Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

Everyone's mind went completely blank for a moment!

Although Marshal Han Da had some guesses, upon hearing the news, his body trembled violently. He suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with disbelief and horror!

Marshal Yan Jia's cold, hard expression crumbled instantly; his mouth gaped slightly, and his pupils contracted sharply! This name meant far too much to him... far too much...

Marshal Wei Wuji swayed and instinctively grabbed the edge of the table for support!

The sandalwood prayer beads in Qian Lai's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter"!

Dean Lin Zhong dropped the teacup from his hand, spilling scalding tea onto the tablecloth, but he seemed oblivious!

The six directors and Vice President Tien Chin-hsien were all so shocked that their souls seemed to leave their bodies, and the color drained from their faces instantly!

Night Ox, Axe-Bull, Xie Zhi, Deer-Shu, Bat, Yang Wanli, Yin Tai Sui, Shan Lei, Yin Jiu, Wan San...

These members of the Twelve Fiends, who had followed Xiao Ce through thick and thin, felt a jolt of electricity shoot from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads the moment they heard the words "Your Highness"!

A prince?! Which prince?!

In this Xiao Kingdom, in this East Asia, there is only one name that deserves Yin Weiyong's respectful, excited, and devout address of "Your Highness"!

Who else could it be but him!

As Yin Weiyong's voice slowly faded...

Wow!

The heavy oak door was pushed open silently.

A figure slowly walked in amidst the horrified and almost unfocused gazes of the crowd.

He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his steps were steady as a mountain, and his face was still young and handsome, but it had gained a more profound and restrained majesty than I remembered.

Those deep eyes calmly swept across the entire room, as if they contained a vast galaxy, piercing through people's hearts, carrying a dignified air of someone who had long held a high position, and even more so, a composure and confidence that looked down upon the world.

It was Xiao Ce!

Time seemed to stand still at that moment...

The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only a few dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on the figure that walked in, filled with utter shock, bewilderment, doubt, and...

A sudden, frenzied, and unbelievable ecstasy ignited from the depths of their souls, almost consuming them!

All of these people present had their lives and destinies changed because of Xiao Ce.

Only a few of them were previously in positions of power; most of them were originally insignificant.

They were born into humble circumstances, and it was Xiao Ce who single-handedly supported them to...

That's what transformed them from insignificant beings into stars...

So, upon seeing this godlike figure, they seemed so excited and nervous that they even forgot to breathe...

Dead silence! Absolute dead silence! It was as if even the air itself had stopped moving...

Everyone was frozen in place as if under a spell, their brains completely losing the ability to think, leaving only one name screaming and exploding wildly in the depths of their souls!

Xiao Ce! It's Xiao Ce!

He's back! He's really back!

How could this be?! He's not... he's not... the rumors... are actually true?!

That godlike being who led them to rise from the ruins and single-handedly created the powerful Xiao Kingdom and the East Asian Alliance of today… Xiao Shen! He… is still alive? Standing right here?!

The enormous impact swept through everyone's mind like a tsunami.

Marshal Han Da clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh in order to control the trembling of his body.

Marshal Yan Jia made a "ho ho" sound in his throat, but couldn't utter a single word.

In fact, this feeling was even stronger for the two of them, after all, they were death row inmates from the beginning.

They were different from the Twelve Fiends; they were all destined to die, and they had spent more time with Xiao Ce...

Marshal Wei Wuji's lips trembled, and tears welled up in his eyes; he knew very well.

If it weren't for Xiao Ce, he would never have been the youngest marshal in the history of the Xiao Kingdom.

On the other side, Qian Lai bent down to pick up the prayer beads, but his hands were shaking so badly that he failed several times.

Dean Lin Zhong stared blankly at Xiao Ce, as if trying to confirm whether this was an illusion.

“Your Highness…” Night Cat’s voice trembled violently, breaking the suffocating silence first.

This usually calm and composed top intelligence chief's voice changed at this moment, filled with unbelievable ecstasy and choked with emotion.

The sound, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattered the frozen air.

thump!

thump! thump!

Like the first domino falling, everyone in the conference room instantly knelt down!

"Your Highness!!" Marshal Han Da, the iron-blooded marshal, erupted like a volcano the moment he confirmed that the person in front of him was not an illusion! All his shock, ecstasy, excitement, and long-suppressed reverence burst forth!

He abruptly pushed back his chair, his burly body crashing to one knee. His voice, booming like a bell, trembled uncontrollably with sobs: "This humble general, Han Da, pays his respects to Your Highness! Your Highness...you...you've finally returned!"

In an instant, the marshal who commanded tens of thousands of troops was already in tears!

"This humble general, Yan Jia, pays his respects to Your Highness!" Yan Jia followed closely behind, his voice hoarse, and kowtowed heavily, the sound of his forehead hitting the ground clearly audible. This general, known for his cold and hard demeanor, was now shaking violently.

"This humble general, Wei Wuji, pays his respects to Your Highness! May Heaven bless my Xiao Kingdom! May Heaven bless Your Highness!" Wei Wuji knelt on the ground, his voice filled with excitement and piety.

"We, Qian Lai (Qian Dahai and Qian Dafang), pay our respects to Your Highness! May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace!" The three leaders of the Golden Society were overwhelmed with emotion and kowtowed deeply. Qian Lai was even more moved to tears. The Golden Society owes its current success entirely to the guidance Your Highness provided back then!

"Your subordinates Xu Zhiyuan (Rong Heping, Nan Changfeng, Lin Hai, Xing Shoulu, and Xin Xiaoci) pay their respects to Your Highness!" The six chief ministers knelt down in unison, their voices trembling with excitement. What did the return of this legendary king mean? It meant that the heavens of Xiao Kingdom had returned!

"Your subordinate, Tian Jinxian, pays his respects to Your Highness! May Your Highness be well!" Vice President Tian Jinxian bowed deeply, his heart churning with turmoil. As the first-generation top scholar, he had received great favors from the new policies of the Xiao Kingdom and held an almost religious reverence for this legendary creator.

"Your subordinate Lin Zhong pays his respects to Your Highness! Your Highness...you..." Lin Zhong, the head of the Tianji Academy, was so excited that he was incoherent. Many of the ingenious skills and ingenious techniques he had studied throughout his life originated from the sketches and fragments of words left by the prince back then!

"Your Majesty!!!"

"Your Majesty!!!"

"Your Majesty!!!"

Night Ox, Axe-Bull, Xie Zhi, Deer-Shu, Bat, Yang Wanli, Yin Tai Sui, Shan Lei, Yin Jiu, Wan San...

All the members of the Twelve Fiends trembled with excitement, shouting in unison, their voices filled with the ecstasy of regaining what they had lost and an indescribable loyalty!

They felt as if they had found their backbone, the source of their faith!

Da Lei followed behind Xiao Ce and witnessed this scene. His eyes welled up with tears, and he tried to smile, but couldn't help but choke up.

The entire conference room was filled with people kneeling down.

From high-ranking marshals, directors, presidents, and deans to the renowned members of the Twelve Fiends, everyone, regardless of status, age, or seniority, has only one identity at this moment... Xiao Ce's subjects!

They welcomed this king, who had returned like a myth, with the oldest, most solemn, and most heartfelt etiquette!

Their gazes burned like fire, fixed firmly on Xiao Ce, filled with boundless reverence, ecstasy, excitement, and a sense of security that they had found an absolute reliance!

A wave of immense joy and indescribable excitement instantly washed away the previous tension and solemnity, engulfing the entire conference room...

Xiao Ce stood before the crowd, his calm and profound gaze sweeping over the faces of those who were barely able to contain their excitement. He too was deeply moved; he felt their passion firsthand...

Seeing this scene still warmed his heart and brought tears to his eyes...

However, Xiao Ce still managed to suppress these emotions within him...

He slightly raised his hand, and an invisible force seemed to support everyone. His familiar and majestic voice resounded clearly throughout the hall, carrying a calming power and announcing the return of the true master of the Xiao Kingdom:

"Gentlemen, it's been a long time. Please rise..."

Xiao Ce's words were like breaking the spell that had immobilized him.

With a whoosh...

As if waking from a dream, everyone got up...

The sounds of fabric rustling and chairs shifting gently mingled together, yet they couldn't mask the heavy breathing and the suppressed sobs of emotion...

"Your Highness...it really is you...I've been thinking of you day and night...I've been in contact with Prince Xiao Yang, but he's never mentioned your return...and all that's been going on lately with all those true and false rumors coming from the West..."

Han Da became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his burly body trembling slightly: "This humble general...this humble general thought...this life would be so difficult..."

Seeing Han Da, this burly man, crying with tears streaming down his face, Xiao Ce was genuinely moved...

But now, it actually feels kind of funny...

He smiled and patted Han Da's strong arm hard.

As a result, Xiao Ce's slap, with that familiar force, sent a shiver down Han Da's spine, and made Han Da cry even harder...

"It's me... You've done very well these past years, exceptionally well! The atmosphere in the capital, the discipline of the army, far exceeds what I imagined back then. Yan Jia, Wei Wuji, you have both lived up to my expectations... You are both pillars of the nation."

As Xiao Ce spoke, his gaze turned to Yan Jia and Wei Wuji, and he nodded approvingly.

Yan Jia straightened his back, his throat bobbed, and tears welled up in his eyes.

After struggling for a long time, he could only manage to utter a few words: "Thank you... Your Highness!"

All the emotions are condensed into these few words.

Wei Wuji then solemnly clasped his hands and bowed again.

As Xiao Ce spoke, his gaze shifted to the three giants of the Golden Society: "Qian Lai, Qian Dahai, and Qian Dafang."

Qian Dafang and Qian Dahai, once giants in the business world and now in charge of a vast economic lifeline, were as excited as apprentices just entering the business world.

"Your Highness!" Qian Lai's voice trembled as he bowed deeply. He was originally a steward in the household of Qian Dafang and Qian Dahai.

It was only because he gained Xiao Ce's favor that he was able to rise above Qian Dafang and Qian Dahai...

All of this was impossible without Xiao Ce...

Qian Lai said excitedly, "If it weren't for Your Highness's guidance back then, how could the Golden Society be what it is today? Your Highness is too kind, we... are unworthy of such praise!"

Qian Dahai and Qian Dafang were so excited they couldn't speak, they just kept nodding, they understood perfectly.

Back then, they were just competent businessmen; without Xiao Ce's support, they wouldn't have the power they have today...

"Uncle Zhong..."

Lin Zhong bowed respectfully to Xiao Ce: "Your Highness, I am here..."

Xiao Ce looked at Lin Zhong, the dean of the Tianji Academy: "What I have seen along the way—steam locomotives, modern buildings, ironclad warships in the port…—are all the result of the Tianji Academy's painstaking efforts. They have turned my old sketches into reality, and even surpassed them in many ways. This is truly the work of a great talent!"

Lin Zhong was so excited that his beard was trembling. Receiving affirmation from the person in charge at this moment was more precious than any reward.

"Your Highness...Your Highness flatters me! This humble subject...this humble subject is merely following Your Highness's will...no, following the direction Your Highness pointed out, and doing my utmost! The blueprint Your Highness drew up back then was like a divine revelation from heaven. This humble subject and everyone in the Tianji Academy have exhausted all their efforts, and we have only managed to glimpse a fraction of it...Moreover, this is not my achievement, but the achievement of the scholars in the Tianji Academy. I have only fulfilled the duties of a steward..."

Xiao Ce smiled and said to Lin Zhong, "Uncle Zhong, all of this is very important..."

Lin Zhong nodded.

Then, Xiao Ce walked to Lin Zhong's side and looked at him seriously.

Lin Zhong felt somewhat uncomfortable under Xiao Ce's intense gaze...

"Your Highness, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Xiao Ce smiled and then said to Lin Zhong, "Uncle Zhong, I have some good news for you."

Lin Zhong looked at Xiao Ce with some surprise, and subconsciously said to him, "Your Highness, your return is actually wonderful news..."

Upon hearing Lin Zhong's words, Xiao Ce quickly replied, "I have even better news..."

Just as Lin Zhong was filled with curiosity, Xiao Ce said, "The Imperial Uncle is still alive..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhong was struck dumb, his eyes wide, speechless for a long time: "You...you...you mean...it's...it's the King of Zhen?"

Xiao Ce nodded, then said, "Not bad!"

Lin Zhong couldn't help himself and looked around...

But no one came for a while...

Xiao Ce said to Lin Zhong, "He's temporarily away... some problems have arisen... I'll explain in detail later..."

Lin Zhong, tears streaming down his face, nodded repeatedly, saying, "Heaven has been kind to me... Heaven has been kind to me... I thought I was about to die... but before I died, I was able to see the general again..."

Lin Zhong immediately prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness... Thank you, Your Highness..."

Seeing Lin Zhong's condition, Xiao Ce quickly helped him up.

Lin Zhong felt grateful to Xiao Ce; their relationship was indeed very deep. However, his feelings for Xiao Dingshan were even deeper.