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

East Market, a private room on the top floor of a street-facing teahouse.

The window was slightly open, and two graceful old men stood by the window, looking down silently.

The streets below were already engulfed in a sea of ​​boiling water. Amidst the throng, the red flag was still incredibly eye-catching as it slowly moved forward.

The faint sound of noisy voices made the private room even more quiet.

After a long time, the gaunt old man on the left sighed softly, breaking the silence.

"The hearts of the people are united, and a single word can win over the will of the people."

"This... is the King..."

The gaunt old man's tone was complex, his admiration was not concealed at all, and there was also a hint of regret.

"What a pity! If only he would be willing to tone down his edge, learn to rule the world with the scholars, and rely on us to govern the country."

"Given time, he will surely become a wise and powerful ruler far surpassing all previous emperors, and even create unprecedented achievements."

The gaunt old man shook his head, his voice lowering, "What a pity... He is too young and impulsive after all. He doesn't understand that the supreme power in this world can never be monopolized by one person."

"Without the support and assistance of the aristocratic families, and without the loyalty of the world's scholars, even if his martial arts skills are unrivaled, he will never be able to secure the throne of the Supreme Being."

"A single tree cannot support a building."

The other old man was slightly plump and had a ruddy complexion.

After hearing this, he just glanced downstairs indifferently and then looked away without any interest.

"Duke Zheng, what's the point of saying this now? The die is cast, the situation is dire, and we and Li Che are at war to the death."

"It's better to think about when we should take action."

The old man called Zheng Gong smiled slightly, picked up the warm tea at hand, took a sip, and said calmly:

"Prince, you are already so old, why are you still so impatient?"

"The drama must be played out to its fullest. We should at least wait until he enters the palace and meets our 'Majesty' before we take action."

"Otherwise, if Your Majesty dies, those historians will not let you and me off."

The prince nodded, then frowned, "The one following Prince Feng and Prince Yan is Huo Tao's second son, Huo Duanxiao, right?"

"I heard that this guy, although he looks like a scholar who would fall down at the slightest touch of the wind, is actually a freak born with supernatural powers. Why would he come in here too? Will there be any complications?"

Ordinary Southern Army generals did not know Huo Duanxiao because Huo Duanxiao did not take action very often and mostly worked as a general and strategist rather than a fierce commander.

However, the people of the aristocratic family have been studying Li Che in recent years and are familiar with the generals under his command, so they are naturally aware of Huo Duanxiao's military strength.

Duke Zheng put down his teacup and sneered, "So what? Just three of us, trapped in a dangerous place."

"Even if he truly possesses the courage of a tyrant and is able to defeat a hundred men, can he truly defeat an army of thousands?"

"It's just like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, which only adds to the laughter."

The prince pondered for a moment, still feeling unsure, and said in a deep voice, "That being said, we should still be cautious."

"Immediately issue an order to gather reliable troops and secretly block all exits of the Imperial City, making sure no one can get through."

"We must not give Prince Feng any chance to escape!"

Duke Zheng nodded slowly this time, a glint of approval in his eyes. "We also need to seal off the city gates and impose a curfew after sunset to prevent him from inciting the people again!"

What the aristocratic families fear most is that Li Che will incite the people at every turn. This is what they are best at, and they naturally know how powerful this move is.

The prince finally smiled:

"good."

. . . . . .

The House of Ten Kings.

The high walls and deep courtyards isolate the hustle and bustle of the outside world. On weekdays, only the sound of wind and birdsong can be heard.

However, today, there was a faint sound like a tsunami coming from outside the wall, each wave louder than the last.

The sound of the mountains pierced through the thick walls, disturbing the silence deep in the mansion.

Four young men dressed in royal robes walked out of their respective rooms one after another and gathered in the courtyard, all listening with their ears attentively in surprise and suspicion.

They tried to stand on tiptoe to look out.

But the walls of the Ten Kings' Residence were built very high, and nothing could be seen except the sky and the eaves.

"General Tiance!"

"Live a thousand years, His Majesty!"

Intermittent shouts were heard, and the four people's faces changed constantly.

The King of Qin was startled at first, then his face lit up with joy: "It's Lao Liu! He's back!"

But then he thought of something, and his expression suddenly changed: "No! The city has been peaceful these past few days, and we haven't heard any siege cannons. How did Lao Liu get in?"

A terrible thought rushed into his mind, causing him to exclaim in shock:

"What an idiot! Could it be that he came back alone without any troops?!"

The King of Jin on the side looked indifferent and analyzed calmly:

"What's so surprising? If he wants to compete for that position, he will have to come back in person."

"Unless he is willing to abandon the greater good, and also abandon all loyal officials, military honors, and even... his father, the Emperor."

The King of Qin became even more anxious upon hearing this, a vein throbbing in his forehead. "But now that bastard Li Huan controls the government, the aristocratic families are all on his side, and the palace is full of their people!"

"Old Sixth has returned empty-handed, walking into a trap. How can he fight against the aristocratic families?!"

The King of Chu, who had been watching with his arms folded, sneered at this moment: "Second brother, I advise you to save your energy. Even if Li Che can really defeat the crown prince, what does it have to do with you and me?"

"Don't you understand? No matter which of them ends up in that position, what good will happen to us brothers who have lost our power?"

"The reckoning will come sooner or later. It's better to stay here honestly. At least you can have a good ending."

The King of Qin was furious and pointed at the King of Chu's nose and cursed: "Let your daughter go... cough cough cough, bullshit! No matter how bastard Lao Liu is, at least he would not kill his brother and force his father! Just for this reason, he is worse than Li Huan, the motherless one..."

He stopped cursing in the middle of it, his face showing embarrassment.

Prince Jin glanced at him and twitched the corner of his mouth, but he didn't say a word to remind him.

Li Huan, the King of Qin and the King of Chu were brothers born of the same mother. Calling Li Huan a motherless person was equivalent to scolding himself as well.

Emperor Qing had ten sons in total, but now there are only four left in the Ten Princes' Mansion.

The former crown prince had long been deposed and died, Li Che and Li Lin were away, and the tenth Prince of Fu, Li Neng, was far away in Fengguo.

There was another King Zhou who was a twin brother of Li Huan and naturally had a closer relationship with him. He was not imprisoned here.

Although the King of Qin and the King of Chu were also Li Huan's brothers, it was obvious that Li Huan did not regard them as his own people.

The youngest of the four, King Qi Li Shuo, saw the King of Qin angry and turned pale with fear. He hurriedly lowered his voice and advised:

"My two royal brothers... please keep your voices down... don't... don't let the guards outside hear..."

The King of Qin paced back and forth in the yard in annoyance. Suddenly he stopped and a strange light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

He waved at the three of them and spoke in a low voice, "I say...that brat, Old Six, is no pushover. His return this time will undoubtedly unleash a bloodbath in the Imperial Capital!"

"If the imperial capital falls into chaos, it will be a golden opportunity for us. Why don't we take advantage of the chaos to escape and return to our respective territories to raise an army to support the emperor?!"

The King of Chu was horrified and waved his hands quickly: "Second brother, are you crazy?!"

"The Crown Prince has already promised us a lifetime of wealth and safety as long as we behave ourselves. Why should we risk causing trouble?!"

"You are crazy. How dare you talk to me like that?!" King Qin's eyes were wide open with anger.

Although the King of Chu also has a tough temperament, he is still the younger brother after all.

Seeing that his brother was really angry, his momentum weakened a little, and he said: "I am just telling the truth, why does the second brother have to seek his own death..."

"Truth is bullshit!" the King of Qin growled. "Li Huan is such a heartless wretch that he can even kill his own brother!"

"If it weren't for the fourth brother who risked his life to protect me, I would have died in his hands! You believe what he said?!"

Seeing that the two were about to quarrel again, the King of Qi was almost crying.

With a tearful voice, he begged with his hands clasped, "Be quiet... Second brother, fifth brother, please..."

The King of Chu was also provoked and retorted:

"Back then, it was because you were fighting for the throne! Now we're already prisoners and no longer a threat to him. Why would he have to kill us?!"

The King of Qin's eyes widened and his voice became even louder: "Even if they don't kill us, being trapped in this living coffin for the rest of our lives is no different from being dead!!"

King Li Wei of Chu sneered: "That's better than dying immediately!"

The King of Qin angrily shouted, "Coward!"

"You!" The King of Chu was so angry that his face turned red.

Qi Wang Li Shuo's eyes were filled with tears and he almost collapsed: "Keep your voice down... Really keep your voice down..."

Just as the two brothers were arguing and the atmosphere was tense.

There was a slight creaking sound, and a small corner door on the side of the courtyard leading to the back alley was gently pushed open a crack by someone from the outside.

The four princes were like ducks with their necks strangled. They fell silent in an instant and turned their heads to look.

A soldier wearing ordinary city defense army standard armor slipped in sideways, glanced at the four people, and then quickly closed the door.

The four of them were terrified, thinking that the guard had heard what they had just said!

King Qi Li Shuo made a "click" sound, his eyes rolled back, and he fell asleep.

When something unexpected happened, the King of Qin and the King of Chu, who had just been arguing fiercely, immediately showed the tacit understanding between brothers.

The two men looked at each other, and a fierce look flashed in their eyes at the same time.

We must not let him go out alive to report the news!

The two men growled and rushed towards the soldier from the left and right, trying to silence him.

When the soldier saw the two men rushing towards him, he calmly took a half step back, his right hand reaching into his sleeve and shaking it.

Swah——

A cold light shot out from his sleeve like lightning, accurately hitting the throat of King Qin who was rushing in the front.

It was not the common dagger in the military, but a narrow and sharp blade with a peculiar shape that was close to the forearm.

The King of Qin's momentum came to an abrupt halt, and his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of a needle tip.

He stared intently at the strange weapon that was almost touching his throat and cried out in shock:

"Hidden Blade! Are you from the Night's Watch?!"