The Crown Prince Is Assassinated

After hearing this, Xu Tianran's brows relaxed. He smiled and nodded, raised his wine cup, and took a light sip.

He said, "My esteemed ministers, it is truly my good fortune to gather here with all of you today. In the future, with everyone's joint efforts, our Sun and Moon Empire will surely grow ever more prosperous and powerful."

"Your Highness is wise! We are willing to serve Your Highness like hounds and horses, to brave fire and water without hesitation!" The ministers all rose to their feet, raised their cups, and shouted, their voices echoing through the great hall.

At the banquet, everyone drank and exchanged toasts, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Watching the scene, Xu Tianran could not help but feel proud and pleased with himself. Since becoming Crown Prince, quite a few officials and powerful experts had joined his ranks every day, strengthening his forces.

His power and influence were rapidly expanding like a snowball. Although no Ninth Level Soul Engineers had yet joined his ranks, that day was surely not far off.

After all, he was the future emperor. Ninth Level Soul Engineers would undoubtedly be more than willing to build a relationship with the emperor in advance.

For a moment, Xu Tianran could not help feeling elated. He felt like the new sun of the Sun and Moon Empire, with World Domination within reach.

In truth, it was only natural for him to feel carried away. Xu Tianran's path had been smooth sailing thus far, and he had never suffered any major setbacks.

Nor had he, as in the original work, become crippled in both legs, confined to a wheelchair, stripped of a man's dignity, and turned into a eunuch.

Furthermore, he was still young, only in his early twenties. At such an age, he had already become Crown Prince, with countless people flattering and fawning over him every day.

If it had been anyone else, they would likely have long since become arrogantly full of themselves. It was already exceedingly rare that Xu Tianran could more or less maintain his former bearing.

Under such circumstances, no one could avoid feeling at least somewhat carried away, unless they had no desires at all.

Halfway through the banquet, Xu Tianran was feeling lightheaded from the wine and everyone's flattery. He was clearly somewhat drunk.

After becoming slightly drunk, Xu Tianran's words and mannerisms became even more uninhibited than before.

Xu Tianran looked at the beautiful women playing music and dancing in the center of the hall. By now, they were somewhat tired, and their music and dancing were not as polished as they had been at the beginning.

He immediately said, "Someone, replace them with another group. Keep playing, keep dancing for me!"

The ministers and nobles below were also drinking to their hearts' content. After all, the fine wine and delicacies used by the Crown Prince Residence to entertain guests were all top-quality.

At that moment, a female noble with exquisite features and a rather striking appearance, who looked only around twenty-seven or twenty-eight and possessed the cultivation of a Soul Sage, blushed and said, "Your Highness, I am skilled in dancing. Allow me to perform a dance for Your Highness."

A Female Soul Sage taking the stage to dance immediately pushed the banquet to its climax.

No matter where they were, Soul Sage experts stood among the upper ranks.

A young and beautiful female Soul Sage was even rarer. It could be said that every such Female Soul Sage had numerous powerful experts pursuing and fawning over her.

It was not something an ordinary person could achieve, to have such a Female Soul Sage perform a dance for them.

The reason this Female Soul Sage had done so was that Crown Prince Xu Tianran currently had no crown princess. And what was a crown princess? She could very well become the future empress.

Thus, this Female Soul Sage began harboring her own little designs.

For a time, everyone present widened their eyes as they admired the Female Soul Sage's dance.

As a Soul Sage-level expert, her control over her body far surpassed that of ordinary dancers.

Her flexibility, agility, and coordination in particular were vastly superior.

Furthermore, after being tempered by seven Soul Rings, every inch of a Soul Sage's body possessed flawless, flowing lines, with almost no imperfections to be found.

This Female Soul Sage's dancing was exceptionally delicate, yet it did not lack passion and fiery allure.

Her plump, perky peach-like buttocks and her supple yet powerful willow-like waist were simply impossible to resist when they swayed.

For a moment, everyone in the hall stared wide-eyed, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail. Some even secretly drooled.

As Xu Tianran watched the Female Soul Sage's sensual figure, a hint of burning desire appeared in his eyes.

With countless people admiring and currying favor with him, the Crown Prince Position truly felt wonderful. His days as the First Prince could not compare to this at all.

The banquet lasted for several full hours. When it ended, Xu Tianran said in a half-drunk, half-awake state, "Everyone, half a month from now, I will hold a banquet at Minghua Garden. We shall gather and celebrate again then."

Immediately afterward, Xu Tianran went off to rest with the Female Soul Sage who had danced.

The nobles and ministers in the hall watched Xu Tianran go enjoy such romantic fortune and could not help feeling immensely envious.

There were likely only around a hundred Female Soul Sages in the entire Sun and Moon Empire. After excluding those who were older, unattractive, or already married, there were even fewer single, beautiful female Soul Sages.

Just as the nobles and ministers were envying Xu Tianran's romantic fortune.

An inconspicuous blond middle-aged man named Song Zhong thought to himself, Half a month from now, Minghua Garden. If I remember correctly, Minghua Garden is on the outskirts of Mingdu...

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I need to report it to the Second Prince immediately.

That was right. Song Zhong was an undercover agent. In truth, he served the Second Prince, Xu Tianyu.

Late at night, a masked man arrived at the Second Prince's study.

Inside the study, the masked man removed his face covering. It was Song Zhong.

He dropped to one knee and respectfully said to Xu Tianyu, who was in the study, "Second Prince, Xu Tianran will hold a banquet at Minghua Garden in half a month. I believe this is important intelligence."

After hearing this, Xu Tianyu was overjoyed. This truly was an excellent opportunity for an assassination. As long as they set an ambush along the road Xu Tianran would take to Minghua Garden, they would certainly be able to eliminate Xu Tianran.

Xu Tianyu said excitedly, "Song Zhong, you've done well. This intelligence is very important. I will reward you handsomely."

After saying that, Xu Tianyu took a small wooden box from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Song Zhong.

Song Zhong accepted the box with both hands and said gratefully, "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness."

Xu Tianyu continued, "After you return, continue lying low under Xu Tianran."

Then Xu Tianyu had Song Zhong leave through a secret door.

After Song Zhong departed, Xu Tianyu was the only one left in the study.

Xu Tianyu's gaze was icy, filled with killing intent.

"Xu Tianran, if you had stayed in Mingdu, there would truly have been nothing I could do to you. Since you are courting death, I'll grant your wish."

Afterward, Xu Tianyu began contacting powerful experts such as his maternal grandfather, his uncle, and Wang Yan, the head of the Wang Family, to discuss how to set an ambush on the road and assassinate Xu Tianran.

Time flashed by, and half a month later.

On the outskirts of Mingdu, accompanied by shrill screams, five terrifyingly powerful experts charged toward Crown Prince Xu Tianran's convoy...