Yang Mo’s eyes flashed with sudden fury! As a Prince, you can’t even handle two sons of noble houses. You only seek to bully me, a mere child, to save face? What kind of prowess is that? Bah!

But now, although Prince Pingdeng was the only extant King of the previous generation, his position was undeniably awkward. Jun Moxie and Tang Yuan could decline, perhaps, but if Yang Mo also refused, things would truly escalate—this would be an internal conflict within the Imperial Family.

“I shall abide by whatever His Royal Highness the Third sees fit,” Yang Mo muttered, biting his lip hard.

Offstage, within the eyes of the black-robed man behind Princess Lingmeng, a shard of icy light flickered toward the Third Prince, and then sequentially toward the Second and First Princes who had been spectating with detached amusement. He slowly closed his eyes, then suddenly let out a long sigh, filled with boundless sorrow and desolation.

This was Lian’s son!

Lian’s three sons—the successors he had tirelessly cultivated to be the future monarchs of the Tianxiang Empire!

Lian had always wanted them to understand: the throne required competition, it required sacrifice, and there would naturally be victors and there would be those who failed; but no matter how brutal the struggle, the outcome must be chosen from among the three of them! One would be Emperor, the other two would assist!

So, Lian never offered an opinion on their fighting! But it was restricted only to the three of them fighting. They must absolutely not involve anything external. At the very least, when facing outsiders, they must remain united against the outside world. They were, after all, full brothers, born of the same mother! Blood is thicker than water!

Yet now, the Third, ignoring seniority due to his status as a Prince, bullied a scion of the Imperial Clan—who was also their younger brother—and in this moment of public humiliation, the First and Second Prince utterly ignored the situation, standing aside merely to watch the spectacle!

Previously, when the Second Prince’s faction had disgraced themselves at the entrance, the First and Third Princes had also stood by watching.

During the auction of the wine, the First Prince disregarded his status, engaging in a bidding war with Hai Chenfeng, the leader of an underground martial arts gang; the Second and Third Princes had been happy to stir the pot, pushing the situation to escalate further.

Now that the Third Prince had stepped up to commit such a shameless act, the First and Third Princes not only watched coldly, but their accompanying strategists were all deep in thought, clearly calculating how to use this incident to strike at the Third Prince.

Is this truly how it should be between blood brothers?

His Majesty the Emperor was certain that, by tonight at the latest, memorials impeaching the Third Prince from the First and Second Princes would be lying on his desk! As for the content of those memorials, he didn’t even need to read them to know what they said!

He, back then—why was it that he and Imperial Brother Huainong could maintain peaceful coexistence, fraternal respect until now? Why couldn’t these three beasts emulate Imperial Brother Huainong? Isn’t that little Yang Mo the spitting image of Imperial Brother Huainong back then?

The Sovereign of Tianxiang instantly recalled the miserable look of young Yang Mo, full of grievance yet unable to find recourse, his heart swelling with emotion. Was it truly fraternal respect? If Imperial Brother Huainong hadn't given up competing for the throne early on, could the two of them truly have been brothers? Is there truly no kinship in the Imperial House?

His Majesty the Emperor sighed exhaustedly, suddenly feeling utterly bored. His mind, usually brimming with ingenious plans, felt like congealed paste, muddled and unclear.

Meaningless! Truly meaningless!

If not for this momentary impulse—a desire to glimpse the mysterious person orchestrating events from behind the scenes—and this lucky coincidence that brought him here, he probably wouldn't know the enmity between his three sons had reached such a terrible degree!

He had always known there were underlying tensions, that things were not entirely harmonious, but when the three were before him, they always maintained an appearance of fraternal respect, harmonious and amicable: the First stable, the Second clever, the Third simple and honest.”

He had always assumed it was merely like “precious trees in the Xie family garden occasionally show yellow leaves; spirited riders among the green reeds have occasional flaws”—nothing more than minor blemishes. Now he realized that what he saw was almost entirely an illusion! How could it be yellow leaves, how could it be minor flaws?! Although he was mentally prepared, he never expected it to be this false!

For such trivial benefits, such minor disputes, they could reach this point! And toward outsiders, they were ruthless to the extreme! They even dared, in public, under his very banner, to demand things from others??

That wasn't asking; that was outright robbery—blatant robbery, and on top of the taking, they expected the victim to be grateful for the guidance that led to the offering!

Surely even a minor county magistrate would consider the repercussions? Let alone a Prince? To be so utterly base!

Was it truly because his guidance was lacking?

The Emperor’s face turned pale with anger, his fingers trembling slightly, clearly enraged beyond measure.

Mr. Wen quietly extended a hand, steadying him.

“Lian is deeply disappointed!” The Emperor leaned back, supporting his forehead, sitting down utterly fatigued. The proud head that had never bowed in decades was lowered in dejection for the first time in a place where no one recognized him. “Lian is truly disappointed!”

“I understand,” Mr. Wen said carefully, recognizing the delicate situation, “what you are thinking.” With so many ears around, Mr. Wen naturally couldn't use the title 'Your Majesty.' “However, since the Imperial Family is known for its lack of true kinship, Your Majesty need not dwell too much on this matter. One who sits on the throne is inherently solitary. Having one or two unworthy descendants is unavoidable.”

For Mr. Wen to speak this far was truly to bare his heart. At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The Emperor had shown exceptional talent from a young age, and ascending the Eastern Palace was natural. Prince Pingdeng, the Emperor’s brother, had never contended for anything, always yielding. Although the Emperor was intelligent and wise, he lacked some of the ruthlessness seen in many founding monarchs, especially since he hadn't endured the fierce struggles of the inner palace, leaving him unable to completely sever ties with kinship.

A throne obtained this way was certainly fortunate, but also a great misfortune!

Such an Emperor was naturally extremely loyal and valued righteousness, which was one reason the great families pledged unwavering allegiance, but in certain moments, it became a fatal weakness. The Emperor was, after all, human. When selecting the next successor, such a ruler would inevitably favor the one closest to him emotionally. But fortune might favor the father, yet not necessarily his son; how could succession occur again without any conflict?

“Lian is just very puzzled. Each of the three has hope, each has opportunity. Why are their actions so unwise? Especially the Third—to openly demand things in such a public setting, didn't he fear the world would ridicule him? Or perhaps they simply didn't expect Lian to know?” The Emperor frowned, speaking in a low voice.

“This… well, I believe all the Princes considered this. The Third Prince is not a fool. But what he is considering most now is precisely your perspective,” Mr. Wen said with a wise smile:

“He actually wants you to know, to know his filial piety. Because as long as he gains your favor and solidifies his position, the world’s ridicule… doesn't matter, as long as you don’t look poorly upon it!”

“If this batch of wine were dedicated to the palace, and if you weren't here today, wouldn't you be surprised? Wouldn't you be delighted? That, Your Highness, is the Third Prince’s true goal! Everything else is meaningless!” Mr. Wen’s commentary was cold, yet hit the nail on the head: “The Third Prince has shown filial piety; you have tasted the delicacy. What effect can the subsequent memorials possibly have?”

“Yes! Exactly! That’s it!” The Emperor suddenly realized. It seemed his third son wasn't entirely brainless after all; it was just that his methods were too unscrupulous and reckless of the consequences.

Is this what they call, ‘Man proposes, God disposes’?

“Sir, from your perspective now, will my three sons in the future…” The Emperor gritted his teeth, “…turn against each other?”

Mr. Wen paused, hesitating to speak. Why was his confidant asking such a naive question today? Was this even a question? They were already facing each other with irreconcilable hatred!

The eventual holder of power would inevitably eliminate brothers and suppress dissenters—was that so hard to imagine? But could he voice that at this moment?

“You don’t need to say it! Lian understands!” Waving a hand weakly, the Emperor covered his face and slowly lowered his head again, pondering something unknown. He rubbed his temples with two fingers.

This was his habitual action whenever he had to make a momentous decision.

“Mr. Wen, behind the Noble Hall, and behind the Jinyang Gang, there is clearly a highly astute and mysterious figure manipulating things. And I absolutely do not believe these three children could have orchestrated the inner workings of this matter. Jun Zhantian couldn’t. Tang Wanli couldn’t. And my Royal Brother King Pingdeng certainly couldn’t! Today’s excursion was for the purpose of finding this person! This person has nearly rounded up all the wealthy households in the capital, and those he missed will inevitably be turned into enemies by today’s gathering. Furthermore, he has created this opportunity for the three Princes to interact with the wealthy merchants.”

His Majesty the Emperor suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with cold light: “If my estimation is correct, outside now, the three Princes’ strategists and personal guards are in close contact with the merchants’ subordinates, setting dates for future meetings for their masters. This is a common and necessary tactic…”

“Whatever this person’s intentions, he has completely destabilized the current situation with just a few thousand jars of wine. This person must not be underestimated! No matter what, we must bring him to light!”

“As for the matters concerning the three Princes, Lian will… carefully deliberate and consider!” The Emperor's facial muscles spasmed painfully: “And then make a decision!”

Princess Lingmeng, seated further ahead, was rigid, her delicate body completely frozen. She never imagined she would overhear such a conversation today! Such words, falling into her ears, might plunge her already difficult situation into an even more precarious state??

At this moment, the transactions on stage had concluded. Yang Mo, the young heir of Prince Pingdeng’s estate, withdrew in dejection. The Third Prince achieved his goal, acquiring the final hundred jars of top-grade fine wine without spending a single silver piece, preparing to rush back to the palace to “show his filial piety.”

A figure, dashing and composed, approached Princess Lingmeng with an air of calm indifference: “Princess, I offer my respects.” Princess Lingmeng looked up to see the man was none other than the Grand Tutor’s eldest son, Li Youran!

I recommend a book from my friend, Elder Tang, a metropolitan supernatural work: Golden Pupil. A direct link can be found on the book's page.

Zhuang Rui, a minor clerk at a pawnshop, suffers an accident that causes a strange mutation in his eyes.

Exquisite ceramics, ancient and grand bronzes, heart-stopping stone gambling, beautiful nurses with grace and wisdom, and cold, aloof daughters of powerful families appear one after another, causing his life to undergo earth-shattering changes.

With double pupils in his eyes, a life of fortune ensues.