The First Prince

Xuanyuan Imperial Palace.

Qin Anlan was already inside the palace.

Although he was the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

Don't forget.

Qin Anlan was also the son of the Grand Princess, possessing the bloodline of the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan.

Furthermore, although the Grand Princess had married into the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, she still controlled numerous factions and wielded great influence within the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace.

Since he was young, Qin Anlan had considered the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace his second home.

He browsed the Imperial Palace as if it were his own backyard.

As for his visit to the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace this time.

There was no other reason.

It was because the Empress had summoned him.

Before the Grand Princess was married, the Empress and the Grand Princess had established a deep friendship.

As the saying goes, love me, love my dog.

The Empress was also exceptionally fond of Qin Anlan.

Of course.

The most important reason for the Empress's enthusiastic reception was to take the opportunity to win over the Grand Princess and the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

The current Xuanyuan Emperor had many descendants.

There were seventeen sons and twelve daughters in total.

Excluding the princes who were still minors, the remaining numerous princes each had their own unique qualities and extraordinary abilities.

Especially the Second Prince, who was born to the Empress, making him the legitimate eldest son.

Of course.

The strength of the First Prince, Fourth Prince, and Eighth Prince should not be underestimated.

Each of them had gathered a significant faction around them, loyal to them.

They possessed immense power, both in the imperial court and in the provinces.

The entire imperial court was subtly forming a situation of nine dragons vying for the throne.

The Fourth Prince acted justly and impartially, a clear stream in the court, known throughout history for his incorruptibility.

The Eighth Prince was amiable and skilled at winning over officials and gaining popular support, earning him the moniker "Eight Virtuous Kings."

Apart from these two.

The strongest was undoubtedly the First Prince.

The First Prince's master was the current Left Prime Minister, who commanded all officials and held a position of great power.

The Left Prime Minister was also the Dean of Heavenly Firmament Academy, controlling the super-faction, Heavenly Firmament Academy.

With the support of the Left Prime Minister and Heavenly Firmament Academy, the First Prince controlled an extraordinary force.

Emperor Xuanyuan was ambiguous about the position of Crown Prince, not designating a successor, nor preventing the princes from their open and covert struggles.

It was precisely because of Emperor Xuanyuan's leniency that the matter of nine princes vying for the throne escalated.

Numerous princes, in their pursuit of power and profit, formed alliances and factions.

This led to a standoff in the imperial court.

The reason the Empress valued Qin Anlan so highly.

Was to use Qin Anlan to win over the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.

With the strong support of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, coupled with the factions the Empress controlled.

The Second Prince becoming the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Flame Empire was practically a sure thing.

The Xuanyuan Imperial Palace was located in the most central part of the capital, spanning tens of thousands of miles.

It was the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the entire capital, and even the entire Heavenly Flame Empire.

It was said.

There was a dragon vein beneath the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace, continuously supplying spiritual energy to it.

Upon entering the Imperial Palace, an invisible divine power permeated the surroundings.

Divine light swirled, constantly appearing before one's eyes.

Divine sounds resonated, creating an indescribable sense of awe.

An ordinary person entering the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace would only feel intimidated, with no desire to proceed further.

Qin Anlan, however, was different.

He squinted, looking up and down at the grand, magnificent, and imposing palace.

Inside, he felt no trace of submission or fear.

Instead, the ambition within him continued to grow.

He could take its place.

Though it was an unattainable, fanciful dream, utterly impossible to realize.

But if a person doesn't even have dreams, what's the difference between them and a salted fish?

An ancient eunuch with white hair and a hidden aura, along with a group of palace maids and attendants, had been waiting for a long time.

"This old servant greets the Young Lord."

The moment he saw Qin Anlan, the old eunuch's mouth broke into a smile as radiant as a chrysanthemum.

This old eunuch was none other than the steward of the Grand Princess's palace within the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace.

Therefore, upon seeing Qin Anlan, his young master, he showed exceptional care and respect.

A faint smile touched Qin Anlan's lips as he said calmly, "So it's Eunuch Hai."

Eunuch Hai, as a trusted confidant of the Grand Princess and the head of the Imperial Kitchen, held a position of great power and influence.

Throughout the entire Xuanyuan Imperial Palace, even the princes and princesses dared not underestimate him.

Thus, in the presence of ordinary people, Eunuch Hai always maintained a stern demeanor, giving off an aura of unapproachability.

Only in front of Qin Anlan did he display such deference and a hint of warmth.

The sudden change caused the surrounding palace maids and eunuchs to feel bewildered.

Was this still the ruthless and unapproachable head steward of the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace?

The deeper Qin Anlan ventured into the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace, the more he sensed its majesty and grandeur.

Countless ancient and mysterious auras were hidden within the palace.

These were all experts of the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan.

There were monsters who had lived for tens of thousands of years, and even super old monsters who had lived for over a hundred thousand years.

The Xuanyuan Imperial Clan had stood firm on the Northern Underworld Continent for hundreds of thousands of years, weathering storms like an unshakeable mountain.

One of their trump cards was this group of ancient monsters.

Qin Anlan remained unfazed, showing no fear.

As the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, Qin Anlan was well aware of the power his estate commanded.

While it might not match the Xuanyuan Imperial Clan's might, it was not far behind.

Just as Qin Anlan and his entourage were heading towards the Empress's palace, a group of people rounded the corner.

The man at the forefront appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. He wore a full robe, exuding an air of nobility and wealth. Surrounded by a throng of followers, he was clearly no ordinary person.

Though not handsome in a delicate way, he possessed a charm that surpassed even Pan An.

His resilient face, however, radiated a sense of noble righteousness.

The moment Qin Anlan saw the approaching figure, his brow furrowed.

The Liu Family he had dealt with earlier, and even the Child of Destiny he had encountered, were connected to this man.

He hadn't expected their paths to cross in this manner.

"Greetings, Your Highness, the First Prince."

The palace maids, eunuchs, and even Eunuch Hai surrounding Qin Anlan immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing the man.

This young man was none other than the current First Prince, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba.

As the First Prince, Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was Emperor Xuanyuan's eldest son.

However, his mother was not from any of the super factions or noble families; she was a maidservant attending Emperor Xuanyuan.

It was due to an unforeseen circumstance that Xuanyuan Xiong Ba was born.

With such a background, he was not favored within the entire Xuanyuan Imperial Clan.

Consequently, there were no factions in the court or even throughout the Heavenly Flame Empire that supported Xuanyuan Xiong Ba.

It was under these circumstances that the First Prince of the Heavenly Flame Empire, relying on his own abilities and unique charisma, had won the allegiance of countless people who chose to serve him.

Furthermore, twenty years prior, he had gained the support of the current Left Prime Minister and even became his disciple.

The Left Prime Minister had been assisting Emperor Xuanyuan in governing the court for hundreds of years.

His influence within the court was deeply entrenched, making him incredibly difficult to dislodge.

More importantly, the Left Prime Minister also held the position of Dean of Heavenly Firmament Academy.

With the Left Prime Minister's support, it was equivalent to gaining the backing of more than half of Heavenly Firmament Academy's factions.

This allowed the First Prince's influence to grow at an astonishing rate.

The First Prince was deeply cunning and exceptionally talented.

Although he possessed no special physique, through his own efforts, he had already become an expert at the peak of the Divine Emperor Realm.

He was only one step away from entering the Divine Venerable Realm.

To achieve such a realm within a mere century could certainly be considered the mark of a prodigy.

The Second Prince had the Empress's support.

The Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince also had numerous factions backing them.

However, the influence these individuals commanded was still unable to suppress the First Prince.

From this, it could be seen that the First Prince's methods were beyond the reach of ordinary people.