Xiao Clan Imperial Clan Affairs Office
Prince Qi and Prince Jing, Xiao Jingfeng, stood with their necks stiff like fighting cocks, their faces flushed with excitement.
"Father, Old Ancestor."
Prince Jing Xiao Jingfeng, stepped forward first, declaring, "Our Old Ancestor has decreed that whoever's daughter 'wins over' Zhang Yu first will become the Crown Prince."
He straightened his chest and said:
"My daughter Fenghua, in order to fulfill the ancestral command, can be described as both wise and brave, and well prepared."
That crucial... uh... strategic resource, the Love Potion, was something my daughter painstakingly obtained.
Therefore, the credit should go to my Fenghua! The position of Crown Prince should also rightfully belong to her...
"Stop, stop!"
Prince Qi immediately jumped out, Qi Ingestion, "The Old Ancestor said that whoever captures Zhang Yu first, their Father King can be made Crown Prince, but he didn't say whoever has the greatest merit will be made crown prince."
"That's right, yesterday in the Heavenly Prison, the scene was chaotic, and there was also Formation to cover it up. Fenghua also closed the Image Jade Token in advance."
This is a messy situation; who knows who came first and who came last?
I think we should call it a day this time and have it again next time.
Prince Rui quickly spoke up, trying to muddy the waters.
He didn't have a daughter participating in the competition, so he wanted to gloss over the matter.
In this way, he, as an observer, also had an opportunity.
Prince Jing, that simpleton, was displeased upon hearing this, and in his haste, he looked at Xiao Zhengfeng and said, "Father King, it's actually quite easy to determine who came first and who came last."
The emperor's heart skipped a beat; he had a bad feeling.
Prince Jing shouted:
"All Father King needs to do is issue a decree, summoning Fenghua and Mei'er separately for detailed questioning, allowing them to recount the details of yesterday. Comparing the two accounts will make the matter clear, won't it?"
They were involved; they must remember it clearly.
Upon hearing this, both Prince Rui and Prince Qi were stunned and couldn't help but twitch.
Emperor Xiao Zhengfeng was taken aback at first, then his face instantly turned red.
He trembled all over, his finger shaking as he pointed at Prince Jing: "You... you... you unfilial son, you scoundrel."
Xiao Zhengfeng casually took off one of his shoes and threw it at him:
"I... I'll beat you to death, you shameless bastard."
How could you say something like that?
You have no shame, but I do, and the royal family does too.
You actually want me to ask my own granddaughter about... that kind of thing?
Prince Jing was startled by the emperor's sudden outburst of rage and the "hidden weapon," and realized that he had said something foolish in his haste. He immediately became embarrassed and dared not speak again.
The Old Ancestor Xiao Xuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced at Prince Jing indifferently.
His eyes were filled with speechless frustration at their lack of ambition.
Seeing this, Prince Rui quickly seized the opportunity to add insult to injury, "That's right, that's right. How can such private matters be spoken aloud, or questioned in detail? Besides..."
He drawled, "That Love Potion is said to be quite potent and powerful."
Those who are drugged will become delirious and their memories will become hazy and indistinct.
The scene was so chaotic that even they themselves probably couldn't remember the exact order of events.
It's even possible that my memory is faulty and I've mixed up the order of events.
His words seem fair, but they are actually muddying the waters; his support is meaningless.
Prince Qi knew that Xiao Fenghua had the primary credit for drugging the child, and that he would surely lose if he were to compete with Prince Jing to the end. Therefore, he supported Prince Rui, saying, "That's right, let's call off this competition."
"You..."
Prince Jing was trembling with anger.
"Report!"
The three argued incessantly when suddenly a palace attendant's slightly hurried and shrill voice came from outside the hall:
"Your Majesty, Your Old Ancestor, County Princess Anping, Xiao Fenghua, County Princess Zhaohua, Xiao Meier, request an audience outside the palace."
The argument abruptly stopped.
The next moment, Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier stepped into the solemn and subtly atmospheric Great Hall the Imperial Clan Affairs Office, one after the other.
Almost the instant they stepped into the Hall Door, all eyes inside turned to them.
At the same time, a clear, audible gasp filled the hall, and everyone's gaze sharpened with disbelief.
Those who can sit in the Xiao Clan Imperial Clan Affairs Office are all core members and pillars of the Great Wei Imperial Family. Perhaps not everyone is at the legendary Xiantian Realm, but they are at least at the Ninth Rank.
How sharp are their eyes?
Almost the instant his gaze fell upon the two County Princess, he instinctively sensed a completely different aura emanating from them compared to usual!
Xiao Fenghua is alright.
She was originally at the early Cultivation of the Eighth Rank Early Stage, and now she has broken through to the Eighth Rank Mid Stage. Although it is somewhat surprising, it is still understandable.
But Xiao Meier...
When everyone's senses swept over Xiao Meier, their expressions were priceless.
Shock!
Stunned!
Unbelievable!
Even with a hint of bewilderment!
County Princess Zhaohua, known for her beauty and naivety, was not particularly diligent or outstanding in her cultivation.
Before yesterday, he was clearly only at the mid -Cultivation of the Sixth Rank Mid Stage.
This is only considered above average among the younger generation of the Imperial Family, and certainly not outstanding.
But right now...
She stood there quietly, her pale yellow palace dress seeming to shine even brighter because of the change in her aura.
A far more powerful and refined aura than before was faintly emanating from her.
The intensity and quality of that aura clearly indicated that it had firmly entered the Eighth Rank Mid Stage.
Breaking through from the Sixth Rank Mid Stage to the Eighth Rank Mid Stage represents a leap across two complete major realms.
This goes beyond the description of "lightning speed".
This completely defies the common sense of Martial Dao; it's the kind of "One Step Ascension" that only happens in legends.
Let alone heavenly materials and earthly treasures or miraculous elixirs, even the legendary initiation and transmission of power could not possibly create such a terrifying leap overnight without leaving any trace of emptiness.
The hall was deathly silent.
The earlier arguments about who should go first, the Love Potion, and the messy accounts now seem utterly ridiculous and insignificant.
Everyone's attention was completely drawn to this incredible Cultivation, and their hearts were filled with astonishment.
Prince Jing and Prince Qi forgot their argument and stared at their daughter in disbelief.
Especially Prince Qi, whose mouth was agape at the sight of Xiao Meier's completely different Cultivation.
The previous eagerness to claim credit was temporarily replaced by this immense shock.
Prince Rui also abandoned his interest in watching the show, his eyes scanning his two nieces with suspicion as he quickly made a mental calculation.
After their initial shock, the shrewd individuals present almost simultaneously turned their gazes in the same direction—towards the Heavenly Prison.
A name came to mind for everyone: Zhang Yu.
Yesterday, the two County Princess entered the Heavenly Prison one after the other, sharing a room with that mysterious and unpredictable young man.
After that, those absurd things happened, and now there's this even more absurd surge Cultivation.
If Xiao Fenghua's improvement could be excused, then Xiao Meier's leap was nothing short of miraculous.
What other explanation could there be besides it being related to Zhang Yu, who possesses extraordinary abilities?
Could sleeping with Zhang Yu really bring such incredible benefits?
This thought made everyone's breathing become heavier, and their eyes became incredibly fervent and complex.
The way they looked at Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier was no longer a simple scrutiny of juniors, but rather as if they were examining two newly unearthed treasures containing earth-shattering secrets.
In this eerie and solemn silence, the Old Ancestor Xiao Xuan, who had been keeping his eyes closed and silent, slowly opened them.
His cloudy eyes slowly swept over Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier, lingering particularly on Xiao Meier for a moment, as if trying to see through her inside and out.
He didn't release any pressure, but just being stared at by that gaze made Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier feel an invisible pressure, as if all their inner secrets had been exposed.
The two unconsciously lowered their heads slightly, their hearts filled with unease.
Finally, Xiao Xuan spoke, directly voicing the biggest question on everyone's mind:
"Fenghua, Mei'er."
His gaze shifted between the two women.
What happened to you?
"Why... has my Cultivation increased so dramatically?"
"Especially Mei'er, from Sixth Rank to Eighth Rank, all in a single day... Tell the Old Ancestor about it."
The words were calm, without any accusatory tone, yet they were more chilling than any harsh words.
Because everyone knows that in front of the Old Ancestor, and in front of this hall full of Xiantian and Ninth Rank experts, such a fundamental and illogical change cannot be hidden at all.
Xiao Fenghua was still a little shy and embarrassed, while Xiao Meier directly and frankly recounted the whole process, including the fact that she had asked for it more than ten times in a row.
Although everyone present had their own guesses, the impact of hearing those guesses aloud was still earth-shattering!
"Hiss--!"
"It... it's actually true?!"
"A ridiculous thing... could it really bring about such good fortune?"
"Who exactly is Zhang Yu?"
"His body... his physique has such miraculous effects?"
A chorus of suppressed gasps and whispers erupted within the hall.
All the royal elders, no matter how dignified and composed they were on ordinary days, now had faces filled with extreme shock, absurdity, disbelief, and an indescribable... fervor!
After listening to the two County Princess' accounts, Old Ancestor Xiao Xuan remained silent for a long time.
He slowly swept his gaze across the crowd below, whose expressions varied, and said solemnly, "What happened today must not be spread. Anyone who leaks even a whisper of it will be executed without mercy."