Chapter 50: Kill… Father… Devour… Brother?

The Tyrant Emperor meticulously checked Ah Bao from top to bottom and confirmed she wasn’t injured before he felt reassured.

[Dad, I’m fine. I drank milk in the stronghold and even saw a whole room full of gold. It was quite the eye-opener!]

A whole room of gold?

Su Jinye took the opportunity to inform the Tyrant Emperor about the bandit situation on Taibai Mountain.

The Tyrant Emperor, upon hearing this, looked at Di Zian. “You managed to eradicate the bandits without losing a single soldier?”

Di Zian scratched his head. “Just lucky, really. It’s all thanks to my sister’s dream.”

If it hadn’t been for his sister’s guidance, he wouldn’t have managed to subdue Feng Batian so quickly.

“The way you two handled things—inside and out—was excellent. I’m very pleased,” the Tyrant Emperor said. “Since Feng Batian isn’t inclined to submit to the court, it’s not a bad idea for him to act as a hero in the martial world to provide disaster relief.”

[Yay, Dad praised my brother!]

[This might be the first time!]

[Brother must be so happy he could cry!]

Di Zian’s eyes reddened. Growing up, his father had always been stern and rarely praised him. Whenever he got into trouble, his father barely scolded him, which was already quite rare.

Seeing Di Zian’s emotional reaction, the Tyrant Emperor frowned.

So many years of maintaining a strict father image had apparently succeeded?

He hadn’t expected the seventh prince to be so afraid of him.

“You’re all grown up now. Why are you crying?” The Tyrant Emperor snorted.

Di Zian wiped his tears. “I’m not crying. It’s just that sand got into my eyes.”

[Hahaha, there’s no wind in the room!]

[Actually, Seventh Brother and Dad are quite similar in being stubborn.]

The Tyrant Emperor: “…”

“I haven’t had a walk with my precious little princess for several days. You two should come along with me.”

[But Dad, we’ve only been apart for two days.]

[It doesn’t seem like several days.]

The Tyrant Emperor nearly stumbled as he walked. Fortunately, holding Ah Bao, he was extremely careful. It wouldn’t matter if he fell himself, but he couldn’t let anything happen to Ah Bao.

“Ahem.” As the Tyrant Emperor stepped out and was talking to Di Zian and Su Jinye, the Third Prince walked towards them.

The Third Prince was holding his head and mumbling to himself in the dim night.

“Third Brother?” Di Zian noticed him immediately and spoke up.

The Third Prince froze, and under the dim light, saw the Tyrant Emperor with Di Zian and Su Jinye. He looked quite surprised.

“Father… Father?” The Third Prince was bewildered.

Damn.

How did he run into Father here? He had just climbed out of the ditch and was in disarray. Wouldn’t this raise Father’s suspicions?

[Hmm, what happened to Third Brother? He looks bruised and is limping. Did he fall into a ditch?]

Di Zian was startled.

Fallen into a ditch?

He suddenly remembered that the black-clad person chasing the bandits from the stronghold had fallen into a ditch last night.

And thinking back to the voice…

Di Zian was sure.

This was definitely Third Brother’s voice.

So, Third Brother went to the bandit stronghold last night too?

And ended up as his opponent!

This…

The Third Prince was at a loss, already on the verge of tears. At least the Tenth Princess understood him.

He really did fall into a ditch last night.

It hurt so much.

To think that a prince like him would end up chased into a ditch by bandits—how humiliating.

“Third Brother, what were you doing? You look so disheveled.” The Tyrant Emperor’s face was stern.

The Third Prince opened his mouth but was momentarily stunned.

He hadn’t expected to run into the Tyrant Emperor here and hadn’t prepared an excuse. Being suddenly forced to lie was like deceiving the Tyrant Emperor!

“I was drinking with friends last night and… fell into a ditch.”

The Tyrant Emperor furrowed his brows. “Is there such a dilapidated street in the capital, with a ditch?”

“Ah?”

[Hahaha, Third Brother is clearly lying.]

The Third Prince was sweating nervously.

His heart was pounding uncontrollably.

Luckily, only he could hear the Tenth Princess’s thoughts.

Otherwise, he would be done for, having committed treason.

“Ah, what’s that?”

The Third Prince mumbled something incoherent. “There’s a ditch on a street north of the city, near Tiansheng Residence…”

“Be more careful next time you leave the palace.”

The Third Prince quickly replied, “I understand, Father. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now.”

[It’s hard to believe that this naive Third Brother will one day be involved in plotting to usurp the throne and kill his father and brothers.]

Hearing the Tenth Princess’s thoughts, the Tyrant Emperor, Di Zian, and Su Jinye were all silent.

Kill… his father… and brothers?

The Third Prince, who was about to leave, lowered his head in shock, his eyes nearly popping out.

No way?

He… he… can’t do that!!

Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn’t commit such an act.

[Pity Third Brother. He will be used by the main characters to plot the usurpation of the throne and become their puppet Tyrant Emperor. But Third Brother is too naive. On the eve of the usurpation, the Tiangsheng Dynasty will be destroyed. As the chosen puppet Tyrant Emperor, he will end up in a cage, fed to wolves.]

The Third Prince: “!!!”

Oh heavens.

Help!

He dared not stay any longer and fled like mad.

As if running a bit slower would reveal his future fate.

At this moment, the Tyrant Emperor watched the direction in which the Third Prince fled, his eyes dark and brooding.

Third Brother… could he really commit such a treacherous act?

…

“You’re finally back.” In the Qinyun Palace, Concubine Hui rushed out from the hall upon seeing the Third Prince’s return.

The Third Prince sat at the stone table in the courtyard, staring at a chess game that had been set up for several days.

The voice of the Tenth Princess echoed in his mind.

He made a firm resolution!

What main characters?

Hmph, whether it’s a man or a woman, anyone who dares to incite him to usurp the throne in the future will be driven away!

“Third Brother, what are you daydreaming about? How did the bandit eradication go last night?” Concubine Hui asked anxiously.

The Third Prince snapped back to reality. “Nothing much, it failed.”

Concubine Hui was alarmed. “How did it fail? I laid everything out for you. How could you still fail? Can’t you put in some effort? If you don’t show any results, how will your father ever consider you for the crown prince position?

How will you ascend to the throne and become the Tyrant Emperor of the Tiangsheng Dynasty?”

The Third Prince turned to Concubine Hui. “Mother, do you want me to be the Tyrant Emperor?”