate move."
Ning Fengzhi sat in his seat, slowly sipping the tea in his hand. Whether or not Prince Xuexing's move was effective, the reputation of the royal family of Heaven Dou would inevitably suffer. It was indeed unwise.
Setting down his teacup, he looked at Xu Mingxi. He had only invited Dugu Bo, and now someone from the Star Crown Sect had come—surely with an agenda of their own.
He needed to clarify the Star Crown Sect's position in this incident. This matter affected the entire situation of the Heaven Dou Empire, even the whole continent—no room for carelessness.
"Xingchen Douluo, is there something you need from my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"Master Ning, you are too polite. I came this time only to ask you something."
"Please go ahead."
"To my knowledge, there are no Titled Douluo in the Heaven Dou royal family, yet my sect's elders recently saw two Titled Douluo beside Prince Xueqinghe. I wonder if Sect Master Ning can shed some light on this?"
After the beast wave, Xu Mingxi was granted the title Xingchen Douluo by the Spirit Hall and was hailed as the number one genius on the continent—a tactic to intimidate rival forces.
As soon as he posed the question, Ning Fengzhi's face drastically changed. This was a clear indication that something was indeed wrong with Crown Prince Xueqinghe.
Recalling his earlier suspicions, Ning Fengzhi's concerns deepened. After he became the Crown Prince's mentor, cooperation between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire had become much closer. If something were wrong with Heaven Dou, the sect would suffer too.
"Can Xingchen Douluo guarantee the truth of what you say? I would like to know who the two Titled Douluo your elders saw are."
He stared at Xu Mingxi, voice slightly trembling, hoping for an acceptable answer. Perhaps those two were just ordinary cultivators the Crown Prince had invited.
"The two Titled Douluo seen by my sect's elders are named Thorn Dolphin and Serpent Lance. Have you heard of them, Sect Master Ning?"
Clang—the teacup dropped to the ground and shattered. Ning Fengzhi sat in his seat, stunned.
Of course he had heard of them. These Titled Douluo were known across the continent. Basic information on most of them was available in the records of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Thorn Dolphin and Serpent Lance were both from the Spirit Hall.
Bone Douluo, seated beside him, even opened his eyes in surprise. He had met Xueqinghe many times before but had never seen him associate with anyone from the Spirit Hall.