readytorunbook Chapter 255 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 29
Chapter 255 Young Man on a White Horse Drunk in the Spring Breeze 29
However, although Xiao Ruofeng did not know the specifics of the medicine, it did not prevent him from trusting his brother. So he nodded directly to Lei Mengsha to show his approval.
Lei Mengsha was overjoyed to receive confirmation. She happily took the medicine and then sat there waiting for a while.
"Your Highness, why do I feel nothing after taking the Hundred Herbs Extract?"
"The herbal extract is an antidote, not a poison. What kind of reaction do you expect?" Xiao Ruojin found it amusing.
Lei Mengsha scratched his head: "I thought the herbal extract would react with the poison in my body, but I didn't expect to feel anything at all."
"You can go back and try it out, for example, by taking some other poisons, and then you'll know whether the Herbal Extract is effective or not," Xiao Ruojin said meaningfully.
Lei Mengsha was indeed different from others. He was honest and straightforward. Perhaps because Xiao Ruofeng was present, he did not say anything hypocritical like "I believe you." Instead, his eyes lit up, and he shouted that he wanted to go home to find some poison to test its effects. After saying that, he left impatiently.
Looking at Lei Mengsha's energetic demeanor, Xiao Ruojin couldn't help but laugh. She turned to Xiao Ruofeng and said, "Now I finally understand why you like playing with him."
Xiao Ruofeng smiled and asked, "So, brother, are you teasing him?"
"I never joke, herbal extract really does have the effect of detoxifying all poisons."
Xiao Ruojin slowly suppressed her smile and pushed the medicine in front of Xiao Ruofeng: "This medicine is freshly made. It can be used to treat poison and prevent poisoning if there is no poison. After the news spread yesterday, those people are probably too restless to sit still. They will probably use any means necessary. Just in case, I had someone specially prepare this herbal extract."
When it came to serious matters, Xiao Ruofeng's expression became much more solemn. He nodded and said, "Indeed, those people were very wary of us before. Now that your martial arts have reached the Divine Realm and you have obtained the Heaven-Slaying Sword, it would be strange if they could remain calm. We still need to make some careful plans."
Xiao Ruojin understood what Xiao Ruofeng meant. The people he was referring to were not only the princes who would succeed to the throne, but also Emperor Tai'an.
Emperor Tai'an was an extremely suspicious man. Although he was now frail and sickly and it seemed he didn't have many years left to live, he began to pretend to worry about which prince would inherit the throne after his death. In reality, he was unwilling to relinquish power at all.
To ensure that his position would not be replaced by the younger princes, he deliberately supported the eldest prince and the Prince of Qing to form a three-way balance of power with Xiao Ruojin and Xiao Ruofeng, attempting to maintain his rule through this balance of power.
They don't even look at what Beili is like now.
With external enemies like the Southern Martial Arts Tournament and the Northern Barbarians eyeing them covetously, and the internal martial arts world in chaos, with organizations like the Outer Heaven secretly stirring up trouble, problems abound both internally and externally.
Instead of being vigilant and urging the appointment of a crown prince to stabilize the court, Emperor Tai'an arrogantly indulged in imperial maneuvering, allowing the factional strife among his princes to escalate. He even personally eliminated his most capable general, causing widespread panic within the army and a sharp decline in combat effectiveness.
Just like now, everyone with eyes to see knows that Xiao Ruojin is the only choice for the next emperor, but Emperor Tai'an is unable to recognize reality. Not only is he unwilling to relinquish power, but he is also even more wary of Xiao Ruojin's power. In order to maintain his balancing strategy, it is estimated that his next step will be to vigorously support the eldest prince and the Prince of Qing, and he may even try to sow discord between Xiao Ruofeng and others.
“Our father is truly despicable,” Xiao Ruofeng said expressionlessly.
Xiao Ruojin was a time traveler and didn't consider Emperor Tai'an her father at all, so she was able to give him an objective evaluation.
Xiao Ruofeng, on the other hand, was disillusioned with Emperor Tai'an because of his childhood experiences. Even though Emperor Tai'an now tries to win him over and occasionally shows fatherly love, it cannot make up for the past wounds.
Xiao Ruofeng is no longer a child who needs his father's protection. Beneath his respectful and devoted exterior lies a profound understanding of the situation and shrewd calculations of strategy.
The two brothers sat facing each other for a long time, discussing their next steps.
“Brother, things have come to this point, there’s nothing more we need to do. They are the ones who should be worried. Go back and manage the army’s power well. What awaits us later will be more than just court intrigue,” Xiao Ruojin said meaningfully.
Xiao Ruofeng nodded, indicating that he understood: "Brother, you don't need to worry about the military. I will arrange everything. In addition to our original forces, I will take the time to sort out the list of the remaining forces of the Ye family army that Ye Dingzhi left behind before he left. The Ye family army has now been scattered and distributed to various military camps, which has given us the opportunity to infiltrate other military forces. They will be very useful at critical moments."
Xiao Ruojin nodded, patted his shoulder, and smiled with satisfaction: "I naturally trust you to handle things, but you must take care of your health no matter how busy you are. These medicinal teas are good for your cold ailment, so don't forget to take some back with you when you leave."
Hearing his brother's words of concern, Xiao Ruofeng was very happy, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
People who are used to taking care of others are often the ones who crave love the most.
Xiao Ruofeng is an example of this.
Although he always appeared strong and independent in front of outsiders, deep down he also longed for the love and care from his family.
Now, Xiao Ruojin has filled the void in his heart. Xiao Ruofeng felt his brother's care and support, and the longing deep in his heart was fulfilled.
In order to continue to receive this emotional comfort, he will work even harder to maintain their relationship, make himself more valuable, and not disappoint Xiao Ruojin.
It can be said that as long as Xiao Ruojin can continue to provide this kind of affection, Xiao Ruofeng will be like a perpetual motion machine, tirelessly charging into battle for him.
Tianqi City is the most prosperous city in the world, with various forces intertwined and martial arts masters as numerous as hairs on a cow.
The news that someone had successfully broken through to the Divine Realm and that the Heavenly Slash Sword had reappeared in the mortal world spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of Tianqi City in less than half an hour.
The news that King Jingyu had given the Heaven-Slaying Sword to his younger brother, King Langya, was even more shocking.
This aroused great curiosity among countless people about this little-known King Ejingyu.
Every word and action of this Prince Jingyu has been amplified and interpreted, becoming a topic of conversation, but overall the comments have been positive.
The divination of Yingzong was overjoyed. With the help of Langya Wang, Jingyu Wang was already a strong contender for the throne. Now, he was even more powerful. The next emperor would definitely be Jingyu Wang. At that time, his plan to bring Yingzong to the forefront would be just around the corner.
Yi Bu was somewhat impressed with his own judgment. Emperor Tai'an had so many princes, yet he had chosen the unremarkable Prince Jingyu. Could it be that fate had ordained the Shadow Sect to rise to prominence?
Thinking of this, Yi Bu's heart instantly burned with passion. Suddenly, he thought of his daughter, who had been ill ever since she married into the Jingyu Prince's Mansion.
Jingyu King is now practically the next emperor, so he needs to hurry up and find a way to cure his daughter's illness and give birth to a son for Jingyu King. Only in this way can he further consolidate the position of Yingzong and make Yingzong even more glorious.
"It seems I need to make a trip to Prince Jingyu's residence." Not only to congratulate Prince Jingyu, but also to find a way to cure my daughter as soon as possible so that she can have a child.
Ib was pondering this.
As for Yi Wenjun's own wishes, they were not within his consideration!
Similarly, whether Yi Wenjun could win Xiao Ruojin's favor was not within his concern.
He was absolutely confident in his daughter's appearance, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful woman in the world. King Jingyu would surely fall for her.
Leaving aside how Ibzai marveled at his own discerning eye and keen judgment, the princes were truly in a state of utter despair.
Upon learning of last night's news, the eldest prince, Luo Yu Wang, instantly lost all his spirits and slumped to one side, while his advisors were fiercely debating and discussing their next course of action.
Previously, the main target of the Fallen Feather King's vigilance was the Langya King, and the Jingyu King was just an accessory in his eyes. Who would have thought that this accessory would suddenly rise to prominence and have such great fortune.
In fact, after fighting for so many years, he had figured out some of Emperor Tai'an's thoughts and knew that his chances of inheriting the throne were not great.
But being a member of the royal family and the eldest son of the emperor, even knowing that his chances of inheriting the throne were slim, he still wanted to give it a try.
When the situation is still uncertain, everyone has a chance.
If even princes of lowly status like Xiao Ruojin and Xiao Ruofeng could compete for it, why couldn't he, as the eldest prince, do the same?
Besides, given his position, even if he didn't want to compete, he would be pushed forward by countless people.
His reason for fighting was not only his own resentment, but also the pressure of the situation that forced him to fight.
But now he has to admit that he has absolutely no chance.
But now that things have come to this, how can he possibly back down?
Realizing this, Luo Yu Wang felt a surge of despair, but at the same time, a strange sense of relief rose within him.
The throne was like a carrot dangling in front of him—he could see it but couldn't reach it. He kept moving towards the carrot, but he was always just one step away.
Now that the thread holding the carrot has broken, regardless of whether he can ultimately eat the carrot, at least his mind is at ease. He is no longer at the mercy of Emperor Tai'an, and he can finally choose his own path in the future.
……
The same situation occurred at the Qingwang Mansion, and the Qingwang's reaction was even more intense than that of the Luoyuwang.
After learning the news from last night, Qing Wang smashed almost everything he could in the room, but he still couldn't accept the fact.
"Xiao Ruojin is of humble birth and mediocre talent. How could she possibly succeed in becoming the number one sword in the world? The Heavenly Slash Sword is truly unworthy of being the top of the ten famous swords. How could it choose such a master?" The Azure King roared hysterically, his eyes bloodshot, almost falling into a state of madness.
"Zhuo Qing is a complete waste. He acted so impressive in front of me before, saying that as long as I did what Zhenxi Marquis needed, he would get my name written on the Dragon Seal Scroll. But look at him now? He was killed by Xiao Ruojin in a single move. How laughable! Absolutely laughable!"
The King of Green's voice was filled with anger and resentment.
"Then what was the purpose of all this?"
The Prince of Qing almost burst into tears. He was the second prince of Beili, and his mother was of noble birth. From the moment he was born, he was destined to have a bright and glorious future.
Therefore, he naturally believed that he was the person closest to that position, and the only opponent who could rival him was the Fallen Feather King.
As he expected, none of the princes dared to confront him directly. Anyone who had such thoughts would be ruthlessly suppressed by him. Only the Fallen Feather King stood up to him head-on.
For a long time, only he and the Fallen Feather King were vying for the throne in the imperial court.
Then, after a cold winter, Xiao Ruojin suddenly seemed like a different person and actually got involved as well.
However, because Xiao Ruojin's mother came from a humble background and had no maternal clan to rely on, and because she was not favored by Emperor Tai'an, she and her younger brother Xiao Ruofeng were practically people who could be trampled on by anyone in the palace.
It's laughable that such an insignificant person dares to dream of seizing the throne.
Neither he nor the Fallen Feather King took Xiao Ruojin seriously.
Even though Xiao Ruojin later won over some court officials, they didn't pay much attention to him.
It wasn't until Xiao Ruofeng became a student of Mr. Li at the academy that he went from being an unknown ninth prince in the palace to becoming the prized student of Li Changsheng, the number one scholar in the world.
Later, Xiao Ruofeng gained Emperor Tai'an's attention for quelling the rebellion in Langya City and was granted the title of Prince of Langya, becoming the first prince to be granted such a title.
He himself was able to be granted the title of Prince Qing by fabricating the case of Ye Yu's rebellion at the suggestion of Emperor Tai'an.
Xiao Ruofeng's threat was obvious, so he and the eldest prince focused their attention on Xiao Ruofeng.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Ruojin was the one who hid the deepest secret.
What should he do now?
Is there still hope of reaching that position?
Now that Zhuoqing is gone, should he continue his false accusations against the Marquis of Zhenxi?
Qing Wang slumped in his chair, his mind racing with various ideas, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't see a glimmer of hope.
……
Compared to the reactions of King Luoyu and King Qing, Emperor Tai'an's reaction seemed somewhat ironic.
Just as Xiao Ruojin had thought, Emperor Tai'an was currently in a state of unease.
Yes!
When Emperor Tai'an learned that Xiao Ruojin had successfully ascended to the Heavenly Pavilion, broken through to the Divine Travel Realm, and obtained the Heaven-Slaying Sword, he was in a state of extreme unease.
Logically speaking, a father should be happy when his son has achieved such great things. However, Emperor Tai'an was an emperor, and an extremely suspicious one at that.