Chapter 615 - 611 Critical Condition
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Xiao Ruoling and the others felt their spirits dim as they followed the elder eunuch with crane-white hair inside.
They arrived at the backyard garden, where in a small pavilion surrounded by flower beds, they saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman leaning against an Imperial Concubine couch.
Her gown was made of flowing cloud brocade, threaded with gold and silver, clinging to her enchanting figure.
Her peony-like face was stunning, with hair styled like clouds, adorned with a gold hairpin.
A delicate white hand supported her refined chin, as if lost in thought, with her dark brows furrowed together.
Upon hearing footsteps, she turned her shimmering eyes and sighed as she stood, "Junior Sister, you’ve finally come."
"Senior Sister, what’s happened?" asked Qin Ruolan in confusion.
Initially, she thought her Senior Sister just missed her company after two years apart, and upon hearing she’d left her seclusion, summoned her for a chat and some small talk.
Consort Hui sighed lightly, "Zhao’er is probably going to die."
Qin Ruolan was stunned, her face changed slightly, "The Ninth Prince?!"
Consort Hui sighed, "Yes, he was playful and went to Xiluo City for an outing, wanting to scale the peak of Luoshen Mountain, but was heavily injured by a master of the Demon Clan."
"Where were the guards?" Qin Ruolan frowned, "How could they let the Ninth Prince be injured?"
"He snuck out, wanting to travel incognito and venture into the Martial Arts world on his own." Consort Hui showed a helpless expression, "He deliberately shook off the guards, with only two Hidden Guards following behind, and as a result..."
"Was he badly injured?"
"Even the Great Bright Heart Protecting Pill was used, it’s been three days, at this rate, he might not survive."
"Even the Great Bright Heart Protecting Pill couldn’t save him, just how serious are his injuries?" Qin Ruolan was puzzled, "Could it be a master of the Divinity Transformation Realm?"
"A master of the Demon Clan in the Divinity Transformation Realm, using a treasure to wield the power of a Spirit Transformation Realm master, without a Protective Treasure Mirror, he would’ve died on the spot."
"How could it be like this?" Qin Ruolan frowned, "The Ninth Prince minds his own business, there’s no need for this, is there?"
When the Ninth Prince was three, his birth mother passed away, and he was raised by Consort Hui.
At that time, Consort Hui did not have her own children.
Three years later, Consort Hui gave birth to the Tenth Prince, and thereafter two Princesses.
From a young age, the Ninth Prince was obstinate and unruly, extremely dull-witted, and disliked cultivation, resisting it, still revolving in the Qi Transformation Realm at the age of twenty-two.
The Imperial Family’s Secret Technique is one of the world’s top mental methods, yet after twelve years of cultivation, he remains at the Qi Transformation Realm, a testament to both poor aptitude and laziness.
Though Consort Hui is not his birth mother, she raised him, but he isn’t close to her.
To outsiders, it seemed as if Consort Hui mistreated him.
The current Emperor has many children, twenty-eight princes, thirty-four princesses.
The Ninth Prince is a largely inconsequential presence among the princes and princesses.
Among the princes, the top ten were all made Commandery Princes.
He, as the Ninth Prince, hasn’t even been made the lowest Commandery Prince.
Some princes, born to higher-status mothers, were granted the title of Commandery Prince at birth.
Princes with commoner status mothers, though not granted the title at birth, are often made the lowest Commandery Prince upon adulthood to establish their own residence.
Consort Hui also once fought for him before the Emperor, but because of his rebellious nature, frequent misdeeds, and low cultivation, he was disliked by the Emperor, who denied the request.
Thus, even as an adult, his residence remains the Prince Mansion.
Such a prince is the easiest to kill, but there’s truly no need to kill such a useless prince.
It wouldn’t demonstrate the strength of the Demon Clan.
Consort Hui sighed, "Thinking it over, if not a stroke of bad luck, then perhaps it’s because he was to become a Prince Consort to the Phoenix Dynasty."
"Prince Consort?" Qin Ruolan lightly frowned, "Senior Sister, what’s going on?"
"Alas... Junior Sister, you’ve been in seclusion for two years, much has happened in this time."
"What major events?"
"Our army suffered a great defeat, and we sought a peace treaty with the Phoenix Dynasty."
"Junior Sister, our army isn’t weak, how could we suffer such a defeat?"
Though the Phoenix Dynasty’s army is strong, the Yujing Dynasty isn’t weak either.
"A genius strategist from the Phoenix Dynasty came forth, driving our army back at every turn."
Qin Ruolan’s expression shifted slightly.
"Fortunately, the Yuanzhen Dynasty tried to take advantage, sending troops, and the Phoenix Dynasty turned their victory towards dealing with them. We managed to hold them back arduously, which is how we achieved a stalemate for the truce."
"Alas... the balance was disrupted," Qin Ruolan lightly frowned, "Now it’s troublesome."
The three dynasties maintained a tripartite situation, often trading skirmishes, and fearing each other, larger conflicts rarely ensued.
Yet a genius strategist from the Phoenix Dynasty broke this balance.
Once the balance is disrupted, restoring it often involves fierce wars, possibly leading to a full-scale national conflict.
Should war break out among the Three Great Dynasties, the Outer Realm Battlefield would be affected. If the Demon Clan invades, the world will be ruined.
"To cease hostilities, one condition is for a prince to become a Prince Consort in the Phoenix Dynasty."
"A prince to become a Prince Consort," Qin Ruolan shook her head, "They’re deliberately trying to humiliate us."
Marrying off a princess was already humiliating, and now even sending a prince as a Prince Consort makes the entire Yujing Dynasty feel even more ashamed.
This is tantamount to marrying off a prince, equivalent to making him a hostage.
"To cease hostilities, we had to agree to this condition," said Consort Hui, "The entire Court is swallowing this shame, it is determined to avenge this humiliation eventually."
"The Ninth Prince..." Qin Ruolan sighed.
One doesn’t have to ask why the Ninth Prince was chosen, his fate therein would surely be wretched.
Consort Hui sneered coldly, "The Twelfth Princess of the Phoenix Dynasty has reached marriageable age for a Prince Consort, and here, only three are age-appropriate: the eighth, ninth, and tenth. The eighth is a Commandery Prince, while the tenth is more talented."
Qin Ruolan nodded slowly.
The tenth is Consort Hui’s biological child, the eighth’s mother is Consort Xian.
Both have been made Commandery Princes.
The Ninth Prince, who is rebellious and dense, is naturally the best choice.
"The Demon Clan suddenly acted to kill the Ninth Prince, having learned of this news, they wish to disrupt the truce with malicious intent."
"The Ninth Prince absolutely cannot die," said Qin Ruolan.
Consort Hui sighed, "Every possible measure has been tried, the Dean of the Imperial Hospital tried, the Court’s tribute physicians also tried, even the Emperor personally attempted to heal him, and the Great Bright Heart Protecting Pill was used."
"A strike from a Demon Clan Spirit Venerable..." Qin Ruolan shook her head, "It’s very difficult to save him alive, weren’t the four Spirit Venerables of the nation enlisted?"
"All four Spirit Venerables are in deep slumber, how could such a minor issue disturb them?" Consort Hui sighed heavily, "Ah—! These past two days have driven me to despair!"
Qin Ruolan helplessly said, "The Grandmaster is also in slumber, otherwise, I’d seek the Grandmaster’s help."
"That viciousness of the Demon Clan Spirit Venerable, even if the Grandmaster awakens, they might not be able to save Zhao’er." Consort Hui shook her head, "He was born with an unfortunate fate, sometimes I think it might be better for him to leave just like that."
"Junior Sister, watch your words!" Qin Ruolan hastily said.
Consort Hui snorted, "What’s there to watch, my being labeled a venomous woman is already known throughout the world!"
"...I’ll go see the Ninth Prince then." Qin Ruolan showed a look of reluctance.
She often came to Fuhui Palace, having seen the Ninth Prince countless times.
The Ninth Prince was mischievous but showed her great respect and affection, even more so than to Consort Hui.
Perhaps because her appearance bore a resemblance to the Ninth Prince’s biological mother.
Consort Hui stood up, "Come with me, he is now at his Prince Mansion."
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