We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

"evil creature!!!"

Emperor Qing stood up suddenly, and his furious face, which had been hidden in the shadows, was finally exposed under the bright candlelight.

That majestic face was now filled with shock, anger, and an inextricable sadness.

He saw with his own eyes his two sons tearing at each other like wild beasts. One had his ear bitten off and was writhing in agony, while the other was mad with blood all over his mouth. Beside them were Li Lin and Zhu Chun, who were panicking and trying to intervene...

In this scene, where is the majesty of the royal family? Where is the human relationship between father and son?

There is only naked hatred, madness and blood.

"Pull them apart for me. Anyone who dares to move will have his legs broken!"

Seeing Emperor Qing's rage, the Jinyiwei and the imperial guards all trembled, daring not to work without effort anymore, and pressed the King of Qin to the floor.

The imperial physician immediately came forward to check the King of Shu's wound.

After just one look, the imperial physician gasped.

An ear was bitten in half alive, and the tissues and blood vessels inside were still beating slightly, which made people's scalp tingle just by looking at it.

The imperial physician was not a military doctor, and was not skilled in bandaging techniques, and had never seen such serious injuries.

He had no choice but to kneel on the ground with a pale face, begging for mercy from Emperor Qing in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Zhu Chun, who was standing by, saw the imperial physician's dilemma and quickly said, "Your Majesty, the King of Shu's injuries are external. It would be best to go to the barracks and find a military physician to treat him."

Emperor Qing nodded expressionlessly: "Go find a military doctor, but Li Huan can't leave. Imprison this beast in the side hall first!"

The imperial physician felt relieved, and with the help of several Jinyiwei, he helped Li Huan, who was almost fainting from the pain, to walk out.

"Wait!" Emperor Qing looked at Li Zhang and shouted, "Spit out your ears! Spit out your ears!"

Li Zhang looked at Li Huan coldly and slowly spat out the half ear stuck in his teeth onto the ground.

Emperor Qing's body shook, as if all his strength was drained away in an instant.

He reached out to hold onto the armrest of the throne and managed to keep his balance.

All the emotions in those deep eyes seemed to be extinguished by this extremely ugly scene.

Emperor Qing felt his back sink, as if he had aged ten years at that moment.

His eyes swept across the half bloody ear on the ground, across Li Huan's bloody face, and then across Li Zhang, whose mouth was full of blood and whose eyes were crazy, and finally he closed his eyes tiredly.

He waved his hand, as if he was extremely tired of even looking at it.

"Enough..." Emperor Qing's voice rang out again, "Drag these... these two... evil creatures away!"

"Li Zhang is unconscious... He is being held in the Imperial Clan Court under strict custody, awaiting further action!"

Emperor Qing seemed to leave some room for maneuver in his treatment of Li Zhang.

When he looked at Li Huan, his eyes were filled with indifference. "Li Huan will be appointed Crown Prince and will reside in the Eastern Palace to ensure the safety of the country."

Everyone was silent, but they heard Emperor Qing continue to speak coldly:

"The Crown Prince is weak due to his injuries and cannot bear the fatigue. He is hereby exempted from all enthronement ceremonies, court greetings, and regular greetings."

"All affairs of the Eastern Palace will be temporarily managed by the Eunuch Supervisor. The Crown Prince should rest and recuperate in the Eastern Palace and is not allowed to leave without permission!"

How can these cold words show any sympathy for the hurt?

It was clearly a declaration: From now on, the Eastern Palace no longer needed a crown prince, it only needed a living, speechless, and invisible prisoner!

A living dead man who was placed in that position just to silence the gossips of the people and completely cut off the thoughts of all the princes except Li Che!

The East Palace under your feet, the palace where the former crown prince's body had just been carried out, will become Li Huan's magnificent tomb.

He will be imprisoned in this magnificent tomb, slowly decaying in endless pain and despair until the new emperor ascends the throne.

Or... take your last breath quietly!

Li Lin felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, freezing his limbs and bones.

He looked at Zhu Chun, and Zhu Chun was also looking at him.

The only thing left in the eyes of this veteran founding minister was the fear of having seen through everything.

Emperor Qing narrowed his eyes, his voice gradually lowering until it was barely audible. "Prince of Yan, Duke of Wei, you have performed meritorious services today. I will certainly reward you in the future. However, I am a little tired today, so you may all leave."

"Your son (minister) obeys your order."

"You should know that what happened today cannot be told to anyone."

The two of them felt a slight chill in their hearts, and hurriedly bowed and said, "Your son (minister) understands!"

Emperor Qing nodded, slowly sat back on the throne, and his entire figure disappeared into the deep shadows again.

The Jinyiwei immediately dragged the unconscious Li Huan away like a dead dog, and the eunuchs also forcibly carried away Li Zhang, who was still screaming and struggling.

Li Lin and Zhu Chun watched the tragic scene with mixed feelings in their hearts. In the end, they could only bow deeply and silently leave the East Palace filled with the smell of blood.

As the heavy palace gate slowly closed behind them, Li Lin finally let out the breath that was stuck in his chest.

Outside the palace gate, the imperial capital was still shrouded in the shadow of martial law.

The cold wind blew through the empty streets, making a whimpering sound.

Li Lin looked up at the dark night sky. There were no stars there, only thick, impenetrable haze.

"Li Huan...it's over." Li Lin's voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against his throat.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Zhu Chun who was silent beside him: "He will be locked in the golden cage of the East Palace until... he rots."

Zhu Chun did not respond immediately, but instead cast his gaze towards the imperial capital in the night, wondering what he was thinking.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"It's not just him who's finished."

Li Lin was startled: "Father-in-law means..."

Zhu Chun's gaze finally focused and fell back on Li Lin's face, which was still stained with the blood of the King of Shu.

He did not answer directly, but asked: "Your Highness, do you remember how His Majesty watched you brothers fighting?"

Li Lin was stunned, and countless images flashed through his mind in an instant.

His throat tightened a little and he nodded with difficulty.

"The mind of an emperor is unfathomable." Zhu Chun's voice was low. "His Majesty is waiting. He's waiting for you to fight, for you to compete, for you to exhaust each other's strength in the bloody battle for the throne, to sharpen the sharpest, most resilient sword, and to select the prince who can rule this vast empire!"

He paused and continued, "And now, this person has appeared... You also know that the one who will ascend the throne in the future will definitely be Prince Feng."

Zhu Chun sighed: "The King of Shu is digging his own grave by assassinating other kings, the King of Qin is destroying his own future by committing murder in the palace, the King of Jin has lost his edge by hiding in his shell, and you..."

Zhu Chun's gaze lingered on Li Lin's face for a moment, the complex expression in his eyes difficult to interpret, ultimately transforming into a feeling of relief at having survived a catastrophe.

"Your Highness, it's a good thing you made your choice so early on."

At this moment, Zhu Chun suddenly felt that his silly son-in-law might really be wise in disguise.

"You are the prince's man, his closest brother, and his comrade who fought bloody battles outside the Great Wall! This is why you are still standing here today, instead of being imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court or the Imperial Prison!"

Li Lin remained silent.

His fate had long been closely linked to Li Che's. Previously, it was just because they were of the same mind. He never expected that his choice would become his amulet today.

Zhu Chun sighed and continued:

"You should be thankful. Your Majesty desires an unprecedented, united court, a Daqing that is completely under Your Majesty's control."

"Crown Prince Li Huan is only the first step. Next, Your Majesty will wield the sword against... all the vassal kings."

Zhu Chun paused and didn't say anything else, but the coldness in his eyes said it all.

Li Lin's heart skipped a beat.

"Cutting the feudal lordship!"

He took a deep breath and instantly understood what Zhu Chun had not said.

The fight for the throne has come to an end, so the princes who hold heavy troops have lost their meaning.

After implementing the policy of having princes guard the border for so many years, Emperor Qing should have long seen the drawbacks of it. The princes' lives will not be so comfortable from now on.

Not to mention taking back all the power of the vassal kings except the King of Feng and the King of Yan, at least the system of integrated military and political power in the vassal states will be abolished.

Only in this way can the princes avoid becoming a hidden danger to Daqing.

Li Lin said anxiously, "Father-in-law, we must send a message to Lao Liu immediately to let him know what's happening in the imperial capital so that we can make preparations early."

However, Zhu Chun slowly shook his head.

"Your Highness, please be patient."

"The struggle between the princes is over. Your Majesty has used the living dead Prince Shu to block the path of all vassal princes coveting the Eastern Palace. His Highness Prince Feng is the future lord."

"But!" He changed the subject, his eyes suddenly sharp as he scanned the deserted streets of the palace. "Your Majesty, the court... and those entangled and intractable aristocratic families' struggle has only just begun."

It goes without saying how fiercely the court officials would oppose pushing an unknown King of Shu to the position of crown prince.

Emperor Qing must have seen this, but he still did it.

This shows that Emperor Qing is not only targeting these princes, but also the aristocratic families with deep roots.

He was probably going to use this opportunity of establishing a crown prince to completely clean up the court, seize military power, and pave a smooth road to becoming emperor!

And this process is bound to be accompanied by bloodshed and power struggles.

The imperial capital is far from peaceful.

"At this moment, the imperial capital is a giant whirlpool. Any untimely disturbance could become the spark that ignites the storm!"

Zhu Chun gave Li Lin a deep look, his eyes full of warning: "So, Your Highness, you must remain calm."

"What we should do most right now is to be cautious in our words and actions and wait and see what happens. The chaos in the imperial capital hasn't really begun yet. Rushing to report the news now is not only useless, but may even affect His Royal Highness the Prince's judgment."

"Just wait. Your Majesty has always been swift and decisive. This matter will have a final conclusion in a few days or even half a month."

"Father-in-law, you are right." Li Lin's voice returned to calm, "I... understand.