Chapter 408 - Palace Change I
“Imperial Son, are you really that eager for the Dragon Throne?” There wasn’t a trace of fear in the emperor’s face and his voice didn’t sound as kind as it did in the past.
“Imperial Father, is this not what you have always been hoping to see? All these years, you have been unwilling to establish a crown prince. Was it not your desire to see us brothers fight for the position of emperor?” spat the first prince viciously.
The emperor chuckled. “You’re right. Hasn’t every king since the days of old utilized this method to weed out weak and useless heirs? Indeed, I was not willing to establish a crown prince because I had hoped for all of you to mature that much faster in equal contest. But I never thought that you would be so foolish as to do such a silly thing to usurp the throne. Aren’t you afraid of being spurned by the people?” sighed the emperor.
“Spurned by the people? When I ascend the throne, who would dare spurn me?” answered the first prince indifferently, his face filled with ruthless resolve.
“You’re right. To be able to say such words, you are indeed a descendent of the royal family. However, do you really think that by killing me you will be qualified to become emperor and be ready to start giving national orders to fellow officials?” said the emperor heavily. The gaze he was giving the first prince was full of disappointment.
“Of course, I didn’t think it would be so easy,” sneered the first prince. With a wave of his hand, another group of warriors in black armor brought over more than ten young men and women. They were the other princes and princesses.
“These are all the people eligible to inherit the Nan Xia Country throne. If I kill you and then kill all of them, including Fu Chengyu next to you there, who else in the entire Nan Xia Country, aside from me, would still be eligible to be emperor?” asked the first prince with a sneer.
“Killing off your entire family… You are truly my good Imperial Son.” Seeing the current situation, the emperor’s emotions were starting to show. He sighed, feeling a little sad and hurt.
“It was you who forced me,” retorted the first prince as he frowned and looked directly at the emperor. There was no sense of remorse in him whatsoever.
The emperor shook his head as he looked at the first prince in disappointment.
“Imperial Father, if you do not wish to see these people die brutally before your eyes, it would be best for you to enact an imperial edict to pass the throne to me,” instructed the first prince as he looked at the emperor confidently and assuredly.
“And what will happen to us after that?” asked the emperor detachedly.
“After that, I would naturally let you, my Imperial Father, quietly live out the rest of your years. You’ll be able to live a long life,” replied the first prince.
“And what about them?” inquired the emperor.
“Them? Why, naturally I’d find a good home for them, Imperial Father. Be rest assured!” sniggered the first prince before letting out a peal of maniacal laughter.
Anyone could easily deduce the meaning behind this maniacal laughter. The moment he succeeded in usurping the throne, why would the first prince allow any of these people to continue living on this earth? The so called ‘good home’ he had prepared for them was merely a tomb for their bodies to lay in.
“B*stard. Two-faced b*tch! Let go of me! You’d better let me go quickly,” growled the fifth princess. She was red in the face due to anger as she openly cursed at the first prince.
“As it turns out, the child Imperial Father favors the most is Her Highness, Fifth Princess. Tsk tsk tsk, sometimes I’d even think that if you were a son and not a daughter, Imperial Father would have long since established you as Crown Prince. Still, it would have been a pity. Even if you were the Crown Prince, you’d still be defeated by my hand all the same,” said the first prince sarcastically with a smirk.
“Let me go. Quickly. Otherwise, when my master returns, you will definitely die by her hand without any hope of a proper burial.” Despite coming face to face with such a terrible situation whereby she was being trapped by death, the fifth princess was not the least bit fearful as she rebuked the first prince with an icy expression. “You’re the first prince of this royal family, yet you wish to murder us all in cold blood. The stench on your name will reek for tens of thousands of years to come!”
“Pfft. Are you talking about Ling Chuxi? I’m going to have to disappoint you. She is no longer able to ever return,” snarled the first prince as he ruthlessly swept a glance at the fifth princess.
“What? What are you talking about? Master, she… What did you do to my master? You b*stard! Tell me what you did to my master?!” roared the fifth princess. She understood the meaning of the first prince’s words at once and her expression froze before giving way to tears. She no longer had the iciness and calmness she had displayed previously. Her flowing tears expressed the pain in her heart.
