Turning Their Scheme Against Them

"Cheng Qing, let Doctor Mu finish speaking."

Just as tensions were beginning to rise between the Sima Family head and Cheng Lin, the Dragon King above spoke.

Seeing that His Majesty the Dragon King was not angered by this, Cheng Lin naturally gave up the idea of stopping him.

However, whether they will cause trouble for the other party in private after returning home is another matter entirely.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."

Mu Yu —the official in the Ministry of Rites who was interrupted while submitting his memorial—remained calm and composed.

He continued, picking up where he left off.

"In the past, the trials and decisions Crown Prince were usually conducted in a closed environment."

Ordinary people don't have much of a feeling about which prince will ultimately be chosen to lead their people.

"However, the situation is different now."

"Currently, our race is in the early stages of a war with the land-dwelling races."

This war will undoubtedly be a long and arduous battle.

"It is foreseeable that for a considerable period of time to come, we will need to continuously send a large number of personnel to the front lines."

"Such continuous withdrawal of manpower, over time, could very well destabilize the community."

"Therefore, it is especially important to make the process of testing and voting for the Crown Prince public."

"This will not only instill confidence in the public regarding the current situation and future of the Sea Race, but also effectively prevent propaganda attacks from enemy spies."

"At the same time, it can also improve the enthusiasm and morale of new recruits."

"By conducting ourselves in an open and transparent manner, allowing the public to witness firsthand the talents and qualities of the princes, the public will have greater trust in the leadership of the royal family, which is the foundation for leading the Sea Race to ever greater prosperity and strength."

"At the same time, this also allows people to feel that they are part of a community, enhancing their sense of belonging and cohesion."

"For our people, the process of public trials and voting is entirely beneficial."

Mu Yu spoke eloquently, and many officials were persuaded by him.

The eldest prince Yuan Rong, stood at the forefront of the court officials, his face still bearing a calm smile.

After Mu Yu finished speaking, the Dragon King did not immediately make a decision. "What do you think of this proposal, my beloved ministers?"

Only after the Dragon King had finished speaking did the murmurs begin to rise in the hall.

"Your Majesty, this matter goes against the tradition of selecting the Crown Prince, and I believe it should not be changed lightly."

"Your Majesty, this matter is beneficial to the unity of the entire clan, and I believe it is feasible."

"Your Majesty, the two follow-up steps to the open selection process, and the method of making the selection open, are also problematic and difficult to handle."

As the discussion progressed, the focus of the debate shifted from "whether it's possible" to "how to do it."

Many of the officials who initially opposed the prince were actually henchmen of the Second Prince Faction.

He was also afraid that a defeat on the battlefield would be widely publicized, which would be detrimental to the Second Prince's reputation.

However, when the public announcement changed to the last two steps in the selection process for the crown Crown Prince, they stopped vehemently opposing it.

At this time, the Second Prince had already set off for the Second Research Institute to reconstruct his physical body and would return soon.

They had confidence in the prince they admired and would not negate everything about him because of one failure.

Therefore, they will not hinder the process from happening.

The Second Prince Faction, which had the largest number of attendees, no longer fiercely opposed the proposal, making the process of turning it into a draft much smoother.

Now, it all depends on the Dragon King's attitude.

"Granted. Let the Ministry of Rites handle this matter."

The eldest prince maintained his smiling mask, but a glint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He passed so easily that he was somewhat taken aback.

Just as Yuan Rong was feeling happy that the first step of his plan had gone so smoothly, the Dragon King spoke again.

Are there any other topics?

This time, no one else stepped forward to present a memorial in the main hall.

"Dismiss the court."

"Yes, Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off."

The dragon throne on the high platform and the faintly visible, enormous dragon shadow vanished instantly.

The illusory image of lava rolled away, causing the perceived temperature of the seawater inside the hall to drop sharply.

After the courtiers left, the eldest prince walked out of the hall, talking with the officials who had come forward to speak with him.

As he approached the carriage, the head of the Sima Family drew near and asked.

"Your Highness, I have acquired some fine tea. I have heard that Your Highness also enjoys tea, so I have taken the liberty of approaching you."

"It's alright, why don't you come to my residence for a gathering, Sima Family?"

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The head of the Sima Family then boarded the eldest prince's carriage and headed towards the prince's residence.

Once inside the carriage, the eldest prince was the first to ask a question.

"Who is that Physician Mu?"

"Mu Yu, Langzhong is a descendant of a collateral branch of the Sima Family. He is quite astute and knows how to adapt to changing circumstances."

The two began a casual conversation about this topic.

The carriage traveled within the Dragon Palace, its outline clearly illuminated by the glazed palace lanterns along the roadside at the bottom of the dark, Profound Grand Canyon.

"Your Majesty, the decision-making process itself is insignificant, but if the details of the trial are made public, I'm afraid..."

Yuan Shun watched the First Prince's carriage driving on the Dragon Palace Road in the surveillance footage, an unreadable emotion brewing in his eyes.

"It's nothing," a dragon's roar echoed from the magma, "Just some petty tricks of flattery and moral blackmail."

"This is a perfect opportunity to build momentum for the next administration."

A century of peace has made the overall social atmosphere and decision-making of the Sea Race lukewarm.

These people have probably forgotten that during the wars a hundred years ago, tyranny and murder were synonymous with the Dragon King.

Yuan Shun understood.

This is a plan to turn the tables on them.

"Understood. I will proceed with the plan to assist them in its successful implementation."

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Second Research Institute Arctic Ocean Research Institute, a fleet of cargo ships carrying prisoners arrived.

The massive fleet sailed upwards through the dark, ice-walled passageways.

Starting from a certain location, the passage begins to expand.

The fleet reached the water when a vast lake had formed.

They found themselves inside a huge ice cave.

Looking into the distance, numerous igloos stand on the land formed by ice walls.

The entire research base is like a crystal city.

However, upon closer inspection, these seemingly thick ice walls are not transparent.

Therefore, outsiders cannot see the specific situation inside the building.

The fleet began to dock.

At that moment, a number of researchers were waiting for them on the shore.

These researchers had received advance warning from the outer ice wall and knew that their Laboratory colleagues were among the returning expedition team, so they came to greet them.

Shisui stepped out of the Space Wormhole and stood atop the towering main ship, looking down at his prey on the shore.

Because the flagship was tall and large, the prey did not notice Shisui at all and continued to wave and greet the fleet.

These Sea Race will be the first batch of living puppets at the Second Research Institute.