Coming clean

Bastard Xue Qianren! Bastard Jin Li!

Sitting in the carriage heading toward the imperial palace, "Xue Qinghe" kept her expression unchanged, but she had been cursing Xue Qianren the whole way.

When she heard Snake Lance's report, she truly felt the sky had collapsed!

You brat, you said you were going out to play, and your idea of playing was getting draped in the imperial yellow robe!

"How is Qianren?"

"Xue Qinghe" took a deep breath and asked the empty air around her.

With two Titled Douluos protecting her, she was not worried about her words getting out.

"Young master, the young Childe is unharmed. Heaven Dou Royal Academy is your territory."

"Meng Shenji has already taken the young Childe to the imperial palace. He suffered no harm along the way."

"Also, Poison Douluo's granddaughter has a rather unusual attitude toward the young Childe. She explicitly said she would bring Poison Douluo to argue his case."

Snake Lance added.

"Chasing flowers and stirring up romantic trouble at such a young age, that little bastard!"

"Xue Qinghe" said irritably. She had quite a headache now, too.

Compared to those treasonous remarks of Xue Qianren's that had stirred public opinion, even killing Xue Beng counted as a minor matter!

He had even said that she, Xue Qinghe, would deal with the powerful elite, yet plenty of the powerful people around her were troublemakers themselves!

One wrong move, and all her plans in Heaven Dou might collapse in an instant!

"Xue Qinghe" closed her eyes, trying to straighten out the threads in her mind.

Meanwhile, a palace maid had already brought Xue Qianren to Xue Ye's bedchamber.

"Are you that impatient to become emperor, you brat?"

With his hands behind his back, Xue Ye looked at the little blond boy before him and let out a long sigh.

"My dad said..."

"He wouldn't say something like that."

Xue Ye glared at Xue Qianren.

"Over a decade ago, Qinghe's temperament changed considerably. He probably colluded with Spirit Hall."

"Precisely because of that, he has a guilty conscience. He wouldn't use such open and aboveboard methods."

Looking at the silent Xue Qianren, Xue Ye felt both troubled and gratified.

Although Xue Qianren had killed Xue Beng with his own hands, quite a few of his sons had already died. With someone better available, he actually did not feel all that heartbroken.

The imperial family had always been heartless.

"Not necessarily. No one is more radiant than she is."

Xue Qianren shrugged, his words carrying another meaning.

"What exactly were you trying to accomplish by pulling this stunt?"

"Let me make this clear first: I cannot give you the throne. You're still young and know nothing of checks and balances. If I gave it to you, I suspect my Heaven Dou would be completely finished within two years."

Xue Ye questioned him gravely.

"I just want to make Heaven Dou better."

Xue Qianren spoke earnestly. Although his brain did not work very well, he did have a kind heart.

"Do I look like I believe you?"

Xue Ye was rather speechless, but the boy's complete lack of fear toward him truly delighted him!

"Why?"

"Are there really no people in this world who sincerely want what's best for others?"

Xue Qianren asked in confusion. Take him, the pure-as-ice, flawless-as-jade Xue Qianren: to let the common people obtain the rights they deserved, he was not even afraid of death!

"Wait, you're serious?"

"All right, all right, all right. I see it now!"

"Everyone else is playing in deep water, and you're the only one swimming naked!"

Xue Ye felt helpless.

The good news was that this grandson of his Xue Family had exceptional talent and an even better character. Perhaps he could lead the Xue Family to greater heights!

The bad news was that he lacked forethought, acted on whatever idea struck him, and did everything on hot-blooded enthusiasm alone.

He could be a ruler who preserved the realm after unification, but he would struggle to maintain the current tense situation...

Making Xue Qianren the next sovereign would be an outright gamble!

It meant betting that Heaven Dou would not fall apart under Xue Qianren's purge!

And that Xue Qianren could one day become a Titled Douluo who belonged entirely to Heaven Dou itself!

"This ends here. Qinghe and I will handle this matter."

"For now, stay in the Crown Prince's Residence, don't go out, and focus on cultivating."

Xue Ye let out a long sigh.

He had long suspected that Qinghe was colluding with Spirit Hall, but previously, the next sovereign was bound to be Qinghe. Presumably, even if Qinghe had ties to Spirit Hall, he would not damage his own interests too severely.

Thus, he had turned a blind eye to Xue Qinghe.

But now, he had a new choice...

"You're putting me under house arrest?"

Xue Qianren was rather dissatisfied. How was he supposed to make his presence felt if he was locked up?

"What is your relationship with the Dugu Family's granddaughter?"

Rather than answer, Xue Ye changed the subject.

"We don't have one. We just met at the academy gates."

"What she said earlier was probably because she was worried I'd be punished?"

Xue Qianren said uncertainly.

"Tell me, if I arranged a marriage between you two, would the girl agree?"

Xue Ye spoke thoughtfully.

If Xue Qianren truly could become the Xue Family's Titled Douluo, those flaws in his personality would no longer count as flaws!

In that case, choosing him as the next sovereign would not be out of the question.

Thus, the most important thing now was to keep Xue Qianren safe until the day he became a Titled Douluo!

Perhaps Poison Douluo could be put to use for precisely that!

"Your Majesty, would you care to look at how old I am?"

Xue Qianren was speechless. Age itself was not really an issue; after all, he was, in essence, a million-year-old five-clawed golden dragon.

But he had a premonition that once word came back from Spirit Hall, his time would be up. If his identity was exposed, Qian Renxue would certainly not let him live.

"Age isn't a problem. Do you mean you like her but are holding back because of your age?"

Xue Ye teased him with a smile.

"No."

"I appreciate Dugu Yan's beauty, but I'm not ready to actually spend my life with someone, so forget about any arranged marriage."

"I don't want to hold her back."

Xue Qianren shook his head and said no more.

"You don't know a damn thing, you brat!"

"That settles it. I'll arrange for a palace maid to take you out through the back entrance so you can avoid Xue Xing."

"Qinghe and I will handle the rest."

Xue Ye scolded him with a laugh and waved for Xue Qianren to leave at once.

"Oh. I don't want to be confined."

Xue Qianren blinked.

"Then behave yourself from now on!"

"And don't use Xue Qianren's identity when you go out."

The corner of Xue Ye's mouth twitched, but he still spelled it out.

He had not even reprimanded him for killing Xue Beng. Even if he really sneaked out, could he possibly kill him for it?

"Oh~"

"Aren't you afraid I might not actually be one of your Xue Family?"

"Considering how strangely I appeared."

For some inexplicable reason, Xue Qianren grew a little sentimental. Xue Ye treated him so well that he felt rather embarrassed.

"Your Martial Soul and bloodline have both been verified. If you aren't a child of my Xue Family, whose child are you?"

"If you're willing to talk about your past, I'm willing to listen. If you aren't, I can avoid the subject."

"If you want to ask why I treat a child like you so well..."

"Frankly, it has nothing to do with familial affection... I'm already old. I hope the Xue Family will flourish in your hands."

"Qinghe has his methods, but he shouldn't rely on outside forces he cannot control."

"You will be the Xue Family's future."

Xue Ye's expression softened a little, and his aged hand rested on Xue Qianren's head.