Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, the Hall of State Affairs.
Huo Yuhao walked calmly into the hall and looked up.
The hall was elegant and magnificent. An elderly man in golden-red robes sat high in the central seat, his bearing imposing. He was presumably Xue Ye, emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Another richly dressed old man sat below him. He bore some resemblance to Xue Ye.
When the richly dressed elder saw him enter, his small eyes stabbed toward him, malice hidden in their depths.
This man was probably Prince Xue Xing, Xue Beng's true backer.
Huo Yuhao bowed to Xue Ye. "Greetings, Imperial Father. You summoned me. What are your instructions?"
Prince Xue Xing snorted. "What an imposing Crown Prince you are. You see me, your imperial uncle, and don't even offer a greeting."
Huo Yuhao glanced at Prince Xue Xing and said mildly, "On my way here today, I ran into Fourth Brother forcibly abducting a commoner girl again. Fourth Brother has always been close to you, Imperial Uncle. In both looks and temperament, he resembles you and bears quite the mark of your example."
The moment he finished, both Prince Xue Xing's and Xue Ye's faces turned green.
Wasn't Huo Yuhao blatantly suggesting that Xue Beng was Prince Xue Xing's son, and that Prince Xue Xing had cuckolded Xue Ye?
Prince Xue Xing glared darkly at Huo Yuhao, then hurriedly knelt before Xue Ye in alarm, adopting a posture of abject submission.
"Your Majesty, I have sinned! I failed to set a good example for the Fourth Prince and led him astray. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Xue Ye's expression darkened.
He was confident that Prince Xue Xing couldn't have cuckolded him, but then again, Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing really were a little too close.
The truth didn't matter. What mattered was what others thought.
Xue Beng had copied Xue Xing so closely that they were practically a pair of biological father and son. Where did that leave him, Xue Beng's actual father?
If the rumor spread, it would be like watching Yu Xiaogang in a Soul Fight-not harmful, but sure to make one's skin crawl!
Xue Ye looked at Xue Xing without expression.
"Enough. Since you know you were wrong, you'll be confined to your residence for a year. From now on, you are not to associate closely with Xue Beng."
"Yes!"
Prince Xue Xing respectfully rose and accepted his punishment, then returned to his seat and stared coldly at Huo Yuhao.
That one remark had forced him to temporarily sever contact with Xue Beng.
Xue Qinghe, you already have a way to die!
Xue Ye instructed the attendant behind him, "Issue another decree. The Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, has behaved improperly. He is to receive a hundred strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"
"Yes!"
The palace attendant hurried off to deliver the decree.
Poor Xue Beng had just been carried back to his residence and was preparing to find a healing-type Soul Master to treat the injuries on his backside when a second savage beating came right on his heels.
Fresh wounds were piled atop old ones, and Xue Beng's cries shook heaven and earth.
The guards carrying out the punishment were terrified that something might happen to Xue Beng, so they could only have a healing-type Soul Master treat him as they administered the beating.
Normally, as the caning went on, a person's body would gradually grow numb, and the pain would slowly fade. But with the healing-type Soul Master treating him, every injury was healed as soon as it appeared. Xue Beng's backside was covered in freshly grown tender flesh, and each stroke hurt even more, right down to the bone.
On the Douluo Continent, Xue Beng had gotten a taste of a whip dipped in iodine.
In the hall, Huo Yuhao stood quietly where he was. Xue Ye turned his gaze to him, studying him. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, along with a measure of indifference.
This good son of mine seems to have changed!
The old Xue Qinghe had always been gentle and refined, smooth and tactful in all his dealings, somewhat like his teacher, Ning Fengzhi. He had seemed less like a crown prince than a shrewd merchant.
But today, Xue Qinghe's words and methods were unusually sharp and incisive. He showed something of a crown prince's ability.
That's a good thing!
But of all the things Xue Qinghe shouldn't have done, he had used Xue Ye as a blade and even hinted that Xue Xing had put a green hat on him!
Xue Ye's tone grew firmer. "Crown Prince, I summoned you here this time to discuss your marriage."
Huo Yuhao blinked.
Marriage?
Me, taking a bride?
Isn't that absurd?
Even if I wanted to, I don't have the ability right now. I can't just bring a bride home to look at her, can I?
I might as well look at myself instead. What ordinary girl is better-looking than I am?
Huo Yuhao was about to find an excuse to refuse when Xue Ye spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.
"You are nearly thirty. As the crown prince of an empire, you still haven't taken a bride. How can I entrust the future of the Heaven Dou Empire to you with peace of mind?"
Prince Xue Xing sneered, turning his teacup as he spoke in a sarcastic tone. "Imperial Nephew has already turned down several marriages. Could it be that you're not quite up to the task in certain respects? As the crown prince of an empire, producing heirs is a matter of state. If you're not up to it, your imperial uncle happens to keep a few physicians who specialize in such matters. Shall I send them to examine you?"
Huo Yuhao's thoughts raced.
So Qian Renxue had already turned down several marriages?
That made sense, though. Although the Douluo Continent was a fantasy world, cultivation below the Titled Douluo level added little to a person's lifespan. Ordinary people and regular Soul Masters were more inclined to marry and have children early.
As the Crown Prince, it was rather abnormal for him to be in his twenties, nearly thirty, and still unmarried.
His thoughts circled a few times, and Huo Yuhao formed a plan. He looked at Prince Xue Xing with a smile.
"It's rare for Imperial Uncle to be so concerned about my marriage. I'm in excellent health. A gentleman doesn't take what another man treasures. You're getting on in years, Imperial Uncle, and aren't up to it anymore, so you'd better keep those physicians for yourself."
No matter his age, a man couldn't be told he wasn't up to it.
Prince Xue Xing was so furious he wanted to vomit blood. He wished he could have a contest with Huo Yuhao to see who could piss farther!
Xue Ye also glanced at Xue Xing with the hint of a smile.
Huo Yuhao turned to face Xue Ye and cupped his hands.
"Thank you for taking such pains over my marriage, Imperial Father. The reason I turned down those matches before was that I already had someone in my heart."
"Oh?" Xue Ye's interest was piqued.
"Poison Douluo has a granddaughter named Dugu Yan. She is just twenty, youthful and beautiful, and my heart longs for her. Poison Douluo is the only Titled Douluo serving as an honored guest of our Heaven Dou Empire. If I could marry his granddaughter, we could bind him completely to the Heaven Dou Empire's war chariot! It would be greatly beneficial, both publicly and privately."
"No! Absolutely not!"
The teacup in Prince Xue Xing's hand fell to the floor. He sprang to his feet, his expression exceptionally ugly.
What a sinister, vicious scheme this Xue Qinghe has!
Poison Douluo was the source of his confidence in opposing Xue Qinghe and his greatest trump card. If Xue Qinghe really married Dugu Yan, it would be no different from pulling the firewood from under his cauldron.
He and Xue Beng would be left without hope!
Huo Yuhao's move had struck straight at his vital point.
Xue Ye said nothing, his eyes thoughtful.
Huo Yuhao shot Prince Xue Xing a sidelong glance. "Why are you so upset, Imperial Uncle? Poison Douluo's granddaughter and I are a match made in heaven. For the future of the Heaven Dou Empire, I would not hesitate even to sacrifice my future marriage! Why are you standing in the way, Imperial Uncle?"
Huo Yuhao's voice abruptly turned cold. "Or have you never cared about the interests of the Heaven Dou Empire, Imperial Uncle? For your own selfish interests, you would disregard those of the imperial family and the empire! In your eyes, does Poison Douluo serve as an honored guest of our Heaven Dou Empire, of Imperial Father, or of you personally?"
Prince Xue Xing's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly knelt again and bowed to Xue Ye, crying out from the floor that he had been wronged.
"I've been falsely accused! I would never dare harbor such thoughts!"
He actually did harbor such thoughts, but was this Xue Qinghe entirely blameless?
He's in the wrong for saying it out loud, too!