Court Turmoil, First Appearance

"Are you sure it's okay to just give him something so valuable?" On the way back to the palace, Qian Renxue frowned as she spoke to Su He.

Her concern was not unfounded. On the Douluo Continent, there were countless examples of people stabbing their benefactors in the back to seize treasure. This was a dark society, and one always had to assume the worst of strangers.

After four years in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Qian Renxue had seen far too much darkness. That was why she felt compelled to warn Su He.

Naturally, Su He knew that Qian Renxue was thinking of his sake, so he explained, "Don't worry, Xue'er. Even if Fang Xing really is a petty man, all I'll lose is an ordinary spirit herb. I have as many of those herbs as I want in my Spatial Soul Tool. I should really thank Senior Dugu for his generosity." Su He chuckled when he mentioned Dugu Bo. "But if he accepts our goodwill, we'll gain the allegiance of an expert who is certain to reach Soul Douluo, or perhaps an even higher rank, in the future."

"At just twenty-two, he has already reached level 48 as a Soul Ancestor. Such talent is exceedingly rare. With the nurturing of spirit herbs, Fang Xing may even have a chance of breaking through to Soul Emperor before he turns twenty-five," Su He said with a smile.

Hearing this, Qian Renxue was reassured. It was the kind of deal where winning meant enormous profit while losing cost little; any sensible person would know it was worth doing.

By the time the two returned to the Crown Prince's Palace, night was approaching. After handing matters over to her substitute, Qian Renxue resumed her disguise as Xue Qinghe. She did not know when such days would end, but with Su He's arrival and Dugu Bo's help, Qian Renxue was now brimming with confidence in her plan to steal the nation. The life she had once despised no longer felt dull and tedious.

Perhaps this was what people meant when they said men and women working together never grew tired. With the person she loved by her side, she had more than enough motivation for anything.

Early the next morning, Su He was awakened by a servant sent by Qian Renxue, which left him rather puzzled. Only after asking did he learn that today was the grand morning court, held once each month. On this day, Emperor Xueye would appear in court to meet with his ministers. At all other times, state affairs were handled by the Participating Chancellor and the Crown Prince.

This was also why Qian Renxue was so busy during the day.

After learning the full story, Su He frowned. Emperor Xueye truly was incompetent beyond measure, making his Xue'er work so hard.

At today's grand morning court, Qian Renxue would bring Su He along—and she would also use the occasion to lodge a fierce accusation against Prince Xue Xing.

When they arrived at court, all the ministers were already in place, standing neatly along both sides of the corridor. A raised platform stood at the very center of the great hall. At its foremost position was a seat made entirely of gold, clearly Emperor Xueye's dragon throne. Two slightly smaller silver chairs stood beside it, the seats of the two princes. Now that Prince Xue Chen had passed away, the only person qualified to sit in one of those silver chairs was Prince Xue Xing. Prince Xue Xing was already seated. When he saw Qian Renxue arrive with Su He, he snorted coldly, knowing that he would inevitably be subjected to a barrage of condemnation today. Yet he was not concerned in the slightest. So long as Emperor Xueye lived, his status as a prince meant that Xue Xing could rest easy.

Princes had no right to sit on the raised platform, so "Xue Qinghe" could only stand below it with Su He and wait for Emperor Xueye's arrival.

At that moment, a burst of commotion from outside drew the attention of the ministers in the hall.

"Let go of this prince at once, or you'll regret it!" A domineering voice rang out from afar. Hearing it, the ministers silently shook their heads in mutual understanding and chose to turn a blind eye.

The newcomer was clearly the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng. Everyone had long grown accustomed to Xue Beng's debauched behavior, so no one found it strange anymore.

"Your Highness the Fourth Prince, today is the formal morning court personally designated by His Majesty. As a prince, you must attend!" the maid beside Xue Beng pleaded.

"I don't care! This is simply a waste of my time. I'm going back! Let me go back at on—" Xue Beng continued to shout and make a scene until he glimpsed Emperor Xueye walking toward him beside the carriage behind him.

Emperor Xueye had seen all of his earlier commotion, and his displeasure was written plainly across his face.

"How absurd, Xue Beng," Emperor Xueye rebuked. "Do you have even the slightest bearing of a prince?" With that, Emperor Xueye entered the court and sat in the seat of honor.

Having been reprimanded, Xue Beng did not dare talk back. He could only slink over to his place and stand properly. Seeing this, Su He could not help admiring what a convincing actor he was.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" the ministers saluted in unison.

"If there are matters to report, present them. If not, court is dismissed!" the attendant beside Emperor Xueye shouted.

"Reporting to Your Majesty..."

"Reporting to Your Majesty..."

Many court officials presented their memorials to Emperor Xueye. As he listened to the unending stream of reports, Su He could not help feeling a little bored. At the same time, hearing how many problems plagued the empire, he sneered inwardly. What a country rotten to its core. Yet at the end of the Original Work, Spirit Hall, which possessed an advanced system, was destroyed, while this corrupt empire survived. How utterly laughable.

Around half an hour later, the ministers finally finished their reports. Qian Renxue then stepped forward, cupped her hands, and bowed to Emperor Xueye.

"Reporting to Father Emperor, your son has a matter to present."

"Oh? Qinghe, go ahead and speak," Emperor Xueye said, looking at "Xue Qinghe" and Su He beside him. For the first time, he gave Su He a serious appraisal.

He had noticed the young man beside Xue Qinghe from the start, but he had not asked about him.

When one grew old, one simply lacked the energy.

"The person I wish to introduce to Father Emperor and all the ministers today is the one standing behind me, Su He," Qian Renxue declared loudly. "At only twelve years old, he is already a level 38 Battle Soul Master."

The entire hall was stunned. Even Emperor Xueye was greatly surprised. Such talent was truly unheard of within the Heaven Dou Empire. Qin Ming, now thirty years old, was only a level 57 Battle Soul King, yet that talent already placed him among the very best in the Heaven Dou Empire.

This showed just how rare Su He's talent was.

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Qian Renxue continued, "And yet this young genius nearly suffered an attempt on his life by Imperial Uncle Xue Xing ten days ago merely because he won a Soul Fighting Arena match that perhaps he should not have won. Qinghe is deeply angered by this, and thus reports it to Father Emperor! I ask Father Emperor to render judgment!"

"What?" Emperor Xueye flew into a rage upon hearing this. "Qinghe, explain everything in detail. If it is truly as you say, I will punish him severely without exception!"

Xue Xing, standing nearby, looked somewhat embarrassed, but he was not especially panicked. He had seen scenes like this too many times. Emperor Xueye could not possibly kill him. At most, he would scold him a few times.

It was not as if a few scoldings would strip away a layer of skin. Let him scold away.

Qian Renxue immediately reported the entire matter truthfully, deliberately emphasizing Su He's Soul Ring Configuration and drawing another wave of astonishment from the crowd.

"That is precisely how matters transpired, Father Emperor. Su He has already sworn by his martial soul to pledge loyalty to Heaven Dou, making him a citizen of Heaven Dou." Her expression grew increasingly furious. "If even earning money in the Soul Fighting Arena to sustain one's livelihood is no longer the freedom of a Heaven Dou citizen, then how will the people view us?"

Here, Qian Renxue had switched the concept. What Su He had sworn was loyalty to her personally, but that had no real effect on him.

Qian Renxue was originally the young mistress of Spirit Hall. Pledging loyalty to her was equivalent to pledging loyalty to Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall was Su He's home to begin with, so how could there be any question of breaking his oath?

Neither the ministers nor Xue Xing questioned this substitution of concepts, because in their view, pledging loyalty to the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire was no different from pledging loyalty to the Heaven Dou Empire itself.

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