The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. The sun had just risen, and countless rays of morning light spilled over the towering Imperial Palace.
Inside the grand hall.
The civil and military officials stood in neat rows, dressed in court robes—civil officials to the east, military officials to the west. Their expressions varied, yet all held their breath in silence. Their gazes were fixed upon the lofty Dragon Throne.
Xu Jing, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat upright upon the Dragon Throne. His face was stern, his gaze deep and commanding, inspiring fear in all who looked upon him.
Beside him, an attendant held a bright yellow imperial decree.
Xu Jing spoke in a low, authoritative voice. "Crown Prince Xu Tianran is exceptionally gifted... However, misfortune is unpredictable. The Crown Prince was unfortunately injured in an assassination attempt, leaving him physically disabled and unable to move freely. He can no longer serve as Crown Prince."
At that moment, the attendant took a small step forward, unfurled the decree in his hands, and read aloud, "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Crown Prince Xu Tianran, due to physical disability,
is unable to fulfill the duties of the Crown Prince. After careful deliberation, I have decided to strip Xu Tianran of his Crown Prince Position. Thus decreed!"
After hearing the Emperor's words, all the civil and military officials understood without needing to say anything.
Everyone knew perfectly well that, in light of the previous rumors, there was only one reason Xu Tianran had been stripped of his Crown Prince Position.
Clearly, that absurd rumor was true. Xu Tianran truly could not perform as a man. Otherwise, how could merely crippled legs result in him being stripped of his Crown Prince Position so quickly?
For a