Chapter 55: Emperor Xia Intends to Appoint a Crown Prince
The True Dragon Chariot is one of the few vehicles capable of flying within the imperial palace.
Along the way, there were many patrolling guards, but not a single one stepped forward to block him.
Thus, Qin Bei quickly arrived at the palace and finally reached Ling Fei’s residence.
“Your Majesty, why do you seem to be in such a bad mood lately? Have you encountered any troubling matters?”
As Ling Fei gently massaged Emperor Xia’s shoulders, she inquired softly.
“I have no troubling matters; I’ve simply made some progress in my cultivation.”
“That’s a good thing! Your Majesty is the pillar of Great Xia. If your cultivation can improve, then Great Xia will be all the more stable! Why are you not pleased?”
Ling Fei said with delight.
Having entered the palace at the tender age of twenty, she was now forty years old.
In all these years, she had never heard of Emperor Xia achieving a breakthrough.
And this was quite normal; for a cultivator at Emperor Xia’s level, making a leap would likely take hundreds or even thousands of years, with the required resources being unfathomable.
“It’s indeed a good thing for me to break through, but once I enter seclusion, I need to devote myself entirely. Not even an external manifestation can be allowed, and the duration of seclusion is also unpredictable. Who will manage this vast Great Xia?”
Ling Fei wasn’t one to miss the point.
She instantly grasped what Emperor Xia was concerned about.
If the entirety of Great Xia was envisioned as a colossal machine, then Emperor Xia was its engine.
Without Emperor Xia, the machine would grind to a halt, and no one could replace him.
“A hundred years ago, when I entered seclusion, the late emperor took charge. But now… sigh…”
Mentioning the late emperor made Emperor Xia feel somewhat uneasy.
Even a century ago, despite giving everything he had within Great Xia, he could not save the late emperor. This remained an eternal thorn in his heart.
“But there’s Elder Ying, isn’t there? His prestige is quite high,” Ling Fei chimed in with a light laugh.
“Him? That old man is far too benevolent.”
Emperor Xia shook his head.
The immutable truth—kindness cannot command an army.
“Then Your Majesty, you surely can’t fail to break through. Everyone is relying on your cultivation.”
“Indeed.”
Suddenly, Emperor Xia turned to Ling Fei, who was gently massaging his shoulders, and said, “My beloved concubine, do you think the crown prince’s position has gone unfilled for too long?”
Ling Fei hesitated for a moment.
“The appointment of the crown prince is for Your Majesty to decide! How dare a woman like me speak out of turn?”
“Hahaha, I only mentioned it casually; look at how frightened you are!”
Ling Fei chuckled, continuing her massage.
Yet deep down, she knew that after all these years, Emperor Xia seemed to be considering the appointment of a crown prince.
Discussing this issue with her clearly indicated that at least one of her two sons stood a chance of emerging as the crown prince.
She felt neither particularly pleased nor displeased about it.
In her heart, she believed that greater power brought greater pressure.
Rather than seeing her sons as crown princes, she hoped they would each follow their own paths, unshackled by the constraints of a throne.
Moreover, once this news got out, the competition for the crown would undoubtedly become the most crucial matter in Great Xia in recent years.
She didn’t even need to think about how fiercely contested it would be.
Thus, she didn’t want her sons embroiled in such a war; being a carefree prince didn’t seem so bad after all.
At that moment, Qin Bei strolled in with Ji Zhuyue.
“Your son greets the emperor and mother.”
“Ji Yue greets the emperor and mother.”
“Come, quickly rise.”
Upon receiving Emperor Xia’s signal, Ling Fei rushed to help Ji Zhuyue to her feet.
“Let me take a good look at you. How do you fare?”
Ling Fei scrutinized Ji Zhuyue closely.
“What do you mean by ‘how do I fare’?”
Qin Bei asked, puzzled.
“Tsk~ you child, don’t you know?”
Then Ling Fei straightened her expression.
“Well, it seems I can’t count on you to cradle a baby, can I?”
Qin Bei: …
Ah… this…
How absurd…
Having caught the drift of the situation, Ji Zhuyue’s face involuntarily flushed red.
“Come, you’ve just returned from the secret realm. Mother will take you to dress you up nicely.”
Ling Fei said while pulling Ji Zhuyue along.
She left the space for Qin Bei and Emperor Xia.
“Okay.”
Ji Zhuyue obediently nodded and followed.
Once they had left, Emperor Xia finally turned his attention to Qin Bei.
“I don’t care what kind of feelings you harbor for Ji Yue, but I must caution you: do not neglect Mu Zhaoxue. Within fifty years, I expect you to have your first child, and it must be with Mu Zhaoxue.”
Emperor Xia spoke sternly from the get-go.
In Emperor Xia’s view, Mu Zhaoxue was the saintess of the Wu Kingdom. To stabilize their relationship, he needed to secure Mu Zhaoxue.
“Father, when did you start caring about such matters? I want to have a child with Mu Zhaoxue, but isn’t it Mu Zhaoxue who isn’t willing?”
“So, you need to strengthen yourself. No woman can resist an outstanding man. Once you excel, she will pledge herself wholeheartedly to you.”
Qin Bei: …
“Isn’t my son making progress already?”
“That’s good.”
“Do you know why I called you here?”
“Of course, father wants to reward me. After all, I’ve made significant contributions this time.”
“Hehe~ that’s a fine thought. I will reward you with the True Dragon Chariot. Do you dare to accept it?”
Emperor Xia posed the question teasingly.
Everyone knew what the True Dragon represented; thus, even if Emperor Xia intended to give it away, many princes would hesitate to accept.
Though princes, some lacked a foundation and dared not engage in the quest for the crown.
Qin Bei fell into the latter category.
Despite having recently showcased his cultivation talent, earning merits, and becoming a Three-Seal Prince, all of these were merely his personal achievements; he held no power or influence in the court. Even with a marriage connection, he still remained a lone wolf.
Moreover, Qin Bei had previously offended numerous individuals.
Thus, in Emperor Xia’s eyes, the astute Qin Bei would certainly avoid this hot potato.
However, reality surprised him.
Qin Bei boldly declared, “If Father is willing to give it, why would I not dare to accept?”
“It’s just that I want to taste what fresh True Dragon meat is like.”
Emperor Xia: …???
“Hahahaha, good! But I can’t give it to you now. If you can comprehend the ‘Void Sutra’ in the royal mausoleum, then I shall bestow you this True Dragon! How does that sound?”
“Then are you saying there will be no reward for my contributions this time, Father?”
Emperor Xia: …
Why can’t you focus on something standard?
“Who said there’s no reward? In fact, I’ve already rewarded you.”
Qin Bei’s eyes lit up.
“You’ve given it to me? Why didn’t I see it? Was it sent to my manor? Spirit stones? Spirit medicine? Or magical weapons?”
Emperor Xia: …
“Allowing you to ride the True Dragon back is already a reward.”
Emperor Xia was speaking the truth.
Though riding the True Dragon was merely a formality, it also conveyed to the ministers at court that Qin Bei had a shot at becoming the crown prince.
In due time, ministers would undoubtedly visit Qin Bei’s manor.
With this, Qin Bei, an unanchored prince in the court, would finally establish his own footing.
This undoubtedly laid a foundation for Qin Bei’s bid for the crown prince’s position.
Qin Bei: …???
“Father, you should have said that earlier! Had I known, I wouldn’t have sat down; it would have been better to ask for a different reward!”
“No, no! When I talk to you, I feel stuffy; I simply must hit you a couple of times to vent my frustration!”
…
I go to such lengths for you, only to receive a disdainful remark in return?
Had it been someone else, Emperor Xia might have truly flown into a rage on the spot.
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