bullyxtreme Chapter 200 King Zhao is demoted
Chapter 200 King Zhao is demoted
King Zhao already knew what had happened on his way here. He was also very confused. Although there were quite a few people who kept secret guards, it was something that was openly forbidden. In theory, all cultivators in the Dayong Dynasty should be loyal to the emperor, not the master of the secret guards. Therefore, this matter could be a big deal or a small deal.
King Zhao knelt on the ground as soon as he arrived, saying nothing. He needed to observe his father's attitude.
The emperor looked at his son. He also had some affection for Prince Zhao, otherwise he wouldn't have given him the ability to compete with the crown prince. He couldn't help but sigh. Based on his understanding of his son, he knew that this was something he had done.
"You knelt down as soon as you arrived, did that mean you immediately confessed your guilt?"
King Zhao did not give such an answer. He stared at the emperor with wide eyes and said, "Father, what are you saying? What do you mean by confessing? I have not done anything wrong. Why should I confess?"
The emperor's heart sank. If Prince Zhao had readily confessed his guilt and accepted punishment, the emperor would have thought more highly of him. His sense of responsibility was a very good quality for the royal family. But he did not, which made his struggle for the throne even more difficult.
"Enough, I don't want to say anything more to you, Your Highness, you speak."
The Crown Prince stepped forward and looked at Prince Zhao before him. He felt extremely pleased. Now that his father's abdication was imminent, Prince Zhao's misfortune meant that there was no longer any possibility of him competing with him.
“Brother, you are really confused. Even if the Azure Scale Demon King offended you, it is just a matter for a junior. Why did you get so angry and send your own guards to assassinate him? Do you know how important the cooperation between the human and demon races is? If the cooperation is disrupted because of you, the status of our Great Yong Dynasty may change. You are acting too impulsively.”
King Zhao's face turned pale with anger. He stared intently at the Crown Prince: "Brother, who doesn't know that the Azure Scale Demon King is related to your good son by marriage? Why did I attack him? Wasn't it because he interfered in our affairs? Otherwise, I wouldn't even care about a newly promoted Golden Core cultivator. What, you can only use him to attack me, but I can't retaliate?"
A layer of gray mist appeared in the emperor's eyes, and his expression dimmed considerably. At this moment, he was no longer a high-ranking cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage, nor was he the emperor who ruled a dynasty. He was just a father, a father who watched his brothers kill each other. He sighed deeply.
"Huai Zhao, it's my fault as your father for spoiling you."
Huai Zhao was the courtesy name of King Zhao. The emperor had not addressed him by that name for many years. In fact, he himself had not referred to himself as "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor"). At this moment, everyone else fell silent.
The Emperor's voice was somewhat hoarse, revealing his terrible mood. "Huai Zhao, your mother, the Imperial Concubine, died young. I was indeed childhood sweethearts with her. Before she passed away, she asked me to take good care of you. Therefore, your entire lifestyle was set according to the Crown Prince's standards. I have fueled your ambition. In your eyes, I have indeed not been good enough to the Crown Prince, but this is the attitude a Crown Prince should have. He must take care of everything himself so that he can become a qualified emperor in the future. I give you whatever you want because you can rely on your father now and your elder brother in the future. Do you understand?"
King Zhao collapsed to the ground. He understood what his father meant. In other words, all the preferential treatment he received was not because of his excellence or his potential as crown prince, but because his mother and father were childhood sweethearts who died young. This was his father's favoritism towards his childhood sweetheart son, whom he had never considered as a potential crown prince.
He was unwilling to accept it. He stood up, his eyes filled with a hint of madness: "Father? Why? I have studied and cultivated diligently since I was a child. I have done everything I could. Why can't I become the Crown Prince? Is this fair? We are all Father's children. Why can't I have a chance?"
The emperor shook his head at him: "You don't even understand this simple principle. How can you manage the entire dynasty? It's very simple. The Crown Prince's mother, the current Empress, is the daughter of a Nascent Soul stage expert. Even though the Empress has been dead for many years, there has been no Empress in the palace, all to preserve the connection with that Nascent Soul stage expert. His grandson must be the Crown Prince. Otherwise, our Great Yong Dynasty will lose this Nascent Soul stage cultivator. If Longhu Mountain and Shu Mountain join forces, they can destroy our Great Yong Dynasty. Have I made myself clear enough?"
The crown prince immediately knelt down. He could hear the emperor's dissatisfaction with his lineage from his words. Of course, how could an emperor not feel uncomfortable being controlled by others? Even if these others were helpers he had worked very hard to obtain.
"Father, I assure you, if we are ever in danger, Grandfather will definitely not abandon us."
His maternal grandfather, the only rogue cultivator in the Qingyun Realm at the Nascent Soul stage (second level), was known as the Floating Cloud Hermit. He had not established any power, living a solitary and aloof life. Years ago, his only daughter married the current emperor, but she was extremely poorly aptitude. Even with the title of empress, she failed to advance to the Golden Core stage and died from her body exploding. However, she left behind her only son, the crown prince, which bound him to the Dayong Dynasty to a certain extent.
The emperor looked at the crown prince and sighed, "We are still not strong enough, Crown Prince. Remember, he can help you because he is your maternal grandfather, but can he help the crown prince's grandson? Can he help the crown prince's grandson? Of course not. Therefore, you must work hard to cultivate and create another Nascent Soul stage expert."
No one expected that a meeting to interrogate King Zhao would turn out like this. The emperor vented his emotions and then announced the results.
"King Zhao harbored inappropriate thoughts and committed wrongdoings, so he has to be punished. He is demoted to a county prince and sent to a prosperous place. Prepare to go to your fiefdom. From now on, cultivate yourself well and treat the people of your fiefdom well."
King Zhao cried out in despair, but the emperor waved his hand. A burst of magic blew him away, and then the emperor's eyes turned cold: "Crown Prince, I am not a fool. You'd better think twice."
After saying this, the emperor left immediately. The crown prince, as if all his strength had been drained, slumped into his chair: "My son, is your imperial grandfather angry?"
The Crown Prince nodded: "Father, don't worry. I never knew you had such a background. If I had known earlier, we wouldn't have had to do this. As long as Grandfather is alive, you will be the next emperor. No matter what Uncle does, your position is secure. But it's too late to talk about it now. Father, just focus on doing your own thing."