Fantasy: The Clan Chief Lies Down, His House Is Full of Emperors

Just over a month after the Xu family's plan to eliminate the Hidden Assassins' stronghold, another bombshell message suddenly came from the Wu Kingdom.

The King of Wu's condition has worsened and he is on the verge of death. Very few people know this news at present, and the Xu family only found out about it through the intelligence network of Zuixianlou.

Song Yushu analyzed, "As long as the Crown Prince can ascend the throne smoothly, it shouldn't be long before Kong'er can gradually take control of the entire Wu Kingdom through him."

Then we can proceed with the next step of the plan, which is to annex the other seven ancient kingdoms and achieve great unification.

Xu Qingzhou nodded affirmatively, pondered for a moment, and stood up.

"I will go to the Kingdom of Wu to ensure that the Crown Prince can ascend the throne smoothly."

The selection of the ruler of the Eight Ancient Kingdoms is directly related to the attitude of the Great Sage Ancestor. Once the royal ancestor feels that the successor is not good enough, even the crown prince designated by the previous ruler can be deposed.

There have even been instances where the crown prince was replaced at the last minute just before his ascension to the throne.

Ultimately, it is a world where strength reigns supreme; only the mighty have the right to speak.

Xu Qingzhou originally thought that if he could break through to the Great Saint Realm, he could easily control the Martial Kingdom's patriarch and ensure that the crown prince supported by Xu Kong could successfully ascend the throne.

Unexpectedly, plans can't keep up with changes. Before I could even make a breakthrough, the old king was already on his last legs.

Although he was unsure whether he was a match for the Martial Ancestor, Xu Qingzhou still wanted to give it a try, not wanting his son's years of hard work to go to waste.

The main reason was that he hadn't gone all out in a long time, and Xu Qingzhou didn't know how he would fare against other Saint Realm experts now.

Upon arriving in the Wu Kingdom, Xu Qingzhou immediately concealed his aura and hid near the Wu Kingdom's imperial palace.

.....

Inside the royal palace of the Wu Kingdom, in the king's bedroom.

The weakened king lay on the bed, with the prime minister, the royal physician, the crown prince, the empress, and others beside him. The atmosphere was somewhat somber and eerie.

The Crown Prince asked with concern, "Mr. Zhang, how is Father Emperor's health now?"

The imperial physician, who had just finished his diagnosis, hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty suffered a serious injury when he was young, which left a hidden ailment in his body. Now that he is old and his cultivation has stagnated, the hidden ailment has flared up, which is why His Majesty's health has deteriorated so drastically."

"What kind of hidden ailment? Even with the resources of my Wu Kingdom, it can't be cured?" the Crown Prince asked incredulously.

The imperial physician looked troubled. "That's an injury that has damaged the very source of life. Only by gathering a variety of sacred medicines can it be completely cured."

"A holy medicine..."

Upon hearing this, everyone's breath caught in their throats. Each plant of the sacred herb was worth as much as sacred gold, a priceless treasure that was hard to come by.

Not to mention the royal family of the Martial Kingdom, even the strongest forces have extremely limited access to sacred medicines.

"How much longer can Father Emperor hold on?" the Crown Prince asked, his face contorted in pain.

The imperial physician honestly replied, "About five days..."

Everyone swayed and almost fainted on the spot, but some were faking it and some were genuinely swaying.

"Why! Why did this happen! Father... I can't bear to part with you! Please don't leave me..."

The prince burst into tears, collapsing onto the edge of the bed and sobbing uncontrollably.

However, the King of Wu, who was already on his deathbed, was unconscious and naturally could not hear his son's cries. He was only able to live a few more days thanks to the precious elixir he had taken earlier.

The prime minister advised, "Your Highness, you must take care of your health. Moreover, the most urgent task now is to prepare for your coronation ceremony as soon as possible, so as to avoid the chaos that will break out in our Wu Kingdom due to the lack of a ruler when His Majesty passes away."

Now that the prime minister has already pledged allegiance to the crown prince, he will naturally speak on the crown prince's behalf.

The crown prince declined, but he persuaded him again. After two attempts, for the sake of the Wu Kingdom, the crown prince reluctantly agreed.

The empress, standing to the side, had tears in her eyes, her head bowed, and a complex expression on her face.

Although the current crown prince is the eighth prince who had previously given up on vying for the throne, his performance in all aspects is impeccable, and even the royal ancestors in the shadows cannot find a single fault with him.

On that very day, the Wu Kingdom began swift preparations for the coronation ceremony.

Time quickly passed to the night before the coronation ceremony. It could be said that after tonight, the crown prince would go through the coronation ceremony and become the new ruler of the Wu Kingdom.

Although the Eight Ancient Kingdoms were not as powerful as the Great Xia and the Nine Li Dynasty, they were still second only to these hegemonic powers, so the status of their rulers was self-evident.

The crown prince, who was about to ascend the throne, was excited and thrilled in the Eastern Palace. Just a few years ago, he was a prince who had given up the struggle for the throne. Now that he was about to ascend the throne, how could he not be excited?

"Yingliang, do you think I should grow a beard after I ascend the throne? It would make me look more dignified."

"No, although there is still one night left, it is fine to call myself 'I' now."

"It's so late, but I'm not sleepy at all..."

The prince paced back and forth, seemingly talking to himself.

Besides him, there was another ordinary-looking young man in the room, who was none other than Xu Kong, who had changed his appearance and lived in seclusion.

Xu Kong remained calm and completely ignored the incessant chatter of the Crown Prince.

If it weren't for Xu Kong, the Crown Prince in front of us would still be the Eighth Prince. If he had stayed out of the struggle for the throne, he could have been granted a title and enjoyed a life of luxury. But if he had accidentally gotten involved in the struggle, and those he followed hadn't even succeeded, he might not have had a good end.

It can be said that Xu Kong's arrival brought about earth-shattering changes in him and directly altered his life.

Xu Kong's methods in helping him seize the throne along the way impressed him and even made him a little afraid.

The relationship between the Crown Prince and Xu Kong was not that of an ordinary ruler and subject; every decision the Crown Prince made required Xu Kong's approval before it could be implemented.

To put it simply, he was both grateful to Xu Kong and afraid of him; he was a puppet that Xu Kong had created.

Xu Kong said, "After tomorrow, you will be the ruler of the Wu Kingdom."

Upon hearing his words, the Crown Prince snapped out of his daze and calmed his excited emotions.

"I owe my current status entirely to Yingliang's help. This Wu Kingdom may be mine, but it is actually ours together."

His tone was somewhat ingratiating, and this answer was barely acceptable to Xu Kong.

Just then, a person suddenly appeared in the room. This person was tall and rugged, with an extremely powerful aura, which made the Crown Prince and Xu Kong dare not look him in the eye.

Facing him, the two subconsciously felt as if they were mayflies in the vastness of the universe, a mere grain of sand in the boundless ocean.

When the crown prince saw him, he was immediately frightened by his sharp and cold gaze. His body trembled violently, and he bowed and called out in a trembling voice.

"I've met my ancestor."

Xu Kong was greatly alarmed. This person was actually the ancestor of the Martial Kingdom! His sudden appearance at this juncture was probably not a good sign.

Before he could say anything, the ancestor of the Wu Kingdom stepped forward and looked at him, saying in a cold voice.

"Where are you from? What is your purpose?"