Chapter 703: Done and Dusted
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Yun Yang was somewhat startled when he heard what the crown prince had said. He had finally found out the truth – the emperor once had experienced a slip of the tongue! A secret had been revealed to someone who should have absolutely no knowledge of it – the crown prince, the person whose advantages and disadvantages were directly at stake!
"There wasn't anyone else around then; those nearest to us were dozens of feet away. Father mumbled the statement… no one had heard it other than me, but I was stunned then – like when I had accidentally seen my eldest brother."
"No, I was lost and had been caught. Hearing my father's question, I lost my cool and felt like the sky had fallen on me."
Yun Yang sighed. "You don't have to say anything more."
He finally understood; he understood everything now.
The emperor… He had carried that intention all along. It was no wonder!
In all honesty, the intention could be realized. As long as the world was conquered and the conquest was completed, safely tucked away as Yutang's territory, it would no longer be necessary to keep the eldest prince's identity as one of the Nine Supremes a secret. The fact that the eldest prince was Nine Supremes' leader, Supreme Earth, could even be an accent to Yutang's reign over the world.
When that time came, a timely imperial dictum was all it would take to declare the reason behind the eldest prince's proclaimed death back then. After such a huge sacrifice and returning victorious, it would be an easy feat for him to ascend the throne once again.
Yutang's officials and people would not have any objections! The only person – the only exception among all - was His Highness, the crown prince. The eastern palace heir was, in reality, just a placeholder.
It was about that time, then, that the crown prince knew about the emperor's plan – he finally figured out that his crown prince status was only for display.
Yun Yang heaved a deep sigh. Looking at the aged and dreary crown prince before him, he was left with speechlessness and a knot in his heart.
Should he or should he not kill this crown prince?
The decision depended on Yun Yang's thoughts. Logically, what the crown prince did demanded nothing less than death. However, putting oneself in his shoes, there was nothing wrong with his choice of action, despite the fact that it had harmed the country and defied the emperor; it was faultless for the royal heir to resort to any tactics and measures in order to rise to the throne. It was only a matter of success or failure.
In retrospect, it was the crown prince who had been overthrown today. If Yun Yang had fallen in Tianxuan Cliff as well back then and had not managed to save the Emperor of Yutang who had been poisoned, the next Yutang emperor was perhaps long crowned unto this prince. Whether Yutang was occupied or had been extinguished by the other empires then, His Highness had still emerged victorious from the competition for the throne!
Yun Yang's thoughts were all over the place. It was a difficult choice to make. Dazed, there seemed to be a pair of eyes watching him from afar.
'Ol'Ninth… My brother… is my biological brother after all."
They were Supreme Earth's words, but he did not utter them. Yet, he could already make such a sacrifice for his country and family; it would be expected that he must not want to see his biological younger brother perish in Yun Yang's hands?
What about the other brothers then?
"It's still possible to stay alive." A cold glint flashed in Yun Yang's eyes. There was actually a mirage in his orbs, like eight masked figures slipped past the bottom of his eyes just now. His decision was made certain in that instant.
He uttered each word slowly, "Regardless, you'll have to die once first. Whatever happens after can only be continued."
The crown prince had been holding his position for so long, he naturally understood the meaning between the lines. Without hesitation, he nodded and said, "I – Everything of mine will be up to Young Master Yun's arrangement."
It was undeniably the best solution to fake the crown prince's death and bury his identity. However, this method could barely be completed based on the current capability His Highness had. What was more, there were countless threats.
If the solution had been set up by Yun Yang, however, it would be a whole other story, the stake to success would increase by folds.
Perhaps Yutang's Royal Highness would unavoidably perish in this world by the end of the chapter, but the crown prince could keep on surviving. At this moment, the crown prince thought he had understood and even deeply felt the kindness and sincerity Yun Yang exuded.
Yun Yang nodded and did not say more. Watching the crown prince's hunched form leaving the Residence of Yun, Yun Yang clearly felt that one thing had come to be done now.
This crown prince, the Eastern palace her who had been on display for years in the Empire of Yutang, the eastern palace heir, was thoroughly disheartened. There was no more greed or lust after anything in him.
"But…"
"Were my various plots just for the exchange of your disheartenment?"
Yun Yang stood with arms behind him, his gaze distant. Ultimately, it turned into a glare, an indescribable menace.
Yun Xiaoyao walked out from behind the screen and expelled his thoughts into a long sigh. King Yun honestly could not hold himself back from his urge to sigh as well.
"Yun Yang, what are you really doing? Making so much effort, what's your ultimate aim?" King Xiaoyao was confused.
The episode was done and dusted. Yun Yang had acquired plenty from the battle. He had killed his sworn enemy, Ouyang Xiaoshe, wiped out ninety-nine percent of this world's notable assassins, and even paved the way to the dethroning of Yutang's crown prince. However, he had paid an equally significant price. Just the dragon hide treasure map was enough of a regret to Yun Xiaoyao. He lamented over the loss of it. Moreover, when Yun Yang pushed the blame, shifting the five pinnacle assassins' attention to the crown prince, it dismayed some people despite it being a wonderful tactic.
The 'some people' mentioned were none other than the - Emperor of Yutang and Yun Xiaoyao himself.
"What is it?" Yun Yang asked with a smile.
"Aren't you being too brutal? The royal bloodline…" Yun Xiaoyao sighed. "The crown prince, after this battle, would be considered utterly erased. The third prince was crippled by you too, gone insane even. The fourth prince is relatively safe now, but I don't think you'll let him off the hook."
"The fifth and sixth prince as well. The progress of their recruitment recently was too smooth. I don't know the particular situation, but I can still be certain that everything is within your plan. I even doubt how many among their so-called subordinates actually listen to them – could there be half?"
"I'm not surprised that you targeted the crown prince, the third prince and even the fourth prince. However, the fifth prince is only thirteen years old this year while the sixth prince is only twelve," said Yun Xiaoyao, "Isn't it too ruthless for you to already begin setting up their fall?"
"I've never concealed any of these from you," Yun Yang commented faintly.
Yun Xiaoyao sighed. "Yes. If you didn't want me to know, I guess I won't even obtain any hints or traces of these. That's why I think that… you've probably made corresponding arrangement for the other princes?"
"I'm only preparing for rainy days. Prevention is better than cure." Yun Yang had still spoken nonchalantly.
"Everything you do aims to pave the path for Bao'er, to prevent any possible accident?" Yun Xiaoyao questioned.
"It's true that I'm paving the future path but to speak of preventing any possible accidents…" Yun Yang answered honestly, "After all, there are some things that I don't want to do. If I were to do them all, that would bring all the roads for him."
"Oh?" Yun Xiaoyao let out a noise of question.
Yun Yang kept his hands in his sleeves, looking relaxed. "The source of these princes' wild ambition comes from none other than the harem."
"What do you want to do? Don't be reckless. Brother will not let you go about your ways!" Yun Xiaoyao shuddered and exclaimed in alarm.
Yun Yang replied coldly and rather mockingly, "Don't worry. I'm not thinking of doing anything more. That's why I'm telling you. If I've set my mind to do it, those women of the harem would already be rotting meat right now. Will the emperor be able to stop me?"