novelraw Chapter 857: At Dawn Tomorrow, the Xuanji Sect Will Face Off—Don’t Make Me Go to the Palace Myself to Catch Them
Chapter 857: At Dawn Tomorrow, the Xuanji Sect Will Face Off—Don’t Make Me Go to the Palace Myself to Catch Them
Although this was tit for tat.
But this repayment was far too heavy.
Although Lu Ding hadn't yet said what the outcome for these people would be.
The Jing Emperor had already defaulted to the assumption that these people basically had no way out alive.
Seeing him hesitate and waver for a moment.
Lu Ding leaned over and transmitted a voice message, saying: "Don't make me personally go into the palace to arrest them..."
"If Your Majesty cannot make a decision, anyway, these princes and princesses don't get along with An Wuyang. Given his temperament, do you think they'll fare well once he ascends to the Crown Prince position?"
"Or do you think that after he ascends to the Crown Prince position, these people will behave themselves?"
"Here's what we'll do, Your Majesty. I'll help you decide. I don't like trouble. Tomorrow morning at the fifth watch, have them bring their people, bring their most formidable people. I will wait for them at the Xuanji Gate together with An Wuyang."
"Let's settle everything 'openly' in one go.""Anyway, this kind of thing will have to be done later, so might as well do it now. I will wait for them at the Xuanji Gate together with An Wuyang. I don't care how many people they bring. I'll just bring the people behind me. If they come, we'll close the gate and have a chat. If they don't come..."
"I'll still just take the people behind me and go find them. What do you think?"
Rather than going through those cumbersome procedures one by one, it's better to solve the problem all at once.
When the people arrive then, just close the gate directly. Whatever needs to be settled, kneel down and settle it!
To kill or to spare, it's all up to An Wuyang's will to decide.
Lu Ding is only responsible for fighting and capturing.
The Jing Emperor hesitated.
Lu Ding didn't force him either, just analyzed the pros and cons for him: "Your Majesty, isn't this a question you've already chosen before?"
The Jing Emperor was somewhat puzzled: "Chosen before? When did I choose?"
Lu Ding looked at Prince Zhao, continuing to respond to the Jing Emperor's words: "Back then, between the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao, you chose a Crown Prince for the state, but did not choose your 'son,' Prince Zhao."
"Now it's still the same question, but the weight of the options has lessened. The candidates no longer include your son Prince Zhao, only the Great Jing princes and those ministers who bullied their inferiors and offended their superiors."
"If you can't choose, then my evaluation of you will have to be lowered. At that time, you won't just be a heartless father, because you abandoned your own son Prince Zhao who fought in all directions for you, you'll also be an indecisive ruler."
Sensing Lu Ding's gaze.
Prince Zhao was somewhat confused and quietly asked his daughter beside him: "What are the old man and Grand Duke Lu talking about? Why is he looking at me?"
An Ning, who had long been crawling and rolling in the world of schemes and profound calculations, explained softly to her father: "Probably His Majesty is having difficulty making a choice between the Filial Prince and those who bullied him. And you know Grand Duke Lu's temperament."
"Now Grand Duke Lu is looking at you. I estimate he's probably using you as an example."
"Using me as an example?" Prince Zhao frowned.
An Ning nodded: "Yes. Previously, your situation was brought about by the Crown Prince position. Let's state something everyone knows: once the confirmation of the Crown Prince position gradually solidifies, His Majesty will definitely act against you for the sake of stabilizing the Crown Prince's position, which equals abandoning you."
"Now it's a similar process. If following His Majesty's previous way of thinking, he should abandon those people and side with the Filial Prince, who was previously weak but is now strong and holds the moral high ground."
"But now he's hesitating and wavering..."
An Ning didn't continue further.
But Prince Zhao's fist was already clenched tight.
Good, good, good! Double standards, is it?!
Back then when you had to make a choice regarding me, you directly chose the Crown Prince position whose candidate wasn't even confirmed yet. Now it's time for this kind of choice again, and you start hesitating!?
Could it be that the father-son bond between you and me, the father-son bond of fighting side by side, my contributions as Prince Zhao to your imperial throne, my contributions as Prince Zhao to Great Jing, are all inferior to these lazy, good-for-nothing princes who have contributed nothing at all!?
It's just that Lu Ding is currently chatting with the Jing Emperor.
Otherwise, Prince Zhao would definitely run up and question the Jing Emperor.
After a long while, the Jing Emperor sighed helplessly: "Can you give me some time to think?"
Lu Ding agreed: "Of course. Anyway, it's a matter for tomorrow morning. At that time, the Xuanji Gate, as agreed. You'd better make your decision properly. If they don't come, I'll have no choice but to take action personally."
"At that time, you will have chilled the heart of Great Han, chilled my heart, chilled An Wuyang's heart. Then I'll have no choice but to take him back to Great Han. Anyway, I'm short of people under my command."
Lu Ding's words ended here.
But when a great trend speaks, the greatest sound is barely audible, as if saying.
After Lu Ding returns, Great Han will come over.
This is the final push, also Great Jing's final opportunity.
The Jing Emperor's mood grew even heavier.
Lu Ding turned to An Wuyang and said: "Your Highness~ Want to return to Great Han?"
Return to Great Han...
An Wuyang wanted that way too much. Staying here, he's always being bullied, with people left and right looking at him unfavorably. Why stay here?
No background, no backing, no strength. Lu Ding can't possibly stay here forever. Better to return to Great Han.
As for the Crown Prince position, An Wuyang hadn't thought about it, nor could he figure it out. What qualifications does he have to be Crown Prince?
Even if he became one, he'd be an empty-shell emperor.
Moreover, after becoming Crown Prince, he would have one more shortcoming: having no one to use. Although there are civil and military officials throughout the court, whether emperor or Crown Prince, one must have their own trusted confidants.
He only has Eunuch Liu.
What? Does he want him to learn from a certain dynasty in Third Circle history and favor eunuchs?
Although Prince Zhao has come now, what kind of heroic figure is Prince Zhao? How could he submit to a minor cultivator like him at the Five Decays of Heaven-Man realm?
So, forget it.
An Wuyang felt somewhat happy, but also somewhat helpless: "Before you started calling me 'Your Highness,' I really wanted to..."
Although before Lu Ding came, others also called him 'Your Highness' repeatedly.
But when Lu Ding says it, it feels strange!
An Wuyang hears it and feels like he's showing off in front of an acquaintance who knows all his embarrassing stories. Social death, awkward, toes curling tight.
Lu Ding laughed: "Hahahaha, let's go, let's go, let's go eat a meal, chat while eating. After chatting, it'll be about time to start the activity."
White Eagle is still waiting over there. He did promise them back then, so of course he can't break the contract.
Watching Lu Ding lead his people away.
The Jing Emperor's gaze fell on Prince Zhao, who temporarily remained motionless on the spot, actually waiting for Lu Ding and the others to walk ahead, and called out: "Second son, could you accompany your father for a drink?"
A drink?
Prince Zhao laughed, because he was very angry now, so it was an angry laugh.
He turned his head back and shot a glare at the Jing Emperor. Double-standard old man, what were you doing earlier?
"Hmph!!!!"
With a cold snort, he turned his head and left.
Jing Emperor: ??????
Wait, what happened? What's going on?
"You... what attitude is that? What attitude is that!!!!"
"Outrageous, simply outrageous! Second son!!!"
"An Ying!!!!"
"Prince Zhao!!!"
"Come back! Come back for your emperor!! Come back for your old man!!!"
"Do you believe I'll have your head chopped off?!"
"This is defying an imperial decree!"
The Jing Emperor, who had been holding it in from start to finish, finally found an outlet to vent.
Unexpectedly, Prince Zhao wasn't going to indulge him anymore either.
Taking out his waist token, he tossed it backward, stabbing it firmly into the floor tile: "Your Majesty, please feel free. I'll go back and wait now. Whether you send poisoned wine or a three-foot white silk, I will act as if I don't see it."
The sudden turn of events made the Jing Emperor furious.
"Hahahahaha!!!!"
"You brat, little brat, rebellion!!!"
He originally thought he could have a heart-to-heart talk with his son. As it turns out, Prince Zhao now simply won't have anything to do with him.
The Jing Emperor pointed in the direction Prince Zhao left: "This is unfilial!!"
Prince Zhao replied: "Have you ever been kind? Have you ever been kind to me? At least I've been filial."