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墨書 Inktalez
The words of the Vast Emperor were piercing and sharp, hitting at Jing Tian'ao's weaknesses.
Jing Tian'ao opened his mouth but fell silent again.
"You don't want it, and what's missed is missed. If you want it now, then fight for it through legitimate means! It's useless to come to me now. In terms of cunning and deceit, I am no match for Gu Xuanhong; in terms of stability, I am no match for Liu Yuren; and in terms of chaos, I am even more afraid of Xuan Yuan Ling. Why don't you tell me how I should deal with those three!"
As the Vast Emperor spoke, he stood up from the dragon throne and walked down the ninety-nine steps of the white jade staircase.
The bright yellow dragon robe he wore shimmered brilliantly under the lights of Liuli Palace.
Jing Tian'ao narrowed his eyes, thinking a thought that he dared not voice out loud.
That thought was... if he were the emperor, he would certainly know how to deal with those three obstacles! But now the throne was not his, and the power in his hands was limited! What heavenly favored one, what mountain-like grace, were all just for show!
Since ancient times, in royal families, those truly favored are often carefully protected ones, not those paraded as heavenly favored ones for all to see like live targets!
The Vast Emperor also noticed the change in Jing Tian'ao's emotions and expressions.
"Do you think gifts from these three are easy to accept? The more precious the gift, the more the recipient has to pay. Gu Xuanhong is someone who never acts without benefit; who in the entire Vast Continent has ever taken advantage of him? That Eternal Pearl he dares to give me, but it requires Century-Long Cultivation to nurture it daily. Besides him, Gu Xuanhong, and the four elders of the Gu Family, who else possesses Century-Long Cultivation? At that time, even if Gu Xuanhong does not contribute his inner strength, those Four Great Elders are his people and will definitely not help. Without Century-Long Cultivation to sustain it, that Eternal Pearl will soon lose its luster. By then, Gu Xuanhong will surely find a thousand reasons for me to compensate him for emotional damages!
And then there's Xuan Yuan Ling; I do indeed like the Ancient Artifact from the Xuanyuan Family, but it requires a divine beast to guard it day and night to possess spiritual energy. Given Xuan Yuan Ling's reckless nature, if he gives me the artifact and I ask for the divine beast, he might just kill it for meat instead of giving it to me. What would I do with a piece of scrap metal then?
Lastly, let's talk about Liu Yuren. What do I need Military Power for? Should I personally guard the Border Defense or let Xia Yingba's three sons take over? Or should you go? Or should the third one go? Or should we let those Empress Dowagers or Queens in the harem handle it? Hmm? You tell me!"
The Vast Emperor rarely spoke so much to Jing Tian'ao. Although his usual tone was casual and relaxed, Jing Tian'ao felt that he could never truly grasp the thoughts and temperament of the Vast Emperor.
This father appeared simple and direct in character, often unable to hide his words. However, after twenty years on the throne and countless crises both big and small within court and society, on the surface it always seemed like Xia Yingba or Gu Xuanhong stepped in to resolve issues or that Xuan Yuan Old King suppressed them. Yet in the end, who benefited but the Vast Emperor!
Jing Tian'ao absolutely could not believe that what he saw with his own eyes, Vast Emperor, was real.
Even if it were his biological father, he, Jing Tian'ao, born into royalty, had too many doubts and was overly cautious.
"Father, I hope you don't mind my boldness. Your analysis is reasonable. But will you be giving Xia Huxin to someone?" Jing Tian'ao spoke this way not because he had given up on Huxin, but simply wanted to know the Vast Emperor's intentions early on to prepare for the future.
Vast Emperor looked at Jing Tian'ao with a relaxed expression, his eyes blinking. In the midst of Jing Tian'ao's eager anticipation, he leaned forward but then said something that left Jing Tian'ao fuming,
"I won't tell you. Alright, you can kneel in peace."
"Father!" The anger that Jing Tian'ao had just managed to suppress flared up again. He had no mood to play hide and seek with the Vast Emperor. What he wanted, he must obtain!
No matter what means it took, he would get Xia Huxin! He had to get her!
However, Vast Emperor completely ignored Jing Tian'ao's reaction, wearing a casual and carefree expression as he waved his hand and turned to walk up the ninety-nine steps of white marble.
In truth, Vast Emperor did not genuinely care for Jing Tian'ao. It was merely that when selecting princes, he had already seen through it; Jing Tian'ao was the most suitable to be placed in the spotlight to confuse the public.
Jing Tian'ao was proud and arrogant, yet possessed an imposing demeanor, while Jing Yushan was gloomy and calculating. Thus, they were suited to be placed together so that one could shine while the other lurked in the shadows, competing against each other.
There must exist such a balanced relationship among the princes to maintain stability in the entire environment! Just like in the court, where Xia Yingba appeared cold on the outside but was warm on the inside, Xuan Yuan Old King was rarely confused, and Liu Yuren ignored external affairs. Meanwhile, Gu Xuanhong established his own faction, and Xuan Yuan Ling acted foolishly with laughter and anger; all of them had their necessity for existence. They mutually constrained and supervised each other.
Jing Tian'ao only saw the surface struggle but failed to perceive the weakest and strongest aspects of human nature behind the desire for power.
Even Vast Emperor, too, had many things that were hard to see through; let alone someone like Jing Tian'ao, who could never let go of his arrogance.
"Step back. I need to rest."
The voice of the Vast Emperor suddenly turned cold. No matter how unwilling and defiant Jing Tian'ao was, at this moment, he would not utter another word.
However, his earlier performance had still left the Vast Emperor deeply disappointed in him.
The Vast Emperor had hoped that through the incident with Xia Huxin, Jing Tian'ao would engage in a profound self-reflection. To his surprise, Jing Tian'ao clung to an attitude of relentless pursuit, refusing to acknowledge his mistakes despite having missed the opportunity. In the end, he continued to entangle himself in this situation!
Now, Xia Huxin was certainly not someone who would give Jing Tian'ao any chances.
Having experienced similar situations before, the Vast Emperor knew very well that Xia Huxin would absolutely not give Jing Tian'ao any opportunities again!
...
Jing Tian'ao left Weiyang Palace and rode back to Prince Ping's Mansion, whipping his horse all the way. His heart burned with rage and boundless hatred; he had no mood to take a carriage home. Along the way, he lashed at his mount until its rear was bloodied and bruised, charging recklessly through the streets without regard for the dense crowds of innocent people on either side.
The horse, in pain, galloped through the streets and alleys, unaware of how many stalls it had overturned or how many innocent pedestrians it had trampled.
Jing Tian'ao's pride and nobility, which he had held onto for twenty years, could only be vented upon the common people at this moment!
It turned out that in this Vast Continent, there were so many people he could not compare himself to!
Gu Xuanhong! Liu Yuren! Xuan Yuan Ling! They all seemed to have set their sights on Xia Huxin! They were interested in that Xia Huxin who had once clung to him like a shadow that he couldn't shake off!
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