A dragon robe!

A reddish-yellow dragon robe!

Natuo’s legs went weak.

His mouth remained open for a long time, unable to close.

His heart even felt panicked.

He knew very clearly what this meant!

He knew very clearly what his fate would be if someone discovered this!

The Marquis of Pingyang entered a step behind him, his demeanor extremely calm.

He gazed at the dragon robe he had prepared and said, “This dragon robe was secretly made by my orders earlier. It was specially made for the Prince. Today it’s finally complete, so I personally brought it over.”

Natuo turned his head to look at him, his lips trembling. “You’re saying… it was made for this Prince?”

“Yes!”

Heh heh.

Natuo’s expression gradually changed from shock to fury. He pointed his finger angrily at the Marquis of Pingyang and glared. “Marquis of Pingyang, do you know that privately making a dragon robe is a capital offense! Even if you had ten lives, it wouldn’t be enough for execution.”

His voice boomed like a great bell!

Echoing through the room.

He was so agitated his teeth were grinding.

His eyeballs seemed ready to pop out.

He was also afraid of bringing disaster upon himself.

Implicating himself.

But the Marquis of Pingyang remained completely unfazed, calmly replying, “Of course I know.”

“Since you know, you still dare to do this? What exactly… are your intentions?”

“Does the Prince still not understand my purpose?” “All this Prince knows is that you privately made a dragon robe and keep saying it was made for this Prince. You’re pushing this Prince into a pit of fire. If Father King finds out, do you think I can still survive?” Natuo raged, sweeping his hand and pointing at the dragon robe. “Take it away immediately. Burn it or destroy it, whatever—in any case, this Prince doesn’t need it!”

The Marquis of Pingyang took a step toward him, his expression serious. “Does the Prince truly not need it? Or do you simply not dare?”

A provocation!

Deliberately done.

Natuo had always been unable to contain himself and couldn’t withstand such provocation from others. So when questioned by the Marquis of Pingyang, his brows immediately furrowed crossly, a fierce expression appearing on his face. “What would this Prince not dare?”

“Since the Prince dares, then…” Before he could finish, Natuo interrupted, “But even if this Prince dares, so what? You know very well that making a dragon robe is a major matter, a capital offense! This Prince taking people to search the Second Prince’s manor was already a grave crime. Father King punished me with house arrest and copying scriptures—he’s already extremely disappointed in me. This matter only passed two days ago, yet now you appear before this Prince with a dragon robe. This Prince doesn’t want to provoke anything at this time. Even if Father King is reluctant to act, even if he favors me, I will certainly not escape disaster! Tell me, how can this Prince take such a risk with you?”

Compared to his hesitation and wavering, the Marquis of Pingyang had long made up his mind.

And made his decision.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come here. He continued provoking, “Prince, this time you were outmaneuvered by the Second Prince and nearly lost your position. Now everything is unfavorable to the Prince! If you make another mistake, I’m afraid it will be difficult to recover. The overall situation will also shift to the Second Prince’s side. Since either way is a sea of fire, why doesn’t the Prince take a risky military move—put yourself in mortal danger to survive! But if the Prince continues to endure and makes no preparations, then in the Great King’s eyes, compared to you, the Second Prince will be more suitable to be the heir apparent. You won’t have any chance at all. The kingdom and state will be handed over to others.”

Ugh!

“…” These were the words Natuo least wanted to hear.

His steps staggered back a few paces.

The Marquis of Pingyang moved closer. “Does the Prince really want to continue waiting like this? Willingly being suppressed beneath the Second Prince?”

Natuo flew into a rage and immediately shouted, “Why? Why should Nayan be able to lord over this Prince?”

His face flushed red.

The Marquis of Pingyang said, “Plans are made by people, success is determined by heaven. To obtain something, you must be ruthless. Rather than waiting, it’s better to… strike first to gain the advantage.”

“You want this Prince to…” “Prince, opportunity knocks but once. This time the Great King entrusted the ancestral ceremony to the Second Prince, but if something were to happen during the ancestral ceremony, the palace would certainly fall into chaos. At that time, the Prince can do whatever you want.” The Marquis of Pingyang’s tone was sinister.

Natuo’s eyes flickered slightly, his brow tightly furrowed. “You… want this Prince to kill Nayan? And also kill… Father King!”

“To ascend to the throne, you must eliminate them swiftly. The Second Prince… absolutely cannot be left alive. And if the Great King is willing to abdicate and yield the throne, naturally he can enjoy his twilight years. At that time, won’t the throne be in the Prince’s grasp?”

“…” Natuo hesitated indecisively.

His heart panicked.

His palms were covered in cold sweat. The Marquis of Pingyang walked to the dragon robe, the desire for power in his eyes gradually magnifying. He said, “Only by wearing this dragon robe can you have the qualifications to decide everything. You won’t have to submit to others, won’t have to live in constant fear, spending all day guessing others’ thoughts. When that time comes, you’ll be above all others—command the wind and get wind, command the rain and get rain! Isn’t this exactly what the Prince wants? Could you let such a great opportunity slip away in vain?”

With these words, Natuo’s heart began to waver.

His eyes fixed on that brilliant yellow dragon robe before him, the desire in his heart gradually being drawn out.

He had to admit that everything he did was so that one day he could wear the dragon robe and sit on the dragon throne.

Enjoy the satisfaction that power brought him!

He seemed to be falling in bit by bit.

His body completely separated from consciousness, no longer under his control.

He slowly extended his hand…

Reaching toward the dragon robe.

When his fingertips touched the sleeve of the dragon robe, the hesitation in his heart instantly vanished.

His eyes brimmed with overwhelming desire.

His hand caressed the dragon robe, and every pore on his body opened.

That feeling was like being addicted to drugs.

Excited.

Agitated.

The Marquis of Pingyang struck while the iron was hot. “Prince, don’t hesitate anymore. As long as you nod, everything will be yours.” A strange smile escaped the corners of Natuo’s mouth. His eyes narrowed deeply, mesmerized by the dragon robe before him. He said, “You’re right. To obtain something, you can’t keep waiting. You must strike first to gain the advantage, holding what you want… firmly in your own hands.”

Having said this, his hand tightened and he immediately grasped the collar of the dragon robe.

With effort, he pulled it up.

Removing it from the stand.

Greedily cradling it in his hands.

Lowering his head to breathe it in.

The scent on the brocade rushed into his nose, completely clouding his judgment.

All reason and concerns dissipated completely and cleanly.

The Marquis of Pingyang stood behind him, smiling with confident victory. “Rather than the Prince just looking at it and holding it, why not… put it on!”

Natuo looked at that touch of reddish-yellow in his hands. “Put it on?”

“That’s right, put it on.”

Natuo’s desire reached its peak.

He didn’t know how many days and nights he had wanted to wear this dragon robe on his body, sit on the dragon throne, and enjoy the prostration of all officials.

So—

He put on the dragon robe.

Standing before that exquisite screen.

Outside the window, heavy snow fell, the white light of snowflakes filtering in.

Spilling onto his body.

The dragon robe glittered with golden light.

His entire body swelled with excitement, blood vessels dilating. The Marquis of Pingyang lifted his robe and knelt down. “This subject pays respects to the Great King. May the Great King live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years.”