Protect Our Patriarch

---

Guilong City.

Zhao Clan's Main Residence.

As the only second-grade aristocratic family in the Great Qian, the Zhao Clan's main residence is extraordinarily vast. Not only is the construction material exquisite, but the architectural layout is also grand and imposing, fully displaying the demeanor of an aristocratic family.

Since the beginning of summer, Guilong City has been basked in bright sunshine, but today, a rare thunderstorm has graced the city.

The green glazed tiles on the roof, washed by the rain, gleam brightly, appearing even more luxurious and grand.

At dusk, a splendid sunset appeared on the horizon.

Bathed in the sunset glow, the entire Zhao Clan's main residence seemed to be coated with a layer of soft red light, adding a touch of charm.

Deep within the main residence.

In a study with a plaque inscribed "Aspire to Eternity," an elderly man in a purple robe stood before a bookshelf, flipping through an ancient book.

It was evident that he was quite old; his graying hair and the wrinkles on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes were particularly noticeable under the light of the spirit stone lamps.

Yet, despite this, his imposing demeanor and majestic aura still commanded respect, and his presence filled the room with authority.

This elder was currently the foremost Ancestor of the Zhao Clan, the present An Guogong, Zhao Bingsheng, known as Ancestor Bingsheng.

In his youth, he was a great prodigy of his generation, sweeping through his peers with almost no defeats, and even defeated a great prodigy who sought to challenge the capital, greatly enhancing the prestige of Shangjing City.

But now, he was already sixteen or seventeen hundred years old. Even for someone in the Divine Realm, this age marked the twilight years, and he had gradually retired to the background, rarely involving himself in affairs.

However, as the current An Guogong, his prestige remained. In matters concerning the future development of the entire family, his opinion still held significant weight.

Suddenly.

The door of the study was gently knocked.

A servant's voice came from outside: "Guogong, Ancestor Hongbo and Young Master Zhikun are outside seeking an audience."

"What is it?"

An Guogong Zhao Bingsheng put down the ancient book and asked casually.

"Not sure. Ancestor Hongbo didn't specify, only mentioned that it's something very important and requested an audience with you," the servant replied.

An Guogong frowned slightly.

He knew Zhao Hongbo's temperament well. As the family's elder and the current chief minister, Zhao Hongbo's status in the family was second only to his. Once he passed, Zhao Hongbo would become the most powerful elder in the family, and even the new An Guogong, due to his youth and lack of experience, might not surpass him in prestige.

But because of this, they were not particularly close.

If it weren't for something truly important, Zhao Hongbo would never lower himself to seek an audience. In other words, if Zhao Hongbo had indeed come, something significant must have happened, especially since he brought Zhao Zhikun along.

With this thought, he felt a headache coming on but still said, "Let them in."

After speaking, he turned and sat behind the desk.

Moments later, Zhao Hongbo, still in his court attire, entered with Zhao Zhikun. It was clear they had come straight from the court, too anxious to even change clothes.

As soon as they entered, Zhao Hongbo turned to close the study door and set up a barrier.

Without a word, Zhao Zhikun knelt down, bowing to An Guogong with a sobbing voice, "Zhikun pays respects to Ancestor. Please save me!"

An Guogong's headache worsened, rubbing his temples, he said, "Don't rush to wail. Speak up. What happened?"

"It's like this..."

At this point, there was no point in hiding anything.

Zhao Zhikun knew that trying to conceal anything from An Guogong now would be courting death, so he recounted the situation in detail, then said, "Old Kui has been out of contact for several days. Today, urgent news came from the border, saying Meng Yuanbai caught the smuggling ship on the spot, capturing everyone alive. I concluded that Old Kui must have had an accident; otherwise, the ship wouldn't have reached the border."

"Ancestor, Kun'er was set up! They had already laid a trap, waiting for me. If Ancestor doesn't intervene, Kun'er is finished this time!"

Hearing the first part, An Guogong's face was already grim. By the end, he was so furious that he almost smashed the table with a slap: "You! You really are something! You dare to get involved in smuggling? Has the Zhao Clan not provided you with enough cultivation pills or spiritual food that you resort to such desperate measures?!"

Zhao Zhikun's face changed slightly at the scolding, and after a while, he said, "Ancestor, the smuggling wasn't actually my doing; I was just helping to manage it..."

Hearing this, An Guogong immediately realized, his face changing: "Not you, then it must be..."

He glanced at Zhao Hongbo beside him, who also looked shocked, clearly unaware of the situation beforehand.

Indeed, if Zhao Hongbo had known, with his experience and cunning, he wouldn't have been so easily trapped. The situation wouldn't have become so dire.

An Guogong pointed at Zhao Zhikun, taking a deep breath to control his emotions, gritting his teeth: "You really know how to bring disgrace to the Zhao Clan. Is Commandery Prince Kang mad, daring to get involved in such things?"

"Ancestor, Commandery Prince Kang had no choice. Prince Dexin's lineage has many members, but their finances are average and can't endlessly supply him with money. Although our Zhao Clan secretly provides three million Qian gold annually to support Commandery Prince Kang, he needs money for many things to quickly expand his influence."

"Whether it's the Dawn organization, raising various talented guests, or recruiting people to bolster his prestige, all require huge expenses. Moreover, to earn merits on the outer region battlefield, without large sums of Qian gold, how would soldiers fight desperately for him?"

"Though Prince Dexin's lineage and our Zhao Clan provide considerable subsidies, it's still not enough."

"I understand what you're saying, but this isn't... Forget it. Whether the smuggling was your doing or Commandery Prince Kang's doesn't matter now. In the current situation, even if it wasn't you, it has to be you. You must take full responsibility for this matter and ensure it doesn't implicate him."

An Guogong Zhao Bingsheng's tone was firm.

After a pause, he asked, "Besides Old Kui, was anyone else involved in this matter? Can Meng Yuanbai find direct evidence pointing to you?"

If there was no direct evidence, there might still be room to maneuver.

Zhao Zhikun hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

An Guogong took another deep breath.

Seeing An Guogong about to erupt in anger again, Zhao Hongbo quickly intervened, "Ancestor, scolding him is useless now. Meng Yuanbai is already interrogating; the results are likely out by now. Please think of a solution, what should we do?"

"What to do?" An Guogong glanced at the two, his voice cold, "What else can we do? We have only one option left. Immediately enter the palace to confess and beg the Emperor for severe punishment."

Zhao Zhikun's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

Once they entered the palace to confess and received severe punishment, his fate would be sealed, with no room for maneuver. Was Ancestor abandoning him?

Zhao Hongbo frowned, still unwilling to give up: "Kun'er is someone we've carefully nurtured. If he..."

"Foolish!"

Before he could finish, An Guogong coldly interrupted him: "If this matter blows up and is judged by the Three Talents Office, not only will his future be ruined, but our Zhao Clan's reputation will also be tarnished, greatly affected. By then, even the Emperor would find it hard to handle it discreetly."

"Therefore, the urgent task is to settle this matter before Meng Yuanbai returns, preventing it from escalating further."

"Kun'er is a great prodigy; if he voluntarily takes the blame, the Emperor, considering our Zhao Clan's years of diligent service, might give him a chance to earn merits in the outer region battlefield's cannon fodder camp. Once on the battlefield, with our support, he might still have a chance to reach the Divine Realm, not completely cutting off his future."

There was another point he didn't explicitly state.

Since Zhao Zhikun was taking the fall for Commandery Prince Kang, Commandery Prince Kang would owe him a favor. When Commandery Prince Kang ascends the throne, and if Zhao Zhikun successfully advances to the Divine Realm, with some maneuvering, Zhao Zhikun's return is possible.

Even if Zhao Zhikun falls on the battlefield, the Zhao Clan would still gain significant benefits.

But all this hinges on the Zhao Clan not falling, and Commandery Prince Kang not falling.

Otherwise, everything would be in vain!

"Understood." Zhao Hongbo sighed, knowing there was no room for maneuver, "Then it must be this way. No matter what, Commandery Prince Kang must be protected; otherwise, there's no chance of recovery."

An Guogong and Zhao Hongbo were the two most authoritative ancestors in the Zhao Clan. Their words essentially decided Zhao Zhikun's future.

Zhao Zhikun's face turned pale, collapsing to the ground, his heart filled with despair.

Talking about earning merits to atone for his crimes and having a chance to reach the Divine Realm was nonsense. The outer region battlefield was a place where earning merits meant being cannon fodder.

In the cannon fodder camp, one had no rights and did the most dangerous tasks.

Whether he could return alive was uncertain, and even if he survived, any severe injuries would affect his cultivation and advancement. Moreover, the outer region battlefield frequently saw battles, and in the cannon fodder camp, he might not even have time to heal.

Furthermore, the Wang Clan had people on the outer region battlefield. If he went to the cannon fodder camp, would they not seize the opportunity to kick him while he's down? They would certainly do so!

In short, going to the outer region battlefield was a nine-death journey.

Not going was a certain death.

His heart turned cold to the extreme, and he hated the Wang Clan to the extreme.

---

Daqian Wang's Clan Main Residence.

Four Seasons Garden.

Wang Shouzhe was, as usual, "under house arrest," unable to go anywhere until the truth was fully investigated.

However, he was naturally a homebody, enjoying peaceful days, tending to flowers and plants in the garden, cultivating new varieties of spiritual plants and grains in his portable cave, or simply sipping tea and basking in the sun, occasionally playing chess with Wang An'nan.

"Snap!"

Wang Shouzhe placed a piece on the board with a calm expression, "An'nan, you've lost again. It seems you're still too young, too restless to hone your chess skills."

Wang An'nan wiped the sweat from his forehead, bowing respectfully, "An'nan thanks Fourth Great-Grandfather for the criticism and guidance. An'nan will calm down and practice diligently."

Though he spoke respectfully, inwardly he was complaining, wasn't it because Fourth Great-Grandfather had been losing too much recently, taking it out on him, a junior?

Rumors had spread within the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, saying Wang Shouzhe was a lousy chess player, unable to even beat his father Wang Shida, only able to gain some cheap superiority by defeating him, Wang An'nan.

"Young Master Shouzhe is mighty."

Beside him, a veiled woman of extraordinary temperament gently fanned Wang Shouzhe.

She appeared like an ethereal fairy, her demeanor elusive, and her cherry lips spoke only exaggerated flattery: "Your chess skills are truly unparalleled, leaving Wang An'nan utterly defeated. Come, come, you must be tired, have a sip of iced drink to rest."

With that, she gracefully lifted a bowl of iced silver ear lotus seed soup, intending to feed Shouzhe.

"This... Tianyan, I can eat it myself." Wang Shouzhe hurriedly took the bowl, using a spoon to eat the lotus seed soup.

Indeed, Tianyan's culinary skills were quite good, sweet but not cloying, cool and refreshing.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Tianyan Fairy's eyes, but she quickly laughed, "Young Master, this is a skill Tianyan specially learned for you~ There's a whole pot here, take your time."

The process of winning over Young Master Shouzhe was exceptionally challenging, but over the years, there had been some progress. At least now, Young Master Shouzhe no longer addressed her as "senior," which was a form of progress.

Slowly, life is long.

Wang An'nan, witnessing this scene, felt a pang of envy and sadness.

He, Wang An'nan, was ranked third among the "Top Ten Outstanding Youths" in Shangjing City... yet, not only was he not being fawned over by a beautiful fairy, but even when he tried to court some fairies, he was mostly met with closed doors.

"An'nan, don't just stand there, try Tianyan's cooking, it's really good." Wang Shouzhe had already started on his second bowl.

Wang An'nan's face lit up with joy, gratefully saying, "Fourth Great-Grandfather is too..."

However, just as he was about to reach for the silver ear soup, Tianyan Fairy gave him a stern look. An invisible killing intent made him shiver, hastily changing his words, "Fourth Great-Grandfather, I'm not hungry, and I don't really like sweets. Please, enjoy~"

No sooner had he spoken than another stunning woman, dressed in a cold goddess style, emerged from the kitchen, carrying a platter of roasted meat and seafood.

"Master, don't indulge too much in sweets; those are for young ladies. As a man, you should eat more meat to gain strength." Her voice was clear and commanding, with a hint of an ascetic, dominant aura.

"Wang Mei, my carefully prepared iced drink is much loved by the Young Master." Tianyan Fairy, deeply hostile and wary of Wang Mei, immediately retorted, "Besides, you should focus on your work, and not cling to him just because Sister Ruolan isn't here."

"Tianyan, I have some confidential matters to discuss with the Master. If you're sensible, you should leave, or risk being accused of eavesdropping."

"The Young Master and Commandery Prince An are in-laws and allies, as close as family. What secrets can't I hear? Besides, Sister Ruolan and I are like sisters; now that she's away, I should keep an eye on Young Master Shouzhe, ensuring no other women take advantage."

"Like sisters? I think you're plotting against the Master, intending to betray him."

The two exchanged sharp words, their killing intent unabashedly spreading. Indeed, both were responsible for intelligence work, having had many clashes and conflicts in private.

Professional rivalry aside, both were stubborn, harboring ulterior motives toward Wang Shouzhe, neither willing to give up.

Now, with the Master alone and under house arrest in the Four Seasons Garden, it was a rare opportunity. Naturally, both women used the pretext of "delivering meals" to employ their tactics, attempting to win him over. Even if unsuccessful, they had at least tried, hadn't they?

The pseudo-Shura field's killing intent made Wang An'nan envious, jealous, and resentful.

Why were there no girls fighting over him like this?

He couldn't stay in the Four Seasons Garden any longer. In just a few games of chess, he had been force-fed bucket after bucket of dog food, almost bursting his stomach.

Wang An'nan decisively found an excuse to leave.

But just as he reached the door, he bumped into Commandery Prince An, who had come to visit.

"Isn't this An'nan? You don't look well, did your Fourth Great-Grandfather beat you again?" Commandery Prince An patted his shoulder, eyes gleaming with excitement, "Don't worry, this Commandery Prince will win for you. With my chess skills, defeating Shouzhe is as easy as cutting vegetables."

Though bullying the weak wasn't glorious, playing chess with Wang Shouzhe was his only way to gain a precious sense of superiority from him, so Commandery Prince An was naturally enthusiastic.

As the bottom of the food chain, Wang An'nan wanted to warn Commandery Prince An, but seeing his "arrogant" demeanor, he quickly changed his mind.

Dog food shouldn't be eaten alone; it's more fun when shared~

Thus, he pretended not to know, obediently bowing in thanks, "An'nan thanks Your Highness. However, An'nan has some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

"Go, go, watch me defeat Shouzhe in three hundred rounds." Commandery Prince An entered the Four Seasons Garden, full of confidence.

Not long after, Commandery Prince An's embarrassed voice came out: "I didn't expect... ahem~ Shouzhe, you're in good spirits, good spirits. Mingyuan suddenly remembered something, so I won't disturb you."

"Come back, it's not what you think..."

"I'd rather not..."

"Come back, I really have something important to ask Your Highness."

Commandery Prince An reluctantly returned, trembling with fear.

But just a stick of incense later, after hearing the important matter, he quickly ran out again, looking as if he had been force-fed countless dog food, utterly dejected.

---

The Palace.

Inside Zhuozheng Pavilion.

Five chubby little wolf pups were happily jumping around, performing their best tricks, all for the roasted spiritual meat in Emperor Longchang's hand.

The Divine Spirit Artifact Pixiu was recently very depressed because the Emperor often stuffed large amounts of roasted spiritual meat into its belly, not allowing it to resist.

If it weren't for the Emperor's overwhelming power, Pixiu would have started cursing long ago.

Pixiu sulked alone, but the Emperor was having a great time. Recently, whenever he had worries, he relied on these adorable little wolf pups to help him relax.

Just as Emperor Longchang was enjoying himself.

"Your Majesty." The leader of the inner guards came to report, "Zhao Ge'lao and Zhao Zhikun request an audience."

"Zhao Hongbo?"

Emperor Longchang, who was teasing the wolf pups, frowned slightly: "What does that old man want?"

After a pause, he waved his hand, saying, "Tell them I'm busy reviewing memorials, let them wait outside Zhuozheng Pavilion."

The cabinet had sent a pile of impeachment memorials against Wang Shouzhe, so being "busy" was quite "normal."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The leader of the inner guards withdrew with the order.

Zhuozheng Pavilion was quite spacious, equipped with formations to isolate sound and prevent divine sense probing. Naturally, few would dare to recklessly use divine sense within the palace.

Therefore, whatever mischief Emperor Longchang did inside was hard to detect from outside.

While feeding the wolf pups, he casually asked, "Old Yao, that old man Zhao Hongbo wouldn't dare to urge me to investigate Wang Shouzhe, would he?"

"Probably not?" Old Yao replied, "Zhao Ge'lao is always thoughtful and cautious, unlikely to be so rash. Besides, he brought Zhao Zhikun along this time. It must be related to Zhao Zhikun."

"Heh, just returned from the outer region battlefield and already eager to seek rewards for him. Hmph, let them wait, let them cool their heels."

Recently, Emperor Longchang's dislike for the Zhao Clan had unknowingly grown, and he no longer thought well of them.

After speaking, Emperor Longchang continued feeding the wolf pups, putting Zhao Clan's matters out of his mind.

And so, he left them waiting for over two hours.

Zhao Hongbo and Zhao Zhikun stood outside Zhuozheng Pavilion for two hours, until the sun completely disappeared from the horizon, and the moon hung high, maintaining serious expressions without a word of complaint.

While they waited, an elder dressed in a prince's attire, wearing a prince's crown, strode over.

Despite his graying temples and signs of aging, his brows exuded a heroic and noble aura, making one instinctively feel goodwill upon seeing him.

The inner guards, upon seeing him, hurriedly saluted: "Greetings, Prince Deshun."

Prince Deshun!

He was the only remaining prince among Commandery Prince An's elders, and only slightly younger than Prince Dexin.

Zhao Hongbo and Zhao Zhikun quickly saluted according to protocol: "Greetings, Prince Deshun."

Meanwhile, both felt a pang of unease, wondering why Prince Deshun had suddenly appeared at such a critical moment.

"Oh, isn't this the Chief Minister?" Prince Deshun feigned surprise, "Are you here with Zhikun to see His Majesty? Why are you standing outside?"

Zhao Hongbo calmly replied, "His Majesty is busy reviewing memorials, instructing us to wait a while."

Wait a while?

Prince Deshun looked slightly puzzled, glancing at the inner guard leader, "How long has the Chief Minister been waiting?"

"Your Highness, it's been two hours," the inner guard leader replied honestly.

"Two hours? His Majesty let the Chief Minister wait outside for two hours?" Prince Deshun feigned disbelief, "How could the Ancestor have so many memorials to review? Most trivial matters are handled by the cabinet, aren't they? Chief Minister, this is your fault. Our Ancestor has worked tirelessly for the Great Qian all his life, shouldn't he be allowed some leisure now? How is the cabinet handling affairs?"

Even before Zhao Hongbo could react, the young and impetuous Zhao Zhikun was already unsettled. How dare a mere powerless old prince criticize the Chief Minister?

Zhao Hongbo's glance stopped him, then he calmly explained to Prince Deshun, "Recently, there have been many disturbances, indeed increasing trivial matters. It's our cabinet's inefficiency, burdening His Majesty."

"It does seem like there's a lot going on. I just returned to Shangjing City and heard about all sorts of chaos," Prince Deshun's expression turned slightly displeased, "I was just about to discuss it with His Majesty."

Before Prince Deshun could find someone to report, Old Yao came out first, smiling as he greeted, "Your Highness, you're a rare guest. His Majesty, upon hearing of your arrival, sent me to welcome you to Zhuozheng Pavilion for a chat."

"Old Yao, you haven't aged a bit over the years," Prince Deshun greeted warmly, showing familiarity with Old Yao.

Meanwhile, Zhao Hongbo bowed, saying, "Since Prince Deshun has important matters with His Majesty, we won't disturb and will seek an audience tomorrow."

Coming to confess today, they naturally wanted to handle it quietly, how could they share the stage with Deshun?

"Don't~"

Prince Deshun, having come "on a mission," wouldn't let them leave.

He enthusiastically grabbed Zhao Hongbo's arm, saying, "Chief Minister, you must have important matters to discuss with His Majesty after waiting two hours. I'm just here for some trivial matters, mainly to visit the Ancestor, I won't interfere with you."

With that, he half-pulled, half-dragged Zhao Hongbo into Zhuozheng Pavilion. Zhao Zhikun, looking aggrieved, followed without daring to speak.

After the formalities.

"Seeing the Ancestor in good health, I'm relieved," Prince Deshun, despite his age, put on a "childlike" demeanor, appearing somewhat shameless.

He was going all out for Commandery Prince An's imperial position.

In the past, with An's low odds, Prince Deshun hadn't thought much, naturally going with the flow.

But now it was different.

Since Mingyuan, that rigid brat, got involved with Wang Shouzhe, his fortunes had turned, rising step by step, gaining increasing support, almost rivaling Commandery Prince Kang.

Not to mention, there was now a chance to deliver a fatal blow to the opponent. How could Prince Deshun not be excited? He was like a man on adrenaline, filled with fighting spirit, willing to sacrifice his dignity.

Emperor Longchang, surprisingly, liked this approach. Hearing Prince Deshun, he laughed, his face wrinkling with joy, "You old fool, still calling yourself a child. Rest assured, I'm in good spirits lately, still healthy. But you, Deshun, take care of yourself, don't die before me."

Though scolding, Deshun was still one of his descendants, and having shown great talent from a young age, Longchang had always cared for him, naturally having a close bond.

Currently, there were only eleven princes in the royal family, one being an in-law, so Emperor Longchang treated them fairly well.

Having lived to Emperor Longchang's age, with countless descendants, even he couldn't keep track. If they weren't prodigies, they might never meet the Emperor.

Only those like Wu Xue'ning, the young Wu Han Heng, and the promising Wu Yingji could truly gain the Emperor's attention and enjoy his affection.

"Right, national affairs are important." After "buttering up," Prince Deshun turned to Zhao Hongbo, "Chief Minister, having waited two hours, you must have important matters with His Majesty, please go ahead."

Even with Zhao Hongbo's deep scheming, he couldn't help but twitch, almost wanting to curse.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself, saying, "Prince Deshun, having come to Shangjing City, let's address your matters first."He planned to wait until the matter with Deshun was resolved, then use the excuse of reporting a confidential matter to send him away.

For such matters, the fewer people who know, the better, especially since Deshun is the biggest "political rival."

"Alright." Suddenly, Prince Deshun's expression turned serious, and he began to cry out to Emperor Longchang, "Your Majesty, I've heard that not only does the Changning Wang's Clan evade taxes, but they also smuggle and collude with the enemy! Such heinous acts must be thoroughly investigated and punished immediately, especially the main culprit, Wang Shouzhe. He must be severely punished, and there can be no leniency, Your Majesty."

"What? Thoroughly investigate and punish the Wang's Clan?" Emperor Longchang was bewildered.

He originally thought Prince Deshun had traveled all the way to the capital to plead on behalf of the Wang's Clan, but unexpectedly, he was here to demand severe punishment?

Not only was Emperor Longchang taken aback, but even Zhao Hongbo and Zhao Zhikun were looking at Deshun with surprise.

Wasn't your Commandery Prince An and the Wang's Clan as close as wearing the same pair of pants? It's one thing not to plead for them, but demanding severe punishment, what madness is this?

"Your Majesty." Prince Deshun's face was filled with inexplicable grief and indignation as he righteously howled, "What kind of people are my Deshun lineage? Each one is diligent and devoted to the country and its people, especially that child Mingyuan, who is pure-hearted and cares for the people. How can he be surrounded by treacherous villains like Wang Shouzhe and Wang Zongan who incite and corrupt him daily? I implore Your Majesty to act swiftly and punish them severely."

Both Zhao Hongbo and Zhao Zhikun gasped.

This Prince Deshun is too heartless, isn't he? Your Commandery Prince An was able to rise because the Wang's Clan gave their all to support him.

Now that Commandery Prince An has gained momentum, and when the Wang's Clan is in trouble, not only do you not help, but you also try your best to distance yourself and push them into a dead end!

Even Zhao Zhikun was shocked by Prince Deshun's shamelessness.

As Emperor Longchang's face grew darker and darker.

Zhao Hongbo felt a "thud" in his heart, thinking this was not good.

The Zhao's Clan was trying to cover up the matter, admit guilt, and settle it before it spread and escalated. But Prince Deshun jumped out at this critical moment, clamoring for severe punishment of the Wang's Clan.

If Prince Deshun drags this on for a few days, the situation will inevitably escalate.

And if they fail to admit guilt in time, once Meng Yuanbai reveals the truth, it won't just be Zhao Zhikun's problem; the entire Zhao's Clan will be dragged into the mire.

Seeing Zhao Hongbo's changing expression, while Prince Deshun was cursing Wang Shouzhe, he couldn't help but admire the unseen Wang Shouzhe a bit more.

That kid is truly something.

He even predicted the Zhao's Clan's plan to sacrifice the pawn to save the king.

As Wang Shouzhe said, the Zhao's Clan was too naive in their thinking. Since the situation had already been pushed to this point, how could they let the Zhao's Clan simply sacrifice the pawn to save the king and pass through easily?

This time, his goal was not just to cut off an opponent's arm.

A series of plans had just begun.

What he wanted was to completely overturn the Imperial Heir Struggle, to decide the outcome in one move!

That Wang Shouzhe truly had great ambition. On his first visit to the capital, without even leaving the Four Seasons Garden, he was already prepared to turn the world upside down.

...