"Sixth Brother? And the Palace Guards?!" The Crown Prince Lin Tianrong could clearly recognize the person exclaiming these questions, but as he heard the rumbling footsteps that followed afterwards, he still subconsciously turned back for a glance.
He was evidently surprised at the appearance of King Duan, Lin Xinjue, and his army of Palace Guards he led in. He could still accept the appearance of the Dragon Protection Squad and the Royal Guards, but … the Palace Guards?
Why did Sixth Brother have the gall to charge into the palace with the Palace Guards? They are forbidden to enter the Imperial Palace, unless …
Sixth Brother already knew his plan beforehand?
When Lin Tianrong came across this thought and thought about Qian Wu again, his body shuddered with rage.
All this while, he has been a fool that was exploited by others.
He felt indignant, extremely indignant, but what could he do now? Voice his protestations now? That was impossible because he was already out of options.
"What exactly is …" Lin Xinjue did not spare Lin Tianrong a glance, instead staring closely at the Throne Room which had been reduced to a pile of rubble, as well as the giant bronze gate in the middle. He was similarly astonished.
In fact, before he arrived, he already knew that a major battle would break out in the Imperial Palace, but he never would have guessed that he would be greeted by a mere pile of rubble.
Where's the Throne Room? Was it destroyed?
Furthermore …
Who's the Demonic Man standing in front of the enormous bronze door?
"Could that be … a demon?!" Lin Xinjue finally stopped in his tracks when this thought flashed through his mind.
The Dragon Protection Squad and the Royal Guards were similarly surprised when Lin Xinjue and the tens of thousands of Palace Garrison Guards appeared in their line of sight. After all, the Palace Garrison Guards were technically barred from entering the Imperial Palace.
But …
Lin Xinjue blatantly brought the Palace Garrison Guards in like this. Is this a rebellion? Or a rescue mission?
In the past, no one would think of the former, but the situation is different now. Under current circumstances, once Lin Xinjue does decide to lead a rebellion, the Great Xia Empire would very well descend into a crisis of unprecedented severity.
"Father, I've come too late. I …" Lin Xinjue blurted his words out quickly after a brief moment of astonishment, but he still swallowed his words when he saw the state of Lin Mubai and Chen Feihua.
Injured?!
Father has been injured! And so has the Imperial Concubine Hua Fei?!
How is this possible? Hua Fei is ranked seventeenth on the Sacred Rankings. What … exactly is going on here?
"What are you here for?" Lin Mubai asked unhesitantly as he glanced at the stunned Lin Xinjue, his eyes flashing with a pinch of coldness.
"I … I heard the ruckus inside the Imperial Palace, and I … I was worried that Father was met with an accident, so I specially brought the Palace Garrison Guards here to rescue you …" LIn Xinjue stammered as he subconsciously gulped several times.
"Rescue? You locked the four gates of the Imperial Palace, abandoned the Flame Capital City, and specially rushed all the way here just to rescue me?" LIn Mubai clenched his fist.
"I … I was afraid there might be traitors …"
"Traitors? Are you referring to your third eldest brother?"
"Father, I …" Lin Xinjue wanted to explain himself, but he could only swallow his words as he met Lin Mubai's piercingly cold gaze.
"What does Your Highness have to fear?" Qian Wu's voice suddenly sounded. His eagle-like eyes gazed at Lin Xinjue who has already turned around to face him, his mouth cracking a patronizing sneer.
"Who are you?" Lin Xinjue frowned and asked instinctively as he looked at Qian Wu standing a short distance away from the Crown Prince Lin Tianrong.
"Oh, I forgot that Your Highness still cannot recognize me, and can only recognize Su Qing. My apologies. But has Su Qing not informed Your Highness of the purpose of my visit to the Imperial Palace?" Qian Wu asked apologetically.
"What ...What do you mean? LIn Xinjue's face turned slightly pale.
"Haha, no need to be alarmed, Your Highness. You'll just have to wait a little longer. Once the Great Xia Emperor dies, the throne would definitely belong to the Crown Prince, or perhaps, even Your Highness!" Qian Wu chuckled.
"Qian Wu, you … What exactly do you want?" Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince Lin Tianrong turned pale as his eyes became bloodshot.
"Is Your Highness unaware of what I'm trying to do?" Qian Wu turned around to face the Crown Prince.
"Could it be that you're thinking of …"
"Of course!" Qian Wu interrupted him even before he could complete his sentence. "Since ancient times, it was always survival of the fittest, and the strongest of all would become the king. Since both the Crown Prince and King Duan are eyeing the throne, you'll definitely have to battle it out. Isn't this very fair?"
"Fair? You want to elect an obedient puppet to take the throne, don't you?" Lin Tianrong's tone turnde cold as the aura his body exuded became extremely unstable.
"Does Your Highness have to be so direct?" Qian Wu laughed.
"You …" Lin Tianrong's body surged with a violent gush of energy. He clenched his fists tighter than ever before as his eyes flashed with a frightening radiance.
At this point, he was naturally deduced Qian Wu's true intentions.
The Great Xia Empire boasts thousands of years of rich history, with miles of fertile plains and large populations. It would be totally impossible for the Holy Barbarian Empire to immediately control and stabilize the kingdom given its current level of power. Hence, Qian Wu is selecting a decently obedient puppet between him and King Duan to ascend the throne.
If things escalate to such a stage, both him and King Duan would be well within the Holy Barbarian Empire's grasp, regardless of who ascends the throne.
"Over my dead body! I'll never let you have your way!" The Crown Prince Lin Tinarong finally displaced himself, charging directly towards Qian Wu with bloodshot eyes.
"Oh? You don't want the throne?" Qian Wu sneered as he gazed at Lin Tianrong, and threw his fist towards his opponent.
"Watch out, Your Highness!" A person in black flew forward and blocked Qian Wu's attack, his body shining with a blinding radiance.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous crash, the person in black was thrown backwards, colliding with Lin Tianrong. Both their bodies collapsed to the ground.
"Blurt!" Lin Tianrong expelled a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Trash!" Qian Wu muttered as he quickly turned his attention to King Duan, Lin Xinjue. "Your Highness is an intellectual. I'm sure you wouldn't follow in the footsteps of this trash, would you? Of course, if Your Highness isn't smart enough, I wouldn't mind finding someone smarter in the large palace!"
Qian Wu looked extremely arrogant.
Everyone in the Dragon Protection Squad and the Royal Guards clenched their fists tightly as they took in the sight before their eyes.
Trash? That's still an insult!
Although Lin Tianrong did launch a mutiny against the throne, he would still be the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Empire until Lin Mubai officially strips him of his title.
"Your Highness, save His Majesty first!" One of the leaders of the Palace Garrison Guards seethed with rage as he looked at the Crown Prince sprawled on the ground and turned to Qian Wu standing in the distance.
Lin Xinjue's body jerked. He certainly wanted to save the Emperor, but the situation unfolding before his eyes has evidently surpassed all his calculations. He subconsciously clenched his fists tighter as he looked at the Crown Prince lying on the floor.
He witnessed the power of Qian Wu's strike very clearly.
The man in black's strength was minimally in the Rebirth State, but he was sent flying backwards by a single punch from Qian Wu. And furthermore … Both Lin Mubai and Chen Feihua sustained grave injuries, while the ground was covered in countless corpses from the Dragon Protection Squad and the Royal Guards.
Everything indicated that Qian Wu has clinched the absolute advantage in this battle.
Worse still, there were only around ten thousand Palace Garrison Guards standing behind him, with the rest still outside the palace walls. What could he even do?
The Imperial Palace!
He did not come to the Imperial Palace simply to steal their thunder; he wanted to exploit the ongoing chaos to seize the throne of the Great Xia Empire in one fell swoop.
He has waited too long for the throne, and he did not want to wait any longer.
He'll save the Emperor, slay the Crown Prince and be conferred the latter's title. In that case, he'll still be the Crown Prince, and no one would know the changes that await him in the days to come.
This was an opportunity to ascend straight to the throne.
However, a throne seized himself and a throne conferred to him are two entirely different matters. Although he was fully confident of eradicating the Holy Barbarian Empire's influence after ascending the throne, his title would still be one that was conferred to him.
What should he do? Should he fight?
What if he can't outmatch them?
It's just as Qian Wu said - the Great Xia Empire does not merely have the two princes. The Imperial Palace alone has too many worthy candidates for the throne. If he cannot outmatch Qian Wu, he would lose his final chance to ascend the throne.
He was hesitating greatly.
"Father!" Just as Lin Xinjue was struggling to make a decision, an unusually impatient voice rang through the crowd.
Following that, a fiery-red figure charged out from behind Lin Xinjue, running straight towards Lin Mubai without a trace of hesitation.
"Oh no, is that the Princess?!'
"It's dangerous!"
Eunuch Wei and Yan Qing's voices rang out simultaneously from the crowd as both of them gazed at the incoming figure, seeming evidently nervous.
"Ping Yang, no!"
"Quickly fall back!"
Lin Mubai and Chen Feihua's voices sounded at the same time as they looked at Ping Yang running straight towards them. Both of them subconsciously prepared for her arrival.
Suddenly, another figure appeared in front of Ping Yang. His brand-new black uniform flowed gently in the night breeze, emitting a soft sound as he raised a hand to block Ping Yang's advance.
"How troublesome. Didn't you agree to be a passer-by observing from the sidelines? Where did our mutual trust go?" The person curled his lips, revealing a face showing resignation.