Star Sky Professional

The night wind was cold.

A slight cold smile appeared on Fang Xing's lips. He thought of some historical novels where although the Crown Prince was already in a precarious position, he didn't dare to rebel. Instead, he could only cry and beg for mercy while clutching at straws or feign noble integrity, offering his neck to the executioner, all in an attempt to bind with family bonds and reputation.

Then, throwing out invention after invention, benefit after benefit... drawing astonishment and cheers from the crowd... in the end, they were all reformists, not at all grandiose.

It's all quite tiresome actually.

For a prince to rebel is simple, and for a Crown Prince to rebel is even simpler. As long as the Emperor dies, the Crown Prince becomes the new Emperor!

As for things like "not justified in name", "not aligned with words", the shadows of an ax behind the curtain... it's all bullshit!

Only by surviving oneself first does one have the right to consider other issues.

As for court chaos? World chaos? The people's livelihood in ruins? Those can be sorted out one by one later. After all, the dead can't discuss this.

The Emperor is inherently selfish!

No one is a Saint; everyone makes mistakes.

No matter how wise a ruler, if he kills the Crown Prince in his later years and then builds ten 'Son-Missing Towers', what's the use?

Therefore, to be an Emperor, or even a good Emperor, one must first put oneself above all the people under heaven!

Everyone has their selfishness, and the Emperor is the most selfish; otherwise, how could he be called the solitary ruler of the world?

Even those so-called 'prosperous eras' in ancient times, there were still bones frozen to death by the roadside, far worse than modern times...

'Mind and nature, after all, are one's true nature... since it's a test of mind and nature, I will act according to my heart.'

'Therefore, for the sake of my safety... I must assassinate the Emperor immediately!'

'Every day the Emperor remains in power, I am in greater danger.'

'If I were ever deposed as Crown Prince, climbing back up would be even more troublesome...'

'This world seems to be playing a game of Werewolf, where no position is safe, only the Emperor's position is barely a little safer...'

Fang Xing paced a few steps.

The eunuchs and guards below still thought the Crown Prince was worried about the attacks in the court, completely unaware that their beloved Crown Prince was considering such blasphemous thoughts.

'A soldier should be as hard to predict as the dark, and move like thunder! To assassinate the Emperor, it must be unexpected... right now, I have a great advantage. After all, the Crown Prince used to be weak and brainwashed by Confucian ideals... also, he wasn't driven to desperation; no one would expect me to suddenly want to assassinate the Emperor. This is the basis of surprise!'

'And there are many ways to kill an Emperor. A military coup makes the biggest noise, and leaves the most lingering effects, best avoided if possible...'

'Or like Zhuan Zhu assassinating King Liao, the white rainbow piercing the sun... one assassin can do it.'

Of course, that's very difficult!

After all, in this world, there is no Extraordinary Power, the strongest could fight ten men, but even the highest master, surrounded by a hundred guards, would be chopped into meat...

Back in the Spring and Autumn or Warring States periods, assassination might have had some possibility, but as time went on, the regulations grew stricter, and assassins might not even infiltrate the Imperial Palace.

Not to mention, if the entrusted person isn't reliable, like Zhuan Zhu becoming Qin Wuyang, the joke would be on me.

'The best assassin is actually the Crown Prince himself! After all, he can get close to the Emperor... and generally, people don't dare search the Crown Prince's body.'

'And since there is no transcendent power in this world, willing to sacrifice oneself to drag the Emperor down...'

'Of course, this way is not easy to end well... even Prince Kang would die laughing.'

'Even if the assassin succeeds and kills themselves on the spot, from a conspiracy theory perspective, whoever benefits the most is the murderer! The Crown Prince will still bear some of the blame, but this is much better... in politics, whether there is a layer of separation, whether there is a disguise, makes a big difference!'

'So, it's best to poison, or poison in such a way that no one can tell it's poisoned, making it look like illness!'

'For modern people, it's simple, first find a smallpox patient, then inoculate oneself with cowpox, then get close to the Emperor, and pass on smallpox...'

'The more steps there are, the easier it is to make mistakes... and even contracting smallpox doesn't necessarily lead to death, there's a chance of surviving with pockmarks...'

Fang Xing was rapidly considering some chronic poisons, ones that would not let anyone see the problem.

Suddenly, he looked at the back of his hand.

Streams of silver-white light converged, forming the shape of the Gate of All Heavens.

Then, an inexplicable warm flow coursed through his body, and the mark of the Gate of All Heavens immediately receded...

"I've already opened a cheat, and now another one... I'm ashamed."

Fang Xing silently sensed, and found that this cheat wasn't big; it didn't restore the power of an Immortal, not even at the Qi Cultivation Stage. It just added a bit of Inner Strength in his Dantian, making him an Inner Strength expert.

This Inner Strength wasn't very useful, only making him more perceptive and prolonging his life, but it's difficult for it to surpass the limit of ordinary people's lifespans, let alone withstand blades and swords with his body.

'But if I'm to take to the field, I will definitely wear multiple layers of heavy armor... then leverage complex terrain to wage guerrilla warfare...'

'As the only transcendent in this world, am I already... invincible?'

'A small cheat isn't considered cheating...'

Fang Xing quipped and waited silently for a moment, without seeing the flustered Realm Spirit come to intervene, chuckling knowing he had succeeded in his test.

The Realm Spirit had no authority to interfere with the test...

…

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

Below, the purple-robed Grand Eunuch, Eunuch Ma, looked up at the Crown Prince, somehow feeling that he seemed a bit different.

It was as if the accumulated gloom of the past few years had been swept away.

"Let's go back."

Fang Xing sighed and returned to his sleeping quarters.

"Your Highness?"

In the candlelight, a beautiful woman in palace attire was waiting, it was Li Rubi's Crown Princess Consort—Lady Sun.

This Lady Sun was from the Duke of Wei's residence and was the first daughter of the Duke of Wei, having borne a son and a daughter for Li Rubi.

Aside from her, Li Rubi also had two concubines, both from scholarly families.

A few concubines were daughters of minor officials and merchants, all of them exceptionally beautiful.

'Nobles, civil officials, merchants have all been considered, truly thoughtful and long-term planning...'

'Back then, the Emperor was quite attentive to Li Rubi. No, even now he might be more attentive, considering the maternal family's great influence, not beneficial for the Royal Family... The current Crown Prince is just right, Prince Tai, Prince Kang, and others seem to be whetstones, but unfortunately, people do have limits. If honed for too long, there's no guarantee they won't go mad!'

Fang Xing shook his head, stepped forward, and held the Crown Princess Consort's jade-like hand: "How are Bao'er and Fu'er?"

"They have all gone to sleep. I heard that Your Highness, the Crown Prince, was exposed to the wind, so I specially made a bowl of ginger soup for you..."

The Crown Princess Consort brought over a bowl of ginger soup, steaming hot, evidently heated over a small stove continuously.

"Hmm."

Fang Xing picked up the silver spoon and took a sip: "You worked hard... Rest assured, I will immediately write an apology letter. As long as Father Emperor sees my sincerity in admitting mistakes, he won't pursue the matter..."

The Crown Princess Consort sighed in relief: "It's truly good that Your Highness can look past it."

"Don't worry."

Fang Xing sighed a bit. In this ancient time, the Crown Princess Consort of the Eastern Palace, even other concubines, shared the same fate and honor as himself.

If he got deposed, their fate wouldn't be much better.

Thus, even if he had to rebel, they would have no choice but to follow. Of course, it wouldn't come to that.

"I will be careful, ensuring you, Fu'er, and Bao'er don't have a grim ending..."

The Crown Princess Consort was startled, her eyes suddenly reddening...

...

The next day.

After the apology letter was submitted, the Emperor immediately summoned the Crown Prince.

Imperial Study Room.

"Your son pays respect to Father Emperor!"

Fang Xing performed the etiquette meticulously.

Since coming to this ancient era, one must adapt to local customs. He wanted to score high marks, thus immersing himself in the role and adapting.

Occasionally glancing up, he saw the Emperor, looking middle-aged, extremely heroic-looking, with a healthy complexion, and he sighed inwardly; 'At least twenty years of good life left, can't be tolerated...'

"Rise."

The Emperor scrutinized Fang Xing for a while, then spoke calmly, making one fully sense the meaning of unfathomable imperial might: "You erred first, and now you know to ask for forgiveness?"

Fang Xing focused on the moment, but inwardly he mocked: 'If I were to say "May Your Majesty appoint the Crown Prince" at this moment, I wonder what would happen?'

The scene was too beautiful; he dared not imagine it.

"Hmm? Becoming more stable..."

The Emperor was slightly surprised, pondered for a moment, and spoke: "I sentence you to confinement and reflection for three months, do you submit?"

"I obey!"

Fang Xing said: "I was just about to confine myself to study..."

Being the Crown Prince is very difficult, extremely difficult. If done well, the Emperor suspects your wings are fully grown; if not done well, he suspects you lack ability.

Unless the Emperor is a fool, it's actually easier otherwise.

Otherwise, being reprimanded now and then is inevitable, prettified as 'thunder and rain, all are heavenly grace.'

"Oh? What books have you read lately? Have you made any progress?"

The Emperor spread out white paper, seemingly about to write.

Fang Xing stepped forward, voluntarily picked up the ink stick, and slowly started grinding the ink.

Seeing this scene, Father Su, the grand eunuch in purple, who was preparing to act, was stunned.

When had the Crown Prince ever been so agreeable?

'This hardship can truly change a person...'

'Even the noble Crown Prince is driven to this extent.'

Father Su lamented in his heart, yet revealed nothing on his face.

The Emperor, witnessing this scene, felt a bit delighted, feeling his rebuke was successful.

He picked up the imperial brush, dipped it fully in ink, and effortlessly wrote.

"This piece of calligraphy is bestowed upon you, the Crown Prince."

Fang Xing expressed gratitude, and Father Su hurried forward to mount it, catching a glimpse of four large characters—'Restraining Self, Returning to Etiquette'!

His hand trembled as he thought inwardly: 'Restraining self, returning to etiquette, restraining personal desires, ensuring words and actions conform to ritual... Is this a hint at the Crown Prince's overstepping? An unmistakable reprimand... Prince Kang and Prince Tai would be very pleased to hear of this.'

Father Su couldn't help but want to observe the Crown Prince's expression, but he saw the Crown Prince's face as usual: "Thank you, Father Emperor, for the calligraphy."

Taking the opportunity to bow, he approached the Emperor, lightly brushing one palm secretly.

——Heart-pushing Force!

Fang Xing used the hidden force, like a gentle breeze, unnoticed.

The key is that it remains dormant, only erupting three days later, destroying the heart meridian.

After delivering the blow, he already regarded the Emperor as a dead man.

'Poisoning is also an option, but collecting materials can easily leave traces. The more people involved, the more likely an accident!'

'But my Inner Strength is unique in this world, so this act of regicide, kept entirely to myself, is not feared to be leaked.'

Fang Xing calmly took the scroll of paintings and calligraphy: "Your son takes his leave!"