Chu Li smiled and nodded. "Yes, as long as Your Royal Highness supports Xu An, then Xu An's chances will be higher than King Jing's."
"The throne isn't passed down this way. There's no such rule." King Ping frowned.
Chu Li smiled. "The key is Xu An's identity. As a Buddhist Disciple, he naturally has the support of the Titanium Temple. Once he inherits the throne, he'll be able to break the situation where he's been suppressed by the Tempest Temple for a long time. The Tempest Temple has no choice but to be obedient. This way, the Ji Dynasty can go all-out against foreign enemies. Even if they can't deal with the other three nations, they'll still be able to gain the upper hand and change the Ji Dynasty's ranking among the five nations. … I'm sure the Emperor won't reject this temptation. The Ji Dynasty has been weak for too long. They need a boost."
"Xu An …" King Ping sighed and shook his head.
Chu Li said, "I know you're not satisfied, Your Royal Highness, but this is how the world works. You can't change it based on your will. As for sending troops to attack the Zheng Dynasty, I'm sure Xu An will agree."
King Ping sighed and said, "We can't rely on others for revenge. Once the Fu Dynasty interferes, will Xu An dare to offend them?"
Only when he became the Emperor could he disregard the pressure from the Fu Dynasty and forcefully attack the Zheng Dynasty, destroy the Mysterious Pavilion, and avenge the Princess Consort.
Chu Li furrowed his brows and said, "Then His Royal Highness means …?"
King Ping remained silent.
He also knew that his chances of ascending to the throne were slim. Even if King Jing was not around, or even if there was an accident, when King An was still around, it might be King An's. Then, it would be King Cheng's. Although he seemed to be very close to the throne, he was actually the furthest away. No matter what, it would never be his turn.
Chu Li sighed. "Forget it. How about this, I'll first destroy the Mysterious Pavilion to avenge the Princess, then Your Royal Highness will help Xu An. What do you think?"
"Do you have a way to destroy the Mysterious Pavilion?" King Ping asked.
Chu Li said, "Where there's a will, there's a way. I'll give it a try."
"Alright, if you can destroy the Mysterious Pavilion, I'll support Xu An!" King Ping said in a low voice.
Chu Li smiled. "It's a deal then!"
King Ping said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I won't go back on my word!"
Chu Li said, "If Xu An inherits the throne, he will not take away your military power, Your Royal Highness."
King Ping said in a low voice, "It's fine. I'm not that interested in fighting a war!"
"Very well!" Chu Li clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Now, there's only one obstacle — Mysterious Pavilion. We must destroy them!"
"The Mysterious Pavilion is similar to the Secret Guardians Hall. It won't be that easy to destroy them." King Ping said faintly, "Martial arts alone won't be enough. They're in Zheng Dynasty's capital city, and there are Enlightened Masters keeping watch."
Chu Li nodded. "I will think of a way. Your Royal Highness, please wait patiently for my good news!"
"Alright, I'll wait and see!" King Ping said in a low voice.
— —
At noon, Chu Li was practicing his swordsmanship in his courtyard when he heard the news that the Emperor had announced the appointment of King Jing as the crown prince.
The court was calm, as if it was supposed to be like this. As expected, other than the Ministry of War, no other officials objected, so it passed smoothly.
Once the position of the Crown Prince was established, the Grand Ceremony of the Heavens would be held the next day. It was a declaration of the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne to the Realm Beyond Heaven.
As the Head Chief of King An's Imperial Residence, Chu Li was in charge of everything, so he was qualified to participate in the Crowning Ceremony.
Early in the morning, everyone in the Imperial Residence dressed up. The three Princesses, Xiao Qi, Leng Qing and Leng Qiu, and Chu Li were escorted out of Fairy's Capital's east gate by the Protectors.
The east gate was bustling with activity. All officials above rank three were qualified to participate in the Crowning Ceremony.
As soon as they exited the east gate, they saw a group of people walking slowly in front of them. Using the Omniscient Mirror, they saw that it was the people from King Jing's Imperial Residence.
Chu Li shook his head helplessly.
Xiao Qi turned to look at Chu Li with a faint smile.
Chu Li sighed. "What a coincidence."
He really did not want to see the people from King Jing's Imperial Residence.
The women were all riding on horses and wore white veils that covered their faces, revealing only their bright eyes. They were protected by the Protectors. Although there were Protectors with sharp eyes standing on both sides of the main road, they still did not feel safe.
A moment later, a horse galloped over but was stopped by Zhu Tianhua, Zheng Lide, and the others when it got close.
Zheng Lide quickly came over to report, "Head Chief, it's the External Chief of King Jing's Imperial Residence. He's here on King Jing's order to invite you over for a talk."
Chu Li frowned and nodded. He said to Xiao Qi and the other women, "Everyone, walk slowly. Just follow behind. I'll go and meet King Jing."
"Go ahead." Xiao Shi said, "Be careful. He's the crown prince now!"
Chu Li nodded.
He spurred his horse to the front. An elder sat on the horse and closed fist saluted. "Head Chief Chu, His Royal Highness has invited you."
Chu Li closed fist saluted and spurred his horse to catch up with him. The Protectors stared at him and slowly opened up a path. He arrived in front of King Jing.
King Jing and Consort Jing were riding slowly on their horses, sizing him up from their horses.
"Greetings, Your Royal Highness, Consort Jing." Chu Li went forward and closed fist saluted.
"No need for formalities." King Jing waved his hand and said, "It's been a while since we last met. Head Chief, you're still as elegant as ever!"
Chu Li smiled. "Your Royal Highness, you flatter me."
King Jing had always been dignified and quiet. It was not easy for him to say that.
"Is everything alright at the Imperial Mausoleum?" King Jing asked.
Chu Li shook his head. "Everything's the same."
King Jing nodded slowly. "Third Brother passed away at such a young age. I'm heartbroken but I can't remember an old friend. I can only take care of King An's Imperial Residence. If there's anything in the residence, you can look for me directly!"
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," Chu Li said.
Consort Jing smiled. "Ask the Consort to come to my residence often and play with me. I'm free too!"
"Yes, Consort Jing," Chu Li said.
Consort Jing said, "It's not easy for Younger Sister Xiao to be widowed at such a young age. As a woman, I understand. Don't hold back if there's anything. Just look for me."
"Thank you, Consort Jing," Chu Li said.
"Mm, you may leave," King Jing said.
Chu Li closed fist saluted and left.
He understood that King Jing was trying to rope him in.
Of course, he would not say it out loud. He would leave some leeway to avoid making things difficult for each other.
He returned to King An's Imperial Residence. Siao Shi stared at him with her deep eyes. Xiao Qi and the other ladies were curious too.
Chu Li smiled. "King Jing intends to take care of King An's Imperial Residence. If there's anything, just look for him. Consort Jing has invited the three Consorts to visit King Jing's Imperial Residence often."
Siao Shi was unusually sharp. She tilted her head and looked at him. "Looks like King Jing values your intelligence."
Chu Li shook his head and smiled. "I'm ashamed."
"What do you plan to do?" Siao Shi scoffed.
Chu Li said, "I don't deserve it."
Siao Shi rolled her eyes at him.
King Jing's Imperial Residence suddenly sped up. They followed suit.
When they passed the Imperial Enclosure and continued eastward, they arrived at a Crowning Altar.
A tall altar was erected on the flat square. It was about ten meters tall. There were all sorts of mysterious symbols carved on the altar. This Crowning Altar was guarded all year round to prevent unauthorized personnel from getting close.
Chu Li also noticed that the green bricks on the ground were also carved with strange symbols. They resonated with the altar and blended into one.
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