Consort Baoxiang froze as if someone had whipped her.

Murong Yi’s hand paused. He turned to look at Prince Da’an with a smile: “Father King jests.”

Prince Da’an glanced at Eunuch Chang, who stepped forward and softly recounted the previous conversation.

Throughout this, Consort Baoxiang sat as if on pins and needles.

Murong Yi continued toying with his wine cup, the smile at the corners of his eyes seeming painted on – beautiful yet utterly unmoved.

Eunuch Chang said not a word more than necessary. After finishing, he withdrew.

Prince Da’an turned his head to look at Murong Yi: “What to do then? Do you regret it?”

The faint malice in his voice grew thicker.

Murong Yi: “Hmm?”

“A loyal heart meets frost and snow, bright moon shines on gutters – don’t you feel unwilling?”

Murong Yi’s expression remained unchanged: “Father King jests.”

Consort Baoxiang sat there in bewilderment, not knowing what riddles this father and son were playing. However, years of palace life had long trained her alertness to crises. She only felt that the Great King had a smile on his face but no smile in his eyes, with killing intent showing at his brows and eye corners. This killing intent made her feel cold throughout, vaguely sensing that enormous danger was slowly approaching while she had no power to struggle or resist.

“Clang!” A dagger was suddenly thrown down before her.

Consort Baoxiang trembled all over.

Prince Da’an lifted his chin: “There, the person has arrived. Kill him with your own hands.”

“Great King…” Consort Baoxiang’s chest tightened, tears instantly streaming down her face.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to avenge this king?”

“I… I…” Consort Baoxiang stared at the dagger and suddenly felt she understood.

What heir, what elevation – it was all fake. Murong Yi had indeed committed crimes, committed fatal great sins. The Great King had come today to settle accounts!

How hateful that she had regretted earlier!

The Great King clearly wanted to see her heart, see if she could eliminate relatives for righteousness’s sake, in order to ruthlessly punish Murong Yi!

Murong Yi had killed his sons – he wanted Murong Yi to also be betrayed by his last remaining relative.

Yes, that was it! How could Murong Yi possibly become heir? Regardless of whether he had killed or not, he absolutely had no chance!

If she didn’t act…

She would fall into hell…

Murong Yi likewise couldn’t escape…

Better to…

She suddenly grabbed the dagger, gripping it tight. Without raising her head, she thrust forward, shouting fiercely: “Rebellious minister and traitor, incompatible as fire and water!”

Stabbing across one person’s distance, no matter how forceful, was merely a show. Murong Yi unhurriedly dodged, flicking his sleeve. The dagger fell to the ground with a clang.

But regardless, this blade had been thrust out.

No physical wounds, but wounds throughout the body.

The warm pavilion fell silent as a grave. Everyone lowered their brows and eyes, not daring to breathe heavily.

Consort Baoxiang supported herself with her hands on the ground, staring at the dagger, breathing rapidly, refusing to raise her head.

Murong Yi was expressionless, looking at the top of Consort Baoxiang’s head as if trying to see flowers bloom in that head of black hair.

The sound of applause arose. Prince Da’an laughed: “Good, good. Truly like mother, like son.”

Murong Yi smiled slightly: “Clearly it’s like father, like son. Father King need not be modest.”

Prince Da’an didn’t argue with him, pointing at Consort Baoxiang: “Such a mother – you drank poison wine for her. Are you willing?”

Consort Baoxiang suddenly raised her head, staring at Murong Yi in disbelief.

Murong Yi didn’t answer, sitting down to pour wine for himself.

“You kill gods when gods block your way, kill Buddhas when Buddhas block your way. All you seek and obtain is nothing more than this position above the warm pavilion where you can look down upon all.” Prince Da’an said: “This king can give it to you, but as long as you have such a mother even for one day, this king will not be at ease.”

He spoke these words clearly. The people below paled in terror, and Consort Baoxiang was thunderstruck.

Murong Yi still didn’t answer.

Prince Da’an stared at him, certain he would agree.

Liaodong and Great Qian had already torn off all pretense. Independence was just moments away. Thereafter they would certainly enter a long period of territorial struggle, making the succession particularly important.

This son had the nature of an ambitious hero and was indeed the best choice for Liaodong’s throne. If one wanted territory to last ten thousand years or even swallow the world, a few people or even his own life and death need not be considered.

But a mother like Consort Baoxiang would be the new king’s greatest burden and weakness.

He believed Murong Yi must understand this.

Today’s forced scene of mother and son destroying each other certainly had elements of punishment and revenge, but more importantly, he wanted Murong Yi to see clearly that such a mother was better discarded.

He had recently investigated this mother and son’s relationship. He didn’t believe Murong Yi would give up the throne he had struggled so hard to obtain for his mother’s sake.

The earlier substitution for the poison wine had already surprised him, but he felt that perhaps Murong Yi was telling him he still had bottom lines.

Now seeing clearly Consort Baoxiang’s selfish and cold nature, he should be able to let go, right?

Consort Baoxiang sat on the ground, at first not daring to believe what she had heard, until she saw the Great King’s expression clearly and understood that today’s glory and honor were merely the Great King’s final funeral offerings to her.

So Murong Yi was truly being considered as heir, but the prerequisite was that she must die.

Consort Baoxiang trembled all over, crawling forward on her knees, moving several steps to Murong Yi’s seat. She reached out to grab his robe hem: “Yi’er! You cannot—”

Murong Yi coldly brushed away her hand.

Consort Baoxiang looked into his emotionless deep black eyes. Despair overwhelmed her like a tide, and the stubborn woman finally broke down crying.

In the crying sounds, someone far away spat and shouted loudly: “Deserved!”

Everyone turned back to see that Mu Si had actually followed as well, leaning against a pillar with his crooked leg, glaring fiercely at Consort Baoxiang.

Seeing people look over, he wasn’t afraid and cursed again: “Bitch!”

Wasn’t she just a bitch? Even now, not one word of apology!

Murong Yi acted as if he hadn’t heard. Prince Da’an’s face twitched slightly, deciding to pretend he hadn’t heard either.

In the crying sounds, Murong Yi was silent for a long while, then put down his wine cup and said: “Since Yi fell to earth, no one has cared for him. The kindness of nursing and raising belongs only to the Sun family.”

The crying stopped abruptly.

Consort Baoxiang raised her head in disbelief, almost thinking she had heard wrong.

Murong Yi didn’t look at her.

This Sun family didn’t refer to her.

But Prince Da’an obviously thought it referred to her and heard the reproach and disgust in the words. After a long silence, he didn’t continue this topic, saying: “You’re no longer young. The previous marriage arrangement with Great Qian’s royal family has been canceled. You seemed unwilling about the eldest daughter of the Golden Armor Camp Commander before. Father King has found you another good match. The eldest daughter of the Grand Marshal – virtuous, chaste, and quiet, and she knows some martial arts. I imagine you should also like such a woman.”

The princes below all showed envious light in their eyes.

The Grand Marshal controlled Liaodong’s military power. His ancestors were important generals beside the first Liaodong King, a family of hereditary nobles for generations. Most of the current border generals came from under the Grand Marshal’s command – he was Liaodong’s foremost military minister.

The previous Golden Armor Camp Commander was already a high military family, but this time it was directly changed to a military aristocratic family.

Liang Shiyi would be defeated sooner or later, and afterward the Great King would very likely further consolidate military power. Though military authority was concentrated in the Great King’s hands, centralized management would still be handed to the Grand Marshal, making his power even heavier.

The Grand Marshal’s legitimate daughter being betrothed to Murong Yi meant military backing – this was genuinely paving the way for an heir.

Only now did everyone believe that regardless of how rebellious and immoral Murong Yi was, the Great King truly intended to establish him as heir.

Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, they all rose to offer congratulations.

Murong Yi paid no attention to his brothers’ toasts, very decisively shaking his head slightly.

“Thank you, Father King, but forget it.”

Prince Da’an’s face darkened.

This time he was truly angry.

Really ungrateful.

Not willing to commit matricide was one thing, but repeatedly refusing excellent bestowed marriages?

Did he really think that just because all his brothers had been killed, the throne must be given to him?

He thought of something, his eyes narrowing.

Zhao San had said that Murong Yi and the Crown Princess had a private affair. Initially he hadn’t believed it.

If there was a private affair, why desperately seek to break the engagement?

Since the engagement was broken, it indicated they were hiding their identities from each other.

Since they were hiding identities, it indicated they didn’t trust each other mutually.

Then this kind of emotion was as fragile as a reflection in water – easily shattered with slight manipulation.

Afterward, Murong Yi and Tie Ci had injured each other on the battlefield – he had witnessed this personally.

Both had struck ruthlessly, clearly both were ambitious heroes who could be heartless for the greater good. He was this type of person himself and knew that romantic entanglements could hardly obstruct such people.

Though ultimately the two had cooperated to injure him, he felt that was a necessary choice the two had made for survival.

Even if there truly was a private affair, so what? Having paid so much for the throne, what could make Murong Yi give it up?

Could it be…

“Why are you unwilling?”

Murong Yi said indifferently: “Too ugly.”

Prince Da’an: “…”

This reason was truly hard to refute.

Murong Yi served himself food, eating while saying: “Your son made a grand vow in childhood that in the future he must marry a peerless beauty as wife. At minimum she can’t be uglier than your son, otherwise it would be letting myself down.”

Everyone looked at his face, their mouths twitching.

Can’t be uglier than you?

Are you planning to be a bachelor for life?

“Your son has already suffered the first half of his life. This second half of life, I can’t suffer myself anymore.” Murong Yi pointed at his own face: “Using this as the standard – family background, learning, talent, appearance should be about the same as mine. Honestly, your son is also anxious to marry. Father King had better quickly make a list for your son to choose from. I’ll leave this matter to Father King.”

Prince Da’an: “…”

Make your mother’s list.

You might as well directly say you only want the Crown Princess.

He put down his wine cup and said indifferently: “You won’t have this, you won’t accept that – then obviously you look down on the throne as well.”

Everyone looked up with burning gazes. Consort Baoxiang, still collapsed on the ground, came to her senses with an anxious expression.

The Great King was angry.

The threat and warning were obvious.

Eighteen becoming heir wasn’t through proper channels to begin with. The resistance could be imagined as overwhelming. The obstruction and attacks from ministers the Great King would face afterward were imaginable. Now if Eighteen himself was ungrateful, what if the Great King ultimately changed his mind?

Consort Baoxiang anxiously wanted to persuade, but then thinking that one of the two conditions required her death, she immediately shut up again.

Murong Yi was the calmest person, sneering: “When did your son ever say he looked up to it?”

He stood up, kicked over the table with one foot, and laughed mockingly: “What I want, I don’t need you to give – I can get it myself. What I don’t want, even if you stuff it at me, depends on my mood whether I’ll take it or not. Anyone who thinks they can manipulate me with that dog shit throne should go back to playing dead and dreaming earlier.”

He flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

“Stop.”

Murong Yi ignored him completely.

Prince Da’an had to say: “Block him!”

Countless figures flashed in the warm pavilion’s long corridor, blocking Murong Yi’s path.

Murong Yi stopped and looked at the people in front, back, left and right. He shook his head and laughed: “Look, this is a family banquet, this is the imperial family of the mortal world.”

He turned back to Prince Da’an: “This kind of family banquet – you can play by yourselves in the future. Remember not to call me anymore.”

Prince Da’an stared at him, after a long while shaking his head in defeat.

The more rebellious he was like this, the more he didn’t care and wouldn’t compromise, the more he seemed like nothing in heaven and earth could control him, the more he felt that among all his offspring, none could compare. For Liaodong’s throne, there was no replacement.

Without such bearing and nature, the future Liaodong with its inevitable frequent warfare couldn’t be defended.

The Liaodong King indeed shouldn’t be easily manipulated.

The Liaodong King must have the courage to manipulate everything in the world.

Among all his sons, only Murong Yi had this.

This was both unrelated to how many people he had killed, yet also related.

Originally he had wanted to test whether Murong Yi possessed Abyss Iron weapons, but now he could only dismiss this thought. After a long silence, he said: “You won’t accept this, you won’t do that – then this king asks you one final question.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“This king wants Liaodong’s territory not to be lost, wants Great Qian to not advance even a fraction, wants that Great Qian dynasty to be unable to care for itself… wants the life of that Great Qian puppet emperor. Can you accomplish this?”

A long silence.

Murong Yi faced Mu Si.

Mu Si was anxiously gesturing to him: Zhao San.

Zhao San was still in Prince Da’an’s hands, along with some subordinates captured that day, also still secretly imprisoned. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guards didn’t know where.

Not only that, Consort Baoxiang’s life and death still hung on Prince Da’an’s single thought.

Murong Yi had promised his grandfather to protect Consort Baoxiang’s safety for life.

He lived freely all his life, disregarding propriety and law. All people in the world could be killed by him, all matters in the world could be opposed by him.

His bottom lines were only two: first, Tie Ci; second, grandfather.

But today’s repeated defiance of the Great King had also touched his bottom line.

Prince Da’an had already given him maximum patience and concession. If he refused again, perhaps even he couldn’t walk out.

He still had many important things to do.

After a long while, Murong Yi said: “Yes.”

Prince Da’an waved his hand, and the figures dispersed like butterflies.

Murong Yi no longer looked back, striding quickly out of the warm pavilion. Everyone watched his back disappear at the end of the long corridor.

Only now did they dare breathe out. Only now did they discover that in this early spring weather, amid endless cold air, their backs had long since been soaked with sweat several times over.

…

Murong Yi walked through the corridor when he suddenly staggered and supported himself against a pillar.

Mu Si rushed to help. Murong Yi had already spat out a mouthful of black blood, splattering the vermillion column.

“Are you alright!” Mu Si looked at him worriedly. Seeing his normal expression, he had thought the poison wine was the Great King’s deliberate intimidation, but it turned out to be real!

“It’s fine, I forced it out. Not very powerful poison, but enough to leave Consort Baoxiang like a living dead person from now on, paralyzed in bed for life.”

Mu Si was stunned, very regretful: “Ah, not the deadly kind? Paralyzed for life seems pretty good to me. What a pity you shouldn’t have drunk it for her.”

Murong Yi also felt it was quite regrettable.

But who knew what toxicity this wine had? What if it really was deadly?

He couldn’t take this risk – after all, Prince Da’an never had womanly kindness.

He immediately felt relieved. The old man felt aggrieved and harbored resentment, wanting to secretly get revenge a few times – this was reasonable.

He wouldn’t argue with losers.

He casually wiped his mouth and continued forward. Mu Si followed closely, their master-servant conversation scattering in the wind.

“Should we go rescue Zhao San now?”

“No need. The old man has already softened. Zhao San will be released sooner or later. Let him do more labor reform – it’s good to cure his talkative habit.”

“That side…”

“Don’t contact them. Have them closely monitor all communication. When Qiu Wujiu originally wanted to reveal my Embroidered Uniform Guard commander identity to the Great King, fortunately our people intercepted it. Now I hear Qiu Wujiu has disappeared. When Xirong counted the battlefield that day, they didn’t find his body. If this person isn’t dead and wants to make a comeback, he might very well start from the Great King’s side again, using my information as a stepping stone once more… In any case, work hard to gain the Great King’s trust and control all information channels.”

“Yes. The Great King’s suspicions haven’t been dispelled. If your Embroidered Uniform Guard commander identity leaks, all previous efforts would be wasted… Should we stay in Liaodong to monitor this matter?”

“No, I have more important things to do.”

“What could be more important than this?”

“Of course… pursuing my wife!”

…

The people of the capital had been quite joyful recently.

First the city gates finally opened, then the Blood Cavalry entered the capital.

The city gates had suffered a disturbance a few days ago. Some spread rumors it was the Blood Cavalry attacking the gates, but soon the inner palace issued decrees. The outer city, inner city, and imperial city gates opened in succession, releasing the queuing people to welcome the Blood Cavalry into the capital.

The Tian Record shop, which had suddenly offered discounts, said at this time that their dried meat was sold out and closed shop. The people swarmed out of the city to see the legendary Blood Cavalry entering the capital.

The people had originally thought they could see the Crown Princess, but they didn’t. However, being able to see the Blood Cavalry in blood-red clothes with fierce expressions was quite satisfying.

It was also on this day that the people learned the Crown Princess had returned to the palace. The gentry who had attended the Grand Court Assembly quietly spread word about what had happened in the square that day, providing much material for teahouses and wine shops.

The simple people longed for stability and powerful rulers. The events in the square matched the people’s imagination of the most powerful monarch. For a time, the Crown Princess was praised throughout the streets. Mention the Crown Princess and everyone on the street would turn back with bright eyes.

It was in this atmosphere that Pingzong entered the city.

Half a month ago she had received Tie Ci’s letter. Little Aunt Tie had invited her to visit and stay at her home for a while. Her cheap little aunt had described the capital’s prosperity in the letter, making Pingzong, who had never left the sea island, very curious. She had immediately come by herself.

Her nature was impatient – she couldn’t wait slowly for the message-bearing courier, so she ran to the capital herself. Along the way she made quite a few laughable mistakes, like not knowing you needed money to buy things. When people asked her for money, she thought they were trying to rob her and beat them up.

When she understood you needed money to buy things, she couldn’t figure out money’s value and spent most of the travel funds Tie Ci had given her buying an inferior fake jade hairpin. With no money left for the second half of the journey, she went to perform for money. But her performances were too flashy – she caused a hailstorm that gave watching children bumps all over their heads, and she had to pay compensation. Controlling fire burned people’s clothes – more compensation.

When she finally learned to control the intensity of her performances, she was accused of being a fraud because she had stolen others’ business. Children would throw stones at her when she stood on the street. Pingzong got angry and wanted to slaughter the children, frightening the local government into deploying all their constables. In the end, it was only when Pingzong accidentally revealed the token Tie Ci had given her that she avoided prison.

The token Tie Ci gave was a palace token, but not the Crown Princess’s token. Local officials only knew it belonged to someone important and respectfully sent the plague god away, not daring to say more. Pingzong didn’t know Tie Ci’s identity either. This string of bad luck made her very displeased and doubtful – the outside world wasn’t wonderful at all. Little aunt was indeed a liar.

It was still the capital’s delicious food and beautiful clothes that Tie Ci mentioned in her letter that supported her decision to ultimately come, planning to take a look and leave if it wasn’t good.

When she entered the city, the city gate had a long queue. Two girls wearing veils in front were excitedly discussing the Crown Princess, saying she was the strongest woman in the world. Pingzong found this grating and interjected: “Strongest woman? Who is this Yellow Terrace Girl? How can there be such shameless people in the world? In my presence, someone still dares claim to be strongest?”

The two women turned around and shrieked: “Come quickly, someone is publicly slandering the Crown Princess!”

Women all around turned back, along with quite a few scholars.

Pingzong looked back at them in amazement.

Why are they looking at me?

Did I say something wrong?

She said: “What is this Yellow Terrace Girl anyway?”

Moments later, she was engulfed in a sea of veils, melons, fans, carrying poles, rotten eggs, and stinky shoes.

After pelting her, people scattered in all directions. Pingzong wanted revenge but couldn’t find anyone.

Pingzong stood dazedly amid the scattered objects, looking at the dripping fruit pulp on her clothes, grief welling up from within.

The capital was so unfriendly!

The prosperous outside world wasn’t good at all!

She wanted to go back to Ghost Island!

She was going to find that Yellow Terrace Girl and beat her ten thousand times every day, asking: “Who is the strongest person in the world?” until she cried while answering over and over: “It’s Pingzong! It’s Pingzong!”