Chapter 1485: Orphaned Mother

The Golden Crow Prince quickly said, "Absolutely not! Although my second brother and I had some minor disagreements before, we are still brothers after all. If I were to fight against my own kin right after ascending the throne, what would others think of me?"

The hall was filled with important figures from the Royal Court, all astute individuals who had reached their positions through shrewdness. Watching his performance of brotherly affection, they all secretly sneered.

If we believed that, we'd be fools.

As expected, Chamberlain Wufa immediately spoke up: "Your Majesty values your family ties, but the Second Prince is not as benevolent as you. When the Old Demon Emperor decided to abdicate in your favor and had already gone to the Imperial Mausoleum for trials, the Second Prince dared to send assassins into the Mausoleum to kill you. Now, without the Old Demon Emperor to restrain him, wouldn't he become even more lawless? In previous years, with the Old Demon Emperor's tacit approval, the Second Prince led an army and gained some fame, even being hailed as one of the Four Great Generals of the Demon Race. He has countless loyal generals and soldiers under his command."

"Even if the Second Prince were to accept his fate, would his arrogant and fierce generals agree? They would surely incite him to rebellion, plunging the entire Demon Race into division and civil war. Countless families would be torn apart and displaced. Your Majesty, as the ruler of the Demon Race, how can you prioritize your personal family feelings over the greater good, potentially causing more widespread discord among your people?"

The others in the room felt a chill. As high-ranking officials in the Royal Court, they were well aware that Chamberlain Wufa had always been at odds with the Second Prince. They had even openly argued in court years ago and held grudges over personal interests. It was unexpected that he would seize this opportunity to completely eliminate the Second Prince.

It seemed wise to offend as few people as possible in the future, lest one be eliminated without even knowing why.

Still, they had to admit Wufa was indeed a silver-tongued orator. He had managed to portray a brotherly conflict in such a noble light, making it seem as if *not* acting against one's brother was a grave sin.

Just as they expected, the Golden Crow Prince exclaimed with a look of feigned excitement, "The Chamberlain's words are sound! I almost made a grave mistake by considering my own personal gains and losses."

The five generals below subtly exchanged glances, recognizing the odd expressions on each other's faces. Everyone knew he was acting, and he knew he was acting, but they all had to play along.

At that moment, Commander of the Guards Wuli cleared his throat and said, "In that case, I propose we cut the Gordian knot. Let's arrest the Second Prince immediately before he can react. Otherwise, once he learns of the Old Demon Emperor's demise, things could become troublesome."

Then Blacktooth Fei spoke, "When the Old Demon Emperor was alive, his absolute power suppressed all ambitious individuals, preventing any dissent. But now that he has passed, these opportunists may not be able to contain their ambitions. However, the Golden Crow imperial family holds deep sway, so they will likely choose one of the princes to champion their cause. Since several of the princes are still young, they could easily be deceived and controlled by these individuals, leading to discord among Your Majesty's brothers. Therefore, this old minister proposes we first secure all the princes to prevent them from being exploited by these ambitious figures."

Everyone felt a shiver down their spines. This man was truly ruthless; not only did he want to target the Second Prince, but he intended to sweep up all the other princes as well.

While he called it "protection," everyone knew it meant control. It was even possible that under the chaotic circumstances, some of the princes might accidentally "lose their heads."

At this point, Minister Leixin could no longer hold back. He said gravely, "This approach would create too much upheaval. The three great royal families—Peacock, Golden Roc, and Elf—certainly wouldn't stand idly by."

Wuli then countered, "The Great Golden Roc King is dead, leaving only a junior in charge, who can accomplish little. The Great Elf King is currently imprisoned in the Celestial Dungeon, unable to stir up any trouble. As for the Peacock Bright King, he is retired at home and has long lost his former influence."

Leixin frowned, "Even so, the power of the three great royal families cannot be underestimated. They hold significant sway over the Royal Court; even when the Old Demon Emperor was alive, he could not ignore their voices."

Matian and others echoed his sentiments. Clearly, as trusted confidants of the Old Demon Emperor, they supported the Prince's ascension but did not approve of such aggressive tactics.

The Golden Crow Prince then spoke, "You needn't worry about the three great royal families. Lion Zhantian and Tiger Qianxiao will help us keep them occupied. These two powerful clans have always coveted the positions of the three royal families. We can naturally use their ambitions to make them counterbalance the three great clans."

The others felt a jolt. It seemed the Prince had already prepared, intending to use the Lion and Tiger Clans to counterbalance the three great royal families.

In recent years, the strength of the Lion and Tiger Clans had rapidly increased, so it was natural for them to be unwilling to remain subservient and to harbor ambitions.

What was surprising, however, was that the Lion and Tiger Clans, traditionally irreconcilable, could both be manipulated by the Prince.

The Golden Crow Prince's sharp gaze swept across the room. "Does anyone else have any questions now?"

Seeing that he had everything meticulously planned, clearly with long deliberation, no one dared to speak up. If anyone voiced further objections, they might not leave the room alive today.

Grandmaster Wu, standing nearby, was still staring intently.

Seeing no one objected, the Golden Crow Prince nodded in satisfaction. "Then, Commander of the Guards, you and General Ma shall go together to apprehend my 'good' second brother. Uncle, you and General Niu will go protect my third brother. Chamberlain, you and Prince An Yi will protect my fourth brother. Minister Leixin and General Wu-Wei will protect my fifth brother..."

He systematically assigned tasks to each person. Naturally, more troops were dispatched to the Second Prince's residence, with many of the Golden Crow Guards under other generals being reassigned there.

At present, Grandmaster Wu had the highest cultivation level here. Coupled with Blacktooth Fei, Commander Wuli, and Chamberlain Wufa, who were staunch supporters of the Prince, and the fact that many of the Five Great Generals had good relations with the Prince, even those few who were reluctant dared not object.

Next were the Third and Fourth Princes, who were adults and had their own factions, so they couldn't be taken lightly.

In contrast, for the young prince, although supported by the Young Demon Queen, she was merely a woman, and the prince himself was too young to possibly ascend the throne. Thus, the seemingly cooperative but inwardly disloyal Minister Leixin and General Wu-Wei were sent there.

After arranging everything, the Golden Crow Prince pushed open the door and looked out towards the palace grounds. "I wish you all a triumphant return. I will surely remember your efforts today."

Everyone's spirits lifted. Today's task was indeed challenging, but if successful, they would become the closest confidants of the new Demon Emperor. The entire court structure would then be decided by them, and the old traditionalists would ultimately have to yield their positions.

Thinking this, the few who had previously looked disheartened brightened up. They bowed, their spirits high, and departed.

***

When Zu An and his companions arrived at the Royal Court, the city gates were already closed, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving.

Even Qiao Xueying's appeal as the Elf Princess was fruitless. She returned, grumbling, "The city gates are under the command of Commander Wuli, Prince Yongchang. I'll remember this grudge."

By then, they had noticed fires breaking out in more and more parts of the city, and the sounds of fighting were growing fiercer.

Knowing a major upheaval was occurring within the city, Zu An quickly turned to Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue. "I must enter the city for matters concerning the Elf and Serpent Clans. This has nothing to do with you, and I don't want you to risk yourselves..."

He was interrupted by Yun Jianyue before he could finish. "What are you talking about, you brat? We've faced so many life-or-death situations together; there's no need to be so polite. Even if it weren't for you, we'd still help Sister Yu."

Yan Xuehen said nothing, but the way she held Yu Yanluo's hand clearly conveyed her stance.

Qiao Xueying, standing nearby, looked troubled. The bond between these three seemed stronger than she had imagined, which could prove problematic.

Seeing their resolve, Zu An naturally didn't feign reluctance.

Since the city guards wouldn't let them in, they would force their way through.

The defenses of the Demon Race Royal Court were ordinarily formidable, making a forced entry difficult. However, it seemed a large number of the main forces had been diverted from the city gates today, allowing them to enter the city with almost no effort.

Meanwhile, in the prestigious Nanzheng Alley, bustling with high-ranking officials, deep within the Young Prince's residence, a stunning woman was tightly holding a small boy, her expression grim as she watched the fighting outside.

The gruesome scenes outside made the little boy's voice tremble. "Mother, I'm scared~"